𝗜𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺: 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝟱:𝟭𝟮-𝟭𝟲

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘰. 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘮. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥.

Additional Reading: 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝟭:𝟴; 𝟰:𝟭𝟯

The book of Acts is distinct among the New Testament writings because it deals with the birth of the Church and its life in the age of the apostles. The role of the Holy Spirit is a significant emphasis of God’s involvement and providence in Acts. God’s divine work through the Holy Spirit was made aware of the early church community. Since the signs and wonders of the apostles were demonstrated through the work of the Holy Spirit, scholars have suggested that “the Acts of the Holy Spirit” would be a more appropriate title of the book.

Doctor Luke gives us a snapshot of the everyday life of the church. At this point, the early church had witnessed and experienced God’s signs and wonders through the apostles. Though they were ordinary men and unschooled in the advanced religious training of the Pharisees, they were esteemed by the community because of the work of God that has been seen through them. Through the preaching of the gospel and manifestation of the Spirit, multitudes came to believe in Jesus. As a growing Christian community, their lives were defined by prayer, the word, and fellowship. They exercised faith and did not remain eyewitnesses and recipients of miracles. They became channels of faith and miracles by being in faith for others to receive miracles and ministering to the sick, afflicted, and unclean. When the church came together in fervent prayer and faith, amazing things happened among them and through them on a regular basis.

The apostles were regular people like us—empowered by the Holy Spirit to do mighty works to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel of the kingdom. The same power that was in the apostles to do signs and wonders also resides in every Christian. Acts 1:8 tells us that God has given us His Spirit to empower us. The declaration of the gospel is accompanied by the demonstration of the Spirit’s power—here and to the end of the earth.

Each of us have people in our immediate sphere of influence who need a miracle from God today. Each of us is sent with God’s Spirit to be His witness. We stand on the authority of Jesus to be channels of God’s signs and wonders to others.

• Who among your loved ones needs a miracle today? Go and be a channel of God’s miracle to them. We are empowered and sent to proclaim Jesus to the world.

• What seemingly impossible prayer request have you been waiting to be answered? Be in faith—we serve a miracle-working God.

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,

Breathe new life into my willing soul;

Let the presence of the risen Lord,

Come renew my heart and make me whole.

Cause Your Word to come alive in me;

Give me faith for what I cannot see.

Give me passion for Your purity;

Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within,

May Your joy be seen in all I do.

Love enough to cover every sin

In each thought and deed and attitude.

Kindness to the greatest and the least;

Gentleness that sows the path of peace.

Turn my strivings into works of grace;

Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,

Giving life to all that God has made.

Show Your power once again on earth,

Cause Your Church to hunger for Your ways.

Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;

Lead us on the road of sacrifice,

That in unity the face of Christ

Will be clear for all the world to see.

“Holy Spirit”

(a song by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty)