WISHING EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS

                                                                  AND                                                                                           

                                          GOD'S BLESSINGS FOR 2022

 

 

                                   A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS  

                                                          PART II-II

"I, Peter, had come together with the other 11 disciples as well as other followers of the Lord... We had spent ten days in prayer..... Then the power of the Holy Spirit fell upon us.... It was a glorious moment.... We all began to speak in various languages.... Languages we had not learnt .... Moreover, I sensed within myself a boldness I had not known before.... It was not too long ago that I had denied the Lord and all of us had hid ourselves behind locked doors....But that day I stood up and publicly proclaimed a most powerful message."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Peter's boldness....

                   ATTACHMENT A WALK  THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                         PART II-II

That day when the Holy Spirit came upon these 120 believers, they changed from being a fearful people who had hidden behind closed doors to a bold people who were no longer afraid as to what the authorities might do to them. We see it that day in particular in the changed life of Peter who not so long ago had denied Jesus three times at the time of Jesus' trial as you can read in John 18:27

Again Peter denied it, and at the moment the cock began to crow.

And he had afterwards, together with the other 11 disciples, hid behind locked doors for fear of the authorities. But on that day Peter stood up boldly and addressed the crowd as you can read in Acts 2:14-16.   

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellows Jews and all of you who live in Jersusalem, let me explain this to you: "Listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It is only nine in the morning. No this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel."

So Peter explained to them what had happened to the disciples.

                                 A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                        PART II-I 

"I, Peter, was with the other eleven disciples as well as with a larger group of believers.... We were all together in one room in Jerusalem.... One hundred and twenty in total.... We had been together for ten days... Then something miraculous happened... It was the Day of Pentecost....The day started out as any other of the ten days.... We had come together for prayer... But then suddenly our prayers were interrupted.... A mighty rushing wind came through the whole house.... And I saw what seemed to be tongues of fire on each head.... And I could see from the expression on the faces of the others that something similar had happened to me... And even more amazing, we all began to speak in languages we had never learned.... It is true that some people mocked us."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of a special event at the Day of Pentecost.....

                        

                 ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                          PART II-I

The promised gift from heaven had arrived in the form of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had told them would happen. And He had come upon all these disciples who had gathered together, a total of 120 men and women as you can read in Acts 1:15

In those days Peter stood up among the believers ( a group numbering about a hundred and twenty).

As a result men and women began to speak in other tongues or other languages they had never spoken before. Now that day there were many Jews from other places in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. And they heard them being spoken to in their own language about all the wonderful things God had been doing even though they knew the people who were speaking these languages were all from Galilee. How could that be? They did not understand how these people could talk to them in their own language. This truly was an amazing event as you can read in Acts 2:5-8

Now there were staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?"

However, there were some people who decided that what was happening was very strange as you can read in Acts 2:13

Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Among the people who were amazed at what was happening, there were those who simple mocked this unique event.

                                   A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                     PART I - IX

"We, Jesus' eleven disciples (Judas was no longer with us) have just seen Jesus go up into heaven.... It was quite an experience we were not really prepared for.... However, we then had a visit from two angels from heaven..... They told us that Jesus would one day come back in the same way that He had gone into heaven....We then realised that we could not just stay around... For we were not told when exactly He would return.... So we returned to Jerusalem.... There we gathered in our usual place with others... Jesus' mother Mary and His brothers joined us as well."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that after the visit of two angels the eleven disciples returned to Jerusalem...

                  ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                     PART I -IX 

The disciples tried to keep following Jesus with their eyes until He was no longer visible as we can read in Acts 1:10-11

They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them, "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus, who has been taken from you  into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."

As the disciples were having their eyes turned upward, two angels appeared without them noticing. These angels then began to speak to them to help them understand that Jesus had really gone back to His Father. However, one day He would return in the same way that they had seen Him go into heaven. But they did not know when that would happen so they decided they better return to Jerusalem as you can read in Acts 1:12-14

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath's day walk from the City. When they arrived they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James, son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Other followers of Jesus joined the eleven disciples, including Jesus' mother Mary and His brothers. Together, they spent the time in prayer.

                               

 

                                     A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS 

                                                            PART I - VIII

"I, Peter, am one of Jesus'disciples.... We were all overjoyed when Jesus came in our midst....He told us that He was sending us out just as He had been sent out by His Father.... We then heard Him say that we needed to stay in Jerusalem first so we could be empowered for our task before going out....We understood all that for we knew we needed to be empowered by Him to fulfill His task for us just as He had empowered us in the past.... What we heard next was quite uncomfortable.... For we heard Him say that we were to go to places we have never been to.... We all wondered if we had heard correctly.... But everyone looked at me to see what I would say... I had in mind to say, "Jesus, excuse me... We can cope with going to Jerusalem even though that might mean imprisonment for us and likewise going to Judea is ok for everyone is like us, Jewish... But You cannot mean for us to go to Samaria... We still remember that not too long ago You insisted we go there and so we went... And then You talked to that Samaritan woman... But that only happened because we had gone to town to buy lunch.... So we could not stop You from talking to her.... But we want You to know that we were worried about Your reputation.... After all, she was a woman... And more than that, she was a Samaritan woman.... And You know that we, Jews, do not communicate with Samaritans... And most certainly not with Samaritan women... It is true, we did not dare to say anything to You at that time....But we were really concerned for Your reputation....After all, You are a Rabbi....And since we are Your disciples, we were concerned for our reputation as well... So Jesus, You could you not possibly tell us to go there, could You now?.... And then to tell us to go the ends of the earth?... Jesus, that is where all the unclean people are... Whose homes we cannot enter and who cannot enter our homes.... Jesus do not leave us now.... We must discuss this." ... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Jesus' assigment to His disciples before leaving for heaven...

                       ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                           PART I - VIII

 

Peter and the other disciples would have been shocked when they heard Jesus say to them that they were going to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth as you can read in Acts 1:8b

"And you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

However, before any of the disciples, including Peter, could say anything to Jesus about His commandment to them, Jesus left for heaven as you can read in

Acts 1:9

After He had said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

It was clear He was not coming back to the disciples. Not at least at that time. But they then remembered He had told them to wait in Jerusalem for this Gift from heaven.

 

              

                                      A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                              PART I - VII

"I, Jesus, had another encounter with My disciples.... At that time I told them that they were not to leave Jerusalem.... I told them as well as to why they were not to leave Jerusalem... They were to wait for the gift My Father was going to send them from heaven.....I told them, furthermore, that they would not be able to minister without this Gift from heaven....For that Gift would provide them with the necessary power they would need to preach, teach, heal and deliver people."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Jesus' words to His disciples at another encounter with them....

                         ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                                PART I - VII

Jesus had told His disciples that they were to be send out as He has been sent out. Nevertheless, they were not yet ready to do so for he He had told them as well to wait in Jerusalem for the Gift from the Father as you can read in Acts 1:4-5

On one occassion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with the water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit."

And Jesus explained as to why they needed to be baptised with the Holy Spirit as you can read in Acts 1:8a

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

They needed to be empowered so they could go out and do what the Lord had told them to do.