An Adventure Story

What entices you to read a book? The title? The author? Subject matter? Someone's recommendation? Personal growth? Because it is the sequel to a book you loved? All of these and more are reasons why you are going to love the book of Acts. Fully named, "The Acts of the Apostles," the work takes up where the Gospel of Luke leaves off, and has even been referred to as the fifth gospel. I invite you to join me as we witness what came next for the band of men and women who followed Jesus once He returned to the Father. Acts is the sequel to Dr. Luke's gospel---------what is your opinion of sequels? Do you think, 'they're never as good as the first?' Well then you have forgotten the blockbuster movie, The Empire Strikes Back, which came out in 1980; it was more popular than the first. (Funny thing--the first Star Wars movie was subtitled "A New Hope", which could apply to Luke's gospel; and similarly "The Empire Strikes Back" is a title the could be applied to the book of Acts!) It is my intent to fill you with anticipation of Luke's second work, and all that it contains. Acts is like a bridge between the Gospels and the Epistles (the letters written to the churches, which immediately follow Acts in the New Testament).

Reading through Dr. Luke's second work, I must say that it is packed full: with the impartation of the Holy Spirit, the happenings of the early Christian church and its spread through the Mediterranean, heroes of the faith--most notably Peter (yes, the same one who just recently denied our/his Lord three times will become a hero in short order), and then Paul. It seems you could spend a lifetime learning about Paul, and still find out more about the remarkable man, and I for one, just love his big personality and intelligent, passionate writing. Are you ready to rip the cover off the book of Acts? I pray so, because Acts is incredible!

beginning with a prayer -

"Dear God, Please open our minds so we can understand,
and our hearts that we can know and grow from your Word. Amen"

In my former book,(the gospel of Luke), Theophilus, (which means 'lover of God') I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to Heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He showed them many proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, 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 baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they met together, they asked Him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority...Acts 1.1-7

Did you notice that Luke says that he had written "about all that Jesus began to do"? O, how I loved reading about Jesus' birth and ministry set forth in Luke! In Acts, we will see the continuing prominence of the Lord Jesus, and His working through the apostles (an apostle was someone who saw Jesus himself); note that they would do things in a different manner than before--through the Holy Spirit. And, while Jesus' headquarters moved from Capernaum to Heaven, He was at work among them, and still IS at work among His people today. So really, the story of the Church begins in Acts but is still being written today. Luke refers to Jesus' trials and death simply as "His suffering," and notes that Jesus gave them proof that He lived again--that He had indeed been resurrected from the grave--and was alive. Ten different times He appeared to them. This is a fact that we often take for granted, and that the Church reserves for teaching about once a year on Easter. That was not the case in the early Church--no sermon was preached without reference to it, but of course, those who heard knew of its occurrence; and, there would have been no Church without it!

Acts is second to none as the best historical record we have for the Christian Church. which launched in Jerusalem, where Jesus had told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Obviously, the men couldn't even fathom what Jesus was talking about in the coming of the Holy Spirit--so they again asked Him if this was the time when He would restore Israel. . . 'No, this is not the time. and only God the Father knows when that will happen...' Jesus said to them. Doesn't it seem like Jesus has forever been saying, 'Don't worry---the time tables I have in hand. . . you just trust Me'? 'Once before I said to you, 'seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.--do you remember that?'

Currently, in our calendar year, you and I have just considered Holy Week, in which Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd, partook of the Last Supper, prayed and agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, was arrested, falsely accused, tried, crucified, buried, and RISEN AGAIN! Forty days, He walked amongst them, making ten different appearances. . .
and here we find ourselves in Jerusalem. . . listening. . . watching. . . waiting. . .
Are you ready? Open your hearts, my friends, to receive. . .
And then seek out all the Holy Spirit has for you~ Christine (DiGiacomo) espressocd@cox.net