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ACTS CHAPTERS 1 & 2 KJV WEB Act 1,1-5 (222a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> The Church is hidden from the world – In what way does the Church today reflect the early Church of the first century? And don't say we have progressed! The Church is not supposed to have a place in the world, but we can see that it does, and this is causing more problems than it is solving. If it were up to the world, the Church would not exist, but in fact that is not the opinion of most people, which again sends up red flags. If our gospel is not offensive to the world, then maybe we took away the offense to avoid being offended ourselves. The Bible says that the offense of the gospel is the cross of Christ, but there is another offense, the Holy Spirit. The Church exists by the will of God and not by the will of man. The Church that God is building in His people is essentially hidden from the world. The world merely tolerates the Church, yet we are the very salt of the earth, keeping the world from self-destruction. This is man’s world, though the devil would like to think it belongs to him, in that Adam gave him authority when he bit into the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. We know a time is coming when the world will all but destroy itself, but this could not happen except that the Church is in a state of apostasy. Act 1-1,2 (100g) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in studying the Bible (208h) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being the friend of God >> Relationship with God by the Spirit – The name Theophilus in Greek means friend of God. This name ties the book of Acts with the gospel of Luke, suggesting they have the same author, since no one else wrote this way. It says in Lk 1,1-3, “In as much as many have undertaken to compile an account… it seems fitting… having investigated… to write it out for you in consecutive order most excellent Theophilus.” Some argue whether Theophilus was a real person, but outside of mere curiosity it doesn’t really matter. Real or not, he was Luke’s main audience, and through Theophilus we all can read the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Act 1-1 (147a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Remember Jesus’ miracles Act 1-2 (110f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through you >> Spirit speaks through Jesus (219c) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> God has chosen us Act 1,3-11 (237h) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The ascension >> Jesus’ ascension Act 1,3-9 (39d) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection – Jesus was very careful to make sure everybody was with Him in understanding everything that was happening before He ascended to the Father. He wanted no confusion, so when He sent the Holy Spirit, there would be no conflicts or contradictions between the Holy Spirit and what they thought they understood about the will of God. He wanted them to know not only that He was real, Jesus wasn’t an aberration or an angel, and He wanted them to know the truth about God’s plan for them to build a Church, not a physical edifice but one that is spiritual, unique and separate from the world. Act 1-3 (98f) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The cross (245h) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> The resurrection is a manifestation of His life (254g) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus conquered death because He is life KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 1-4,5 (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verse 8. In the book of Acts people suddenly started talking about the Holy Spirit, whereas before Jesus was crucified the disciples were indifferent to Him. After the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, His disciples understood the concept, because they began experiencing Him firsthand. A proper teaching of the Holy Spirit has been lost in the days in which we are currently living for the same reason the disciples didn’t talk about Him prior to Pentecost, from a lack of experience. The Holy Spirit is the first thing to go when the apostasy comes. One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to create an atmosphere among Christians. As an example, whenever an era closes, such as the sixties, the seventies or the eighties, we can remember the events that took place, the history of the time, yet we find it difficult to remember the spirit of the time. We have our own era going now, and the days in which we are living will become unique to history, though they seem common now. Every era has an atmosphere associated with it that we mostly take for granted, so when that era passes, the atmosphere is lost, though all the events that took place during that time are carefully etched into history. The same is true with the Holy Spirit; when apostasy comes the Holy Spirit is the first to leave and the first to be forgotten. (110i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the truth >> Sound of the wind is the words of Jesus -- These verses go with verse 8 (190k) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Baptism of the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verse 8. The Holy Spirit creates the atmosphere by which we do the works of God, which is the purpose of the fruit of the Spirit, but we as a people today don't know the significance of the Holy Spirit. The only reason He is mentioned at all is that the Bible speaks so often about Him, but we don’t understand the Scriptures that speak of Him. The Holy Spirit is someone we must personally experience to truly know Him. Reading a book about the sixties won’t give us the spirit of the time anymore than we can experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit from a book. His indwelling presence in the believer must have an impact on our lives, and in order for that to happen we must allow Him to produce the works of God in us, but too many people nowadays suppress the Holy Spirit dwelling in them so that He is not allowed to manifest, and the result is that few people are being saved. (205c) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of the Holy Spirit – Luke (the writer of the Book of Acts) is drawing precedence that Christianity really is all about the Holy Spirit. The book is called the Acts of the Apostles, but we could just as easily call it, The Acts of the Holy Spirit as Performed through the Apostles. Had Jesus been raised from the dead, appeared to His disciples, spoke to them concerning the Kingdom of God and then gone to heaven without ever sending the Holy Spirit, the story would have ended right there. The people would have gone each to his own home and never seen each other again, but in fact they did perform the exploits of evangelism and changed the world, because Jesus did send the Holy Spirit and as a result Luke did write the Book of Acts. (220d) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> Divine appointments Act 1-4 (126ka) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> Have patience for the return of Christ >> The spiritual return of Christ Act 1-6,7 (50b) Judgment >> God judges the world >> The second coming of Christ (214dd) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s timing transcends our comprehension >> God’s time is none of our business – God is very possessive about time, though He lives in eternity and has an infinite amount of it. God has told us many things that have happened and are yet to happen, but He rarely tells us when things will happen, because He wants us to walk by faith; and besides, people would immediately misuse the knowledge. Had Jesus told His disciples that there was a 2000-year waiting period before His return, they would have shrugged off the will of God saying, ‘It’s not for us then,’ and never done half the things they did. Instead, they struggled and labored and fought and suffered for the sake of the Kingdom of God, not just for our sakes but for theirs too, believing the Lord would return in their lifetime. Every generation that has passed since Abraham, who first heard the plan and purpose for mankind, that He would make a mighty nation through him, has been hoping God would established His Kingdom in their lifetime, and it has inspired them to live for God that He would find them doing His will. We also know that if God’s glorious kingdom does not come in our lifetime, we will be an intricate part of it in eternity just the same, so it doesn’t matter if it comes now or not, we are part of His Kingdom, because we belong to Him. (215i) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> God brings His kingdom to pass in His time – The disciples asked Jesus an interesting question, giving us insight into what they (and the entire nation of Israel) were thinking in regard to Messiah. Throughout Jesus’ ministry the disciples walked with the Lord, and awoke new hope that Jesus would spring the Kingdom of God on the world. Suddenly everything would change and the glory of God would be revealed. That is what their Jewish teachers taught them from Old Testament prophecies, referring to His second coming, but it didn’t happen. This is why the disciples were confused and disappointed when He died on the cross. He solved every problem and healed every disease, but in the end His enemies had the last word, except for the resurrection. The disciples, and on a larger scale Israel, failed to see in their Old Testament the suffering servant who would die for the sins of the world, and according to Jesus’ reaction, they should have known (Lk 24-25,26). It was in the Scriptures, but they didn’t see it. It wasn’t the disciples fault so much as it was their teachers who indoctrinated them about the coming power and glory of God. Had Israel conferred with Isaiah in ancient times, he would have led them to integrate the teaching of a suffering servant into their Jewish theology and tradition, but God had done this very thing through the specific laws of temple worship, which ironically throughout the centuries depicted the sacrifice of their Messiah. After Jesus rose from the dead He told them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” So what they hoped never came, and it still hasn’t come 2000 years later, showing the error of their beliefs. This should not come as a surprise that people are off-base with God; man has never understood God; He is incomprehensible to the natural mind, but He makes sense to the Spirit whom He has given us. See also: Expecting the Kingdom of God to appear immediately; Act 4,1-14; 183j (241b) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Hindering the kingdom >> Obstacles in the way of the kingdom >> Ask but don’t receive >> Asking for something that is not in His will -- These verses go with verses 24-26 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 1-8 (6e) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Rest in Jesus’ yoke – What happened to the power of the Holy Spirit? Did Jesus say He would not work with His people this way anymore, or did we say it? We are the ones who have excused ourselves from the glory and power of God; we have done this. It would be extremely exciting to live like the disciples of the early church; it would fill our lives with meaning, but we don’t avail ourselves to the power of God because we like the world and have adopted its secular perspective, and we don’t know if we really want to get that close to God, knowing we would have to put our flesh on a short leash. That is, we don’t want to walk in the power of God because we want the freedom to walk in the flesh. That is sad and pathetic. (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 4&5 (110i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the truth >> Sound of the wind is the words of Jesus -- This verse goes with verses 4&5 (144f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church Bears Witness of Jesus >> Church bears witness of the Holy Spirit – When everybody collectively makes the decision to abandon the glory of God in order to be like the world, it makes it almost impossible for those who want to obey Christ to walk in His power, because not only will they have to fight the world, but the Church too. In fact, the Church would become more hostile and jealous against them than the world. When the Church sees someone who has put down their flesh and is walking in the power of the Spirit, it puts them to shame, and they would rather persecute him than repent of their own complacency. This is why we so rarely see anyone walking in the Spirit, but a day is coming when this will change. Before Jesus returns, His power and glory will be reinstated in His church, and those who would resist will find themselves fighting against God. In that day His people will either walk in power and glory or they won’t be His people. (149h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Authority of the rhema given to evangelism >> Preaching the gospel by the power of God – When Jesus delivered the great commission of the gospel to His disciples, it sounded like He was asking for a very big task, equal to 40,000 pounds of potatoes shipped from one coast to the other, but when he said, "you shall receive power," it sounded like He was giving them a new eighteen-wheeler to do the job. Most truck drivers are fat, because the truck does all the work; the driver just sits there shifting and steering. That is the relationship we have between our work, and the Holy Spirit, except that we don’t get fat, because it is a hard enough job just letting the Holy Spirit work through our mortal flesh. See also: Working the grace of God (God works with us through the Holy Spirit); Jm 4-4; 208jb (190k) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Baptism of the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 4&5 Act 1,9-11 (15e) Servant >> Angels are messengers from God >> They are sent to impart information (147f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Spiritual manifestations (236l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The Rapture >> The day of the Lord – The angels said that Jesus would return the same way He left, only in reverse; He ascended, so when He returns He will descend. The events leading up to his return will also occur in reverse order. After Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples went back to the upper room where they remained nearly the entire forty days in urgent prayer, which was basically a hiding place from the Romans, waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Church was later dispersed into all the nations. The reverse order of that is this: (1) the Church is currently fragmented, (2) a great influx of Jews are returning to Jerusalem, (3) an outpouring of the Holy Spirit will ensue, (4) a wilderness experience (upper room); God’s people will wait for the promise of His return (Rapture). How many angels were standing next to Jesus while He ascended to heaven? There were two of them, as in the Two Witnesses. In the last days there will be two men who will raise up the 144,000 who will lead the gentiles into a great endtime revival. For a more detailed study of this, see the article: Fall of Satan. See also: Second coming; Act 1-10,11; 58b / Summary of the last days; Rev 6,9-11; 48b (245e) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation of Jesus Christ >> Manifestation of Jesus’ second coming Act 1-9,10 (237g) The ascension (Key verse) Act 1-10,11 (58b) Paradox >> Opposites >> Jesus’ second coming is similar to His ascension – After the Rapture there will still be people alive on the earth, and not all of them will have received the mark of the beast, but they will have also rejected the purpose of God for themselves, so they served neither God nor Satan, but they will repent. Those who survive the antichrist’s onslaught and the trumpets of God’s judgment will find safe harbor in Jerusalem, under the city in the catacombs, which will also happen to be the capital city of the antichrist at the time. These are the ways of God: the most dangerous place imaginable is where God will lead His people, as the safest place in the world. When the antichrist first came to Jerusalem, everyone fled for their lives. Earthquakes are synonymous with endtime prophecy, so it would seem likely that these catacombs would collapse after the scheduled earthquake that is bigger than any that man has ever experienced, and so Christ will call His people to the surface to await His return to the holy city. Those who make this migration to Jerusalem will welcome the Lord's arrival to the earth as He sets foot on the Mount of Olives. When Christ comes for His people, the war of Armageddon marks the end of man's tyrannical reign on earth, and Christ will set up His millennial kingdom, and those who remain in the flesh, will be called to replenish the populations of the earth, and their numbers will not be many. See also: Second coming; Act 1-12; 94d Act 1-11 (50d) Judgment >> Last Days >> Jewish Led endtime revival >> Jews lead the world into revival >> Leading the harvest at the end of the age KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 1,12-14 (140c) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> House where you live with Jesus – The upper room experience was a time of prayer, fasting, seeking God and waiting for his return, and in much the same way this will occur in the last days. Their upper room experience represented a spiritual time and place that is coming that will be incomprehensible to the natural mind, meaning that it could be virtually anywhere, just like heaven may not be billions of light-years away but right here in a different dimension. These spiritual places will be dotted throughout the world; thousands of people will congregate at each site, located apart from large cities situated in wilderness areas, where the natural man cannot go. God will call His people there, and it will be a hiding place in plain sight where no one can find them (2King 6,15-18). God Himself will feed them like He fed the Israelites manna in the wilderness in the days of Moses; meanwhile, God will be in the process of judging the world through the Trumpets. There will be many Christians in the world at the time, not just 120 persons as in the upper room, but 144,000 Jewish Christians and millions of gentile believers; they will all seek God’s protection and find it in these places that God has prepared for them. (142f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a good reputation >> Jesus’ reputation – Note that Jesus’ brothers were there, because they knew He practiced what He preached. Not even His own brothers who lived with Him could account for a single sin He committed, and when His own family members believed this about Him, it was strong evidence that He had something going with God. Our immediate family members are the best indicators of our true spiritual state. Act 1-12 (94d) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on this life >> Perspective on time – Mount Olivet is a vista where Jesus’ feet left the earth, and it is where His foot will return at the end of the age. To Him it will seem that He had been gone only a couple days, for the angel spoke as though He would return shortly (v11). Knowing Scripture, we should interpret this to mean that he will return to the same place and in the same way that He left, except the circumstances will be in reverse order. The saints will congregate in a certain location, as in the upper room, and there they will pray for the return of Christ. Recapping those events, there was a gathering of saints in the Upper Room, then a ministry with thousands of souls being saved after Pentecost, then a dispersion of saints from Jerusalem. It says in Rev 12-6, “Then the woman fled into the wilderness,” the woman referring to Jewish Christians. Before there can be a second dispersion there must be a return of the Jews to their homeland; this is happening now. Jesus’ foot touching the Mount of Olives will begin the clock ticking for His thousand-year reign on earth, and He will show mankind justice, and how he could have governed himself without leaving a trail of war and bloodshed. See also: Second coming; Act 1,9-11; 236l Act 1-13,14 (129n) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Having one mind. See information on Jesus Twelve Disciples. Act 1-14 (100k) Thy kingdom come >> Devotion >> In your ministry to God >> Devoted to prayer Act 1,15-20 (172aa) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Devils among the saints >> False brethren among the people of God >> Judas Iscariot among the disciples (186j) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> God’s role in forming a reprobate >> Marked out for destruction – According to Peter, Judas Iscariot bought a field and then went to that field and hanged himself, whereas we know by other passages that Judas threw the money into the temple, and the chief priests bought the field where Judas was buried, naming it the Field of Blood. Peter’s rendition is the inverse of Jesus’ parable of a man who found treasure in a field; he then moved the treasure to a secret location in the field and then bought that field. After the transaction the previous owner came looking for his treasure and discovered it missing. The priests did something similar, only opposite; instead of buying a field with a treasure inside, they bought a field that was cursed with treasonous blood, so there was no prospecting it. The field was never used again for anything, just like Sodom and Gomorra was never rebuilt, nor was Babylon. They bought it to cordon off the location and never let anyone own it again, and so it went fallow like an unkempt cemetery, and people stayed their distance, except for children telling each other ghost stories and occasionally trespassing the cursed ground. They bought it with the same coins that Judas threw into the temple, being unwilling to include it in the treasury, since it was the price of blood, though they had recently given Judas the coins to betray the Lord that they might arrest Him and hang Him on a cross. Act 1,16-20 (21c) Sin >> Disobedience >> Unfaithful (219i) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> Predestined according to the word of God Act 1-16 (107k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> hearing from God >> The Bible will lead you to truth >> The Scriptures are factual – Prophecy is the greatest proof of the Bible; God foretells things and they come to pass, the words themselves consisting of mere inkblots on a page, yet they represent the work of God. The words are timeless, having survived thousands of years unaltered; what they meant centuries earlier they still mean today, so when they are fulfilled, we may believe God's word is true. (110e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through you >> God chooses men to speak through Act 1,20-26 (78e) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Taking God to heart >> Having pure motives and desires – They put forth two men, Joseph (also called Barsabbas) and Matthias, with the credentials that they bore witness to the entire ministry of Christ, having followed Jesus from the baptism of John to His crucifixion, so they were probably one of the seventy as mentioned in Lk 10-1, apart from the twelve disciples. Having followed Jesus throughout his ministry proved that their hearts were with the Lord, and it gave them experience hearing and seeing firsthand all the things Jesus said and did. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 1,21-26 (18e) Sin >> False Judgment lacks evidence >> Presumptuous speculation (55n) Paradox >> Lose by gaining >> Lose the truth to gain religion (79c) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind >> Compromising your convictions (166m) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind cannot discern between good and evil >> The carnal mind assumes the will of God – This story exemplifies the difference between man’s choice and God’s choice. Man’s choice was Matthias, whereas God’s choice was the apostle Paul, whom God would choose in chapter nine. Man can pray and draw lots all he wants, but if God has an alternative plan to replace Judas, it doesn’t matter who draws the long straw. Matthias was added to the eleven, and then Scripture never mentioned him again, but several chapters later Paul came on the scene, and the Scriptures never stopped talking about him. So, who replaced Judas? Paul reached the known world with the gospel of Christ; what did Matthias do? No doubt Peter was behind this. It sounds like one of his antics, being young in the Lord and impetuous and still unfamiliar with the ways of the Lord. No doubt Matthias was a good man, probably one of the seventy, having walked with Jesus his entire ministry. No one faults his character, but he just wasn’t God’s choice. Man has been doing things like this, taking control of what they consider the will of God, making proclamations and calling it the word of God. Their decrees stick, and they religiously believe in them, becoming doctrine, and they add to their religion. Meanwhile God is somewhere else, doing something else with someone else. Their religion gets all the notoriety, but people who hear the voice of God speaking in their hearts and do what he says quietly change the world. They know God, and their fruit is unreligious. Their faithfulness is not phony, and their love is not dogmatic, and everything they say and do is graced by his presence. (175l) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Lack of knowledge (176d) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Zeal without knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) >> Conviction without commandment – We should expect Simon Peter to be behind this harebrained idea to draw lots to replace Judas Iscariot. So, did Matthias really become the twelfth apostle just because they drew lots… of course not! Those who believe God used the lot to determine Matthias' place among the twelve, who then was Paul? He was the man who wrote most of the epistles of the New Testament! Was he the thirteenth apostle, an outsider of the very Church he helped build? The apostle Paul was extremely zealous for the Lord, even more so than Peter, yet Paul was also insightful. Peter got ahead of God as he often did and sought to replace Judas right away by his own authority. God’s attitude was that they could draw lots all day to see who would take Judas’s place, but God had picked a man before the foundation of the world, a man whom Peter would have never considered, a blasphemer and a persecutor of the Church. God didn’t mind that Matthias temporarily stepped in as a placeholder until the time was right to fill the open position. Peter often took it upon himself to enact an idea and hoped God would bless it, such as during Jesus transfiguration. He didn’t know how to respond, so he offered to build three tabernacles, one for each person, instead of waiting to hear what God had in mind. What was His answer? “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” Peter liked his own ideas, but zeal without insight equals a blowhard. Fortunately, Peter matured beyond most of these compulsive tendencies later in life as he learned to follow the Holy Spirit, as opposed to drawing straws. (178a) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Presuming the will of God >> Presumption fills in the blanks (201k) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Man’s will over God >> Man is unwilling to acknowledge God Act 1-22 (144c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church Bears Witness of Jesus >> Having fellowship with Him Act 1,23-26 (198e) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Men place themselves in positions of authority >> Men raising up men – The fact that Scripture spoke of twelve apostles indicates that God recognized Matthias as the twelfth apostle, and if Scripture recognized Matthias as one of the twelve, then so should we. However, man does what he wants and so does God, who had his eye on Paul, intending to make him the twelfth apostle, but since Peter could not wait for God but took it upon himself to elect somebody to fill the place of Judas Iscariot, God skirted around human amendments and made Paul the greatest apostle of them all, apart from the twelve. We should consider him the thirteenth apostle. Paul's view of the gospel was significantly different from the way Jesus taught his disciples; he separated faith from works to show the relevance of faith, Eph 2-8,9 being the thesis of his writings. Jesus spoke in great detail about obedience, but we should also take into account what Paul taught, that obedience acts as proof of our faith, and proof doesn't save us; faith does. The apostles could not help but agree that this is what Jesus was saying all along, so returning to passages like Matthew chapter 25 where Jesus taught that we enter into His glory because we clothed the naked, fed the hungry, visited prisoners, etc., we see that these works of righteousness do not effect our salvation but act as proof that our faith is real. See also: Faith versus works; Act 17-30; 177i Act 1,24-26 (241b) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Hindering the kingdom >> Obstacles in the way of the kingdom >> Ask but don’t receive >> Asking for something that is not in His will -- These verses go with verses 6&7. Matthias supposedly filled the office of Judas Iscariot after they drew lots between two men who followed Jesus throughout His ministry, possibly two of the seventy, though not classed among the twelve. So what we have is a contrast between the eleven disciples whom Jesus handpicked, and Matthias who won his status by lot; and note that they drew lots prior to Pentecost, before they were anointed of the Holy Spirit. One came later, who was God’s choice replacement, Saul of Tarsus. Paul became a great apostle; he won more people to the Lord and contributed more to the cannon of Scripture than the original eleven. Paul revolutionized our understanding of the gospel, emphasizing grace over works because of his past as a Pharisee, who notoriously focused on a works-based religion. He had superior knowledge of the Old Testament and had an overwhelming zeal even before he was converted; afterward his commitment to Christ multiplied as he continually devoted himself to the word of God and prayer. He was a zealot among zealots, not of foolish doctrines and human religions, but of the truth as the Spirit revealed it to him. _________________________________ ACTS CHAPTER 2 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,1-21 (132j) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Drink in the Spirit Act 2,1-18 (147f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Spiritual manifestations -- These verses go with verse 43. The anointing is meant to primarily manifest good works, described in Galatians chapter five in Paul’s dissertation on the fruits of the Spirit. So we have three in one: (1) the indwelling Holy Spirit reserving us for the purpose of eternal redemption (2) the anointing, which is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit (3) good works, which is the primary manifestation of the anointing. These three save the body, soul and spirit: good works for the body, the anointing for the soul and the indwelling Holy Spirit as a pledge of our eternal inheritance. The Holy Spirit is the true minister in the age of grace, who saves us as God’s seal of eternal redemption and effects the promises of salvation in this life. Act 2,1-13 (80a) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word as a sword in spiritual warfare >> To oppose religion – These words were adopted by the Pentecostal denomination, which is a movement that received its identity many years ago by revelation, primarily from the first few chapters of the Book of Acts. They didn’t particularly interpret anything but simply realized the meaning and value of what was written. Considered lost knowledge, the Pentecostals acknowledge that the event of Pentecost occurred in the early days of the church, and they believe God still wants to work with His people in this way. The Lutherans experienced something similar; Martin Luther brought back to light the grace of God’s forgiveness through faith in the cross. Without this knowledge we would still be in the dark ages. Breaking through the long night of spiritual ignorance brought about the Protestant Reformation and the breaking away from the Catholic Church. All these “revelations” are clearly stated in the Bible for all to read, yet historically we often cannot see them until someone points them out to us. There is other lost knowledge that the Church has yet to rediscover that the early Church had firmly grasped, but over the decades after the apostles fell asleep, particularly in regard to our connection with the Holy Spirit, these truths have eroded and ultimately slipped away, allowing false teachings to fill their place. The Lutherans have their foibles, but the whole Protestant Church owes them a debt of gratitude for helping us see the light of Scripture. Conversely, there are religious denominations such as the Evangelicals, who have clung to Martin Luther’s revelation of grace through faith, while stiff-arming the Pentecostal’s revelation of the Holy Spirit. Although accepting the indwelling Holy Spirit, they reject virtually all other spiritual manifestations. Essentially, the Evangelicals and Baptists don’t believe in the first few chapters of the Book of Acts; they may believe it happened in the first century, but they don't believe it was intended for us. In other words they are dispensationalists; def-: certain spiritual events occurred within a specific period, and when that period ended, those events ceased. Thus they explain away the reason we don’t see the power of God working in our lifetime, excusing them from looking inwardly for the causes of God’s apparent impotence. That is, they don’t believe in this thing written in the Book of Acts, called the anointing. See also: History of the Church; Act 23-11; 247h Act 2,1-11 (88e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> The function of works in faith >> Faith doesn’t move men until it is manifested in the spiritual realm Act 2,1-8 (106c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Knowing the sound of His voice >> Flowing with the wind of His voice – Jesus said something similar to Nicodemus about being born-again, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” In Acts chapter two we see a violent, rushing wind, but the connotation behind Jn 3-8 suggested a gentle breeze. The Holy Spirit is a gentle person, but He also has a very passionate side that occasionally blows into a squall. Therefore, introducing the Kingdom of God to the apostles and to the first converts made a point by blowing extra-hard. This literal wind was a one-time event, because we never hear of a literal wind signifying the Spirit in Scripture again, but that doesn’t mean a literal wind will not one day return to the Church in the last days. (140c) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> House where you live with Jesus KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,1-5 (230d) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> Partaking of the power of God >> Partaking of the ministry of the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verses 37-39 Act 2,1-4 (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verse 33 (132g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Filled with the power of God -- These verses go with verses 12-18. Pentecost is when God sent His Holy Spirit, not in reference to the indwelling Holy Spirit but the anointing, and baptism is the symbol of the anointing, which Evangelicals refuse to discuss, much less believe. Most people don’t know the first thing about the anointing, and for this reason they are afraid of it, but when genuine revival comes led by God Himself, the first thing He will do is restore the anointing, which is the mind of the Spirit attaching Himself to our intellect, that we may know the thoughts of God, motivating us to do His will. It says they were filled with the Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. This is a description of the anointing. What does being filled with the Spirit actually mean? Our soul is filled, that is, our mind with the thoughts of God. The main purpose of the anointing is to reveal the mind of Christ for the purpose of producing the works of God. Act 2,1-3 (113a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >> Protection >> Covering – The indwelling Holy Spirit is not the same as the anointing; rather, the anointing rests upon the believer for the purpose of manifesting the Kingdom of God. The disciples had already received the indwelling Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them (Jn 20-22). In contrast, the anointing of Pentecost is what really changed their lives. The apostles were born again (they received the indwelling Holy Spirit: Jn 20-22); then later God superimposed His anointing over the indwelling Holy Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit is like being inoculated from polio or some other horrible disease; you get the shot and nothing really changes; you go home the same person. He inoculates us from hell as His pledge to the believer of eternal life as citizens of heaven. The anointing, however, has the greater impact in that the believer receives it once he dedicates himself to a life of service to God. Perhaps for this reason the anointing is heatedly persecuted in the Church today, because people refuse to dedicate themselves to a life of service to God, and the anointing in other people testifies against their complacency. There are many denominations that have doctrines setup to actually resist the anointing. This denotes a level of threat the anointing has on so-called believers, which begs the question whether they are even saved. Those who resist the anointing appear to be false brethren, for God has afforded us the promise of His Spirit, not as an option, but as a commandment. The anointing does not adhere to our faith for a heavenly salvation but for a salvation in this life. The indwelling Holy Spirit calls us to receive the anointing and be clothed with His power. Act 2-1,2 (110i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the truth >> Sound of the wind is the words of Jesus – In John chapter three when Jesus introduced the concept of being born again, He spoke about the wind of God's spirit, making it sound like He was referring to the spiritual wind of Pentecost. The disciples were already born-again, making Pentecost refer to something else, namely the anointing. However, the anointing of Pentecost was a highly specialized event tailored for the fledgling Church as a means of establishing it in the world at the time, and then it slowly dissipated. This doesn't mean the anointing is obsolete in our day; rather, God still avails His anointing to anybody who is willing to pay the price to receive it by obeying the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the anointing refers to spiritual maturity. Case in point, the Evangelicals complain about Pentecostals, who explain salvation as a two-step process. They refer to the step of being born-again and then a second step alluding to some kind of Pentecostal experience, but in fact Christianity is a one-step process of being born-again, followed by a life-long process of maturity, which should not be considered a second step of our salvation but a continuation of the one. God superimposes His anointing over our maturity. (215f) Suddenly (Key verse) (215i) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> God brings His kingdom to pass in its time KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,3-36 (110d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through His ministry in us Act 2,3-22 (149h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Authority of the rhema given to evangelism >> Preaching the gospel by the power of God Act 2-3,4 (95c) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude >> Speaking in tongues >> Tongues are a spiritual gift -- These verses go with verses 6-11. It said there were tongues as of fire, distributing themselves. 1Cor 12-11 says, “One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” God deals with us on a personal level; these gifts and tongues are custom-made, manifesting in different ways according to the uniqueness of the individual for the purpose of filling the needs of the body with unity in mind. God is not like corporations that mass-produce carbon copies of a product. Instead, God tailors the anointing for each person, and it rested on each one of them (not in them). The spirit of our salvation dwells in us, while the spirit of anointing rests upon us for the purpose of manifesting the Kingdom of God by performing the good works that God has prepared for us, including the fruit of the spirit along with signs and wonders as the Lord would direct each person. (104d) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by fire >> Purified through the fiery anointing Act 2-4 (217c) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> God is independent of His creation >> No one can walk in His glory without His consent – Prior to Pentecost the disciples waited in the upper room for the promise of the Spirit; they had no idea what to expect. Forty days later the Holy Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind and rested on certain individuals of faith who knew and loved the Lord, and God anointed their faith and love. In other cases the laying on of hands transferred the anointing to those who believed, which is still practiced today. The anointing is an outward manifestation of an inward work that starts on the inside and works it way outward to the material realm with God working inside the believer often without anyone else knowing about it. A passage that best explains this process is Mat 13-33, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” Pentecost started the work of the anointing, pertaining to the external ministry of the Spirit that is most needed in evangelism, not to be confused with the indwelling Holy Spirit. The anointing increases in time through knowledge and faithfulness as students of His word and disciples of prayer, the inner working of Christ slowly percolating from our innermost being into the light of day, where all men can see the light emanating within us. Act 2-5 (49a) Judgment >> Nations are destroyed >> Israel judged as an example for us – The Jews had dispersed throughout all the nations of the world by the time of Christ, mostly as a result of the Babylonian deportation. After 70 years they were allowed to return to their homeland, though some chose to migrate to other countries. Act 2,6-18 (111b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit and evangelism -- These verses go with verses 37&38. In the Church today we hear people speaking in tongues, which the Bible says they shouldn’t do without an interpreter, but this day they were speaking in other people’s languages that were intelligible, though they had never studied those languages. This was a miraculous sign, and it got people’s attention, having the effect of many people being saved. Take out the miracle and Peter’s sermon would have fallen of deaf ears; subtract Peter’s sermon and the miracle would have faded into obscurity, but put the two together and we get an influx of three thousand souls added to the Kingdom. This is an example of Peter working the grace of God through the Spirit and the word. Note the difference in Peter before and after Pentecost. Before, he was drawing straws to see who would fill the place of Judas Iscariot. Act 2,6-11 (95c) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude >> Speaking in tongues >> Tongues are a spiritual gift -- These verses go with verses 3&4. Paul teaches in Romans chapter eight and in First Corinthians chapter 14 that speaking in tongues is of the Lord, whether we are speaking to men or to God, but that we must be careful how we use this gift. When we speak in tongues that no one can understand, it is considered our prayer language, and should be correspondingly used in our prayer closet, spoken only to God, as opposed to using this gift in church, which in that case requires an interpreter. So, the interpreter of tongues is acting as someone who prophesies, and there is a difference between someone who prophesies and a prophet. On the one hand, the one who prophesies speaks the oracle of God, though it is usually a message we have already heard, and in that sense it is an exhortation. On the other hand, a genuine prophet brings a message that the Church has never heard until the prophet speaks it into existence through the Spirit of God, who is capable of leading the Church into a new and unique direction, according to the will of God. Act 2-11 (93h) Thy kingdom come >> Following Jesus >> Through the leadership of men KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,12-18 (132g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Filled with the power of God -- These verses go with verses 1-4. God intends to pour out His Spirit in the last days just like He did in the early church, and just like in the early church, “the daughters will prophesy, and the young men will see visions and old men will dream dreams.” As a great outpouring happened during the early church, so it will happen again in the last days, but the many centuries in-between resemble a spiritual wasteland, a 2000-year wilderness experience for the Church, who blindly ventured into the darkness and wandered in desert regions of their own making, a time when few were saved. Essentially, the Catholic Church took over Christianity and plunged man into the dark ages. In the last days God has scheduled a Great Endtime Revival. Joel was referring to these two eras: the early church and the last days. There were a few bright spots that occurred now and then, an occasional flicker of the flame to bless the world; people would suddenly grasp the gospel and a little revival would occur and then mutate again into yet another denomination. Act 2,12-15 (177j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Misunderstanding the circumstances Act 2-12,13 (20b) Sin >> Nature of sin >> Unbelief >> Unwilling to acknowledge the facts (243c) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Mocking the Church – This manifestation that God placed on a fledgling Church made the people appear as though intoxicated; they were drunk on the Holy Spirit, yet we need to remember that this explanation originated from mockers who were irreverently saying this about them. Those making such accusations didn’t actually believe they were drunk, but made the suggestion anyway, hoping to fool the majority in attendance to give a secular interpretation to the events. They were attempting to avoid accountability with the implications of hearing the oracle of God in their own tongue, miraculously spoken by God’s people who knew nothing of the languages they were speaking. In stark contrast, there was a period in recent church history, starting in the late 90’s, when people interpreted these verses according to the unbelievers who mocked the event of Pentecost, thus irreverently mocking God themselves, and the laughter doctrine swept the nation, originating in Toronto Canada. Act 2-14,15 (129a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Evidence of your fruit >> The type of fruit indicates who you are serving – This verse was often quoted in the late 1990s while a rather large percentage of Christendom got involved in the laughter movement that infiltrated the Church lasting years, where people laughed hysterically at nothing and attributed it to the Holy Spirit, and they based the movement primarily on this verse. People spoke in tongues, nearly everyone in the congregation all at once, thinking they were fulfilling this verse, but what they failed to recognize was that Pentecost was an event when the disciples of Jesus spoke in foreign languages that people understood who used those languages, whereas the tongues the Church spoken in the 90s was just a lot of gibberish. Paul taught that in a church assembly only one person at a time could speak in tongues, and that with an interpreter, thus he condemned the misconduct of publicly speaking in tongues during church services without an interpreter, emphasizing that edification should be the goal of all we do, and if there is no interpretation, then the people should keep silent in the church. These were the instructions of Paul to the Church of the first century, but the Church of the twentieth century chose to ignore him, indicating they were in rebellion against God. For sure a spirit was involved in this laughter movement, but it was not the Holy Spirit, and the result was that instead of adding layers of wisdom and revelation to the Church, it added layers of deception. The laughter movement is a stain on Church history. They gave up waiting for Him and patiently listening for His voice and lowered themselves to feeling for Him with their flesh. God is willing to speak to His people, but most are too distant from Him and too disobedient to hear His voice. They don’t even know what God might say if He did speak to them, so they accept only wrong messages and attribute them to God, which has led them to a dead end, and they withdrew from a genuine search for God. Act 2-14 (123a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Boldness to speak the word by the Spirit KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,16-21 (50b) Judgment >> God judges the world >> The second coming of Christ – This passage that Peter quoted implies that this prophecy has already happened as though prophecy can have only one fulfillment. On the contrary in the last days this prophetic message will describe both eras. This has interesting correlations with the words of the two angels standing by Jesus at His ascension, who told the disciples that Jesus will return exactly the same way He left, only the events will be in reverse order, suggesting that what happened in the first century will happen again in the last century of this age. Jesus ascended into heaven and then there was a great persecution, so in the last days everything will happen in reverse: persecution and then ascension. There has been a great Jewish migration back to their homeland since 1948, persecution will follow after global economic collapse, and then a Great Endtime Revival among the Jews in Israel will ensue, who will come to a revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, their Messiah, and they will lead the gentiles into a worldwide revival that will involve millions of people. Smoke will accompany this revival, along with earthquakes and volcanoes, essentially the total fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. The two angels that spoke to the disciples at Jesus' ascension represent the two witnesses, who are members of the 144,000 Jews, described in Revelation chapter seven and twelve (the woman). They will flee into the wilderness as an upper room experience, and many gentiles will be martyred before the Rapture occurs. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Two periods: first century and last century); Col 1-4; 129f (80k) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to minister to people >> To evangelize the world -- These verses go with verses 25-28 (142a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> Prophecy about the dispensation >> The end times – Peter in the Spirit quoted the passage in the book of Joel regarding a time of revival and renewal, associated with “blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.” However, these things didn’t happen then; there was no vapor of smoke or volcano. Rather, the description of the earth that Joel contributed is iconic to endtimes, yet this prophecy was fulfilled in Peter day. Who is wrong, then, Peter for quoting this passage and using it so it cannot be used in the last days, or are we wrong for believing these verses cannot be used again? Bible prophecy is not like eating an egg and then it is gone. Instead, Bible prophecy can be fulfilled many times in multiple eras. The timelessness of last days prophecy is exemplified in that many predicted events have already occurred, illustrating that history repeats itself in different ways in different circumstances, traversing multiple eras, until the words of the prophets are fulfilled at their proper time. Many of the things that Joel wrote were fulfilled in Peter’s discourse, but they will be fulfilled again, and there are other aspects of the prophecy that were not fulfilled in Peter’s day, proving a more significant fulfillment is still coming. For example, did the sun turn to darkness and the moon to blood? There was no blood, fire, vapor or smoke! Therefore, a similar scenario will occur again in the last days, only this time it will incorporate all these aspects that were missing in the first century. The advantage of Bible prophecy having multiple fulfillments is we get to see how it will come to pass based on partial glimpses of earlier days, such as World War II and Hitler's rise and fall. Act 2,17-22 (117ia) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Having Dreams Act 2-17,18 (152i) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Receiving a prophetic word from God KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,22-36 (38c) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection overcomes death – When we die, the angels of God will come and lead us faithfully into His heavenly kingdom, and there we will remain disembodied spirits until the First Resurrection, and then God will give us new bodies. Being a disembodied spirit does not sound very attractive, except that heaven is a spiritual place, which is incomprehensible to us now, and we should also take into consideration that when God created the universe, He created it from the standpoint of heaven (the New Jerusalem), a higher realm, and so we being disembodied in a spiritual heaven will not have the experience of being without a body, since bodies are not necessary there. In other words, spirits in heaven are just as much embodiments as bodies on earth. The only reason God intends to give us a body is that in eternity we will be living in a physical realm, very similar to the current physical realm. God will give us a body that will be indestructible, for it will be superimposed over our soul that cannot be injured or die, and it will take on its shape, attributes and appearance. Act 2-22 (146k) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Purpose of miracles, signs and wonders >> Get peoples’ attention to hear the word – Jesus had become very popular in His time; His miracle working was just as important as His ministry of evangelism. These two went hand-in-glove, and this is how God wanted to spread the gospel in the first century. Paul performed great miracles, as did Peter and John and many others who were not recorded in Scripture. Jesus promised these things would accompany those whose life’s purpose was wholly devoted to Him, but signs and wonders hardly came to fruition, partly because of man’s disobedience, but also because God wants us to walk by faith. He allows miracles generally during times when He is introducing a new age through His people, such as during the days of Moses. Jesus said in Jn 14-12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” He was referring mostly to the first and last centuries of this age when He said that. Jesus was only one man and His ministry was only 3½ years, while the Church is millions of members and had 2000 years to produce fruit, yet so far it seems that Jesus performed more miracles than the Church. This indicates that God intends to perform signs and wonders among His people again throughout the process of manifesting the coming age of Millennium. (253j) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is subject to the Father >> Jesus is under the authority of the Father – There are those who believe Jesus performed miracles by His own authority, but this is simply not true. Peter attested that the Father was working through the Son to perform the miracles. A very important thing to understand about Jesus is that He was submitted to His Father and was walking by the Spirit just as God requires of us. Christ was essentially the first Christian, and this becomes clear when we look at some of the things He said in the gospel of John, namely John 14-10,11. Act 2,23-36 (149a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> The resurrection – We will all receive resurrected bodies one day, and we who believe in Jesus will all be delivered from death and hell. The apostle Peter was quoting King David, who was also a prophet; when he died, he went to a place called “Abraham’s bosom,” which was Jesus' description of paradise (Lk 16-22); it is the place where everybody went who died in faith during Old Testament times. Note that Jesus did not describe this place as the bosom of Moses, because then people would think they had to obey the law to go to heaven. Instead, it suggests they must obey the Holy Spirit as Abraham did. Abraham was actually a new covenant believer in a pre-old covenant age, for the new covenant is about obeying the Holy Spirit, not the law. Paul said in Eph 4-8, quoting the Old Testament, “When he ascended on high, he led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men” (Psalm 68-18). Also, Jesus said in Jn 10-16, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” He brought His people together, the Old Testament fold with the New Testament fold, and He made them one flock with one shepherd. Now, everyone in the new covenant era who dies in faith goes directly to heaven, bypassing Abraham’s bosom. See also: What happens to people when they die; Rom 14-9; 66a Act 2-23,24 (29h) Gift of God >> God is on our side >> He fights our battles for us (46i) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Satan falls by his own wickedness (220c) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> Predestined according to His foreknowledge – The predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God suggests that God tricked the world into crucifying His Son. After all, how was it not a trick if Israel crucified their own Messiah without knowing it? He not only tricked mankind into crucifying Jesus, He also tricked the devil, who was behind the whole thing, for it was from Satan that He took the keys of death and hell. Satan incurred total defeat and retribution from the spiritual war that took place at the cross, and man was caught in the middle of this spiritual war through the work of his own hands. It wasn’t man whom the cross destroyed, but Satan, who should have known better, and in so doing God has perfected forgiveness and salvation through the man they murdered, after God raised Him from the dead. See also: Spiritual warfare (God is at war with the devil and man is in the middle); Act 14-5,6; 89f (247g) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in the cross Act 2-23 (241i) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecution to the death >> Kill Jesus >> Kill Jesus by the predetermined plan of God >> The apostles taught about His death Act 2-24 (64g) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Limits of God >> God cannot die (243j) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The indestructible kingdom >> The head of the body is indestructible >> Jesus is indestructible (254g) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus conquered death because He is life – It was impossible for Jesus to be held in the power of death, alluding to His resurrection. In the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, God said to Adam and Eve, “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.” This was God’s only commandment to them, and to break it was sin, which became the cause of death in the world. The apostle Paul taught that there is now a law of sin that resides in our bodies that reads: if we live in a sinful body, we must sin, and if we sin, we must die. However, the Bible also teaches that although Jesus lived in a body like our own that was capable of sin, yet He was without sin. When He died, there was no exception clause written into the law for those without sin, since it was assumed that everyone was a sinner, until Jesus came along. This is why Jesus was born in human flesh, so when He died, His death would violate the law of sin and destroy the power of death. Jesus through His perfect soul breached the wall of sin and death that stands between man and God, so now anyone who believes in Him for eternal life may follow Him through this door He made after God raised Him from the dead. See also: Jesus broke the law of sin and death; Heb 2,14-18; 39i KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,25-32 (37e) Judgment >> Jesus’ humanity >> He was part of the lineage of David – To understand the significance of David’s throne, we must return to His kingdom to discover what was about it that is reminiscent of the future Kingdom of Messiah. It turns out that David’s throne was established as the very first kingdom that rose above Israel’s enemies in the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey that God promised Abraham. He used David as the fulfillment of the promise that he and his descendents should live there, as it is written, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, to the land which I will show you’” (Genesis 12-1). David’s throne was marked with blood, a violent kingdom; many thousands of the inhabitants of Canaan died in war during his reign: the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Canaanites, the Philistines, etc. His was a kingdom of the type that Christ will inherit, for it too will be marked with blood in regard to the tribulation period, consisting of the Seals, the Trumpets and the Bowls of God’s fierce wrath, when many hundreds of millions of people will die in the process of Christ accessing His earthly throne. Again as it is written, “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty” (Rev 19-15). The Great Tribulation prophesied by Messiah is to included a parallel of David’s kingdom, and through His zeal for righteousness He fought for us by going to the cross and conquering sin and death for those who would believe in Him through their word. See also: Christ inherits the Davidic kingdom; Act 2-34,35; 137a (102i) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Consistency >> Faithfulness – After David established His kingdom, he lived a while longer and ended up having internal problems with his family; later he died and his son Solomon reigned in his place. Solomon wrote some fascinating books that we love to read in the Bible: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. He became one of the wealthiest kingdoms on earth, but he made one big mistake, idolatry regarding his love of women and pleasure, suggesting that his wisdom was tainted with the attitude, "Do as I say and not as I do," which no writer in the New Testament calls wisdom. James taught that the only good faith is a proven faith. Faith trumps wisdom in the age of grace, for wisdom does not guarantee faith, but a sincere faith does guarantee wisdom. Act 2,25-28 (37f) Judgment >> Jesus’ humanity >> Jesus had human limitations – When Jesus lived in the flesh He was not omniscient; His Father was His teacher, who made known to Him the ways of life. Jesus was taught by the Holy Spirit to love and appreciate all that was good and right. He was born in a manger; His soul being the Holy Spirit, He was incased in sinful flesh. They gave Him the name Jesus, and as He grew through His adolescence into adulthood, He learned many things. Since He inherited the sinful nature from His mother, “He was tempted in all things as we are,” yet He committed no sin (Heb 4-15). David said, “My flesh will live in hope” of the resurrection, except that Jesus should first sacrifice His flesh that He inherited from Mary, who was just as much a sinner as the rest of us, regardless what the Catholics say. (80k) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to minister to people >> To evangelize the world -- These verses go with verses 16-21 (141g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ resurrection -- These verses go with verses 30&31. For the book of Acts to quote the Psalms is to affirm the Old Testament as the word of God. If a person were inclined to believe in the New Testament and consider the Old Testament a mere book of stories, he must answer why the New Testament quotes the Old and why it affirms these stories are true. For example, many people consider the Psalms to be nothing more than good poetry, but the New Testament considers the Psalms to be a wealth of prophecy regarding the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (253k) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is subject to the Father >> Jesus is subject to God’s ability – This verse is talking about Jesus’ relationship with His Father while He lived in the flesh. Since He has been raised from the dead and ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of His Father denoting the power of God, the Father is at Jesus' left hand, denoting grace and mercy. We think we understand the Son after taking on human flesh, but we need to remember that before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was already human; that is, God is human. He created us in His image, and then became like us that we might become like Him. Throughout eternity we will learn what it means to be human. Act 2-25 (104h) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see the Father >> God is in our presence -- This verse goes with verse 28 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2-27 (136g) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Jesus’ spiritual body Act 2-28 (104h) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see the Father >> God is in our presence -- This verse goes with verse 25 Act 2-29 (122a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God >> Confidence in the word of God Act 2-30,31 (141g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ resurrection -- These verses go with verses 34&35. King David was significant in two ways: (1) God promised to send Messiah through the lineage of David. He didn’t promise Messiah would sit on the throne of Solomon or Josiah or Hezekiah, but that He would sit on the throne of David. (2) David was significant in that he was a prophet and prophesied that this very Messiah would not suffer decay of His mortal flesh, but God would raise Him from the dead. What David wrote was true, but how it came true would be God’s work in His time. Act 2,33-36 (67a) Jesus Is At The Right Hand Of The Father (Key verse) (67d) Authority >> Jesus at the right hand of the father >> He delegates authority – God will make His enemies a footstool for His feet, according to 1Cor 15,24-28, which states that death is the last enemy to be defeated. In eternity death will be centralized in hell, for nowhere else in God’s creation will death exist. Currently, Jesus is sitting at the right-hand of God's power, and slowly and methodically with an eternal plan in mind, when the nations reach their crescendo and when civilization collapses and when the antichrist the opportunist takes advantage of the situation and erects His one-world government, Jesus will come and throw him and the false prophet into hell after He has dismantled his kingdom, and then He will bind Satan for a thousand years. During this time, Christ will erect His own kingdom, and after the period of Millennium is completed, He will release Satan from his prison to tempt the nations once more to prove that Satan cannot be trusted and that the nations cannot obey God while the he is loose. After this episode, God will throw Satan into hell, and then call the Great White Throne Judgment to order and judge every person who died outside of faith, and He will throw them all into hell. Then He will create a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. See also: Sequence of endtime events; 1Cor 15-26; 34h Act 2-33 (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 38&39 (153c) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Holy Spirit bears witness of the father (205c) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 38&39 Act 2-34,35 (137a) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Jesus is the foundation >> Jesus is head of the Church – Originally quoted from Psalm 110-1 Jesus used this verse in Lk 20,41-44, “Then He said, ‘How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?’ For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’ Therefore David calls Him Lord, and how is He His son?" He made the point to dismay His enemies that Messiah is not physically from the lineage of David; that is, He was not the son of His stepfather, Joseph. In making the point that Messiah was not the son of David inherently made the point that since He was removed from David in a physical sense, how much more was He removed from David in a spiritual sense? He confounded them when they gathered around Him and were getting a little too close. His bigger point to the Pharisees was that the Messiah was not the son of David because in fact He is God. Now, in the book of Acts the apostles were using this verse to unravel the mysteries of God and to assuage centuries of false doctrine, and as an evangelism tool Peter won three thousand souls to the Kingdom. See also: Christ inherits the Davidic kingdom; Act 2,25-32; 37e (141g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ resurrection -- These verses go with verses 25-28 (245j) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> Manifestation of His authority – Christ will make his enemies a footstool for his feet, which indicates that the location of hell is at the center of the new earth. God can do this however He wants, but one theory is that He could start with hell and form the earth around it, so that earth acts as Jesus footstool after the New Jerusalem descends upon it, the most specific definition of heaven. (see Revelation chapter 21). Just as a chair is near the footstool, so heaven is upon the earth; the the New Jerusalem, the city of God; this is where He lives. It says that it comes down out of heaven from God and it will rest upon the earth. Isaiah 66-24 says, “Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” When we read the entire chapter of Isaiah 66, we see that this event is appended into an annual celebration that at the end of it God will allow His people to peer down a portal into hell, where we will see the suffering of hell and all the wicked eternally dying. See also: Lake of fire (Located at the center of the new earth); 1Pet 3,8-18; 124k Act 2-36 (66a) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over life and death KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,37-47 (231a) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The Church discloses the mystery of Christ Act 2,37-41 (143i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Popularity >> Sought commendably >> Being sought for your relationship with God (239d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachable students >> The teachable submit to the word Act 2,37-40 (149b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> Repentance – “What should we do?” is the age-old question. Salvation is so simple a child can understand it, but to those who are wise in their own eyes, it is more elusive than Bigfoot. People want to know what to do, and this is the reason how-to books are so popular. We can preach a sermon, and people will be cut to the quick, but in the end all they really want to know is "What must I do to be saved?" 'Is there a recipe for this?' they asked, and Peter answered, "Repent and be baptized." (193d) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from your evil ways >> Turn from sin to God – When the people asked Peter, "Brethren, what shall we do?" they were asking him how to activate (or effect) their salvation. Christianity doesn’t lend itself well to answering the question of what to do, because Christianity is a matter of the heart, whereas what we must do is a question for the hands and feet, and there is often great disparity between these two. The people could have done what Peter said and still not been saved, yet they got saved, not by doing what Peter said and not by believing in Jesus, but both. "Believing" and faith are two completely different things. That is, believing by definition must be accompanied by obedience, whereas faith comes from heaven. God recognizes our belief in the truth, which sanctifies our actions, making repentance and baptism acceptable to Him, and the outcome is faith, and the result of faith is salvation, which is defined as the indwelling Holy Spirit. Some people have said the sinner’s prayer hoping it will do the trick, but believing such theology is nothing short of an incantation of witchcraft. Other people believe that being a good person will put them in God's graces, but the indwelling Holy Spirit makes the difference between man’s religion and God’s imparted righteousness, for His presence in the believer proves his heart is with God. Without Him, none of our efforts to seek God's favor amount to anything. See also: Difference between "belief" and "faith"; Rom 14-22,23; 122g (207j) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The generosity of God’s salvation >> Salvation is the gift of God – Peter said that after we repent and are baptized, we would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, but does that mean we must all experience the great rushing wind of Pentecost? No, in fact you will notice they experienced that without being saved. They needed the indwelling Holy Spirit, who acts as a pledge and a seal of our eternal inheritance, whereas the mighty rushing wind depicted a very powerful anointing that merely showed them their need to be saved. God doesn’t necessarily perform miracles during baptism, but rejecting His purpose and not being baptized after we have claimed to believe in Him does send the message that we don’t believe in Him. Baptism is essentially the new covenant equivalent of circumcision, which was given to Abraham as a sign for the believer; and baptism is the same, acting as a sign of our faith in Jesus. Act 2,37-39 (230d) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> Partaking of the power of God >> Partaking of the ministry of the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verses 1-5. The Pentecostals say that we receive the Holy Spirit during the baptism ceremony, directly after the worshiper rises from the water. Some jump around a while to convince those in attendance that the baptism “worked,” but this reception of the Holy Spirit that they mimic is not a depiction of the indwelling Holy Spirit that defines our salvation. The title Christians means “anointed ones,” so if we are Christians then we are anointed, and if the Pentecostals receive an anointing at baptism, great, but they should not confuse it with the Holy Spirit of their salvation who comes to dwell in us the moment we believe, which usually occurs prior to baptism, since faith is the reason we are being baptized. It is faith that God uses to save us, not baptism, for baptism is merely a sign of faith, but just like obedience if it isn't there, it raises suspicions regarding the sincerity of our faith. The most picturesque passage in the Bible regarding the anointing is found in Mat 13-33, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” This parable depicts the anointing as a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but this takes place slowly over a course of many years, and baptism symbolizes this process. (234b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His favor KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2-37,38 (88j) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God causes repentance – This is the statement that every evangelist wants to hear, “What must I do to be saved?” (Act 16-30). It is not easy to get this reaction anymore. Billy Graham had thousands of people come to the altar for salvation throughout his career, though about half were staff members working for the ministry, and many who came for salvation brought another person for support who was already saved, and others were coming a second and a third time seeking confidence in their salvation. Much fruit came from his ministry mostly during the 70’s when revival was happening. It could be that the hippy movement opened people’s minds to the gospel in a slightly different way than the generation before them. World War II veterans started a family in the 50’s in neighborhoods with white picket fences and with a church on every street corner, where nearly the whole town assembled to worship in the fear of God. Unfortunately, the hippy movement opened people’s minds to the possibility that God would accept us on our terms instead of His, which brought us to today’s world of mass public shootings and global problems that threaten civilization. The hippies rebelled against their parent’s religion and went seeking truth for themselves and found it in sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. They also experimented with the gospel, integrating into the 70’s revival. Now, people’s minds are mostly closed, though some are being saved, but their numbers are few in America. There are other places in the world where the gospel is flourishing, such as the continent of Africa, Russia and countries in the Middle East; Asia will probably be next to comprehend God’s grace. See also: History of America in relation to faith; Tit 2,1-10; 10b (111b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit and evangelism – Peter preached the gospel on the day of Pentecost when three thousand souls were saved, and then later the apostles preached a sermon that led five thousand to salvation (Act 4,1-4). There was a tremendous revival during the days of the early church, and the reason for it was a new understanding about God. The gospel of the kingdom was born and people clamored to the new idea, and it made good sense to many people, for their minds had been prepared by centuries of worn-out religion. Old Testament prophecies were rich in the minds of early church believers; they could see Jesus on nearly every page. Throughout history whenever there was revival there was a revelation of the gospel; some insights were from God and some were not. For us however, there has been no new wisdom from God, hence no revival. Televangelists have corrupted the gospel with deception, loose living and greed, while the Evangelicals, who claim to be keepers of the truth, have managed to keep their traditions and their thumb on any potential for revival. Meanwhile the world has shut their minds to the gospel, not wanting to hear about Jesus in any religious sense, most believing in nothing, being atheists or agnostic. (120b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >> God forgives us when we become accountable to Him >> When we repent (191b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism symbolizes death, burial and resurrection >> Baptism is a sign of obedience – Some sects of the Pentecostal denomination say we must be baptized in the name of Jesus only, while others say it must be in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; meanwhile, Peter said to repent and be baptized; and if we will do that, God is pleased. Baptism signifies death, burial and resurrection, that is, dying to sin and being raised in newness of life. Dying to sin is the concept of repentance, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is the newness of life that steadily increases through time as we pay attention to His inner presence, "as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts" (2Pet 1-19). Note that the picture of baptism absolutely requires repentance to be a key constituent of our newfound faith. Peter nicely lays out the entire gospel for us in verse 38, even answering the ‘what we must do’ question, and Paul gave the longer meaning and purpose of baptism in Romans chapters six and seven. Act 2-37 (8h) Responsibility >> Preparing to interact with God >> Preparing for revival – Revival will come again in the last days, and it will come as the most profound revival of all time, making the days of the apostles look like the dark ages. Instead of thousands of people coming to Christ, millions will be saved at a single event, and it will be the result of revelation knowledge. People will come to the realization of the truth throughout the world, and literally billions will be saved overall. At the head of this revival will be the Two Witnesses prophesied in Revelation chapter eleven, who will direct 144,000 Jews to lead a global revival of the gentiles. People have complained that nowhere in Scripture does it say these 144,000 Jews will be evangelists, but what does Zechariah 8-23 say, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” Many say that if there is an endtime revival, it will occur after the Rapture when people suddenly realize they have been left behind. We can look in the Old Testament and find numerous passages about Jesus coming as the Lamb of God, yet almost nobody in Jesus’ day recognized the time of their visitation (Lk 19-44). Are we so arrogant as to think this would never happen to us? Is it impossible for a Great Endtime Revival to occur right under our noses and we not recognize it as coming from God? Many will be caught off guard as it happened to the Jews, who are quite possibly a lesson for us. (89k) Thy kingdom come >> God convicts us of sin >> Conviction makes us conscious of sin – Peter’s sermon focused on man’s sin that nailed Jesus to the cross; in fact, some audience members of Peter's sermon were also present at Jesus' public execution. They were directly responsible for crucifying an innocent man, for they did nothing to stop it. They had blood on their hands, for they didn’t make a verbal statement of injustice but were silent, unless they shouted with the crowd, “crucify Him” (Mat 27-22). Jesus said in Jn 6-53, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." This suggests that anyone who partakes of Jesus' blood sacrifice participates in killing Him, God simultaneously making a way of salvation, forgiving their sin and giving them hope of eternal life, so when they cried to Peter, “What shall we do?” they said it not just from conviction but also from hope. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2-38,39 (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verses 1-4 (205c) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verse 33 (208b) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> You and your household shall be saved – Peter used the word "children" as to households; “You and your household” will be saved, as Paul said to the Jailer in Act 16-31. The Bible speaks first to the man of the house, so when he gets saved, the rest of his family will follow him in salvation. Act 2-39 (219b) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> Man is not in control of God’s calling – Salvation does not pertain to all who are willing but only to those whom God would call to Himself, but He has also predestined us to be holy and blameless, suggesting that our will is involved in God’s gracious choice. There is not a single testimony of anybody coming to the Lord apart from his or her own will. Talk to anybody who fully believes in predestination, and they detail how they got saved based on a handful of choices they made. We may hear they got on their knees and prayed to God for salvation, and they sought Him for years before that, and then the time came that was set by the Father, a specific day and moment when they finally made the decision to give their heart to God, and they availed themselves to Him as instruments of His righteousness and glory. It was an exercise of their will, and God had predestined it to happen. This defines the elect: working with God to fulfill His will. Act 2-40 (148a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Solemnly testify about the grace of God Act 2,41-47 (78e) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Taking God to heart >> Having pure motives and desires (128ia) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Living a fruitful life >> Be fruitful and multiply >> Growing numerically (147f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Spiritual manifestations -- This verse goes with verses 1-18. Can we say any of these things are happening in our churches today? Quite the opposite; look at our materialistic world; we need our stuff because we don’t have Jesus. We don’t trust Him; we haven’t dedicated our lives to Him. We do not own ourselves; we have been bought with a price. We are His property, and therefore He is responsible for us; our only responsibility is to maintain our relationship with Him and with others. We need to find the path that God has prepared for us and not wander from it. We have churches everywhere trying to understand God’s purpose, and most are content with following whatever methodology their denominations dictate, but there are some churches that are truly seeking God (though I personally haven't found one). The problem is, we have established certain parameters of obedience and defined success, and are unwilling to venture outside them to do His will, so we have limited ourselves and have asked God to bless us on our terms instead of on His terms. This is why we can’t get anywhere with God; it’s why He seems so distant, and why churches do not resemble the early church depicted in these verses. Instead of having 2000 years to perfect the faith, we have had 2000 years to lose the truth that the early Church knew. We can still read the Bible, but mostly we just read our teachings and doctrines into it. People lack vision, commitment, dedication, wisdom and sincerity. Basically, we are lacking everything; we have nothing from the Lord; we are spiritually impoverished. See also: Repent; Act 2,41-43; 131n / Condition of the Church today; Act 17,1-13; 143d (234j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Sold out >> Relinquishing your assets to Christ >> Investing every asset into Christ – There have been rare awakenings in the past, but so many revivals have been based on emotional hype. People in the Church want little to do with the Holy Spirit these days. We are not in touch with Him; it takes huge commitment to see this kind of result from our faith that we read about the early church; we must give our entire lives to Him. People gave virtually everything they had to the apostles to distribute as needed. Perhaps they gave everything because they were convinced Jesus was returning for them in their lifetime or in just a few short weeks or possibly months, so they wouldn’t need their worldly possessions anymore, but what is probably more likely is that they realized money and possessions had no value in light of God’s calling and purpose that they had begun to realize. They could give everything away, because all they really needed was Jesus. Nothing else was relevant. If they didn’t have a plug nickel to buy their next meal, it didn’t matter, because they knew God would provide all their needs somehow. They knew their lives were in the hand of God so that He was responsible for them. Their only responsibility was to ensure they did the will of God, which so often required very few worldly possessions. They knew that if they concerned themselves with placing God’s will at the center of their lives, He would provide their needs. This is what they understood that we don’t understand, and this is how they were able to give away all their possessions. (235ga) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Giving (your inner self) >> Hospitality (providing a temporary home) >> Being a good guest (250f) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> Natural then the spiritual (obedience then anointing) KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2,41-43 (59d) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Kingdom of God is in your spirit / Kingdom of God is standing in front of you – Ironically, in Lk 17-20,21 the Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come, and He stood in front of them, the very embodiment of that kingdom. It takes the Holy Spirit to understand Jesus. His disciples walked with Him for 3 years, and they made almost no sense of Him at all, but then He went to heaven, from which He sent the Holy Spirit into His people and they suddenly understood Him better than they did when He physically stood before them, even while He performed miracles. The apostles were holding onto a powerfully anointed ministry, and this is all they needed. They no longer cared if the physical Kingdom flashed before them, for now they had the spiritual essence of that kingdom dwelling in them, which was far better than any physical manifestation. To them the kingdom had already come, Jesus being the very embodiment of that kingdom, who was taken from the world and replaced with His spiritual essence. (109b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Revelation of the gift of God – The people felt a sense of awe, but such a description does not befit the Church anymore. After the apostles finally understood the Lord, they must have longed for a day with Him again, now that they could fellowship with Him in Spirit and in truth, instead of being constantly mystified and confused about everything He said and did. Some day we will have both the indwelling Holy Spirit and the physical presence of Jesus, which is the very definition of heaven, which no one has ever experienced in the flesh to this day, except Paul briefly (Act 14-19,20; 2Cor 12,2-5) and the apostle John, and with those experiences Paul turned the world upside down for Jesus (Act 17-6), and John wrote the book of Revelation, perhaps the most ethereal literature piece ever written. (131n) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Power of God seen through unity – This needs to happen in our churches today instead of potlucks. We break bread and fellowship with one another well enough but in the Spirit. They were essentially sharing with one another their relationship with God while they took their meals together. Bona fide Spiritual fellowship rarely happens anymore, because people are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. Judges 21-25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This is what is happening in the Church today, and as a result there is no unity. It is a shame that people will not allow God to work in their lives. They will share their food with one another, but they have very little to share in their hearts, which defines our complacent state of apostasy. People are not a bit interested in developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit. They want a faith strong enough to get them to heaven, and that is as far as they want to go with God. They are basically winging their salvation with their eternal souls at the bottom of the list of priorities, with their worldly concerns at the top. We can’t go anywhere or find anyone who is excited about Jesus. We are living in an age of spiritual darkness that virtually goes beyond words. See also: Repent; Act 2,41-47; 147f Act 2-41,42 (230b) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> What we must do to partake of the kingdom >> Partaking which requires our participation Act 2-43 (111h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Kingdom of God revealed >> Word plus signs and wonders (133l) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> Having an awareness of God’s holiness >> The presence of God makes us aware of His holiness KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Act 2-44,45 (34l) Gift of God >> Be generous like your Father >> Give to your brother (105j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Led by the Spirit into the truth >> Led into the mind of Christ – What would happen if we gave away all our money and possessions to the Church? First, those who observed us in the world would mark us as followers of a cult. Second, we would give away our money and possession and then life would continue, and the vision would fall apart and we would be on our own again, only we would be broke. That is how it would work for us if we tried to do what they did, so what's the difference between us and them? They gave away all their money and possessions, and then they were persecuted from their homes and from Jerusalem, and they all had to run for their lives, and they wouldn’t have had a chance to take anything with them. God had them give it all away, so their possessions would be useful to those in need instead of it falling into the hands of their persecutors as plunder. The date: AD 70, it bought them a little time to remain together in unity strengthening each other, so when they dispersed, they were better prepared. Giving away all our stuff is a good idea just before we lose it all, but how do we know when that happens? God knows! The early church had a hearing ear, and for that reason they had prophets who told them about these things and what to do. God should orchestrate our lives, for it would prove that the things we believe about the Bible are true, and whatever decisions we made individually and corporately would lead us to the will of God. (117g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> Real-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' vision of the Church – How the First Century Church lived took vision. Question: did the apostles teach the people that Jesus would return in their lifetime? The New Testament does not read this way, so the apostles didn’t teach it. The New Testament teaches that He could possibly return in anybody’s lifetime, but they did not teach anyone to bank on it. That would be tantamount to setting a date, and the apostles were not date-setters. Therefore, people were giving away all their possessions based on a divine vision that money and possessions meant nothing compared to faith and unity in the body of Christ. What would it take to have this kind of vision in the Church today? For one thing, it would take a refined truth, but the truth today is too muddy to support a genuine vision from God; our doctrines would lead us astray when we tried to apply them. Therefore, there needs to be a cleansing of truth; our doctrines need fixing. There are many things we believe that are false, which has poisoned the well of our faith as Paul said in 1Cor 5-6, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough." For example, we have not been able to find a relevant place in our doctrines for obedience; we believe that we are saved by grace though faith, “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2-9). What good is obedience? This is what many people in the Church think in their hearts, and for this reason they are wobbly in their walk with God. (131h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Interdependence >> Being selfless toward one another Act 2-46,47 (129n) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Having one mind – How can people unite if they never agree? Everyone thinking differently literally defies unity! What are we supposed to believe? How do we determine what is the truth? The reason there is so much disunity in the Church is that there is no central leadership or final authority. The Catholics have the Pope, but having central leadership has only proven that it cannot guarantee the truth! There is no one in authority whom we can trust to tell us the truth; every church is teaching something different; we can read the Bible but it doesn't seem to do any good; there are so many denominations; how are we supposed to come into agreement with one another? The only way it will ever happen is if an authority figure comes from God to unite the Church. This is prophesied to happen on a global scale through the 144,000 Jews in the last days and the Two Witnesses, who will ignite a Great Endtime Revival and unite the Church. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Jews will manage the gospel [144,000] Two Witnesses - God's Adjudicators); Mat 24,9-13; 5f (130a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Communion Act 2-46 (95g) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having a cooperative attitude >> An attitude that fosters unity – It really irks the devil when God’s people are joyful and united. The Church today makes what they did seem so hard that we cannot even pretend to be united. Unity occurs only after everything is properly in place, including a healthy fear of God, and it says they were all with one mind. Look at the Church today; people do not have one mind; everyone has their own rendition of what the Bible says, and none of them are particularly accurate, which makes the problem ten times worse. It said they were breaking bread and going from house to house, taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart. They spent their time together, and they didn’t squabble; there was a kindred spirit between them, one of love and joy. They were a happy family, as God had always intended and as it will be in heaven. God doesn’t want us to wait for heaven before we unite; He wants us to live in unity now and to love the brethren and be of one mind. It was all new back then, and they simply took what the apostles told them as the gospel truth, and there were no second opinions. They knew the apostles heard from God, so whatever they said is what they believed, but today when the preacher delivers his sermon, if he speaks the truth at all, a day later most people forget what he said. There is such a lackadaisical attitude among the people of God; it is impossible to get them excited about their faith; everything is an uphill battle to achieve a remote semblance of faith and love that the First Century Church enjoyed. We consider worldly things more important than spiritual things, but in the first century the highest priority was to be with the people of God. Nothing was more important than their faith in Jesus and fellowship with each other. (125g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of unity Act 2-47 (1d) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God and people >> Maintain a good reputation See next page