the ACTIONS of the APOSTLES and the WORK of HOLY SPIRIT!
the birth of HIS Church, Christianity, Christians, followers of Christ!
a community of BELIEVERS began by FAITH in the RISEN CHRIST
and the SUPERNATURAL POWER of HOLY SPIRIT
ENABLING THEM
to WITNESS
to LOVE
to SERVE!
"...for in Him we live and move and have our being...
~ we have life and motion and existence..." Acts 17:28
the Church GREW throughout Jerusalem, Syria, Africa, Asia & Europe, WOW!
by personal testimony, preaching, signs, wonders, miracles...
with boldness, faith, courage, love unfeigned;
THEY STOOD and
GAVE AN ANSWER for WHAT THEY BELIEVED!
wherever GOD SENT THEM, LIVES & HISTORY WERE CHANGED!
"Is it true today that when people pray
Cloudless skies will break; Kings and Queens will shake
We'll see dead men rise and the blind set free
I'm gonna be a History Maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Is it true today that when people stand
With the fire of God and the truth in hand
We'll see miracles, we'll hear angels sing
We'll see broken hearts making history
YES IT'S TRUE AND I BELIEVE IT, I'M LIVING FOR YOU! " Delirious
Since the CHURCH began with a spark
and grew to a flame kindled by a passion & devotion for Jesus and His Kingdom
to a blazing fire fueled by confrontation, opposition, persecution
...martyrdom !
Heb 12:1 "The Race of Faith"
1 "Therefore (on account of) we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
...on account of all of this that we have read
we have such a cloud...such a quality of a crowd of witnesses ...the character of these witnesses
all of these witnesses had it difficult
make a thorough examination of these people...and look at what kind of witnesses we have
among these witnesses are Peter, Paul, Stephen, etc
*** witness: someone who can give an account...a legal verified witness in the court of law...
they can testify that HIS WORD WORKS
Acts 6::8 "Stephen, a man full of God's grace, faith & power, a
performed amazing sign, wonders and miracles among the people.
BUT one day some men from the synagogue started to debate with him.
NONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST HIM
~ TO WITHSTAND THE INSPIRED WISDOM & THE SPIRIT
~ THEY WERE NO MATCH FOR STEPHEN'S WISDOM, AND
FOR THE SPIRIT WHICH GAVE HIM UTTERANCE"
JESUS admonished us in Luke 21...
9"And when you hear of
wars and insurrections (disturbances, disorder, and confusion), do not
become alarmed and panic-stricken and terrified; for all this must take
place first, but the end will not [come] immediately.
10Then He told them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. [2 Chron. 15:6; Isa. 19:2.]
11There
will be mighty and violent earthquakes, and in various places famines
and pestilences (plagues: malignant and contagious or infectious
epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating); and there will be
sights of terror and great signs from heaven.
12But
previous to all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute
you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be
led away before kings and governors for My name's sake.
13This will be a time (an opportunity) for you to bear testimony.
14Resolve
and settle it in your hearts & minds not to meditate and prepare beforehand how
you are to make your defense and how you will answer.
15For
I [Myself] will give you a mouth and such utterance and wisdom that all
of your foes combined will be unable to stand against or refute.
19By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls."
(I believe that the mantle/call of Stephen fell unto Saul/Paul)
...the life of Christ took root in Paul of who it is written in Acts17:
"2 As was Paul’s custom... He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.
5 But some of the Jews were jealous..and took them before the city council.
“Paul and Silashave caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too.
...they have turned the rest of the world upside down...
...these world revolutionaries...
7 They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. "
I say ENCORE LORD, do it again...through me!
...they gave every ounce of talent, treasure, devotion, breath
to CHRIST...
these BELIEVERS, in Spirit-led boldness...
through suffering, in the face of death itself...
took every opportunity to tell of Christ...
Jesus said in Acts 1:8: "YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER
...YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES EVERYWHERE..."
...if the Jews and the Greeks could be saved in those days...
...I believe that it can happen once again here, today in America...
Where Holy Spirit is at work there is movement (acts), momentum & growth.
Holy Spirit's work demonstrates that Christianity is supernatural!
Where our God is Lord, the church becomes more Holy Spirit conscious than problem/contradiction conscious...
BY FAITH we can claim the Holy Spirit's power to do Christ's work!
HOW shall YOU fit into God's plan for spreading Christianity?
What is YOUR PLACE in this GREAT MOVEMENT OF GOD?
" we will sing the songs that awaken the dawn
and WE WILL USHER IN YOUR APPEARING
It's Your face that we crave
It's Your presence that we long for...
YOUR KINGDOM COME!
And with YOUR SEAL UPON OUR HEARTS
STRONGER THEN THE GRAVE
SET US ABLAZE!!!
Glory to the Righteous One!!!
LORD, LET OUR LIVES BE FUEL FOR YOUR FIRE! AMEN.
