The Awesomeness of Acts

The book of Acts is such an exciting and encouraging book. If you haven't read anything else this year, read the book of Acts. It may be a struggle to read the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy because it is hard for us sometimes to find application to our lives in 2018 (even though it is there!), but the book of Acts...it shines right on the work of the Holy Spirit in the church then and now.  

The grace of God is all over this book. I am thrilled to read the way lives are dramatically changed because of the gospel, empty traditions and practices are replaced with genuine worship, and encouragement that even when people are doing exactly what God wants them to do there is still struggle and sometimes even persecution. I have had (and taken) the time to savor over these individual stories that make up the fifth book of the New Testament-Acts.  As a Gentile this book is especially Good News! "They reported everything God had done with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." Acts 14:27  

This book has also awakened and renewed my pray for the church - locally and globally. We see clearly in Acts every great act, miracle, and movement is preceded by fervent prayer. How awesome to have our sanctuaries shaken (Acts 4:31) and for us as the church to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be bold (Greek word 'parresia' which means tell it all) to speak God's word.  The day I read this particular passage I had an opportunity to share my faith. It was a situation where it would have been easy for me to shake my head in agreement that as this person I was talking to stated 'I respect all religions..' The Holy Spirit reminded me of the scripture and to be bold (tell it all) so I shared my faith in Jesus. The person who was from a different culture and had a completely different background from me didn't respond in a confession of faith but I had planted a seed of the gospel-that we are saved by faith in Christ alone. I don't share that to in any way brag on myself...I've missed countless opportunities to be a witness but that day the Holy Spirit had reminded me of the early believers and their willingness to share their faith in a much more hostile environment than a nail salon.

I found this quote in some of my study of Acts "Satan has attacked us (i.e. the western world) with worldliness, selfish pride, a need for acceptance and status....a compromising Christian is depised by the world." (Enduring Word.org) No wonder we don't see people coming to our churches - we have compromised so much so that we won't offend or blend in that we have lost our identity. The book of Acts brings that back into perspective.  

I encourage you again if you have gotten behind in the Bible reading plan (RTBT2018), start with Acts. It is the beautiful sunrise of the beginning of the Church.