Acts 1 Came Before Acts 2

Every so often, things I have learned but not connected will come together and I'll see the presence and power of Jesus and the Gospel in ways I have not before.  I begin to see Jesus in magnificent detail and understand God's character in new ways.   He is not a franchised product of a denomination or spokesman for a cause or social justice program.  He is not a dynamic new strategy or technique or new terminology.  He is more than all of this and no one has Him  captured or has the market on Jesus. He is, by the power of the Spirit, redeeming the world to Himself so the name of Jesus will be exalted throughout the earth. But guess who He is using to do it? The Church! The redeemed! Me and you! His children!

I'll let you in on something...I really don't know what I am doing. Most of you are thinking, "Tell me something I don't know!".   I do want to be used by Him.  There is amazing joy that the God of creation, who could do this all by Himself, allows me and you to partner with Him. So, I must seek Him every day, calling on Him in prayer with faith that there is no limit to what He can do.

"Call on me and I will answer you and tell you

great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Jer. 33:3

Hold up!! The GOD of the universe HEARS US!!

The early Christians got this. Right after Jesus commissioned His disciples to "Go make disciples." (Mat. 28:19)  He tells them, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)  He was then "taken into heaven" (Acts 1:11) and the disciples  returned to Jerusalem.

"All these (the disciples) with one accord were devoting

themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary

the mother of Jesus, and His brothers." Acts 1:14

Then, "they were filled with the Holy Spirit"(Acts 2:4) and the early church was born. Acts 1 came before Acts 2. Prayer is a game-changer!

Peter preached Jesus crucified and resurrected and called for repentance and baptism. Over 3,000 people were saved and added to the church. That is a reason to shout "glory!" The rulers and elders were astonished at the boldness of these uneducated, common men. (Acts 4:13) They arrested Peter and John, so they could stop the name of Jesus from spreading. (v.17) Hmmmm....wonder if that worked?? The church didn't sit at home and watch CNN, worry and discuss the evil practices of the world or create a social media war.  They didn't picket the jail or sign a petition. They realized that this was not political but spiritual.  The Church of Jesus Christ gathered and prayed:

"Sovereign Lord,....You made the heaven and the earth and the sea,

and everything in them....Now, Lord, consider their threats and

enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness.

   Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs

and wonders through the name of Your Holy servant, Jesus."

Acts 4:24, 29-30

If you had been standing in that room, would you have been seriously uncomfortable and said, "I just don't do that."?  Maybe I would have. But  how I need the Holy Spirit and boldness so much more than I need comfort.

I have had opportunities to witness how God can send His Holy Spirit in response to prayer.

A young man addicted to pills was discussing his pain with me and I was trying my best effort to navigate the waters that I know little about. I stopped and prayed out loud for him. I prayed  that God would move in his heart and draw the young man to Him. After continuing to talk for a while, he said he wanted to know Christ as his savior and make Him Lord of his life and he prayed. God responded to intercession and petition. God saved him, not by my might, not by my power but by His Spirit!

A few years ago, I attended some monthly gatherings with local churches from various denominations and different cultural and economic backgrounds.  We met with one accord in intentional prayer to call down the presence of God in our county.  I saw this thing called "The Church" become a living, breathing organism.  We were one body, one Spirit, called to one hope, under one Lord. (Eph. 4:4)  The gatherings were filled with the presence of God. Not theatrical melodrama with no substance but real, raw worship in prayer with faith. We would leave being sent out into the world with a burning fire inside, consumed with knowing God more and the people around us knowing Him.  I will be forever changed by experiencing His power through that. He created unity under Christ in a people who would probably have never connected.  The bond continues with our brothers and sisters in Christ, unified through the Spirit

.

Heavenly Father, May we be a people of prayer that flows out of  a

grateful heart for what You have given through Jesus on the cross.
May we live in repentance, clinging to your grace and mercy,
encouraging each other as the Body of Christ to live a life
  worthy of our calling. Then, may we also be a people who act in faith
that you are who You say You are and will do what You said You'd do.

May we draw near to You in our prayer closets and in our gathering

places as Your  people to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. That

the Holy Spirit begin a new work of grace in us. May Jesus be lifted

up and we see His majesty to the praise of His glorious grace.-Amen