Peter and John Before the Council, part 2, and The Believers Pray for Boldness

GOSPEL MEDITATION #13

The Book of Acts # 13

Peter and John Before the Council part 2

and The Believers Pray for Boldness

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. The boldness of Peter and John—they might have been flogged or worse—this by the Holy Spirit since they were common folk, with no real backing in Jerusalem.
  8. The Council threatens but knows they cannot do much more. Charging the apostles not to talk about Jesus any longer, Peter replies that they cannot, will not, stop doing so. Here is the origin of Christian-style civil disobedience.
  9. Peter and John return to the fledgling assembly of followers of Jesus and make their report. (It is likely that either Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea reported on the inner workings of the Council.)
  10. Now comes the first recorded prayer of the first Christian gathering, and which begins with, “Sovereign Lord.”
  11. The prayer almost seems to have been written down either before hand or afterward. We notice that “they” prayed and not a single individual. Wish we knew more of this.
  12. In verse 28 the word “predestined” stands out. The Christians saw all that had taken place as something planned by the sovereign God. Even the actions of Herod and Pilate, as well as by the rulers of Israel had been predestined, and these, either known or determined in eternity.
  13. The prayer is for two things: One-boldness to preach, and two-that God would grant signs and wonders through, or by, Jesus the Messiah. And this prayer was answered

The Ascension of Jesus, Acts 1:6-11

GOSPEL MEDITATION #3

The Ascension

Acts 1:6-11

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. The disciples want to know when Jesus will restore the kingdom to Israel. These men were people of their time having the general concept that the time of King David would return.
  8. Jesus ignores the question saying that the time of the arrival of the kingdom is not their concern. The focus must be elsewhere.
  9. “But”—is the key word. Jesus diverts the conversation with this word.
  10. Now we have what is perhaps the most important verse in Acts.
  11. Jesus first gives us a promise: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The work ahead requires the working of the Spirit of God. (We are reminded of Matthew 3:11 now.)
  12. Then secondly Jesus gives us the command to be His witnesses to the entire world, beginning at Jerusalem.
  13. The witness must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The content of that witness is what we call the “person and work of Jesus Christ.” This means the setting forth of who Jesus is and what Jesus did.
  14. And it is this preaching and teaching that marks the presence of the Holy Spirit.
  15. Jesus is now lifted up to heaven—the ascension—to the right hand of God, that place of power and authority.
  16. A cloud took Jesus out of their sight, a statement that is difficult, if not impossible, to comprehend. “Cloud” however does point to the glory of God.
  17. Two men, angels, as in Luke 24:4, appeared to the disciples with the assuring statement that Jesus would in fact return.

 

The Book of Acts, Intro. part 2 and Acts 1:1-5

 

GOSPEL MEDITATION on Acts # 2

Acts 1:1-5

(Also see Jer. 31:31-34, Ez. 36:22-26; & Joel 2:28-29)

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Volume 2 from Luke. First the account of Jesus’ words and deeds then the record or how part of the Church covered by Luke began to carry out the charge He gave that Church.
  8. After the ascension Jesus appeared to the apostles, and a host of others for forty days from Passover, proving that He was indeed alive. The Greek word for “alive” in verse 3 is from zoe meaning life in its complete, fullest sense.
  9. The chosen, hand picked, received His words. Today we are the chosen, and we still hear His words.
  10. Jesus talked to His disciples about “the kingdom of God” during those forty days. What was He saying to them? is a question not easily answered. A best guess is that it is what we have Jesus saying as recorded in the Gospels.
  11. Jesus gave orders, (verse 4) and so He will since He is Lord. Knowing this makes so much difference while living in such a confused world. The order was to wait for the “promise of the Father.” This promise is spoken of in the prophetic passages, among others, listed above.
  12. Jesus had affirmed the empowering event of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:1-12. Soon (it would be in10 days) this promise would be made real—the Holy Spirit’s baptism.
  13. Indeed, the apostles, and by extension we as well, will be baptized IN (not with as found in many translations), that is, plunged into and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

 

The Book of Acts, part 1, Introduction

Gospel Meditation on Acts #1

An Introduction

  1. Find a quiet place without distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Part 2 of a two volume work is the Book of Acts.
  7. Lucas, or Luke, (name meaning ‘Light Giving’), a Gentile perhaps from Antioch of Syria; as a physician, likely having graduated from one of the universities of that day, maybe of Alexandria, Rome, or Tarsus, his home town.
  8. He may have been a proselyte of Judaism or a “God-fearer’. Less is known of him than any other Gospel writer.
  9. Acts is the longest book in the New Testament, 1007 verses. It has the best Greek in the N.T. Luke was a careful researcher, a reliable historian, having talked with a number of the Twelve including Mary the mother of Jesus. Luke is correct in his times, places, and persons.
  10. The “we” passages of Acts, like in 16:10, indicate he was a companion of Paul on at least two missionary trips.
  11. Luke was faithful to Paul—“Luke alone is with me” Paul tells Timothy, 2 Timothy 4:11.
  12. Luke abruptly ends his narrative of the early church probably about A.D. 62 or 63 while Paul was under house arrest in Rome. The book covers part of the history of the church from A.D. 30 to 63.
  13. “Acts”—the question is, Whose acts? The Apostles, the Holy Spirit, the early church, or the working of the early church to fulfill Acts 1:8?
  14. Acts 1:8 may be the key verse in all of the Book of Acts.
  15. There was no title or name of author on the book; these became attached to Acts after the middle of the 2nd How much we owe Brother Luke!