The Holy Spirit didn’t come at some random time that just happened to be about a month after Jesus died on the cross, he came at Pentecost. The Jewish festivals were not just something to keep the Hebrews occupied until God really got his plan working, they pointed to what was to come, salvation through Jesus Christ. Peter, the hot headed, speak first ask questions later, denied Jesus three times, disciples of Jesus stood up and preached his first real sermon… and 3,000 people became Christians. He spoke the truth and the people were cut to the heart. These new christians devoted themselves to the truth of the gospel, to maintaining a helpful community, and communion with God. They were blessed and saw people coming to Jesus daily. They didn’t focus on giving people physical needs, nor did they stress over the idea they couldn’t provide for everyone, they simply continued spreading the gospel to every man woman boy and girl. Even when it caused them political trouble and it would have been much more comfortable to simply say less, Peter and the first Christians preached all the more. Their goal was to share the gospel. When they were afraid, they prayed for boldness. Their faith wasn’t about their own comfort, it was about bringing more honor and glory to Jesus Christ. Those who were selfish and wanted to hold back from this mission, were removed from the community. There was no room for half-hearted Christians among God’s people. Stephen stood before a crowd and preached a very similar sermon to Peter’s. Perhaps he expected the same result, but it was quite different. He became the first martyr of the Christian faith recorded in Scripture. Opposition grew and a young man, zealous to prove himself, Saul, was terrorizing the church. But terrorism cannot stop genuine believers. The gospel must be shared. The true mark of the Holy Spirit on someone’s life is the inability to hold back the truth of the gospel… and the church grows.
Day 16: Acts 9 – 15
Day 17: Acts 16 – 21
Day 18: Acts 22 – Romans 1
Day 19: Romans 2 – 10
Day 20: Romans 11 – 1Corinthians 6
Day 21: 1Corinthians 7 – 15
Day 22: 1Corinthians 16 – 2Corinthians 12
Day 23: 2Corinthians 13 – Ephesians 4
Day 24: Ephesians 5 – Colossians 4
Day 25: 1Thessalonians 1 – 1Timothy 6
Day 26: 2Timothy 1 – Hebrews 6
Day 27: Hebrews 7 – James 2
Day 28: James 3 – 1John 1
Day 29: 1John 2 – Revelation 4
Day 30: Revelation 5 – 22
Day 31: Pray and prepare for 2018!!!
