The Holy Spirit at Work - Acts 2

Dr Luke's history of the birth and growth of the early church is named "The Acts of the Apostles" may well be better titled the Acts of the Holy Spirit. As like us those early followers of Jesus were totally reliant on the Holy Spirit in everything they did.

Acts 2

• The presence of the Holy Spirit can sound like "mighty rushing wind" v2
• The presence of the Holy Spirit may be seen on occasions. This time as fire. v3
• Experiencing the Holy Spirit is often likened to being "filled". The greek word for filled can also be translated "to be under full influence". v4
• The Holy Spirit can give someone the ability to speak a language they have never learned. v4
• The Holy Spirit draws people to God v6
• One of the reasons the Holy Spirit gives the supernatural ability to speak in another language is that people who speak that language can here the Gospel. v6
• The Holy Spirit tells people about "the mighty works of God". v11
• Being filled with the Holy Spirit can be so overwhelming it can look like a person is drunk! v13
• The Holy Spirit was promised in the Old Testament. On this occasion, the prophet Joel is quoted by Peter. v16
• The Holy Spirit is for every believer not a select few. v17
• A sign of the Holy Spirit is prophesy v17
• A sign of the Holy Spirit is visions v17
• A sign of the Holy Spirit is dreams v17
• The Holy Spirit fills both male and female v18
• The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin. v37
• Receiving the Holy Spirit is an integral part of salvation. v38
• The Holy Spirit is for every believer from the day of Pentecost onwards. v39
• The work of the Holy Spirit brings "awe" v43
• Signs of the Holy Spirit are "many wonders and signs" v43

Can you add any more?

Acts 3 tomorrow

The Simple Invite

Today sees the consecration of the first female Bishop in the Church of England. As discussion rages on the rights and wrongs of this development, an article in the Telegraph about Libby Holden simple journey of faith gripped me much more:

It was as an 11-year-old girl that Libby Holden, as she then was, first found her way into the church. 

Her family, from Glossop, Derbyshire, were not regular churchgoers and it was only through an invitation from a young friend to a children’s group at St John's church in nearby Charlesworth that she first attended. 

It was a simple, almost unthinking, act of kindness when she got there which had the biggest impact on the schoolgirl – and, by extension, helped alter the future history of the Church of England. 

“From the moment I turned up, that church community welcomed me into their extended family and their love for me loved me into faith,” she explained last month.

Read the full article here

A Simple invitation from one child to another, kindled by the love of a community, changed a life forever.

Sights to take your breath away

But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! (Romans 10:14-17 MSG)

Even in my sheltered life I have seen many things that have taken my breath away:

The Aurora Borealis 

Rembrandt's The return of the prodigal son

Michelangelo's crouching boy

Sunset from Laguna beach

Ground Zero

The Hermitage 

The many sights of Rome

I still enjoy these moments now as I recount my experiences and emotions to others as the memories come flooding back even many years later.

But nothing can come close to seeing lines and lines of people telling others of the glorious things their God has done for them.

Yet so many of us choose to keep these glories secret to ourselves. Hiding the wonderful acts that God has done for us. Our silence and the acts of our God is a strange thought.