Obviously every book in the Bible is important and is inspired by the Holy Spirit; however, the Book of Acts stands out to be a very pivotal book in the New Testament.

It links the earthly life and work of Jesus Christ to the establishment and the beginning of His church. In other words, it gives us the history of the birth of Christianity as a world religion.

It expands on the last word of Jesus, the Great Commission, and describes how His church took on this Commission and began the realization of her mission to be the witness of His resurrection, carrying the gospel from Jerusalem and beyond, converting believers among the Jews and beyond.

But it also honestly gives the accounts of how slow this process was in the beginning, the reluctance of the first believers to leave Jerusalem as commanded, and their even greater reluctance to convert and accept the Gentiles.

This is the book that introduces us to perhaps the most important apostle of all, the Apostle Paul. Luke gives the bulk of this book to cover the life of Paul, from his conversion to his final imprisonment in Rome. In the course of so doing, he gives us the much-needed context to understand all the epistles of Paul which contribute largely to not only the so-called Pauline theology, but also to the overall theology of the New Testament. Without the Book of Acts, we will be so improvised in interpreting all the epistles of Paul.

Of course, the Book of Acts also provides us with the model of what a N.T. church should be, with all her flaws, she remains the prototype of today's church in many ways — perseverance in the face of immense persecution, dealing with theological disagreements, resolving human conflicts, reconciling traditions with the gospel truth, and remaining focused and faithful to the charge given to her by her Master, Lord and Savior.

As most early church fathers regard this book as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, we can look at the Book of Acts as Part II of the work of Christ, accomplished through His apostles. Hence, we are all participating in the writing of Part III of this Unfinished Symphony, until the return of our Lord.

The Book of Acts paints a very different picture of the disciples of Jesus from that of the gospel accounts. They came out of hiding and in a very short period of time, turned the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Luke gives us a very important reason for their change and that is because they "waited for the gift" of the Holy Spirit. The rest of the book, basically, tells the story of how the Holy Spirit empowered them to carry out the Commission they were charged with by the Lord. Without the empowering of the Holy Spirit, there would not be the Book of Acts.

But Luke's account also teaches us how these disciples "waited". Often misunderstood, waiting does not necessarily mean inaction. In the Scripture, waiting is the active seeking of God through prayers.

It is not hard to imagine how excited the disciples were during the 40 days they spent with the Risen Lord, eating with him and listening to His teaching.

I am sure the teachings given by Jesus in the 40 days were quite intense and loaded. There were a lot of truths to be digested. There were still many questions, practical and theological, to mull over. As much as the Great Commission was made clear, what did it entail? How was it to be carried out? What might the strategy be? What about the ongoing persecution and opposition by the Jews? Not having experienced the work of the Holy Spirit themselves, they had no idea how to work with the Holy Spirit, nor how they might be guided. And there was the need to deal with past failures and past disputes among themselves too. So, the time of waiting through prayers would have allowed them to examine themselves, their motives and their commitment to the Lord and His charge. Their time of prayers would have also enabled them to understand further the truths that had been expounded by the Lord. Their time of prayers would also have prepared them for the mighty work of the Holy Spirit, so that they would be better-prepared to be guided by the Holy Spirit in preaching, teaching and performing miracles, giving glory to God, and not themselves.

Without this preparation and waiting through prayers, they would simply be overwhelmed by the outpouring of the work of the Holy Spirit, to the point that they could have lost their focus, their bearing and their God-centeredness.

I am sure that we are all impressed with the remarkable conversion of 3,000 people on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

We know that their conversion was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit through and through. But isn't it the same with the conversion of all sinners.

Before we even begin to have the burden of reaching a person — a friend or relative or even a stranger — it is the Holy Spirit who has moved in the heart of that person, creating a sense of need or hunger or dissatisfaction in his spirit.

At the same time, the Holy Spirit impresses upon our spirit, the need for intercession for the person. And as we begin to respond in our spirit to the nudging of the Spirit through praying for the person, we begin to observe and care for the person.

Then according to the Will and timing of God, the Holy Spirit will create an opportunity for us or another Christian to befriend or even begin a spiritual conversation with him which eventually would lead to his conviction and conversion.

I had been praying for one of my nieces and her husband for quite a long time, wondering whether I might have the opportunity to share the gospel with them. My busy schedule (and theirs too) was such that we did not even get to meet. But I continued to pray for them on a fixed day of each week. Then, one day, as they moved into a new apartment, they invited us over for the house warming. Knowing that it would be rather odd for me to share the gospel right away, I prayed to God to open an opportunity.

Then, in the middle of our casual conversation, one of them asked about our church. Right away, I sensed God opening the opportunity for me. But I did not dare to share the gospel right away. Instead, I mentioned that there was a gospel camp coming up in the summer and wondered if they might be open to attend it. To my total amazement, they both answered yes right away. And they did attend the camp.

And at the end of that gospel camp, they separately made a commitment to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Yes, their conversion may not be as spectacular as that of the 3,000 Jews on the day of Pentecost, but nonetheless, it was the work of the Holy Spirit — the timing of the house warming was no accident at all; my readiness to invite them to the gospel camp was not accidental either; their immediate consent to attend was also not an accident; and their commitment at the camp was certainly not an accident. From start to finish, it was the work of the Holy Spirit.

Time and again, Peter and his fellow-disciples were mentioned as mere Galileans, and in the words of the religious leaders "they were unschooled, ordinary men" (Acts 4:13). Yet, their preaching was so powerful that people came to believe in their message by the thousands.

These days, it takes a very learned person, a very charismatic person or a celebrity to draw a crowd. And to have people respond to the gospel message so preached, seems to be dependent on high-tech presentations, eloquent deliveries and perhaps even skilled altar calls.

But none of these were true of Peter in his preaching in the early chapters of Acts. He was not a learned person; he was only a fisherman from Galilee. Even the epistles he wrote years later were not considered to be of good literary style. The delivery of his message lacked philosophical rhetoric that marked many noted rabbis of his time. His altar calls were crude and direct, and would have turned many people off today. But the result of his preaching was more than obvious.

Paul, who was very different from Peter, also followed Peter's approach in the delivery of his gospel messages — no eloquent speech, no superior wisdom…nothing "but Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Co. 2:2). And, he achieved just as impressive a result as Peter did. Paul shared with us his secret and it is that the gospel itself is the power of God (Rom. 1:16), not his rhetoric, not his skillful delivery and certainly not human philosophy.

Chuck Colson used to say that Christianity in America was like an ocean which was a mile wide and only an inch deep. He was right and it is still the case, unfortunately, not only in North America, but in many parts of the world. And I believe it has much to do with how we present the gospel in this post-modern world.

I still remember the early years of my Christian walk. Although it was already a post-modern world, many notions of modernity still lingered. In college, our evangelistic approach was quite confrontational and focused more on convincing others of the intellectual credibility of the Scripture. This was why Josh McDowell's books were so in demand. We believed that once people were convinced of the credibility of the Scripture, they would automatically become Christians (of course, they would have to say the Sinner's Prayer at the end of the Four Spiritual Laws).

After several decades, with the arrival of the sexual revolution and the breakdown of families, the world we live in is a very broken one. Our approach in evangelism has also changed. While intellectual debates still are necessary, it seems that "healing" — both physical and emotional healing — have become the more effective point of contact with non-believers. This perhaps explains the rapid rise of the charismatic movement. Even outside of the charismatic circle, the gospel emphasis seems to be one of offering a better life, a more wholesome life and a more self-fulfilling life. Many also find Christianity to be the answer to self-actualization, if not the icing on the cake.

This cannot be more further from the gospel message that Peter preached on Pentecost. His gospel message did not make his audience feel good. In fact, they felt so bad that "they were cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37). They were so terrified that they asked Peter and the disciples, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Why were their hearts cut? Why were they so afraid? Because Peter accused them of crucifying Jesus — the Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

The people were not after a better life, a more fulfilled life or healing from their emotional brokenness, but were seeking forgiveness of sins — the very thing that separated them from God, the very thing that caused their eternal condemnation. In other words, the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sins through the gospel message of Peter. The result was their immediate repentance and belief followed by a public commitment through baptism. Luke describes their new life in Christ in vivid fashion, as they (stubbornly) committed themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42).

These were signs of genuine conversion. These were signs that their Christianity was not inch-deep only. It was all because their hearts were cut and they were convicted of their sins by the gospel.

In His Great Commission, Jesus says, "…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8). And the disciples were faithful to His commission and bore witness to His resurrection first in Jerusalem, and to Judea, Samaria and beyond.

The message that they repeatedly gave was that they had seen the Risen Lord with their own eyes — a very powerful testimony indeed. Who could dispute their claim?!

We know that this Great Commission is now upon us, and we are to take up their baton and continue to be Christ's witness. But the question is: Of what are we witnessing? We have not seen the Risen Lord with our very eyes.

In today's devotion, I was asking several questions along this vein, and perhaps it is helpful that we reflect on these questions together:

1. What do we have that Peter and John did not?
   Well, we have the 27 books of the New Testament that they did not have. In other words, we have a fully documented gospel story that they only might have orally. We now benefit from not only the gospel accounts, but the many epistles that help us interpret the Old Testament in new light. We now have a far more complete theology and thorough understanding of the salvation plan of God, not to mention that we have 2,000 years of history of mission and missiology that equips us to spread the gospel. Yes, we have unprecedented communication technology and global travel means that should help spread the gospel with unprecedented convenience.
2. What did they have that we may not have?
   Apart from their advantage of having seen the Risen Christ with their own eyes, they did have a passion, a zeal, a commitment and a love for the Lord that should put each one of us to shame.
3. What did they have that we also possess?
   We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that they had. We also have the empowering of the Holy Spirit that they had. We have the same gospel that they had. And, we have the same, precious and genuine conversion experience that they had.
   When Peter told the crippled man that he would give him what he had, he then healed him in the name of Jesus. He explained in v. 16 that "It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him…" This is also what we have in common with Peter and John.
4. We may not be able to perform a miracle like this, but we still can do something to cause a man like this to believe in and praise God. How?
   Yes, me may not be able to perform a miracle like this (the healing of the crippled — but the Holy Spirit can still use us to perform miraculous healing, if He so chooses), but the ultimate cause of belief does not lie in the miraculous healing. The pro-consul in Acts 13 was converted not because of the great miracle which he did see, but "was amazed at the teaching about the Lord" (Acts 13:12). Genuine conversion always comes through the conviction by the Holy Spirit through the teaching of the word.

As we continue to reflect on the faithfulness and courage of the early apostles who, in a short time, changed completely from a bunch of cowards in hiding into fearless champions of the gospel, let's reflect on the lyrics of this familiar hymn and see if we resemble the apostles in Acts or in the Gospels.

Refrain
He's counting on us, the story to tell
His scheme of redemption for man;
He's counting on you, He's counting on me,
The Master hath no other plan.

1. There's only one way that this lost world may know
   That Jesus for sinners hath died;
   To spread the glad tidings He's bidden us go,
   And no other way doth provide.
2. If Christ's first disciples had silently gone,
   And been to their great trust untrue,
   God's plan of salvation we could not have known,
   His mercy for me and for you.
3. Tell others what Jesus hath done for your soul,
   Of sins through His blood washed away;
   And bid them on Him every burden to roll,
   And taste His salvation today.
4. Dear Master, we hasten the story to tell,
   And pass on the life giving Word;
   And they must tell others, and they, others still,
   Till all the glad message have heard.

I find Acts 4 a very interesting chapter in that these poor religious leaders were made to face their crime. They thought they had gotten rid of Jesus for good. Little did they anticipate that He would really come alive. Worse, they are now confronted by His disciples, those "unschooled, ordinary men". (Acts 4:13)

As I mentioned in preceding Bible study materials, the absence of Jesus' body must have been a very disturbing event to these religious leaders. What might the religious leaders be thinking when they heard of the resurfacing of the apostles out of their hiding, the miracle at Pentecost, the growing number of disciples and now the blatant challenge of the apostles by not only worshipping as usual at the temple, but healing and preaching as if it were their territory? As they asked, "By what power or what name did you do this?" they of course knew the answer. Why then did they ask such a question to the apostles? Well, what else could they ask? What else could they say? What else could they do?

They really only had two options. One was to submit to the convicting of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The evidence was undeniable — they killed the Author of Life; they rejected the "stone". Now, even with the mention of the name of Jesus, the crippled was healed. Peter powerfully asserted that "there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Sadly, choosing to repent and be saved by this name was not an option. The only option remained was "to kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14). That they did.

Down the centuries, many have chosen to kick against the goads, and they are not confined to those who persecute Christians, but so-called Christians who deny that Jesus is the only name unto salvation. When you care to study the biographies of some of the noted liberal Christian leaders, you will find that many of them are children or grandchildren of missionaries who had given their lives to reach the lost in a totally foreign land with the same message that Peter preached. But now many of their children and grandchildren deny that Jesus is the only way to salvation.

I was listening to Brahms's Requiem last Sunday before I headed to church. He is one of my favorite composers. Of course theologically, I do not care much about requiem music, because it always begins a prayer for the dead. But Brahms would have none of that. Not because he was brought up as a Protestant, but sadly because he did not believe in life after death. In fact, he did not even believe Jesus as the only Savior of the world. As a result, he purposely omitted the name of Christ in the lyrics of his Requiem. When he was challenged by Conductor Reinthaler, he would not budge. Arias such as I know that my Redeemer liveth were a later insertion by Reinthaler into his German Requiem. He said to Reinthaler, "I would dispense with passages like John 3:16." In a letter, Dvořák disclosed his concerns regarding Brahms's religious views: "Such a man, such a fine soul — and he believes in nothing! He believes in nothing!" Well, the saddest thing was he did not believe in Jesus Christ.

There is a growing recognition among Christians to stand up for the truth in the face of more and more blatant attacks on Biblical principles by the secular society and sometimes even the government, especially in the areas of same-sex marriage and abortion. This is good in that Christians are no longer taking an indifferent attitude as if they had nothing to do with us and it would be fine for us to hide behind the four walls of the church building. It is not even relevant whether the North American nations were originally established under God or not, we are the prophetic voice that needs to be sounded in order to warn the nations and to steer them toward God.

Among these expressions of our concern toward all these oppressive initiatives and/or laws by the government, I have discovered an equally prominent voice of concern towards the possible loss of tax exemption status by the church. I find this very interesting because this would never be the concern of the first believers who taught us to obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19). They never enjoyed such a privilege nor would they ever have dreamed of such a possibility. I find that such a concern in fact reflects a very erroneous attitude toward God and our giving to Him. Are we concerned that if this tax exemption is removed, it will plunge all churches into financial difficulties? Or, are we concerned that we will not be able to receive deductions to lessen our taxable income? I rather welcome such a removal of exemption, because our offerings would be more genuine.

In the last few years, I have witnessed a group of brothers and sisters donate a sizeable amount of money to help reach the Muslims for Christ in a certain city outside of North America. Because of the location of the ministry, no tax exemption receipts are issued, but it has not deterred them from the continuation of their regular and sizeable giving. This is in fact a true expression of our obedience to God.

I have met a few persecuted Christians in my life, but I have never been one myself. Yes, I have been mocked at, I have been sworn at, and I have been driven out of the house with a broom, but compared to what Peter, John and other disciples faced, I would not even call these acts against me as persecution. So, as I read about the courage and joy that these apostles had in Acts 4, I was indeed amazed. How the church prayed, subsequent to the imprisonment and release of John and Peter, was truly amazing too.

I often wonder, what I would have prayed in their situation. Of course, I would have given thanks for the release and I might even have mimicked them in praising and thanking God. But what about praying for what would happen next? I'd probably pray something like this: "Lord, protect us and save us from persecution." But these first disciples prayed, "(E)nableyour servants to speak your word withgreatboldness." (Acts 4:29)

Great boldness? These disciples felt that they were not bold enough! Their focus was not on themselves or their safety, their primary focus was on speaking God's word, so that the gospel may be spread. Their desire was to see the wider spread of the gospel, and therefore they prayed for even greater boldness.

We often wonder why the church is so weak today. We often wonder too, why our evangelism is so ineffective. I think it is time you and I learn to pray like the first disciples.

I find it interesting to note that repeatedly the apostles were labeled by the people of Jerusalem as people not worthy of their respect.

When the apostles were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost, the people were amazed for sure, but they were even more amazed (in fact, "utterly amazed"), and asked, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?" (Acts 2:7)

Then, when Peter and John were able to perform miracles, the religious remarked that "they were unschooled and ordinary" (4:13).

But when thousands came to believe in their message, they began to devote themselves to the teachings of these unschooled apostles (2:42). This was a clear indication of their conversion — putting their trust not in human wisdom, but in the very Word of God which was passed on by the Lord Jesus to these apostles. That was not too surprising to me.

What is truly surprising to me was when they practiced sharing all things in common and sold their possessions, including land and "brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:37).

I would have no problem submitting to the spiritual authority of these apostles, and I would have no problem following their teachings, but to entrust them with money — lots of money, it would be a different story. They were mere Galileans, uneducated and inexperienced certainly in business. None of them had anything close to an MBA. How on earth would they know how to manage such a large sum of money (which consisted of proceeds from the sale of numerous pieces of property)? How on earth would they know how to devise wise measures to prevent abuse, as they "distributed to anyone as he had need" (Acts 4:35).

Indeed, they did make a mistake even in the fair handling of the daily distribution of food to widows among them.

Yet, no one was deterred to continue to sell their possessions as prompted by the Holy Spirit.

I think it is a great lesson for us to learn and that is ultimately our offering is not to men, not to the leaders, not to the church, but to God, and God alone.

I have seen Christians who diverted or withheld their offering from their church because they either disliked those in leadership or they disagreed with the contents of the approved budget. They wanted to be in control of their offering, not knowing that once offered, the money is not theirs any more, it belongs to God.