ACTS 1 NIV 7 HE SAID TO THEM

ACTS 1 (NIV) 7 HE SAID TO THEM: “IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW THE TIMES OR DATES THE FATHER HAS SET BY HIS OWN AUTHORITY. 8 BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES ON YOU; AND YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. ”

THE ACTS 2 CHURCH IS A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH

ACTS 3 (NIV) 1 ONE DAY PETER AND JOHN WERE GOING UP TO THE TEMPLE AT THE TIME OF PRAYER—AT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON. 2 NOW A MAN WHO WAS LAME FROM BIRTH WAS BEING CARRIED TO THE TEMPLE GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL, WHERE HE WAS PUT EVERY DAY TO BEG FROM THOSE GOING INTO THE TEMPLE COURTS.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 3 WHEN HE SAW PETER AND JOHN ABOUT TO ENTER, HE ASKED THEM FOR MONEY. 4 PETER LOOKED STRAIGHT AT HIM, AS DID JOHN. THEN PETER SAID, “LOOK AT US!” 5 SO THE MAN GAVE THEM HIS ATTENTION, EXPECTING TO GET SOMETHING FROM THEM.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 6 THEN PETER SAID, “SILVER OR GOLD I DO NOT HAVE, BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE YOU. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WALK. ” 7 TAKING HIM BY THE RIGHT HAND, HE HELPED HIM UP, AND INSTANTLY THE MAN’S FEET AND ANKLES BECAME STRONG.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 8 HE JUMPED TO HIS FEET AND BEGAN TO WALK. THEN HE WENT WITH THEM INTO THE TEMPLE COURTS, WALKING AND JUMPING, AND PRAISING GOD. 9 WHEN ALL THE PEOPLE SAW HIM WALKING AND PRAISING GOD,

ACTS 3 (NIV) 10 THEY RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE SAME MAN WHO USED TO SIT BEGGING AT THE TEMPLE GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL, AND THEY WERE FILLED WITH WONDER AND AMAZEMENT AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 11 WHILE THE MAN HELD ON TO PETER AND JOHN, ALL THE PEOPLE WERE ASTONISHED AND CAME RUNNING TO THEM IN THE PLACE CALLED SOLOMON’S COLONNADE.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 12 WHEN PETER SAW THIS, HE SAID TO THEM: “FELLOW ISRAELITES, WHY DOES THIS SURPRISE YOU? WHY DO YOU STARE AT US AS IF BY OUR OWN POWER OR GODLINESS WE HAD MADE THIS MAN WALK?

ACTS 3 (NIV) 13 THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB, THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS, HAS GLORIFIED HIS SERVANT JESUS. YOU HANDED HIM OVER TO BE KILLED, AND YOU DISOWNED HIM BEFORE PILATE, THOUGH HE HAD DECIDED TO LET HIM GO.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 14 YOU DISOWNED THE HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS ONE AND ASKED THAT A MURDERER BE RELEASED TO YOU. 15 YOU KILLED THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, BUT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. WE ARE WITNESSES OF THIS.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 16 BY FAITH IN THE NAME OF JESUS, THIS MAN WHOM YOU SEE AND KNOW WAS MADE STRONG. IT IS JESUS’ NAME AND THE FAITH THAT COMES THROUGH HIM THAT HAS COMPLETELY HEALED HIM, AS YOU CAN ALL SEE.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 17 “NOW, FELLOW ISRAELITES, I KNOW THAT YOU ACTED IN IGNORANCE, AS DID YOUR LEADERS. 18 BUT THIS IS HOW GOD FULFILLED WHAT HE HAD FORETOLD THROUGH ALL THE PROPHETS, SAYING THAT HIS MESSIAH WOULD SUFFER.

ACTS 3 (NIV) 19 REPENT, THEN, AND TURN TO GOD, SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE WIPED OUT, THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE LORD, 20 AND THAT HE MAY SEND THE MESSIAH, WHO HAS BEEN APPOINTED FOR YOU—EVEN JESUS.

SPIRIT-EMPOWERED PROCLAMATION

ACTS 4 (NIV) 23 ON THEIR RELEASE, PETER AND JOHN WENT BACK TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND REPORTED ALL THAT THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE ELDERS HAD SAID TO THEM. 24 WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, THEY RAISED THEIR VOICES TOGETHER IN PRAYER TO GOD.

ACTS 4 (NIV) “SOVEREIGN LORD, ” THEY SAID, “YOU MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING IN THEM. 25 YOU SPOKE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE MOUTH OF YOUR SERVANT, OUR FATHER DAVID: “‘WHY DO THE NATIONS RAGE AND THE PEOPLES PLOT IN VAIN?

ACTS 4 (NIV) 26 THE KINGS OF THE EARTH RISE UP AND THE RULERS BAND TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS ANOINTED ONE. 27 INDEED HEROD AND PONTIUS PILATE MET TOGETHER WITH THE GENTILES AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IN THIS CITY TO CONSPIRE AGAINST YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS, WHOM YOU ANOINTED.

ACTS 4 (NIV) 28 THEY DID WHAT YOUR POWER AND WILL HAD DECIDED BEFOREHAND SHOULD HAPPEN. 29 NOW, LORD, CONSIDER THEIR THREATS AND ENABLE YOUR SERVANTS TO SPEAK YOUR WORD WITH GREAT BOLDNESS. 30 STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND TO HEAL AND PERFORM SIGNS AND WONDERS THROUGH THE NAME OF YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS. ”

SPIRIT-EMPOWERED PRAYER

ACTS 4 (NIV) 31 AFTER THEY PRAYED, THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE MEETING WAS SHAKEN. AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SPOKE THE WORD OF GOD BOLDLY.

SPIRIT-EMPOWERED PERSEVERANCE

GOD’S POWER IS FOUND IN HIS PRESENCE, AND HIS PRESENCE DWELLS AMONG THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE

EPHESIANS 5 (NIV) 18 DO NOT GET DRUNK ON WINE, WHICH LEADS TO DEBAUCHERY. INSTEAD, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, 19 SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER WITH PSALMS, HYMNS, AND SONGS FROM THE SPIRIT. SING AND MAKE MUSIC FROM YOUR HEART TO THE LORD, 20 ALWAYS GIVING THANKS TO GOD THE FATHER FOR EVERYTHING, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

A WITNESSING CHURCH IS A WORSHIPPING CHURCH

ACTS 2 (NIV) 46 EVERY DAY THEY CONTINUED TO MEET TOGETHER IN THE TEMPLE COURTS. THEY BROKE BREAD IN THEIR HOMES AND ATE TOGETHER WITH GLAD AND SINCERE HEARTS, 47 PRAISING GOD AND ENJOYING THE FAVOR OF ALL THE PEOPLE. AND THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED.

WHAT ARE YOU FILLING YOUR LIFE WITH?

EPHESIANS 5: 18 (NIV) 18 DO NOT GET DRUNK ON WINE, WHICH LEADS TO DEBAUCHERY. INSTEAD, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, PROVERBS 4: 23 (NIV) 23 ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART, FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FLOWS FROM IT