The Book of Acts

-

Luke,  the gospel writer, wrote the book of Acts. It is a sequel to the gospel of Luke which he also wrote.

Both of Luke's gospels detailed the unconditional love of God for mankind through Jesus. In the first gospel, Luke wrote about Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus was physically present among his disciples and the people. He taught them the right way to God. Luke later accounted Jesus' death on the cross as cleansing sacrifice for the sin of man.

In chapter one of the book of Acts which is the second gospel of Luke, Jesus left the disciples physically. But Jesus did not leave the disciples like orphans to fend for themselves. He promised that they will receive help when he is gone. He had promised that help even before his execution. 

True enough, in chapter two of the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples during the Pentecost and stayed with them everywhere, anywhere, 24/7, and in their dreams as well. That's an extreme but reassuring presence. The disciples would be needing that presence because they would do extraordinary feats for Jesus.

After chapter 2, the  succeeding chapters would reveal the workings of the Holy Spirit among the early Christians for the first thirty years. The next ten chapters would show the spread of the gospel starting in Jerusalem to as far as Judea and Samaria.  

The main characters of those chapters were Peter, Stephen and James. The three, empowered by the Holy Spirit, showed their zeal in spreading the good news amid tough opposition. Because of their zeal, Peter and James were imprisoned and Stephen was martyred.

They would be preaching a revolutionary idea of loving God and loving neighbors .  Most of the Jews  rejected the whole idea.

The influence of the Holy Spirit was contagious. Because of that presence, the message about Jesus Christ went viral among the people. People who became believers had a change of heart and mind. The new belief changed their life.

In Antioch where believers fled after Stephen was martyred, it was the first time they were called Christians. People probably saw Christ-like characters in them, that's why people branded as so.

The ten chapters also revealed the growing followers of the risen Christ. These chapters showed how the Holy Spirit inspired, empowered and moved among the disciples and the followers.

Chapters thirteen to twenty-eight featured Paul's three missionary journey of bringing the gospel to Greece and Europe including the seat of Roman power - Rome. It showed how the Holy Spirit guided and empowered him throughout his journey. An extraordinary feat for one man.

The early Christians accomplished so much in spreading the gospel across continents. The Holy Spirit made it possible for them to accomplish that feat. The result of their efforts transcended throughout the centuries.

Amid this pandemic, let us tap into the power of the Holy Spirit to get us through this crisis. But the power only works to its fullest if we leave behind any sins or idols that is blocking the graces that we are supposed to receive from Jesus.

If we receive those graces, let's pass it forward by being witness to the Holy Spirit's transformative powers. That way they too can receive graces because of God's unconditional love for all of us.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Seventies - The "Disco" Era

-
Image
The seventies was undoubtedly the "disco" era.  As a teenager, I listened and danced to the distinct sound of that era. When "Saturday Night Fever" hit the movie theaters in 1978,  I became an avid fan of the Bee Gees and other bands that played the disco sound.   Besides listening to disco sound, I also mimicked dance steps like the "swing" and "L.A. shuffle" from a local popular TV show the "Penthouse Seven." I strutted my stuff every time  I danced with a partner at birthday parties held in friends' residences. Bands that dished out disco tunes during the '70s were  ABBA  with their  song "Dancing Queen";   Donna Summer 's   goosebumps-raising song "Last Dance."  Other bands like  KC and the Sunshine Band ,  The Trammps ,  Van McCoy ,  Gloria Gaynor ,  The Village People ,  Chic , and  The Jacksons   also flooded the radio airwaves in the '70s .   I even followed their progress over...
Read more

Grandfather@50

-
Image
I will be turning 50 before the  end of this year, and what better way to usher in my golden boy status is becoming a bonafide grandfather.  I now have a grandson, his name is Samien. He was born on April 25, 2012. His parents say that the name means "to be heard".  I guess their choice was right because when Samien cries, he is really heard by everybody. I noticed remarkable things in Samien.  While just a new born, he showed to us that he has strong legs and arms.  He can push himself upwards in the crib and was tireless in raising his small arms every  now and then.  Also, he is not the quiet type because he always cries and laughs unlike other babies inside the nursery who are peacefully asleep.  At three months old, he speaks amusing although unintelligible syllables.  Also, at three months, he is rather long for babies his age and quite heavy for a three month old baby.  He weighed in at 5 kilogram during his visit to his pedia...
Read more

Organic Rice in the Philippines For Healthy Living

-
Image
Do you prefer healthy living? Go organic rice! Health buffs would like to get their hands on real organic rice. If you're one of them, do you know which ones are authentic organic rice? This blog will tell you all you need to know about organic rice. Some people think that organic rice is red and brown rice variety only.  Not really. It comes in other varieties and colors such as white, black, etc.  The idea that red and brown alone are organic rice is wrong.  These rice varieties are now sold under specific brands in leading supermarkets in the Philippines, however, not all of them are organic rice. But how will you know if you're buying organic rice or not? Organic rice is farmed without using synthetic fertilizer and chemical pesticide inputs. Besides the inputs, there are other things to consider such as -  How was it planted? What were the farming methods used? Was there contamination along the supply chain until it has reached the end consumer? There...
Read more