Holy Spirit

[The apostles and elders in Jerusalem writing to Gentile Christians:] "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements ..."

—Acts 15:28 NLT

Key Thought​

Acts 15 is a remarkable reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit to work within a group of people seeking to honor God. Today's verse is from the conclusion of the gathering of apostles, elders, and believers in Jerusalem where they were seeking to address...

 

[Peter, addressing the apostles and elders at the Council in Jerusalem:] "God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us."

—Acts 15:8 NLT

Key Thought​

These words come from Peter's defense for taking the good news of Jesus to Gentiles — Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:1-48). From the moment that the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and the other believers in his household, Peter and his...

 

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

—Acts 13:52 NIV

Key Thought​

The Holy Spirit's presence in God's people is accompanied by joy! Jesus was full of joy because of the Spirit (Luke 10:21), and the same is also true of his disciples (Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22). What I find interesting about today's passage is that all the external reasons for the disciples of Jesus to rejoice were absent. Paul and Barnabas were persecuted and run out of the region...

 

Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, "You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?"

—Acts 13:9-10 NLT

Key Thought​

In today's world where it is common to question authority, we can often wonder if there is any true and trustworthy authority. The apostles' authority did not come from position, name...

 

Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus.

—Acts 13:4 MESSAGE

Key Thought​

We can be run off. We can be sent out. But the real yearning on most of our hearts is to be propelled into the next phase of our lives by God's will and the Holy Spirit's power, as was the case for Barnabas and Saul. We don't want to strike out on our own, but we want to journey in the strength and power of the Lord. We want...

 

While [the Christians in Antioch] were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

—Acts 13:2 NIV

Key Thought​

Worship, whether individually in our daily lives or assembled with other Christians, should propel us to mission. That result was true for Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8), and it was true for the church in Antioch. When we worship, the Holy Spirit of God is at work among us and within...

 

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

—Acts 11:27-30 ESV

Key Thought​

Troubles were coming, yet the...

 

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

—Acts 11:24 NLT

Key Thought​

Earlier in the book of Acts, we met Stephen, who was described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Now Barnabas is described in similar terms. Just as was the case for Barnabas, ministry must be based on the work of God through us as we are gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our faith that God can...

 

"As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on [Cornelius and his household], just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?"

—Acts 11:15-17 NLT

Key Thought​

Breaking through prejudice and hatred is tough...

 

[Peter:] "The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with [Cornelius' messengers]. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house."

—Acts 11:12 NIV

Key Thought​

To Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, the apostle Peter had to justify why he went to the house of Gentiles and ate with them (Acts 11:1-3). Clearly, Peter went to share the good news of Jesus, but the sticking point was table fellowship with Gentiles. While this objection seems...