Holy Spirit

[Stephen, in his defense before the Sanhedrin:] "You stubborn people! You are heathens at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!"

—Acts 7:51 NLT

Key Thought


Stephen was empowered by the Holy Spirit and spoke with wisdom. He knew that there was great opposition to the Jesus he proclaimed and the truth he spoke. He also knew that this kind of opposition was nothing new. God's own people...

 

None of [the people arguing with Stephen] could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

—Acts 6:10 NLT

Key Thought


Stephen had been selected as one of the seven special servants of the church in Jerusalem to help make sure the widows were given the proper care. He was chosen because he was full of the Holy Spirit, faith, and wisdom. The Holy Spirit within him not only helped him in his service to the widows, but the Spirit also empowered...

 

[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:] "Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty." ... And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

—Acts 6:3 ESV, Acts 6:5 ESV...

 

[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:] "And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility."

—Acts 6:3 NLT

Key Thought


Almost every religion defines spirituality a little bit differently. However, a follower of Christ defines authentic spirituality based upon people having the Holy Spirit living within them. A true servant leader among...

 

[Peter and the apostles before the Sanhedrin:] "The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him."

—Acts 5:30-32 NLT

Key Thought


An incredible amount of...

 

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!"

—Acts 4:8 NIV

Key Thought


Not only did Jesus pour out the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-33), but the Spirit continued to inspire Peter and others to speak the message of God's grace and truth to the people. We must not underestimate the incredible truth that this simple verse proclaims. Just as God spoke through the prophets in ages gone by, he spoke through Peter...

 

[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting God's promise from Joel 2:] "In [the last] days, I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants — men and women alike — and they will prophesy."

—Acts 2:18 NLT

Key Thought


Luke emphasizes in Acts that the coming of the Holy Spirit wasn't to just a select few leaders for a limited time, as was usually the case in the Old Testament. (Also see yesterday's Thought and Acts 2:17.) After the Holy Spirit came and began the "last...

 

Peter said, "Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field?"

—Acts 5:3 MESSAGE

Key Thought


This verse comes from the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). They sold their land and gave some of the proceeds to the apostles to help their fellow disciples who had financial needs (Acts 4:32-37). Ananias and Sapphira conspired to make it seem that they gave the whole amount but kept back part for...

 

And Peter said [to Sapphira, concerning Ananias and her], "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too."

—Acts 5:9 NLT

Key Thought


There is no conspiracy theory in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. It IS conspiracy. However, Peter puts their sin of conspiracy and lying into the context of testing the Holy Spirit...

 

And Peter said to [the crowd on Pentecost], "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

—Acts 2:38-39 ESV

Key Thought


A promised gift of the new movement of God prophesied in Scripture is the Holy Spirit. We often focus on the...