Today's Devotion

Today's Scripture Summary A man who was crippled from birth begs Peter and John at the temple gate. Peter says he has no silver, but he gives him what he has, telling him to get up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The people are greatly astonished to see him running and walking, entering the temple and praising God. 1. The Man Who Couldn't Walk from Birth (3:1-5) After the descent of the Holy Spirit, power begins to be manifested through the apostles. This paragraph is the first healing transfer in the book of Acts, showing that Jesus' ministry was passed on to the apostles. As Peter and John go up to the temple at the time of the first reading, or the 3:00 p.m. prayer, they encounter a man begging at the temple gate. The phrase "who was lame and could not walk" (v. 2) indicates that his condition was hopeless, beyond cure. The Hebrew for "begging" (v. 3) is in the imperfect tense, meaning that he continued to beg. Peter draws his attent

Today's Scripture Summary Peter says that those who spoke in tongues were not drunk, but the word was fulfilled. God said through Joel that in the latter days He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and each generation would prophesy, see visions, and dream dreams. When God gives signs and wonders and executes judgment, those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. 1. Peter's defense (2:14-15) When the disciples spoke in other languages, the people were astonished and mocked them, causing great confusion. In response, Peter says, "Listen to me" (v. 14) and begins to preach with apostolic authority about the significance of the descent of the Holy Spirit. He first explains that the disciples were not drunk when they spoke in other languages. He emphasizes that it is the third hour, or 9:00 a.m., and says that it is not common sense to think they are drunk when it is morning (2:13). Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter tries to instill faith in the people by te

Today's Scripture Summary On the day of Pentecost, the disciples gathered together in one place were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages. When the pious Jews who were staying in Jerusalem, who had come from all over the country, heard them, they were amazed. Some mock the disciples for their newfound drunkenness, while others say they heard them speak in the language of the place where they were born about the great things of God. 1. The Holy Spirit descends (2:1-4) The day of Pentecost (Seventh-day Advent) is the 50th day after Passover and the 10th day after Jesus ascended into heaven. Passover is the first harvest of barley, and Pentecost is the first harvest of wheat. The descent of the Holy Spirit on a crowd of about 120 people at Pentecost marks the beginning of the church's spiritual harvest. The "sound like a rushing, strong wind" and "tongues of fire" that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit were signs of the divi

Summarize Today's Scripture A group of about 120 people, including the eleven disciples, gather in a place in Jerusalem to pray with one accord. It is then that Peter suggests that someone be chosen to take over Judas' duties. After praying, a lot is cast from among those who had traveled with the disciples in Jesus' presence, and Thyatira is included among the twelve. 1. The disciples praying (1:12-14) God's promises are fulfilled through prayer. After witnessing Jesus' ascension, the disciples return to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, where they were commanded by the Lord to take the gospel to the nations (1:8) and where God was prophesied to come to judge the nations (Zech. 14:1-5). The disciples go up to the "upper room" to pray, which some view as a place belonging to the temple. This is a fitting place for this chapter because it connects to the last verse of Luke's gospel (Luke 24:53), because people from all over the world hear the disciple

Summarize today's passage Luke writes about Jesus, following up on what he wrote earlier, and passes it on to Theophilus. After his resurrection, Jesus spoke of the work of the kingdom of God and commanded his apostles to wait for what the Father had promised. He said they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth, and then he ascended into heaven. 1. Waiting for the promise (1:1-5) Luke writes his second letter (Acts) to Theophilus after his first (Luke). Luke is a record of the redemptive work Jesus accomplished on earth, and Acts is a record of how the disciples are carrying on the redemptive work Jesus accomplished. The resurrected Jesus spends 40 days with his disciples, speaking of 'the things of the kingdom of God' (v. 3) - the kingdom of God is the core message of Jesus, and now it must be the core of the disciples' message. 'What the Father promised' (v. 4) refers to 'the Holy Sp