The Acts of the Apostles

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>For The Believers In The Body Of Christ</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For The Believers In The Body Of Christ"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id650.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mark"><U>Mark</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id651.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Galatians"><U>Galatians</U></A>   |   <B>The Acts of the Apostles</B>   |   <A HREF="id653.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hebrews"><U>Hebrews</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id654.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1 John"><U>1 John</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual Food"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Spiritual Food</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Psalms, Hymns Spiritual Songs"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Outreach"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Gospel Outreach</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"About Us"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id186.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Related Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id639.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JESUS IS LORD!"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">JESUS IS LORD!</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>The Acts of the Apostles</I></div> <div> Because the story of Jesus is so impressive - God among us!  God speaking a language we can understand!  God acting in ways that heal and help and save us! - there is a danger that we will be impressed, but only be impressed.  As the spectacular dimensions of this story slowly (or suddenly) dawn upon us, we could easily become enthusiastic spectators, and then let it go at that - become admirers of Jesus, generous with our "oh's and ah's", and in our better moments inspirited to imitate him.</div> <bR> <div> It is Luke's task to prevent that, to prevent us from becoming mere spectators to Jesus, fans of the Messiah.  Of the original quartet of writers on Jesus, Luke alone continues to tell the story as the apostles and disciples live it into the next generation.  The remarkable things is that it continues to be essentially the same story.  Luke continues his narration with hardly a break, a pause perhaps to dip his pen in the inkwell, writing in the same style, using the same vocabulary.</div> <bR> <div> The story of Jesus doesn't end with Jesus.  It continues in the lives of all of us who believe into Him.  The supernatural does not stop with Jesus Himself.  Luke makes it clear that these Christians he wrote about were no more spectators of Jesus than Jesus was a spectator of God - they are <I><U>in </U></I>on the action of God, God acting <I><U>in</U></I><I> </I>them, God living <I><U>in</U></I><I> </I>them.  Which also means, of course, in <I><U>us</U></I>.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> [<I><U>The Message</U></I><I>, Peterson, Eugene H., Navpress, Colorado Springs, CO, 816 pages</I>.]</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id467.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="New Testament Books"><U>Return to "New Testament Books"</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>