Friday 4th February - Acts 1

Today’s chapter is Acts 1, you can read it here

Tom writes:

This is the book about Jesus’ new Humanity seeking and saving Old Humanity. And it starts by laying the foundation stones for how new Humanity makes decisions. What do we do when we don’t know what to do? In this first chapter the apostles are like kids gone camping. They start off clueless, staring intently at things with confused looks on their faces. Then slowly they get it together. By the time the chapter is over; they are ready for the wind to come. Jesus and his angels have given them a steer. They told them 3 things. The first thing is to relate to Jesus as Exalted King Of Everything. If in doubt - do what worships Jesus. His resurrection vindicates him as King of Life. So worship him. The second thing is to begin to read the Word differently. The disciples always read the bible. They probably knew it by heart. But now they re-read it as a document fulfilled in the Christ. They plunder the psalms for obscure references to Judas not because they fit their purposes but because they now realise that the Psalms and the Prophets and all the Old Testament are pointers to Jesus. So many people today read the Old Testament as if it is about them. If they read it at all. But the Scriptures are only about us in relation to Jesus. They always place us in Jesus’ Story. They pin us in these years between Jesus ascended, glorified in heaven and Jesus descended, glorified on earth. That changes everything. So read the scriptures that way. And the third thing. Oh the delicious third thing is what this book is all about. The Spirit. God’s Empowering Presence.  He will baptise us and empower us for mission to the ends of the earth. When you don’t know what to do; wait for the Spirit. With friends.

The rest of the book is simply the outworking of these 3 activities (or rather - it is what God chooses to do when his people perform these 3 activities). The book is what Jesus continued to do through kids who learned how to pitch a tent; kids who started off clueless but did the three things they were told, and all heaven broke loose. Please make these three things the foundation stones for your life.

Question for reflection

Which of these 3 foundation stones grabs you most today? What would it look like for you to lean on it more?