Acts 1:1~11 1

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” The Holy Spirit is God. The entire ministry of Jesus, the Son of God, was done through the power of the Holy Spirit, including his conception in the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18~21). The reason Jesus was born into this world was to save sinful mankind. When he was on the earth, he was led by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16~17, Matthew 4:1) and anointed with his power in order to set man free from the spiritual and physical problems caused by the devil. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and drove out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38, Matthew 12:28). Before Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit in the Jordan River, he was merely a carpenter. But afterwards he performed many miracles. But many people misunderstood him and in the end he was sentenced to death and nailed to the cross. His death has become our salvation and our source of eternal life. We can know about Jesus through the Holy Spirit, who was with him from the beginning of his life. We are just as incapable as Paul and Jesus’ disciples were before they received the Holy Spirit. It was only after the Holy Spirit came on them with his almighty power that they were able to perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead and drive out demons as a witness of Jesus. Jesus wants us to be his co-workers, so he sent the Holy Spirit to us in order for us to do the same works (1 Corinthians 12:3, John 14:12, Acts 1:8). The reason we should perform miracles is in order to witness Jesus and to preach the salvation of mankind, therefore we should be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:15~21, 1 Thessalonians 5:19~20) Then we can know Jesus, work for him, tell others about him and have the power to heal the sick, speak in new tongues, and drive out demons in his name (Mark 16:17~20). If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, there will be nothing that we cannot do.