January 1
(Acts 1:1-2 NIV) “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.”
The first two verses of the book of Acts give us some important details about Jesus Christ. He lived and died, and then was raised to life again. After His resurrection, He taught His chosen apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit, preparing them for His departure. He was then taken up to heaven by God. In two verses, Luke recognizes the sovereignty of God, establishes the resurrection and the ascension as historical events, and declares the apostles as divinely chosen to establish Christ’s church. Many books in the Bible teach what Christianity should look like when lived out in the individual believer. The book of Acts teaches what Christianity should look like when lived out corporately as the church. It is the story of ordinary people trusting in God fully, and being enabled to do things that were far beyond their ability. By faith, they lived beyond their means -- and by faith, we can too. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day
