Acts 2 records the birthday of the church on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost was a holy feast observed fifty days after Passover. During Passover, Jesus was betrayed, condemned, and crucified. The pilgrims left Jerusalem with rumors swirling that his body was missing. Pentecost was the next time Jerusalem was filled with worshipers. There were now credible claims that Jesus had risen from the dead.  On the day of Pentecost, the sound of a hurricane rocked the city. Crowds gathered at the epicenter of the sound, where 120 disciples of Jesus had been in prayer. This international crowd was amazed when these Galileans started praising God in languages they had never learned. Without a reasonable explanation for what they saw and heard, they concluded the disciples were drunk. Then Peter addressed the crowd.  Peter was the most devoted, courageous, and outspoken disciple...

A disgruntled reader wrote the editor of his local newspaper, arguing that the paper was not what it used to be. The editor replied, “It never was.”   The same can be said about the church. In a real sense, the church at its birth was the church at its best. But we should not look back wistfully for some non-existent “golden age” of the church. The church has never been perfect. It will not be perfect until the Lord presents it to himself without spot or blemish. Until then, the church is in the process of becoming. We are reformed and being reformed. The Lord is building his church. But we must work together through our growing...

Acts 2 records the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost. As the disciples prayed in the Upper Room, the sound of hurricane-force winds swept through Jerusalem. Investigating the sound, the crowd found the disciples praising God in languages they had not learned.  The crowd dismissed the disciples as drunk. Then Peter arose and addressed the crowd. The disciples were not drunk but filled with the Holy Spirit. He proclaimed that Jesus – whom they crucified but God raised from the dead – was the Messiah. Cut to the heart, the people repented of their sins and trusted Christ for salvation. Acts 2:41 says, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:42-47 picks up the story. It is a summary of...

What Should the Church Be Devoted To?

Corporate Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough (Acts 4:23-31)