Acts of kindness
Two weeks ago, churches around the world celebrated the birthday of the church AKA: Pentecost Sunday. This is recorded in the Bible in Acts 2. On that day, a small group of people who had shared life with Jesus for three years were together in Jerusalem.
They had seen Jesus since his resurrection and he had told them to wait for the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost Sunday the Holy Spirit came and ‘filled’ each one of them, and wow, they were changed!
Just a few chapters later the Bible tells a story of how God used two from that group, Peter and John, to do an incredible healing miracle for a man who had been lame since birth! This was huge news and Peter and John were brought before the city’s leaders...
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed’.”
Those who had been in that room at Pentecost had their lives dramatically changed after they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The story of what Peter and John did is just the first of many in the book of Acts. There are others such as Stephen, Phillip and Paul to name a few.
The common theme here is that each of them were listening to the Holy Spirit and were obedient to His instructions. By doing this, miracles took place, the life changing good news about Jesus was shared and more and more people become Christians, not only in Israel by all over the world!
As lock down begins to ease, I believe that God wants to fill us again with the Holy Spirit and out of that we are both attentive and obedient to what He says to us. I also think that at this time what He says is going to be unique and specific for everyone. In other words, what is said to you may well be different to others.
So, let me encourage you to wait, listen and be obedient to what God the Holy Spirit is saying to you...
Also, why not check out our live stream service every Sunday at 10:30am, simply go to www.hopebasingstoke.org/livestream
Stay safe
God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader