Faithful on Fridays Blog

If you’ve never read the first ten chapters of Acts in one sitting you should; it changes your perspective. For me, the recurring theme is simple: prayer, signs and wonders, and multiplication. We shouldn’t be surprised since Jesus instructed His Twelve:

“Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.” Matthew 10:5-8a ESV

Peter re-enters the story as Luke writes that he traveled around authenticating the work of the Spirit to believers with more signs and wonders. He healed a man and after a time of prayer raised a woman from the dead, obeying Jesus’ instructions. Tabitha’s resurrection was a foretaste of what is ahead for believers, we’ll all rise from the dead at His Return, but it was also the paramount miracle that can happen; it transcended the course of nature. The result was that many more came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Along the coastline of Israel, Caesarea sits in the north and Joppa farther south; read this great story in chapter ten as God connects Jews and Gentiles. The recurring theme of prayer, signs and wonders, and increase is apparent, yet again. Cornelius prayed, received the sign and wonder of an angel giving an assignment, and the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word: multiplication.

What’s interesting about this chapter is that Jesus’ instructions during His time on earth was salvation for the Jews alone, now, through Peter’s vision, God fulfilled His promise to a Jew named Abraham:

… in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Gen. 12:3b

Signs and Wonders.

Peter, whose leadership in the church was drawing to a close, preached the gospel succinctly in his last recorded message:

… how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38

Peter clearly explained that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah but that the door was now opened to all who believe. That was such good news that as he preached the Spirit moved on the Gentiles and they received the gift of speaking in tongues and magnified God just like the first Pentecost.

… we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. Acts 2:11b

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; Mark 16:17

And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. Mark 16:20

If the Book of Acts is a model for the church then let’s strive to follow the pattern:

Prayer, Signs and Wonders, and Multiplication expecting God to move.