Acts 2:30-32

But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

Acts 2:1-3

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Acts 1:21-22

Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

Acts 1:7-8

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”

Acts 1

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them 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. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:

Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 NLT

The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Jeremiah 31:31-33

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

    “when I will make a new covenant

with the people of Israel

    and with the people of Judah.

 

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

1 Ship your grain across the sea;
 after many days you may receive a return.
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
 you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
 they pour rain on the earth.
 Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
 in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
 whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Acts 9:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 16^th & 17^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The local church is, as Karl Barth taught us, “a sign” of God’s purpose in and for the world. It is not, he reminds us, “a religious society constituted by human piety and organization.

1 Cor 15:1-4

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

 

From Background Notes [BN] for March 16^th & 17^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

 

Proper witnesses of Jesus’ teaching would become the authorized handlers of the Jesus story.

 

Matthew 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

From Background Notes [BN] for March 16^th & 17^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What does Jesus mean? Within Judaism, the idea of a rabbi taking disciples into his care was well-known. They spent time with him, watched him live, listened to his teaching and…

2 Cor 8:5

And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 16^th & 17^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

An attitude underlies the good example Paul highlights. It is the surrender of one’s life in the service of the Lord.

Genesis 12:1

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 16^th & 17^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Abram started out bound to the locale of his birth, no doubt a proud resident of Ur with the prospect of remaining in the world’s largest city.

John 20:21

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

From Background Notes [BN] for March 9^th & 10^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Following this, he "breathed on them" and said, "receive the Holy Spirit." If the Holy Spirit is something received, then obviously the power Jesus promises cannot be self-bestowed.  By their sheer effort or force, the disciples cannot bring about the kingdom of God on earth. This was the fatal flaw of the liberal "Social Gospel"…

Luke 24:46-47

He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 9^th & 10^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In broad strokes we might say this:

Acts 1:1-2

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 9^th & 10^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Luke writes for a very personal audience, and he obviously knows this person he calls "Theophilus," though we know nothing more about him for certain. Scholars believe, based on the way Luke addresses Theophilus, that he had some social standing in his own community.

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

From Background Notes [BN] for March 9^th & 10^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Resurrection life is not just life after death, but that kind of life that begins the very moment a person places trust in Jesus. It is embodied life with concreteness and wholeness.

Exodus 34:6-7

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 9^th & 10^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Yahweh, the LORD, maintains love, abounds in love, and loves with compassion, grace, and faithfulness. Deep inside God’s ḥesed is commitment, a love that will not let go.

Matthew 27:51

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.

From Background Notes [BN] for March 2nd & 3rd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The curtain signaled distance and separation, and under the previous arrangement only one man (the High Priest) would dare pass the curtain into the holiest room of the temple. Jesus (the Great High Priest) did more than did that one man, though he himself was but one man. He was the only man to make that passage into God’s presence, while forever rending the curtain, allowing for permanent and regular access to the presence of God.