Acts

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;" Matt. 28;19-20

Acts is a history book of that direction given by Jesus - many times referred to as "The Great Commission." Acts records where the apostles go, do and see to begin the church. Luke, the disciple and a physician by trade, is the writer. He is writing to Theophilus. Who is Theophilus? No one knows. Most likely he was a Roman official of some sort that Luke was either teaching or trying to convert. Acts is chronological.

One thing I learned in Acts 1 is that someone named Matthias was chosen by God to take the place of Judas as the 12th disciple. Hmm, no idea. Wow.

The most important message in this chapter is the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had shown Himself to the apostles many times over the 40 days since His Resurrection and at this one, He told them not to leave Jerusalem yet, but to wait for what the Father had promised: The Holy Spirit. "...but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." v. 5 "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." v.8 This, I'm sure, was very reassuring to the disciples because they were missing Jesus and were looking forward to the Spirit coming to lead, guide and empower them.