1:1a Luke, the physician who accompanied Paul and was his amanuensis (secretary), is the author of The Book of Acts and The Gospel of Luke!

 “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach…”

1:2 JESUS ascended into Heaven and gave commands to the remaining eleven Apostles!

“until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

1:3 JESUS was seen alive by eyewitnesses after HIS death on the cross!

“He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

Cf. 1^st Corinthians 15: 3-6

(3) “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

(5) and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (6) Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

1:4-5 Being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” and “being filled with the Holy Spirit” are synonyms!

(4) “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; (5) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

1:6-7 We do not know (and indeed cannot know) when the LORD will return to set up HIS Kingdom!

(6) “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (7) He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

1:8 We exist to carry out the Great Commission!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1:9 – 11 JESUS is coming again!

(9) “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (10) And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, (11) and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Chapter 2 The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and empowers GOD’s people to accomplish HIS will and work!

Chapters 3 – 28 “GOD allows what HE hates to accomplish what HE loves!” © Joni Eareckson Tada

Chapters 6 – 8 (and all of the rest of the New Testament) Deacons are a blessing to GOD’s Kingdom work!

Chapter 9 No one, NO ONE, is beyond GOD’s ability to save!

Chapters 10 – 28 GOD is also the Savior of Gentiles, and we are grafted with the Jews into HIS Body, the Church!

Chapters 12 – 28 In GOD’s Kingdom work, suffering is often the price of serving!

Chapters 13 – 28 The biblical way to win the world is to plant Bible-believing, Bible-preaching, reproducing Churches!

Chapters 21 – 28 Godless people and their godless politicians will always “team up” against GOD, HIS people, and HIS Kingdom work!

23:11 GOD is always working through providence in the lives of HIS people, and HIS will will be done in the world!

“The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Amen!