It’s time to start a new church year. Our class has just wrapped up a study of The Acts of the Apostles. It’s my favorite book in the Bible! (Inside joke: Every time we start studying a new book I say it’s my favorite.)

The study of Acts has given me a renewed awe regarding the power of the Holy Spirit to impact our world. The writers of our SS literature do a very good job of putting together lessons that build on each other each week. From Acts we learned that there are some things that only God can do through His power. But we also saw Him at work in individuals – Paul, Peter, Stephen, Philip – using their unique personalities in the work of Kingdom growth. We also studied different cities/towns where churches were planted and we saw that many of the challenges we face today are the same as they faced in the first century.

As I read through the first chapter of Acts last week (one more time before we closed out the study), I could just see the apostles and other Christ-followers trudging up the stairs to the place where they had been staying. After Jesus’ ascension, don’t you know they were confused, frustrated, concerned, downcast? As they sat in that upper room I can imagine that Bartholomew was asking himself, “Why did I run away that night in the garden? What’s going to happen to me now? What did He mean, ‘…the gift the Father promised?’” And wouldn’t Peter have been beating himself up over the fact that he had verbally, and very publicly, denied even knowing Jesus? Not once, but three times? The silence in that room must have been deafening.

But then, maybe in a back corner, Matthew stood up and started praying. He sat down and after a time, Philip stood up to pray. Slowly their moods began to lighten as they turned their focus to the Father and stopped thinking about their shortcomings. Maybe in painful honesty Peter admitted his sin and others began to do the same. And then there was more of peace than of a pall.

And then they heard it…the sound as of a mighty rushing wind. And it was inside, not outside; but nothing stirred. As they held their collective breaths the appearance of the fire flaming over each of them is a sight I hope to see on God’s heavenly TiVo some day.

These same people who trudged up those stairs in despondency would now trek down those same stairs in determination. The change was not of their making; it could only have been the power of the Spirit. And that power would change the world. Today I can give thanks that those 120 men and women waited in obedience for God to indwell them, then moved in obedience to the Spirit’s leading. The church was born that day and nothing can ever destroy it. How fortunate we are that they obeyed. It’s time for us to do the same. My prayer is for a fresh indwelling and working of the Spirit in my life. And may I be faithful in obedience to His leading.