There are a lot of important, perhaps most important, chapters in the Bible, but I would suggest that the 2nd chapter of Acts is pivotal. The Old Testament teaches over and over (note Joel 2, Isaiah 2, and Daniel 2 among other places) that there is a Kingdom coming that will never end; a Kingdom greater than all others, brought by a Messiah. In the first chapter of Mark, the first quote of Jesus is, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
And while Jesus did fulfill, He did not build His church during His lifetime. He simply laid the groundwork for the Apostles to go forth after He left the earth. He told them to wait in Jerusalem and he would send the Holy Spirit to them with power.
And in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit comes with power on the Apostles. They receive it as tongues of fire on them, and they begin speaking in tongues (languages). It is at this point that the whole Bible changes gears, starts a new direction. Right here in this chapter we see people being baptized, becoming Christians, comprising a church--the Jerusalem church. They meet together, eat together, worship together, and soon will be going into all the world to spread the good news. The rest of the book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles, follows this progression.
From these examples of conversion and service to God, we can learn and do likewise. The book of Acts is very educational and inspirational. It motivates us and it gives us a clear pattern to follow. Thanks for reading! See you next week.
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