"*** ACTS 01 ***" 
"Introduction by the author Luke   1In my first book Theophilus , I wrote of all that Jesus did , until the day he was taken up into heaven after giving instructions to the apostles he had chosen . Jesus tells his apostles to wait  for the baptism of the Holy Spirit   2After his death he showed himself to these men over a period of forty days and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive . 3While eating with them in Jerusalem he said , Do not leave Jerusalem but remain and"
"await the gift my Father has promised. John baptised with water but in a few days you will bebaptised with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit to give the apostles power    They said to him , Lord are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?    5Jesus answered , It is not for you to know the times the Father has set. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comesupon you and will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus taken up from the Mount of Olives    After Jesus said this he was taken up from the Mount of Olives a"
"short distance from Jerusalem before their very eyes , and a cloud hid him from sight . The Mount of Olives from which Jesus was taken up into heaven and to where he will return at his second coming (Zechariah 5:18). Jerusalem is in the foreground. Jesus to one day return again  the same way he went   7The apostles were still gazing intently into the sky when two angels dressed in white suddenly stood beside them . 8They said , Men of Galilee why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will returnagain in the same way in which you"
"have seen him go.   The apostles and believers wait  and pray in Jerusalem   9Then the apostles went back into Jerusalem , to the upper room where they were staying .   10They were Peter , James , John , Andrew , Philip , Thomas , Matthew , Nathanael , James (son of Alphaeus) , Simon and Thaddeus . They devoted themselves to prayer together with the women , including Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers .  A new apostle to be chosen  to replace Judas   12In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (a group numbering about 120) and said, Brethren , the scripture had to be"
"fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago throughthe mouth of David in the book of Psalms concerning Judas saying , May another take his place of leadership. He was one of our number but he betrayed Jesus .    (Now the money Judas got for his wickedness was used to buy the field where hefell headlong and his body burst open and his intestines spilled out .  It is now called the Field of Blood .)   14Therefore it is necessary to choose another , who has been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was among us , to be a witness with us of his resurrection . Matthias chosen by prayer"
"and lot   15So they put forward the names of two men , Joseph and Matthias then they prayed saying , O Lord you who know the hearts of all men , show us which of t hese two you have chosen to take over the apostleship which Judasturned aside from to go where he belongs .    Then they cast lots and the lot fell to Matthias , so he was added to the eleven apostles."  
"*** ACTS 02 ***" 
"The Holy Spirit comes  on the day of Pentecost   1When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place when suddenly there came a sound like the rush of a strong wind and it filled the whole"
"house where theywere sitting. And there appeared what looked to them like tongues of fire that separated to rest on each of them . And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them . Jews from other nations hear the  apostles speak their own languages   3Now staying in Jerusalem were devout Jews from every nation under heaven , and at the sound a large crowd gathered . But the Jews were bewildered for each one heard these men speaking in his own language .   4They"
"said to one another in amazement , Are not all these men who speak Galileans? How is it then that each one of us hears themin his own native language , Parthians , Medes , Mesopotamians , Asians , Egyptians , Libyans , Romans , Cretans and Arabians?  Both Jews and converts to Judaism , we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongue . What does this mean?   Some think the apostles are drunk   6However some mocked saying , These men have had too much new wine . Peter addresses the crowd   7Then Peter , standing with the other eleven apostles addressed the crowd saying ,"
"Fellow Jews , hear what I have to say . These men are not drunk as it is only the third hour . 8No, this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days that I will pour out my Spirit upon allmankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions. Peter testifies of Jesus    Men of Israel , Jesus of Nazareth was a man sent from God to you , and proved himself by the miracles which God did through him as you yourselves know . Yet he was handed over to you and with God s foreknowledge and"
"the help of lawless men , you put him to death by nailing him to a cross .   10But God has raised him from the dead and we are his witnesses . He is exalted at the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out upon us what you now see and hear . The crowd ask the apostles  what they should do   11When the crowd heard this they were cut to the heart . Then they said to Peter and the other apostles , Brethren what shall we do?  Peter replies, «Repent and be baptised   12Peter replied , Repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ ,"
"every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit .   13The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off , all whom the Lord our God will call .   14And with many other words Peter warned them and pleaded with them saying , Save yourselves from this corrupt generation .  Jews baptised that day   15Those who accepted the message were baptised and about 3000 were added to the church that day .   16They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and"
"to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and prayer . Many miracles done by the apostles   17Many miracles were done by the apostles and everyone was filled with awe . All the believers are one and  share everything in common   18All the believers were one , and shared everything in common , selling their possessions and giving to one another as eachhad need .    Every day they continued to meet together in the Temple courtyards . And they broke bread together in their homes , eating with glad and sincere hearts , praising God and enjoying the favour of the people . 20And the Lord added to"
"their number daily."  
"*** ACTS 03 ***" 
"Peter heals a man crippled from birth   1Now when Peter and John were going up to the Temple at the ninth hour , the time of prayer , a man crippled from birth was being carried to the Temple gate called Beautiful .   2He sat there every day to beg and seeing Peter and John he asked them for money . They looked intently at the man and then Peter said to him , Look at us .   3The man did so , expecting to receive some- thing but Peter said , Silver or gold I have not, but what I do have I give you. In thename of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.    And"
"taking him by the right hand he helped him up . Immediately the man s feet and ankles became strong and he leapt to his feet and began to walk . Then he went with them into the Temple courtyard , walking and leaping and praising God . The people come running to see the healed man   5All the people saw him and recognised him as the cripple who every day sat begging at theTemple gate . They were astonished at the miracle .  As the beggar clung to Peter and John in Solomon s Porch all the people came running toward them . Peter accuses the Jews of killing Jesus   7Peter said to the people , Men"
"of Israel , why  do you stare at us , as if by our own power or godliness we made this man walk?    8The God of our fathers glorified his son Jesus , yet you handed him over to be killed , and disowned him before Pilate , though he desired to free him .   9You disowned the Holy One and preferred that a murderer be released to you . You killed the giver of Eternal Life . 10But God has raised him from the dead and we are witnesses of this. The cripple healed by faith in Jesus   11And this man , whom you see and know has been"
"completely healed by faith in thename of Jesus .    Now brethren I know that you acted in ignorance as did your leaders , for this was how God fulfilled what the prophets foretold , that his Christ would suffer . Repent and turn to God   13Repent then , and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out , for a day of renewal is coming from God as promised long ago through his holy prophets .   14He will again send the Christ , even Jesus who must remain in heaven until that day when God will restore all things . Jesus is the prophet foretold by Moses   15For Moses said to our fathers ,"
"Jehovah your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You mustheed everything he tells you.  Anyone who does not heed him, I myself will hold accountable.   Indeed all the prophets from Samuel onward have foretold these days."  
"*** ACTS 04 ***" 
"Peter and John arrested   1Then the priests and Sadducees came with the captain of the Temple guard . They were greatly annoyed that Peter and John were proclaiming to the people that Jesus had beenresurrected from the dead .    They arrested Peter and John and imprisoned them . But many who had heard them believed and"
"the number of men who were now believers grew to about 5000 . Peter and John brought before the Sanhedrin   3The next day the Sanhedrin met and Peter and John were brought before them . They said to the apostles , By what power or name was this man healed?  Peter full of the Holy Sp irit testifies of Jesus   4Peter , filled with the Holy Spirit said to them , Rulers and elders of the people , it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom youcrucified , but whom God raised from the dead ,                                                                   that this cripple was healed"
".   5This Jesus is The stone you builders rejected which has become the capstone.  6Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name given by which we can be saved . The Sanhedrin are astonished at the  boldness of Peter and John   7When the chief priests and elders heard the boldness of Peter and John , and knowing they were uneducated ordinary men , they were astonished . But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there , there was nothing they could say .   8They ordered Peter and John to withdraw from the room then they counselled togethersaying ,"
"What are we to do with these men? All Jerusalem know they have done a great miracle . We cannot deny it .  But to stop this thing from spreading further we must order these men to speak no longer in this name . Apostles forbidden to speak  any more in name of Jesus   10So they called Peter and John back in again and ordered them not to speak or teach anymore in the name of Jesus .    But they replied , Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God s eyes to obey you rather than God . We must speak of what we have seen and heard . Peter and John released   12However after further threats"
"they let them go for they could find no way to punish them . All the people were praising God because of what had happened . 13The man who had been healed was over forty years of age . The believers pray and the building shakes  and they are all filled with the Spirit   14After they were released , Peter and John returned to the believers and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them .   15When the believers heard , they raised their voices to God and prayed , O Lord Almighty , hear their threats yet continue to allow yourservants to speak your word with boldness ."
"Stretch out your hand to perform miracles through the name of your holy son Jesus .    After they had prayed , the building in which they were gathered was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the wordof God boldly . The apostles continue to  testify powerfully of Jesus    With great power and graciousness the apostles continued to testify of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus."