biblica inc

When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on them. Then the...

[Stephen, in his defense before the Sanhedrin:] "You stubborn people! You are heathens at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!" —Acts 7:51 NLT Key Thought Stephen was empowered by the Holy Spirit and spoke with...

None of [the people arguing with Stephen] could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. —Acts 6:10 NLT Key Thought Stephen had been selected as one of the seven special servants of the church in Jerusalem to help make sure the widows were given the proper care. He...

[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:] "Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty." ... And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose...

[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:] "And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility." —Acts 6:3 NLT Key Thought Almost every religion defines spirituality a...

[Peter and the apostles before the Sanhedrin:] "The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be...

And Peter said [to Sapphira, concerning Ananias and her], "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too." —Acts 5:9 NLT Key Thought There is no...

Peter said, "Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field?" —Acts 5:3 MESSAGE Key Thought This verse comes from the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). They sold their land and gave some of the proceeds to the apostles...

After [the disciples'] prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. —Acts 4:31 NLT Key Thought I am touched by several things in the prayer of these early followers of Jesus when they were threatened (Acts...

[Disciples praying to the LORD after Peter and John were released from jail:] "You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?'" —Acts 4:25 NIV Key Thought The disciples proclaimed that what was happening...

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!" —Acts 4:8 NIV Key Thought Not only did Jesus pour out the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-33), but the Spirit continued to inspire Peter and others to speak the message of God's grace and...

And Peter said to [the crowd on Pentecost], "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the...

[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting God's promise from Joel 2:] "In [the last] days, I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants — men and women alike — and they will prophesy." —Acts 2:18 NLT Key Thought Luke emphasizes in Acts that the coming of the Holy Spirit wasn't to just a select few...

[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting from Joel 2:] "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." —Acts 2:17 NIV Key Thought So much handwringing goes on to determine when...

[Not long after Jesus' ascension,] Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, "Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who...

Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ... —Luke 10:21 NLT Key Thought All too frequently, we pursue the wrong things hoping that they will make us happy. Real joy, however, comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we look at the life of Jesus and at the lives...

[Jesus, in the synagogue, reading from Isaiah:] "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD's...

When you send your Spirit, [all creatures] are created, and you renew the face of the ground. —Psalm 104:30 NIV Key Thought Psalm 104 praises God as creator and sustainer of the earth. One of the dimensions of his providential care has to do with the work of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit...

Then Jesus came to [the eleven disciples] and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded...

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "He is the son of David." Jesus responded, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah 'my Lord'? For David said, 'The...