However, out of his love and desire to see his Jewish countrymen saved, he repeatedly sought out the synagogues in almost every city he visited. He habitually approached the Jews before attempting to reach the Gentiles; in fact, it was often the Jewish rejection of his message that drove him to the Gentiles. As it turned out, the Jews were the source of Paul’s greatest persecution and trouble. They stirred up the populace and created animosity between the apostle and the Gentile leaders. Their divisive schemes were behind most of the riots, arrests, beatings, and trials Paul faced. An important note: God cares deeply for the Jews. This is why James, Peter, and John were sent to them: “James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church…encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews” (Galatians 2:9 NLT).

The message revealed to me during my previous fast was abundantly clear: “Son, stay within the sphere of grace that I’ve called you to walk in. Don’t allow your natural affections or love to pull you away from the divine assignment on your life.” Remembering this encounter with such clarity, it was surprising that God asked me to read through Acts again. After all, there were sixty-five other books to choose from!

I’m so glad I obeyed, for this time as I journeyed through Acts, something completely different stood out to me (demonstrating that the Word of God is truly alive). This time, what jumped off the pages was how much the leaders and members of the early Church looked to, interacted with, depended on, and spoke of the Holy Spirit. He was a vital part of their lives and involved in everything they did. He was preeminent in their ministry outreaches, team gatherings, and strategy meetings, and He was always involved in their activities. Here’s a sampling of the statements that stood out:

• “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3)

• “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” (Acts 5:9)

• “We are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 5:32)

• “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

• “The Spirit told me to go with them.” (Acts 11:12)

• “One of them…showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine…” (Acts 11:28)

• “Being sent out by the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 13:4)

• “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us...” (Acts 15:28)

• “They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.” (Acts 16:6)

• “They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” (Acts 16:7)

• “Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified…” (Acts 18:5)

• “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2)

• “Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia.” (Acts 19:21 NLT)