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Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
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until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
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After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
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On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
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For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
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Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
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He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
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But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
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They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
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“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
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They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
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In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
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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 arrested Jesus.
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He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
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(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
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Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
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“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’
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Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us,
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beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
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The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
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All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
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Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
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When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
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Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?
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Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
