Today’s selected reading continues in the New Testament book of Acts which is the narrative written concerning the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ—the Church—as it was written and recorded by the beloved physician Luke. More specifically, today’s passage is found in chapters four through six of this New Testament book. “Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the Temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the Temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the Temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: and they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the Temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him” (Acts 3:1-10).

            THE MIRACLES CONTINUE! THE WORK CONTINUES! THE WORK MUST GO ON! THE FIRST MIRACLE AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF JESUS! THE FIRST MIRACLE AFTER THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! [MIRACLES CONTINUE TO PROVOKE THE RELIGIOUS! MIRACLES CONTINUE TO PROVOKE AND CONFRONT MEN AND WOMEN IN THEIR SIN AND THEIR HYPOCRISY] WE THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAVE ENDED WITH JESUS! WE THOUGHT THIS ENDED WITH THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JESUS THE CHRIST! HOW IS THIS CONTINUING EVEN AFTER JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AMONG US IN OUR MIDST? WHAT IS TAKING PLACE AMONG US IN OUR MIDST?

            “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the LORD always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me fully of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on this throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof all we are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith Himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:22-36).

            “And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? OR why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up not you of your brethren, like unto tme; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of your from his iniquities” (Acts 3:11-26).

            WE THOUGHT THE MIRACLES WOULD STOP! WE THOUGHT THE MESSAGE WOULD STOP! WE THOUGHT THE MINISTRY WOULD STOP! WHY ARE THE MIRACLES STILL CONTINUING? [THE SPIRIT MUST COME, THE WORK MUST CONTINUE]! As I sit here today thinking about and considering the words and language that is found within these chapters I can’t help but be brought face to face with the awesome and powerful truth concerning the language that is contained within them. Upon reading the words which are found in the second chapter of this New Testament book you will find the Spirit being poured out and released just as the Lord Jesus promised would happen. The opening verses of the second chapter of this New Testament book is a powerful picture concerning the release and outpouring of the Holy Spirit within and upon the earth within the city of Jerusalem and in the upper room where the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ were in one accord with praying, with interceding and with fasting. It would be upon those one-hundred and twenty which were present in the upper room the person, the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit would come and be manifested in the midst of the earth, and it would be there in the city of Jerusalem the Spirit would first be poured out and released within the earth. What makes this so incredibly powerful is when you think about and consider the awesome and powerful truth that when the Spirit came it was a powerful fulfillment of that which the Lord Jesus had proclaimed and promised would indeed and would in fact take place. Before He departed from this world and before He would suffer, be crucified and be buried in the earth Jesus would declare unto the disciples that He would come unto them, and that He would send them another Comforter who would teach and remind them of all the words which He had spoken. Before Jesus began to suffer during the week of His passion He would emphatically declare and proclaim unto the disciples that He would indeed send the person and presence of the Holy Spirit into the earth that although He would depart from among them and would return unto His Father in heaven they would have a manifestation of His presence in the midst of the earth.

            I continue to find it absolutely remarkable and astounding that although Jesus would depart from this world and would return unto the Father which was in heaven He would engage in two distinct acts of sending—the first would take place while He was still within and upon the earth, and the second would take place after He returned unto His Father which was in heaven. It would be at least two times while He walked upon the earth Jesus would send forth His disciples into the harvest—the first would be when He called and appointed them to preach the gospel concerning the kingdom, to heal the sick, the cleanse the lepers, to raise the dead, and to minister to the poor. The second sending which Jesus would engage would come after He had been raised from death to life on the third day and just prior to His departure from this earth and return unto the Father. All three of the synoptic gospel authors point to and reveal to this second “sending” and “commission” Jesus gave to the disciples. What we must understand and recognize, however, is that this was indeed the second commission and the second sending which would take place while Jesus was still present in the midst of the earth, and before Jesus would depart from among them and return unto the Father. Jesus would initially send the twelve apostles when He ordained, called and chose them, and He would send them out and commission them again in the same place He ordained and appointed them the first time. This would interestingly enough be done in the same place in which Jesus had previously ordained and appointed them in the midst of the earth to step into and fulfill that for which He had called and ordained them apostles within the earth. It is absolutely necessary and imperative that we recognize and understand this truth, for it has the dramatic and powerful ability to radically alter, shape and transform how we view our calling our being chosen by the Lord Jesus the Christ. We must needs recognize and understand that while Jesus was still present within and upon the earth He would indeed send forth His disciples into the harvest—not once, but twice. There would be an initial sending that would take place while He was still present with and among them upon the earth, and there would be a second sending that would take place before He departed from among them and returned unto His Father which was in heaven. The fundamental difference between these two acts of sending is that the first would take place while Jesus was still present among them in the earth, while the second sending would take place after Jesus departed from the earth—one that would and could only take place after the Holy Spirit had been released within and upon the earth.

            If there is one thing we must needs understand recognize when reading the words which are found in the gospels—as well as the book of Acts—it’s that this second act of sending would indeed be directly linked to their waiting and tarrying in the city of Jerusalem. This waiting and tarrying would intrinsically be linked and connected to the release of the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, and although they had been commissioned by the Lord Jesus the Christ as His witnesses within the earth—they were to tarry and wait in the city of Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on High. We dare not, we cannot and must not miss and lose sight of this, for it would be this reality of being witnesses in the midst of the earth that would not only be manifested in the midst of the void that was present in the earth, but it would also be manifested after the release of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost upon the one hundred and twenty in the Upper Room. One of the greatest truths surrounding the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ—and not only the disciples who would later be apostles, but also the early Church—is that there would be an initial sending out that would take place while Jesus still walked upon the earth as the Word made flesh, and there would be a second sending that would take place as Jesus was prepared to depart from this earth and return unto the Father who was in heaven. There was a sending that would take place side by side with the Word made flesh which dwelt among us, however, there would be a second sending that would take place as the Word which was made flesh would depart from this world and would return unto the Father who was in heaven. Oh how absolutely remarkable and powerful this truly is when you think about it, for what we find in the New Testament book of Acts is a truly powerful manifestation of this second sending—one which would take place as a direct result of Jesus departing from the earth.

            I continue to be absolutely and powerfully captivated with and by the awesome reality of this second sending of the disciples and apostles and this manifestation of them as witnesses in the midst of the earth is a powerful statement and testimony of their being sent into the midst of the void that was left when Jesus as the Word made flesh which dwelt among us and as Emmanuel God with us departed from the earth and returned unto His Father who was in heaven. The more we think about and consider the absolutely awesome and powerful truth that surrounds this sending of the disciples—and not only the disciples, but also the early Church—we must needs come face to face with the fact that Jesus didn’t send the Spirit alone into the earth that He might fill the void that was left with and from the departure of the Lord Jesus unto His Father who was in heaven. We would like to think that the Spirit was released into the earth that He might be the manifestation of the person, the presence and the power of the Lord Jesus the Christ, and yet the truth of the matter is that this simply is not the case. Jesus did not send the Holy Spirit into the midst of the earth so the Spirit could be the manifestation of Jesus the Christ among men. Would it shock and surprise you to think about and consider the fact that it is you and I—it is we as the collective and corporate body of Jesus the Christ—that have been called to be the manifestation of Jesus Christ in the earth. Oh it is true the Spirit of the Lord Jesus the Christ was sent within and upon the earth, however, the Spirit was sent into the earth as the manifestation of the life of Jesus the Christ within and among us as the disciples and followers of Jesus the Christ. Isn’t it interesting that the Holy Ghost is called “the Spirit” while we as the Church are called “the body.” We must not miss out on this analogy and illustration for Jesus sent the Holy Ghost to be the Spirit within us—the Spirit within the body of Christ that is found in the midst of the earth. When Jesus the Christ sent the person and presence of the Holy Ghost into and upon the earth He sent Him to be the Spirit within as the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ. Just as the Spirit was in the physical body and person of Jesus the Christ, so also the Holy Ghost is the Spirit that is within the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus the Christ.

            I sit here today thinking about this awesome and powerful analogy of the body of Christ and the Spirit of God and of His Christ, and I can’t help but think about the fact that what the Lord did from the right hand of the Father was establish and create a spiritual body within and upon the earth, and it was within that spiritual body that the Spirit of Jesus the Christ would be present within us. Just as Jesus the Christ was present in the flesh with the disciples, so would the Spirit of Christ be present within the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ, which is the Church of Jesus the Christ. We dare not and must not miss and lose sight of this truly powerful reality and truth for we must needs recognize that we have been called to be the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus the Christ within and upon the earth, and it was the Spirit which Jesus the Christ sent from the right hand of the Father that would dwell within and abide with us as the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus the Christ. If there was to be a spiritual body of the Lord Jesus the Christ, then the spiritual body would need a living, breathing, abiding, active and presence of the Spirit of Christ. No longer would the disciples, and no longer would the disciples and followers of Jesus the Christ have the Word made flesh which dwelt among us present with them in the midst of the earth, but they would now have the person and presence of the Holy Spirit present within them as the manifestation of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ within them. It would be a spiritual body which would be created on the day of Pentecost, and it would be into and within that spiritual body a living presence and person of the Holy Spirit would be manifested within us. It is with this in mind I invite you to consider the words which are found in the twelfth chapter of the first New Testament epistle which was written unto the Corinthian saints:

            “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will” (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

            “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: and those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: and those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempred the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

            I am sitting here right now thinking about and considering the awesome and powerful truth that Jesus from the right hand of the Father did not send the Spirit into the earth that the Spirit might be the manifestation of the life and person of Jesus the Christ within and upon the earth. We dare not and must not miss this truly necessary and powerful point, for we must needs realize and recognize that you and I have been called to be the manifestation of the life and person of Jesus the Christ in the midst of the earth. It is us and it is we who are the Church which have been and are still called the body of Christ, which thus indicates and means that we have been called to be the manifestation of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus the Christ in the midst of the earth. The physical person of the Lord Jesus the Christ is no longer in the earth as the Word which was made flesh and dwelt among us, and Emmanuel which translated means “God with us” has departed from the earth and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Even with this being said it is absolutely necessary and imperative that we recognize and understand that it is the body of Christ which has been called to the manifestation and expression of the Lord Jesus the Christ in the midst of the earth, and it is the Spirit that that has been called to give life to the body. The Church is the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ in the midst of the earth, and it is the Spirit that gives life to the body, and it is the Spirit that helps the spiritual body be the true and ultimate expression and manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of the earth. It is absolutely necessary that we recognize and understand that when Jesus departed from this earth as the Word which was made flesh He would not leave the world without a witness of His person and presence as He would leave in the earth a spiritual body that would have as the very source and foundation the Spirit of Christ—not only dwelling and abiding within them, but also partnering together with them. How would John Mark be able to declare the Lord worked with the disciples and apostles of Jesus the Christ in the days after the ascension of Jesus unto the right hand of the Father if it wasn’t for the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

            THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST WITHIN THE EARTH! THE FIRST MANIFESTATION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE EARTH! IT WAS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST THE SPIRIT WAS RELEASED WITHIN AND UPON THE EARTH THAT IT MIGHT NOT ONLY CREATE, BUT ALSO FILL AND ABIDE WITHIN THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF CHRIST WHICH HAS MANY MEMBERS WHICH MAKE IT UP! IT IS IN THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF ACTS WE FIND THE POWERFUL RELEASE OF THE SPIRIT TO NOT ONLY GIVE BIRTH TO THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST, BUT ALSO TO DWELL AND ABIDE WITHIN THAT SPIRITUAL BODY! IT WOULD BE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST WHERE THE SPIRITUAL BODY WOULD NOT ONLY EXPERIENCE BIRTH AND LIFE WITHIN IT BY THE SPIRIT RELEASED WITHIN IT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST WHEN THE SPIRIT WOULD CAUSE THAT BODY TO GROW AS THREE THOUSAND WOULD BE ADDED! IN THE SECOND CHAPTER WE FIND THE BIRTH AND INITIAL GROWTH OF THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! IT IS IN THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF ACTS WE FIND THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST EXPERIENCING THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MANIFESTING THE LIFE OF JESUS WITHIN AND UPON IT! IT WOULD BE IN THE THIRD CHAPTER WHERE WE BEGIN TO SEE THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF JESUS THE CHRIST MANIFESTING THE MINISTRY AND WORK OF CHRIST IN THE EARTH! ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST THE SPIRITUAL BODY IS BORN WHILE IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER WE BEGIN TO SEE THE CHURCH AS THE EXPRESSION AND MANIFESTATION OF JESUS THE CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH! IT WOULD BE JESUS THE CHRIST FROM THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER THAT WOULD SEND THE SPIRIT—NOT ONLY TO GIVE BIRTH TO A SPIRITUAL BODY WITHIN THE EARTH MUCH LIKE THE SPIRIT WOULD CONCEIVE THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST WITHIN THE WOMB OF MARY, BUT ALSO TO DWELL AND ABIDE WITHIN THAT BODY! MUCH LIKE THE SPIRIT WOULD CONCEIVE THE LIFE OF CHRIST WITHIN THE WOMB OF MARY, SO ALSO WOULD THE SPIRIT CONCEIVE THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF JESUS THE CHRIST WITHIN THE WOMB OF THE UPPER ROOM! IT WOULD BE THE SPIRIT THAT WOULD ALLOW THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF CHRIST TO BE CONCEIVED ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, AND IT WOULD BE THE SPIRIT WHICH WOULD ALSO ALLOW THAT BODY TO BE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE PERSON AND LIFE OF JESUS THE CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH.

            As I sit here today thinking about and considering the words which are found in these chapters I can’t help but see tremendous truth that is found and contained within them. If you take the time to read the second chapter of the book of Acts you will find the manifestation and release of the Spirit within and upon the earth. It is in the second chapter you find the fulfillment of that which Jesus promised unto His disciples while still upon the earth, for in the opening verses of the second chapter we find Jesus sending the promise of the Father just as He said He would. Please don’t miss and lose sight of this awesome and powerful truth, for it is truly something worth thinking about and considering as not only do we see Jesus sending the promise of the Father from the right hand of the Father, but we also find Him keeping His word and promise. What makes the words of the second chapter even more captivating is when you think about the awesome and powerful truth that what took place on the day of Pentecost not only fulfilled that which the prophet Joel prophesied and had spoken centuries and generations earlier, but it also demonstrated the powerful and beautiful reality that Jesus would and did in fact keep His word and His promise. Oh I can’t help but wonder what it was like in heaven between the eternal Father, between the only begotten Son, and between the Holy Ghost as the Father declared and decreed that the time had come for the promise to be released within and upon the earth. Within the narrative written by the apostle John we find Jesus declaring how He must needs and would depart from this world unto His Father in heaven, and how after and once He departed He would send the promise of the Father unto the disciples. I can’t help but wonder what it was like in heaven when the only begotten Son who had not only suffered, and who had not only died, and who had not only been buried, but had also been raised from death to life and ascended unto the right hand of the Father sent the person and the presence of the Holy Spirit. In all reality there are truly two divine acts of sending which would take place in heaven. I previously wrote how there were two acts of sending which is presented before and unto us in the four gospel narratives written concerning the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ, and with that being said I am absolutely convinced that there are two acts of sending which are found within heaven.

            The more I read and the more I study Scripture the more I am brought face to face with the fact that in all reality there were three acts of sending which took place in heaven. I am sitting here right now thinking about two acts of sending which would occur in heaven, and yet I see a third act of sending presented and found in Scripture as well. The initial act of sending which would take place within and from heaven would be the sending of the only begotten Son into the earth as Emmanuel God with us and the Word made flesh which dwelt with us. The first act of sending within and from heaven is the act of sending the only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life—those who believed in Him and He would give power to become sons of the living God. The second act of sending which would take place within heaven would be after Jesus departed from this earth and returned unto the right hand of His Father which was in heaven. It is this sending which is written and recorded in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the gospel narrative written by the apostle John as Jesus would speak and declare that He would send the promise of the Father unto the disciples. It would be in these chapters we encounter and come face to face with the awesome and powerful truth that Jesus would from the right hand of the Father send the person of the Holy Spirit within and upon the earth, and would do so just as He said and promised He would do. Within the first five books of the New Testament we find two distinct and two divine acts of sending from heaven—the sending of the Word which would be made flesh and dwell among us, and the second would be the sending of the person and presence of the Holy Spirit as the very life and breath within the spiritual body of Jesus within and upon the earth. It would be on the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost would be released—not only to conceive and bring forth in the womb of the upper room the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ, and not only to cause it to grow exponentially on the very first day of the presence of the Church in the earth, but also to be the very life and breath of God and of His Christ in the midst of it. Just as the LORD breathed into the nostrils of man whom He had formed from the dust of the ground that he might become a living soul, so also would the living God breathe into the spiritual body of Christ that it might become a living being within and upon the earth.

            I wrote how there were indeed three acts of sending which would take place from heaven, and two of those acts have already taken place as the eternal Father has already sent His only begotten Son into the earth, and as Jesus the Christ who has been raised from death to life and has ascended unto the right hand of the Father in heaven has sent the person, the presence, the power and the promise of the Holy Spirit. There have already been two divine acts of sending which have taken place within heaven itself, while there is still one act that has yet to take place. There is a third and final sending which will take place within heaven—a sending that is not only linked and connected to the departure of Jesus the Christ from the earth when He ascended unto the right hand of the Father, but a sending that is also linked to the sending of the disciples and followers of Jesus the Christ. The third and final sending is the sending of Jesus the Christ once more—not as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world, but as the Lion of the tribe of Judah whose name is written on His thigh, and whose vesture is stained with blood. It is this third and final sending that is intrinsically linked to the ascension and departure of Jesus, for the two men clothed in white who stood beside all those gazing into the heavens as and after Jesus departed and returned unto the Father who was in heaven would declare that He would return and come back in the same manner in which they witnessed and beheld Him depart. What’s more, is that not only is the return of Jesus the Christ linked to the departure and ascension which took place on the mount of Olives in its similarity in nature, but it would also be linked to the sending and commissioning of the disciples and followers of the Lord Jesus the Christ, for it would be as a direct result of the gospel concerning the kingdom being preached unto all nations of the earth that would usher the return and second coming of the Lord Jesus the Christ. It would be this second sending of Christ—this return of the Lord Jesus Christ—that would not only be directly linked to His departure and ascension, but would also be linked to the commission of His disciples to preach the gospel unto all the nations of the earth, and to baptize them in the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Ghost. Oh dear reader there have already been two divine acts of sending which have taken place within and upon the earth, while there is still one sending which has yet to be completed and fulfilled among us in our midst.

            With all of this being said and as you read the New Testament book of Acts you will find that the second chapter of the New Testament book of Acts brings us face to face with the sending of the promise of the Father—and not only the sending of the promise of the Father, but also that which was promised by Jesus Himself when He spoke unto His disciples. It would be in the second chapter of this New Testament book we find and encounter the incredibly awesome and powerful truth of Jesus keeping His promise and keeping His word when He spoke and declared that He would send the person, the presence and the promise of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost Jesus fulfilled and kept the word and promise He had spoken unto the disciples, and it would be on this day when the spiritual body of Jesus within and upon the earth would be formed and created in the upper room of and from the one hundred and twenty, and as the breath of the Holy Ghost would be breathed into this body that it might become a living, breathing, and moving organism and being upon and within the earth. The entire second chapter centers around and upon the formation and creation of this spiritual body of Jesus the Christ within the earth which was called, ordained and appointed to be the manifestation of Christ within the earth. Oh I still continue to believe and hold fast to the awesome and powerful reality that we as the body of Christ have been called to be the manifestation and presentation of Jesus the Christ in the midst of the earth as it is us who have been called to preach the gospel concerning the kingdom of heaven, and it is us who have been called to heal the sick, to cleanse the lepers, to raise the dead, to preach the gospel unto the poor, and to fulfill that which Jesus Himself did within and upon the earth. We dare not, we ought not, and we must not think and believe—even for a single moment—that Jesus sent the Spirit into the earth to be the manifestation of Himself in the earth.

            It is absolutely necessary and imperative that we recognize and understand the truth surrounding the sending and commissioning of the disciples and followers of Jesus the Christ—those who would later become the body of Christ and the Church—as well as the sending of the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, for the two would not only be intrinsically be linked to each other, but the two would indeed need each other. The spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ within and upon the earth cannot be the manifestation and presentation of Jesus the Christ without and apart from the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, for just as the Spirit would not only come upon Jesus at His baptism, but the Spirit would also fill Jesus without measure that He might fulfill and accomplish that which He had been called to complete from the Father within the earth. The spiritual body of Jesus within and upon the earth cannot hope to fulfill, continue and complete the work which the physical person of Jesus the Christ fulfilled and completed while upon the earth without and apart from the person, the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. With this being said it is absolutely necessary that we realize, recognize and understand that just as the body needs the Spirit, so also the Spirit needs the body, for it would be the body which the Spirit would essentially clothe Himself with. Just as the physical body cannot exist without and apart from the spirit within it, so also the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ can’t exist without and apart from the Spirit within it. This reality goes even deeper when you think about and consider that when Jesus sent the person and presence of the Holy Spirit into the earth He sent Him among us that He might clothed Himself with us that the work of Jesus might continue in the earth. Just as Jesus clothed Himself in the form of human flesh, so also would the Holy Spirit clothe Himself with human flesh. What makes this truly unique and distinctive, however, is when you think about the fact that while Jesus clothed Himself in the human flesh and body of one single being which lived and moved upon the earth—the Spirit would clothe Himself with the flesh of countless millions, if not billions of men and women throughout the years. Jesus clothed Himself with the flesh of one single man within and upon the earth, and yet the Spirit would clothe Himself—initially with the one-hundred and twenty which were present in the upper room, and would go on to clothe Himself with the physical flesh of the body of Christ. THE SPIRIT WHO CLOTHES HIMSELF WITH THE PHYSICAL FLESH OF THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF CHRIST! THE SPIRIT, THE PHYSICAL FLESH, AND THE SPIRITUAL BODY!

            We dare not, we cannot and must not miss and lose sight of this truly spectacular truth, for it has the unbelievable and awesome ability to call and draw our attention to the tremendous truth surrounding the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, and how the Spirit came and entered into the earth that He might clothe Himself with the flesh of the spiritual body of Jesus. Jesus would indeed send the promise of the Father and would indeed send the person and presence of the Holy Spirit into the earth that He and the Father might come unto us, and that we might not be orphans and might have another Comforter, but the Spirit would also be sent into, within and upon the earth that He might clothe Himself with the physical flesh of the spiritual body of Christ that the manifestation of Jesus might continue within and upon the earth. It would be through and by the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ the manifestation, the expression, and the demonstration of Jesus the Christ might be manifested within and upon the earth—not only during the days of the early Church, but throughout the years ever since the early Church moved upon the face of the earth. The spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ within and upon the earth would be the manifestation and demonstration of the work which Jesus the Christ began while He walked and moved among us as the Word which become flesh and dwelt among us. Oh how it is absolutely necessary that we recognize and understand that the body of Christ has been called to be the representation and manifestation of Jesus within and upon the earth. Although the Spirit would indeed be sent by the only begotten Son from the right hand of the Father—the Spirit was not sent into the earth to be the manifestation of Jesus within and upon the earth. It would not be the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to carry out and complete the work which Jesus the Christ began to do and to teach while He walked among us publicly for three and a half years. We dare not and must not think and believe—even for a moment—that the Spirit was sent into the earth to somehow fulfill, complete and carry out the work and ministry of the Lord Jesus within and upon the earth. There is a tremendous naivete and deception surrounding this idea and concept, for the Spirit was not sent into the earth to carry out and complete the work which Jesus Himself began while upon the earth, but rather to clothe Himself with the physical flesh of the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ that the body of Christ might complete and carry out the work which He began while upon the earth.

            Upon coming to the third chapter of the New Testament book of Acts you will encounter and come face to face with the first ever demonstration and manifestation of the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ continuing and carrying out the work which Jesus began while He lived and moved among us while He was upon the earth. The opening verses of the third chapter are a powerful demonstration and manifestation of the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ within and upon the earth as Peter and John would go up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer, which was the ninth hour. It would be on this particular day—this day after the Spirit was released by the only begotten Son from the right hand of the Father into the earth—these two apostles of Christ would encounter a man who was lame from his mother’s womb who regularly had been laid at the gate of the Temple which was called Beautiful. This man who was lame from his mother’s womb would daily be laid at this gate of the Temple which was called Beautiful to beg and ask for alms, and it would be on this particular day he would see Peter and John and would ask them for alms. Scripture reveals and records how Peter fastened his eyes upon him with John and instructed, invited and intreated him to look upon them. When Peter saw that this man had heeded his words and looked stedfastly upon them he would declare unto him that silver and gone had they not, but such as they had they gave unto him. Peter together with John would speak directly unto this man, and although this man asked for alms he would receive and experience that which he neither asked for, nor expected. It’s actually worth thinking about and considering how this man would be daily laid at the gate that he might ask for alms, and even on this particular day he would ask alms of Peter and John, and yet that which Peter offered and gave unto him was something he never expected, nor anticipated. When Peter saw that this man looked upon them he would emphatically declare and proclaim unto him that he did not have silver nor gold, but what he did have he would give unto him. The apostle Peter would then declare unto and instruct this man, saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Peter and John did not have silver and they did not have gold, but what they did have and what they did offer unto this man was something far greater and far more valuable than silver and gold. That which Peter and John offered unto this man was strength, was health, and wholeness within his physical body. Peter would declare unto this man, saying, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Peter would then take this man by the right hand, and upon lifting him up he would immediately receive strength in his feet and his ankle bones would receive strength.

            It is absolutely necessary and imperative that we recognize and understand that which is found within this particular chapter as this would be the first demonstration and manifestation of the work which Jesus the Christ Himself wrought within and upon the earth during those three and a half years of public ministry. It would be on this particular day—this day which might very well have been the same day of Pentecost when the Spirit was released and poured out upon all those who were gathered together in the upper room—when the earth would experience the first demonstration and manifestation of the work of Jesus the Christ wrought through and by His spiritual body which was present within and upon the earth. We must needs pay close and careful attention to this, for what you find in the text is not the Spirit coming upon this man and strengthening his feet and ankles—although there is not a doubt in my mind the Spirit sent by the Son from the Father was intimately and uniquely involved in this work wrought by Peter and John. That which we find and that which we read in this passage of Scripture is a powerful demonstration and manifestation of the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ rising up in the midst of the earth and beginning to carry out that for which it had been formed within and upon the earth. What we find in this passage of Scripture is a truly unique and powerful picture of the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus the Christ beginning to walk in that for which it was formed and created within and upon the earth. We must needs pay close and careful attention to this reality, for it is what we find in this chapter that brings us face to face with the absolutely captivating and beautiful reality that the body of Christ which had just been formed within and upon the earth would begin to walk in the purpose, the mission, the role, and the assignment for which it was formed and created within the earth. It would be on this particular day we begin to see, witness and behold the spiritual body of Christ begin to walk in that purpose, that assignment, that mission, and that function it was designed and created for in the midst of the earth. We dare not and must not miss and lose sight of this truth, for the words found in the third chapter bring us face to face with the awesome and powerful truth that the spiritual body of Christ would begin to step into and walk in the divine mission, purpose and assignment for which it was called and formed as the Spirit sent by the Son from the Father would work together with them. There is not a doubt in my mind that the apostles Peter and John would and could not fulfill and accomplish on this particular day that which took place without and apart from the Lord working together with them through the person and presence of the Holy Spirit.

            What I find and read in the third chapter of the New Testament book of Acts is nothing short of a powerful demonstration and manifestation of the Lord Jesus the Christ working together with and through His body by the person and presence of the Holy Spirit. It would be at the third hour the Holy Spirit would be released within and upon the earth upon the one-hundred and twenty which were present in the upper room, and here we are in the ninth hour and we find the newly formed spiritual body of Jesus beginning to walk in the purpose, mission and assignment for which it was created. It would be just six hours later when we witness and behold the first manifestation of the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus the Christ in the midst of the earth. Just six hours earlier we find the promise of the Father—the person and presence of the Holy Spirit—being sent from heaven by Jesus the Christ upon all those which were in the upper room. It is absolutely wonderful and powerful to think and consider how six hours earlier the Spirit was poured out and released upon the one-hundred and twenty which were present in the upper room, and here we are in the ninth hour with Peter and John going up together unto the Temple at the hour of prayer. It would be six hours after the release of the Holy Spirit we find and witness the first miracle being performed by the newly formed spiritual body of Christ. Although we know that it was Peter and John who were involved in this particular experience and encounter we must needs recognize and understand that this was indeed the first manifestation of the spiritual body of Christ within the earth, as this would be the first demonstration of spiritual body of Jesus the Christ working together with the Spirit of Christ which had been sent from heaven.

            In the second chapter of this New Testament book we find and discover the awesome and powerful truth that the first evidence of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was indeed speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, while it is in the third chapter of this book we find and encounter the awesome and powerful reality of a secondary manifestation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of Jesus upon the spiritual body. If in the second chapter the initial evidence was speaking with other tongues then in the third chapter we find an additional evidence of the manifestation of the person of the Spirit in the demonstration of the spiritual body of Christ actually beginning to walk in that for which they were called, ordained and sent. When we read the words found in the third chapter we must needs allow ourselves to come face to face with the fact that what the apostle Peter did with the apostle John as they were going up to the Temple to pray was beginning to walk in that calling and that assignment which the Lord had revealed unto them while He was still present among them. It is absolutely incredible to read the words which are found in the third chapter of this book, for what is found and contained therein is a beautiful presentation of the apostles Peter and John walking in the manifestation of the body of Christ according to the person and presence of the Holy Spirit within them. The words and language we find within this chapter is truly astonishing and captivating, for what we find is the first miracle being performed by what would be known as the early Church. Not only this, but what is presented before and unto us in this chapter is the first miracle performed by the newly formed spiritual body of Christ, as well as the first miracle which would take place after the release of the Holy Spirit. We must needs pay close and careful attention to this truth and reality for it brings us face to face with what the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ should indeed look like in the earth. We know those in the upper room as mentioned in the second chapter began speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, and it is here where we find the spiritual body of Christ actually beginning to step into that for which the Spirit had indeed been sent. It is absolutely necessary that we recognize the person and presence of the Holy Spirit was released and sent into the earth—not so the Spirit could manifest the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ within the earth, but so the spiritual body of Christ might manifest the work of Jesus in the midst of the earth.

            I sit here today thinking about and considering the words and language that is found in the third chapter and how what we have before us is a powerful picture of the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ which was manifested in the physical flesh of the apostles Peter and John working together with the Spirit sent by Jesus from the right hand of the Father which was in heaven. What is presented before us in this chapter is the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ in the physical form and flesh of Peter and John beginning to be manifested in the midst of the earth as not only would the first miracle be performed, but also the first healing would be performed and completed. Just ten days after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the right hand of the Father which was in heaven—not only do we find the release of the Spirit from the right hand of the Father, but also just ten days after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ we find the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ beginning to move, operate and function in the divine purpose, mission and assignment for which it had been conceived and formed. We must needs pay close and careful attention to this, for ten days and six hours makes a powerful difference within the earth as just six hours after the release of the Holy Spirit within and upon the earth we find the first recorded miracle within the life of one who had been lame from his mother’s womb. Just as Jesus had given sight to the man who had been born blind, so would Jesus through the person and presence of the Holy Spirit within the apostles Peter and John give unto this man who had been lame from his mother’s womb strength in his feet and ankles. We dare not and must not miss this truly powerful and awesome truth, for it brings us face to face with the absolutely incredible reality that the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ which was made up of flesh and blood would begin to continue the work which Jesus had performed and carried out within the earth.

            What we must recognize and realize when reading these words is the captivating truth that at the gate called beautiful which was present at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem the first manifestation of the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ would be manifested. Ten days after the ascension of Jesus the Christ unto the right hand of the Father in heaven, six hours after the release of the Spirit by the Son from the right hand of the Father, and at one of the gates of the Temple we find the first manifestation and demonstration of who and what the body of Christ should be. Oh if there is one thing we must needs recognize and understand it’s that we have not simply been called to remain in the upper room speaking in tongues—even as the Spirit Himself gives us utterance. It would be very easy to think and consider that we have been given the Spirit that we might remain in the upper room speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance, and yet that was never what Jesus the Christ presented before and unto the disciples. Nowhere within the four gospels—nor even within the book of Acts—do we find Jesus declaring unto them that they would be His “speakers in other languages” in Jerusalem, in Judaea, in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth. I would dare say that one of the greatest troubles and dangers that faces many churches today is that they have allowed themselves to get stuck within the four walls of the church building, and they have allowed themselves to speak with other tongues—even as the Spirit has given them utterance—and they never move beyond the four walls. That which we read in the third chapter is a beautiful demonstration and manifestation that the Spirit wasn’t released in the earth so the disciples and followers of Jesus the Christ could remain in the upper room speaking in tongues—nor even so they might walk in the streets of Jerusalem, and in the towns and villages of Judaea and Samaria speaking with other tongues. That which it truly and ultimately means to be witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judaea, in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth is found in the demonstration and manifestation of the life, the work and the ministry of the Lord Jesus the Christ in the earth. Oh dear reader please recognize and understand that Jesus did not send the promise of the Father, which is the person of the Holy Spirit from the right hand of all authority and power so you could remain in your own upper room, and so you could remain in your own church building—even speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave you utterance. I fear there are far too many people that are so absolutely stuck, confined within, and bound by the four walls of the church building that they have not every manifested and demonstrated the person, the work, the life and the ministry of Jesus the Christ within the nations.

            During this time of a worldwide pandemic we witnessed and experienced a time when church buildings were shut down, and when churches were forced to conduct services online and virtually. It has been during this time of a global pandemic that countless churches have had to adapt to no longer meeting within the church building and switch to doing things electronically. The underlying danger and tragedy during this time, however, has been how stuck, how confined, and how bound leaders and Christians alike have been to the four walls of the church building. Time and time again you found church leaders crying out in protest and threatening legal action against states and governments for not allowing them to meet in church buildings as they cited their rights being somehow violated. I am absolutely and completely convinced that this is and was an absolutely dangerous mindset and false way of thinking, for we were never meant to be confined, nor were we meant to be bound with the four walls of the Church. What’s more, is that I would dare say that there have been countless Christians who have been crippled by the four walls of the Church building and that they themselves have been those who have been lame and crippled in the earth. I am going to make a bold and powerful statement right here, and that is that it is possible for the four walls of the church building to so cripple you as one who professes to be a Christian because you aren’t actually going out and being the body of Christ. We have allowed ourselves to focus so much on doing church, and we have been so focused on going to church that we have failed to realize and recognize that we have been called to be the body, and that we have been called to be the Church. Heaven help us when there are countless crippled and lazy “Christians” who are confined and bound within the four walls of the Church who are perhaps unwilling to step out into the world and truly demonstrate and manifest the life, the character, the nature, and the work of the Lord Jesus the Christ. That which is found in the third chapter is a powerful picture—and not only a powerful picture, but also a powerful invitation to we who profess to be the body of Christ to step out of the four walls of our churches and step into the world. What we must needs recognize is that the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ was never conceived, nor was it formed to remain within the four walls of the church building.

With all of this being said it’s absolutely necessary to recognize that when the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ—the Church in the earth—actually steps and walks into that for which it was conceived and created to do, it can and will provoke those who are unwilling to accept it to offense, to accusation, to condemnation, to judgment, to opposition, and even to persecution. When the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ moves and operates in that for which it was called and created it can and will anger, upset and offend religion and religious folk within the four walls of the Church. As you continue reading this passage of Scripture and transition into the fourth and fifth chapters of the New Testament you will notice that not only did the activity of the apostles anger, infuriate and offend the religious system and community during those days, but so also did their words—not only their preaching, but also their declaration that it was they who crucified the King of glory only days earlier. You cannot read the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters without encountering and coming face to face with the awesome and powerful truth that when the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ begins to walk in the purpose and calling that was ordained and appointed for it there will be opposition. What’s more, is that it is indeed true that much of this opposition might very well come from the religious system and establishment that is found within many of our church buildings. Upon reading the words which are found within these chapters you will encounter and come face to face with the fact that the religious system and establishment during those days not only could not understand the activity and ministry of the spiritual body of Jesus within the earth, but they also raised up their hands against it. Within the fourth chaper you will find that the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon the apostles Peter and John in the Temple and laid hands on them putting them into the hold until the next day. On the very next day the entire religious system and community came unto them with one very specific and yet one very powerful question—a question which I can’t help but wonder how and why it is absent within many of our Christian circles. The question the apostles were asked was simply—“By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?”

            We must needs recognize and understand that this question is one that the scribes and the Pharisees asked of Jesus when He walked upon the face of the earth—a question regarding the authority He was exercising in the midst of the earth. This was a question they asked Him concerning His cleansing the Temple, and it was a question Jesus was asked concerning how He taught such words and how He performed such great works. Now here we have fifty days later the apostles being asked the same question after a man who was lame from his mother’s womb had received healing at the Temple. The question I can’t help but think about and consider when reading these words is why this question isn’t being asked in many of our churches and within many of our Christian circles. I can’t help but ask myself and wonder where this question is—and not only where this question is, but also where the source and foundation of this question is among us within our midst. Tell me dear brother, tell me dear sister—when was the last time you were asked by what power, and by what name you have laid hands on someone and they have been healed? When was the last time you were asked by what authority you have taught the words you have spoken in the hearing of others? When was the last time you were asked by what power and by what authority you have engaged in healing the diseased and the infirm which are present among you within the earth? I cannot help but get the strong and powerful sense that this question is one that is not only missing from within many of our churches and within many of our Christian circles, but it’s also one that neither religion nor sinners are asking. Oh it is a truly tragic day in the earth when neither religion nor sinners ask the spiritual body of Jesus the Christ by what name, and by what power they have done works within the earth. I am incredibly fearful to think about and consider the awesome and powerful truth that within this generation and within this nation in particular there are very few among us who are actually being asked this question. The underlying reason this question is not being asked is not only because of the absence of power, but also because of the absence of the name. If you read the third chapter you will notice the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth being proclaimed, as well as the power of the Holy Spirit which strengthened this man’s feet and ankles. We dare not and must not miss and lose sight of this for it has the ability to dramatically alter and shift how we live our lives and how we conduct ourselves within this generation.

As I prepare to bring this writing to a close I find it absolutely necessary that we understand that perhaps the single greatest reason many of us within the Church aren’t being asked “by why power” and/or “by what name” is because neither the name, nor the power is even manifested among us in our midst. Oh we might very well boast of certain activity within our church buildings, but when was the last time it was asked in your church building by what power and by what name has the lame walked, or the blind received their sight, or the deaf received hearing, or the dead raised, or the lepers cleansed, or unclean spirits cast out? When was the last time it was asked of you by what authority and by what power you laid hands on the sick and they have recovered as James wrote in the fifth chapter of the epistle found in the New Testament. When was the last time you laid hands on those who were sick, and your prayer of faith healed and saved the sick? Not only this, but where is the demonstration of the power which the apostle Paul wrote about in the epistle which was written unto the Corinthian saints? Where is the demonstration and manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit within and among us—“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling, and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Oh dear reader—where is the power of God in our midst? Where is the person, the presence and the power of the Spirit of Almighty God among us in our midst? When was the last time it was asked of you by what power, by what name, and by what authority you have exercised dominion over sickness, over uncleanness, and even over unclean spirits and the demonic realm? There is not a doubt in my mind that what is absolutely necessary among us within our midst is not only the life of Spirit within and among us as the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ, but also the power, the presence and the person of the Holy Spirit.