And once, when he had gathered them together, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the fulfillment of the Father's promise-- "that promise," he said, "of which you have heard me speak;

For, while John baptized with water, you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit before many days have passed."

So, when the Apostles had met together, they asked Jesus this question--"Master, is this the time when you intend to re-establish the Kingdom for Israel?"

His answer was: "It is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision;

But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit shall have descended upon you, and shall be witnesses for me not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

For he was one of our number and had his part allotted him in this work of ours."

"For in the Book of Psalms," Peter continued, "it is said-- 'Let his dwelling become desolate, and let no one live in it'; and also--'His office let another take.'

These men are not drunk, as you suppose; for it is only now nine in the morning! No!

Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit,

And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below--Blood and fire and mist of smoke;

But God released him from the pangs of death and raised him to life, it being impossible for death to retain its hold upon him.

Indeed it was to him that David was referring when he said-- 'I have had the Lord ever before my eyes, For he stands at my right hand, that I should not be disquieted.

For you wilt not abandon my soul to the Place of Death, nor surrender me, your holy one, to undergo corruption.

It was not David who went up into Heaven; for he himself says- -'The Lord said to my master: "Sit on my right hand,

"Repent," answered Peter, "and be baptized every one of you in the Faith of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and for your children, and also for all those now far away, who may be called by the Lord our God."

All who became believers in Christ held everything for the common use;

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has done honor to his Servant Jesus--him whom you gave up and disowned before Pilate, when he had decided to set him free.

You, I say, disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for the release of a murderer!

For you, first, God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you, by turning each one of you from his wicked ways."

Since we are on our trial to-day for a kind act done to a helpless man, and are asked in what way the man here before you has been cured,

And Salvation is in him alone; for there is no other Name in the whole world, given to men, to which we must look for our Salvation."

Judge for yourselves, for we cannot help speaking of what we have seen and heard."

However, after further warnings, the Council set them at liberty, not seeing any safe way of punishing them, because of the people, for they were all praising God for what had occurred;

For the man who was the subject of this miraculous cure was more than forty years old.

The whole body of those who had become believers in Christ were of one heart and mind. Not one of them claimed any of his goods as his own, but everything was held for the common use.

Nor was there any one in need among them, for all who were owners of land or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the sales

"Ananias," Peter exclaimed, "how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?

"Is it true," Peter asked, addressing her, "that you sold your land for such a sum?" "Yes," she answered, "we did."

On this, the Officer went with his men and fetched the Apostles--without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people--

"We gave you strict orders," he said, "not to teach in this Name. Yet you have actually flooded Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to make us responsible for the death of this man."

The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the Apostles to death.

But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.

For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away.

And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to let them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;

The Council followed his advice, and, calling the Apostles in, had them flogged, and then, after cautioning them not to speak in the Name of Jesus, set them free.

But the Apostles left the Council, rejoicing that they had been thought worthy to suffer disgrace for that Name;

And never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the Good News of Jesus, the Christ.

The Twelve, therefore, called together the general body of the disciples and said to them: "It is not well for us to see to the distribution at the tables and neglect God's Message.

Therefore, Brothers, look for seven men of reputation among yourselves, wise and spiritually-minded men, and we will appoint them to attend to this matter;

While we, for our part, will devote ourselves to Prayer, and to the delivery of the Message."

God's words were these--'Abraham's descendants shall live in a foreign country, where they will be enslaved and ill-treated for four hundred years.

And delivered him out of all his troubles, and enabled him to win favor and show wisdom before Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who appointed him Governor of Egypt and of his whole household.

In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

And their bodies were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people increased largely in numbers in Egypt,

It was just at this time that Moses was born. He was an exceedingly beautiful child, and for three months was brought up in his own father's house;

And, when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.

Forty years had passed when there appeared to him, in the Desert of Mount Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.

Then the Lord said to him--'Take your sandals off your feet, for the spot where you are standing is holy ground.

This was the Moses who said to the people of Israel--'God will raise up for you, from among your brothers, a Prophet, as he raised up me.'

While they said to Aaron--'Make us Gods who will lead the way for us, since, as for this Moses who has brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

David found favor with God, and prayed that he might find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.

But it was Solomon who built a House for God.

'The heavens are a throne for me, and the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of House will you build me, says the Lord, or what place is there where I may rest?

O! stubborn race, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.

Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.

For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;

And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.

"A curse upon you and upon your money," Peter exclaimed, "for thinking that God's free gift can be bought with gold!

You have no share or part in our Message, for your 'heart is not right with God.'

Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;

For I see that you have fallen into the 'bitterness of envy' and the 'fetters of sin.'"

"Pray to the Lord for me, all of you," Simon answered, "so that none of the things you have spoken of may befall me."

In his lowly condition justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from earth.'

But, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the Treasurer saw no more of him; for he continued his journey with a joyful heart.

And for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.

"Go at once," said the Lord, "to the 'Straight Street', and ask at Judas's house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying,

But the Lord said to him: "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my Name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel.

I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my Name."

And, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,

All who heard him were amazed. "Is not this," they asked, "the man who worked havoc in Jerusalem among those that invoke this Name, and who had also come here for the express purpose of having such persons put in chains and taken before the Chief Priests?"

And so it came about that the Church, throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, enjoyed peace and became firmly established; and, ordering its life by reverence for the Lord and the help of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bed-ridden for eight years with paralysis.

And saw that the heavens were open, and that something like a great sail was descending, let down by its four corners towards the earth.

"No, Lord, I cannot," answered Peter, "for I have never eaten anything 'defiled' and 'unclean'."

Peter was still pondering over the vision, when the Spirit said to him: "There are two men looking for you at this moment.

Go down at once and do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

Peter went down to the men and said: "I am the man for whom you are looking. What is your reason for coming?"

The men replied: "Our captain, Cornelius, a pious man who reverences God and is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, has been instructed by a holy angel to send for you to his house, and to listen to what you have to say."

"You are doubtless aware that it is forbidden for a Jew to be intimate with a foreigner, or even to enter his house; and yet God has shown me that I ought not to call any man 'defiled' or 'unclean.'

That was why I came, when I was sent for, without raising any objection. And now I ask your reason for sending for me."

For they heard them speaking with 'tongues' and extolling God. At this Peter asked:

"Can any one refuse the water for the baptism of these people, now that they have received the Holy Spirit as we did ourselves?"

"I was in the town of Jaffa," he said, "and was praying; and, while in a trance, I saw a vision. There was something like a great sail descending, let down by its four corners out of the heavens; and it came right down to me.

'No, Lord, I cannot,' I answered, 'for nothing 'defiled' or 'unclean' has ever passed my lips.'

For he will tell you truths, which will prove the means of Salvation to you and all your household.'

Now those who had been scattered in different directions, in consequence of the persecution that followed upon the death of Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the Message--but only to Jews.

For Barnabas was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith--and a large number of people took their stand on the Lord's side.

Afterwards Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

And, when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it came about that, for a whole year, they attended the meetings of the Church there, and taught a large number of people; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians.'

After seizing Peter, Herod put him in prison, and entrusted him to the keeping of four Guards of four soldiers each, intending, after the Passover, to bring him up before the people.

And, when Herod had made further search for him and failed to find him, he closely questioned the Guard, and ordered them away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to stay at Caesarea.

It happened that Herod was deeply offended with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but they went in a body to him, and, having succeeded in winning over Blastus, the Chamberlain, they begged Herod for a reconciliation, because their country was dependent on the King's for its food-supply.

Meanwhile the Lord's Message kept extending, and spreading far and wide.

While they were engaged in the worship of the Lord and were fasting, the Holy Spirit said: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them."

He was at the court of the Governor, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who sent for Barnabas and Saul and asked to be told God's Message.

But Elymas, the astrologer (for that is the meaning of the word), opposed them, eager to divert the Governor's attention from the Faith.

The hand of the Lord is upon you even now, and you will be blind for a time and unable to see the sun." Immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went feeling about for some one to guide him.