The book of Acts

Good Morning My Dears,

I have been fighting with the Holy Spirit for some time now about switching to the book of Acts. I kind of have OCD about finishing things that I start (and I kind of have this INTENSE love for the book of Genesis), so there is this huge part of me that wants to keep on with book of Genesis as I have been. There's another part of me that feels like Holy Spirit is beckoning me to the book of Acts because there are blessings in that book that He wants to impart to me. So, per usual happenings, I am finally submitting to that call and trusting that He will bring me back to Genesis in His perfect timing :). So... the book of Acts starts like this...

"I [Luke] wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach  until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God." [Act 1:1-3 HCSB] 

Observations:

• Who says what? 
• Luke explains to Theophilus that he has already written a "first narrative" about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up. He says that Jesus gave orders through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles that He had chosen before He ascended into Heaven. He also talks about how Jesus presented Himself alive to those apostles with many convincing proofs after He had suffered on the Cross. He says that Jesus did this for about forty days, and when He appeared during those forty days, he spoke about the Kingdom of God. 
• Jesus gave orders through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles he Had chosen. 
• Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God
• What choices were made/could have been made? 
• Luke chose to write a second narrative (thank you, Luke, you're the only one who did!)
• Luke chose to refer to the gospels as the "beginning" of Jesus' work. 
• Jesus chose to give orders to the Apostles through the Holy Spirit. 
• He didn't choose to write these orders down on a stone tablet.
• He didn't choose to work alone. He always seems to be working as a team with the Father or the Holy Spirit. 
• Jesus chose the Apostles. 
• Jesus chose to present Himself to the apostles and to give them proof of His resurrection for 40 days. 
• The topic Jesus chose to talk about after His resurrection was the Kingdom of God. 
• Jesus could have chosen to talk about a political plan (to overthrow Rome, like all his disciples thought he would). 
• Jesus could have chosen to talk about all the abandonment and betrayal that happened before his death. 
• Jesus could have chosen to give us the secrets to flying and walking through walls. *sigh* Why didn't he? *insert sad emoji here*

Applications:

• Jesus didn't choose to work alone. He allowed the Holy Spirit to work through him. #RelationshipGoals. I've been seeing this hashtag A LOT on social media lately, and I totally feel like it applies here because I honestly believe that the trinity has the quintessential relationship and is a quintessential "Team." When you look at Jesus and ponder how crazy awesome He is by Himself, it's not hard to come to the conclusion that perhaps he doesn't need the other two persons of the Trinity. Yet, if You look at the lifestyle He leads, and the choice He constantly makes to submit himself to the Father during his life (Luke's first Narrative), and the choice He makes here to give orders through the Holy Spirit, you see that He is constantly including them. He doesn't have one ounce of pride or self-righteousness. Once again, #RelationshipGoals. 
• The topic Jesus chose to talk about was the Kingdom of God. While it is definitely on my "to do when I get to heaven list" to ask Jesus why his first priority wasn't teaching us to fly... this observation sparks the question in me: if Jesus' "hot topic" after His resurrection was the kingdom of God... is my "hot topic" the Kingdom of God? What do I talk about most? If I'm honest, I talk a lot about FOOD; I talk a lot about my family (specifically my gorgeous daughter); I talk quite a bit about my job; and if I know that we have similar belief systems (or that you are the open-minded sort willing to talk about anything), then I will talk to you about the Kingdom of God. I am definitely not courageous about this topic. And I wonder... as I examine this practice, I've been taught that there is a certain level of wisdom in approaching "the topic of religion" this way. I know from talking to other Christians, that many of us really need to feel completely safe that we're not going to be attacked or judged for trying to share with someone before we do talk about the Kingdom of God, and when we do happen upon those situations when we feel "safe" to talk about Him, we claim that the "Holy Spirit was working." Not to say that He wasn't working in those situations (He probably was), but wondering if we (or specifically, I) don't have a tendency to limit His working in our lives to situations where we feel safe. Looking at this situation... Jesus had just been tried as a criminal and found guilty... executed as a criminal... wondering if this is the safest time for him to be appearing anywhere and "talking about religion"? 

I feel like I could keep going... my mind is splintering off into seven different theological debates right now... but this post is already definitely long enough :). Any other thoughts, opinions, observations or applications? 

Truly Yours, 

Jordan