Acts #1: Birth of the Body of Christ — Stephen Kaung

The Opening Witness of Acts and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

Acts chapter 1 we'll read from verse 1 through verse 5. I composed the first discourse O Theophilus Concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach Until that day in which having by the Holy Spirit Charged the Apostles whom he had chosen he was taken up To whom also he presented himself living as he had after he had suffered with many proofs being seen by them during 40 days and speaking of the things which concern the kingdom of God and Being assembled with them commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem But to await the promise of the father Which says he you have heard of me for John indeed baptized with water.

But he shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit after now not many days verse 13 and 14. And When they were come into the city they went up to the upper chamber where we're saying both Peter and John and James and angel Philip and Thomas Bartholomew and Matthew James son of Alpha and Simon the phallus and you the brother of James.

These gave themselves all with one accord to continue all prayer with several women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. Chapter 2 verse 1 to verse 4. And when the day of Pentecost was not Accomplishing they were all together in one place and there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent Impetuous blowing and feel all the house where they were sitting and there appeared to them Three-parted tongues as of fire and it set upon each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and Began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave to them to speak.

Seeing Christ in the Four Gospels Before Studying Acts

For in the past we have fellowship together In a very general way. The full gospel we find That it takes for evangelist to present to us a full picture of Our Lord Jesus it is the same the one Lord Jesus and Yet he is of such fullness that it has to Take for evangelist to present him to us.

We see in the gospel according to Matthew that our Lord Jesus is the King and He comes to establish his kingdom on earth and We are His kingdom if we obey him. In a gospel according to Mark we find Christ is presented to us as The servant of the Lord the model he came not to be minister to but to minister and To gain his life a ransom for me.

He is both the King of Kings and the servant of all servants. Then in a gospel according to Luke we find Christ is presented to us as the Son of Man He is the man The true man the man at the God's own heart the new man the new mankind After whom we are all to be conformed and then lastly in a gospel according to John Christ is presented to us as the Son of God He is God He is our very life and he is all and all.

After we have fellowship together on the gospel that is after we have seen the Lord, then I think we can go on and begin to read The book of Acts and probably later on the epistle. We should never begin with the book of Acts.

Nor should we ever begin with the epistle we should always begin with the gospel. The reason is we have to see the Lord and If we see the Lord that everything Will follow and will fall in line but if we do not see the Lord and Try to see other things first or try to know other doctrines first.

Then we'll go off Tangent somewhere, so I think it is very basic for us to understand this the order In the scripture is very meaningful. God wants us to see his son our Lord Jesus and After we have seen him then We are given to see something more.

Acts as the Continuing Work of Jesus Christ

The book of Acts is a continuation. It is written by Luke the evangelist. He himself tells us That in his first discourse He has written something and now this is his second discourse. In other words in the gospel according to Luke He tells us What the Lord Jesus began? to do and But now in the second discourse He is to continue on What the Lord Jesus? is doing and in other words The gospel of Luke is the beginning of the teaching and the doing of our Lord Jesus our Lord Jesus has begun to do and to speak.

But he hasn't finished his doing and his speaking yet and The continuation of his speaking and of his doing is To be found in the book of Acts. It is rather unfortunate Because we find in our Bible this book of the Acts is called the Acts of the Apostles.

Now, you know in the original manuscript There is no such title. It is being traditionally called the Acts of the Apostles and When you think of it as the Acts of the Apostles Naturally you think of the doings of the Apostles.

In a sense if you read the book of Acts superficially You do find that it is the Acts of the Apostles. Of the first twelve chapters it is mainly the Acts of the Apostle Peter and In the second part of the book of Acts it is predominantly the Acts of the Apostle Paul.

The other Apostles are just thrown in. But mainly you'll find These are the Acts of the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul. But this is only superficial. Because Luke himself tells us that this is not his intention of writing the second discourse.

The intention of his writing the second discourse is to show us how the Lord Jesus continues to do and to teach. It is not the doing and the teaching of the Apostles strictly speaking. It is still the doing and the teaching of our Lord Jesus.

In the gospel according to Luke He began to do and to speak. Now in the book of Acts he continues to do and to speak. The only difference is in the gospel according to Luke He began to do and to speak in his one person.

In that one person the word became flesh called Jesus. He began to do things and He began to speak many words, but in the book of Acts he is still He is still speaking. But not in his own person. He speaks and he does through a company of people.

In the gospel according to Luke He does things and he speaks words in the body of God. In the book of Acts he speaks and he does through a corporate body. In the gospel according to Luke It is Christ who does and who teaches.

In the book of Acts it is the Christ who is doing and is speaking. You know in the Bible you have Christ and the Christ. When Christ is being used it refers to himself as a person. But when the Christ is used it is always used in connection with his people that is the corporate body.

As you'll find in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 As the body is one and has many members. Though they are many members. Yet there is one body. So also is the Christ. It is still Christ. The Christ in his person and Christ in his Corporate body.

Now that is the only difference in other words awkwardly There may be some difference. But in reality it is the same Christ. The same Lord who is speaking and Who is doing. So strictly speaking the book of Acts is Not the Acts of the Apostles.

The book of Acts is the Acts of our Lord Jesus by his Spirit through the church. Now that is the book. So there you'll find he continues to do but it is in Accomplishment. The Lord Jesus was on earth Roughly a little over 30 years 33 years or some say 33 years and a half and during those 33 years He Did many things He said many words and they were all very practical.

So when you open the book of Acts You'll find the period of the book of Acts covered Approximately 30 some years because it begins with the expansion of our Lord and it ends with the imprisonment of Paul in Rome and roughly it is Continues on to about Well 62 or 63 AD.

So it's also roughly about 30 years. The first 30 years we find in the gospel according to Luke. The second 30 years we find in the book of Acts. The first 30 years He began to speak and to do. The next 30 years he continues to do Having Say these things as a foundation.

Returning to the Beginning as the Church Approaches the End

Then I think we will like to go on a little bit tonight and I do not know how far we'll go But we'll go on And see we are living in the very last of the last days. For this reason, I believe It is very essential for us to look back To the beginning.

When you are approaching the end It is the time that you look back to the beginning because this is the only way to see Whether you end up With the beginning or you end up somewhere else. I believe it is time for God's people To really go back To act.

To see how it all begins when the Lord Spirits and through that body He continues to do. After about 2 ,000 years. I wonder How close or far far We are away from the beginning. I wonder how we should end up.

Whether it will be like a circle it will end up at the beginning and I do believe This is the way God wants to end up. He is the beginning. He is the end. There is no beginning. There is no end and this is the way that you'll find it's your return.

So to me, I feel it is most essential for us today To really go back to the beginning and allow the Holy Spirit to show up. How does everything begin? How is the church formed? How does it Enable Jesus the risen Lord to continue to speak and to do.

And as we are approaching the end Surely we want him to finish his doing and finish. But if we want him to finish his doing and his speaking and remember it is through a Corporate body now. We have to check whether that body will allow him.

Because this is the only way he can speak. This is the only way he can do. This is what he intends to do and to speak through a body it is therefore very important for us to see that he still has and can still speak And finish his speaking.

He can still do and finish his speaking. You know very often whether you Pronounce yourself as an individualist or whether You don't say that as a matter of fact, we are all individualist. Why? Because after sin Came into this world.

It's divide and separate one from another That makes us all individualist. Even Adam and Eve were separated spiritually speaking. Sins separated us not only from God but separate us from one. We are all individualist.

And even when we come to the Lord Even when we come to the things of God We remain as individualist. It is true. In your relationship with the Lord you have to be personal. Nobody else can believe for you.

They can help you to believe but they cannot believe for you but strangely as You look back yourself You will find that your whole approach to God is on an individual basis. Which is very different from God's approach to man.

So sooner or later, I believe God will have to shift you from your individual approach and begin to see God's corporate approach. In other words Someday God has to show you it is more than a matter of your individual relationship with the Lord.

Yes, it is still there. It is very basic and yet it is not. Because the Lord Jesus cannot do and to speak. What he has begun to do and speak when he was on earth through individuals. He can begin to do and to speak to one individual that is himself but aside from himself.

There has not been there is not Any one individual or many individuals that can continue? His doing to be to a corporate this Continues to do so I do believe the Lord will gradually shift your attention From the individual to the corporate from the selfish to the divine.

And only after he has shift you to his position and look at things from his position. Then you begin to realize How grand how glorious is? His divine. It is therefore very important for us to know The book of Acts the book of Acts begins with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus After our Lord Jesus is raised from the dead.

Then he appeared himself Living to his disciples. Tell them the things concerning the kingdom of God. He appeared to them for a period of 40 days. And he told them that They should return to Jerusalem and They shall wait Until they receive the power from on high that is they should be baptized with the Holy Spirit and Then they will be witnesses from Jerusalem all Judea Samaria to the end of this world.

In other words For 40 days our Lord Jesus appeared to them After his resurrection and after 40 days was over He was taken and the disciples Returned to Jerusalem and there they waited for 10 days Until the day of Pentecost.

Pentecost in the Pattern of Israel’s Feasts

Use a typology first in order to help us to understand. You know if you read The book of Leviticus you'll find in Leviticus chapter 23 all those Five from the Sabbath Which will come back once a week.

There are holy convocations. There are. Now the first thing of course is the Feast of Passover. It is in memory of how God Delivered them out of death that night when the angel of destruction Passed through the whole land of Egypt.

He will go into every house and destroy the firstborn the children of Israel to prepare a land for each. They will put the blood on On the doorpost and the legal and they were all gathered within the house they will roast the land and Getting ready to go out and that night when the angel of destruction passed by When he saw the blood he passed over.

Why. Because blood and that was the way that the children of Israel were delivered out of death and Also out now brothers and sisters. I believe you all understand the spiritual meaning of Passover. Because Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 our Passover is Christ.

Christ is our Paschal Lamb. We were all condemned to death. We were all sinners. We were all condemned to death. We will all be destroyed. But thank God our Lord Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of this world.

And because we believe in him we have sprinkled his blood on our heart so Destruction has passed over. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Judgment has passed over. They are no longer to die. But they have eternal life and how we feed upon the Lord as our food.

And by his strength we walk out of this world. We are no longer of this world. We are in the world, but does do not belong to this world. We Just pass over. It speaks of the death of our Lord Jesus on Passover our Lord Jesus the Paschal Lamb.

That God had given to the children of Israel for generations then of course Immediately following the Passover or in connection with Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days now Paul explains to us our Passover is Christ and Because we have had our Passover therefore now In this present age.

We are in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is seven days in other words perfection. So since we believe in the Lord Jesus now, we are in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We should remember the Lord we shall worship the Lord.

We shall serve the Lord not with leavened bread not with malice or wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth in other words After we believe in the Lord Jesus our whole life is a continuous Feast of Unleavened Bread.

There shall be no leavening in our house nothing evil. Neither in teaching or doctrine nor in conduct or behavior. But we shall serve the Lord worship the Lord with a spirit of Sincerity. Then you know on the third day after that is the second day at the second.

Actually, it was the third day after Passover. It is the Feast of the first three Passover and We put the Feast of Unleavened Bread together with Passover and on the third day there is the Feast of the first three and There you'll then you'll find the children of Israel should take a seat of the first fruit of barley because barley Was is harvested in Palestine before?

It is the first harvest. So before the harvest of barley there will be those first fruits of barley. First right and the first rights are always the best and it guarantees the harvest so the children of Israel will cut a sheet of the first fruit and Wave it before the Lord present it before the Lord and wave it before the Lord in other words Offer it now this is of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

Because you'll find In 1st Corinthians chapter 15 when Paul speak to us on the resurrection. He said Christ is our first and Then after him The harvest that's what we are for Jesus. But on the third day he was risen.

So it speaks of the resurrection of our Lord. Then you'll find after The first fruit there will be Seven weeks it is called the Feast of Weeks. After you count seven weeks then on the 50th day That is the day of Pentecost you have the Feast of Pentecost at the time of the Pentecost The harvest is all in.

So here you'll find the priest will prepare two loaves of flour fine flour and Will bake them with leaven notice it with leaven and Prevent them before the Lord. It is not a sheep. It is fine flour. It is not just a sheep of barley.

The flour are made into dough and baked. Into bread is the number of witness who knows his feet. Except a grain fall into the ground and die in the vise alone but if it died there's much fruit and out of these many grains we are being ground and And Making to dough and So that we may be presented to God but Of all the offerings to God there shall be no letter Except because all the other little piece of Christ.

He was tempted in all things as we are but however Even if there is nothing it is Counteracted by The burn offerings the sing offerings and the other offerings. So the day of Pentecost we oftentimes use To say that if Passover speaks or speaks of the death of our Lord The feast of first fruit speaks of the resurrection of the Lord then Pentecost speaks of the birth of the church that Mystic corporate body throw with the Lord the Risen Lord is able to continue his duties, but in between the first fruit and The Pentecost you have 50 days.

The Forty Days of Resurrection and the Ten Days of Prayer

50 days are very very meaningful. We do not see much. Not very much is described to us in the Bible concerning these 50 days. All we know is these 50 days are divided into two parts 40 days and 40 days after the resurrection of our Lord.

He appeared to his disciples for 40 days and then after he is He was offended then the disciples Gathered together with one accord in Jerusalem for 10 days. What happened during those 10 days brothers and sisters.

Even though we did not find much in the Bible, but the little that is there is enough. It's more than enough. If you read very carefully you'll find those 40 days were most important things. That our Lord Jesus after he is resurrected from the dead.

He does appear to all the brethren and We would think that were to be the best thing to do. Why should he Remain as it were officially for 40 days on earth had he not spent 33 years on earth. Had he not finished his work of salvation now everything was all right everything was finished.

He just show himself to disciples on the Mount of Olives gather them all to the Mount of Olives show himself to them and say Goodbye Until I come again. That should be enough. Why should he spend 40 days?

Is there any special reason for it? Is there anything he has to do during those 40 days so far as his work of redemption on the cross is concerned. But there is some unfinished business with his disciples and here they are.

Number one. During those 40 days he appeared to them. Underlying the word his disciples knew the Lord while he was in this body. These disciples were with the Lord for three years or more. They knew him.

These disciples Knew that the Lord was crucified. But now the Lord appeared to them. Is the difference between between the Lord Who was alive before he died and the Lord who is living? The Lord who was alive before he died.

He is life, yes, but this life is only in that dream. But when he appeared to them living after resurrection this resurrection life is Able to for 33 years these disciples follow the Lord three years.

These disciples follow the Lord they watch. They observe, they heard, they thought, they even touch. Never be on earth before a heavenly light walking on earth. Nothing Higher than that nothing more glorious than that how they must have admired.

Oh, if only we can live as you. But the more they live with the Lord the more they feel. They are far away. It is a hopeless shepherd for smithing. You know the picture I saw. Is the picture in Jeremiah 18.

He takes up. Put it on the wheel. Began to turn the wheel. Put his loving hand Upon the clay and try to make it a bed. Good because the potter is not skillful enough. It is because there is something in the clay that resists the hand of the potter.

Throw this clay away. He remake this clay again into. These disciples follow the Lord for three years. They were in the hands of the Lord as It were. The Lord was trying to form them into a vessel. But when the Lord was crucified they were all scattered in spite of all that they have heard.

They have seen they have touched. It didn't seem to bring them up to it, but did the Lord throw them away. After he was resurrected he regathered. He made them. The difference is. Of course in spiritual things you cannot be too literal the difference is.

What was marred in his hand he can never make a new bed. He has raised has raised us up giving to us his new life. Living that is to say we do not live by our own life anymore now we live by his risen life in us.

And because we live by his risen life in us. During those 40 days, you know, these were difficult days for the disciples. Disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Email. And they were talking and they were very sad.

They really loved the Lord, you know. But the Lord was crucified died and some women say when the tomb was empty. The Lord was risen and they have seen the Lord, but they have these two disciples. So they were so downhearted.

They left Jerusalem and they were walking towards email and father my man appeared as a Traveler fellow traveler and walk with them and began to ask and I thought about you're talking about. Oh. They say you don't know that.

That news in Jerusalem. Everybody everybody knows it. Oh. This man Jesus whom we considered as God's prophet. And now he's dead and the strangest thing is some women say he is alive. Oh, we haven't seen him and you remember the Lord began to expound the word to them.

You know as the Lord opened the word to them. They feel warm in their hearts. Oh. They don't know where this man gets such knowledge. So when they arrived at emails, you know this man was going on. He was still continuing his traveling.

So they had to persuade him you stay with us. You stay with us. We like to have you, you know. So they forced him to stay with them and then they sat down and began to eat and this man took the bread.

Ah the Lord. But as soon as they say the Lord the Lord disappeared. I think that is the strangest thing that ever happened if the Lord wants to appear to you. Of course he wants you to know him. But when you begin to know him this is just disappeared.

Then why does he appear to you? This happened not only one. During those 40 days he suddenly appeared and he suddenly disappeared. He appeared when you were not ready and he disappeared when you recognized.

Oh, you know, even Mary of Magdala the first one who saw the Lord, you know He she was weeping outside the tomb, you know Peter and John they went to their home, but to Mary of Magdala without the Lord.

He had no more home. He heard a man calling him. What are you doing here? What do you want? Oh, he thought it must be the gardener and he said sir if you have taken him away just tell me where he is and I will go and get him and That man said.

Suddenly he recognized it was the Lord. He touched the Lord many times in the past. Probably Mary had washed the Lord's feet many times. And now the Lord says don't touch me. Now suppose you love a person.

And you always do something to that person, you know with the Jews. If you love a person so much you wash his feet and Suddenly he he refused to let you do it. The disciples were in a room the door shut everything was shut.

They were frightened and During those 40 days. Now no wonder Peter you see Peter was one who couldn't wait. So after the Lord appeared once or twice or maybe once To him and once to the other disciples and then he waited and waited and waited every moment expecting the Lord to appear and he didn't.

So finally Peter said well, let's do something. Let's go fishing. We cannot just wait there until he suddenly appears and Then disappears so that that probably was one of the reason why Peter said let's go fishing do something, you know something.

Now dear brothers and sisters you understand why during those 40 days he appeared and Disappeared and appeared again and disappeared. There is a most important reason. The reason is All their former relationship with the Lord.

For the Lord is hurting. Their relationship with the Lord was It was very close. The Lord was with them and they were with the Lord. They were always together and that was their relationship with the Lord and they found that relationship most satisfying.

From now on your relationship with me is no longer a physical one. You no longer know me by the flesh. You once did. But now you ought to know me appear to you To draw you away From the flesh and as soon as you recognize me in the spirit, I disappear.

Because this will be my relationship. Important is that Often, you know, I heard believers said and I myself say that to oh if I only lived 2 ,000 years ago. If only I was born a Jew a Galilean If only I was born at the same time as Jesus was at the same place that Jesus was.

Oh if I could only follow him and touch him. If I do I Will not be as I am today I will be much more spiritual. But the Lord said it is more profitable for me to go. The disciples said don't go don't go just stay here.

Nothing better than this. The Lord says it is more profitable for you that I go Before if I don't go the Holy Spirit will not come. I can be with you, but I cannot be near you. There is something far better than with there is a you there.

Why do you want to really maintain your relation with me on an earthly basis on a physical basis however. Satisfying it may be there is a better relationship a relationship in the spirit and Newness when we see the better we don't want the best.

So he has to take the better away that we may want the best during those 40 days. Our Lord Jesus was trying to draw them out of themselves Into his life. To draw them out from the physical. The Lord was teaching them a lesson they have never learned before.

In other words, the Lord is putting them on the resurrection. In the realm because only when they are able to enter into the resurrection realm. And in the realm of the spirit during those 40 days. He's taught to them things concerning the kingdom of God.

Oh, you know when I read the Bible, I said Lord, why don't you tell me what do you talk about? You talk about the kingdom of God that most important. I like to know what did you say? The Lord must have said many wonderful things about the kingdom of God.

He said a lot about the kingdom of God when he was on earth for three years. But now he said during those 40 days as if he taught nothing but the kingdom of God. Wow. I like to know what he said. I Know you are anxious to know that.

But no record. There's no record. Just say the kingdom of God. I think our Lord Jesus is the best teacher in this world. I Always admire the people. Well, let me mention one brother Fonky when our brother Fonky is speaking.

He likes to draw. He uses a blackboard and draw. And you know, I always admire that but I cannot do that because if I want to draw a dog it becomes a cat. So I dare not do any drawing but I know that Visual aid is important.

In other words If you want to speak, it's better if you can demonstrate but I have to confess I don't have that ability. But you know our Lord Jesus. The Bible does not say. Does not tell us what he said about the kingdom of God.

Ah. He suddenly appeared he suddenly disappeared he suddenly appeared he suddenly disappeared. What is it? That's the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, what is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is found on the risen life. The kingdom of God is a resurrection ground a kingdom of God is. There is a reality if you want to talk to children.

Demonstration is the best way of speaking. And you know these disciples during those 40 days our Lord Jesus Actually was lifting them up on the basis of his death. The law is raising them up to a resurrection ground a Relationship with him.

It takes 40 days on the day of resurrection. He appeared to them. He brings into them and they receive you the Holy Spirit. We have received the Holy Spirit. Therefore they are able to enter into the realm and be maintained in the Relationship it takes the Lord, you know 40 is a number of trials.

It must be a great testing to the disciples. But I think it must be a great trial to the Lord Jesus as a matter of fact. All his time with the disciples even before his death was a trial. How they misunderstood All the time I will like to use a word to describe the feeling of the Lord.

All what happened in the Lord during those 40 days and also. There is one word in the Bible and that one word is of the travail of his soul. He shall be God refers to his death. Yes. Because of his death he has given birth to all of us but those 40 days or a continuation he travailed for us.

That we may be lifted out of ourselves into his life out of the flesh into the spirit out of the old creation into the new creation. That he may be able to form us into his Mystic those 40 days were the travail of our Lord Jesus.

Corporate Prayer and the Birth of Christ’s Body

The Lord ascended up to heaven and the disciples returned to Jerusalem and There they were for you know 10 is the number of responsibilities. They returned to Jerusalem how probably when the Lord ascended from Mount Olive.

Probably there were 500 brothers, you know, because in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 It says at one time the Lord appeared to 500 brothers. So most commentators felt feel that probably that refers to the time of his ascension.

But strangely speaking you'll find only a hundred and twenty remain there in that upper chamber in Jerusalem most of the people seem to have returned to Galilee or Yes, it is. But these hundred and twenty people They were together they gave themselves to Continual prayer with one accord.

There is nothing that tests your flesh More than prayer. There is nothing that will try your flesh than praying together. There is nothing harder than Give yourself together to continue a prayer. It is much easier to go out and do something.

It is much easier to do something together. But to give yourself to pray With one accord. Why do they come together to pray? The Lord shall return to Jerusalem and wait Until you receive power from on high.

How do they wait. They just sit there and wait passively. They know if the Lord said wait Until receive the power from on high. The Lord expects them to wait actively. Not just passively. So they gave themselves to pray.

They know that there is only one thing they can do and that thing is to pray. What kind of prayer is that a principle in all his work. Concerning the new creation, you know in the old creation when God created the heavens and the earth He did them all Alone, he did not ask your help in the work of the new creation God and that principle binds him.

He will not do anything unless He gets the cooperation. So I remember brother Lee says God is almighty in heaven, but His power. Not because man has such power to limit him. It's because God has set down a principle.

That is good pleasure. So far as the new creation is concerned. He will not do anything Until he find a response from the earth. So ask him to do what he wants to. That's the reason why you'll find in Matthew 18 If you bind on earth He will also bind in heaven.

If you lose on earth, he will also lose in heaven. What does it mean? The earth governs the heaven. It is the heaven Who wants to bind but the heaven shares its burden with you. You take up that burden and said Lord we want it.

Then the heavens say all right after giving up his body in the flesh on the cross. The risen Lord is to take upon himself a copper body To continue his speaking and his being. That's what he wants. He traveled for that.

He told a brother go. They went back to Jerusalem. Not just sitting there or lying there and waiting As if it would come automatically that is not God's way with a new creation. They fully understood they have fellowship with us.

They came together. It was a most difficult trying thing to the flesh. But in view of what the Lord wants, the Lord wants a body. They were willing to come together To give themselves to continual prayer.

They traveled for the burden As it were fellowship with the Lord in his travail. It is on the basis of the travel of the Lord that they are able to. It is by his life within them. They are able to travel with him.

Remember this has nothing to do with atonement. There our Lord is all alone Bearing our sins all by himself We receive the good of it, but we don't hear it but so far as This new creation is coming the hundred and twenty people gave themselves to continual prayer.