When I read the book of Acts, I could not escape one
undeniable truth—the Holy Spirit is not a side character. He is the story.
He is the pulse, the movement, the breath, the reason.
If you remove the Holy Spirit from Acts, there is no Acts.
As a writer, I have always paid attention to narrative
structure and character development. Acts has both. It has powerful dialogue, a
riveting story arc, compelling conflict, and deeply human characters. But what
makes it come alive? The Holy Spirit.
Luke, the author, weaves the Spirit into every part of the
plot. He is not just behind the scenes—He is front and center, moving from
person to person, moment to moment, church to church.
The Holy Spirit is not just present. He is active.
The
Holy Spirit Introduces Himself in Power
The book opens quietly, with waiting.
Jesus promises that the disciples will receive power.
And then Pentecost happens—and power arrives.
What a moment.
A sound like a mighty rushing wind.
Flames appearing.
Languages spoken.
People bewildered, amazed, and some—let’s be honest—just confused.
But Peter stands up and gives voice to the moment.
He interprets the Spirit’s arrival by pointing back to Joel and forward to
Jesus.
And right there, the church is born.
Not by good planning. Not by clever marketing. By the power of the Holy
Spirit.
The
Holy Spirit Directs the Movement
One thing I noticed is that the apostles did not make
random decisions.
They followed the Spirit’s guidance.
- He told Philip to run up to the chariot.
- He told Peter not to call any person unclean.
- He told the church at Antioch to send out Paul and Barnabas.
The Holy Spirit was the GPS of the early church.
He sent people where they needed to go and closed doors when they needed to
stay.
I saw this clearly—the Spirit was the one writing the
script, even when the people thought they were improvising.
The
Holy Spirit Builds Unity and Boldness
The first believers had something that stunned me—unity.
They shared everything.
They worshipped together.
They lived in community with joy, generosity, and daily devotion.
And that did not come naturally.
It came through the Holy Spirit.
He formed them into one body, just as He empowered them to
speak boldly.
When they prayed, the room shook.
When they were arrested, they kept proclaiming Jesus.
When persecution scattered them, they preached everywhere they went.
The Holy Spirit was not just for
Sunday moments. He was for every moment.
The
Holy Spirit Is Still Moving
As I read Acts, I was struck by the fact that the story
does not really end.
Paul is left in Rome, under house arrest.
No dramatic closing scene.
No wrap-up paragraph.
And that is when it hit me:
The story continues.
The Holy Spirit is still writing.
Still speaking.
Still sending.
Still empowering.
I see Him in our lives.
In our churches.
In our prayers.
In our moments of surrender and boldness.
The
Holy Spirit Is the Story. Listen. Follow. Be Filled.
If there is one thing I walked away with, it is this:
The Holy Spirit is not an accessory to my faith. He is the source of it.
He empowers me to live holy.
He teaches me how to walk right.
He gives me the words when mine fall short.
He strengthens me when I am weak.
He pushes me when I am too still.
And He comforts me when the fire of ministry feels like it might consume me.
So yes—Acts was full of action.
But the real actor, the main character, the narrator behind it all—was, and
still is, the Holy Spirit.