Kasupe Devotion

_The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade._ *Acts 5:12 NIV*

Let us read Acts 5:12–16 today. This passage comes right after the death of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Spirit. It is very important to note that Luke wanted to connect this directly to their story. The punishment of this couple enforced a kind of purity in the church. The fear this punishment brought on the believers, and the lessons they learned from it, made the church stronger in their purity towards God. Believers realized they could not just approach God carelessly; they became serious in their devotion to Him.

Verse 13 shows us two results: _“no one else dared join them”_ and _“they were highly regarded by the people.”_ By “no one else,” I believe the Bible is speaking about those who wanted to join the apostles just to belong, without being serious about Christ. You see, even today many people join the church simply as a social group. They just want to belong, to be shielded, while their hearts remain far from God. Sadly, as churches we sometimes lower our standards deliberately to attract and protect such people. We become more interested in numbers than in the quality of Christianity.

The death of Ananias and his wife raised the bar of Christianity in the early church. Believers realized that God is not interested only in numbers, but in quality. Even outsiders understood this truth—that is why they did not dare join the believers lightly. Brethren, this should teach us to fear God completely, and not to bring or allow foolishness in the church for the sake of increasing followers. The believers were held in high esteem because they upheld the quality of Christianity as God demanded. Yet verse 14 shows us the contrast: those who truly believed in Christ were being added to their number.

The second thing we see in this passage is that the disciples performed many signs and wonders. This was a result of the purity among them. God confirmed His work in the believers through miracles. One question we can ask ourselves is: why don’t we see many such signs and wonders among us today?

The passage shows that people had great confidence in the apostles. They brought many sick people, even placing them where Peter’s shadow might fall, and they were healed. If we want to see this kind of mighty working of God, we too must be willing to match the purity of the early church. The apostles never advertised miracles and wonders. They simply positioned themselves in a place where many could see them—Solomon’s Colonnade—and God manifested Himself through them.

Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema

*Acts 5:4*
_“While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”_

Today we look at Acts 4:32–37 and 5:1–11. These passages offer many lessons, but we will focus on three.
As the church was growing, the Bible shows us that out of free will, early Christians shared what they had, and no one was in need. One example is a brother named Joses, whom the disciples called Barnabas (because he liked to help people). He sold his farm, and the money was used to help believers. But then came Ananias and Sapphira, who sold their land, kept back part of the money, and pretended to give it all. Both died instantly for their deception.

*God looks at the heart.*
Barnabas gave sincerely. He sold his field and offered everything with a heart full of love for others, and the disciples recognised this, even naming him Barnabas. His heart was generous, and the believers honoured that. Ananias, however, wanted the same praise without the same heart. He sold his land not to help others but to look good before men. That is why Peter asked in the opening verse why he had conceived this in his heart. Ananias was not judged because of money—God owns all silver and gold—but because of his deceitful heart. The money was only a symptom of the deeper issue: a desire to deceive God and gain man’s praise. God saw the intent of their hearts and judged them rightly.

*God sees everything.*
God cannot be deceived. He knows every thought and sees every action. Notice, Ananias and Sapphira never publicly announced they would give everything. But in their hearts, they had already agreed to pretend. God was there when they made that decision as husband and wife. He saw when they held back part and pretended to give all. This truth should humble us. Many times, our words, thoughts, or actions do not align with God’s will—but He is aware of them all. Financially, God does not just see the portion we give; He also sees how we use what we keep. He knows both the tithe and the other 90%. In Luke 21, God saw the widow who gave all she had, and He also saw the rich who gave only a small part of their abundance.

*Giving should not be for praise.*
Ananias was never commanded by God to sell his land, nor to give everything from the sale. The sin was in seeking recognition like Barnabas, without the same heart. God takes no pleasure in giving that is motivated by self-glory. True giving flows from love for God and others. In Matthew 6, Jesus warns against giving in a way that sounds a trumpet to gain praise from men.

For us as modern Christians, this story is a call to live with sincerity before God. He is not impressed by outward appearances or public recognition but by the truth in our hearts. Let us give, serve, and live not for the praise of men but out of love for God and His people. Remember, nothing is hidden from Him—our motives, our choices, and even the quiet parts of our lives are all seen. May we walk in honesty, integrity, and genuine devotion, knowing that God values a pure heart above everything else.

*Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema*

_But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”_ *Acts 4:19–20*

Today we read Acts 4:14–31, a chapter full of lessons, but one theme stands out—*boldness*.

In our last study, we saw Peter and John arrested for preaching about Christ. Today, we see what happened next. The disciples were commanded not to preach about Jesus again; in fact, they were threatened. The Bible shows us that this was not the first time they were threatened, nor would it be the last. Yet Peter’s response in the opening verse sets the tone: despite the threats, he boldly declared that they would not stop preaching Christ.

Peter was convinced that this was his calling as an apostle, and no threat could silence him. He made it clear to his persecutors that he would obey God rather than people. Brethren, many times we are pressured to choose pleasing people over pleasing God—not always through persecution, but often in subtle ways, just trying to fit in. In certain social groups, we may hide our faith or downplay our Christian identity. But Peter teaches us that listening to God must always be the driving force in our decisions.

Even though Peter and John were at the mercy of the religious leaders, they did not shrink back. They publicly declared their faith in Christ regardless of the consequences. Brethren, people will reject us and our Savior. It doesn’t matter how much proof we present—some will still resist the truth. But like Peter and John, compassion and conviction must keep us moving forward. Do not be surprised by rejection; it’s nothing new. It happened in the first century and it will happen today. Many around us live in spiritual darkness, and only the light of truth can bring them life. Whatever opposition we face, let us learn to be bold and continue in Christ.

Peter and John could have been killed, but they didn’t care. Their main concern was that the word of God be preached.

Brethren, boldness comes from the Holy Spirit, and we can ask Him for it. From verses 23–31 we see that, after being released, Peter and John gathered with the other disciples and prayed. Notice what they prayed for—not that persecution would stop, but that God would grant them *boldness* to continue preaching. They entrusted the threats to God and asked only that He empower them to remain faithful. Their focus was not on comfort or safety, but on courage to fulfill their mission.

If it were modern Christians, perhaps we would pray for persecution to disappear, or for our enemies to be removed. But the disciples prayed differently: they asked God to look upon the threats and give them strength to keep preaching.

God answered by filling them afresh with the Holy Spirit, granting them boldness (v. 3A0). Notice—He did not remove the persecution, but He removed their fear.

So often, we remain silent, thinking we are being humble, when in reality we are afraid of rejection. But rejection is not something to fear—it is something to expect. If you lack boldness, ask God for it. Don’t pray that people will stop resisting the gospel, because resistance will always come. Instead, pray for courage to speak the truth in the face of resistance.

Let us, like the disciples, be determined to carry out God’s mission.

*Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema*

_Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well._ *Acts 4:10 (ESV)*

Our reading today is coming from Acts 4:1 -12. This is a continuation from where we stopped last time; Peter and John had healed the lame man on the beautiful gate and gave a sermon in the temple court, (You can find this message by following the link down leaf). Now, in this chapter, we see the reaction of the religious leaders to the healing of the lame man and the sermon by peter. Let’s dive into this together.

The chapter begins by showing us that the religious leaders (Sadducees and police) were extremely disturbed and annoyed by the teaching of Peter about Christ’s resurrection. Fellow disciples, it should be common knowledge by now that the message of the cross annoys the unsaved. _All those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution,_ *2 Timothy 3:12*. I just want to make it clear that, we will suffer persecution at some people if we earnestly live godly in Christ and that it is inevitable. If you live a Christian life and you are loved by everyone and there is no persecution coming your way that can also be an indicator that something is not going well in your Spiritual life and that you need an overhaul. Peter and John were arrested and they spent a night in jail for healing a lame man and preaching Christ’s resurrection.

On verse 7, we see that peter was filled with the Holy Spirit afresh. The tense used implies an immediate sudden filling which peter needed for that particular situation. Peter received in that very moment a fresh measure of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit and this gave him courage and boldness. Remember, this is the same Peter who was afraid when Christ was being tried in this very court, Peter was outside denying Christ to servant girl. What changed in Peter to make him as bold to address the same court is the filling of the Holy Spirit. Brethren, the Holy Spirit has different gifting and working according to the needs that may arise and hence we don’t need a once off filling, we can be filled with him over and over again. Let us not be limited, we cannot live this spiritual life minus the Holy Spirit, we need to yield to Him on a daily basis.

Peter finishes his sermon here by pointing to Christ. One notable theme from all the sermons from Peter is that he always gave Christ the first position. He acknowledges that all power to heal come from Christ and that salvation is only through Christ. Peter takes no credit of the miracle performed nor the power used to perform the miracle, unlike many of the contemporary preachers. Brethren, the chief cornerstone is Jesus, whether He has chosen to use you as a vessel, you should not take that as a chance to share His glory. Preach only Christ raised from the dead. Circumstances should not matter or change your preaching, Peter on the day of Pentecost when faced with a multitude of people in peace preached Christ, when he healed a lame man, and he still preached Christ. Now he being tried in court, he still preached Christ. He doesn’t change his confession, this should also teach us to stick to preaching Christ no matter what.

*Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema*

_“And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk?”_ *Acts 3:12 ASV*

Today’s reading is from *Acts 3:12–26*. In this passage, Peter, having just healed the lame man at the gate called Beautiful, seizes the moment to preach the gospel to the amazed crowd. There are several key lessons we can draw from this powerful encounter.

*Faith in Christ Is the Source of Miracles*

The healing of the lame man was not based on his own faith—he neither believed in Christ nor asked to be healed. It was the faith of Peter and John, exercised in the name of Jesus, that brought about the miracle.
This challenges a common belief in the modern church: when healing doesn’t happen, people often blame the sick for lacking faith. But what about the faith of the one who prays? God still desires to perform miracles today. What He is looking for is *our* faith—faith in Him and in the power of His name.

*All Glory Must Point to Christ*

After the miracle, Peter immediately redirected the attention away from himself and John and pointed the people to Christ. This is the heart of true gospel preaching: not to magnify miracles, but to magnify Christ.
Today, many preachers place greater emphasis on the works of Christ than on Christ Himself. Sermons are filled with stories of what “the man of God” has done, rather than focusing on the message of the cross. But Peter shows us that miracles are signs meant to point to Jesus—not to the preacher. There’s a thin line between testifying and pride, and we must be careful to always exalt Christ above all.

*Know the Word and Preach It Boldly*

Peter’s message was grounded in Scripture. Even without a physical Bible, he quoted the Old Testament from memory, skillfully connecting prophecy to Christ. This shows us the importance of knowing the Word of God deeply and personally.
As Christians—and especially as preachers—we can only operate effectively when we understand what the Bible says about every situation we face. Scripture must be the foundation of both our faith and our witness.

*Repentance and Restoration Are the Heart of the Gospel*

The central theme of Peter’s message is found in verse 19:
_“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out...”_
Peter calls the people to turn away from sin and return to God through Jesus Christ. This echoes the voices of the Old Testament prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah to bring salvation and reconciliation.
The gospel is not just about signs and wonders—it is about changed lives. It's about repentance, restoration, and a renewed relationship with God.
*Dear brethren, your moment of repentance might be today.* As you read these words, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Bow down in repentance. God wants to restore your life.

Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Acts 3:6

As we continue our journey through the book of Acts, today we read Acts 3:1-10. This passage records the very first miracle performed after Christ’s ascension—a powerful moment in the life of the early church.

The first lesson comes from verse 1, where we see Peter and John going up to the temple at the hour of prayer. No longer were they living in fear; the Holy Spirit had empowered them on the day of Pentecost, giving them the confidence to gather publicly with other Jews in the temple. Brethren, God is faithful to act on His promises. In Acts 1:8, He promised to give the apostles power, and that promise was fulfilled. We see Peter and John in this chapter walking boldly in that power. In verse 6, Peter demonstrates it by commanding healing for the man who was lame from birth. He knew the authority he carried and confidently exercised it through the Holy Spirit. Whatever God has promised, trust Him—it will surely come to pass.

Secondly, we learn that we cannot give what we do not have. In the opening verse, Peter honestly says, “I have no silver and gold…” The man at the Beautiful Gate was looking for money, unaware that God had something far greater in store for him. Peter and John didn’t have money to offer, but they gave him what they did have: Jesus Christ, the hope of glory. Many of us as Christians desire to perform great miracles, preach like Billy Graham, or become spiritual leaders opening new ministries. Yet it’s impossible to give to others what we ourselves have not first received from God. The apostles spent three and a half years receiving from Jesus, and even after His resurrection, they waited to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. That’s why Peter was so confident he could offer healing to the lame man. Brethren, let us take time to prepare ourselves in the Lord so that we have something genuine to offer His people. Don’t rush into ministry empty-handed—wait on the Lord and be filled.

Thirdly, we see that the name of Jesus meets our greater need. The man at the Beautiful Gate thought his greatest need was money for survival. But God knew that his true need was healing. How often do we believe our greatest need is a job, a marriage partner, or financial provision—when God sees a deeper need within us? Romans 8:26 reminds us: “…We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” This means that while we are often praying for what we think we need, the Holy Spirit is praying for what we truly need—the deeper, greater needs that align with God’s perfect will for our lives. God knows our true needs and provides for them. The man received his healing even though he was asking for money. And as a result, he was now able to walk, work, and earn far more than any small gift Peter could have offered him.

Brethren, let us trust God, who knows what we truly need. Sometimes when it feels like God is not answering our specific prayers, we need to open our eyes—because God may already have answered by giving us what we need most. That greater gift might ultimately help us achieve the very things we’ve been praying for.

Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42

We continue our study in the book of Acts, reading today from Acts 2:37-47. While our focus is on verse 42, it’s important to first note the people’s reaction to Peter’s sermon. Verse 37 tells us that the listeners were “cut to the heart” and asked, “What shall we do? It was the Holy Spirit who convicted their hearts as they heard Peter’s words.

May it be our prayer, brethren, that the Holy Spirit will always convict us deeply concerning the truths of God’s Word. These people humbled themselves enough to seek guidance from Peter. Sometimes, we hear God’s Word but remain too proud to ask Him for help. Let this be a lesson for us to remain humble and willing to receive help from God through His servants. And for those who preach and teach the Word: it’s not enough to simply preach; we must also give clear directions on what people should do in response. Let us not leave people hanging.

In verse 42, we see four foundational activities that characterized the life of the early church. Scripture tells us the believers _devoted_ themselves to these practices. To “devote” means to commit oneself fully, to be steadfast, and to pay close attention. The early church dedicated themselves to these four pillars, and I believe God is calling us to do the same if we desire a fruitful and vibrant Christian life.

1. Devotion to the Apostles’ Teaching
The first activity was devotion to the apostles’ teaching. The believers eagerly received and studied the Word of God as taught by the apostles. Today, we have both the Old and New Testaments, and God calls us to devote ourselves to His Word. Joshua 1:8 reminds us that true prosperity and success come from meditating on God’s Word day and night. The early church placed a high priority on teaching centered on Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. We too must guard against twisting God’s Word to fit our personal situations, remaining faithful to its true message.

2. Fellowship
The second activity was fellowship. The word “fellowship” is an attempt to translate the Greek word koinonia, for which there is no exact English equivalent. In Scripture, koinonia is also translated as intimate sharing, contribution, communion, distribution, and communication (see Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 6:14). This speaks of the deep, family-like relationships the early believers shared, where they were free to support each other materially, financially, and emotionally.

This kind of fellowship is vividly seen in verses 44-45, where the believers were together, holding all things in common and distributing resources according to each person’s need. Sadly, the modern church often lacks this level of love and unity. Too often, the poor among us remain poor while the rich remain rich, each person focused on themselves, even though we call ourselves born-again Christians. Brethren, let us cultivate the heart of fellowship found in the early church. God is calling us back to this kind of selfless community.

3. Breaking of Bread
The third activity was the breaking of bread, which refers to the Lord’s Supper. The early church often shared the bread from a single loaf and drank from a common cup, symbolizing their unity as one body. The same bread being assimilated into each believer’s body was a profound picture of their mystical union in Christ.

I am encouraged by the apostles’ commitment to nurturing unity within the early church. They went to great lengths to instill both spiritual oneness through communion and physical oneness by sharing the same meal. Verse 46 tells us: _“They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart.”_ Surely, God wants us to learn that singleness of heart is essential for the body of Christ. We cannot have a church divided and still claim to serve the living God. Let us make intentional efforts to build unity among ourselves as believers—and sharing meals together is one beautiful way to do so.

4. Prayer
Lastly, prayer was a top priority for the apostles, alongside the ministry of the Word. Ours is a spiritual battle; the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds. We need to pray even more earnestly than we engage in the various activities the church pursues today. Sadly, many modern churches are busy organizing large walks, advertising campaigns, and projects, yet prayer often receives less emphasis.

When the apostles were pressured in later chapters of Acts to manage the welfare distribution, they responded that it would not be right for them to neglect the Word of God and prayer to wait on tables. Yet today, many church leaders are content to focus on secondary tasks rather than the essential ministries of prayer and the Word. May God help us to keep our priorities in line with His!

Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.” Acts 2:14

Our reading today comes from Acts 2:13-36, where Peter delivered a sermon on the day of Pentecost. This, as we have discussed previously, was when the Lord had just poured out the Holy Spirit on the believers. In verse 12 of this chapter, we see the onlookers’ reaction to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and they asked one another, “What does this mean?” It is against this background that we see Peter standing up and raising his voice to address the people. The following are the lessons we get from this chapter.

First, Peter in his sermon addressed the questions that the people had concerning what was happening. Remember, the onlookers were asking one another, and others were mocking the believers. Peter responded to both of the people’s reactions. In other words, Peter identified the gap or need and addressed it. Brethren, a sermon needs to address the questions that people have and provide answers. Have you ever listened to preaching that raises more questions than answers and leaves you confused? Peter in this sermon provided answers to the confusion that the Jews had, and we will see later how many were won for the Lord. Let us learn to preach with clarity and to provide answers in our sermons depending on the needs of the congregation we are ministering to. Messages should really scratch where people itch.

Secondly, we see the boldness that Peter had after being empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is the same Peter who denied Christ out of fear in John 18:17, but here he was so bold as to speak to more than 3,000 men about Christ. This is a testimony to what Christ spoke of in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And this is true for all of us believers. We also see that the Holy Spirit made Peter aware of the questions that the people had. Remember, there was a lot of noise where they were; every one of the believers was speaking in tongues, and the Jews were mocking them, while others were just confused and asking each other questions. I believe it was the Holy Spirit who told Peter what the questions were and how to address them. Brethren, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to boldly preach Christ and also to know exactly what to say to address the needs within the body of Christ.

Thirdly, we see that Peter responded by giving a biblical basis for what was happening. Brethren, spiritual phenomena or supernatural occurrences have to have a biblical basis. There are a lot of things that have been allowed in the church today that do not have a solid biblical basis, and we need to be careful with such. It is true that God is not limited by His Word; He is greater than His Word, BUT He has chosen to reveal Himself through the written Scriptures. Hence, whatever phenomenon does not have a solid biblical basis is questionable. Peter here is teaching us that whatever people were seeing and observing was according to biblical guidelines, as written in the book of Joel. When we preach, we need to base our sermons on biblical guidelines and not just on our experiences.

Lastly, we also observe here that Peter preached Christ, who was raised from the dead. Peter did not dwell much on himself or the believers and what they were doing or experiencing—which was the question for the onlookers—but he was quick to preach the central message of the gospel, which is Christ. Many times, we get carried away and start preaching our experiences or works to people instead of preaching Christ. But this is an error; the central message of the gospel is Christ. We have received the Holy Spirit to preach Christ, and that is what we must always preach.

Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema

_All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them._ *Acts 2:4 NIV*

Today, we are reading from Acts 2:1-12. This passage details the coming of the Holy Spirit, and I want us to think about it in the context of Acts 1:4-8; the Holy Spirit was given to us for the purpose of advancing the kingdom of God. The day of Pentecost was not a coincidence, God wanted the gospel preached to a lot of people from different nations and this was a perfect day because Jerusalem was filled up with people from many nations who had come for the festival.

On verse 5, we see that the scope of God's mission is the whole world. This is why Luke goes all the way to describe devote men from every other nation known to them at that time. Luke even goes on to mention the nations that were present from verse 9-11. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers so as to empower them to reach anywhere and everywhere. Many are times that we Christians have used the power of the Holy Spirit for personal gain or to uplift our status in society. We are a generation that seeks the empowerment but not the mission, but this has to change.

Secondly, we see that when the Holy Spirit fell upon them, they spoke in other tongues. Two interesting things about the gift tongues here are that;
1. It was the Holy Spirit that gave them utterance. No one was making up tongues or enabling themselves, the ability to speak in tongues is the Holy Spirit's.
2. The tounges that were spoken here were _praises_ in foreign languages that the visitors in Jerusalem understood and learnt about the testimony of Christ. These tongues were not mere gibberish, the apostles were speaking of the greatness of Christ using foreign languages. We can hence define speaking in tongues as speaking a foreign language that you have not studied.

Thirdly, we see on verse 3 that the Holy Spirit filled every person who gathered there, this is not limited to the apostles. The Holy Spirit is ready to baptise anyone and everyone who is available to be used. We do not need a spokesman to reach God on our behalf, we just have to present ourselves to God and He will use us.

Hence, we can conclude that the true meaning of Pentecost is that God gave the Holy Spirit to His church so that they would bear witness to the nations for His glory. The power was given for a mission and not pleasure. As such, those of us that have been empowered, we must advance the mission of Christ

Emmanuel Chitsanzo Mtema