Breaking Barriers 1

It is difficult to be a manifestation of Christ to someone if you fear them or hate them. You don’t have to understand them, but you need to be willing to understand them. What do they fear? What do they hate? What do they value?

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.
While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:3-8 HCSB ©®)

Barrier 1: between Hebraic Jews and Hellenistic Jews in Jerusalem on Pentecost.

In chapter 2 of Acts of the Apostles, Luke recorded that Peter preached to thousands of Jews, both those who were culturally very Jewish, and those who were culturally very Greek. He listed nations from which they had come to celebrate Passover and Pentecost.

In chapter 6, Luke recorded the complaint that happened between the two Jewish groups when the Hellenistic widows were not being provided for as generously as the Hebraic widows. The apostles called for 7 culturally Greek young men to be given authority over resources to be distributed to widows who were culturally Greek. When the apostles laid hands on them to ordain them into the food distribution ministry, they received spiritual gifts and began to do powerful, supernatural ministry.