ACTS HYMNAL
Complete Album Lyrics
Ben Adarkwa Dwamena, MD
BennyBeauBallads
https://bennybeauballads.com/acts-album/

ACTS 1 - You Shall Be My Witnesses

INTRO
(organ, brass fanfare)

VERSE 1
Forty days the risen Savior
Walked and taught among His own,
Opened Scripture, broke the silence,
Showed the kingdom yet to come.
"Wait," He said, "in Jerusalem
Till the Father's promise falls;
You shall have the Holy Spirit,
Power to answer heaven's call."

CHORUS
You shall be My witnesses
In the city, in the land,
To the ends of all the earth
By the Spirit's mighty hand.

VERSE 2
Then a cloud received Him upward,
And they stood with lifted eyes;
Angels said, "This same Lord Jesus
Will return from those same skies."
So the King has gone to reign now
At the Father's own right hand,
And His word goes on before us
Till it fills the farthest land.

CHORUS
VERSE 3
In the upper room they gathered,
Women, brothers, faithful few,
One in heart and one in praying,
Waiting till the word came true.
Lord, we wait as they were waiting,
Let Your promise fall again;

Make us bold and make us faithful,
Witnesses to sinful men.

FINAL CHORUS
(descant over choir)
You shall be My witnesses
In the city, in the land,
To the ends of all the earth
By the Spirit's mighty hand.

OUTRO
Amen, amen.

ACTS 2 - Fire on the Fiftieth Day

INTRO
(highlife guitar riff, talking drum)

VERSE 1
They were waiting, all together,
On the feast of fifty days,
When a sound like rushing wind came
And it filled the house with praise.
Tongues of fire rested on them,
Every heart began to burn,
And they spoke in many languages
Of the Lord they'd come to learn.

CHORUS
Fire on the fiftieth day! (fire, fire)
The Spirit came to stay! (He came to stay)
Every nation heard the story
In its mother tongue that day:
Jesus is the Lord, and He reigns!

VERSE 2
Parthians and Medes and Romans,
Cretans, Arabs, all were there;
Some said, "These men must be drunken,"
But then Peter stood to declare:
"This is what the prophet promised,
God has poured His Spirit out;
The One you crucified is risen,
Lord and Christ, beyond all doubt."

CHORUS
BRIDGE
(call and response)
What shall we do? Repent and be baptized!
What shall we do? Your sins are forgiven!
The promise is for you, (for you)

And for your children, (your children)
For all who are far off, (far off)
Whom the Lord our God will call!

VERSE 3
Three thousand souls that morning
Were received into the fold;
They devoted to the teaching,
Broke the bread and prayed as told.
Shared their goods with glad hearts,
Praising God in every home,
And the Lord kept adding daily
Those He saved to be His own.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
(drums and choir)
He came to stay, He came to stay,
Fire on the fiftieth day!

ACTS 3 - In the Name of Jesus, Rise

INTRO
(slow organ, testimony feel)

VERSE 1
At the Gate called Beautiful,
At the hour of prayer,
Sat a man who'd never walked,
Carried, laid down there.
All he hoped for was a coin,
All he knew was need,
Till two men looked into his eyes
And said, "Look on us, and see."

PRE-CHORUS
Silver and gold have I none,
But what I have I give to you:

CHORUS
In the name of Jesus, rise!
In the name of Jesus, walk!
Leaping, praising, entering in,
He's alive, He's alive!
In the name of Jesus, rise!

VERSE 2
All the people ran to see,
Astonished at the sight;
Peter said, "Why stare at us
As if by our own might?
The God of Abraham has raised
The Servant you denied;
By faith in His name this man stands strong,
The Author of life, alive."

PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS
BRIDGE
Repent, and turn again,
That your sins may be wiped away;
Times of refreshing are coming
From the presence of the Lord today.
(choir) Refreshing! Refreshing!
From the presence of the Lord!

FINAL CHORUS
(key change, full choir)
In the name of Jesus, rise!
In the name of Jesus, walk!
Leaping, praising, entering in,
He's alive, He's alive!
In the name of Jesus, rise!

OUTRO
Rise... rise... in the name of Jesus.

ACTS 4 - No Other Name

INTRO
(fiddle and guitar)

VERSE 1
They stood before the rulers,
Plain men from Galilee,
The council asked them sternly,
"By what name or power are these?"
And Peter, filled with the Spirit,
Answered without fear:
"The stone that you rejected
Is the cornerstone right here."

CHORUS
There is no other name
Under heaven given among men,
By which we must be saved
But Jesus, Jesus, now as then.
No other name, no other name,
Only Jesus, Lord of all.

VERSE 2
They saw their boldness, marveled,
For these were common men;
They knew they'd been with Jesus,
And the healed one stood with them.
"We cannot help but speaking
Of what we've seen and heard;
Judge if it's right before God
To obey you more than His word."

CHORUS
BRIDGE
Sovereign Lord, who made the heavens,
The earth and the sea,
The nations raged against Your Christ,

Yet did what You decreed.
Now look upon their threatenings,
And grant Your servants this:
To speak Your word with boldness
While Your hand heals and sends.

VERSE 3
The place where they were praying
Was shaken by His power;
They spoke the word with boldness,
One heart in that hour.
No one called his goods his own,
Great grace was on them all;
And still the church is gathered
Around that name to call.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
Only Jesus, Lord of all.

ACTS 5 - Worthy to Suffer for the Name

INTRO
(choir hum, soft djembe)

VERSE 1
Holy is the Lord among His people,
No one plays with fire from His throne;
Truth is not a coin to keep in secret,
For the Spirit sees and knows His own.
Great fear came upon the gathered church,
And signs and wonders filled the street;
The sick were laid where Peter's shadow fell,
And healing ran to every one they'd meet.

VERSE 2
Jealous rulers threw them into prison,
Locked the doors and set the guards to stay;
But an angel came and opened every gate:
"Go and speak the words of life today."
In the morning there they stood, still preaching,
At the temple where the people meet;
"We must obey our God rather than men,
For Jesus reigns, the Prince at God's right seat."

CHORUS
Worthy, worthy, counted worthy
To suffer shame for His name;
Rejoicing, rejoicing,
We go out to preach the same.
Every day, in every house,
We will not stop proclaiming:
Jesus is the Christ!

BRIDGE
(solo tenor, choir answers)
If this plan is born of men, (it will fall)
If this work is born of God, (it will stand)

You cannot overthrow it,
You would fight against His hand.

CHORUS
OUTRO
(a cappella)
Jesus is the Christ.

ACTS 6 - Servants at the Table

INTRO
(tin whistle melody)

VERSE 1
The church grew strong and numbers swelled,
Yet murmurs rose within;
The widows of the Greek-speaking poor
Were overlooked by kin.
The Twelve said, "It is not for us
To leave the word aside;
Choose seven full of Spirit's grace
To serve and to provide."

REFRAIN
Servants at the table,
Servants of the word,
Every task a holy one
When offered to the Lord.

VERSE 2
They chose out Stephen, full of faith,
And Philip, and the rest;
The apostles prayed and laid on hands,
And so the work was blessed.
The word of God spread far and wide,
Disciples multiplied;
And many priests obeyed the faith,
Their pride now laid aside.

REFRAIN
VERSE 3
But Stephen, full of grace and power,
Wrought wonders in the land;
When false men argued, none could stand
The wisdom in his hand.
They seized him, brought him to the court

With lies they had prepared;
Yet all who looked upon his face
Saw angel-light was there.

REFRAIN
OUTRO
When offered to the Lord.

ACTS 7 - I See the Heavens Opened

INTRO
(low strings)

VERSE 1
The God of glory called to Abraham,
And led him out by faith to a land;
He stood with Joseph, sold in Egypt's chains,
And raised up Moses by His hand.
Yet always, always, Israel resisted,
They stoned the prophets sent to save;
And now the Righteous One you have betrayed,
And laid Him in a borrowed grave.

VERSE 2
They heard and ground their teeth in fury,
But Stephen, full of Holy Ghost,
Looked steadfast up to heaven's glory
And saw the Lord of all the host.

CHORUS
(choir enters)
I see the heavens opened,
The Son of Man is standing there,
At the right hand of the Father,
Risen to receive my prayer.

VERSE 3
They stopped their ears and rushed upon him,
They cast him out beyond the wall;
The witnesses laid down their garments
At the feet of a young man called Saul.

BRIDGE
(solo, softly)
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
(choir, whisper)

And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

FINAL CHORUS
(major key, full choir and organ)
I see the heavens opened,
The Son of Man is standing there,
At the right hand of the Father,
Risen to receive my prayer.

OUTRO
He fell asleep... in Jesus.

ACTS 8 - Here Is Water

INTRO
(kora and guitar, walking rhythm)

VERSE 1
Persecution swept through Jerusalem,
Scattered the faithful like seed on the wind;
But everywhere they went they spoke the word,
And the gospel took root where it had never been.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria,
Preaching the Christ to the crowds that came;
The lame were healed and the bound were freed,
And there was much joy in that city for His name.

VERSE 2
An angel said, "Go south to the desert road,"
And there a chariot came rolling along;
A man of Ethiopia, the queen's treasurer,
Reading Isaiah, but the meaning was gone.
"Do you understand what you are reading?"
"How can I, unless someone shows me the way?"
So Philip climbed in and opened his mouth,
And told him of Jesus, beginning that day.

CHORUS
Here is water! What hinders me?
The Lamb was led to the slaughter for me;
Bury me with Him, raise me again,
I'll go on my way rejoicing, Amen!

BRIDGE
(choir, softly)
Like a sheep before its shearers,
He opened not His mouth;
His life was taken from the earth,
That life might flow to north and south.

VERSE 3
They went down into the water,
Philip baptized him there;
The Spirit caught Philip away,
But joy was in the desert air.
The road to Ethiopia
Now carried living news;
The gospel went to Africa,
And still the Lord renews.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
Going on my way rejoicing,
Rejoicing, Amen.

ACTS 9 - Scales Fell from My Eyes

INTRO
(soft piano)

VERSE 1
I was breathing threats and murder,
Letters folded in my hand,
Sure that I was serving heaven
As I rode across the land.
Then a light flashed out of glory,
Brighter than the noonday sun,
And I fell down in the roadway
At the voice of the Holy One.

PRE-CHORUS
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?"
"Who are You, Lord?"
"I am Jesus."

CHORUS
And the scales fell from my eyes,
I was blind but now I see;
The One I hunted down
Had been hunting after me.
Chosen vessel of His mercy,
Carry now His name abroad;
The scales fell from my eyes,
And I saw the Son of God.

VERSE 2
Three days dark and without water,
I was praying, I was undone;
Then a trembling man named Ananias
Came because the Lord said, "Go."
"Brother Saul," he spoke so gently,
Laid his hands upon my head;
I arose and was baptized there,

And I took the living bread.

CHORUS
BRIDGE
The enemy became a brother,
The hunter became the hunted's friend;
Grace that turns the worst of sinners
Can turn any heart again.
At Lydda, Aeneas rises,
At Joppa, Dorcas stands;
The church has peace and grows in comfort,
Led by the Spirit's hand.

FINAL CHORUS
(full band)

OUTRO
I saw the Son of God.

ACTS 10 - What God Has Made Clean

INTRO
(twin highlife guitars)

VERSE 1
In Caesarea lived a soldier,
Cornelius, devout and kind;
He gave alms and prayed to heaven,
And God kept him in mind.
An angel said, "Send down to Joppa,
There a man named Peter stays;
He will tell you words of salvation
For your house and all your days."

VERSE 2
On the rooftop Peter, praying,
Saw a sheet let down from high,
Full of beasts he called unholy;
"Rise and eat," came the reply.
"Not so, Lord, I've never eaten
What is common or unclean."
"What God has made clean, do not call common."
Three times came the scene.

CHORUS
What God has made clean, (made clean)
Do not call it common; (no, no)
God shows no partiality,
He welcomes every nation.
Jew and Gentile, near and far,
One table, one salvation;
What God has made clean!

VERSE 3
So Peter went to Cornelius,
Found his household gathered there;
Preached of Jesus, Lord of all,

Anointed, slain, and raised, the Judge declared.
While he spoke the Spirit fell
On the Gentiles in that place;
They spoke in tongues and praised the Lord,
And were baptized into grace.

CHORUS
OUTRO
(call and response)
Every nation! (He welcomes)
Every tribe! (He welcomes)
Every tongue! (He welcomes)
What God has made clean!

ACTS 11 - Called Christians in Antioch

INTRO
(banjo roll and fiddle)

VERSE 1
They questioned Peter in Jerusalem,
"You ate with Gentile men!"
So he told them of the vision
And the Spirit falling then.
"If God gave them the same gift
That He gave to us before,
Who was I to stand against Him?"
And they argued it no more.

CHORUS
Then to the Gentiles also
God has granted life,
Repentance unto living,
Peace instead of strife;
And in Antioch, in Antioch,
The name first came to be:
They called the disciples Christians,
And that name belongs to me.

VERSE 2
Men of Cyprus and Cyrene
Spoke to Greeks about the Lord;
The Lord's hand was with them,
And a great number turned toward.
Barnabas, a good man, came,
Full of Spirit and of faith,
Then went off to Tarsus
To bring Saul to that place.

CHORUS
VERSE 3
Agabus stood up and prophesied

A famine on the way;
So every one, as each was able,
Gave relief without delay.
They sent it by the hand of Barnabas
And Saul to Judah's poor;
One family across the nations,
That's what Christians are for.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
And that name belongs to me.

ACTS 12 - The Church Was Praying

INTRO
(hummed choir, organ)

VERSE 1
Herod raised his sword against the church,
James was taken and slain;
Then he seized Peter at the Passover,
Bound him with a double chain.
Four squads of soldiers watched the door,
The morning trial was set;
But the king forgot a mighty thing:
The church was praying yet.

CHORUS
(call and response)
The church was praying, (praying)
Without ceasing, (praying)
In the midnight, (praying)
For the prisoner in the jail;
The church was praying,
And prayer will not fail.

VERSE 2
Peter slept between two soldiers,
An angel struck his side:
"Get up quickly, wrap your cloak on,"
And the chains fell open wide.
The iron gate that led to the city
Opened of its own accord;
Peter came to himself and said,
"Now I know it was the Lord."

CHORUS
BRIDGE
(tempo lifts)
Knock, knock at Mary's door,

Rhoda heard his voice and ran!
"It's Peter! Peter's at the gate!"
"You are mad! It is his angel!" they began.
But he kept on knocking, kept on knocking,
And they opened, and they saw;
The Lord had brought him out of prison
Around the tyrant's law.

VERSE 3
Herod sat in royal robes,
The people shouted, "God!"
But he did not give God glory,
And he fell beneath His rod.
Kings will rise and kings will perish,
Thrones will crumble into dust;
But the word of God increased and multiplied,
And in Him we put our trust.

FINAL CHORUS
(jubilee tempo, full choir)

OUTRO
And prayer will not fail.

ACTS 13 - Set Apart for the Work

INTRO
(organ)

VERSE 1
While they were fasting in the Lord,
The Holy Spirit spoke and said,
"Set Barnabas and Saul apart
For work to which I've called and led."

VERSE 2
They laid on hands and sent them forth;
They sailed to Cyprus on the sea;
The sorcerer was struck with night,
The ruler saw and bowed the knee.

VERSE 3
In Pisidian Antioch Paul stood
And told the story Israel knew:
From Egypt, David, to the Son,
The promise God has now made true.

CHORUS
I have made You a light for the nations,
To bring salvation to the end of the earth;
And as many as were appointed to life believed,
And the word of the Lord went forth.

VERSE 4
Through Him forgiveness is proclaimed,
Through Him the guilty justified,
From all the law could never free;
Behold the risen Crucified!

VERSE 5
The Gentiles heard and glorified
The word of God with glad acclaim;
Though some reject and stir up strife,

The Lord still calls them by His name.

FINAL CHORUS
(descant over choir)

OUTRO
The word of the Lord went forth.
Amen.

ACTS 14 - Through Many Tribulations

INTRO
(fingerpicked guitar)

VERSE 1
In Iconium the city split,
Some with the Jews, some with the two;
They spoke boldly for the Lord,
Who bore witness that His word of grace was true.
When they learned of a plot to stone them,
They fled to Lystra down the road;
There a man who'd never walked
Heard Paul and stood up as he was told.

VERSE 2
The crowds cried out, "The gods are here!"
They called them Zeus and Hermes then;
The priest brought oxen to the gate,
But they tore their clothes: "We too are men!
Turn from these vain things to the living God,
Who made the heavens, earth, and sea,
Who gave you rain and fruitful seasons,
And gave you gladness full and free."

VERSE 3
But enemies came and turned the crowd,
They stoned Paul, dragged him from the town;
They thought that he was dead and gone,
But the disciples gathered round.
He rose up and went back in,
And the next day traveled on;
The stones could break the body,
But they could not stop the song.

CHORUS
Through many tribulations
We must enter in the kingdom of our God;

Continue in the faith, my brothers,
Walk the narrow road He trod.
Through many tribulations,
Through the fire and through the flood,
We will enter in the kingdom,
Kept by the grace of God.

BRIDGE
They appointed elders in every church,
Prayed and fasted, commended them to the Lord;
Then sailed home and gathered everyone
To tell how God had opened a door.

FINAL CHORUS
(major key)

OUTRO
Kept by the grace of God.

ACTS 15 - Saved Through Grace Alone

INTRO
(marimba and choir hum)

VERSE 1
Some came down from Judea, teaching,
"Unless you're circumcised, you cannot be saved";
Paul and Barnabas stood against them,
And the brothers went up to the elders to weigh.
The apostles met with the elders,
And after much debate had passed,
Peter stood and spoke of Cornelius,
How the Spirit came on them at last.

VERSE 2
"God, who knows the heart, bore witness,
Giving them the Spirit as to us;
He made no distinction between us,
Cleansing their hearts by faith in Jesus.
Why then put God to the test
By placing on their necks a yoke
That neither we nor our fathers could bear?"
This is the word that Peter spoke:

CHORUS
We believe that we will be saved
Through the grace of the Lord Jesus,
Just as they will;
Not by works, not by our labor,
Not by the law we could not fulfill;
Saved through grace alone,
Through faith alone,
In Christ alone!

VERSE 3
James stood up and quoted Amos:
"I will rebuild David's fallen tent,

That the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
And the Gentiles called by My name be sent."
So they wrote a letter of welcome,
And the church at Antioch read;
They rejoiced at its encouragement,
And were strengthened as they were led.

FINAL CHORUS
(full choir)

OUTRO
In Christ alone.
Amen.

ACTS 16 - Songs at Midnight

INTRO
(slow blues piano, chains clanking rhythm)

VERSE 1
A man of Macedonia called by night,
"Come over and help us!"
So they sailed to Philippi
And found the women praying by the river.
There was Lydia, seller of purple,
The Lord opened her heart to believe;
She and her household were baptized,
And she said, "Come stay with me."

VERSE 2
But a slave girl followed after,
And Paul cast out the spirit in her;
Her masters lost their profit,
Dragged them to the rulers in a fury.
They were beaten with rods,
Thrown in the inner prison,
Feet fastened in the stocks,
And the door was shut.

CHORUS
(slow, deep)
But at midnight, Paul and Silas
Were praying and singing hymns to God,
And the prisoners were listening,
Listening to the song.

BRIDGE
(drums crash, tempo lifts)
Then the earth began to tremble! (shake it)
And the foundations began to quake! (shake it)
Every door flew open! (open)
Every chain was broke! (free)

VERSE 3
The jailer woke and drew his sword,
But Paul cried out, "Do yourself no harm!
We are all here!" And trembling,
He fell down at their feet in alarm:
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And you will be saved, you and your house."
And that night he washed their stripes.

FINAL CHORUS
(key change, full choir shout)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!
And you will be saved, you and your house!
At midnight we will sing,
At midnight we will sing,
No chain can hold the praises of the King!

OUTRO
Rejoicing, he believed in God,
With all his house. Hallelujah.

ACTS 17 - In Him We Live and Move

INTRO
(harp and pipes)

VERSE 1
In Thessalonica they reasoned,
Opened Scripture for three Sabbath days:
"The Christ must suffer and rise from the dead,
And this Jesus is Christ," Paul would say.
The city was turned upside down,
So by night they were sent on their way;
In Berea they found noble hearts
Who searched the Scriptures day by day.

VERSE 2
In Athens Paul walked through the city,
Idols standing on every street;
An altar read, "To an Unknown God,"
And he stood where the thinkers meet.
"What you worship without knowing,
This I now declare to you:
The God who made the world and all things,
Lord of heaven and earth, the true."

CHORUS
In Him we live and move,
In Him we have our being;
He is not far from each of us,
The Maker all-foreseeing.
From one man He made every nation,
Set their times and set their bounds,
That they should seek Him and find Him,
The God by whom all life is found.

VERSE 3
"He does not dwell in temples built by men,
Nor is He served by human hands;

He gives to all both life and breath,
And calls to repentance every land.
For He has fixed a day of judgment
By the Man whom He ordained,
And given proof to all the world
By raising Him from the dead again."

BRIDGE
(softly)
Some mocked, and some said, "We'll hear you again."
But some joined him and believed:
Dionysius, Damaris,
And others with them received.

FINAL CHORUS
(full band)

OUTRO
In Him we live and move.

ACTS 18 - I Have Many People in This City

INTRO
(mellow highlife guitar)

VERSE 1
Paul came weary into Corinth,
Found Aquila and his wife;
They were tentmakers like himself,
And they shared the work of life.
Every Sabbath in the synagogue
He was reasoning with all;
But when they opposed and slandered,
He went next door at God's call.

VERSE 2
Crispus, ruler of the synagogue,
With his household came to believe;
Many Corinthians, hearing,
Were baptized and did receive.
Then one night the Lord spoke to him
In a vision, soft and clear:
"Do not be afraid, keep speaking,
Do not be silent, I am here."

CHORUS
I am with you, (I am with you)
No one will lay a hand to harm you;
I have many people in this city,
Many who are Mine.
Keep on speaking, (keep on speaking)
Do not be silent, do not fear;
I have many people in this city,
And My word will find them here.

VERSE 3
So he stayed a year and six months
Teaching the word of God there;

Gallio would not judge the matter,
And the Lord kept him in His care.
Then Apollos, mighty in Scripture,
Came to Ephesus to teach;
Priscilla and Aquila took him
And explained the way in speech.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
Many who are Mine,
Many who are Mine.

ACTS 19 - The Word Grew Mightily

INTRO
(drums and guitar riff)

VERSE 1
In Ephesus Paul found some disciples,
"Did you receive the Spirit when you believed?"
"We've never heard there is a Holy Spirit."
He baptized them in Jesus, and they received.
Two years he reasoned in Tyrannus' hall,
Till all of Asia heard the word;
God did extraordinary miracles,
And the name of Jesus was revered.

VERSE 2
Seven sons of Sceva tried the name,
"We adjure you by the Jesus Paul preaches!"
The evil spirit said, "Jesus I know,
And Paul I know, but who are you?"
The man leapt on them, they fled naked and wounded,
And fear fell on the city that day;
And those who practiced magic arts
Brought out their books and burned them all away.

CHORUS
So the word of the Lord grew mightily,
Grew mightily, and prevailed!
No spell, no shrine, no silver idol
Can stand when His word is hailed.
Fifty thousand pieces of silver
Went up in the flame;
The word of the Lord grew mightily
In the power of His name!

BRIDGE
(crowd chant, choir)
Great is Artemis! Great is Artemis!

(two hours they cried)
Great is Artemis!
(lead, over them)
But gods made with hands are no gods at all,
And every idol of this age will fall.

FINAL CHORUS
(full choir and band)

OUTRO
Grew mightily, and prevailed.

ACTS 20 - That I May Finish My Course

INTRO
(piano and cello)

VERSE 1
On the first day of the week in Troas,
Gathered to break the bread,
Paul talked on until midnight,
And a young man fell as dead.
Paul went down and embraced him:
"Do not fear, his life is in him."
And they took the young man home alive,
And were not a little comforted.

VERSE 2
At Miletus he called the elders,
"You know how I lived with you,
Serving the Lord with tears and trials,
Keeping back nothing that was true.
I declared the whole counsel of God,
From house to house, in public view:
Repentance toward God, and faith
In our Lord Jesus, through and through."

CHORUS
But I do not count my life
Of any value, nor as precious to myself,
If only I may finish my course
And the ministry I received,
To testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

VERSE 3
"Pay careful attention to yourselves
And to all the flock in your care;
Shepherd the church of God,
Which He bought with His own blood there.
Now I commend you to God

And the word of His grace,
Which is able to build you up
And give you an inheritance in His place."

BRIDGE
(softly)
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
How He Himself said:
"It is more blessed to give
Than to receive."

VERSE 4
He knelt down and prayed with all of them,
And there was much weeping there;
They embraced him and kissed him,
Sorrowing most at his words:
That they would see his face no more.
And they brought him to the shore.

FINAL CHORUS
(choir joins softly)

OUTRO
The gospel of the grace of God.

ACTS 21 - The Will of the Lord Be Done

INTRO
(guitar and pedal steel)

VERSE 1
We sailed from Miletus to Tyre,
And knelt to pray upon the sand;
The Spirit warned of what was waiting,
Yet Paul set his face to the land.
At Caesarea, Philip's daughters,
Prophesied in house and prayer;
Then came the prophet Agabus
And took Paul's belt and bound him there.

VERSE 2
"So shall the Jews in Jerusalem
Bind the man who owns this belt."
We begged him not to go up there,
And wept for all the grief we felt.

CHORUS
"What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?
I am ready not only to be bound,
But even to die in Jerusalem
For the name of the Lord Jesus."
And when he would not be persuaded,
We ceased and said with one tongue:
The will of the Lord be done,
The will of the Lord be done.

VERSE 3
The brothers met him gladly,
And praised God for all he told;
But in the temple a crowd was stirred,
And seized him, rough and bold.
They dragged him out to kill him,
Till the Roman soldiers came;

And bound in chains upon the stairs,
He asked to speak the Name.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
The will of the Lord be done.

ACTS 22 - Calling on His Name

INTRO
(organ, spoken feel)
Brothers and fathers, hear my defense...

VERSE 1
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus,
Brought up at Gamaliel's feet,
Zealous for God as you are today,
Persecuting the Way in every street.
I went to Damascus with letters,
And about noon a great light shone;
I fell to the ground and heard Him:
"I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute."

VERSE 2
They led me by the hand, I was blinded,
Till Ananias came and stood:
"Brother Saul, receive your sight."
And I looked up and I could.
"The God of our fathers appointed you
To know His will, to see the Just One,
To hear a voice from His mouth,
And to tell all men what you have seen and heard."

CHORUS
And now why do you wait? (why do you wait?)
Rise and be baptized, (rise up)
Wash away your sins,
Calling on His name!
Calling on His name! (call on Him)
Calling on His name! (call on Him)
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved!

BRIDGE
Then in the temple I was praying,

And He said, "Go, for I will send you
Far away to the Gentiles."
(crowd) Away with such a man from the earth!
(lead) But the Lord stood with me, the Lord stood with me.

FINAL CHORUS
(full choir shout)

OUTRO
Calling on His name.

ACTS 23 - Take Courage

INTRO
(organ)

VERSE 1
Before the council Paul stood fast
With conscience clear and true;
He cried, "I'm judged because I hope
The dead shall rise anew!"

VERSE 2
The council split, the uproar grew,
The soldiers took him in;
And in the barracks, in the night,
Alone he sat within.

VERSE 3
(softly)
The following night the Lord stood by
And spoke into his fear:
"Take courage, Paul, for as in this place,
So Rome your voice shall hear."

CHORUS
Take courage, take courage,
The Lord stands by His own;
The plans of men are in His hand,
He reigns upon the throne.

VERSE 4
Then forty swore they would not eat
Till Paul lay in the grave;
But Paul's young nephew heard the plot,
And God moved him to save.

VERSE 5
With horsemen, spearmen, through the night
They brought him safe away;

No vow of men can stop the course
That God has set that day.

FINAL CHORUS
(full choir and organ)

OUTRO
He reigns upon the throne.
Amen.

ACTS 24 - While There Is Time

INTRO
(kora and talking drum)

VERSE 1
They brought a lawyer down to Caesarea,
Tertullus with his flattering speech:
"This man's a plague, a stirrer of riots,
A ringleader of the Nazarenes' reach."
But Paul said, "This I confess to you:
According to the Way, I serve
The God of our fathers, believing all
The Law and Prophets say and preserve."

CHORUS
I have a hope in God,
That there will be a resurrection
Of the just and the unjust;
So I strive always to keep
A conscience clear toward God and men,
For the day when the dead will rise again.

VERSE 2
Then Felix came with his wife Drusilla,
And sent for Paul to hear of Christ;
Paul reasoned of righteousness, self-control,
And of the judgment to come, the price.
And Felix trembled, Felix was afraid,
And said, "Go away for now;
When I have a convenient season,
I will call for you somehow."

BRIDGE
(choir, softly)
Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your heart;
The convenient season never comes,

Now is the time to start.

VERSE 3
Two years passed, and Felix waited,
Hoping Paul would pay a bribe;
He often called him, often talked,
But never turned his heart to Christ.

FINAL CHORUS
(choir, major key)

OUTRO
Now is the day of salvation.
Now is the time.

ACTS 25 - The King Above the Kings

INTRO
(acoustic guitar)

VERSE 1
Festus came to Caesarea,
And the chief priests made their case,
Asking him to send Paul upward,
Plotting murder on the way.
Many charges, none were proven,
And Paul answered plain and true:
"Neither against the Law nor temple,
Nor Caesar have I wronged you."

VERSE 2
"If I've done a thing deserving death,
I do not refuse to die;
But if none of this is true,
No man may hand me to their lie.
I appeal to Caesar." Festus answered,
After speaking with his men:
"To Caesar you've appealed,
To Caesar you shall go then."

CHORUS
The kings of earth may sit in judgment,
Governors may rise and fall,
But the King above the kings
Is ruling over all.
Every court and every chain
Is carrying His word along;
The road to Rome was His design,
And He will make it strong.

VERSE 3
Then Agrippa and Bernice entered
With great pomp into the hall,

With the captains and the leaders,
And the notables of all.
Festus said, "I have no charge to write
To my lord about this man";
But the One who writes the story
Had already set His plan.

FINAL CHORUS
OUTRO
He is ruling over all.

ACTS 26 - Almost Persuaded

INTRO
(piano and organ)

VERSE 1
I think myself happy, King Agrippa,
To answer before you today;
Why should it seem a thing incredible
That God should raise the dead from the grave?
I too once thought I ought to oppose
The name of Jesus of Nazareth,
Until at midday on the road
A light from heaven took my breath.

VERSE 2
"Rise and stand upon your feet,
I have appeared to make you a servant and witness,
To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light,
From the power of Satan to God,
That they may receive forgiveness
And a place among those sanctified by faith in Me."
So, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient
To the heavenly vision I received.

CHORUS
Almost persuaded,
Almost a Christian, the king said;
But almost is not enough, my friend,
Almost is to be lost instead.
I would to God that not only you,
But all who hear me speak today,
Were such as I am, except these chains;
Come to Jesus, come today.

BRIDGE
This was not done in a corner,
The Christ has suffered, the Christ has risen,

First to rise from the dead,
To proclaim light to the people and the nations.

FINAL CHORUS
(choir swells)

OUTRO
Come to Jesus,
Come today.

ACTS 27 - I Believe God

INTRO
(wind, bodhran heartbeat, low whistle)

VERSE 1
We sailed for Italy in the fall,
With Paul and prisoners in the hold;
He warned them, "This voyage will bring great loss,"
But the centurion trusted the captain's word.
A gentle south wind lulled them out,
Then down came the Northeaster's blast;
We could not face the wind, we were driven,
And we threw the tackle off the mast.

VERSE 2
No sun, no stars for many days,
The tempest raging on and on;
All hope that we should be saved
Was finally taken, was finally gone.
Then Paul stood up among them all:
"Take heart, for not a life will be lost;
This night an angel of my God
Stood by me and told me what it cost."

CHORUS
Take heart, take heart!
For I believe God,
It will be just as I was told;
The One whose I am and whom I serve
Has got this ship in His hold.
Take heart, take heart!
Through the wind and the wave,
The God who speaks is the God who saves.

VERSE 3
At midnight on the fourteenth night
They sounded twenty fathoms, then fifteen;

Paul took bread and gave thanks to God
In the presence of them all, and they were fed.
Two hundred and seventy-six souls,
The ship ran aground and broke apart;
Some swam, some clung to planks of wood,
And all were brought safe to the shore.

FINAL CHORUS
(full chorus, major key)

OUTRO
(wind fades)
All were brought safe to land.

ACTS 28 - Unhindered

INTRO
(orchestra swells, talking drum enters)

VERSE 1
On Malta, warmed by the kindness of strangers,
Paul gathered sticks for the fire,
A viper came out and fastened on his hand,
They said, "Justice will not let him live."
But he shook it off into the flame,
And they watched and he suffered no harm;
Then healing came to Publius' father
And to all of the sick on the isle.

VERSE 2
And so we came to Rome,
The brothers met us on the road;
At the Forum and the Three Taverns,
Paul thanked God and took courage, and was bold.
He called the Jewish leaders,
"For the hope of Israel I wear this chain";
Some believed, and some did not,
And the word to the nations went again.

CHORUS
Unhindered! Unhindered!
The kingdom of God goes on;
With all boldness, preaching Jesus,
The Lord's salvation has been sent to the nations,
And they will listen!
Unhindered! Unhindered!
No chain, no storm, no throne
Can stop the word of the risen Son.

BRIDGE
(choir builds)
From Jerusalem, (Jerusalem)

To Judea, (Judea)
To Samaria, (Samaria)
To the ends of the earth,
From every tribe and every nation,
The story is not over,
The Acts go on in us!

VERSE 3
Two whole years in his rented house,
He welcomed all who came,
Proclaiming the kingdom of God,
Teaching of the Lord Jesus' name.

FINAL CHORUS
(key change, full orchestra and choir)
Unhindered! Unhindered!
The kingdom of God goes on;
With all boldness, preaching Jesus,
The Lord's salvation has been sent to the nations,
And they will listen!
Unhindered! Unhindered!
No chain, no storm, no throne
Can stop the word of the risen Son.

OUTRO
The Acts go on in us.
Amen.

Printed lyrics revised October 29, 2026. Corrections affect Acts 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, and 25. Existing recordings use the earlier wording.