Acts 1:1-5 The Message (MSG)Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”
Dear
God-lover (the name Theophilus means God-lover), if you knew these were your last days on earth, how would you spend
them?
I
daresay, you would spend them with your people. You’d talk about the important.
If there were any last-minute instructions, you’d share them.
Such
were the activities of Jesus after the crucifixion and before the ascension.
During
those 40 days, the bible teaches He presented Himself to the 500 people who
were witnesses of the resurrection. He spent extra time with the disciples. He
even cooked them breakfast!
He
appeared to James, his half-brother. (Don’t you wish you could have heard
their conversation?)
He did all the
things needed.
He also knew His
people would need more. So, He
instructed them to sit tight and wait. Because, the promised Holy Spirit would
come soon and He would be the Helper, the Comforter, they needed.
All they had to do
was to stay put and … wait.
Are
you waiting for the fulfilment of a promise God has made you? Be assured He is
doing all the things needed to make it happen. (Sometimes His best work is in
the background.) His Word tells us He
is not slack concerning promises.
In
the New Testament, we are told when
we’ve done all we can do, just stand.
In other words, stay
put and … wait.
~~~
I'm linking this post to the communities at Inspire Me Monday, Chasing Community Linkup, and Trekking Through the Week.
Just what I needed to hear. Sit and wait and rely on God's good work that I can't see...yet.
ReplyDeleteYes, waiting, even thought I have to talk myself against jumping ahead of His will and plans!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement this morning! I tend to think that I deserve to SEE the progress!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! The small group i lead JUST discussed ( Tuesday evening) the 3rd chapter which was all about the Holy Spirit and why Jesus left us with Him. I'll have to email my ladies this post link!!! 😀
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