Reading: Acts 1-3
When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:6-9).
Although it opens with Jesus’ physical departure from earth, the Book of Acts is as much a record of His ministry to God’s people as are the four preceding Gospels. Whereas the Gospels recorded the giving of the Word, Acts provides us with a record of Its acceptance. Its pages bear witness to the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual joining of individuals who had been transformed through their acceptance of the Word and their receipt of the Spirit. The Book of Acts allows us to experience that glorious time after the veil of sin separating us from God was ripped in two, and the united body of Christ (the church) rose up to stand in His presence. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit (I Cor. 12:12-13).
In the moments before Jesus’ ascension into heaven, there was confusion among His assembled disciples. They knew why He had come, but they were still having difficulty understanding why He was leaving with so much still to do. Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? They did not as of yet grasp the whole truth of all they had learned from Him. Jesus looked upon them with compassion, but the time for direct teaching had passed. His answer was meant to remind them that they were expected to walk by faith and, simultaneously, to comfort them with the promise of the Spirit. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me.
As we look out over the chaotic world we live in, it is often hard for us to understand God’s timeline. Just as did the disciples, we are often moved to ask, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom? In our desperation to see evil eradicated and God’s glory spread across the earth, we sometimes forget that God has the situation well in hand. It is not ours to know when He will act; it is enough that we know He will. Our task is to live in this world supported by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to walk daily in faith down the path that He has marked before us, and to be witnesses unto Him. God will take care of the rest!
Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me(Mic. 7:7-8).
Thought for Today: We are not working daily to spread God’s Word to achieve His victory; we do it so that all who hear may share in the celebration of what He has already achieved.
Cross Reference:For Acts 1:20: See Ps. 69:25; 109:8. Acts 2:17-21: See Joel 2:28-32. Acts 2:25-28: See Ps. 16:8-11. Acts 2:34-35: See Ps. 110:1. Acts 3:22-23: See Deut. 18:15,18-19. Acts 3:25: See Gen. 12:3; 22:18.
Word Studies:1:3 after His passion = after He had suffered death; 1:12 a Sabbath day's journey = a little over one-half mile which was the extent a Jew was to travel from home on the Sabbath; 2:27 leave My soul in hell = forsake Me in the grave (Sheol).
Pray for Staff:Gilbert Palafox • Government Officials: Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH) • Country: Guatemala (14,647,083) Central America • Major Languages: Spanish, Amerindian Languages • Religious Freedom • Roman Catholic; Protestant; Indigenous Mayan Beliefs • Prayer Suggestion: Give thanks to the God of heaven; His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever (Ps. 136:26).