God has a plan

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."   

                                                                Acts 1:8  NKJV 

Jesus was getting ready for His ascension into heaven. Therefore, He wanted the disciples to understand their role in His plan. It was preparation time. He told them that within a few days they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit. They understood this because, Jesus had already prepared them. If you look back at John 20:21-22, we read:

'So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' 22 'And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'

This was a foretaste of what He had for them very soon. They needed strength to be able to meet the daily problems that they were receiving from their enemies and therefore needed a certain authority that could only come from Jesus. The full level of The Holy Spirit would come very soon.

As I mentioned, Jesus was preparing them. He wanted them to be ready but it was essential that there was a waiting period for this to take place. Preparation is essential for the Christian worker, they need to be equipped with the Word of God. Once you are on the streets, you need to be sure of what you are saying to people. So they had a short time of prayer and meditation as they prepared for the greatest test of their lives.

Note how Jesus planned things out, giving the disciples a blue print of the areas they would go. It was systematic. Later, the Holy Spirit would have the total control but, until then, this was the plan. Be careful here. It is so easy to take the control and run ahead doing your own thing. Sometimes, people don't seem to go as quick as you feel they should go. The truth is, it may work both ways and they may be thinking, 'I wish they would slow down and work with us.' As much as some people don't like it, there is a need for team work. There are no Lone Rangers in God's Army. We must be united and in step with each other. Otherwise, the devil will have a heyday. Remember Eve in the garden?

Therefore, allow God to knock you into shape. He has an awesome mission for you so, get ready.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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