Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 25


MORE THAN
WAITING

READ:
Acts 1:1-11
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A little while, and you
will not see Me; and
again a little while,
and you will see Me,
because I go to the
Father. __Jhon 16:16
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I don't know how it works where you live, but when I have to call for a repair for one of my appliances, the company says something like, "The repairman will be there between 1:00p.m. and 5:00pm.m" Since I don't know when the repair person will arrive, all I can do is wait.

Jesus told His followers that He would soon be leaving them and they would need to wait for his return in "a little while" (John 16:16). After His resurrection, they saw Him again and they hoped He would be establishing His kingdom on earth at that time. But He told them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7). They would have to wait even longer.

Btu they were to do more than wait. Jesus told His followers that they were to "be witnesses to [Him] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (v.8). And He gave them the Holy Spirit to empower them to do this.

We still wait for Jesus' return. And while we do, it's our delight, in the Holy Spirit's power, to tell and show others who He is, what he has done for all of us through His death and resurrection, and that He has promised to return.
__Anne Cetas

`````````````````````````````````Dear Lord, we love You so much.```````````````````````````````
```````````````````````We want our words and our lives to be a witness of``````````````````````````
````````````````````````Your goodness and grace. Please use us in ways````````````````````````````
```````````````````````````````````we never thought possible.````````````````````````````````````
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Wait and witness till Jesus returns.

******************************************Today's Bible Reading __ Acts 1:1-11***************************************

1 The former account I
made, O Theophilus, of all
that Jesus began both to do
and teach, 2 until the day in
which He was taken up,
after He through the Holy
Spirit had given
commandments to the
apostles whom He had
chosen, 3 to whom He also
presented himself alive
after His suffering by many
infallible proofs, being seen
by them during forty days
and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom
of God.

4 And being assembled
together with them, He
commanded them not to
wait for the Promise of
the Father, "which, " He
said, "you have heard from
Me; 5 for John truly
baptized with water, but
you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit not many
days from now."

6 Therefore, when they had
come together, they asked
Him, saying, "Lord, will
You at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?" 7 And
He said to them, "It is not
for you to know times or
seasons which the Father
has put in His own
authority. 8 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."

9 Now when he had
spoken these things, while
they watched, He was taken
up, and a cloud received
Him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven
as he went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white
apparel, 11 who also said,
"Men of Galilee, why do
you stand gazing up into
heaven? This same Jesus,
who was taken up from you
into heaven, will so come in
like manner as you saw
Him go into heaven."