Love Where You Live

Love Where You Are: Pause

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”  – Acts 1:6-7 (ESV)

A woman’s car stalled in traffic. She looked in vain under the hood to identify the cause, while the driver behind her leaned relentlessly on his horn. Finally, she had enough. She walked back to his car and offered sweetly, “I don’t know what the matter is with my car. But if you want to go look under the hood, I’ll be glad to stay here and honk for you.”

In Acts 1:4, Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem on the Holy Spirit. They then had questions about the timing of His return and His Kingdom coming. Jesus doesn’t give them a timeline, instead, He gives them further instructions about what to do until that time comes. In some ways, He was telling them to wait here and Love Where You Are.

Reflection

No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, in carpool lines, in holding patterns, in grocery stores, for the foursome ahead of us, for the doctor, for a spouse, for a baby, for retirement, for sermons to get over, or for Jesus to return. Keep in mind that God is always at work, even when we are on pause.

Praise/Prayer

Praise God for His perfect timing. Ask God to grow you while you are in seasons of waiting.

A Plan

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. “ – Acts 1: 6-7 (ESV)

The Chinese bamboo tree is one of the most remarkable plants on earth. Once the gardener plants the seed, he will see nothing but a single shoot coming out of the bulb – for five full years! That tiny shoot, however, must have daily food and water. During all the time the gardener is caring for the plant, the exterior shoot will grow less than an inch. At the end of five years, however, the Chinese bamboo will perform an incredible feat. It will grow an amazing ninety feet tall in only ninety days! Now ask yourself this: When did the tree actually grow? During the first five years, or during those last ninety days?

Jesus used the analogy of seasons to illustrate God’s master plan. The timing of God’s plan isn’t always clear to us. The Father has “fixed” the “seasons” by “his own authority.” “Has fixed” (or has set) emphasizes that God the Father is sovereign and in total control of His redemptive plan for the world. This served to provide assurance to the early church that they could trust God’s timing and to just love where He had them for now.

Reflection

Often our timetable is not the same as God’s timetable. Occasionally, our plans aren’t the same as God’s plan. What do you do when your plans don’t line up with God’s plans?

 Praise/Prayer

Praise God for His authority and the beauty of His seasons. Ask God to help you change your plans when they are different from His plans for your life.

Power

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Ornithologists say birds have three methods of flight. Flapping is keeping their wings in constant motion, like a hummingbird, to counteract gravity. Flapping keeps them in the air, but it is a lot of work. The second is gliding. Here the bird builds up enough speed, then coasts downward a while. It is much more graceful than flapping, but unfortunately, it does not get the bird very far. The reality in the form of gravity sets in quickly. Gliding is nice, but it does not last. The third way is soaring. Only a few birds, such as eagles, are capable of soaring. Eagle’s wings are so strong that they are capable of catching rising currents of warm air – thermal winds that go straight up from the earth – and without moving a feather can soar up to great heights. Eagles have been clocked at up to 80 m.p.h. without flapping at all. They just soar on invisible columns of air.

Jesus was leaving His disciples here for now, in Acts 1:8. But He was not leaving them without the power they needed for the journey. Much like the powerful thermals that do the work for certain birds, the Holy Spirit is sent to give believers power they would not have on their own. And to give them the ability to accomplish things for God that they could not accomplish on their own. God had been with them in the flesh. But now Jesus was ascending into heaven and He promised to leave them a power that would not just be with them but would be within them.

Reflection

Which of the three methods of bird flight best describes your life currently? Do you consistently rely on the Holy Spirit to get you through the day?

Praise/Prayer

Thank God for offering you His power to accomplish His will for your life. Ask God to show you any areas where you are trusting your own power and not His.

His Purpose

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (ESV)

 At the height of a political corruption trial, the prosecuting attorney attacked a witness. “Isn’t it true,” he bellowed, “that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?” The witness stared out the window, as though he hadn’t heard the question. “Isn’t it true that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?” the lawyer repeated. The witness still did not respond. Finally, the judge leaned over and said, “Sir, please answer the question.” “Oh,” the startled witness said, “I thought he was talking to you.”

“Witnesses” are people who tell what they know and they are expected to tell the truth. Jesus told His disciples their purpose, for now, is to be His witnesses. Jesus told the disciples not to worry about the timing of His return but instead to be concerned about inviting as many people as they can to come to heaven with them.  For 3 ½ years, these apostles had lived intimately with the Savior and now as a result of their contact with the Holy Spirit, they will tell others what they saw and believed.

Reflection

We are not simply to live, we have to speak up, telling others what we have experienced and know to be true. When was the last time you shared what Jesus means to you with someone who needed salvation?

Reflection

Thank God for giving you purpose and inviting you to represent Him to others. Ask God to make you aware of the opportunities He provides you to witness to others.

The Place

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Bill Crowder wrote: It was my first day of class at the Moscow Bible Institute where I was teaching Russian pastors. I began by asking the students to give their names and where they served, but one student shocked me as he boldly declared, “Of all the pastors, I am the most faithful to the Great Commission!” I was taken aback momentarily until, smiling, he continued, “The Great Commission says we are to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. I pastor north of the Arctic Circle in a village nicknamed ‘The End of the Earth’!” Everyone laughed and we continued with the session.

Jesus wanted His disciples to be witnesses in their own city but also to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Jesus died for the sins of the world. God has a heart for the nations and that heart begins at home. Heaven will have people from all over the world and it started with a handful of disciples waiting on the Holy Spirit.

Reflection

God wants us to love people where we are but He also wants us to have a heart for the nations.

Who is the person closest to you that still needs to hear the gospel? Where’s the farthest you have gone to share the gospel?

 Praise/Prayer

Thank God for the people who shared the gospel with you. Ask God to show you how He wants you to be involved in missionary efforts. Pray for missionaries currently serving in remote places around the world