Read Acts 1: 1-11
1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4While staying* with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with* the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL REFLECTIONS
Acts is the 2nd volume written by Luke. It represents a continuation of the journey told in the 24 chapters of Luke. Today, Luke is pausing to recount some of Jesus’ resurrection appearances. He speaks about multiple appearances over a 40 day time period- preaching more about the Kingdom of God, eating with his followers, hanging out with them, and giving them instructions about the future.
One of the great instructions was about their future mission. Jesus chose to use this small group of followers to start a dramatic ripple effect- the Kingdom of God spreading to the ends of the earth. It starts with the resurrection of Jesus- a huge and unexpected splash starting the ripples outward. What is so profound is the Jesus chooses to send out ordinary people like you and I. We may not feel up to the task but one aspect of today’s text is crucial to remember—Jesus promises to “clothe us with power” from on high. Like a small child who can’t get dressed on its own, we cannot possibly impact this world on our own resources. The book of Acts is about how God “dresses us/ clothes us” with power beyond ourselves to impact those around us.
As of today, the disciples are in a waiting mode. They are sort of like small children who have are not yet “dressed for action” but . . . they will be soon enough! Are we in that waiting mode at this point in our lives? Are we fully dressed for action, clothed with God’s spirit to produce ripples for God where we are? If the answer is no, we pray that the spirit will pour out upon you very soon. If the answer is yes, may that spirit stir you up so you can spread the good news in more profound ways. God indeed is a great designer. In due time, he will clothe each of us. And, we will become part of that great “ripple effect” to reach this world with Jesus’ love.
TWO THINGS
to see the series of Devotions on Luke that we just completed, go to http://www.jesusfacebookpage.blogspot.com/
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