The Ascension

It is Thursday. Today many Churches officially remember the Ascension of Jesus and will also celebrate with their brothers and sisters at their local places of worship.

When reading the end of Luke, I find the account most encouraging. Christ takes His followers outside of Jerusalem and gives them final talks on who He is and what the Scriptures said about Him. As he leaves, He tells them of the plans to move out into the world through them and change the world for good. But he says also to go to the holy city of Jerusalem and wait.

First the excitement must have been overwhelming. They even praised God while heading back, which had to have thrown everyone else off. Here are the people who had their Messiah killed (they might not have known of Jesus’ resurrection) and now they were rejoicing. What was possessing these people? A spirit of joy which was awaiting the Spirit of God to come down on them signifying his mark of approval.

But they had to wait. Waiting can be most difficult when coupled with anticipation. But on this day, we remember that waiting was how we started. We were not going out and using our own strength. We waited, prayed, did the normal things until the Spirit gave us better direction.

Let us remember this day well. The day when God committed kairos, and came and acted inside us in order to empower us for a work that was greater than us.

If waiting is a struggle for you as it is with me. This day will teach us to wait on God. We should not be afraid to act, but we should remember that the Spirit must indwell in us and be the beginner of our expressions of faith.

So act out your worship, but make sure the Spirit of God indwells you and makes God the center. Do not do act on faith because of yourself, because that is not faith, but is selfishness. Hold true to the reason for our rejoicing, hold to the one who has ascended and was glorified. And let Him send you His Spirit and empower you for a greater work.