…And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thess 4:17 NKJV

Someday, either through death or the Lord’s appearance, we are going to be with the Lord forever. No more tears, no more crying, no more suffering, no more death. We have mansions waiting, rewards to be received, a place of honor at the wedding supper of the Lamb. Jack said that he and I would be assigned to go preach the gospel in the remote areas of the universe. I remember an old ‘Star Trek’ episode – find it on YouTube dear ones – where the crew of the starship Enterprise visits a strange new planet where there is what they thought was ‘sun worship’ only to find it is the Son of God they are worshipping. Interesting! Maybe, just maybe…that episode, and Jack’s statement, was prophetic. I can’t wait for that day when we will be with Him forever!

…For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. Phil 1:23-25 NKJV

It may be hard to stick around here, because we could be with Christ, which is far better, but Jesus has a purpose for you being here, and you are needed. Jesus’ last earthly statement before His ascension is our guiding principle for sticking around as long as we are needed here on this celestial ball!

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

Biblically, the first and last of anything is significant. David gave his last statement about the conduct of a ruler, that he must be just and ruling in the fear of God (1 Sam. 23:1-7). Jesus’ first earthly statement was concerning doing the Father’s business (Luke 2:49). Here we see His last earthly statement about carrying on the family business – reaching hearts for eternity with the gospel. Let’s give Jesus’ last statement the attention it deserves! Let’s get started in verse one…

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. Acts 1:1-3 NKJV

Jesus is speaking, and His subject is the kingdom of God – God’s reign as King. Remember that in the Gospels Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom, and then Himself as the King. But they rejected Him as King and rejected the Kingdom of God. Had Israel accepted Him as King and the Kingdom, things would be quite a bit different than they are today. I can tell you right now they wouldn’t be fighting Hamas in the Gaza strip! So, after His resurrection He is teaching about the Kingdom and about how His disciples would go and represent that Kingdom in authority and power.

4 And being assembled together (Grk. SUNALIZOMAI) with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but 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.” Acts 1:4-5 NKJV

The root of SUNALIZOMAI is HALAS, meaning ‘salt.’ Jesus and the twelve take a salt covenant – they became salted together – indicating an unbreakable bond of loyalty from Him to them, and from them to Him. He would be with them always, but first He, Jesus, would baptize them in the Holy Spirit not many days later. This was the fulfilment of Johns prophecy back at the start of Jesus’ ministry.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matt 3:11 NKJV

When people get filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, this is a baptism directly from Jesus. He is there baptizing them! We may be ministers but He is working through us in the situation to baptize His dear ones that come to Him. What a holy moment and holy privilege on our part!

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. Acts 1:6-7 NKJV

He has been teaching about the Kingdom. They ask if it is time for the Kingdom to be restored to Israel. It’s a logical question on their part. They knew of the prophecies in Ezekiel, Hosea and Zechariah where David would be restored as king over Israel, and Messiah would reign overall. Jesus says that that will all be accomplished in the Father’s time, but there is something greater for you to do at this time with the Kingdom of God. He is going to give them power to represent the Kingdom of God and Him as King, just like He did in the gospels, but this time the power will be permanent and He will be with them, wherever He sends them. The Kingdom is going to the ends of the earth!

Luke also speaks of this moment before Jesus’ ascension and gives us some great insight.

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued (Grk. ENDUO clothed) with power from on high.” Luke 24:49 NKJV

Jesus says, I send the promise of the Father, meaning I’m the One who will baptize you in the Holy Spirit, and I will clothe you with new garments of righteousness, clean and pure, power from on high. It’s the garment for the wedding feast of the Lamb (Mt.22:11), but it’s also the prayer shawl of Messiah (Mt.14:36). When you pray in tongues you are wrapping yourself in Jesus’ prayer shawl. Think about that for a moment! It is also the white garment of the overcomers (Rev. 3:5) because Jesus became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). We overcome because He overcame! And you thought you were just speaking in tongues…

…and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:44 NKJV

Have you ever asked yourself, what makes for a successful life? One way to possibly look at it is the ability to recognize an opportunity that comes along and then step into that opportunity with maximum focus. Jesus here speaks of how Israel MISSED THEIR OPPORTUNITY for whatever reason, and that opportunity would not be given to them again. Decisions have consequences. When Israel rejected their King and His Kingdom because they did not recognize the opportunity before them the consequences were terrible.

…they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12 NKJV

The day of visitation is that moment when a man or woman of God comes into your life with that RHEMA word of God for you, and they share it. That’s the moment! That is God VISITING you. What happens next is crucial. What do you do with that moment? Do you receive it, and act upon it, pivoting even your whole life in response to it? Or do you reject it, and close your heart to it? Jesus couldn’t do mighty works in His hometown because of their unbelief. They knew the family! They missed their opportunity. Recently I taught in a service where I opened it up by asking, who is expecting a miracle today? Only one hand went up tentatively. That changed the whole way I ministered in that service. We could have had miracles – same God in Oregon as in Africa, but maybe we needed to lay some foundation first, which I did – but they missed their opportunity.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… Acts 1:8 NKJV

Rarely, in the mercy of God, do you get the same opportunity twice. I did! When I was in Bible college I was visited by a friend, a wonderful man of God, and he spoke to me about praying in tongues for hours. It was a visitation! If you can believe it, I DIDN’T listen to him. I can’t imagine how radically greater my walk with God would be today if I had listened, and pivoted my life, when I heard that word. It took almost twenty years later, when I heard that word again, and this time pivoted with the moving of the Holy Spirit, and then the miracles began to multiply and my life’s calling came into full view!

…and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

They went to the ends of the earth with the gospel of the Kingdom – remember, that’s the context – without jet airplanes, without computers and the internet and silly social media, without cars and trucks and buses, but with a far greater power that was initiated when they spoke in tongues. They didn’t miss their day of visitation when they got filled in Acts chapter two! Recently I was in St. Andrews in Scotland, the ancient birthplace of the sport of golf. St. Andrews is named that way because according to legend Andrew the apostle came there with the gospel of the Kingdom and did miracles. Look at a map and compare the distance between Israel and Scotland, and realize they traveled by foot or donkey cart or by well built rafts they called ships. The power of God made the impossible become possible, and they went to the ends of the earth, as the Master said!

How you respond in the day of your visitation determines the success of your life. Don’t miss the day of your visitation! Yes, God is merciful, and He may visit you twice, but there may be twenty years in between and you can never get that time back. If you remember your visitation, when a man of God spoke into your life, and you didn’t receive it but now you want to receive it, do this – ask the Lord to help you pivot into it now! It may not be as easy as it would have been had you received it then, but it still may be doable.

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

Acts 1:8 is our call to the nations, especially for those of us filled with the Holy Spirit. The power of God will take us to the ends of the earth, and perhaps in some future time to the remote areas of the universe, but the mission will be the same – preach the Kingdom of God and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and that will be the success of our lives! Amen? Love you!

Remember, dear one, we must be about our Father’s business…