Dear People Who Keep Company With God,

 

About two weeks ago, early on a Sunday morning, the Lord spoke to me these words concerning our church; “You are in an Acts 1 time.” Obviously, Acts 1 is the front door to the Book of Acts, which I believe is the blue print for the church and the normal Christian life. So, I believe we as a church are standing in the front doorway of a time where the Lord is readying us to be about the Father’s kingdom business (Acts 1:3).

 

A few days after the Lord spoke to me I read an article in USA Today titled “More U.S. Christians Mix In ‘Eastern’, New Age Beliefs.” The article stated, “Elements of Eastern faiths and New Age thinking have been widely adopted by 65% of U.S. adults, including many who call themselves Protestants and Catholics, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released Wednesday.” The article also stated, “There is a growing resistance to being told what to think.” The survey indicates that the life giving truths of the gospel are being compromised by this mix and our attitude of free and independent thinking.

 

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6 & 21:25

 

One of the first things we must face as we enter Acts is that Jesus, by the Holy Spirit gave orders to the apostles whom He had chosen (Acts 1:2) and He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father had promised (Acts 1:4). He did not suggest, urge or plead with them, He ordered and commanded them. We highly value independent thinking and thinking outside the box, but like Joshua who had to bow to the Captain of the Lord’s army before He could take possession of the Promised Land (Josh. 5:15), we have to bow to His Lordship if we are to take possession of all Acts has for us. We have a King and the time of doing what is right in our own eyes is over.

 

It is also of note that the apostle’s were just as interested in the political state of their nation and in the times they lived as we are today. It seems that the apostles were preoccupied with the kingdom, a Jewish kingdom, not the kingdom of heaven (Acts 1:6-7). However, the Lord’s answer to them was not political or knowledge of the times, but an encounter with the Holy Spirit that gave them power (Acts 1:8). This is still His answer to us and is ground zero for true biblical Christianity.

 

It is important to see that the Lord did not command or order the apostles here as He reiterated the Great Commission, but He gave a sure prophetic declaration of the destiny upon their lives. The Holy Spirit would come upon them, bestowing power on them, and they would be witnesses to the nations. So, we can expect the Lord to not only command us but if we obey we will also see a greater release of sure prophetic destiny spoken over our lives in this time.

 

The last thing that I believe is important for us to see is that individually, God has a position in His kingdom for every believer. In choosing an apostle to replace Judas (Acts 1:20-26), God had prepared a man for that very moment. We should not be surprised when God suddenly raises someone up, in fact we should rejoice and not take the elder brother position of finding fault. That is really important right now, because God will use and promote whom He chooses regardless of our opinion and feelings.

 

I want to encourage you to be true to who you are, be true to the treasure that God has placed in your heart. None of us will walk in the power of the Holy Spirit consistently until we become true to who God made us to be.

 

Many Blessings, BW

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