Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Essential Then - Essential Now

He showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,
being seen of them forty days,
and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
and, being assembled together with them,
commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he,
ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying,
Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
And he said unto them,
It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power.
Acts 1:3-7
 
"The disciples were anxious to know the exact time for the
revelation of the kingdom of God; but Jesus tells them that they may not know the times and the seasons; for the Father has not revealed them.

To understand when the kingdom of God should be restored, was not the thing of most importance for them to know.
They were to be found following the Master,
-praying,
-waiting,
-watching, and
-working.

They were to be representatives to the world of the character of Christ.
That which was essential for a successful Christian experience in the days of the disciples, is essential in our day."
R&H 1892 E.G.W.