
12 Sep Dream BIG again
If you knew you only had 40 days to live, how would you spend them?
After Jesus rose from the dead, He knew that He only had 40 days before He would ascend to heaven. Do you know how He spent those 40 days? He spent time with His disciples talking to them about things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Listen to a snippet of their conversation:
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 the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 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 1:6-8, NKJV)
What is interesting to note is how small the disciples were thinking. They still thought Jesus had come to achieve some kind of political salvation for the nation of Israel. But God’s plan was for the whole world!
The disciples were also looking at Jesus to make it happen. He, however, deftly places the responsibility where He has delegated it, saying: “But you …”
His death, burial and resurrection already made everything possible for us. Now we must go out and do it. “This sounds like a lot like works to me!” No, it sounds like gratitude to me! This is not works for salvation; it is works flowing out of salvation. If you gave someone a very expensive and valuable gift only to find out they never use it, what would your response be?
Jesus gave you His life! He gave us the Holy Spirit. He said the disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. That same power is available to you today! The Holy Spirit was given to the church and every single born-again believer today qualifies for the infilling and empowering of that same Spirit.
Why did God give the Holy Spirit? So that we could go and proclaim the Good News of His Kingdom to the ends of the earth! Don’t just think of your own life and needs anymore. It is time to dream big again! Jump into God’s Kingdom purposes for you and be who God has called you to be.
You have been given gifts - USE THEM! You have a local church - SERVE IN IT! You have freely received God’s grace - GIVE IT AWAY to your world!