April 13, 2009

God-Inspired Inaction
by Pastor George Van Alstine

“What do we do now? We were way down last Friday, when we saw them nail him to the cross. Then, two days later we were higher than a kite, when we realized that the women were right about the tomb being empty. Now, two of us have actually seen him alive on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-49). What a shot in the arm that is!”

“Okay, what do we do now. Certainly he’s left us some instructions.”

“Well, he did say something interesting in that brief conversation we had on Emmaus Road. He said some ‘promise’ was coming from God. That’s what we should be looking for.” (Luke 24:49)

“What do you think he meant by that?”

“You remember those mysterious teachings he gave us last week? Where he said that, when he left us, the Father would send the Holy Spirit as an Advocate, or a Comforter?” (John 14:26)

“Yes, but hasn’t God’s Holy Spirit always been around? Ever since Creation, our ancestors have talked about the Holy Spirit.”

“Maybe he meant that the Holy Spirit would come in a new, more intimate, more powerful way.”

“Yes, in that same teaching conversation, I remember him saying about the Holy Spirit, ‘He abides with you, and he will be in you.’ ” (John 14:17)

“Whatever that means.”

“Guess we’ll have to just wait and see. Just wait, and wait, and ....”

“Yup, waiting—my favorite thing!”

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“[Some time later, Jesus appeared again, and] while eating with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This,’ he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for . . . you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ ” (Acts 1:4-5)

And so they waited . . . .