#DailyDevotion Only The Father Knows. What Don’t You Understand About That Gullible People?
Friday after the Ascension
Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Yes, we would all really like to know when Jesus is going to restore the kingdom to Israel. This is why charlatans can sell so many books predicting when the end is going to come. It seems for the longest time it was always calculated to be in October around the 23rd. But lately the false prophets have been saying in September. But what does Jesus say? It’s not for you to know (.) Any man or woman who says they’ve figured out the day is antichrist, a tool, yes even a tool of Satan. Jesus had said before, Mat 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” These false prophets are contradicting Jesus and need to be called out for what they truly are, antichrist who lead people astray. So don’t buy their books. Don’t go to their seminars. You’ve been warned.
Now Jesus tells them what they should do. Stay in Jerusalem until he sends the Holy Spirit and power. Indeed that is what happens. On Pentecost, one of the harvest festivals, the Holy Spirit comes down upon the apostles and gathers a harvest of believers for Jesus. The Holy Spirit is still poured out upon all flesh, keeping men from being deceived by Satan and his lies. But men still do not believe the testimony of Jesus’ servants.
But the apostles do go boldly testifying of Jesus into the world. They boldly proclaim, despite being beaten and imprisoned salvation only in Jesus’ name. Those who hear them boldly confess the name of Jesus unto death, witnesses their faith in him with their own blood. They were witnesses in Jerusalem, then in Samaria where the Holy Spirit is manifested like the first time in Jerusalem and then again to the Gentiles at Cornelius’ home. The Holy Spirit has indeed testified and emboldened believers to the ends of the earth. There are believers of ever language, nation, tribe and tongue. You are witnesses of this.
The Holy Spirit has been sent to us because Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father. There he rules creation on our behalf, preparing the kingdom from the foundation of the world for us. There he guides the world, the people on it, to bring them to faith in him and to have his people persevere in the true faith unto life everlasting. There he intercedes for us into the ear of the Father, presenting his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus is returning from there. It always looks like this is the time. We should always be prepared in faith for that day.
Heavenly Father, you have fixed a day in time, the season of your Son’s kingdom upon the earth. Grant us faith now to trust in your Son Jesus and wait patiently for his visible return in all godliness and truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.