May 26th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Acts 1:6-14
 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Reflection
When O Lord, when? We all want to know when. When is Jesus coming again? It seems to me the answer here is plain and simple... Don't worry about it! Don't put all of your time and effort in trying to figure out when Jesus will come again. Don't spend a bunch of your writing, typing, talking or preaching, trying to place some great emphasis on when Jesus will come again... that's the Father's work... OK... enough of that already!

But... we ARE told about the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will come upon us as his disciples, the Holy Spirit will come to us, gather us, enlighten us and keep us in the one true faith. Sound familiar to some? Luther's explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles Creed puts it this way...

What does this mean?
I believe that I cannot by my own
  understanding or effort
believe in Jesus Christ my Lord,
  or come to him.
But the Holy Spirit has called me
  through the Gospel,
enlightened me with this gifts,
and sanctified and kept me in true faith.

In the same way he calls, gathers,
  enlightens, and sanctifies
the whole Christian church on earth,
and keeps it united with Jesus Christ
  in the one true faith.

In this Christian church day after day
he fully forgives my sins
and the sins of all believers.
On the last day he will raise me and all
  the dead
and give me and all believers in Christ
  eternal life.

This is most certainly true.

Greg Havey, one of my students in a High School Sunday School class I taught years ago would say that the answer to all questions was "Pray and go to Church." According to this explanation and this passage, perhaps his answer would be correct. Jesus ascends into heaven, the Holy Spirit comes to us and we gather together. We don't just gather together to comfort and console one another, although that is one reason, but we gather together to seek God's will and God's way and God's purpose for our lives individually and as a Church, and we gather to worship and praise our God as one people.

And yes... we will go out! Go out from our assemblies empowered by the Holy Spirit to witness to what God has done for all the world in Jesus Christ... Savior... King... Ascended One... Redeemer of all the world. Yes, we go out and tell, so that all the world may come to believe in the Love of God shown through the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of all the world.

When will Jesus come again? Who cares? I don't have time for that! God the Father has that all figured out. I know that I must go and tell about Jesus life saving gift to all in my world.

Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCBEjKL_dEU

Prayer
Lord, as I go out this day, may all I meet come to see your saving grace in my words, in my life and in Your Love... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen