It is Ascension day today.
Unfortunately a day people easily forget, because it is no longer a
Public Holiday. But for us as Christians it is a very important
day. Why? Because if Jesus didn't go back to heaven, we wouldn't
have had the Holy Spirit with us today. And it was at the Mount of
Olives where this happened. I was there in December, and what a
wonderful sight it is. The Mount of Olives overlooks the whole of
Jerusalem and looks directly at the Temple Mount. And this is
exactly where Jesus will return to earth one day:
"On that day His feet will
stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley
running from east to west." Zechariah 14:4
What an amazing day that would be.
It was wonderful to stand on the Mount of Olives and know that
Jesus will return here and set up His Kingdom. He will enter
Jerusalem as a King and reign from there during His earthly reign.
I could see Him in my mind's eye walking towards the Temple Mount
and rescuing His people and bringing peace to this earth. We
can look forward to that glorious day, and I know it is coming
soon.
But until then, what does Ascension
day mean for us? Well the most important thing for me is the change
it brought in ordinary people. The disciples were ordinary people,
they were not of the high society, influential or educated. And
after Jesus' death they were scared out of their wits. They were
trembling, hiding behind closed doors, afraid of the Jewish leaders
and the Roman soldiers. But what happened to them after Jesus
ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit was sent to them? They
changed from trembling ordinary people, to fearless children of the
Almighty God. They no longer hid behind closed doors, but boldly
came out and ministered to thousands of people. Three thousand
people got saved on their first day of preaching. And because of
them, we can know Christ today. They went into the world, no longer
afraid, and changed the world forever. Nothing was ever the same
again. They are heroes today and honoured as saints.
Today we can take courage from
this. The Holy Spirit can also change us from ordinary people, no
matter what our background is, into fearless sons of God. If we
give our lives over to Him, He will take over the reins and lead us
where we need to go. He will then give us the strength and the
ability to succeed. He will open doors for us and help us. We
simply need to stand up and be willing to be used by Him. There are
treasures on the inside of you that God wants to use. He gave you
the ability to do certain things well and He wants you to use it to
the glory of His Kingdom. He will be your Rock, your
Fortress, your Shepherd leading you unto green pastures.
Come and take a stand today,
Ascension day 2016, and make a conscious decision to open up your
lives to His Spirit. Give Him free access and allow Him to move, do
not stifle Him any longer. Miracles and wonders are around the
corner. We simply need to take the first step in obedience. God is
waiting to take your hand. Are you ready?
Father thank you so much for the
life of Jesus. He is so wonderful and worthy to be praised forever.
Thank you that He is sitting at your right hand, having obtained
the victory for us. Thank you that Your Spirit is with us every
moment of every day. Thank you for Your power and majesty available
to us. Help us to obey You one hundred percent, we love You and are
thankful that we can be Your children. Hallelujah! Amen