September 24, 2010

Breaking News
Acts 1:7-8 (NLT)

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8 (NLT)

Pastor's Blog

Jesus told his followers that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to announce to anyone who would listen that there was a new King on the throne.

When I watch CNN or Fox News or MSNBC (I know this must reveal some flaw in me) there is often a news "ticker" announcing breaking news running across the bottom of the screen. Kind of like what you see in Times Square way up high on one of the news buildings.

Jesus is telling the disciples to be the news "ticker". In ancient Rome, every time a new emperor was enthroned (Nero or Tiberius for example), the new king would send out "heralds" all over Europe and North Africa announcing the ascension of the new King.

As you will see in chapter two and thereafter, this is exactly what Peter and the rest of the disciples did. They announced that Israel and therefore the world now has a new King, a new Lord, one which rules over all other rulers (no wonder Christians keep getting in trouble with controlling governments!)

Therefore. . .part of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers is to lead us to believe that Jesus now rules the cosmos and then to tell this fact to others. It's not that we want to "help" Jesus someday become the ruler of the world that he one day will be, rather it is that He already is Lord of the Universe, right now ruling over it.

Being a witness is not making a plea to allow Jesus to become the Lord and Savior of another's life, rather it is the announcement that, like it or not, He already is.

Therefore there is not a person on earth who does not live right now by His grace and forbearance. And there is not a person on earth who will not one day have to come to grips with whether or not he or she will submit His Lordship.