May the mumbling commence!
Take the mantle of Jesus! Take it confidently. And be prepared to teach the next generations how to carry on the way of Christ – in obedience to our Father in heaven. It is like the transfer of the mantle of Elijah to Elisha that is recorded in Second Kings chapter two. Read from Acts chapter one:
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Verses 1-11)
Wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Wait?!? We do not do well waiting. But the life of faithful obedience means waiting more often than we would like to admit.
Well, we can wait easier if we know the timetable. When will the kingdom of heaven come? If we know this, the waiting will be a little easier!
But knowing the timetable of the Lord is not an option! Wait without knowing how long it will be. That is hard, isn’t it? Well, come to think of it, we do it every day. I remember numerous times when I was shopping at a store. There are the long rows of multiple places for checkout lanes. I look them over and try to decide which lane will have the shortest wait. Invariably, I am wrong in my anticipation. Yeah, I guess I can wait without knowing the timetable…
But then Jesus leaves them. He goes up into heaven on clouds. Hold the phone! We have to wait without knowing the timetable, AND we have to wait without our Teacher and Leader?!?
I would have been standing with the other disciples, if I were there. I would be looking dumbfounded into the sky. Come back, Jesus!
It took some angels – messengers from God – to realign the disciples to their mission. Stop looking into the sky for Jesus. One day he will return in the same way. Look for him, but do not let that be your only occupation.
The first disciples’ mission was to carry on the work of Christ Jesus – obedience to the Lord. Our mission is the same.
Take Christ’s mantle! Serve God in obedience. And be ready to teach this obedience to the next generations. Yes, Elisha’s will become Elijah’s. This journey on toward God’s will is bigger than any one person or generation.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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