*Acts 1:6-8 *When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
After the disciples had inquired of the Lord concerning when the kingdom of Israel might be restored, essentially, they were told that such info is privy only to the Father. Having said that, Jesus then shifts his focus from the kingdom of Israel (think literal) to the Kingdom of God (think spiritual).
You see, the disciples were not entirely wrong in thinking that kingdom building should be in order; their only confusion (and many times ours too) was knowing which kingdom it was time to focus on. So many times, we are ineffective in what we are doing because we are spending energy (aka power) on things that God never meant for that energy to be spent on.
Look at the text again; “…ye shall receive power…and ye shall be witnesses…” Do you see it? The Father’s power to restore the kingdom of Israel is reserved for a time of His choosing, a time which we are not to concern ourselves with. Meanwhile, the power of the Holy Ghost given to us is for the specific purpose of building the Kingdom of God (that is, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being His witnesses), which is what time it is on God’s calendar right now, and therefore the time and season that we should concern ourselves with.
If we could spend the power God has given us on the purpose He has given us, we would see the harvest He has given us. Sadly, however, many either do not operate in the power of the Spirit, or else they operate in their own power, building their own kingdoms, all while thinking that they are operating under the power of the Spirit. But the power of the Spirit produces the results of the Spirit. No results, no power! And what are the results of the power of the Spirit moving? Souls will be brought to Christ!
What about you? Is your witness empowered by the Holy Spirit?
Pastor Gary Caudill