PENETRATE THE DARKNESS WITH THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL
PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS TO ALL NATIONS?
In the olive grove – the garden of Gethsemane soldiers came looking for Jesus. They carried torches, lanterns and weapons. When they arrived, Jesus asked them “Who is it you want? Their response was “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus’ responded to them “I am he.” One would think the soldiers would quickly grab Jesus, but instead they were taken a-back and fell to the ground upon seeing him. Well, Paul the apostle did quote Isaiah, where the Lord says, “As surely as I live, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.” The soldiers had to get down in the presence of heavenly authority and power. Jesus had to ask the soldiers the question again, “Who is it you want? When they repeated themselves, Jesus again responded, “I told you that I am he.”
The soldiers arrested Jesus and took him away from his disciples. During Jesus’ ordeal – his sufferings his disciples ran away -left him alone to face the sufferings that was unleashed upon him. The disciples were experiencing a sense of loss. They were discouraged and afraid – afraid of the world and fear for their lives.
Jesus was tried, condemned and crucified. Jesus’ death drove the disciples to shut themselves away behind locked doors. To put it simple, they hid themselves in their house. They were afraid of those they thought were too powerful for them to face. They feared for their lives.
What are we going through at the moment that might send us hiding behind locked doors?
God raised Jesus from the dead and upon his resurrection, he presented himself in the midst of the apostles in spite of the locked doors. When Jesus saw them, he gave them his peace, showed them his hands and sides where the nails pierced him. Then he breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit.
Luke in his 24th chapter tells how Jesus opened the minds of the apostles so they could understand the Scriptures. How Jesus told his disciples that after his resurrection repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And Jesus promised the disciples that he would send them what the Father has promised, but they are to stay in the city – Jerusalem – until they have been clothed with power from on high. Jesus then blessed them while he was being ascended into heaven.
Luke in the Book of Acts chapter one gave account: where Jesus gave a command to his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift his Father’s promised. That John baptized with water, but the disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. That they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them and they will be witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of he earth. Then Jesus was taken up in a cloud.
The disciples returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Upon their arrival they gathered into an upstairs room, about 120 of them. They all joined together in constant prayer. And suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the room. Tongues of fire came and rested on each of them, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them, and the people heard the message in his and her own language (Acts 2).
As the church, we have received power from on high to do exploit in the name of Jesus Christ.
Is the Church acting like she has been endowed with the Holy Spirit power?
Does the Church want anything to do with the power of the Holy Spirit?
Without the power of the Holy Spirit the church can do nothing great for the Father. Simply because the church rejects the promised power.
Is the church ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The gospel must be preached in the power of the Holy spirit to allow the kingdom of darkness to shake and crumble in the presence of God.