Daily Scripture:
Acts 1:4 At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. 5 For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!”
6 When they were together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore self-rule to Isra’el?” 7 He answered, “You don’t need to know the dates or the times; the Father has kept these under his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y’hudah and Shomron, indeed to the ends of the earth!” (Complete Jewish Bible).
Reflection Questions: In Acts 1, the risen Jesus was eating with his disciples. Their question—“are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”—showed that their imagination still rested on the nation-bound dreams of a conquering earthly king in Jerusalem. Jesus had a vastly larger vision. The Greatest Showman quoted P.T. Barnum as saying, “Men suffer more from imagining too little than too much,” and what Jesus was picturing must have made his followers gasp. "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” he said. There were 120 of them at most. Imagine them wondering, “Did we hear him right? To the end of the earth?” That was, and remains, Jesus’ vision. Today millions of people follow him, some more fervently than others—but we’re still called to do our part in carrying his kingdom of love to the end of the earth.
- When the disciples asked, “Is this the time?” The Message said Jesus answered, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”* Have you ever had to set aside your own wishes and plans, and accept what God gives you instead? How hard or difficult is it at those times for you to trust that God is doing what is best? How big is your imagination for what God can do in and through you?
Family Activity: Many stories of missionaries are shared in the Bible. Create your own family “missionary” story. Gather your family for a local “missionary” drive. Before you leave, select a few places you would like to stop and share God’s love in some way. Would you like to take treats to firefighters or police officers and thank them for their service? How about praying for local store owners as you shop? Could you offer to do some yard work for a neighbor? Maybe you could visit those in the nursing home or a lonely neighbor. You might also want to walk through your neighborhood praying for your school and places of worship. Pray and ask God to help your family be missionaries, sharing God’s love wherever you go.
* Acts 2:7-8 from Eugene H. Peterson, The Message. NavPress, 1993-2002.
GPS Insights with Peter Phillips
Let your curiosities draw others in…
I remember being younger. Usually around my birthday or Christmas I would be filled with anticipation and have very little patience waiting for the big day. I recall my mother telling me to wait, and that I don’t get to know all the details. It was agonizing to wait, not knowing what was next.
Often we are not completely clued in to the details on what is or going to happen next. We see a picture of this scenario in Acts, chapter 1.
Jesus was sitting with his disciples telling them to wait patiently for what the Father has promised. When the time is right they will be filled with the Holy Spirit (the details) and then called to act. God’s vision was for a far greater kingdom driven by servant leadership, love and sacrifice for one another. God was and is able to see beyond the trials and hardships currently plaguing each of us and our society. His vision has always been something greater. Even though I don’t know what happens next in this life, it’s comforting to know that we have a God who does know, who will walk with us through the lowest valley and the highest peak and turn whatever we do into something that continues to build the Kingdom.
As we saw in the film The Greatest Showman, the curiosities are what drew people to the show. Let each of our own curiosities guide our actions this week as we continue to draw people into the Kingdom of God.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
(913) 897-0120
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13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
(913) 897-0120
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