IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW February 2024
Scripture references:
Luke 24:49 (NKJV) Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city
of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Acts 1:1-8 (NKJV)
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.4And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “ It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
My eyes caught the lush-green plant sitting on a ledge in my bathroom. It had almost outgrown
the planter. This beautiful, African violet is eye-catching. It still occupies space, beautifies its
surroundings, produces oxygen, sheds old leaves, and brings new ones. There were no flowers
because it was not time. I reflected on a couple months prior when it was filled with breath-taking
flowers. As I pondered this, I was reminded of the words of the sage, King Solomon, “To every
thing, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Saint Luke, a doctor, and a follower of Jesus, outlines the story about an event that happened
concerning Jesus in Acts. Amidst the unrest and chaos of the times, Luke emphasized what should
have been the real focus. Several reports had been in the news about people who claimed that they
had seen Jesus, alive and well. How credible were those reports? It was more than likely that
widespread public consumption deemed that it was all a hoax. That was easier to believe.
When we don’t understand, it seems that we resort to believe what is more realistic. We go with
the flow, rather than ruffle any feathers. After Jesus’s resurrection, He was on the leg of His journey
to return to heaven, but in the meantime, He taught and worked. (Acts 1:1) He reminded the
disciples of some promises He had given them before He went to the cross.
We have been assigned some waiting periods in our life, yet we must occupy till He comes. In
Luke 19:11-15, servants were commissioned to use what they had been entrusted with, while the
boss was absent. They not only did what they decided, but also sent him a message. They were not
about to let him govern them. Sadly, they were otherwise occupied when he returned,
unexpectedly. May our activities dictate that God rules over us and we are committed to engaging
in conversations about Kingdom business.
People got sidetracked in discussing what had taken place in Jerusalem: the trial, conviction,
suffering, and the crucifixion of Jesus. If that were not enough, here comes news about sightings
and testimonies of Jesus being alive. Then it got better. Jesus Himself appeared and brought them
a new focus: things about the Kingdom of God.
Now, as He sat with them, He gave them some directives: (1) Do not leave your present location.
(2) Wait for the promise that is enveloped in God’s Kingdom, vis-a-vis righteousness, peace, and
joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17.) Jesus was preparing them for that promised lifestyle of
living with a consciousness of God’s Kingdom. It is only the Holy Ghost that can nurture our zeal
to share the Gospel, but that power was not yet manifested.
It is so much easier to entertain discussions of sadness, hopelessness, and despair than it is to
analyze how those experiences can propel us toward a greater good. Jesus redirected the disciples
in a different direction: that of remembering His promises.
Our tendency is to be so zealous that we run ahead of being fully equipped by God’s time and
season. We tell children what they should not do and decisively, that is exactly what they do. There
is something about us Human Beings that attracts us to explore the forbidden, (Eve in Eden). It
was impulsive for the disciples to reason among themselves. So much had happened in Jerusalem.
Why should they hang around? What was in it for them? They could go back to fishing. Great
reasoning, but bad timing. It was time for them to be groomed to fish to propagate the Kingdom
of God.
Jesus had met two disciples on the road to Emmaus and spoke with them about the news in
Jerusalem. When they realized that it was, He, they declared, “Did our hearts not burn in us?”
Jesus also ate fish and bread with them in the upper room. Thomas touched his wounded side. He
told them that He would return to His Father, prepare a place for them, and then come again to
take them with Him. Was that not enough for them to converse with Him about?
Instead, they were interested in discussing the Roman Kingdom: excessive taxing, discrimination,
and segregation. The Jews were stressed by the imposed way of life and wanted their oppressors
brought to justice. They could not reconcile with the fact that Jesus did not address their situation.
They had a different interest: the politics of the day. Rome ruled over Israel, and they had had
enough. Their long-awaited Messiah had arrived and they expected Him to conquer the Romans
and restore the dignity that had been seized from them.
For how long has the enemy infringed on our joy, peace, promises, health, and wealth? We count
days, months and years and expect that it is high time for Jesus to fulfill 2 Kings 8:6? The wait
seems extremely long. We are not consoled by sayings like, “God’s timing is different than ours.”
We say things like, “The time to favor me is NOW.”
The process of waiting may create stress, but Jesus was right there with the disciples. He fulfilled
His promise that He would defeat death. So, as far as they were concerned, it was time for them to
see the visible defeat of Rome. The spiritual triumph was wonderful, but they also needed the
Romans to see their (the Jews’) tangible victory, because they still faced Rome’s oppression.
Mixed emotions were evident. They had waited fearfully before the resurrection, and now again
Jesus tells them to wait for the Father’s promise of the baptism with the Holy Ghost. He even said
it would happen shortly. How long is shortly? It is comforting to know that the resurrection
happened, therefore, Jesus wanted them to zero in on the role of a spiritual awakening.
There was a set time for the restoring of the Kingdom to Israel, but they were not willing to be
bogged down with God’s timing. While they were concerned about the future, the blessing of the
present eluded them. Jesus, who had been battered, beaten, bruised, abused, and taken from their
side for three days, was now present. It was time for them to be in the moment and enjoy His
triumph. They missed that. That happens when we allow our flesh (emotions and reasoning) to
dominate our spirit.
No one thought to ask Jesus about His agony and final victory. It was all about what He would do
for them. May we learn how to bask in His presence, enjoy communion with Him and experience
the ecstasy of His grace. Daily, He invites usto shower Him with praise, and revel in the knowledge
that He not only loves us, but also delights in us.
What time was it? It was time for the disciples to anticipate the coming Holy Ghost. They lost
sight of the fact that the times and seasons are reserved for God’s power so that our will can be
molded. He desires us to surrender to His plan.
Should it snow in August in many places in the western world, that would be deemed out of
character. Similarly, in cold regions, 110°F would be unnatural during the winter months.
Therefore, our orderly God has designated when certain things will occur in our life.
Jesus said it was the season for them to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of Christ
had already drawn them to Jesus, but now He said that it was time for them to be empowered to
be His witnesses. As His ambassadors, they would face challenges that could only be defeated by
the authority of the Holy Ghost.
Sometimes, we wish to switch times and seasons of our life, when we forget that they are in God’s
power. Nevertheless, Job said, “… all the days of my appointed time, will I wait till my change
comes.” We may try to manipulate, undermine, and compromise to obtain our desired outcome.
However, the resulting circumstances are ultimately doomed to failure.
The disciples were being redirected to the real urgency of that time. It was not time for them to
abandon their place in Jerusalem. The recent happenings of court cases, conviction and crucifixion
dictated that they should run away and probably hide although Jesus had defeated all of those
occurrences. How could they be certain that they would not be treated just like Jesus was?
The consoling Jesus then told them that their physical locale was not the burning issue. The greater
task at hand was that of being empowered to witness. Their emotional state was fertile soil for fear,
discouragement, despondence, and self-preservation, to thrive. Therefore, divine power was vitally
important. Without it, they would not be bold enough to stand their ground for Jesus.
The disciples had been water-baptized by John, but another baptism of anointment was necessary.
Knowing this, they should not be in a hurry to leave their hometown. They needed power to endure
affliction, do the work of an evangelist, and foolproof their ministry, 2 Timothy 4:5.
We experience seasonal changes. Some of which may or may not be readily embraced. Assuredly,
summer fruits do not flourish during winter, when the weather is not conducive for their growth.
When the time came for Jesus to come to earth, God sent Him. When the gestation period for
babies is over, they are born. If, however, there is some untoward interference, the result will be
miscarriage, prematurity, or stillbirth. Could it be that it is necessary for us to function according
to God’s timing?
In whatever capacity we are called to impact the Kingdom, we must wait for the Holy Spirit to
equip us. The apostles wanted to expedite their plan. Impatience could create havoc, so Jesus told
them to wait a little while longer.
No shade on the disciples, because waiting may also not be one of our more admirable attributes.
Yet, waiting produces perseverance and maturity in our faith walk. So, we must wait on God’s
season and time, but it is not for us to know the process.
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION:
• What is our posture when God gives us a directive that seem difficult for us to understand?