They Might Have Been Angels

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                        Acts 1:10

They Might Have Been Angels

by Robert T. Cooper

So the apostles are looking intently up into the sky as Jesus ascends until a cloud hides Him from their sight. They are looking so intently that they do not notice that two men dressed in white have joined their group.

You understand that the group was at the summit of the Mount of Olives, at least on the ridgeline, and probably on or just off of the path as it crests over the ridge and drops into the village of Bethany just on the other side. Either way, the group is quite visible to travelers along the path.

Now it is possible that there just happened to be two men dressed in white who were traveling along the path when the Holy Spirit prompted them to join the group of apostles and deliver the message recorded by Luke in verse 11. But there is this intriguing verse in Hebrews that informs us that some angelic interactions amongst humans occurs with the angels disguised as humans. The traditional interpretation has always been that these two were indeed angels. Just understand that the text does not say so.

I have never been aware of a personal interaction with an angel either in its full glory or in human disguise, neither during an interaction nor upon reflection after the interaction. However, I have known of a couple of people who reported their conviction that some particular interaction of theirs had to have been angelic.

What is important in this biblical passage is not the identity of these beings as angels or humans or even one of each. What is important is that whoever these were had a message from God and delivered it. Telling others what God says is something we all can do.

1.      If you have a personal story of an interaction with someone you are convinced was an angel, please share it.

2.      What message from God can you deliver to whom in the next or two?

Looking Intently

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                        Acts 1:10

Looking Intently

by Robert T. Cooper

According to Dictionary.com, the word intent means “firmly or steadfastly fixed or directed.” Acts 1:10 makes the point that the apostles were looking intently into the sky as Jesus ascended. As a result, two men joined the group without being noticed until they spoke. That’s pretty focused!



But this is not the first time the apostles had their eyes firmly and steadfastly fixed on Jesus. It had been their custom for over three years to keep their eyes on Him. They weren’t looking intently because they had never seen an ascension before. They were looking intently because it was Jesus.

Now, the Holy Spirit must enable our eyes and our understanding if we are to see Jesus Christ at work in our daily lives and in the world around us. We must be watching for Him. Once we see Him, we must keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Once I served a church in another part of the country. Certain events occurred in the life of that church. Some young adults came to me one day saying that they were amazed for they saw the Scriptures being fulfilled in these events. They were seeing Christ at work in the events. However, it seems those young adults did not keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, for they did not continue to see Christ at work nor did it have any impact on their own consequent behavior.

God moves across the stage of modern politics (that which will in a few days be considered history). Sometimes we see Jesus Christ at work in this or that. Yet we must stay focused to follow the continuity.

God moves through what happens in weather: rain, sun, storms, and more. Sometimes televangelists are unwise in what they say about such things and in how they express what they say. Yet we know that God reveals Himself through nature. Sometimes we can see Jesus Christ at work in one way or another. But we must look intently as we do so. Practice helps. That is why some include time meditating on the observation of nature as a spiritual discipline.

God moves through our finances, our health, our relationships, and more. Sometimes we see Him as The Lord our Provider, sometimes as The Lord our Healer, and sometimes we don’t quite have a ready name for Him as He is engaged in our daily lives. One must keep a sharp eye to see how His activity relates to His plan to grow each of us in Christlikeness. After all, it is our relationship with Him that is ultimately important.

Where is Jesus around you right now? Look intently. He isn’t going away, but you will lose sight of Him if you aren’t intentional about it.

Share a story of a time you or someone around you reported seeing Jesus at work.

Quo Vadis?

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 1:8

Quo Vadis?

by Robert T. Cooper

Quo vadis? Where are you going? The quote comes from an old novel about the life of the Apostle Peter. You might want to look it up and read it. Peter had a mission, a place in life God was taking him. He knew where he needed to go and what he needed to do. Yet, as God is wont to do, it was a difficult mission, one that could only be seen through to the end with the Lord’s help. Peter started to leave so he would not have to continue to the end of his mission. Only God wouldn’t let Peter do that. He confronted Peter. When Peter confessed and repented, the Lord gave him the strength he needed to see his mission through to the end.

You and I have been brought into the Lord’s mission, the mission to take the Gospel to everyone everywhere. When we placed our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He gave us His Holy Spirit to live within us. When the Holy Spirit came upon us, we were commissioned to be witnesses to the saving power of Christ. We are to be witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” That is commonly interpreted as starting where you are, and then moving outward to neighboring areas until the entire world is reached.

Is this out of the comfort zone of most? Yes! Can anyone do it in his own strength? No!

So we are confronted with the questions of where we are going and of what are we doing as we go. Are we being witnesses where we are? Are we witnessing to ever-broadening areas as guided by the Holy Spirit? Do we witness to our social media “friends”? How is the Holy Spirit using us to get out the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?

Don’t let yourself off the hook. Ask the Lord whether He is satisfied with your faithfulness to the mission. Ask where and how He wants you to witness today. Who knows? Perhaps you will be amazed at the places He will take you.

Questions:

1.      Are you a witness where you are?

2.      Are you witnessing to ever-broadening areas as guided by the Holy Spirit?

3.      Do you witness to your social media “friends”?

4.      How is the Holy Spirit using you to get out the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?

There Is One Baptism

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                              Acts 1:5

There Is One Baptism

by Robert T. Cooper

Jesus will soon ascend to heaven. He is getting in his last bits of teaching. He is reminding the apostles to stay in Jerusalem because John the Baptist baptized with (or in) water (indeed, these apostles had baptized Jesus’ followers with or in water), but in a few days the apostles would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is an interesting word. It comes from the Greek word which means to put totally under water as one would a dish when one is washing it. It would be translated as “immerse.” That created a problem for the King James translators, because the Anglicans did not immerse and they could not have their translation teach a doctrine that did not conform to the practice of their church. So instead of translating the word, they transliterated it. Indeed if one looks biblically at what believer’s immersion symbolizes, then one sees why the mode of baptism is important.

But before we get into denominational arguments, let’s look at one more point that is even more important. Paul teaches us that there is “one baptism.” Yet here we have Jesus Himself teaching us there is water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism. So where does Paul get off with this one baptism stuff?

The point is this, and I know I am on dangerous denominational ground again. Water baptism, whatever its mode, is commanded. We do it in obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But from a technical point of view, it is not essential to salvation. If you were to get in a car wreck and die between the location of your placing your faith in Christ and the location of your water baptism, like the thief on the cross, your salvation would be secure. That does not mean you have the option of being disobedient and just skipping it if you so choose. It just means that you have already received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the ONE baptism of which the water baptism is symbolic.

When a person places his or her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in that person’s life. The transaction consists of giving Christ all of your life for the rest of your life. In turn, you get all of the Holy Spirit. You are immersed in the Holy Spirit. You are empowered by the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to teach you, to direct you, to comfort you, and to spend the rest of your life transforming you into Christlikeness.

How does a person know whether or not he is really saved? One knows by the testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul says to test yourself, to check yourself out.

For your comments: Have you had the one baptism (the Holy Spirit living in you because you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior)? Have you had water baptism? If so, was it believer’s immersion?

When Will We Ever Learn?

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 1:4

When Will We Ever Learn?

by Robert T. Cooper

When are we going to learn to do what God says, when He says it, the way He says it? He doesn’t mean in a few minutes or when we get around to it. He doesn’t mean for us to find ways to improve on His idea. He just wants us to trust Him and follow His instructions.

1.      When He says to stay, stay. When He says to go, go.

At one time there were 500 who saw the resurrected Christ. Yet on the day of Pentecost, a holy day of obligation when all observant Jews were supposed to be in Jerusalem, there were only 120 in the upper room who received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Where were the rest? What might the Pentecost harvest have been had the other 380 been where they were supposed to be?

2.      When you are engaged in God-directed activity, do it in God’s power.

The hymn says, “The arm of flesh will fail you.” Yet we try to do things “for God” in our own strength. Why? Why do we fail to use God’s power when it is readily available to us? It can only be pride or lack of trust.

3.      Keep God’s Word in your heart, mind, and actions.

God the Father has spoken. God the Son has spoken. It is recorded in Scripture. It is recorded in nature and in history. Read it. Memorize it. Pray it. Meditate on it. Contemplate it. Practice it. Live it. Teach it.

I heard a story about a man who was impressed by the Holy Spirit to witness to a neighbor. Now this man needed to run to the post office, so he thought he’d stop by the neighbor’s house and witness to him while he was out running his errand. He told his wife what he was planning to do and headed out. Driving along, he saw his neighbor was mowing, but was nearly through, so the man thought he’d go on to the post office and stop on the way home.

When he came back by, the yard still wasn’t quite finished, the mower was still out, but no one answered the door. The man went home and told his wife how his good intentions had been thwarted. The wife said, “Oh, no! Did you not hear? The man had a heart attack in his front yard. He died in the ambulance on his way to the hospital.” The man was sorry he had not stopped to witness to his neighbor before going to the post office.

When are we going to learn to do what God says, when He says it, the way He says it?

For your comments: Have you had an experience when you did not do what God said and you were sorry?

The Verb “to Give” Brings New Insight

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 1:4

The Verb “to Give” Brings New Insight

by Robert T. Cooper

1.      There is a gift.

2.      The gift has recipients.

3.      The gift is the commands of Jesus.

OK, we get it! We are saved by grace. We don’t do anything to earn it. We just have to be careful that we don’t slip into thinking that our obedience to Jesus earns us any merit with God. We don’t do works to be saved; we do works because we are saved.

Then we get all those sermons on the Great Commission: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” And from the Gospel of John, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” And wasn’t it nice of Bill Gothard to compile for us a list of all the commands of Jesus? I’ve got to get me a copy of that book one of these days.

But I thought Jesus’ yoke was supposed to be easy and his burthen light! Well, reading this verse a word sticks out at us and we suddenly discover a hint: Jesus “gave them this command.” It was a gift! Maybe it was kind of like that hapless fellow who gave his wife a new vacuum cleaner for their wedding anniversary; along with the gift was the implication that something would be done with the gift that did not involve pure enjoyment. But when you consider the commands of Jesus as gifts, they take on an entirely different color, don’t they?

In this particular case, the command was a gift to a particular group of people, or at least part of the command was. Face it, we aren’t all supposed to go to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps another time we may consider whether there is anything in the command for some or even all of us today. But one should be careful in reading the Bible. Not all popular verses mean what they seem to mean when taken out of context. Sometimes it matters and sometimes it doesn’t. It simply means that care should be taken (and often people do not take enough care).

So we are left with the idea that Jesus gifts us with His commands. “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”

What do you usually do with gifts? You receive them with joy, thank the giver, and use those gifts appropriately to enhance your life. Hmmm.

For your comments: What about this idea of receiving Jesus’ commands with joy? Have you ever thanked Jesus for particular commands He has given you? Have you ever considered how particular commands of Jesus might enhance your life?

How Long Have You Been a Disciple of Jesus?

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                              Acts 1:2

How Long Have You Been a Disciple of Jesus?

by Robert T. Cooper

It may have been decades since you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It may have been mere hours. I became a disciple 53 years ago, as of this writing. Some have followed Jesus longer, some shorter.

The Apostles Jesus had chosen followed Him while He was alive on Earth for 3½ years. After the Resurrection, until the Ascension, Jesus appeared to the Apostles over a period of 40 days. All during the 3½ years and all during the 40 days, Jesus was giving instructions to the Apostles. A majority of those instructions also apply to us as disciples of Jesus. We find out about those instructions in the pages of the New Testament. It is important to absorb the New Testament into our hearts and lives so that we will live out those instructions, not as a set of legalistic rules, but as a natural way of life.

One interesting thing is that Jesus gave those instructions to the Apostles through the Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus is God the Son, this is one aspect of His earthly ministry that He performed in the manner that you and I have to perform our ministries. We have to pay attention to the direction and promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we pray and as we meditate on the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit helps to adjust our thinking to the way God wants us to think. He helps us to make the right decisions. We can trust Him.

In summary, here are the three points:

1.      Jesus gave instructions. They are in the New Testament. Pay attention to them.

2.      Jesus had to pay attention to the Holy Spirit to do His earthly ministry. You need to pay attention to the Holy Spirit to do your ministry too.

3.      Jesus gave instructions to the apostles. A majority of those instructions apply to you. Since you are His chosen person to do His ministry today, He will see to it that you have all the instructions you need.

There are some advantages to having been a follower of Jesus for a longer period of time, but you have been in the faith quite long enough for everything Jesus has for you to do today. By the way, the word “disciple” means “learner.” In the comments section, leave me a note about some instruction you have learned lately.