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.

The Green-eyed Monster

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                              Acts 1:3

The Green-eyed Monster

by Robert T. Cooper

Shhhhhhhhh! There are reports that over in Iran lots and lots of people are seeing Jesus. Apparently, He appears to them in person to win them from Islam to faith in Him. There are even reports that He teaches some as new believers for up to two years! Does that seem fair to you? Is the Green-eyed Monster of Jealousy tempting you?

In the forty days from the Resurrection to the Ascension, Jesus showed Himself to the Eleven Apostles. In fact, Matthias saw Him too, so one could say He was seen of the Twelve. In fact, He was seen by others, at one point seen by a crowd of 500 believers. After the Ascension, probably several months later, perhaps in the late fall of the year, Saul of Tarsus saw Jesus just outside of Damascus.

Then there are reports of those who have seen Jesus in ones and twos over the centuries. Some of those reports are believable, like the modern reports out of Iran; some are not believable.

One of the first appearances of Jesus following the Resurrection was on the Sunday one week immediately after Resurrection Sunday. The Apostles were gathered in the Upper Room, probably the one belonging to the parents of John Mark, the one in which Jesus and the Apostles had observed the meal depicted in da Vinci’s famous fresco.

Thomas had missed the appearance of Jesus in that same location one week earlier, but Thomas was present this time. Thomas had insisted he would not believe Jesus had risen unless he touched the wounds of the Resurrected Jesus with his own finger. Jesus appeared and offered to let Thomas touch the wounds. The Bible doesn’t tell us whether Thomas actually touched the wounds or not, but it does tell us that Thomas exclaimed his faith in Jesus as Lord and God.

John 20:29 NIV

²⁹The Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:29 NIV

Now I suspect that somewhere close to 100% of those who read this blog are among those who have not seen and yet have believed. Jesus says you are blessed; I am blessed. Glory, hallelujah!

So, Green-eyed Monster, BUG OFF!

Just for discussion’s sake: Have you seen Jesus? If so, tell us about it. If not, do you want to do so before death? Why?