Some time ago, while taking my daily walk and listening to the ministry of John Osteen (Joel Osteen’s father), I heard and later wrote down in the margin of my Bible the following statement by Pastor Osteen –
Heaven is too real, Hell is too hot, Time is too short, and Eternity is too long.
Can you capture the enormity and urgency of that statement? We live in a sighing, crying, dying world that needs the message of the gospel N-O-W. Time is of the essence. We have absolutely no time to waste. The children in our schools, the youth in our universities, the neighbors in our communities, the co-workers in our jobs, the members of our families, the people standing in the checkout line with us at Walmart and Target,…should I keep going?…are waiting and desperately needing to hear the good news of the gospel.
While all of this is so true, I need to add these four words – stop-wait-stay put. Don’t shake your head in disbelief that I would even begin to suggest that you must remain still. And, while you’re at it, don’t wrinkle your nose and get an attitude. Really, this isn’t my admonition. It’s an abbreviation of the following two commands given by Jesus.
“Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.” Luke 24:49 (Amplified Bible)
“While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Of which,” He said, “you have heard Me speak.” Acts 1:4 (Amplified Bible)
Jesus was telling those He loved to not even broach the idea of reaching out to impact the world without first being fully equipped with heaven’s power. To borrow from an old American Express credit card commercial, Jesus commanded His followers “Don’t leave home without it”. In other words, no power, no go.
Today, our sighing, crying, dying world needs you. I will even be more emphatic and say our sighing, crying, dying world desperately needs you. Oh, one more addition. Our sighing, crying, dying world desperately needs you to be fully equipped, ready to share and demonstrate the power of the gospel. Be filled!
