Sonrise July 21, 1996
HIS LAST COMMANDMENT
1) He remained with them teaching them after the resurrection.
I Cor. 15:6 Jesus appeared to 500 most of which are alive at the writing by Paul.
2) And what did He tell them to do?
Luke 24:49-51 "...I send the promise of my father upon you; but
tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high..."
Acts 1:1-5 vs 2 "...He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen.
vs 3 "...being seen of them forty days, and speaking to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
vs 4 "And being assembled together with them, commanded them
that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but waite for the promise of the father, which ye have heard of me.
vs 5 "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
vs 6 "... they asked Him ... wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel.
vs 7 "...It is not for you to know the times or the seasons...
vs 8 "But ye shall recieve power after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem...
vs 9 "... and He was taken up...
When they did as He instructed, were they seeking power? No! They were seeking His presence, which is power!
Acts 2:1-4
vs 1 "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were
all with one accord in one place.
This is key! They had all payed for nearly ten days, noe exceptions, all >120, they and come to complete agreement!
Psalm 133:1-2 vs 1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for
bretheren to dwell together in unity....
vs 2 "It is like the precious ointment (anointing oil!) upon
the head, that ran down...
Prayer until we agree with God and each other brings the anointing!
He came to break down the walls of division!
Eph. 2:13-16 vs 13 "were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ.
vs 14 "He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath
broken down the middle wall of partition between us.
vs 15 "Having abolished in His flesh the enmity...
vs 16 "that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by
the cross...
2
Matt. 18:20 "Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them."
So they followed His instructions and prayed together for ten days!
Acts 2:3-17 vs 3 "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them (no exceptions).
vs 4 "and they were all (no exceptions) filled with the Holy Ghost
vs 14 "Peter standing up with the eleven ...
vs 15 "these are not drunken as ye suppose..
vs 16 "But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel.
vs 17 upon all flesh (includes the gentiles -- Peter later doesn't remember that he preached this.
vs 18 on servants!
Likewise Jesus spoke of this quoting Isaah
Matt. 12:14-21 vs 16 "and He charged them ...
vs 17 "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken byt the
prophet Esaias
vs 18 "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen...
I will put my spirit upon Him, and He will shew judgement to the Gentiles.
(Gentiles here is Isles in Isaah, -- remote isolated places)
Isaah 42:1-4 "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom
my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon Him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentileshh;..."
Isaah 44:1-3 "... I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring."
So how did this promise unfold in the old testament?
Gen. 18:17-18
vs 17 "...shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?
vs 18 "...Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations (people groups) of the earth shall be blessed of him."
How? Bleessed by the faith of Abaraham.
All nations shall be blessed in Him.
For:
Gal. 3:7 "They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
Gal. 3:14 "that the blessing of Abraham (the promise of the spirit)
might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ."
How? Through the faith that comes by the will of Jesus Christ.
Rom. 9:7 "Neither, becuase they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called."
Not according to a natual order but by the working of faith.
This faith of Christ is understood more fully in:
3
Ezek. 36:22-27 vs 22 "...I do not this for your sakes, O house of
Israel, but for mine holy name's sake...
vs 23 "the heathen then shall know that I am the Lord, saith
the Lord God, when I shall be santified (by His death and resurrection) in you before their eyes."
vs 26 "a new heart will I give you...
vs 27 "I will put my Spirit within you..."
To the Jews, regarding the end of time restoration.
The Jews rejected Jesus
1) When He taught them in the Temple and synagogues
2) When He was before Pilate (let His blood be upon us and our
children.)
3) When the graves were opened and His witnesses rose from
the dead.
4) When He was preached to them after the resurrection on the day of Pentacost.
Ezek. 37:13-14 vs 13 "you shall know that I am the Lord, when I
have opened your graves... (at the time of Jesus resurrection, when He again deals with Israel at the end of time)
vs 14 " and I shall put my spirit in you ....
Joel 2:28-29 vs 28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I
will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.... (no exceptions)
vs 29 "and upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Zech. 4:6 "not by might , nor by power, but by my Spirit....
Haggai 2:5 "I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
So how does this Holy Ghost manifest?
Acts 2:33 "...having recieved of the father the promise...
He hath shed forth this...
Acts 2:39 "For the promise is unto you, and to your children....
So what are we to do?
If we are to follow His last commandment we are to pray until we agree with Him and so agree with each other, then the power will fall on us as it did on them and we shall truly be His witnesse and servants.