Who likes commands?
“While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5, NRSV
And, what are we waiting for?
“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord,is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Verses 6-8 of Acts 1
Have you ever focused so much on times and epochs that you forgot what you’re waiting for? Maybe missed the Spirit of empowerment while looking in the wrong direction? I’m thinking, now what?
thedailylily.com 
“Have you ever focused so much on times and epochs that you forgot what you’re waiting for? Maybe missed the Spirit of empowerment while looking in the wrong direction? ”
I would have to answer yes, that must be true because if my focus was on waiting on the Spirit’s power and what He wanted to do, then the evidence would be abundant fruit from being His witness.
Debi, seems like the words of Joel Osteen might just have an answer for you. “Don’t settle for a barely-get-by-mentality. Jesus came so that you can live an abundant life. That means an abundance of joy, an abundance of peace, an abundance of health, an abundance of finances. You may not see it right now, and maybe you haven’t experienced it in the past, but don’t get complacent and just settle where you are. Get a vision for your future! Get a vision for what God wants to do in your life — He delights in your prosperity!” Osteen
Thanks Sara, that is great advice to put into action. I better get busy vs complacent and clean my glasses so I can see the vision clearly.
I see, hear and believe in the power of prayer and help and moving…hear is one loud thunder to action taken from Samaritian Purse…”A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Nepal on Tuesday, striking fear in the hearts of people still reeling from the catastrophic quake that hit less than three weeks ago.This second major disaster killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. It triggered landslides and knocked down even more buildings.”
We do pray for the victims of these earthquakes, that the Lord would use this to draw souls to Himself. We pray for Samaritan’s Purse and Franklin Graham and his team of mercy workers that they may remain protected as they delve into the middle of the fray to rescue souls and minister to them, in Jesus’ Name
How about this for being empowered? “There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”).
– Acts 4:36 (NRSV)
We cannot truly know the power of an encouraging word to someone whose heart is down, troubled, disillusioned or wounded. That inspired encouragement is embedded in the Holy Spirit and HE does the delivering from whatever situation or sorrowful heart or disappointment, etc. But I believe only…that one must follow the Spirit and not give wrong encouragement…that ends in failure or more heart break or disappointment. We must be very careful to not add to the problem with false hope instead of buoying up a soul in the Lord
Here’s an encouraging word for thedailylily.com LOVE your new look. Actually quite delightful to see! Thanks!
Thanks, MG. Green can be so refreshing! New Growth! Layers of promise! God’s throne calls it the frame of home….We look out the sparkling clean unlocked windows and see and hear the green leaves blowing in the breeze becking birds and squirrels and other winged souls to find a limb and rest with mouth wide open. The Creator is standing by to fill those open mouths.
In his book, The Divine Conquest,Tozer starts his chapter ‘The Holy Spirit as Power’ with one of the same verses as you quote above, Sara…Acts 1: 8.
I found this paragraph food for thought:.”Christianity takes for granted the absence of any self-help and offers a power which is nothing less than the power of God. This power is to come upon powerless men as a gentle but resistless invasion from another world bringing a moral potency infinitely beyond anything that might be stirred up from within. This power is sufficient; no additional help is needed, no auxiliary source of spiritual energy, for it is the Holy Spirit of God come where the weakness lay to supply power and grace to meet the moral need.”
Interestingly, in the previous chapter ‘The illumination of the Spirit’, Tozer wrote a quote from “old Jewish believers of pre-Christian times who gave us the books the Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclesiasticus” saying in part’ “For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in.” He goes on to say that ” this wisdom (from the Spirit of Truth) is always associated with righteousness and humility and is never found apart from godliness and true holiness of life.”
To me this helps address Sara’s statement and question: “Maybe missed the Spirit of empowerment while looking in the wrong direction? I’m thinking, now what? ”
Looks like, no moral potency, no godliness, no true holiness is looking and heading in the wrong direction and many miles away from the Spirit’s empowerment.