Good morning Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
Do you remember the popular saying, “Elvis has left the building?” For those of you who are members of Generation X and below, you probably recall the announcement quite well. The declaration warned every Elvis fan that he was no longer occupying the same space; therefore, they needn’t remain on the premises. The excitement of communing with Elvis had passed.
In early church history, God used difficult circumstances to push his children toward personal and corporate righteousness.
In the book of Acts, for example, readers observe how the Holy Spirit empowered the church to occupy enemy territory amid political and social crises. For some reason, God did not allow the first-century church to become complacent during their unexpected “new normal.”
Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth. As we read the book of Acts, we discover that even though the Jerusalem church received the Spirit’s empowerment (Acts 2) to extend the gospel worldwide; they remained content in Jerusalem.
When Elvis left the building, the crowd knew that the hope of seeing him had waned. It might be true that there are fewer souls in our church buildings during these national health, social, political, and global crises, but people of God, our joy should not fad because, unlike Elvis, Christ is coming back again. He said, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” before ascending into heaven (Matt 28:20). In Acts, the angels explained to the bewildered disciples, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Jesus left the earth, gave us His Spirit, so the church can courageously Leave the Building!
Sometimes we might need a little push.
Sometimes we might need a little push.
Blessings & Peace
Pastor Clarissa & Bro. Martin