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A Higher Calling
An Invitation To The Upper Room
Acts Chapters 1 & 2
In this first chapter of the Book of Acts verses 4 through 13,
we hear about Jesus speaking to the 500 He called together for
the purpose of having them come into a deeper relationship with Him;
He is giving them a higher calling: An invitation to the Upper Room.
Acts 1:4-13
Here Jesus is about to separate those He has called from those whom He
has chosen: The Upper Room Members; the elite of the called disciples.
In Matthew 22:14 Jesus had spoken: "For many are called, but few are
chosen." Jesus assembled 500 disciples 40 days after His miraculous
resurrection. These were close followers of our Lord; disciples.
But before Jesus ascended into heaven on that glorious day, He called
upon them to dig deeper. He required now of them sacrifices beyond
compare and obedience without question.
He told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the
Father. Those who obeyed this command from Him would be baptized with
the Holy Ghost. He didn't tell them when this would happen;
He just told them that it would. Many with Him on that day just
wanted to know if that would be the time when He would restore the kingdom
to Israel. But Jesus replied that no one knew when that time was to be.
All He was requiring of them was their uncontested obedience.
He repeated to them that those who did such would receive power after
the Holy Ghost would come upon them.
Acts 1:12 & 13: "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount
called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room.........
500 disciples received the invitation of Jesus to the Upper Room.
Of these, 120 accepted. (Acts 1:15) When Jesus said "Go to Jerusalem &
wait for the Holy Spirit to be poured out unto you", these didn't
ask, "how long shall we wait there?" or "why are we to wait there?"
They didn't ask "what about our families?" "what about my job?"
They were obedient. They just did it. Why? Because they wanted to be taken
to a new level. They wanted to be taken higher, deeper in Him.
They knew that the day was soon to come when the Father's promise was to be
fulfilled. And they patiently waited; day after day after day.
Without question. Without complaint. They just waited.
Then it happened. The experience the Father had promised was
fulfilled!
Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.............
Jesus called 500 that one day, asking them for a deeper commitment.
Of those 120 were chosen. These were the ones that said "yes!"
Today, our Father is calling each and every one of us into the Upper Room.
He doesn't want our excuses, He wants our obedience. "Yes, Lord!" is all He is
interested in. When we do this without questioning, He engulfs us in His
blessings. "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor
perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath
prepared for him that waiteth for him." (Isaiah 64:4 - KJV)
Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus, accepting the invitation
to the Upper Room. We will wait on You and You alone, God.
We will wait to hear Your voice. We realize the time is short & You want Your children
to become part of an elite group. You are calling us to go deeper
into You. You want us to pray harder and with more frequency. You want us to
go deeper into worship. We understand You're not talking about Sunday worship;
You're talking about serious worship, in spirit and in truth. 24-7.
Father, we vow to worship You in church, at home, in the street, & on
the job. We shall worship You not only in song, but with actions.
We will make an honest attempt to turn every action in the street into a genuine
worship to You. We ask You help mold us so that our behavior with family,
friends,
and co-workers be of such a magnitude that people would know that
there is an awesome power dwelling in us. We shall strive to become more like
Jesus so that people see Him and not us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
God bless you all,
Joe Acosta
Redeemed By His Blood Web Ministries
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