Blessings From The Holy Spirit

Romans 8:14-17, 22-27

Imagine receiving a very special gift, one that could really help you in a number of situations, but you never really used it.  You opened the gift up, but then you set it aside, and never took advantage of those benefits.  That wouldn’t be too smart of you, would it?  The most intelligent thing to do would be to find out exactly what that gift could do to help you, and then use it whenever you could.  If you’re a Christian, you have been blessed with a special gift from God the moment you were saved.  This is a gift that He gave us to help us through our life.  However, so many Christians are just like the person who was given a gift meant to help them, but then just set it aside and never benefited from the blessings.  Our Scripture for today highlights several benefits we have from the Holy Spirit.  Do we know of these benefits, and are we acknowledging them and receiving the blessings?

As our Scripture from Paul’s letter to the Romans opens, we read that those who have the Spirit of God, (that means all who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior), are now the sons of God (vs. 14).   Paul reminds us through many verses in Romans and other letters he wrote, that we have been adopted by the Lord God, and are His special children.  That is one benefit or blessing that we have access to from the Holy Spirit.  Before we were saved, we were under bondage to sin and Satan.  However, now we are no longer cringing and fearful slaves.  Instead, we are the Master’s children.  We share in all of His great treasures as co-heirs with Jesus (vs. 17).

In a loving and accepting family, the children are not afraid of their father.  They don’t cower in fear when he enters a room.  Instead, they run to him, with shouts of “Daddy!  Daddy!”, ready to jump into his open arms.  The children know that they are loved!  This is how the Bible describes the relationship that the Holy Spirit brings us with God the Father (vs. 15).  That is another benefit from the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We can call Him Abba, a word used in Middle Eastern languages to refer to one’s father.  It didn’t mean just the formal term “father”, but an even more intimate and loving one of “daddy”.  The Holy Spirit gives us reassurance that we are God’s children (vs. 16), and as His children, we know that we can come to Him whenever we want or need to.  He is never too busy or disinterested in us.  God will never turn us away.

Paul also informs us in this passage that though we are joint-heirs with our Big Brother Jesus, there is a price for being identified with Him.  Along with the treasures we have with Jesus, we will also face suffering (vs. 17).  Though no one enjoys suffering, however, as children of God, being indwelt with the Holy Spirit, we can turn to God in prayer at any time.  Sometimes, if the need is so great and the trials so heavy and strong, all we might be able to do is to groan within ourselves.  The pain, the heartache or grief can be so strong that we can’t even come up with words to pray with.

Here is where the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us, steps in and prays for us (vs. 22-27).    In certain serious circumstances, whether for ourselves or for others, we might not know exactly what to say in our prayers.  The Holy Spirit does, though.  He knows what is in our hearts, and as part of the Holy Trinity, He knows what the will and mind of God is.  Thus He is able to pray for us most effectively.  This is a benefit we have from the gift of the Holy Spirit  When we don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for us.  No words are necessary, because the Father understands and agrees with what the Holy Spirit thinks and prays.

This work of the Holy Spirit on our behalf parallels the High Priestly work of intercession by the Lord Jesus on behalf of believers (Hebrews 7:27).  When we don’t know what or how to pray, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us making intercession for us, and we have our Big Brother Jesus, standing in as our High Priest, also interceding for us.  As our loving Father, God is always there to hear our prayers and cries to Him, as well as those of both the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit putting into words what we just can’t say on our own.

Are these blessings from the Holy Spirit ones that you know and take advantage of in your daily Christian walk?  Do you know that through the Holy Spirit that you are God’s child, and come running to Him like a child to his beloved Daddy?  Or do you mistakenly cower in fear, thinking He is a harsh Father?  And when you want to pray, but just don’t know what to say, as the burden is too big, do you just give up and forget about it, or do you allow the Holy Spirit to pray on your behalf?  Don’t miss out on the blessings that the gift of the Holy Spirit has for you!

Our Provider

Psalm 104

When you make your weekly trip to the grocery store, are you conscious of where the food you buy comes from?  I’m not specifically referring to the farms, though we should be grateful to all the farmers, fishermen, and ranchers for the work they do.  I am referring ultimately to Who provides for all of the food we eat.  Naturally those who have no faith in God do not give any thought or consideration as to Who ultimately provides the food they eat each day.  Sadly, even some Christians sit down at the table day after day, and forget to thank the Lord for His provisions.  In our psalm for today, the psalmist does not forget that it is the Lord God who ultimately provides the food and drink for all creatures on earth.  Let’s take a quick look at this psalm.

Psalm 104 goes through the different parts of God’s creation.  The first several verses speak of God laying the foundation of the earth, His creating the atmosphere, and all the angelic beings (vs. 1-5).  The psalmist uses very descriptive words.  The light covers God like a cloak, and the heavens, what we look at through telescopes, are His curtains.  The Lord God rides the clouds as His chariot, and soars through the air on the wind.  Some people revere angels so much they almost worship them, however God created them and they are His servants.

Water is very important for life.  We can only last about three days without having any water.  God created water, it didn’t just happen (vs. 6-13).   Our psalmist describes places of water throughout the earth.  He particularly describes the streams of water that come down from the mountain peaks, bringing liquid nourishment to those who live in the valleys, both man and animals.  When we stand on a beach, we might wonder why the ocean stops where it does.  Why doesn’t it stop several hundred yards further inland?  God is the One who has set the limits of the waters in the ocean.  He directs where the rivers go.  The Lord is the One who has provided water to quench the thirst of all beings.  Without water we would not have any other types of beverages, nor any food, and it is the Lord who has provided it for us.

The Lord God not only provides us with water, He also is the One who provides all living beings with the food they eat.  Without any food, a person can last maybe a week or so, depending on whether they are drinking any water, and what their general health is overall.  God provides grass for the cattle to eat, which in turn provides the meat that we consume.  He also provides all of the vegetables that we eat, and grain for our bread (vs. 14-15).  God not only provides water and food for all creatures, He has also provided each animal with a place to live, such as trees for the birds, the hills and mountains for the goats, and burrows for the badgers (vs. 17-18).

As our psalm continues, the writer describes the cycle of day and night, and how this, too, is a creation of God, and has a purpose which He designed for both man and animal (vs. 19-23).  As the earth rotates, we see the sun rising and setting each day, as God ordained it should.  At night the moon and the stars are visible, and we see the cycle of the moon throughout the month.  God created certain animals that are nocturnal, and are active at night seeking their food which He provides for them.  When daylight comes they return to their dens, and man and other animals then rise and go about their day.  All of this is determined by God.  The psalmist particularly highlights the fish and creatures of the oceans (vs. 25-26), noting that there is such a wide variety of sea life, man hasn’t even counted them all.

The psalmist proclaims that it is the Lord God that provides us with all that we need for life (vs. 27-30).  He is the One who gives us our food and our water, and everything that is good.  He has created even the air which we breathe, and without it we would die and return to dust.  It is by His Spirit that we have life.

He concludes the psalm with a chorus of praise for all that God has created (vs. 24, 31-35).  His creation is vast, and was created in wisdom.  As we look around the world at all of creation, as we eat and drink each day, we need to remember to meditate on the wonders of the Lord, and sing His praise.

The Promise Of The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-11

When we’ve been given a promise, we’re usually glad when that promise is kept.  It’s especially pleasing when we’ve had to wait a while for that promise to be fulfilled.   Our Scripture for today gives the account of the fulfillment of a promise that the Lord Jesus gave His disciples, and actually a promise that had been spoken of by several of the prophets in the Old Testament.  On the day of Pentecost, God fulfilled His promise to His people by giving the Holy Spirit.  Let’s look into our Bible passage for this Sunday of Pentecost.

Pentecost was the Jewish festival of offering to God the first fruits of the harvest.  The disciples were in Jerusalem, where they had been since the day that Jesus had ascended back into heaven, ten days earlier.  They were all together in an upper room, possibly the same room that the Last Supper had taken place in.  There they had remained for over a week, in prayer, waiting for the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had given them (Acts 1:12-14).

How patient are we for someone to carry out or answer a promise they made for us?  People today are not very patient for anything.  They want what they want right away.  Instant food from the microwave, from fast-food restaurants, or restaurant delivery to their doors.  They want to get from point A to point B in the fastest time.  They want the quickest route, the expressway, not a slower way that might be more scenic.  Instant answers and information on the Internet.  Fast, fast, fast.  God doesn’t always work fast, or at our timetable.  Very often He has us wait for His answers.  When Jesus was preparing to return to heaven, He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49).  They obeyed, waiting in prayer, and ten days later, on the festival of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit was given.  Quite often the Lord wants us to be still and to wait for the answers to our prayers.

In His final discourse to the apostles, Jesus spoke of sending the Holy Spirit to the believers.  He spoke of the Holy Spirit as our Helper, and that this was the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17).  He promised that the Holy Spirit would bring to mind all that Jesus had said (John 14:26), and that it was necessary that Jesus return to heaven in order for the Holy Spirit to come (John 16:7).  John the Baptist had prophesied about the coming Holy Spirit.  He spoke of how he baptized with water, but that the Holy Spirit would baptize with fire (Matthew 3:11;Luke 3:16).  And centuries earlier the Prophet Joel had also spoken words about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples that Pentecost morning, there appeared “divided tongues, as of fire” upon each disciple (vs. 3).  Fire symbolizes God’s purifying presence, which burns away undesirable elements of our lives.  It also sets our hearts aflame, empowering us to witness to others, to bring them the Gospel, in order to ignite the lives of others.

There was a reason that the Holy Spirit came on the festival of Pentecost.  Pentecost was the day that the Jewish people brought an offering to God of the first fruits of their crops.  If they brought a portion of the very first of their crops and offered them to God, then they believed He would bless the remainder of crops to come.  The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost as the first fruits of the believer’s inheritance.  The Holy Spirit was the sign of all that God promised to give to believers, like a down payment of what was promised to come.  Also, these early believers were the first fruits of the full harvest of all believers who would come after.

That Pentecost morning, God sent the Holy Spirit upon the believers gathered there together, and He enabled them to speak to the multitudes of people who were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival.  These were Jewish folk who came from dozens of different countries throughout Asia and the Mediterranean world.  They immediately began to witness to these people in their native languages (vs. 5-11).

When the Holy Spirit came upon them, the disciples didn’t just sit back and compliment themselves on how privileged they were to be so blessed.  They immediately went out and started sharing the Gospel to others.  The Holy Spirit has been given to us to enable and empower us to share the Gospel with others. There are myriads of people all around our own neighborhoods who need to hear about Jesus.  If we are saved, we have the Holy Spirit, and we have the ability to do as these disciples did, and that is to share the Gospel with all who will listen.

Mission Accomplished

John 17:1-11

When setting out to complete a mission, whether an individual person, a business, or a government, we like to see that everything goes right.  Nobody likes a failed mission.  There are some who look over Jesus’ life, reading through the Gospels, and when they come to His arrest and subsequent crucifixion, they look at it as a horrible, unfortunate event, a mistake, a failed mission.  They may acknowledge that God rectified it by raising Jesus, but they still feel that it was a failed mission.  Let’s look at what the Scripture says about this.  Did Jesus complete what He was sent to do?  Was God pleased with Jesus?  As we look in our Bible passage for today, from the Gospel of John, we will see that Jesus did not fail in the mission the Lord gave Him.

The 17th chapter of John’s Gospel is a prayer that the Lord Jesus prayed to God.  It is the High Priestly prayer He made.  Jesus is talking to the Father, and we get to listen to His prayer.  We are just looking at a brief segment at the start of the chapter, and in this portion we read His prayer for God to bring Him glory, and how He prayed for His disciples.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus prayed to the Father, and spoke of how “the hour has come” (vs. 1).  What was the “hour”?  This refers to the hour or time of Jesus’ death, His upcoming crucifixion, along with the Resurrection and glorification which would follow.  Within just a few hours, Jesus would be arrested, given a phony trial, brutally scourged and beaten, and then crucified.  This was not something that came upon Him unexpectedly.  This was not a surprise, a big “oops, that wasn’t supposed to happen” moment.  Jesus had spoken of His crucifixion to His disciples several times. (Luke 9:22-27; Mark 9:30-32; Matthew 20:17-19; and Matthew 26:1-2).

As Jesus spoke of this hour having arrived, He spoke of it bringing glory, glory both to the Son, Himself, and also glory to God the Father.  How did Jesus glorify God?  He did so by carrying out the will of God in all things. If this was something that was not supposed to happen, it would not bring glory to God.  Jesus prayed that He would be glorified by finishing His mission of redemption, and by bringing people salvation, by bringing them to the Father.  The mission that Jesus had been given was not just to teach people how to live better lives, but was primarily, and most importantly, to redeem mankind, to bring salvation to all who come to Him, which could only be accomplished by His death on the cross.  That was His mission, that was the work He was to do, and in His prayer to the Father, He reported that He was finishing the work He had been given (vs. 4).

Jesus was not only fully God, but He was also fully man, and as a man, knowing that He would soon be going through brutal torture, and the awful death of crucifixion, that must not have been a pleasant thought.  No one relishes the thought of terrible, dreadful pain.  As we see in His prayer, though, Jesus looked past the cross and its horror, to when He would return to the glory that He shared with God the Father before the world began (vs. 5), and the multitudes of souls that would be saved.

As Jesus continued with His prayer in this Scripture passage by praying for His disciples (vs. 6-11).  He acknowledged that they were the ones God gave to Him, and thought they were not perfect, they kept God’s Word, and were true to the Light, the Truth He had taught them.  Jesus prayed that His disciples would be protected, unified, sanctified, and sustained against Satan and the world.

This world is a battleground.  It is a place where the forces of Satan and those of God are at war.  Satan is motivated by bitter hatred of Jesus.  So in His prayers for His disciples, and we see later in the chapter for us as well (John 17:20), Jesus prays for God to keep all believers safe from Satan’s power.  That is His desire, as God is glorified when souls are saved, not in material things.

Jesus’ prayers hamstring Satan.  He is praying for us, and God will hear the intercessory prayers of His Son, as the Son and the Father are One (vs. 10).  As we can see through this priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus, this was not a failed mission, but one that can be triumphantly declared as a “Mission Accomplished”!

Those Fiery Trials

I Peter 4:12-19

Did anyone ever tell you that once you became a Christian, once you gave your heart and life to the Lord Jesus, everything would be just rosy?  That your life would be smooth sailing from then on?  You might have been told that only those in sin or unbelievers suffer difficulties, but not the godly.  That teaching, which is one of several that the “health-wealth” preachers espouse, is false.  True, godly Christians from the time of the Apostles to today have often suffered, and gone through all kinds of difficult trials.  In our Scripture for today, the Apostle Peter reminds us that trials and suffering are going to come, and Christians, including godly believers who are living for the Lord, are not immune to them.

The epistle of I Peter was written to believers who were going through persecution from both the unsaved Jewish people and from pagans.  Some of them had been driven out of their homes by unbelieving family members.  Many had lost their jobs and incomes for their faith.  They had been dragged into court and had judgments given against them because they were Christians.  These people Peter was writing to were surprised and discouraged because of this.  Perhaps someone had told them that by becoming a Christian, all their problems would disappear.  Peter told them that this was not a true or accurate teaching.  He told them that the trials they were going through were not to be considered unusual or odd (vs. 12).

Our trials are not unique.  Many others have experienced the same thing.  As we read through the Bible, we see how many went through all sorts of trials, such as Joseph, Jeremiah, Stephen, and Paul.  From the days of the early church, through the centuries following, and on to today, Christians have suffered all types of adversities and persecutions.  When we are persecuted for our faith, we are partners in the same suffering that Jesus endured (vs. 13).  When a believer suffers, God’s presence especially rests with him, and God will bless them with strength and endurance (vs. 14).

Peter warns us that we need to be careful that we are not suffering because of some wrongdoing that we have done (s. 15).  This was God’s instruction back then, and is the same today.  If we do something wrong at work, such as helping ourselves to company funds or merchandise, get caught and then fired, we can’t say that we were being persecuted for our faith.  If we cause a fight in the neighborhood, and the police fine us or put us in jail overnight, we can’t say that they did that because we were a Christian.

However, if we are persecuted because we spread the message of Jesus, and take a stand for His Word, Peter says we are blessed, and should not be ashamed (vs 14, 16).  Jesus spoke of just such persecution for our faith, calling those who endure such as blessed (Matthew 5:11-12).  Whenever we suffer because of our faith and loyalty to Jesus, He will be with us all the way.  When Peter and John were persecuted for preaching the Gospel, they rejoiced because they knew God approved of their work (Acts 5:40-42).  Insults and rejection because of Jesus means there is evidence of Christ in our lives.

God also has a purpose in the trials of our life.  He can use trials to cleanse and purify us.  Adversity will often drive us closer to God.  We begin to focus on Him, and see things from His perspective.  God also uses trials to test our faith, endurance, and devotion to Him.  Hardship and tribulation in our life will also show us God’s power to sustain us through them.

Peter continues by telling us that God’s judgment on mankind begins with believers in order to purify the Church (vs. 17).  If God will judge His own, how much more will He judge the unsaved?  One is only saved by trusting in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross.  If that sacrifice is rejected and spurned, where does that leave these people?  There is no other hope for them (vs. 18).

In looking back over this Scripture passage, we see that there are four attitudes that we should have in order to be triumphant during persecution.  We need to expect that such persecution will happen to believers (vs. 12).  Next, we should rejoice in God while enduring it (vs. 13-14).  Then we should evaluate the cause of it, making sure that it is not caused by any wrongdoing of ours (vs. 15-18).  And then finally we need to entrust what we are going through to God (vs. 19).

Victory For Our King

Psalm 47

Many of us watched coverage of the coronation of Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth nations on May 6th.  The streets of London were filled with cheering crowds to welcome the new king.  From newsreel footage I’ve seen, the same occurred 70 years prior when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.  The people of the country want to show their love and support to their new monarch.  Back in the past, in the days when kings would go forth to war with their armies, there would be similar scenes of cheer and support when he would return in triumph.  The king would often lead his conquered enemies in subjection.  Our psalm today gives a description of the Lord God as our King, with His people singing His praise and cheer.  Let’s see what we can learn.

This psalm was one of several which were written by the Sons of Korah, a branch of the Levites, descended from Moses’ cousin, Korah.  Korah died with Dathan, Abiram, and their families when they revolted against the leadership of Moses (Numbers 16:1-40).  The Sons of Korah, along with the people of Israel, were familiar with scenes of joy and cheer when a king would return victorious from battles.  This occurred so often during the reign of King David, and later kings, as well.  And the day of the king’s coronation, whether it was David, Solomon, or a later king, was always a time of celebration.

The Sons of Korah took their memories and experiences of witnessing cheers for their physical, human kings, and transferred it to singing praises to the Lord God, who is the great King over all the earth (vs. 2, 7).  The psalmist proclaims that God is not just their personal king, but that He also reigns over all the nations, the universe, even.

This past Thursday, May 18th, many Christian denominations celebrated the feast day of the Ascension, which occurs 40 days after Easter.  That day commemorates the day that the Lord Jesus returned to heaven.  There He is seated at the right hand of God, upon His heavenly throne, crowned King of the whole creation.  We remember the grandeur and ceremony of the coronation of King Charles.  That is nothing compared to the coronation of Jesus upon His heavenly throne!  Our psalm speaks of God going up with a shout and the sound of a trumpet, with the whole world singing praises (vs. 5-7).  When Jesus ascended into heaven, it was as a King going forth in triumph, triumph over His enemy Satan, and all of his minions.

Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, when He shed His Blood and died for our sins, rising victoriously on the third day.  The Ascension and taking His seat at God’s right hand further emphasized Satan’s defeat.  When Jesus returns, all of Satan’s control and influence here on earth will be over.  Satan’s power will be completely subdued.

When He returns, all nations will bow in reverence to the Lord Jesus.  Right now we do not see that.  Most countries, if not all of them, are in rebellion against Jesus and His Holy Word.  Most people around the world disregard Him, scorn Him, toss His Word behind them as they follow a path of more and more sin and debauchery.  Those who follow Jesus are treated with equal scorn.  However, just like the conquering king, when Jesus returns these nations and people will be put under His feet, like the subdued enemies of a conquered country are (vs. 3).

In ancient times, when the leaders of a conquered country came to show their homage and allegiance to the victorious king, they would often bring their weapons, their swords and shields, sometimes their flag or banner, and lay them at the feet of the victor.  In closing his psalm, this son of Korah, relates how all of the shields of the earth belong to God.  He is the victorious King of all the earth.  We may not see it now, as so much of the world shakes their fists in defiance against Jesus, but He will hold their shields in victory.

On that day we, as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus, can clap our hands and shout with triumph for our Savior (vs. 1).  Jesus is seated upon His throne, and will reign, greatly exalted, over all nations.  We will celebrate His kingship over all the earth.

Some Last Words

Acts 1:1-11

If one searches the internet, one can find several lists of some famous last words given by people right before they died.  Scanning these lists we can find some very interesting last words.  Sometimes these are important words, sometimes confusing or just nonsense.  Last words aren’t always given before a death.  Here in the U.S., and in several other countries high schools and universities often have a valedictorian who gives a type of farewell speech at the graduation ceremonies.  In the past, before the days of computer zoom chats, or even telephones and quick travel, if a family member or friend moved any great distance away, it was quite conceivable that they would never see or talk to one another again.  The moment of their parting would be a type of last, final words.  These last words can be important, and words to treasure.  In our Scripture today we read of Jesus’ physical parting from His disciples, and the final, last words He spoke to them.  Let’s take a look at what Jesus chose to say before He physically left earth.

On the third day after His crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead.  For forty days following His resurrection, He met and taught His followers (vs. 1-3).  During these days Jesus taught His disciples everything necessary to carry on His work.  Then Jesus led them to the Mount of Olives, just to the east of Jerusalem.  It was there that He gave them some final words and directions.

The first thing that the Lord Jesus told the disciples was a promise of sending the Holy Spirit, and that they were to wait for this outpouring, the baptism of the Spirit, while remaining in Jerusalem (vs. 4-5).  The disciples had to wait until Pentecost for the Holy Spirit to come.  Today believers receive the Holy Spirit as soon as they are saved.  This didn’t happen immediately after Jesus ascended into heaven, which is why Jesus told them to wait.  Rarely does God do things immediately.  They were to remain in Jerusalem and patiently wait.  Ten days later the Holy Spirit came upon them.  Most of us can’t wait ten minutes for our food to cook, let alone wait ten days!  Yet so often that is what God wants us to do - wait, wait and pray.

The disciples then asked the Lord if it was at this time that He would restore the kingdom to Israel (vs. 6-7).  Many of the Jewish people had believed that the coming Messiah would be a strong, powerful political leader who would restore power and authority to the Jewish people, kicking Rome, and any other ruling powers, out of Israel.  Some of the disciples were still believing this.  However, this was not the type of Messiah that God sent.  Another of Jesus’ final words was to tell us that we will not know the exact dates of God’s timetable.  Yes, one day Jesus will return, and all power on earth will come into His hands, but as He said, we do not know when that will be.  We should not believe anyone who says they do.

Jesus proceeded to give another final, and important instruction.  He told them that after the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were to be His witnesses, bringing His message of salvation to the whole world (vs. 8).  The disciples’ mission was to spread the Gospel as the Holy Spirit empowered them.  They were to witness, both in their own home neighborhoods, and then on out into the world.

Those early disciples were simple folk, with no advanced education.  They were fishermen and other basic, honest jobs.  They did not have any powerful, influential careers.  Satan will try to tell you that you aren’t qualified to share the Gospel.  He will use others to say that since you don’t have advanced theological university degrees that you best keep quiet.  However, God tells us all to spread the Gospel, and He gives us the power through His Holy Spirit.  The power that comes from the Holy Spirit will bring courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority.

As our Scripture draws to a close, we read how Jesus ascended up into heaven (vs. 9-11).  God the Father took Jesus in His resurrection Body from this world to be seated at His rightful place at the Father’s right hand.  If Jesus had remained on earth, His physical presence would have limited the spread of the Gospel, because the Holy Spirit could only be sent after He returned to heaven (John 16:7).  Also, while Jesus was physically on earth, He could only be in one place at a time.  After He was taken up to heaven, He could send the Holy Spirit, enabling Him to be present everywhere.

One day Jesus will return to earth, to the Mount of Olives, in the same way He ascended with clouds, to set up His Kingdom.  We should be ready for His sudden return (I Thessalonians 5:2), not by standing around looking into the sky, but by working diligently to share the Gospel