Written by Mark Driskill:
November 8, 2010
Read Acts 1:9-11
The Apostles were standing there staring into the sky. Jesus had been taken up into heaven and they watched in utter amazement. Suddenly two angels appeared and said to them, “Men of Galilee why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In other words, the angels were telling them, “Get our heads out of the clouds and get going. The same Jesus who went up will soon come back down. So be busy about his business until he comes.”
I can imagine that years into the ministry of those early apostles that memory remained etched into their subconcious. The fact of Jesus return propelled them into the whole Roman empire and eventually to martyrdom for the gospel. No doubt there were many long nights in prison when the promise of Christs return was the only thing they had to keep them warm through the long dark night. They held tighly to the hope that one day the same Jesus who went up to heaven would return to the earth. Those words also pushed them through many difficult days when they felt like giving up.
The promise of Jesus return was etched into thier minds and it gave them the extra push they needed to keep going. They knew that every day was one day closer to his return. Two thousand years later we find ourselves closer to that great day than most of us suspect. And like the apostles we have a choice to make. We can stand around with our heads in the clouds speculating about his coming, or we can get to work. The Bible tells us clearly the choice God would have us make.
Too often we find ourselves with our heads in the clouds. Some of us are looking into the clouds of tradition, so distracted by our religious routines that we have no time or energy for the work of the gospel. Others are staring into the cloud of personal ambition. We’re up to our ears in our own personal dreams, looking for everything except God. Still others are peering intently into the clouds of controversy. We lost sight of Jesus long ago in the midst of some conflict with someone and now all we see in life is a never ending drama.
Oh friends when are we going to awaken from our slumber? When are we going to pull our heads out of our own personal clouds and see the harvest that languishes while we play games with our fleeting lives? Have we no idea that the same Jesus who died and rose again will return? When he does it will be far too late to decide it’s time to get to work.
Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky. They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy.
Mark is web minister for Begotten by theWord , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources.
Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program. Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.
Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.
