Acts 1:1-8. In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The covenant of God given to us is complete. It lacks nothing, and no one can change it. And His covenant will be fulfilled. Yet we often ask what we need to do. But what is more important is to know who we are and where we should be.
What we do won’t matter if we are in the wrong place. But if we are in the complete covenant of God, we will realize that our present circumstances are not that important. We will see spiritual facts beyond our present reality.
Joseph experienced the complete covenant of God, and he was always at peace—whether in his father’s house in Canaan, in Potiphar’s house as a slave, in prison, or in the palace as governor of Egypt. He experienced God’s presence wherever he was and testified to the living God.
That is why our circumstances do not matter as long as we are in the complete covenant. When we enjoy the blessing of being with God, we will discover His absolute plans wherever we are.
Does doing well in life guarantee success? Absolutely not. If we do not enjoy the spiritual blessings God has already given us, we will eventually fail, even if we are successful by the world’s standards. But if you are within God’s complete covenant like Joseph, then He will give you true success, whether you do well in life or not. Being with God is success.
Throughout history, God has given, reminded, and restored His complete covenant through Christ. Only the True King could destroy the devil’s work. Only the True Priest could remove the curses that came through sin. Only the True Prophet could open a new and living way to God.
Jesus finished the work of Christ. He resolved all of our fundamental problems through His death and resurrection. He settled all the problems of our past, present, and future. He set us free from the law of sin and death. He lives in us now through the Holy Spirit. He works powerfully to show His kindness to us who belong to Christ and to display the richness of His grace for all time to come.
When you hold onto only Christ, you will experience and enjoy the kingdom of God. You will see answers to all your problems. You will be renewed in your conflicts and experience God’s power in your crises. You will see that God allowed your problems and conflicts and crises while He was with you.
You will also realize that what others call a curse may actually be a blessing. God’s plans are not to harm you but to give you hope and a future. You will enjoy spiritual fellowship with Jesus every day.
Nothing happens by accident in the lives of those chosen by God. He knows your situation. He loves you more than you can imagine. He plans and allows all things in your life for a reason.
So trust in the God whose ways and thoughts are higher than yours. Live by faith in the One who loved you and gave Himself for you. That is life in the kingdom of God.
The only thing left is to experience the power of the Holy Spirit and go to the ends of the earth as Christ’s witness. Open your eyes and see the world covered by darkness.
As a child of God, you have been given the anointing of a spiritual king. In the name of Jesus, break every stronghold of the enemy. With the spiritual authority of a priest, bring healing to those under sin’s curse. As a spiritual prophet, deliver the message of reconciliation to those trapped in darkness.
Discover your ends of the earth right where you are. Wherever God sends you, that is your mission field. You have one life, and it’s too short to live for anything less than God’s greatest desire: to save this generation and pass the covenant to the next.
Remain in the complete covenant of God. Go deep into prayer, enjoying His promise, until nothing and no one and no circumstance can shake you.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for Your complete covenant: Christ, the kingdom, and the Holy Spirit. Help me remain in Your covenant. Send me to the ends of the earth as Christ’s witness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.