He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8 ESV)

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here; 

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere!

Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for;

To be overcome by your presence, Lord.

Let us become more aware of Your presence; 

Let us experience the glory of your goodness!

Francesca Battistelli says what we all need to hear perfectly in her popular worship song, “Holy Spirit.” She reminds us that we need to welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives with open hearts because there are so many ways we can be empowered by Him.

Acts 1:7 puts in place the distinct difference between God and man. By telling the apostles they cannot (and should not) know the “times or seasons” of the Lord, Jesus shows He is much greater than they are (greater than we are, too). Jesus is also reminding them (and us) not to be stuck worrying about the future since we will never have the ability to know it; the Lord is omnipotent and all-knowing, and knowing the future is His job, not theirs, not ours. This may sound hopeless, that we aren’t perfect and omnipotent and all-knowing. But the next verse gives the apostles and us hope! “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (v.8). 

Now, the apostles may have been fearful when they heard Jesus’ next words - “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (v.8) -  because He was telling them they are going to new places, without Him. However, with the Holy Spirit by their side, they would have all the power needed to witness to the whole world about Jesus.

Power does not necessarily mean strong authority over something. To some, power may mean confidence - as Peter had when preaching when 3,000 were converted (Acts 2:41). To some, power may mean physical strength, and to others it may mean having abundant knowledge or wisdom. When we call upon the Holy Spirit, we will receive the powers we need to fulfill the Lord’s plan, in particular His plan to spread the Gospel everywhere! 

Lord, as we go through the coming weeks, help us remember these words - “Holy Spirit, you are welcome here; come flood this place and fill the atmosphere! Because Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for” - and let the Holy Spirit fill us with power to be a witness for you to the ends of the earth.