Time of Visitation
Have you recognized your time of visitation? Luke 19:41. Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42. saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43. "For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44. "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.''
Acts 13:46. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Give this some thought, if your neighbor or some other young man you knew, started a ministry, making himself to be the Christ, could you believe him. What if some miracles was done through him, somewhat secretly, but word got out, could you then believe him or would you think that there must be some sort of a hoax to this thing. Think about what a difficult task this must of been for those who knew Jesus, to believe that this common carpenters kid, without any outstanding physical features, talent or education, could possible be the Christ. Consider all the years that their religious leaders was prophesying of the coming of this Messiah, and all the heartfelt anticipation they experienced for this coming divine event, and then a common carpenters Son took claim to be Him? How could this be? They know Joseph, and his Son, There was nothing divine here that they could see. I think for us, today, it is much easier for us to believe, because we were not there to experience the commonness of this situation. It's much easier for us to read about it and believe, than to have lived it, and believed. The point I'm trying to make here is that the religious leaders of that day, was foretelling of this God promised event, but they were looking for some great physical evidence of man to determine the validity of Jesus being the Messiah rather than realizing that God sent His Son in the commonness of man so that the Fathers relationship to all could be first manifested through His Son. God used a common man Moses to show the world, in that day, that He wanted to be an awesome God for them. Then God the Father sent His Son, so to demonstrate to all, that His Lordship, could be heartfelt and personal.
Acts 3:22."For Moses truly said to the fathers, `The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.
This was His foretelling of this close personal intimate relationship within the fullness of God, that was to be given to anyone, that wanted to be included into His righteous and loving kingdom. Now lets take this same scenario and apply it to today. God once again promised us through the prophet, Joel, His outpouring of His Holy Spirit to all flesh.
Joel 2:28. "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh ...
What could be more common than that, His Spirit poured out on ALL flesh. That means everybody that has a heartbeat has that outpouring of God's Spirit. Doesn't mean that they all have accepted it but it's there for them. If "all flesh" every day, wore white t-shirts, they'd be even more common than they are now. "All" is no doubt "common". The blood that was shed for this relationship is certainly not common, but the relationship that it purchased was to be for all.
What I'm saying is that God's Holy Spirit is poured upon every soul today so that they can find life. Regardless if you're that real nice person next door or if you're someone that's extremely wicked, it doesn't matter, God's directing Spirit has been poured out on you. That "promise" was not to be given, to just those, that meet a certain criteria, but to all, even to those that do not even know Him. For this promise is to "all" flesh and it was delivered to all mankind on the Day of Pentecost. In other words, after that first day of Pentecost, all are born into this common promise, again it does not mean that they've accepted this promise for just as Jesus, the common carpenter's Son, was rejected in their time of visitation, today, many do not recognize their time of visitation, as Christ knocks on the door of the hearts of all men. This knock is so common, many can not accept the validity of this close intimate relationship within the fullness of God, as many continue looking to get into His presence in a place rather than to accept His presence in their heart, giving them direction and comfort in their daily lives.
Acts 2:14. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15. "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16. "But this is what was spoken by the prophet
Joel: 17.`And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18. and on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
One does not get into the presence of God in a corporate church or some other place or by doing some spiritual ritual. The only place to find the presence of God is upon repenting, the act of turning to God and accepting His "Way" to salvation, therefore, recognizing your time of visitation
1 Corinthians 3:16. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 6:17. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.