By: Apostle Toni Ogobegwu
Reference: Luke 19:11, Romans 12:4-6, 1 Peter 4:7-10
Jesus did not leave us ignorant of what we should be doing while waiting for Him. He captured this in a parable in Luke 19:11.
Jesus expects His servants/children to use their gift ( the Holy Spirit) until He comes (Romans 12:6). Everyone of us has the same Holy Spirit the disciples received on the Day of Pentecost. The difference is what we do with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus didn't ask us to use our energy because He knows that it's not by power nor by might but by the Holy Spirit.
We cannot trade with the Holy Spirit but we can labour with Him. As in the parable, Jesus will never force us to do anything with with the Holy Spirit. The servants in the parable got different results by their cooperation with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus wants us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. The early church always cooperated with the Holy Spirit. Cf. Philip in Samaria.
The only way to occupy until Jesus comes is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. At a time, the Holy Spirit restrained Paul from going to Bithynia to preach the Gospel. He wanted him to go to Macedonia to preach. He showed him this in a dream and Paul obeyed. (Acts 16:7-10)
We are all equipped with the Holy Spirit to occupy until Jesus comes. There's no retirement. Age or circumstances should not deter us.
Sometimes we are too self-focused. We often ask how the Holy Spirit will help us to become successful. However, the Holy Spirit was given primarily to help us to occupy until Jesus comes. The Holy Spirit was given to us to help us to witness for Jesus.
No child of God is weak ( Acts 1:8). The instrument that the Holy Spirit uses to help us to occupy until Jesus comes is the Word.
When Jesus comes, it is only those who used the gift of the Holy Spirit to occupy until He comes that He will use to rule. He will not use lazy and slothful servants to rule in the Kingdom.
To be able to do this we must be willing to walk with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can nudge us to do something that is not convenient. Sometime ago, I went to preach in a place and I told the congregation that "there's something you have but it doesn't belong to you. You must give it to whom it belongs." When I got into the room, the Holy Spirit nudged me to give out the only precious thing I went to the village with because it wasn't mine. So, I called the resident pastor and I gave it to him.
When the Holy Spirit finds in you a partner and willingness to follow His direction, He will always give you direction.
Remember, Jesus is coming with a reward. We must not be slothful (1 Peter 4:7-10). Any work that is not inspired by the Holy Spirit is a dead work. The Lord wants us to
(a) Be serious about the things of God. We must not forsake the gathering of the brethren.
(b) Obey the Holy Spirit
(c) Be watchful
(d) Have fervent love for one another. True love is not selective. God loves everyone equally and He wants us to do same. True love shows benevolence. Love doesn't announce somebody's failure. It doesn't grumble.
(e) Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. We must be helpful to one another because we don't all have the same strength.
Jesus is coming to rule with those who who have used the gift of the Holy Spirit. Everything the Holy Spirit uses us to do will result in someone's salvation in one way or the other. We must do whatever He tells us to do.
