A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day – September 5, 2019
“Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).
The scripture above lets us know that God is not restricted by time the way mankind is. With God, one thousand years is as a day and one day is as a thousand years. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Bible tells us that creation lasted six days and on the seventh day, God rested (Genesis 1). The six days of creation and the seventh day of rest is the blueprint for the timetable of man.
Four thousand years passed from the time God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden until the time Jesus came to the earth, or we could say four days (Genesis 3:23; Matthew 1:25; 2:1). From the time Jesus resurrected and became the firstborn among many brethren until now is 2,000 years, or two days (Romans 8:29). This is all based on the scripture in 2 Peter 3:8.
According to all Bible prophecy, the return of Jesus is imminent. When He returns at the end of the sixth day, He will set up His kingdom and rule and reign on this earth for 1,000 years (one day), thus completing the seven-day timetable of mankind.
You may or may not be aware that days five and six (which are the 2,000 years between the beginning of the church and the rapture) are called the church age or the age of grace. That has been deemed the time between Jesus’ first appearance on earth and His second coming. Everything that happened in the New Testament after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus took place in the same time framework of the creation timetable that you and I are living in. That means every healing, every miracle, every act of God and the Holy Spirit that has taken place after Jesus ascended can happen today in your life.
There are those who say that the power of God only worked in Bible times. They believe that everything recorded in the Bible is either history or future. This makes a very convenient excuse and a comfortable place for those who do not want the responsibility of God’s power. Yet Jesus made several statements in the New Testament that tell us what we are able to have and do through Him.
He gave authority over all the power of the enemy to those who follow Him (Luke 9:1).
Jesus said that those who believe would have signs following them and that in His name they would cast out demons and that they would speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).
He went on to say that they would lay hands on the sick and that they would recover (Mark 16:18).
Does it make sense that Jesus would distribute this power to believers and then take it with Him when He ascended? No, of course not! He ascended into heaven and God sent the Holy Spirit to continue the miracle work here on this earth.
In Acts 8, Philip went to Samaria. Much time had passed since Jesus left the earth and ascended to heaven. In Samaria, people were saved, baptized, and many miracles took place. Then later the apostles came from Jerusalem and laid hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. There was visible evidence when this took place, so much so that Simon the magician tried to buy the power of laying on of hands from the apostles.
Yes, the people of Samaria had the Holy Spirit move inside of them when they got saved just like we do today. But, they had a second experience called receiving the Holy Spirit (v.15). Even though they were saved and had been baptized, which completed the New Testament experience of salvation according to verse 16, the Holy Spirit had not fallen upon any of them.
All of this took place in the Bible time called the last days, the church age, or the age of grace. This is the same time we are living in now. To deny these experiences today or to say that they are not for us is to deny what took place in Acts 8. That chapter is the blueprint for the modern church in these days.
