Anyone closely associated with the sport of football will immediately understand what is meant by two-a-days. In the worst part of summer—in the grueling heat—two times a day—athletes focus all energy on conditioning that will help them in the new football season. The old season is over, summer as they have known it has ended, and it soon becomes all too obvious that they are not saved from the need of additional conditioning.

A new season is upon the church. To be ready for it—to compete in it—it will take additional conditioning. Two-a-days may very well be the norm for awhile. The old season is over, summer as we have known it has ended, and it will soon become obvious that we are not saved from the need of additional conditioning.

Last season we focused on Jesus’ instructions to the disciples as recorded by Matthew; that we should go into all the world and make disciples. This new season we will focus on an overlooked instruction which Luke records. Luke refers to the instruction that Matthew mentions when he says that Jesus appeared after His resurrection and spoke to them about the kingdom. Very true that Jesus said to them “Go and make disciples”.

But . . . there was one more bit of instruction: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised”. This gift would contain the power that would enable them to be His witnesses—that would enable them to “Go and make disciples”.

I believe we have missed the aspect of waiting. We have gone out in our own power to do His kingdom work. It has fell short.

This new season will be marked by a waiting—a tarrying before God—for the power that has been lacking in former seasons. Sure many have been converted into church goers; they once did not attend church and now they do. But how many today were blind and now they see? How many were dead and now they live?

Jeremiah puts it this way: "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." The church is in much need of two-a-days.

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Mike Jones