Ascension Day

This year, Ascension Day was Thursday, May 13. We don't spend a lot of of time in my church discussing the day of Ascension probably because it is usually a week day. It is recognized 40 days after Jesus resurrection. Someone somewhere probably knows where that number of days came from. I don't. Ascension Day is the day that Jesus left, or was taken up in the presence of the disciples and went to home to heaven. Luke 24:51-52 tells of this: "While he [Jesus] was blessing them [the disciples], he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy." Then, Jesus was gone.

This was not the first time Jesus was gone. The first time was just weeks before when he was crucified and buried. The first time, the disciples fled and deserted Him. (Matthew 26:56 and Mark 14:50 - "Then all the disciples deserted him and fled." Some were afraid (Mark 16:8 ...."because they were afraid.".) At least one lied about knowing him (Mark 14:66-72 - "I don't know this man you're talking about.") I've thought about those days between crucifixion and resurrection. The grief must have been unbearable; the guilt, indescribable; the sorrow, dark and desperate.

Then Jesus was back with then. He talked with them. He walked with them. He cooked them fish for breakfast! (John 21:10 - 12) They were together again. Hurt feelings repaired. Guilt forgiven. Comforting words about what to do next were spoken. Jesus gave them hope in the coming Holy Spirit. He also gave them instructions what to do with all He'd taught them.

This time the departure of Jesus was so much different. There was no hiding, no fleeing, no sadness, remorse or regret. This time "... they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." (Luke 24:52-53) Oh, what a difference context makes! The context of Jesus first departure (His death on a cross) was "oh no, this is the end". The context of Jesus' ascension was "OH, This is the beginning. Praise Almighty God."

Thank you Lord Jesus for the change in context, the change in our perspective. While I'm sure the disciples and apostles missed your physical presence, the Bible tells us that they rejoiced and praised You, even as You left them again. May we be open to feeling Your presence so that we rejoice and praise You continually. In Your powerful name. Amen

Comments

Jesus is calling or.... Is Jesus calling?

Jesus is calling. We know that from scripture and we know that from personal experience. We all at one point on another felt that something was missing in our lives. We meet someone, fall in love, and, for a time, feel complete . Then after marriage, we decide that maybe children would make us complete, then we'd be satisfied. but soon we find that we still need more. Maybe a bigger house, maybe a better car, maybe a better or different job, maybe... maybe... maybe. Many people try drugs or alcohol Some try sex or pornography. Gambling. An endless number of vices are available. I firmly believe that all that searching for the THING that will make us feel complete, whole, satisfied, is Christ. Now before you think that I'm saying that people with addiction problems can find Jesus and their addiction problems will go away, or their lust for another will dissolve, or their desire for a bigger whatever will go away....

Doing the right thing

Queen Vashti Ever heard of her? Probably not. She's the queen who was ousted and replaced by Queen Esther, from the Old Testament book of Esther . While Queen Esther is honored when she did the right thing for such a time as this, Vashti, who also did the right thing is left to rot. Here's the story. Her husband, the king, had a great feast that lasted for days after he'd been showing off all his wealth for months and months. Late in this great feast full of drunken men, the king wanted his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti, to parade in front of his drunken guests, wearing only her crown. Queen Vashti had her own party for the women, knew what the men were doing and what her husband was asking her to do, and chose to do the right thing by declining the invitation. Except in those days, when the king suggested you do something, it was really a command. By refusing to expose herself to the drunk mob of men, she exposed herself to condemnation. Which is ...

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace....

Daniel has some of the most amazing stories in the Bible. They have very eye-popping visual images. This is one of those. Chapter 3 tells of three people who were taken captive to Babylon where they (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were commanded to bow down to the giant gold statue that Nebuchadnezzar had built. They were to bow to it.....or be thrown into the blazing furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not..... something about the second commandment. ( Exodus 20:4-6 " You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments .) When confronted with death by blazing furnace, or life bowing to a gold statue, th...

Jesus - sending 72

Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit , said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. Luke 9 starts with Jesus sending out the twelve disciples, in twos, to preach the gospel and to heal. This chapter ends, after much success by the disciples, with Jesus warning them of the cost of following Jesus. Chapter 10 begins with Jesus c hoosing and sending another 72 "others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go..." (I don't remember ever noticing this group of 72!) Verse 17 " The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Jesus told them in verse 20 "....However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in hea...

A friend's post

I have started a blog - photo blog - for a friend. Check it out if you like. I like her photos - as you can tell from my past posts! Deanna's Post

A Bad Witness Can't Speak?

Mark 1:32 - 35 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Jesus had followers, groupies, people who followed because they were curious or because they needed what Jesus offered. His disciples, at least some of them, knew who Jesus was, the Son of God, part of God Himself. His disciples and some followers knew this because of what they'd witnessed Jesus do and say. The demons seemed to know before any of that. Jesus prevented them from speaking - " but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." This appears to be early in Jesus ministry. Recorded in the first chapter of Mark, He's preventing the demons from speaking because they knew who He was. Why? Why prevent them from t...

Put to death ... your earthly nature

Colossians 3:5 put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.... The rest of the passage lists some of the "earthly nature" that the people from the church in Colosse were dealing with: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Of course the earthly nature is our sinful nature. We can blame it on Adam and Eve but we are no better. If they hadn't fallen, we would have. The "earthly nature" mentioned by Paul is not exactly the earthly nature I need to put to death. I do have an "earthly nature". Pride. Disobedience. Laziness. Distrust. Gluttony. I am not always righteous, upright, and God-centered as I should be. Actually, I may not even be God-centered most of the time. A God-centered nature would crowd out the earthly natures in me. I wouldn't feel lost, broken, dissatisfied if I were able to focus more on what God wants and less on what I think I want. A person could tell immediately how I differ fr...

King Asa & his grandmother

King Asa's story is told in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. He was one of the "good" kings because he did follow and obey God at least more than many others. One item that I found interesting about his story is that he took the title of Queen Mother away from his grandmother, Maacah, because she made "a repulsive Asherah pole". 1 Kings 15:13 and 2 Chronicles 15:16 say almost the same thing: "K in g Asa also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley." This story is an indication what is expected of us. We are to do what is right - in the sight of the Lord - even if it gets us in trouble with our family, even a beloved grandmother. I don't see anything in the Bible that says that King Asa loved his grandmother. I am reflecting my experience into this story. I LOVED my grandma. To depose or oppose her would ha...

He must become greater....

http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/worryfea/pride5.htm John 3:30 says "He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less." This quote is from John the Baptist. I don't ever remember hearing this verse or seeing this verse anywhere, like on wall hangings, coffee mugs, book marks and the like. I'm guessing it isn't a very popular verse. We like Bible verses that make us feel good or profess our faith. We don't much like the ones that call us on the carpet! And this one does. We often put ourselves first, as one greater than Christ. We want the worship service to fill us, the music to lift us, our prayers to grant us whatever we want/need. This verse gives us the equation that sums up what our purpose is. We are to increasingly make Christ bigger in our lives and make ourselves smaller in comparison. We are to spend more and more time, money, brain power, activity on Christ and His work. AND we are supposed to spend more and more shrinki...

Zephaniah

Have you read Zephaniah, the book of the Bible? Zephaniah was a prophet. A tough job when the Israelites spent more time rebelling against God than listening to their prophets. It is a very short book, having only three chapters. Much is spent on warning about the coming "day of the Lord" when there will be destruction and God's wrath poured out. This is a hard thing for me to grasp. The God of the New Testament is so full of love that all the talk of wrath and destruction seems so out of character. I want to think about some of the passages and see if I can find hope and Jesus in this hard book. After introducing Zephaniah and his reason for speaking ( "1:1 The word of the Lord ...came to Zephaniah... ) it quickly gets into the heart of the matter. (Zeph 1:2-3): "I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. "I will sweep away both men and animals; ...

Search This Blog