The ascension of Jesus

 Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

If we want to be witnesses, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Far more important than the best course in evangelism is the filling of the Holy Spirit!

Wait in Jerusalem for Holy Ghost power; after which you shall witness starting at home, your own area of influence and unto every part of the earth. Never in our lifetime has the opportunity and need been greater than this day.

The progress of the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and then to the end of the earth becomes the outline of Acts. Acts chapters 1 through 7 describe the gospel in Jerusalem, chapters 8 through 12 speak of the gospel in Judea and Samaria, and chapters 13 through 28 tell of the gospel going to the end of the earth

2 Cor 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

It is not a time to withdraw in fear. Soon the Holy Spirit will come giving the believers power to witness, power to love , power to cast out devils and all the gifts of God in which to accomplish His will. This will be the beginning of the Church.

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

The glory cloud ( Shekinah glory?)

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way;  and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Remember Jesus’ words to His disciples in John 16:7: It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. Now the disciples could know that that promise would be fulfilled. He allowed them to see that he was departing.

Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Apparently angels dressed in white. Remember the appearance of the angel at the tomb; a young man dressed in a long white garment.

Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

No need to keep gazing into heaven. Jesus has given you a commission to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. This same Jesus, not another, shall return in like manner.

Beware of false Jesus' returning.

Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

He shall return in a cloud on the Mt. of Olives from whence he departed.

Acts 1:6,7

Discerning the times

 Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

The disciples still were hoping for the kingdom to be established. Scriptures give us events that may occur before Jesus comes again. We are in the Church age, the age of grace. It has been 2000 years of gathering a people unto God from all nations, this is the church, the bride of Christ.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The next event is the rapture, the removal of the church unto Christ, before the coming tribulation.

1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

When Jesus returns he will establish the Kingdom for one thousand years on a restored earth.

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

We are told to discern the times

Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

We are to expect his coming at anytime and watch. That does not mean we should not be busy witnessing.

1 Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1 Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1 Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1 Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1 Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, salvation, Jesus Christ,ed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Acts 1:4,5

The Baptism of Jesus

 Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

The promise of the comforter, the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Another Comforter; Who else is our Comforter? The Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

John the Baptist describes this:

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Water baptism is an outward sign of a commitment to Jesus. Some churches sprinkle water, others believe in full immersion. Some churches insist that only their way of saying words and in their denomination is the way of salvation. No, that is legalism and works. Salvation is by faith in Jesus, receiving his grace.

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

The baptism of Jesus is to be "immersed" in the Holy Spirit.This is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The filling of God's Spirit brings the truth and power of God to the witness for Jesus. The baptism of fire is the conviction and burning away and repentance of sins. Our God is a consuming fire, no flesh or sin can stand before him.

The promised baptism would occur at Pentecost, in 10 days.

Acts 1:1-3

 Infallible proofs

Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

The former account is the Gospel of Luke. At one time the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were joined together as one book with two "volumes."

The name Theophilus means "Lover of God", we are not sure who he was, but the title "most excellent" (Luke 1:3) is used for one of high offices.

Acts 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Acts 1:3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Speaking of the things of the kingdom of God. He was giving them a vision of the future hope. Not much is recorded of his words at this time. He was concerned with them, because of their unbelief. They were cowering, being upset by the events of their time, Their leader had been crucified and they didn't remember that Jesus had said to them that he would die and be raised on the third day.. They were lacking in faith.

We can identify with their sorrows in a small way as we witness our country being terrorized on Sept 11, (This study was first shared in 2002.) Some people have withdrawn, some are depressed, some even had their hearts fail them. Do not remove your eyes from the hope that is in Jesus. He has risen. We shall be with him in the Kingdom.

Infallible proofs of his resurrection:

1 Cor 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Cor 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Cor 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1 Cor 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1 Cor 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1 Cor 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me (Paul) also, as of one born out of due time.

Doubting Thomas believes.

John 20:26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 

John 20:27  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 

John 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 

John 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

Breath of God

 Jesus had risen from the cave tomb having shed his blood for the sins of the world. Whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16)  He appears in a closed room where his disciples were gathered in fear.

John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath 

sent me, even so send I you.

John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, 

Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose 

soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

This is what Jesus had meant by being born again of God’s Spirit.

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a 

man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We remember that at creation God breathed life into his creations giving life.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed 

into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When Adam and Eve sinned, their spirit was dead, no longer in fellowship with 

God, their creator. God our heavenly father sent his son, who had no sins to die in 

our place and to rise from death restored back into eternal life.

Jesus had earlier sent forth seventy witnesses two by two, with his authority. 

10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are 

subject unto us through thy name.

Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and 

over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; 

but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

What did they say to the Jewish people? They had the prophets who told of future 

events. Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God.

Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched 

them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that 

giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and 

will hold thine hand, 

and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the 

people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and 

them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, 

neither my praise to graven images.

Isa 42:9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: 

before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath 

given me life.

Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of 

them by the breath of his mouth.

Psa 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last 

Adam was made a quickening spirit.

1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; 

and afterward that which is spiritual.

1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from 

heaven.

1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the 

heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the 

image of the heavenly.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God 

unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it 

is written, The just shall live by faith.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are 

passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus 

Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not 

imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of 

reconciliation. 

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech 

you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might 

be made the righteousness of God in him. 

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out to the believers in Jesus.  This was

the beginning of the Church age.

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one 

accord in one place. 

Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty 

wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat 

upon each of them. 

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other 

tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

The rain shall fall

 It was the day after Christmas and we were out of cheese. I thought that there is time to go to the outlet market and buy some cheese for my daughter and I. I bought two kinds of cheese; colby Jack and sliced mild chedder  I continued to shop until the market basket was full. I pushed the cart to go outside and "oh no", it was pouring down rain! I had parked my car a block away, I needed the excercise?  What I did not need was a downpour, the kind of rain that instantly soaks like walking into a lake and me a spong. Well, it is not going to quit, :so here goes, I pushed the cart in the direction of my parked car. Just as I came to the car, it began hailing bean sized hail, stinging rocks, "ouch", I fumbled the car door open and poked my head into the car to quit the pounding of the hail. "Get in the car", I thought as I abandoned the groceries and started the car to get some heat. The hail stopped, it was still raining as I unloaded the contents of the market basket cart. I managed to get home with my load and the cheese.

I changed into somethng dry and turned the space heater towards my chair by the computer. I heard the sound of my daughter closing her car door;sspirithe was home from work. We greeted each other and she was carrying a brown paper grocery bag. she said with a smile"I bought cheese". We have cheese.

 Is there a spiritual lesson in this? What does the Bible say about rain?

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The important thing is to be on solid ground.

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 

Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 

Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

On Jesus, the Solid Rock our foundation is sure. He is the Corner Stone of our faith.

Jesus shall reign forever

 Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy that an everlasting king would come from David's lineage. His moher was from the lineage of David and his legal father Joseph, was also from he lineage of king David. His throne would be everlasting because His Father is God. Jesus is the everlasting God man who will have an everlasting kingdom with judgement and justice.

Psa 89:36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

2 Sam 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

Psa 72:11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. God came in a man; Jesus shall reign, forever with all who believe in him., amen.