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.

Pre-Trib Rapture

My understanding of the rapture is that the Lord could come at any time to take those who are looking for him up to heaven. We will be changed into his image, we will be like him. Following this we will accompany him back to earth for a thousand years as he is king, the devil is bound and placed in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness now and given things to do. Many will be kings and priests in the Thousand year reign. Following this satan is loosed again, many of the children of Adam with his sinful nature will follow him as he comes against the king in Jerusalem. Fire will fall from heaven and satan will be thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and false prophet. Then comes the final judgment, the resurrection of the dead that are not in Christ. We in the first resurrection will not receive the wrath of God. The rapture removes us before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth.

Perhaps the greatest proof that the rapture does not occur after the tribulation and after the wrath of God is that there will be people alive on earth during the thousand year reign of Christ. If all the bad are removed and the good raptured, then there would be no humans left living in flesh on the earth. The only way the post tribulation rapture would work is if it would be selective, taking some :"super Christians" and leaving some others on earth. One more concern is that too many are expecting the Lord to come to take them out of their problems. This is an American trait. The Christians who are being mutilated and murdered in many terrible antichrist places are leaving as martyrs. Many Christians felt betrayed because of  persecution and killing of them in past wars. The Bible says that the godly shall be persecuted. We need to toughen up, trusting the Lord, even if things get bad and we are martyred.Will we stay the course? The promise is that the wrath of God will not be on us, whether by death or rapture we will be in Christ. This is our hope and promise. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Eaglewings Ministries

I will never leave you

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Let your conversation: tropos, Manner of life, your ways, your character; be content, be satisfied with God's provision, do not seek after things or other idols; anything between you and God. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Our attention should be on serving and pleasing God, his Son Jesus with a way of life where he is Lord of all. I want his presence with me as he was with Moses.

This quote was originally given to Joshua, but Paul has applied it to all who are the heirs of salvation.

Jos 1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Jos 1:6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Jos 1:7  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Jos 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Jos 1:9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Be strong in faith, in your character by reading his word, in your actions, in following the Holy Spirit. Our inheritance is not a physical land but a place in heaven prepared for you, for us by our Master, Jesus Christ. He is coming for those who are looking for him. Keep in the word of truth, live for him, be content and expect him to come at any time. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and "I go to prepare a place for you", in my Father's house in heaven. Until he comes for us he will be with us in the Comforter that he will give to his disciples, the Spirit of truth and His power.

John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

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

Joh 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. 

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

Having his truth and power we must pray to the Father for His direction.

Eaglewings Ministries

Turning again to the way

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

I took a wrong turn in the car three different times today. I had to backtrack and get on the right way again. The last time made me a few minutes late for our rest home service. What a wonderful group of people were there waiting for us. They truly enjoy our time together as do we. The Lord is there; as one friend said, this is as the gates of hell or of heaven, a last chance to make a decision. We have the opportunity to point them towards Jesus and everlasting life. They hear us each week giving them the way.  We all were lost at one time, heading the wrong way. It just took correction, turning or repentance and accepting Jesus as the way to the Father. By loving them, by worshiping together we point the way. Maybe some have never heard the gospel message? They are given an opportunity before stepping into eternity. Lord save our rest home friends.

Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 

Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

In the sky

The sky was alive with clouds and streaks. The sky will show signs. Signs of the devil's activity, signs of man's presence and power and end time signs of the coming of the Lord.

Eph_2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 

We were subject to the prince of the power of the air, the devil and sin. God broke this power over us by coming as Jesus, the Son of God to destroy the work of the devil and to redeem us with his shed blood. He gave us a great commission.

Act 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. 

Signs of two angels , a dead tree (the cross) and a cloud.

Act 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. 

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

Act 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. 

Jesus is coming in the clouds. Do you hear the sound of a trumpet?

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
1Co 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. 
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

Luke 21:25  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 
Luke 21:26  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 
Luke 21:27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

Luke 21:28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 

For the beauty of the earth

I had a lovely walk in the rain yesterday and this morning I awoke with a song in my heart: 

For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,

Layered rain clouds, a most welcome sight.

For the love which from our birth Over 

and around us lies:

A fallen leaf on a lonely bench appears to be dancing.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

These strange berries are on the pokeweed. Robins and doves eat them and spread them in my home garden. They are toxic to animals, but the pioneers boiled the young leaves to remove the toxins and used them in salads.

Amos 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

An oil slick on a puddle in the road forms a swan illusion. To me the illusion is the nations with the fighting and perversions. It is as the days of Noah in the world.

The LORD reveals his secret things through his word and the Holy Spirit. If we know the word of God in the Bible then we should know that we are in the end times.

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 

Mat 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

God made and loves his creation. 

A deer enjoyed the rain with me.

Mat 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

The path we choose is up to us. There is God's way that leads to Jesus and everlasting life, or there is the way of man seeking to destroy life and ignore the God of creation. We can warn them, but not be of them, 

We are on another path.

What is revealed to us is by the Holy Spirit

and the scriptures. 

The trees are so loving the rain. The moss grows and the dry summer trees have a new fall and winter coat.

Peace on earth and joy in heaven: Lord of all to thee we

raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

Be of Good Cheer

John 16:28  I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
John 16:29  His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
John 16:30  Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
John 16:31  Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
John 16:32  Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
John 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

Jesus speaks to his disciples in simple words that he " came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." Here it is for believer and unbeliever to hear in easy words that Jesus was from God and would return to God. Sometimes even easy words have a broader meaning.

 

John 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

John_3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

 

How could Jesus be in his human body and at the same time be in heaven? Jesus, the Son of God is God in heaven. These things we receive by faith and our faith will be tested. We are to believe God's word, not our thoughts or the ways of the world. We will be tested; will we leave Jesus when persecution comes? When hard things come will we doubt God? Jesus says that we are to remain in his peace, always hopeful.

 

When I was a young man I faced cancer. I did not know Jesus at first but I came to faith in the hospital. When working again I would think the cancer was gone, but it would return, yet because of Jesus being in me, there was peace and a feeling of his presence with me. This is how we are to face the opposition of the world, we are to live in the peace of God with joy in our hearts. "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." "...Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." ( Mat 9:2)  When the storms of life come, remember Jesus who walked on the waters of a stormy sea.

 

Mat 14:26  And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
Mat 14:27  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Jesus overcomes the storms of life; be at peace and be of good cheer. If we believe in him, he will never forsake us, we are with him always. Stay calm in him who has overcome the world, death and hell. We shall go to be with him.

Heaven

John 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
John 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Let not your heart be troubled, do not be afraid . Jesus continues this thought in verse 27.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus tells us that he is the way to the Father, we are to believe in the Son of God. When he was to leave them, he would return by the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

We who are born again by faith in Jesus have the comforter to comfort us with all the Bible to believe in and He will teach us and  train us to be the adopted sons and daughters of God. God dwells in us and we dwell in him. We are become the temples of the Holy Spirit, a holy people separated unto God. When we leave this fleshly body, we will be with Jesus. We are with Jesus already in our spirit, in heavenly places.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Will we be in mansions in heaven? I don't know, the word for mansions means "dwelling places." Jesus has gone to prepare a dwelling place for us. A mansion on earth is a place of protection and privacy. I think of all the homes that were destroyed by the tornado in Oklahoma. Mansions were wiped out. In heaven we will have no tornados. There is no sin where Jesus dwells, no need for privacy, for we will have all things in common, worshipping our LORD together. God does not need a temple or a mansion to dwell in, but the Bible speaks of thrones. We sing the hymn "I've got a mansion, just over the hilltop"' I do not know what Jesus is preparing for me, but it will be just wonderful.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Rev 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Rev 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Rev 21:26  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Who are these kings and nations? We are called kings and priests and Jesus saved people from all nations, not just the Jews but also the Gentiles. Heaven is a place of light there will be no solid structures for everything is transparent and colorful. There is nothing to hide in the presence of God and we shall be as Jesus bringing glory to God. I cannot describe it now, but we will see our lord in his glory and be loved and received by him. Until then we are to love God and others with his love. Heaven is a place of God's perfect love.