Tag: Ascension

Cling to Your Hope

On By BrianIn PASSION ReflectionsLeave a comment

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  (Acts 1:10-11, ESV)

Will comes as you saw Him go.  Our hope in the flooding that Michigan just experienced was that the water would eventually go down.  The disciples’ hope and our ultimate hope is that Jesus will come as they saw Him go – that Jesus will return.  For now, we have to deal with floods – of water and tears and trials and suffering and pain and heartache, but our hope is that Jesus will come as they saw Him go.

Longing for Him.  The disciples were gazing into heaven, looking into heaven – in amazement, for sure!  But I think also in longing already for His return.  Here was a sad goodbye.  They wouldn’t see Him again in this life.  Are you longing for His return?  Are you longing to see Jesus, your Savior who loves you so much that He died for you?  Does the thought of His return and seeing Him fill you with excitement?  Does the final prayer of the Bible: “Even so, come Lord Jesus!” flow from your heart? Are you longing for Him?

To bring the final kingdom.  When Jesus comes, our hope of the final kingdom will be realized.  As we read in Revelation 21-22, there will be a new heaven and earth.  And there will be a New Jerusalem – a city and a people, God’s people.  God will dwell with us forever.  There will be no more tears or death or pain.  He will make all things new.  It will be a place of unimaginable beauty, ablaze with glory of God.  And nothing unclean or evil or sinful will ever enter it.  The water of life will flow in it.  The tree of life will bring healing.  We will see Jesus and worship Him and reign with Him. 

In the flood of struggles and sorrows, cling to your hope – as Jesus ascended so He will come again.  Our longing to see Him will be satisfied, and we will dwell in His glorious kingdom forever.  Cling to your hope.

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

5 Ways the Ascension Benefits You– Steve Mathewson (TGC)
His ascension wasn’t merely an exclamation point at the end of the resurrection; it provided his followers with power, grace, mercy, presence, gifts, and anticipation enabling them to advance his mission.

A Helpful Way To Think About Personal Discipleship – Mike Leake
First, I make a concentrated effort to spend time with people. Secondly, every time I spend time with them my goal is to leave them better than when we started—to help them take one step closer to Christ. That’s it. Every time I meet with you I want to love you and want to help you see Jesus a little better.

Governed by Bad News or Good News? – David Prince
Like Paul, we must make a radical commitment to be governed by Gospel truth, rather than our emotions, or the bad news on the 24-hour news shows. If bad news becomes our most prevalent reality, then our emotions will enslave us. But Gospel truth will always set us free. Paul is moved by the bad news he saw, but he was not governed by it.

3 Reasons You Should See Going to Church as a Privilege, Not a Chore – Trevin Wax
Church attendance is not a chore. It’s a gift. Therefore, it should elicit gratitude, not griping.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day celebrating our Ascended Lord with your local church!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

4 Results of Christ’s Ascension – R. C. Sproul (via Tim Challies)
Goes well with our focus in Acts this week!

Theological Primers: The Attributes of Scripture – Kevin DeYoung
Four important characteristics of Scripture for our lives.

What Christians Do When They Believe and Feel about the Word of God Rightly – Kevin DeYoung
Seven responses to the Word according to the Psalms.

A Quiet Place, A Quiet Hour, A Quiet Heart – David McIntyre (via Tim Challies)
Three essentials for a powerful prayer life.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day praising our ascended Lord, responding to His Word, and seeking Him in prayer!

Acts Articles – Jesus 01A

On By BrianIn Book of Acts1 Comment

In Acts 1:9-11, Jesus ascends into heaven.  He returns to the Father to reign at his right hand.  We must understand this as a real event.  The disciples really saw this happen.  Indeed, Luke seems to go out of his way to make this clear as he fills the narrative with “seeing: words: looking, sight, gazing, looking (again), and saw. 

And this departure brings about a real change.  For 40 days, Jesus has been appearing and disappearing before the disciples, but this time is different.  As the angels make clear, they won’t see Jesus again until he returns to usher in the fulfillment of the kingdom.  And so today we live in expectation of his return.

As we struggle through the hardships of this life, we have this expectation, this hope that Jesus is coming again.  And when he comes, life will change.  There is coming a day when sin and death and suffering and pain and tears will be no more.  We can endure today because of the hope of what is yet to come.

And yet this expectation also reminds us of our responsibility.  When your employer gives you a task and says he or she will be back later, you had better work on that task.  In the same way, Jesus has given us a task and he is coming back.  Until he does, we need to busy with that task. We need to be busy living as his witnesses, longing to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”