WHY Is CHRIST’S ASCENSION SO IMPORTANT to us TODAY ?
What happened at His+ ASCENSION
that had NEVER happened
before HE+ returned to THE FATHER
in His+ Wounded, Slain, Buried, Resurrected, and Glorified Body ?
+ + +
JESUS saith unto her,
Touch ME+ not;
for I+ am not yet ascended to My+ FATHER:
but go to My+ brethren, and say unto them,
I+ ascend unto My+ FATHER, and your FATHER;
and to My+ GOD, and your GOD. John 20:17
+ + +
What exactly did CHRIST do for His+ Followers TODAY ,
in His+ Ascension?
What benefits have we reaped from His+ Holy , Out-stretched Hands ?
+ + +
And HE+ led them out as far as to Bethany, and HE+ lifted up His+ hands, and blessed them. Luke 24:50 And it came to pass, while HE+ blessed them, HE+ was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven. Luke 24:51
+ + +
YES, we
know watching The Resurrected LORD JESUS CHRIST
actually eat a piece of broiled
fish and honeycomb ( Luke 24:42 ) would fill His+ Followers with even MORE
wonder and joy at His+ Victory over death. . .
that SAME VICTORY which now belongs to us,
we who follow HIM+.
YES, we know His+ Resurrection appearance to the two Brothers on the road to Emmaus --- and His+ subsequent vanishing out of their sight --- would strengthen them enough to RETURN the 7 miles ( or more ? ) back to Jerusalem that very night to proclaim that HE+ was ALIVE to the other Brothers.
All tiredness suddenly fled ! Muscles were empowered anew as HE+ opened their eyes in the breaking of His+ Living Bread with them. Glory to GOD !
YES, we know His+ spending 40 days (and most likely nights) with His+ Followers AFTER His+ Resurrection solidified their faith, vanquishing all doubts as to the certainty of His+ SALVATION Gospel.
+ + +
However, what are the BENEFITS accrued to His+ Followers as they watched His+ Glorious, never-before-seen , Ascension into the Heavenlies . . . with a Body which had eaten broiled fish and honeycomb ?
How could His+ Body simply “float” away ?
How could His+ Body ascend in a cloud out of their sight
. . . As HE+ was blessing them . . . ?
+ + +
There was a reason, an important reason, that HE+ had to ascend unto His+ FATHER and our FATHER, unto His+ GOD and our GOD.
It was because of the FIVE GIFTS .
HE+ gave us FIVE GIFTS after His+ Ascension !
+ + +
The Apostle Paul explained The GIFTS in Ephesians 4, and the literal Greek explains it Ephesians 4:7.
The literal Greek of Ephesians 4:7
But unto each one of us was given THE GRACE, according to the measure [ portion] of THE GIFT of CHRIST.
KJV : But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST. Ephesians 4:7
Wherefore HE+ saith, When HE+ ascended up on high, HE+ led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ephesians 4:8
[ NOTE: This verse does NOT mean : “ At the time that He+ ascended on High, HE+ spoke thus and such . . . ]
What were those FIVE GIFTS that were given AFTER His+ Ascension ?
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11 ~
And HE+ gave some,
· apostles; and some,
· prophets; and some,
· evangelists; and some,
· pastors and
· teachers;
Those “gifts” that The LORD JESUS gave to men were those special anointings given to those selected Followers of The LORD JESUS in order to build up the BODY OF CHRIST on earth.
WHERE would The Church be
without these GIFTS , through the ages ?
GIFT #1: APOSTLES ~ The Anointed, “sent out” ones who have Authority from on High to establish Christian assemblies in desert places and wastelands, in steaming jungles, and in teeming, restless cities.
They are the DIVINE pioneers, going where the Name of CHRIST has not been heard. Signs and wonders do follow for the building up of the church.
Some current day apostles we know, like Brother Yun of the Chinese House Church movement . There are many others whom we do not know.
GIFT # 2 : PROPHETS ~ These dear souls are set in the Body of the Churches for one purpose: to bring CORRECTION to the Church. They are not popular nor well-known. Nor well-loved by the Church in general.
They separate themselves from the world and minister to The LORD most of their lives . In general, they are not concerned with the daily functioning of the church or its activities.
They have a supernatural zeal for TRUTH and are both zealous AND JEALOUS for The LORD .
They go forth ONLY where HE+ leads them; they do not function on their own nor do they speak their own words to the Church.
More than likely, they do NOT attend modern-day “prophecy conferences.”
Oftentimes, the corrections are followed by signs and wonders for the building up of the church.
Some of these “signs and wonders” are supernatural disciplinary measures which THE LORD brings about. They verify that the Prophet’s message was from The LORD HIMSELF+ and the Church is to TAKE HEED to itself.
TRUE Prophets are NOT popular but are generally ignored or hated. Some have been persecuted by the church itself.
GIFT # 3: EVANGELISTS ~ They have the Unction --- a burning drive --- to pour out their lives proclaiming the direct Message of SALVATION. This drive is consuming; they CANNOT ignore it. They are constantly “on the move” to win more souls to CHRIST.
TRUE Evangelists do not “sugar-coat” their Salvation messages. Indeed, the intensity to save others from the fiery hell motivates them strongly.
TRUE Evangelists do not try to “win friends” or make the Gospel message more palatable to certain cultures. They are no respecter of persons.
They present both the LOVE of GOD and the JUDGMENTS of GOD, following the pattern of evangelism found in the New Testament record. They are the anointed “seed-sowers” among the populace. They, too, go only where HE+ leads them, where the HOLY SPIRIT has gone beforehand to prepare the people.
Of a certainty, signs and wonders follow the CLEAR presentation of the SALVATION message, as is currently being seen in the Chinese house churches, in other Asian lands, and in the Middle East according to the testimony of some ministries.
Undoubtedly, the preaching of the unadulterated Gospel Message in other lands are also accompanied by His+ signs and wonders going forth.
GIFT # 4 : PASTORS ~ Unlike apostles, prophets, and evangelists, anointed pastors STAY in one place, with one portion of the flock for a long season. These hard-working Brethren nourish the “family of GOD” on a daily basis.
They take over the monitoring of the flock after the apostles and evangelists have moved on. They are accountable to the apostles and prophets.
They love, counsel, guide, and pour out pastoral care of every sort to nourish the family of GOD. Pastors lead the flock in the next steps BEYOND the evangelist.
ANOINTED pastors receive DIVINE DISCERNMENT as they nourish the local flock to produce Spiritual growth.
They have no greater joy than to see their little flock blossom into maturity in CHRIST. And like a natural family, they rejoice when The LORD leads some of the mature flock to move on to duplicate the church in another setting.
GIFT # 5 TEACHERS ~ Like anointed PASTORS, teachers are appointed to stay in one place and work with the local pastor . They have the DIVINE unction to open the WORD of GOD to the flock, especially to the newly-Saved.
Teachers who are anointed by The LORD also are given Divine discernment in their teaching in order to establish a correct understanding of the Doctrines of CHRIST JESUS. That GOD-given discernment also reveals areas of misconception which may be hindering the newly-Saved ones.
Anointed teachers present the TRUE Character and Words of The LORD.
How IMPORTANT it is for us TODAY that CHRIST JESUS ascended to The Right Hand of GOD The FATHER ?
WHERE would we be WITHOUT these
FIVE DIVINE GIFTS
~ FIVE DIVINE ANOINTINGS ~
from the LORD JESUS CHRIST
after HE+ ascended to our FATHER , our GOD ?
By this point in human history, the Church
--- beset by wolves without and wolves within ---
would not exist.
BUT IT DOES !
GLORY to GOD:
The FATHER,
HIS Only-Begotten SON+ JESUS CHRIST,
and The HOLY SPIRIT.
Amen and amen.
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