The GLORIOUS ASCENSION of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST ~ The Triumph of HOPE ~ Ascension Day 2024

 

How gladly we think upon the Glorious Ascension of the Glorified Body of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST ! 

This witness of our Resurrected LORD JESUS should fill us with a triumphant HOPE . 

When our Loved One dies in the LORD, he / she too will gain a glorified body LIKE UNTO HIS+ GLORIFIED BODY . . . at the appointed time .

WHO+ shall change our vile body,

that it may be fashioned 

like unto HIS+ Glorious Body,

according to the working whereby

HE+ is able even to subdue

all things unto HIMSELF+. 

^{Philippians 3:21}

In HIS+ glorified body, HE+ ate physical food, yet HE+ could enter into a locked room .

HE+ walked with His+ Followers along a dusty road and talked with them ( seemingly ) in His+  physical body ...  yet HE+ could vanish out of sight instantly, energizing His+ Followers to walk ANOTHER 7 miles back to Jerusalem that night !

Knowing that CHRIST 

being raised from the dead

dieth no more;

death hath no more dominion over HIM+!

^{Romans 6:9}

DEATH hath no more dominion over HIM+ . . . and it shall have no more dominion over us . . . if we stay attached to the True VINE+.

That is the Glorious HOPE we have. That is  WHY we celebrate Ascension Day, be in May 9 ,2024 , Western Christian calendar, or June 6, Eastern Christian calendar.

The date may change; the FACT does NOT !

+  +  +

^{ACTS 1:1}  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that JESUS began both to do and teach, 

^{ACTS 1:2}  Until the day in which HE+ was taken up, after that HE+ through the HOLY SPIRIT had given commandments unto the apostles whom HE+ had chosen: 

^{ACTS 1:3}  To whom also HE+ shewed 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: 

^{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. 

^{ACTS 1:5}  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the HOLY SPIRIT not many days hence. 

^{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?

^{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.

^{ACTS 1:8}  But ye shall receive power, after that the HOLY SPIRIT 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.

And when HE+ had spoken these things,

while they beheld, HE+ was taken up;

and a cloud received HIM+ out of their sight. ^{ACTS 1:9} 

 

^{ACTS 1:10}  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as HE+ went up, behold, TWO MEN stood by them in white apparel; 

^{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. 

Worthy is The LAMB+ !

Worthy is The LAMB+ !

Worthy is The LAMB+ that was slain

to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom

and Strength, and Honor, and Glory, and Blessing !

Blessing and Honor, Glory and Power

Be unto HIM that sitteth upon The Throne

and unto THE LAMB+ !

 

HE+ Tied Heaven and Earth TOGETHER ! ~ The ASCENSION of The LORD JESUS CHRIST

 

ASCENSION DAY ! In moving HIS+ Glorified Body --- which could eat broiled fish and honeycomb --- from earth into Heaven  in the sight  of His+ Disciples, The Risen LORD JESUS CHRIST

 . . . EMBODIED Philippians 3:21 for all of us !

ASCENSION DAY . . . Our Bodies Shall Rise out of the GRAVE, just like HIS+ . . . The SAVIOR'S PROMISE TO US !

The ASCENSION of CHRIST is VITAL . . . and an IMPORTANT PART OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

  The satan hates that our body will be glorified and rise into the Heavenlies... just like Our LORD'S BODY. 

Death had no more dominion over HIM+. 

Because of THAT, death WILL exercise no more dominion over our bodies, either, on that GREAT DAY, when the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall arise ... incorruptible !  

Ascension Day ! Homesick for JESUS ? Yearning to see His+ FACE ?

 Are we homesick for JESUS ?  
Are we yearning for HIM+ ?

It may be that the disciples were, as they watched HIM+ ascend into Heaven in His+ Glorified BODY+ , after HE+ had been with them 40 days and nights. 

The ASCENSION of CHRIST... The Crowning Jewel of HIS+ RESURRECTION !

ASCENSION !

The Crowning Jewel of HIS+  RESURRECTION

Marching Towards ASCENSION DAY !

Marching to ASCENSION Day

We praise Thy dearly-Beloved SON+

JESUS CHRIST our LORD,

 

Who+, after His+ triumphant resurrection, appeared to His+ disciples,

and in their sight ascended into Heaven,

to prepare a place for us,

that where HE+ is,

there we might also be,

and reign with HIM+ in glory !

Therefore, with Angels and Arch-angels

and with all the company of Heaven,

we laud and magnify Thy Glorious Name,

saying,

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

LORD GOD OF HOSTS!

 The Heavens and the earth are full of Thy Glory.

Glory be to THEE, O LORD MOST HIGH.

+ + + 

Ascension Day is the 40th day after The LORD'S Mighty Resurrection.  It is the day HE+ ascended up into the Heavens in a cloud before the eyes of His+ Disciples. 

+  +  +

And no man hath ascended up to Heaven,

but HE+ that came down

from Heaven,

 

even the SON+ of Man

Who+ is in Heaven.

John 3:13

+  +  +

 

This delightsome verse tells us A LOT of Heavenly facts !

 

Number one, no one --- no MAN --- has gone up into Heaven except HE+ Who+ came down from Heaven ... and was made incarnate in the Hebrew virgin Mariam.

 

Some think that every manifestation of GOD to man in the  Old Testament was always and ever through the 2nd person of the ELOHIM. That would be, in Hebrew, YHWH ADONAI+.

( That is, the 2nd person of the Trinity, The LORD JESUS CHRIST before His+ Incarnation, The Word of GOD, The WISDOM+ of GOD ).

Before HE+ was incarnate in the Hebrew virgin Mariam, The LORD JESUS was the ONE Who+ manifested HIMSELF and walked with Adam in the Garden in the form of a person,  some maintain.

 

Some think that the ONE Who+ appeared unto Abraham in the plain was The LORD JESUS.

 

Some say

that Melchizedek

was The LORD JESUS HIMSELF+.

 

We all know that the ROCK+ Which+ followed them in the wilderness was CHRIST.

It  seems obvious that the manifestation of GOD in a person-form would by necessity be the 2nd person of the ELOHIM, the TRINITY,  the LORD JESUS, before HE+ became incarnate.  That would be, in Hebrew, YHWH ADONAI+.

Many base this on:

There is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

And... No man hath seen GOD at any time, the Only-Begotten SON+, Who+ is in the bosom of the FATHER, HE+ hath declared HIM. John 1:18

 At the same time, we all know that CHRIST JESUS prayed to The HOLY FATHER , our FATHER Which Art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.

 

We know that Our LORD, incarnate, submitted His+ flesh unto the Will of our Heavenly FATHER.

 

This is a great mystery, but The ELOHIM is the plural, unified ONE, making  GOD: The FATHER, His Beloved Only-begotten SON+ JESUS CHRIST, and the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

 

The ELOHIM is not locked into the framework of men's thoughts. 

 

For MY thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways MY ways,

saith the LORD.

Isaiah 55:8

+  +  +

 

And no man hath ascended up to Heaven,

but HE+ that came down

from Heaven,

 

even the SON+ of Man

Who+ is in Heaven.

John 3:13

+ + +

 

Heaven, we see here, is NOT LOCKED into earth's time frame, either. 

 

The restriction of TIME was placed on planet earth after the fall of man. We remember that The ELOHIM, GOD, chose us in HIM+ before the foundation of the world. Colossians 1:4. 

 

Time seems so important to human beings. Strange, isn't it, that TIME seems to have no bearing upon GOD ?

The ELOHIM , GOD, is not locked into time; neither are the Angels --- both good and bad --- locked into time.  TIME is placed upon us and this earth. This restriction was one consequence of Adam's sin.

If we STAY TRUE TO CHRIST during our Life-time, HE+ will stay true to us for all Eternity.  We too will have glorified bodies.  Death will have no more dominion over us.

At the Appointed Time, we will arise and BE WITH CHRIST forever, dining with HIM+ at that Heavenly Supper where HE+ tastes of the fruit of The Vine once more --- anew --- with us in the Kingdom of GOD.... just like HE+ said .

Amen . . . and thankfully, thankfully so ! 

ASCENSION DAY .... Our BODIES Shall RISE Out of the GRAVE ! The SAVIOR'S PROMISE to Us !

 Ascension Day on the Christian Calendar falls on 5.5.2016 for those following the western church calendar. The Eastern Orthodox celebrate Ascension Day this year on 6.9.2016.  It is the 40th Day of the Resurrection Season, regardless of which Christian Calendar is followed. . 

The ASCENSION of CHRIST is VITAL ... and an important part of the Resurrection  !  The satan hates that our body will be glorified and rise into the Heavenlies... just like Our LORD'S BODY. 

Death had no more dominion over HIM+. 

Because of THAT, death WILL exercise no more dominion over our bodies, either, on that GREAT DAY, when the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall arise ... incorruptible !  

The Risen CHRIST JESUS ascended to The FATHER.

His+ FLESH ... yes, His+ very FLESH, now GLORIFIED ... ascended into the Heavenlies. 

What's more ... even though Glorified,   the Body of His+ Flesh    was still able to function as JESUS did when HE+ was incarnate.

HE+ ate fish and honey; HE+ was able to walk and talk. HE+ had flesh and bones, nail prints and a wounded in His+ fleshy side ... just as touchable as HE+ was when HE+ was incarnate and dwelt among us.

That FACT ALONE should make Christians extremely JOYFUL . 

Who else can make the Dead to rise and the Flesh to enter into Heaven ?

None other than

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

HE+ alone fought the battle

to save

our FLESH,

as well as our spirit and soul

from the Second Death.

JESUS ascended unto the RIGHT HAND of The FATHER.

HE+ ascended to make intercession for us... i.e., HE+ intervenes between the satan and us, reminding him that HE+ WON the fight. JESUS CHRIST won the battle to rescue man ... soul, spirit, AND BODY ...  out of death's clutches.

Yes... even the FLESH of MAN shall become incorruptible when the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised... glorified and INCORRUPTIBLE ... with bodies like unto His+ Glorious Body !

Since by man came death,

by Man came also

the RESURRECTION

of the Dead !

1 Corinthians 15:21

As in Adam all die,

Even so in CHRIST,

shall all be made alive ...

... INCLUDLING our fleshly bodies !

No matter how ... or when ... or where  ... we die on planet earth, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST will make our dust to rise and re-form again into our glorified, functioning, and earthly bodies.

They will be exactly the same body that we left, only without the blemishes, limitations, and handicaps we all have.

The Saints beheaded for CHRIST will be intact, heads in place !  The severed limbs, the broken bodies of saints tortured for CHRIST will be mended, healed, made whole again ... better than before!

What a GLORIOUS PROMISE to have !  This Promise, of course, only extends to those who are New Creatures in CHRIST. 

The Invitation is still OPEN. Whosoever WILL may come to JESUS, no matter the depth of sin, to be cleansed and made whole and out-fitted for the Kingdom of GOD, in linen pure and white.

Oh, how we LOVE our GLORIFIED SAVIOR ! 

COME, LORD JESUS, COME!

Acts 1:6-11

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, LORD, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

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.

But ye shall receive power,

after that the HOLY SPIRIT 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.

And when HE+ had spoken these things,

while they beheld,

HE+ was taken up;

and a cloud received HIM+

out of their sight.

And while they looked stedfastly toward Heaven

as HE+ went up,

behold,

two men stood by them

in white apparel;

Which also said,

Ye men of Galilee,

why stand ye gazing up into Heaven?

this same JESUS,

WHO+ is taken up from you into Heaven,

shall so come in like manner

as ye have seen HIM+ go

into Heaven.

+  +  +

Let us pray...

O GOD, our FATHER, Who for our redemption didst given thine Only-Begotten SON+ JESUS CHRIST to the death of the Cross.

And by HIS+ GLORIOUS RESURRECTION of His+ flesh has delivered us from the power of the adversary and the power of death...

Grant us SO TO DIE DAILY from sin, that we may EVERMORE live with HIM+  in the joy of His+ Resurrection ...

through the Same, Thy SON+ JESUS CHRIST our LORD Who+ lives and reigns with THEE and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT...

now and forever, ONE GOD, world without end. Amen.

Glorious SAVIOR, our LORD JESUS CHRIST !  We love THEE+, we praise THEE+, we worship THEE+ in our lives !

Amen, and thankfully so !

+  +  +

30 DAYS ... and Counting ... Through the Glorious RESURRECTION SEASON ...

Today is DAY 30 of the  "40 days and nights"  Our Risen LORD JESUS CHRIST spent with His+ Disciples, coming and going among them, teaching them those things concerning the Kingdom of GOD, opening unto them the Scriptures concerning HIMSELF+. 

Can we just IMAGINE how filled with JOY and HOPE His+ followers were... those same ones who had heard HIM+ teach, who had walked with HIM+ daily, and who saw HIM+ die ?  

Forty Days and Nights are a LONG TIME  for our Resurrected LORD JESUS to spend here on earth, appearing at will behind closed and locked doors,   disappearing at will , and even eating...  to the awe of His+ Disciples. 

We have only come to Day 30 yet from the Glorious Resurrection Day,  counting down to ASCENSION DAY.    Here is a laud with which to worship Our Risen LORD: 

A  SONG to The LAMB+

(Revelation 4:11, 5: 9-10, 13 )

 

Splendor and honor 

and kingly power

are YOURS by Right, 

O LORD our GOD,

 

For You created 

everything that is,

and by Your will 

they were created

and have their being;  

 

And Yours by right, 

O LAMB+ that was slain, 

for with Your Blood 

You have redeemed for GOD ,

from every family, languages, people, and nation,

a Kingdom of Priests 

to serve our GOD.

 

 And so,   

to HIM 

Who sits upon the Throne

and to CHRIST the LAMB+,

be worship and praise,

dominion and splendor, 

for ever and for evermore. 

(BCP , Morning Prayer II, pg 93-94)   

Why Do We Forget ASCENSION DAY ?

COME BACK,  Oh, COME BACK ! 

Ascension Day is a Christian holiday celebrated 40 days after Easter to commemorate Jesus’ bodily ascension to heaven in the presence of his apostles. Some Icelanders go to church; others relax at home or take part in outdoor recreation. Children are given the day off from school and most workplaces are closed. 

According to kirkjan.is, Ascension Day is... 

 one of the oldest Christian holidays and marks the beginning of Pentecost or Whitsunday. It has been celebrated since 400 AD.

Remembering the Ascension in Shekinah Glory of Our Risen LORD is good... 

not just because it is traditionally 

remembered by the church proper 

... and not just because it IS WRITTEN 

in Scriptures... 

but because it strengthens our on-ward walk towards JESUS ... a strengthening ever needful as the time is drawing close for persecution and judgment to occur in our own backyards.

Why DO WE celebrate Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day more emphatically and with more joy than we celebrate 

Ascension Day ? 

If we would have experienced the anguish of heart and hope first-hand at the crucifixion of Our innocent LORD JESUS... 

If  we would have witnessed Our Beloved Resurrected LORD JESUS eating honey comb and fish... 

If  we would have walked along that road to Emmaus and heard HIM+ open the Scriptures unto our burning ears and hearts... 

Then... perhaps then, 

we would not miss keeping the HOLY DAY remembrance of Our Risen LORD JESUS rising up to Heaven in some kind of a shekinah glory cloud... 

with the Angels telling us ... this SAME JESUS which is taken up into Heaven 

... SHALL COME AGAIN 

in like manner 

as we have seen HIM+ 

go  into Heaven ! 

+   +   +

In the soon coming days, we will ALL BE CRYING for The LORD JESUS to return swiftly and end the testing of our faith. There are enough natural disasters and man-made disasters  upon us to have men's hearts failing them for fear, if we look at them seriously and globally. 

Let us SET OUR AFFECTION on things above, above all, upon JESUS HIMSELF +.  

That is the only thing that will strengthen us when persecution comes as the globe  reels and rocks like a chased roe or persecution comes by demon-possessed rulers and their gunships targeting the Followers of JESUS CHRIST. It is real. It is happening. 

Yes... there is COMING A DAY when we will NOT FORGET His+ Glorious Ascension... and we will long to be lifted up with HIM+ ... as HE+ is returning in the clouds !  

Oh, LET HIS+ FEET

TOUCH

 the Mount of Olives 

once again, 

O LION of JUDAH ! 

Take up your throne, 

Jerusalem.

Bring RELEASE TO THIS EARTH

and the CONSUMMATION

of HIS+ Kingdom's Reign... *

LET it ALL COME ! 

MARANATHA ! 

May The LORD grant us His+ Strength to stand faithful unto the end, dear ones.  

* Lyrics from LION of JUDAH,
sung by JM Talbot, written by Ted Sandquist