Ascension Sunday
by Christina Farris
5/20/2012

My name is Christian Farris, and I am coming live from turtle30cshell home. This being Ascension Sunday May 20, 2012, I feel it is important when looking at Christian calendar to take note of special day of importance of remembrance. Ascension Sunday being just one of them. However this day is not the same time every year but follows approximately forty days after the celebration of the resurrection. The purpose for this day is to remind us of the time when Christ went up to heaven. Let us begin by reading

Acts 1:1-11 KJV
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
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:
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:
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.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
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.
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.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
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.

Thank you Lord for scripture. After forty days and Christ ascended into heaven the Holy
Spirit continue to give the disciples commandments(instructions). However I want to stop there for a moment and reflect on the ascension of Christ for today is Ascension Sunday. Without the ascension would the Holy Spirit still been working in the believers life. Holy Spirit is said to have spoken to Peter about who Christ is, so the answer is yes. However Christ would have to leave for the Holy Spirit to come and indwell and instruct the believer. One might ask can not the Holy Spirit instruct while Christ was on earth yes. But only one of the Godhead bodily is need to instruct the believer. Jesus being the second person of the Trinity, and the Holy Spirit being the third. Though Christ is ever present in the since of the Word of God and manifest by the Spirit in our hearts and minds. Christ came not to set up earthly kingdom at this time, power would not rule from Jerusalem until the appoint time of the Father. It was not for the disciple to know when Christ would rule from Jerusalem.

Knowing, this little about the kingdom, we also know that Christ spoke for forty days after the resurrection. Then He ascended. He taught about the kingdom of God teaching the disciples what to teach us. The kingdom of God is not just earthly kingdom but it is a spiritual kingdom. One that has no end, because it begin with God and comes to us and continues in us by His Spirit upon our belief in the Son of God and God. Christ teaching and giving final instructions to His disciples before He ascends into heaven.

Christ would have to leave for the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples. Only one Jesus walking the earth, twelve disciples expanding into many disciples carrying the Spirit of God. The eleven disciples needing perhaps those final hours of instructions as well as to see Christ ascend so that they could carry the Gospel without doubt to all people. We must hold on to the Gospel taught to us, carry with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit with His instructions. God was telling the disciples, I am not leaving I am returning by the Spirit of God to reminded you of everything I taught you. What great gift is theHoly Spirit to all believers to be able to go forth with boldness. The angels told the disciples to go as Christ had instructed to Jerusalem and to wait in the upper room. Yes they stay gazing
because they knew one day they to would join Christ into heaven.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for allowing the disciples to see Christ physically in His glorified body going up to heaven, so that we to can have the hope they shared through the
gospels. In Jesus precious name, Amen.