That is Your Heaven

Whatever is your greatest joy and treasure, that is your heaven and your god. 

Charles Spurgeon

The Ascension of Christ

The Gospel of Luke describes the transference of the resurrected body of Jesus from the earth to heaven in Acts 1:9-11.

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

The location of the ascension was east of Jerusalem near Bethany. Forty days after His physical resurrection Jesus “was taken up” and disappeared into a cloud.

God raised Christ from the dead “and made Him sit at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:20). He sits “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3).

The ascension made it possible for Christ to enter into His heavenly “glorification” and sit at the right hand of the Father until His enemies are made His footstool (Ps. 110:1).

The evidence for the glorification of Christ and His superiority over the Old Testament saints is His ascension (Acts 2:33-36). When He arrived into heaven He received “the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9-11). Jesus is superior to angels, authorities, principalities, powers and dominions because He is the ascended Lord (Heb. 1:13; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 3:22).

The important message for every believer is that even though Jesus is absent physically from the earth, He is still spiritually present with His church. He can be anywhere and everywhere with His followers all the time.

Jesus told His disciples the Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus died, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven (Jn. 16:7). “If I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

Without the ascension Jesus would be in one location on the earth, but not spiritually present everywhere. Because Jesus ascended to heaven He is “wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in your midst” (Matt. 18:20). At His ascension He said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Because Jesus is in heaven He is everywhere all the time through His Spirit.

The ascension proves that Jesus really did rise from the dead. Where is the body of Jesus? He is at the right side of His Father seated in power and authority (Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:30). He is alive.

The ascension gives us a steadfast assurance that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ was accepted by God the Father as the perfect atonement for sinners. Jesus is in the presence of the Father and no other sacrifice for sin ever needs to be made again (Heb. 4:14; 6:20; 9:24). Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice for sin never has to be repeated (Heb. 1:3; 9:12; 10:12; 12:2). He sits on the throne. His atoning work is finished.

The ascension of Jesus gives us assurance that everything is now complete and one day we, too, will reign with Him in His kingdom. Jesus returned to heaven “to prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14:2). The ascension guarantees the promise, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (v. 3). One day every believer in Christ will ascend to be with Him (2 Cor. 5:1-10; 2 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:50-58).

The ascension of Jesus makes it possible for us to go boldly into the presence of God in prayer (Heb. 4:14-16). We have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1-2) who has experienced everything we experience in this life. He understands and is always ready to help in our time of need (Heb. 2:17; 5:7-10).Selah!

SELAH! Pause – reflect- just think of that!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006

Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author’s written consent.

So it Does Not Worry Me

I look around at the world today and see us twirling ever faster towards the rapture so it does not worry me but excites me. Joseph- Anthony: Green

The Heavens Declare

The heavens declare Thy glory, Lord, in every star Thy wisdom shines. Isaac Watts

Acceptable to God

How can a sinful person ever be acceptable to a holy God?

God takes sin seriously; it will be severely punished unless atonement is acceptable according to God’s standard.

Sin is a barrier that separates a person from God. In the Old Testament God dealt with man’s sin by substitution (Lev. 1:4; 4:20; 7:7; Lev. 16).

In the New Testament sin is still a serious problem because everyone has sinned and come short of God’s expectation (Rom. 3:23). Moreover, an eternal hell awaits all who sin (Mk. 9:43; Lk. 12:5; Rom. 6:23).

It is the will of God that everyone come to repentance and be saved from the wrath of God (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 2 Pet. 3:9-10). Salvation is accomplished by what God has done in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). This reconciliation was accomplished by the death of Christ. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?” (Rom. 5:10 NET). The death of Christ is absolutely essential to our salvation. Only the death of Christ can save us from our sins and the eternal punishment we deserve.

Jesus gave His life as “a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45) because “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21 NET).

The sacrifice of animals could not “take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). However, the sacrifice of Jesus did what was impossible for animal sacrifices to accomplish. “By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (v. 10 NET). “But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice” (9:26b NET).

By His death Jesus Christ paid the sinner’s debt in full and that death turns away the wrath of God (Rom. 3:25). Because Jesus paid sin’s due penalty God can be both a just and holy God, and at the same time justify the person who has faith in Him (v.26). “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23 NET).

How did Christ redeem us? “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)” (Gal. 3:13 NET). It was as a sacrificial substitute “having become a curse for us” that he redeems us. Therefore, we can stamp across our sin debt: “PAID IN FULL!”

Jesus bought us while we were in the slave market of sin, paid the price in full, and set us free to live the Christian life (Eph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 5:1). He purchased us with His own blood (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19). Because our sin has been dealt with completely we are now free to serve the LORD God. We no longer have to be preoccupied with sin, guilt and punishment. It has been dealt with in the blood of Jesus and we can focus on serving him with a clear conscience.

We have entered into a new covenant with God in Christ (Heb. 9:11-15). Jesus entered “the greater and more perfect tabernacle . . . through His own blood . . . once and for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:11-12). The effect is it cleanses our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (v. 14).

We are now irrevocably the children of God, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15-17, 29-39; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:12; Jn. 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:13; 4:13; 5:10).

“All these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18 NET). We share with others what God has done in reconciling us to Himself.

We have a right relationship with God, the forgiveness of our sins, and eternal life because Christ has taken our place, doing what we could never do for ourselves.

Christ paid our debt in full; our part is simply to accept that great salvation by faith. It is God’s free gift to the believing sinner.Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006

Glad I hate Traffic Jams.

There is a Highway to Hell while there is a Stairway to Heaven. Glad I hate traffic jams. Joseph- Anthony a son of Jehovah

When I Wake Up, I Will

Because I have lived right, I will see your face. When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied. Psalms 17:15 The Holy Bible The New Century Version

I believe the author is describing waking up from the dead and being greeted by the loving arms of our cherished Jesus Christ.

I still do not know whether we go to sleep to awaken at the rapture or whether we go to the second Heaven when we die.

Either way I think satisfied is an understatement. We will be jubilant

Prayer: Oh my precious Jesus Immanuel (God is with us John 15:1-27 ) what sweet bliss it will be to see You face to face as we walk through the garden and share communion together in Heaven. In Your beautiful name I praise You for this ultimate ecstasy. Amen

This photo and article @ Joseph- Anthony a son of Jehovah 2022

Is Bumper to Bumper Traffic

The highway to Hell is bumper to bumper traffic while the hard road to Heaven is almost deserted. Joseph- Anthony a son of Jehovah