The Ascension - Taken Up

January 8

(Acts 1:9 NIV) "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight."

(Acts 1:1-2 NIV) "I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach {2} until the day he was taken up to heaven..."

(Luke 24:50-52 NIV) "When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. {51} While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. {52} Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy."

(Mark 16:19-20 NIV) "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. {20} Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

Jesus walked the Earth for some forty days after His resurrection from the dead, teaching His disciples, and giving them some important final instructions. Then, He was taken up to heaven before their eyes. The ascension of Christ is one of the most fantastic stories in Scripture. Jesus gave the disciples one last proof of His divinity. People often ask, “Where is heaven?” We don’t know for sure, but we can say with authority that Jesus was “taken up”. He didn’t go down, nor did He go “poof”, and disappear like a magician. He was “taken up to heaven”. So whatever and wherever heaven is, we know that Jesus went up to get there. This is the context of the word “ascend”. Jesus came down to Earth, and He went back up to be with His Father in heaven. We too will one day ascend to meet the Lord in the air. What a glorious day that will be! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day   

We’re on a Mission from God

January 7

(Acts 1:8 NIV) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

(Isaiah 43:10-12 NIV) ""You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. {11} I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. {12} I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am God."

One of John Belushi’s famous lines in “The Blues Brothers” movie was, “We’re on a mission from God.” This is also what Jesus told His disciples. In his final instructions, He told them that God’s coming baptism would infuse them with a power they had never had before. They would receive this power so that they could be witnesses for the Kingdom of God in their hometowns, in the cities and states near them, and to nations all over the earth. We too, have been set apart to be His witnesses. We’re on a mission from God. When we believe and receive the Holy Spirit, the power of God comes into our lives for a reason: so we can be his witnesses and attract others to His Kingdom. We are called to be His witnesses to those down the road and across the street, and we are to be His witnesses to those in other lands and across the sea. We are on a mission from God! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day 

Stay Focused

January 6

(Acts 1:6-7 NIV) "So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" {7} He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority."

(Matthew 24:36-39 NIV) "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. {37} As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. {38} For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; {39} and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

As the disciples gathered around the risen Christ, they wanted details about the future. They wanted to know when He would return and restore the Kingdom of God. Jesus told them it was none of their business. His return date was not to take up too much of their time and energy. They were to mind their business, which was establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. That’s still good advice. Stay focused on the right stuff. Stop worrying about what is coming next, or when it is coming. Focus on what you can do now. Light up the world with the love of Jesus. Witness to the power of the life changing Gospel with your changed life. Pray for lost people and for one another. Minister to the poor, the weak, the sick, the addicted, and the dying. Help people find Jesus so their lives can be changed, and their souls can be saved. That’s our business. That’s our mission. Stay focused! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Waiting On God

January 5

(Acts 1:4-5 NIV) "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. {5} For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.""

(Psalm 27:14 NIV) "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

(Psalm 37:7 NIV) "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;"

(Psalm 46:10 NIV) "Be still, and know that I am God;"

(Isaiah 40:31 ESV) “… they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Even though it was dangerous, the risen Christ told His disciples to stay put and remain in Jerusalem. That may be good advice today, as we struggle with commitment and contentment. Fickle spirits contaminate the church, and we end up changing churches as often as we change our socks. There are various excuses. “I’m not being fed… I don’t feel the Spirit… They aren’t friendly enough… Somebody ticked me off.” But usually, the real reasons go deeper. Maybe we were confronted with a hard truth, or called to change a behavior. Perhaps we were asked to contribute, or maybe we just didn’t get our way -- and so we bail. But before we change churches, we should consider changing our hearts. Moving around is not necessarily moving up. If we leave Jerusalem before it’s time, we may miss what God has for us. There may be exceptions, but consider staying put for now. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day