WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Services
  • Ministries
    • Sabbath School
    • Adventurer and Pathfinder Clubs >
      • Club Calendar
    • Children
    • Community Service
    • Family Ministries
    • Health
    • Men
    • Women
    • Youth
  • Calendar
    • Financial Peace University
    • 2025 Family Fun Nights
    • Annual Retreat
    • Tuesdays with the Doctor
    • Discover Something Bigger
  • Sermons
  • Devotional
  • Tithes-Offerings
  • Contact Us
  • Bulletin

November 22, 2021

11/22/2021

0 Comments

 
A Faith-building Event
 
        Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, who do you stand gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."  Acts 1:9-11, NKJV.
 
    The next essential step in the ministry of Jesus for a lost world had arrived.  We have seen so far His incarnation, sinless life, death, and resurrection.  Now we witness His ascension.  And here we can be thankful for Luke, the only Bible writer who describes this event.
 
    The first thing we should note about the Ascension is that it was public.  And that was important.  The alternative would have been a quiet disappearance that left Jesus' bewildered followers puzzled as to where He had gone.  That would have resulted in a picture of Jesus appearing to His disciples less and less often until they finally saw Him no more.  Eventually they would have wondered what they believed in.
 
    But Jesus didn't do it that way.  All the  leading disciples and many others saw Him rise from the earth and return to heaven--an event they would never forget.  They served a Lord who had not only risen from the grave but also from the earth.  The manner in which Jesus departed was faith building.  It had to bring to the minds of the disciples Jesus' words on the night before His crucifixion when He told His followers not to let their hearts be troubled because He was returning to heaven to prepare a place for them and would come again for them.  The public manner of the Ascension was a visible, public demonstration of the first half of that promise.
 
    One of the more interesting aspects of today's passage is the question of the angels: "Why do you stand gazing up into heaven?"  The answer seems to be obvious.  If we saw someone from our church (or anyone else) floating toward heaven, we would be left both gawking and speechless.
 
    The public ascension of Jesus was absolutely essential for the disciples.  Because of it they knew that they served a risen Lord who had gone to heaven to minister in their behalf.  They weren't altogether sure what that meant.  But they could have faith that they were not alone.
 
    And we have that same faith.
 
    Thank You, Father, for the ascension of Jesus.  As we meditate upon that event may its meaning become ever more clear in our hearts and minds.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    CONNECT ON
    ​
    Facebook

    Instagram
    ​
    YouTube
    JOIN A BIBLE STUDY

    Listen to
    My Take with Pastor Miguel Crespo

    Picture

    2023 Devotional

    This year's devotional comes from the book, Jesus Wins!--Elizabeth Viera Talbot,  Pacific Press Publishing Association

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Thank you for visiting our website!  
Joy of Troy Community Seventh-day Adventist Church
600 3rd Avenue, Lansingburgh, New York 12182 | 518-273-6400
Picture