27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
02 Acts 01 06-11 HE WILL COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YOU SAW HIM GO INTO HEAVEN 15 Acts 01 09 Transition from Jesus to His church
📖 Acts 01:06-11
15 – 02Jul2022 – *Transition from Jesus to His church* - _Acts 01:06-11_ - HE WILL COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YOU SAW HIM GO INTO HEAVEN - Bible reading: _Ephesians 4:8-12_
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You completed Your work on earth and You have committed to us this task of being Your witnesses. Lord, let every area of our life be cleansed and made whole so that we will be Your channels of blessing to the world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
We have spent several days, meditating on _Acts 1:8_. Let us now move further.
_Acts 1:9-11 Now when He had spoken these things, *while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight*. (10) And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, (11) who also said, "Men of Galilee, why 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."_
This is how we see the conclusion of the Lord’s physical ministry, on earth. This is where we see the beginning of the ministry of the church, through the filling of the Holy Spirit.
_Acts 1:1-2 The former account 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 He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen*,_
The Lord’s ministry took place, until the day He was taken up. In the same way, our ministry, as His witnesses, must continue until the day, He takes us away from this earth. We are witnesses of Jesus, till the very end.
Till the very end, the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to His disciples. We are, therefore, here, under the commandments of the Lord, through His Holy Spirit.
_Luke 24:50-53 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and *He lifted up His hands and blessed them. (51) Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven*. (52) And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, (53) and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen._
We see here that as He parted from His disciples, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. We can, therefore, understand that the commandments of the Lord, come along with His blessing. This was how the transition took place from the ministry of the Lord to the ministry of His church.
*_Mark 16:19-20 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (20) And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen._*
As the Lord was taken up into heaven, He sat down at the right hand of God. This is the right hand of power and glory. Jesus, once again, was King of kings and Lord of lords.
Therefore, when we as His church step out to do the ministry of being His witnesses, we must be conscious of who we are and to whom we belong. We must operate from this position of power and glory not thinking and feeling that we are alone and defeated. We must know that “yes, by ourselves we are nothing but we are not our own, we belong to the Lord, who reigns”.
As the disciples witnessed Christ, from this position of strength, the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word of the disciples, with signs. It is for us to be faithful to the task that has been entrusted to us. It is the Lord who will work through us and confirm the words that we speak, with signs.
_Ephesians 4:8-12 Therefore He says: "*WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN*." (9) (Now this, "HE ASCENDED"—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He who descended is also *the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) (11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ*,_
When Jesus ascended, He led captivity captive. There were things that were holding us in captivity. The Lord has released us from all captivity and the very same things that had kept us in bondage are now made captive so that they cannot hurt us anymore.
The Lord has also given the church gifts so that we can be His witnesses in the fullness of His Holy Spirit. Gifts are given to the church, for the equipping of the saints and for the work of ministry, which is to be His witnesses. This is how the church is edified.
The transition of the ministry was taking place from the Lord to the church, through the filling of His Holy Spirit.
```“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the excellent manner in which You passed on Your ministry to us.”```