Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
Acts 1: 11
1:11 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.
Holy Humanity Taken to Heaven—
Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God (The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905). {6BC 1054.1}
But Christ came as a personal Saviour to the world. He represented a personal God. As a personal Saviour, he ascended on high; and he will come again as he ascended to heaven,—a personal Saviour. He is the express image of the Father’s person. “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” {RH November 8, 1898, par. 15}
Jesus is our High Priest that has passed into the heavens. He sits at the right hand of the Father. A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. His kingdom is not of this world. And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Do not be deceived by the Anti-Christ, False Prophets, nor the Dragon, who is Satan. The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus will come in the same way He departed. He will come in the clouds and His feet will not touch the ground. There will be nothing secret about it. The trumpet will sound and all eyes will see Him. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. He left earth as a personal savior, and will return as a personal savior. The disciples understood now that heaven was to be their future home where Christ was going to prepare a mansion for them. This is the gospel: Christ in human form crucified, buried, and resurrected to come again in power and great glory in the clouds of the heavenly host.
Our kind and gracious heavenly Father,
We come to the foot of Your throne in prayer and thanksgiving. We thank You for being our High Priest in heaven and our personal savior. For trading divinity for humanity, that You may dwell with us on this earth and give us our personal instructions to salvation. You walked among all the people and the disciples healing and casting out demons. You taught the disciples and they learned of You. They were eyewitnesses to Your life here on earth and Your crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and departing into heaven. We pray that we can also be Your faithful witnesses and spread the good news of the Blessed Hope we have in us. We are so honored and privileged to carry on Your gospel message to the whole world, and pray that none remains in darkness. We cannot say thank You enough nor pay You back in any way. You did all this for Your children, including me. We thank You for the Word to live by. Our guide to our life here on earth and our future life in heaven. For clearly explaining to us, the way in that You are returning and when we will receive our immortal bodies. For the escort of the heavenly angels awaiting us to bring us into heaven. For making us priests of God and of Christ, and giving us the honor and privilege that we shall reign with You a thousand years. Before all this, for returning to heaven and building a mansion for us. For being our intercessor in heaven and presenting us faultless before the Father. Please help us that the Anti-Christ, False Prophets, or Satan himself deceives none of the brethren. Please grant us wisdom and understanding during Bible studies that none is deceived in these last days. Please heal our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies to continue in the warfare that Satan rages upon us every day. Praise be to You and all the glory in Your name. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
