Month: March 2016

The Ascension (24×30 mixed media)

The Ascension doesn’t occur until 40 days after the resurrection of  Jesus, during which time He appears to the Apostles and others.

Acts 1:6-11
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus and His disciples went to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. There, Jesus promised His followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come. Then Jesus blessed them, and as He gave the blessing, He began to ascend into heaven. The account of Jesus’ ascension is found above in Acts, and in Luke 24.

It is plain from Scripture that Jesus’ ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and visibly, observed by many intent onlookers. As the disciples strained to catch a last glimpse of Jesus, a cloud hid Him from their view, and two angels appeared and promised Christ’s return “in the same way that you saw Him go” (Acts 1:11).

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is significant for several reasons:

1. It signaled the end of His earthly ministry. God the Father had lovingly sent His Son into the world, and now the Son was returning to the Father. The period of human limitation was at an end.
2. It signified success in His earthly work. All that He had come to do, He had accomplished.
3. It marked the return of His heavenly glory. Jesus’ glory had been veiled during His sojourn on earth, with one brief exception at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9).
4. It symbolized His exaltation by the Father (Ephesians 1:20-23). The One with whom the Father is well pleased (Matthew 17:5) was received up in honor and given a name above all names (Philippians 2:9).
5. It allowed Him to prepare a place for us (John 14:2).
6. It indicated the beginning of His new work as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15).
7. It set the pattern for His return. When Jesus comes to set up the Kingdom, He will return just as He left — literally, bodily, and visibly in the clouds (Acts 1:11; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).  So do not be deceived by false reports of His return.  When He comes, everyone will see Him, and rejoice or tremble, depending upon their relationship with him.  Be one who will rejoice.

E.J. Lefavour

www.hobbithousestudio.com

@STheken: Water break Bass Ave between the lights & Hartz st Water is shut off and will affect the res of that stretch of the Rd & Amero Ct. Rd closed

Here’s a little calm, peaceful, sway of the ocean to get us through this Monday.  (This was taken by slowing down my shutter speed and slowly panning the camera which was on a tripod).   Happy Monday all!!

I hope all my GMG Friends Are Enjoying Their Easter Today!

I got an early Easter treat yesterday when I got to meet longtime GMG FOB Paula Ryan O’Brien from New York who has been with the blog since way back in the day-

Sharon Lowe Offers Up Prize For Winner Of What Zat Slideshow Game

Posted on November 29, 2008 by Joey C One comment Edit Post

From Sharon-

“Because it wasn’t clear that the What Zat? game was a slide show, I’m going to give the t-shirt to the first person who identified the Annisquam Lighthouse. It was Paula Ryan O’Brien.

She visited with sister Pat and Jimmy Dalpiaz at the dock yesterday and we got to spend some nice time together!

Photo taken exactly one year ago.

The Resurrection (22×28 mixed media on canvas)

Mary Magdalene, not a harlot or prostitute as many mistakenly believe her to have been, but one whom Jesus cast seven demons from, and who traveled with and provided for Jesus and the apostles out of her means, is the first person the resurrected Jesus appears to. She encounters the angel in His tomb, sitting where his body had been lain after his death. Then Jesus appears to her.

John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “my great master”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them the things he had said to her.

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her (Mary, Lazarus’ sister, not Magdalene), “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.”

E.J. Lefavour

www.hobbithousestudio.com