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4-1-2018 Weekly Messages
The contemplation of the week: Psalm 16: 1-11
Main scripture: Acts 1: 1-11
The title of the sermon: The very important words of Jesus who were on the earth for forty days after his resurrection

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, all the sin of the world was imputed to his body, and when he was buried and went to the grave, his soul went down to hell to take away all the sins of the world. When he  resurrected on the third day, he finally accomplished salvation for all the people of the world that believe in him.

As Jesus stayed in the earth for forty days, he spoke unto  His disciples of the most important things to know, showing  himself alive by many infallible proofs  of the resurrection of his body..

Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God  that he will reign in heaven and earth as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He spoke of the eternal kingdom where those that believe in him dwell in heaven and earth forever through his resurrection.   In other words, he died for the sin of the world and resurrected for the children of God as well as his people are going to enter the eternal kingdom of God in the New Heavens and the New earth without sin and death curses at all.

After speaking of the kingdom of God, Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. This promise was promised by God to their father Abraham long time ago::
” in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.“ (Genesis 12: 3)

The Holy Spirit that came  in the name of Jesus Christ, testifies of  what is the blessing of all nations:
” Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. “(Galatians 3: 13-14).

This is because they believed in Him, they were commended  not to leave Jerusalem before they receive the Holy Spirit sending by the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus also said that when they receive the Holy Spirit, they shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. In other words,  they must be born again by the Holy Spirit. They had heard many words from Jesus for three and a half years, but until then the Holy Spirit had not been indwelt in them, so they could not have understood the word of the Lord spiritually, nor could they enter the kingdom of God nor  seeing the kingdom of God. Therefore, after teaching about the kingdom of God, he immediately said to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

As to regeneration by the Holy Spirit, when Jesus met Nicodemus the Pharisee, he spoke beforehand:

“ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

” Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”  (Acts 1: 6)

It was a natural question for those who still not received the Spirit of God to be born again of the Spirit. For they could not know about the new heavens, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem that Jesus will create again in the future. Therefore, Jesus had spoken beforehand about what he would do when the Holy Spirit come::
” Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. “(John16:13-14)

Nevertheless, Jesus did not reprove that they did not understand:
“ It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”(Acts1:7).

The disciples hoped that the Israel under the Roman Empire would be freed by the coming of their Messiah, and that the kingdom would be restored to Israel, but in the heart of the Lord,  he would judge the world in the distant future so the he  said that they were not suppose to know the times or the seasons.

The Lord  said that they should receive the Holy Spirit of the Father’s promise, and preach the gospel of Christ  for thousands of years  to the uttermost part of the earth. He planned to judge  the nations who  not believe in him when there shall be filled with the children of God who believe in himself and enter into the kingdom of God, and he spoke to them about his kingdom to be established.

Therefore, because they had seen his death and burial and resurrection with their eyes, they were commanded to be witness unto him to preach the gospel the grace of Christ. :
“ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts1:8)

Having given them the words of the Great Commission, Jesus was lifted up to heaven before them , and the clouds covered their sight, and they could no longer see the Lord. There happened the thing that they could not imagine at all. As they were staring at the sky, two men in white apparel standing beside them, 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.” (Acts 1:11)

What the two men said is that Jesus will come back and he shall restore the kingdom in  Israel. The beloved disciple John saw and witnessed in the Holy Spirit of  the Lord Jesus coming back with the cloud and judging all nations who did not believe in him:
” Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen  “(Revelation 1:7)

When Jesus was lifted up into heaven, as the Galileans looked up into the sky, there shall be another astonishing thing to happen in the world. They shall see many Christians shall be taken up to heaven all of sudden as Jesus was lifted up:   Apostle Paul testified of this amazing event happening in near future. All the media shall broadcast as the breaking news sp that all men could see this scene:

” For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.…… Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. “(I Thessalonians 4: 16-18, 1 Corinthians 15: 51-53) Amen! Hallelujah!