John 18:20 ~ “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered †

 

John 18:20

“I have spoken openly to the world,” 

Jesus answered. 

“I always taught in the synagogues 

and at the temple, 

where all the Jews come together. 

I said nothing in secret.”

Getting to the the bottom line

of The Ascension

Did Jesus have humor? Yes, there are many articles of the humor of Jesus Christ!  Jesus told us, in The Gospels, there is no better place than to be like Mary, choosing the better portion at the feet of Jesus.  Jesus, the Only Son of God, was in comfort teaching the people of God and frequently sat to teach. Often, Jesus used the word, “Beloved.”

Are people really a bottom line for Jesus Christ, Our Father and the Holy Spirit?

John 3:17

 

For God did not send His Son 

into the world 

to condemn the world, 

but to save the world 

through Him.

Are people really a centerpiece for God? How much does God need people?

2 Samuel 7:4-7

That night the Lord spoke His Word to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David,

 This is what the Lord Says: 

‘Will you build a house for Me to live in? 6 From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until now, I have not lived in a House. I have been moving around all this time with a tent as My Home. 7 As I have moved with the Israelites, I have never said to the tribes, whom I commanded to take care of my people Israel, “Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?”

Psalm 50: 10-15

For every beast of the forest is Mine,

    the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know all the birds of the hills,

    and 

all that moves in the field is Mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you

    For the world 

and its fullness are Mine.

13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls

    or drink the blood of goats?

Offer to God

 a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

    and 

perform your vows to the Most High

And call upon Me 

in the day of trouble;

    I will deliver you, 

and 

you shall glorify Me.”

Nehemiah 9:6

You alone are the LORD. 

You created the Heavens, the Highest Heavens with all their Host, 

the earth 

and all that is on it, 

the seas 

and all that is in them. 

You give life to all things, 

and 

The Host of Heaven worships You.

Thesselonia Osios David Church, 5th Century, House Church 

model from The Acts of the Apostles

Notice the Altar Art

far above the Altar

since the 5th Century AD

2 Timothy 2:1-3

You therefore, my child, 

be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 

And the things that you have heard Me say 

among 

many witnesses, 

entrust these 

to faithful men

Why the Ascension?

The Disciples would have asked where, where, where their Risen Lord Jesus, the Christ of God, had gone.

Jeremiah 29:13

You will seek Me and find Me 

when you seek Me 

with 

all your heart.

John 14: 1-7

 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 

6 Jesus said to him, 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me. 

7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. 

From now on you do know Him 

and have seen Him.”

Did Jesus tell anyone of the Ascension? Yes, according to the First Chapter of the Gospel of John, right away. Jesus said so from the beginning of His Ministry. Jesus said many, many, many unusual things to men, who determined to follow Jesus Christ.

John 1

49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! 

You are the King of Israel!” 

50 Jesus answered him, 

“Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? 

You will see greater things than these.” 

51 And He said to him, 

“Truly, truly, 

I say to you, 

you will see Heaven opened, 

and the angels of God 

ascending and descending 

on the Son of Man.”

Was Jesus breathing when He entered into His Father's Heaven?

Yes, very probably. It's the kind of question Jesus Christ, Savior, anticipates and does not mock.

Luke 24:38-43

38 And He said to them, 

“Why are you troubled, 

and 

why do doubts arise in your hearts? 

39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. 

Touch me, and see. 

For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 

40 And when He had said this, 

He showed them His Hands and His Feet. 

41 And while they still disbelieved 

for joy 

and were marveling, 

He said to them, 

“Have you anything here to eat?” 

42 They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, 

43 and 

He took it and ate before them.

Are we really going to have a rock solid body in the Resurrection?

Luke 24

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 

25 And He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if He were going farther, 29 but they urged Him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.

 And He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

1 Corinthians 15:40-58

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies

But the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and 

the glory of the earthly is of another. 

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, 

and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead

What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 

43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. 

It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. 

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

The Bush was not Consumed

when Moses Met God

Psalm 104:4

Of the angels 

He says, 

“He makes His angels winds, 

and His ministers a flame of fire.”  

Revelation 1: 10-18

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands One like a Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. 14 The Hairs of His Head were white, like white wool, like snow. His Eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 His Feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His Voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In His Right Hand He held seven stars, from His Mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His Face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His Feet as though dead. But He laid His Right Hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Our God says He is a Consuming Fire in Hebrews 12:29. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, He also says this in Deuteronomy 4:24.

We discuss the physical body in the recognition of Jesus Christ after He is found Alive. How will we find something rock solid to hold on to in this mysticism? This is easily found. Within our souls. And physically, to see the evidence of 2 millenniums seeing the faith around the world.  The Vatican in the same address of Peter's Tomb since 66 AD. The same building is found since Emperor Constantine. Many empires have toppled, yet not Christ's Earthly Kingdom.

Will we answer every question? We will not. We see through a glass darkly and one day, we will see.  Angels are reported in Scripture as a physical body rising up in flames to the clouds in the announcement of Samson's impending birth.  Luke 1 calls the Birth of Christ Jesus the Light from on High visits us. God opens His Word with Incredible Light. The Shroud of Turin has ancient radiation in the center of previous vast quantities. 

When God tells us He is a consuming fire, He is speaking Life. Way, Truth, Life.

 God did not consume Jesus nor Moses. Instead, He brings Life Forever. God values His Beloved and works with His Beloved. Moses spoke slowly and God found his qualities to be wonderful. One of the Names of Jesus is Wonderful, we can all deeply hold appreciation for our Father, Who reveals Himself and Loves us as His Children and sees us exactly as we really are. 

One thing we can hold on to with our souls and eyes, the bush of Moses was not consumed. Moses had to know more. Our Jesus Christ Lives! Jesus is Not Consumed by death. Our Jesus Christ Lives!

Daniel 2

27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 

30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, 

and that you may know 

the thoughts of your mind.

Abba, Father,

Very much a work of the Lord.

When the 

Events of

Easter 2025

6th Sunday after Easter

coincide

Giving Thanks

We remember

John Wesley said, “The Work of God 

continues 

His workers go home”

Coinciding

John Wesley never left the Anglican Church

and The Anglican Church

never left

The Roman Catholic Church.

One God,

One Plan

As we think of the Sacrifice

of Jesus Christ

His Love

as He Forgave

We realize 

a Thousand Years 

are a Day to You.

And Give You Thanks

for

our

Salvation.

God of Light

You are in all things

You are Light of the world

Light of mankind

Light of Heaven

In all Things, You Create

You have given us Jesus Christ

Holy is

the Highest Name

Above

all others

Your Kingdom come

Your Good Will be done

we pray for more

on earth

just as it is in Heaven.

Give us This Day

Our Daily Bread.

Jesus the Living Bread.

Forgive us our Trespasses

as

we forgive those

who Trespass 

Against us.

Lead us not into temptation

Deliver us from Evil. 

For Thine

is the

Kingdom

and 

the Power

and 

the Glory.

Giving Thanks!!!

For the Peace between

Pakistan and India!

WORLDWIDE
PEACE

IN

Our

Amen in Jesus Christ 

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Jesus