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Ascension Day |
O Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above
all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to
perceive that, according to his promise, he abideth with his Church on
earth, even unto the end of the ages; through the same Jesus Christ our
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in
glory everlasting. Amen.
or
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only
begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so we
may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell;
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without
end. Amen. |
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Lesson |
Acts 1:1-11
The Promise of the Holy Spirit and the
Ascension of Jesus
In the first book, O The-oph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began
to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from
me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the
Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to
the end of the earth." And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and
a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood
by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This
Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as
you saw him go into heaven."
or
2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by a whirlwind,
Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gilgal. And Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has
sent me as far as Bethel." But Eli'sha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you
yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Eli'sha, and
said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master
from over you?" And he said, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace." Eli'jah said to him, "Eli'sha, tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has
sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself
live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Eli'sha, and
said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master
from over you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace." Then Eli'jah said to him, "Tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has sent
me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself
live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went, and stood at some
distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Eli'jah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the water, and
the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them
could go over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Ask what I shall do for
you, before I am taken from you." And Eli'sha said, "I pray you, let me
inherit a double share of your spirit." And he said, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am
being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if you do not see me, it
shall not be so." And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and
horses of fire separated the two of them. And Eli'jah went up by a whirlwind
into heaven. And Eli'sha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! the chariots of
Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his
own clothes and rent them in two pieces. And he took up the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and went
back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and struck
the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Eli'jah?" And when he had
struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other; and
Eli'sha went over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him over
against them, they said, "The spirit of Eli'jah rests on Eli'sha." And they
came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. |
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Epistle |
Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul's Prayer
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you
a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is
the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe,
according to the working of his great might which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every
name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over
all things for the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all.
or
Acts 1:1-11
The Promise of the Holy Spirit and the
Ascension of Jesus
In the first book, O The-oph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began
to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from
me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit."
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the
Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to
the end of the earth." And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and
a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood
by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This
Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as
you saw him go into heaven." |
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Gospel |
Luke 24:49-53
The Ascension of Jesus
And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the
city, until you are clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he
blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into
heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
or
Mark 16:9-15,19-20
The Resurrection of Jesus
Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they
would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were
walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and
he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had
not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the
whole creation. So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into
heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with
them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen. |
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