the ascended

My appreciation for the GateWorld (Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis) genre has associated me with 'the ascended ones' which correspond with the ancient of days. Here you can get all lost into the purpose of the ancient ones - whether self-serving, hands-off, or benevolent. I find it all very interesting, considering Jesus, who was is and ever will be, is the ancient of days and the ascended one - while He and disciples were talking, "in the course of it He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. His body was uplifted till it disappeared, and while they continued to gaze up they saw two men who assured them that He would come back exactly as He had gone up" _ISBE. Today is the commemoration of Christ's Ascension, the 40th day after resurrection. As I prepare the lesson for children's church, I made personal notes.

Jesus shares about His leaving, for the most part the ascension covered in most of the Gospels Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16; Luke 24, John_14-16; 20; and in Acts 1, from which we have hope and encouragement:

• We have distress in the world; but He has overcome the world.
  
• we know where He is; He sits at the right hand of God! "That I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you".
  
• He prepares a place for us!
  
• for us, He will come back! - the same way He went into Heaven.
• He left us gifts
• to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift
• the Holy Spirit-the spirit of truth, a comforter - who Jesus said will "teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you"
  
• we have work to do - be His witnesses.
• and He is ever with us "all the days until the completion of the age"