What The Bible Says
Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice
Five Sundays plus four days marks out the forty days Jesus shewed himself in his resurrected body before a Thursday Ascension. Those forty days receive precious little study from the “normal” Christian, but a pure student of Christ, being a pure student of the Bible should mark them well. Twenty years ago when I found the Mennonite Farm Store closed for Ascension Thursday I began giving it brand new awareness. What was this all about? Why were other Christians paying this Thursday little heed? They twiddled around with an artificial Roman Fat-Tuesday, and a Catholic Ash-Wednesday but had no Ascension Thursday observed. When a Bible student ignores Rome they find Jesus was crucified on, and ascended on a Thursday. On resurrection Sunday disciples on the Emmaus Road said, “today is the third day since these things (the Thursday crucifixion) were done” (Luke 24:21b), and count off forty days in his resurrected body to find him ascending into heaven on a Thursday. We have tenaciously studied our Lord's appearances on resurrection Sunday, but in this week of his ascension we might further study his many appearances in his forty day shewing. I like three theories, he appeared every Lord's Day, he appeared on each week day, and he held a three day Bible conference (Acts 1:3-7). The Bible records seven appearances after resurrection day, eight days later to the eleven with Thomas present, (John 20:26), a Galilean visit (Mark 16:7), “After that he was seen of above 500 at once” (1Cor 15:6), seen of James, then of all the apostles (together? or individually? )(vr. 7). He appeared after Peter's fishing expedition (likely they were skipping a mid-week prayer service), then on Ascension Thursday (following his conference?). Be a Bible student who knows each of his appearances, and observes Ascension Thursday.
An Essay for week #18 May 6, 2018
Msg in audio at www.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs180506.mp3
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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit
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