I am continually amazed at the timeliness of our Father’s Word, and the beauty of His sweet providence.

This has been an especially difficult week for us, added to an already arduous season in the life of our fellowship that began early last year with the pandemic.

Whenever the Lord receives one of our beloved members into His presence through death, it is a bitter-sweet event that touches all of us. We grieve with those who grieve and have been called to travel through the valley of death’s shadow. And yet we rejoice that another one of our Father’s precious, elect, blood-purchased children is now in His presence, beholding the face of His Only-Begotten Son, set free from suffering, immersed in celestial Light, sharing in the Savior’s sovereign reign, and awaiting the resurrection of their body on the Last Day! How could we not also rejoice!

And then, there are the many infirmities, pains, sorrows, times of extreme testing and temptation, and various afflictions that are presently being experienced and endured by so many in our beloved little flock. As Paul said to his Corinthian brethren, “ the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance” (2 Cor. 1:5 NASB).
On this coming Lord’s Day, like so many that have preceded it, we will worship yet again with a mixture of very real sorrow and an equally real experience of joy.

But there is something special about this Lord’s Day!

While the four Sundays of Advent and Easter Sunday direct our hearts to studious reflection upon the two greatest events in the history of redemption, Ascension Sunday is often overlooked and its message unheard. I have thought of it as ‘The Forgotten Day.’ While even the lost world around us recognizes Advent and Easter to one degree or another, Ascension Day receives no press at all.

I must sadly confess that for the larger part of my own ministry as a preacher of God’s Word, this Day passed without so much as a nod. My heart breaks that for many years as a pastor, I unwittingly robbed my own people of the rich treasure of blessings that this Day brings.

Now, we don’t want to be guilty of what Paul warned about, the sin of making one day more important than another (Rom. 14:15; Col. 2:16-17). But we do recognize that it is a good thing to sound certain notes and themes at special times of the year.

So, on this Lord’s Day we will reflect upon the inspired words of Luke 24:50-53, the only explicit Gospel-account of our Savior’s ascension into heaven.

As we excavate this rich Biblical soil, we will uncover some truths that are meant to sustain us, not only in the valley of death’s shadow, but in all seasons of life as we seek to serve our Lord. And like our emphasis upon the miracles of Advent and Easter, the fact of the ascension of Jesus will also profoundly encourage us and thoroughly change our daily outlook and conduct, even and especially when we are sorely afflicted. As the first disciples were so long ago, we too will be filled with great joy and the determination to obediently serve our Savior as we live for Him who died and rose again on our behalf!

Let’s all take time to read Luke 24:50-53 as well as Acts 1:1-11. And then let us pray that our eyes and hearts will be made ready to receive our Father’s Word by the power of His Spirit.