A man was what he did, how he shaped up at work, or against trouble.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Tucker)

    “So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’”
              –Luke 19:13 (NIV)
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I can remember sermons being preached regarding the ascension of Jesus to Heaven.  At least every year, there was a message on Ascension Day, but in the last score of years I cannot recall a sermon.  Now, that doesn’t mean one wasn’t preached, it is just that there is nothing there to jog my memory concerning it.  However, it is one of the most important days in history.  The ascension prefaces the Book of Acts.

         “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'”
                   –Acts 1:10-11 (NKJV)

    Jesus, the Word from the beginning, who had departed His throne, leaving His glory there had come earth in humility as a man, a baby, helpless, vulnerable.  Now look at the scene; He ascends Christlike.  Angels heralded His birth, the universe was notified.  His ascension takes place with His disciples, and the two angels stand there and ask them a simple question.  There was no fanfare, no cheering–Jesus was going back to assume His duties as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  George H. Morrison wrote, “The event that ends the earthly ministry of Jesus begins the ministry upon the throne.”  Jesus is now sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.
    I have always thought that one of the issues that Jesus faced on earth was that His glory wanted to return to Him.  He laid it aside, but Satan tempted Him and I think the glory wanted to return.  On the Mount of Transfiguration there is a feature that Peter, James, and John saw when His face began to glow–His glory wanting to return.  He had to lay it aside for no man can live and look upon God in all His glory.  Now, with the ascension He was going back to clothe Himself once again, and forever, with it.
    “Jesus had to leave them [disciples] as the self-limited Jesus who had taken on our humanity.  As the glorified Christ He commanded all power in heaven and earth which He had promised would be released in prayer in His name” (Lloyd J. Ogilvie).  Notice that this takes place at the beginning of the Book of Acts; the rest of the book shows the power of the ascending Lord beginning with the sending of the Promise on Pentecost.
    Look at the angels’ words, “why do you stand gazing…”  Jesus is gone to Heaven, back to His throne, now it is time for them to get on with His work on earth.  They were to tarry for the Holy Spirit.  Remember back to the Transfiguration, there was talk of wanting to stay on the mount, but Jesus said that there was work to be done back in the valley.  Don’t gaze, but work until He comes.  That is the second part of their statement, “He will come back in like manner.”

         “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
                   –1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV)

He ascended into the clouds to Heaven and in like manner He shall return to catch up His bride.  This is not the Second Coming, but the Rapture of the Church and it will be for His disciples.  The Second Coming will be heralded and every eye shall see Him.
    We are to occupy.  Jesus has come to an end of his earthly ministry, but is with us always.  One more thing to ponder, at the ascension there were unknown disciples.  Two will be named shortly afterward, and one will take the place of Judas–Matthias.  They had to fulfill the obligations and requirements of a disciple.  Before this time Matthias was not mentioned, now he is one of the chosen.
    One more thought:  there is purpose in God’s delay in returning.  Think about it, the disciples thought His return was imminent.  If it had been there would be no hope for us.  Throughout church history, the return of the Lord was thought to be close at hand.  If the rapture had occurred during one of those periods, we would not have had the opportunity to accept Jesus as Savior.  There is reason for His delay, until the last one has accepted Him.

You’re hating too hard…  Hate is a cruel master.
              –Elmer Kelton (Bitter Trail)

    “A wicked man hardens his face, But as for the upright, he establishes his way.”
              –Proverbs 21:29(NKJV)
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I came across some thoughts last week in my reading that need to be shared.  I have never pondered them before; I have never even seen anyone discuss them.  I’m glad for those who study the Word and share it for dull-minded ol’ fence posts like me.

         “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what are we to do?'”
                   –Acts 2:37 (NASB)

         “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.”
                   –Acts 7:54 (NASB)

If you read the New King James, they both render it “cut to the heart.”  I like the King James and the above New American Standard for they give a slightly different rendering for the words mean something slightly different.  
    In Acts 2:37, the response of the crowd to Peter’s message was they were “pricked in their hearts” (KJV), or “pierced.”  It means “to stab”; it depicts something sudden or unexpected.  The Holy Spirit used Peter’s words under the anointing to stab the people with the “sword of the Spirit.”  Conviction spread through the crowd, the words were received, and three thousand where added to the church.
    Turning to the words in Acts 7, there is a different scene.  Stephen spoke to the religious leaders and the Scripture says they were “cut to the heart” (KJV) or “cut to the quick.”  Conviction was still there, but there was a totally different response.  The Holy Spirit “cut through their hypocrisy and exposed them for who they were.” (Larry Turner)  There was no remorse, there was no repentance.  Instead they were filled with hatred and rage and rushed out to stone Stephen.
    Throughout my life I have often wondered at the different responses to the Holy Spirit.  Years ago I read or heard, that the Holy Spirit will either convict or enrage.  Actually He always convicts, the response is what is different.  In response, Pharaoh hardened his heart; in response, David repented.  People haven’t changed, the truth will either turn them toward God or it will cause rage, resentment, and hatred and hearts will be hardened.  There were many things that could be said here, the heart wasn’t prepared, the heart wasn’t ready plowed, etc., but whatever, the Holy Spirit knows what He is doing and where He is placing the Word.
    Peter and Stephen preached the truth, both men were full of the Holy Spirit–yet the listeners responded differently, some believed, some refused.  A.W. Tozer says, “It is the Holy Spirit or darkness.”  Adrian Rogers said, “The same sun that melts the ice will harden the clay.”  How do you see people responding to the truth?  How do you respond to the Truth?  It is either toward light or into darkness where there is the absence of light and you stumble along becoming more bitter and more angry.  It is either the stone, cold heart melting under the warmth of the Holy Spirit, or it is becoming harder, baked like a brick.
    I like the way J.B. Phillips translates these verses:  “When they heard this they were cut to the quick…” (2:37); “These words stung them to fury and they ground their teeth at him in rage.” (7:54).  The Word “cut,” “pierced,” “stung,” “pricked” whichever term you choose to render, but the response is what resonates:  repentance or rejection.

I went into the office that the marshal and sheriff shared.  There were two desks in the front, one for the town marshal and one for a deputy, the sheriff has a small office to himself.  I started to Charlie’s office and when I entered Queens was behind Charlie’s desk with feet propped up on it.
    “What do you want?” Queens snarled.
    “You mind movin’ from Charlie’s desk?  I need to look at his posters,” I said, not in a mood to argue.
    He made no movement to move, but sat there with a smirk on his face, daring me.  “You have no right to anything on this desk, or in this office either!”
    “Queens, you may have forgotten that I am a Deputy U.S. Marshal, that gives me the right.  Now do you want to move or are you goin’ to force me to thump you?” I challenged moving my fingers for a better grip on the Greener.
    He saw my hand moving, then looked up at me.  “You and the sheriff think you own this town.  That’s going to come to an end.”  He still hadn’t moved.
    “Where’s Mateo?
    That brought a chuckle from him.  “That Mex, ha, he don’t work here no more.”
    He was expecting something from the hand that held the shotgun, but I reached out grabbing the heel of his boot and flipped him over.  Sprawled out on the floor, he cursed, then went for his gun.  I poked him in the chest with the Greener.  “Wouldn’t be a smart move, Queens.  Now get up and get out!”
    He struggled to get up, but the only thing that was hurt was his pride, and I’m not sure what kind of pride he had.  So far, I hadn’t heard anything from any of the merchants in town.  I knew he was cozy with Frank Kingston, owner of the Ghost Diggings Saloon.  It was not as upscale as the Broken Drum, frequented mainly by out of work miners.  
    When he left I started going through Charlie’s file of wanted posters looking for someone that might fit the description of Nevada Bill.  Thompson was an honest rancher, but hard at times.  He normally was careful about whom he hired, but he wasn’t afraid to give a chance to a puncher riding the line.  However, since the shooting of Keim, there seemed to be at least one around him that carried the air of a gunman.
    There was nothing to be found.  AS I left the office I looked down the street toward the Mexican section of town.  I should go talk with Mateo.  Something had to have happened to make him quit for I knew he needed the job and the money and the council promised that he could remain deputy.
    I started walking in that direction and bumped into Rev. Chapman coming out of Foster’s Mercantile, which housed the post office, with packages in his hand.  “Sorry, Parson, I wasn’t payin’ attention.”
    He seemed to be a perpetual smile, “No problem.  Just received some books in the mail and while I was there thought I’d pick up something for Betty.”
    A surge of guilt passed through me.  It’s been a while since I got something for Molly.  I always do when I have to go out of town, but nothing since Christmas.  
    “Where are you heading, Miles?” he inquired tightening the collar of his jacket as a cool breeze had come up.  It had warmed up so everything was melting, that making a mess of the streets as they were filled with mud.
    “Goin’ to check on Mateo.  I just heard that he was no longer a deputy.”
    A puzzled look formed on the preacher’s face.  “Mind if I keep you company?”
    We were ready to cross the street when a shot was fired, followed quickly by another.  Both the parson and I turned around suddenly.  “That sounded like it may have come from the saloon!” he exclaimed.
    “You stay here, Parson,” I ordered as I ran toward the saloon.
    Upon entering my attention went to a cowboy lying on the floor, Mike Queens was standing over him.  I grabbed a man standing by the door, “Go get Doc Jones!”
    “No need, get the undertaker,” laughed Queens who had his hands clasping the edge of his frock coat.  He then targeted his words to a group of punchers, “Anyone else want to call me a liar?”
    “What happened here?” I asked.
    Queens sneered, “None of your business, Deputy U.S. Marshal, out of your jurisdiction.  This was town business…”

You’re a bunch of half-witted fools believing what you want to believe with no evidence to back it.”
              –William MacLeod Raine  (Rustler’s Gap)

    “You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from My people, And the flesh from their bones…  Then they will cry to the Lord, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.”
              –Micah 3:2,4 (NKJV)
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Solomon declares that there is nothing new under the sun.  When I read this Psalm (52) I tend to agree with him, for we see it unfolding in front of our eyes.  It is a time when David was running from Saul and the priests had fed him and some of his men.  A herdsman, Doeg by name, reported it to Saul and Saul ordered him to kill the priests and all the other priests living in the city of Nob.  It seems that Doeg went about his job gladly.

    1 – Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?  The goodness of God endures continually.
    2 – Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
    3 – You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness.  Selah
    4 – You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.
    5 – God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living.  Selah
    6 – The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying,
    7 – “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
    8 – But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
    9 – I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good. (NKJV)

    The first part of this Psalm indicates that this person (people) boast in their evil.  There is no shame, but haughtiness and mockery accompanied by a sneer.  Two things are clear:  this person was deceitful, full of lies.  There was no remorse but glee in what they were doing.  Their actions were calculated and intentional; they had their victims in mind and took joy in their actions against them.  Second, these people had upside-down values.  Anyone in the path of their rise and agenda is quickly and mercilessly destroyed.  “They gain advantage through misrepresentation–direct and indirect lying.” (George O. Wood)
    Here we see another warning, no rather a declaration from God.  Isaiah warned, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…” (5:21, NKJV) now David is saying to these people who love evil more than good that He “shall likewise destroy you forever…” (vs 5)  They will be uprooted, but the believer is rooted; he is like a “tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:3).  
    Those who seek unlawful gain and cheat to get ahead in life do so without eternal views.  They mock God, thinking that they will not stand before Him in eternal judgment.  There’s a great, yet sad day coming.  That day is drawing near.  Friend, do not forsake the truth of God’s Word.  And you can be sure that God is not mocked.  
    In the midst of all that is happening it would do us good to hearken to verse 9, Praise Him.  Praise Him in the good for He is good.  Praise Him in the bad, for He is good.  Praise Him during the virus that hovers over the land, for He is good.  Praise Him, for you are in His presence.

              “Why should the mighty make their boast
               And heavenly grace despise?
               In their own arm they put their trust
               And fill their mouth with lies.”
                       –C.D. Barlow