REST IS... KNOWING WHO’S IN CHARGE

NEW SERIES

Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.
[Psalm 24: 7-10]
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We are living in turbulent times, but Jesus is still Lord!

Recently many Christians around the world celebrated Ascension Day, in remembrance of Jesus ascending into Heaven.

Even if we don’t follow a liturgical tradition, it is really valuable to have regular times and seasons when we reflect on—and celebrate—the foundational truths of our faith, and the Ascension is one of them. Often, at this time of the year, I walk up a nearby hill which has a small ring of standing stones at the top. These stones were set in place by ancient Britons probably for some pagan religious purpose. Sometimes I climb up to a viewpoint above a famous battle field, or at other times I walk on the cliffs, or in inclement weather stop in a small carpark, overlooking my local town. These seem appropriate places to consider this foundational truth.

Why?

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He sat down at the Father’s right hand, having declared that all authority had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth. All authority.
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He had battled the principalities and powers of darkness, all that held sway over human affairs, and had overcome; even death itself could not hold Him.

…He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and every name that is invoked,
not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
[Ephesians 1:20-21]
 
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow in Heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[Philippians 2:9-11]
 
Christ ‘has gone into Heaven and is at God’s right hand –
with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.
[1 Peter 3:22]
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From earliest times, hill tops and mountains have been places of importance for military and sacred use. High places were thought to be the seats of the gods, and so were places of worship; they were also coveted places of military occupation, presenting strategic power over the surrounding area. Hill-tops and mountains may not have the same significance for most people today, but their prophetic symbolism is still powerful.
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From those high points I want to declare over my life, my family and my circumstances that Jesus is Lord – and I want to declare over the surrounding area that no matter what has gone on in its turbulent past, in terms of wars, treachery, idolatry, poverty, exploitation and corruption, or in its apparently tranquil present, Jesus is Lord! (Although I live in a beautiful, peaceful area, like anywhere else in the world, the nicely painted doors conceal all sorts of heartache, anxiety, relationship breakdown and the fruit of fallen humanity.) Therefore, I want to declare there is no power of darkness, no human wickedness, no national crisis that can stand against Him and the fulfilment of His purposes. Christ is on His victory march, and the gates of hell have not and will not hold out against Him.

PEOPLE OF BLESSING

But there’s more. Jesus did all this as a man, taking back what the first man, Adam, lost. And just as we by faith identify with the death and resurrection of Christ, becoming new creations, so we identify with His ascension, for God has ‘raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus’ [Ephesians 2:6]. Heaven is not just somewhere we go when we die; Heaven is our natural habitat now. (Let’s pray for the revelation to see it!) This means we live from Heaven to earth.

It is true that at the moment we do not see everything under His feet—the Evil One is manifestly holding sway in world affairs. But just as fighting continued after WW2 had been won, so we as God’s people are engaged in enforcing that victory.
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We have a charge to release the blessings of Heaven on our spheres of influence. Let’s be people who bless, not curse, who love not hate, who are compassionate rather than judgemental—as Jesus commanded us. Each of us is a member of a new priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, and each of us (no exceptions) has a priestly function. In the Torah [Deuteronomy 10:8], this was defined as 

• carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord
• standing before the Lord to minister
• and pronouncing blessings in His name

In New Covenant terms we can express this as carrying His presence, worshipping Him and pronouncing the blessings of Heaven in His name.
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Rest begins with knowing who is in charge. Then from that place of rest, we can live fruitful lives—seeing the Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.

THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM:

If you haven't done so already, take some time this week to meditate on the Ascension. Then if possible, choose a high spot in your locality where you have a view over your town or rural area, and declare that Jesus is Lord over all.

RESOURCES

THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST by PATRICK SCREINER
For those who would like to understand more about the significance of the the Ascension, Patrick Schreiner's book is a must read. He looks in detail at Jesus' roles as Prophet, Priest and King, how these were fulfilled in His glorification, and how they now relate to His people on earth. It can be purchased from Amazon,* by clicking left.

NEXT WEEK: REST IS... LIVING IN THE PRESENCE
Living in rest is about being restored to the presence of God...

GET IN TOUCH!

​Share your Ascension Day stories.
 
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[Photo credits: Carlos N Cuatzo (crowns); Guillaume de Germain (girl);
​Behzad Ghaffarian (hello sign) @ Unsplash, with thanks]