Acts 1:1–11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:15–23; Luke 24:44–53

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Acts 1:1–11

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

In the first book, O aTheophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began bto do and teach, until the day when che was taken up, after he dhad given commands ethrough the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. fHe presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying1 with them ghe ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me; for hJohn baptized with water, hbut you will be baptized iwith2 the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

The Ascension

So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, jwill you at this time krestore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, lIt is not for you to know mtimes or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive npower owhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and pyou will be qmy witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and rSamaria, and sto the end of the earth. And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, the was lifted up, and ua cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, vtwo wmen stood by them in xwhite robes, 11 and said, yMen of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, zwill acome in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.


Psalm 47

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of wthe Sons of Korah.

xClap your hands, all peoples!

yShout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, zis to be feared,

aa great king over all the earth.

He bsubdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

He chose our cheritage for us,

dthe pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God ehas gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is fthe King of all the earth;

sing praises gwith a psalm!1

God hreigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

iThe princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham.

For jthe shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted!


Ephesians 1:15–23

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, mbecause I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love1 toward all the saints, 16 I ndo not cease to give thanks for you, oremembering you in my prayers, 17 that pthe God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, qmay give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 rhaving the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is sthe hope to which he has called you, what are tthe riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, uaccording to the working of vhis great might 20 that he worked in Christ wwhen he raised him from the dead and xseated him at his right hand yin the heavenly places, 21 zfar above aall rule and authority and power and dominion, and above bevery name that is named, not only in cthis age but also in the one to come. 22 And dhe put all things under his feet and gave him as ehead over all things to the church, 23 fwhich is his body, gthe fullness of him hwho fills iall in all.


Luke 24:44–53

44 Then he said to them, kThese are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, lthat everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 45 Then mhe opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, Thus nit is written, othat the Christ should suffer and on the third day prise from the dead, 47 and that qrepentance for1 the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed rin his name sto all nations, tbeginning from Jerusalem. 48 uYou are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending vthe promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you ware clothed with xpower yfrom on high.

The Ascension

50 And zhe led them out as far as aBethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, bhe parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they cworshiped him and zreturned to Jerusalem dwith great joy, 53 and ewere continually in the temple fblessing God.