Matthew 28:16-20 "And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted." (v. 17) Why did Jesus leave his disciples forty days after his resurrection? Forty is a significant number in the Scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. For forty days after his resurrection Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples to assure them that he had risen indeed and to prepare them for the task of carrying on the work which he began during his earthy ministry. The Risen Lord is with us always to the end of time Jesus' departure and ascension into heaven was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. While it was the end of Jesus' physical presence with his beloved disciples, it marked the beginning of Jesus' presence with them in a new way. Jesus promised that he would be with them always to the end of time (Matthew 28:20). Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus promised to send them the Holy Spirit who would anoint them with power from on high on the Feast of Pentecost, just as Jesus was anointed for his ministry at the River Jordan (Luke 3:21-22, 4:1,18). When the Lord Jesus departed physically from the apostles, they were not left in sorrow or grief. Instead, they were filled with joy and with great anticipation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Risen Lord empowers us to carry on his work Why did the Risen Lord ascend into heaven? The Father raised the glorified body of his Son and enthroned him in glory at his right hand in heaven. The Lord Jesus in his glorified body now reigns as Lord over the heavens and the earth - over all that he has created. The Risen Lord reigns from the throne in heaven as our Merciful Redeemer and Gracious King. He intercedes for us and he empowers us through the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus gives us new life in his Spirit and he strengthens us in faith, hope and love so we can serve him and carry on his work as citizens of his kingdom here on earth.

A friend once asked me this . . . HERE IS MY RESPONSE: No! Here's why: 1) Not everyone speaks in tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:30 - Paul asks: "Do all speak in tongues?" The answer is NO. It's a GIFT, not a requirement. 2) The Holy Spirit gives DIFFERENT gifts to different people. 1 Corinthians 12:4 - "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit." Tongues is ONE gift. Not THE gift. 3) Evidence of the Holy Spirit? Your FRUIT, not your gifts. Galatians 5:22-23 - "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness..." That's the evidence. Not speaking in tongues. 4) If you love God, follow Jesus, and live for Him—the Holy Spirit is IN you. Romans 8:9 - "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." You belong to Him? The Spirit is in you. Stop letting people make you feel "less than" because you don't have a specific gift. You're filled with the Holy Spirit. Your fruit proves it.

Why did Peter say to baptize people in the name of Jesus, when Jesus, Himself, taught Peter and all the Disciples that we should baptize in the name of the Father AND the Son AND the Holy Spirit? Well, the key here is that this verse regarding Peter is NOT what the Scripture actually says! Yes, there are translations and people that misquote this verse. The Greek used in Acts 2:38 is “ONOMATI IESU CHRISTU” which translated means; “Baptism according to the teachings of the person, Jesus Christ,” according to the fame of His teachings! Scripture is explaining to us that the disciple, Peter and the leaders of the early church did NOT baptize according to the Baptism of Moses, nor did they baptize according to Baptism of Elisha, and the did not batize according to the teachings of John the Baptist! No! The disciples, including Peter, baptised according to the teachings of the Lord, Jesus Christ, which is baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit! Amen! JESUS IS LORD!

@Ryan Gamble and @Aj Storck (HOOAH). Ryan, AJ, It is my hope hope that you find this community to be a warm and welcoming environment. A place where you can press in and draw up close in your relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I also extend to you the opportunity to be strong witnesses to all who find their way here. Let God use your voice so that His message reaches whoever "Has eyes to see and ears to hear" that which the Holy Spirit prompts us to share! AJ, it is always a pleasure to have another pastor and a brother-in-arms in the fold. Iron sharpens iron and oversight is always welcome. USAR MAJ. (Ret) C. HALL 2BCT 82AB 2-325 AIR (WHITE FALCONS) "ATW" 74-94

Whether you are a child, teen or an adult, there is a very serious possibility that at some point in time; someone may attempt to follow you with intent of doing harm! I'm not trying to scare you, I'm trying to EDUCATE you on how you and /or your loved ones can remain safe! DADS! IT IS VERY MUCH YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE YOUR WIVES AND CHILDREN KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT THERE TO PROTECT THEM! TEACH THIS RELIGIOUSLY! First off, this isn’t hypothetical for me. I am a retired NYPD Motorcycle Patrol Sergeant and I learned early on that while I was out there trying to protect you and your family, I couldn't always be there to protect my family either. The reality of that hit home for me hard! Several years ago, my wife was out shopping with our kids and noticed a man following them. My wife’s first instinct? RUN! This would have been a very bad choice because while she may have been able to evade the person following them, the kids WOULD NOT! Instead, she walked into the nearest store and asked the staff to call store security very loudly. He was gone in seconds. That experience sent me down a rabbit hole. I started going through everything I could find from personal safety and criminology specialists and what I learned completely changed what I taught my family. Because running? That’s the one thing most experts agree you should NOT do. The second you take off, you show fear. And fear is exactly what pushes someone with bad intent to move faster, not back off. Here’s what I taught mine instead: 👉 Confirm it first. Shift direction slightly and keep your normal pace. An innocent person won’t follow. Someone with intent will. Three turns in a row tells you everything. 👉 Walk toward people and cameras. Step into any store. Get close to the register. Being visible in a monitored space is often enough to make someone disappear. 👉DO NOT GO HOME! If you lead them to where you live, you’ve given them something they didn’t have before. Go public instead. 👉 Say your location out loud. Take out your phone and say clearly where you are even with no one on the line. People who follow others tend to back off the moment someone’s whereabouts are spoken.