Ephesians 1:15-23; Acts 1:6-14

15 For this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people,

16 I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I remember you in my prayers

17 and ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him.

18 I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people,

19 and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength

20 which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world.

21 Christ rules there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in the next.

22 God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the church as supreme Lord over all things.

23 The church is Christ's body, the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere.

6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?"

7 Jesus said to them, "The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be.

8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

9 After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them

11 and said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven."

12 Then the apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is about half a mile away from the city.

13 They entered the city and went up to the room where they were staying: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas son of James.

14 They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.