Ready to be a World Changer?

Jesus rose from the dead. It’s the foundation of what we Christians believe. And, here we are today, forty days after Jesus’ resurrection and the plot thickens. Jesus didn’t just rise up out of that grave — He ascended into heaven. The Ascension was a deeply personal event for His core team of disciples to witness, and then tell the world about. And it’s deeply personal to us who believe.

Think of it – not only did Christ die for our sins and defeat death by rising from the grave, but He went even beyond that. He fulfilled His promise to return to the Father, and no longer be bound by Earth. He ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit descended on us. Jesus told the disciples that He had to go away so that the Holy Spirit could come and take His place. Walking, talking, and healing on earth was awesome, but now He lives inside of us through the Holy Spirit. That’s as close as close can be.

Yes, the plot thickened and Jesus, the main character, ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives. His parting words were simple but profound and it would serve Him well and us well if we heeded them: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8). I’ll never forget standing on the Mount of Olives while on my Holy Lands pilgrimage. I, too, felt resurrected and I knew I desired to be one of His witnesses.

What a Motley Crew the disciples were. I think I would qualify. There’s Peter — one minute he was walking on water by faith, and the next, he was sinking in doubts. He was impulsive, emotional, and, then His worst failure was denying Jesus. And, then there’s Matthew, a dishonest tax collector. And you gotta’ love Thomas who, to this date, is known as “doubting Thomas”. And then there’s Donna – awkward, easily intimidated, and shy.

But, then….old things passed away. After the ascension, Peter became a bold evangelist/missionary and one of the greatest leaders of the early church. Matthew heard Jesus words, “Follow me”, and he left everything and obeyed. His eyewitness account is the first Gospel of the New Testament. Thomas, though he initially doubted the resurrection, became a man of great faith. He found the truth and, also became a great evangelist and missionary. Yes, they changed the world. And, Donna, who came out of her shell, also became a bold witness for Christ. I’m purposing to change the little corner of my world.

Here we are 2,000+ years later. Can you see in this photo how Jesus is pointing His finger at you and me? Though these are imposters/actors in this photo, we can picture through our imagine-vision and know God is calling us to change our world, too. Though we may have hang-ups, fears, doubts, and other character flaws, and even, like Peter, deny our Lord by our actions, the transforming power of Christ can change us from being a member of the Motley Crew to dynamic and devoted followers of Christ. Like Peter, Matthew, Thomas, and the millions of others throughout the ages, let us heed the call, and do our part. Could it be that’s why God put us here, at this time, to carry on the message, and be a WORLD CHANGER, too?