We are Everywhere and We are World Changers
We have been in the Easter season up until today which is notably called “Ascension Thursday”! It has been 40-days since Jesus was raised from the dead and eyewitnesses saw Him showing up to give them His “famous last words”. Acts 1:3 verifies it: “After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” I love that — convincing proofs — no fake news there!
Before Jesus ascended to heaven to intercede on our behalf, He said to His disciples: “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter (aka Advocate aka Helper) will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7)
I share those words with you to remind us all, including those who are mourning the devastation by the Uvalde school shooting, that only THE COMFORTER — The Holy Spirit — can heal broken hearts.
While the devisive rancor is already throwing verbal stones at each other (“If there were more gun control” or “If there were more concentration on mental illness), believers know THE WHO we need most in times like these. It is Who Jesus sent to us — the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, our Helper and our Advocate. We pray the Holy Spirit draws all with broken hearts close to the comfort only God can provide.
When I stood on the Mount of Olives in Israel in 2016, I heard our brillaint Jewish Christian tour guide say that the three religions that dominate Israel are Muslim, Jew, and Christian. Each of those religions are looking for the Messiah to come, but we know our Messiah DID come, died, was buried, arose and ascended into heaven. He was one of us. He understands us so well, and one day will take us home to be with Him forever.
On this 40th day, Jesus’ apostles watched as He ascended to heaven. Oh, to have been an eyewitness! But thank God, Jesus said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) We believe!
Jesus last words to His disciples before He ascended was: “GO and make disciples!” (Matthew 16). Since then, missionaries, disciples and every day people have been “sent out”. And, here are WE. WE, Christians (Christ-like) are about His mission – “to make disciples”, whether it is our own families, peers, neighbors OR going abroad.
Those who killed Jesus hoped it was a “done-deal”. But, oh, contrare! Agnostics, atheists, and unbelievers — then AND now — must be sorely disappointed. We are not hiding. We are EVERYWHERE! We must keep reminding ourselves of that, especially when negative voices, quarreling factions, and dissentious groups try to convince us that we are a minority and on the losing team. It looked that way in Jesus’ time on this earth. But, like the disciples who went on to change the world, we, too are changing our world and sharing the good news of love and hope — everywhere!
This message that we stake our lives upon is one of undaunted faith and determination to love unconditionally — even to those who oppose us. The message of Jesus cannot be destroyed, stamped out, or washed from the face of the earth. The Good News of Jesus Christ still stands.
Indeed, we are everywhere, and it is up to us to change our world. The more we realize the mandate of our Lord to be His devoted followers, the more we will live out His ministry in words, actions, and deeds of love. In this photo, Jesus is pointing His followers and you and me to “GO”! We are replying to that POINT: We will go, and no matter where we are — WE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!