Famous Last Words... The X Factor Devotional - Day Seventeen - February 2, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 03:30 AM “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 28:19
Moments before the resurrected Jesus returned triumphantly to heaven, He left His disciples with this promise: “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 1:8). After He spoke these words, Jesus ascended before their very eyes.
With this scene fixed in your mind, consider this question: Was Jesus’ promise only for those disciples who were physically present that day? The answer carries implications for us as believers today.
Those assembled with Jesus that day were no doubt profoundly affected by everything He did and said following the Resurrection. They took it all to heart. But the promise wasn’t exclusively for them, any more than hundreds of other promises in God’s Word were meant only for the relative handful of people who originally heard or read them.
In the “true” Lord’s Prayer, recorded in John 17, Jesus prayed for spiritual fruitfulness and unity among the disciples. And He said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:20-21). Many of the plans and the promises of God encompass all believers, not just those who were blessed to literally see and hear the Messiah.
Prayer Focus: Pray today our entire church family will have the spiritual vision to see the reality of these truths and to act in obedience to them. With that in mind – we have received power in the Holy Spirit to be witnesses. Everyone is a witness even though we are not all evangelists. Sharing our faith is 100% imperative.
Talk to God right now about your witness. How are you doing? If the last words Jesus spoke were about us having power for witness… don’t you think that is something you should do? Now? What does that look like?
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