Then Jesus came and spoke to [His disciples], saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…" (Mt 28:18-20)

As Jesus stood on the mount of ascension He once again reminded them,

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

We often keep the last words of someone we love close to our hearts—especially if they leave us with a special request. For those of us who love Jesus, His last appeal before His ascension impacts our lives.

Jesus wants us to spread His gospel throughout the world, so the forty days that He lingered on earth after His resurrection was to call us to this commission.

How would you answer Him?

Lord, we have come to the knowledge of Your love

By Your sacrifice for souls unworthy as ours

We reflect upon the times we grieved You

With our callous disregard

Yet it is Your desire

That we should not remain apart

No greater love exists

Than that which You gave

Your life for ours

Lord, we want to grow

In the likeness of Your image

So we can be witnesses for You

Grant us

Humility, as You did Moses

Courage, as You did Joshua

Wisdom, as You did David

Love, as You did Peter, and

Strength, as You did Paul

Even as we face opposition

From both without and within—

For there is poverty, social mores, and political issues we cannot control

There are skepticism and scorn from those absent of Your Truth

Give us the courage we need to testify for You

The wisdom to know what to speak

And the eloquence to speak it

Lord, we are ready to take up Your commission

To fulfill Your desire to save all

We do wonder

If all the hardships and loneliness

In exchange for that one soul is worth it?

But as we turn to look at Jesus on the cross

We realize we have so much more to do

We'll make disciples of these people for You

Different though they seem

For You Yourself showed no partiality

Because they are Your children, too

Lord, we will love as You first loved us

For if we have faith but have not love, we are nothing

Love without Truth

Is blind

And love without the Holy Spirit’s guidance and power

Is short-lived

By Your grace

We have the Truth

We have the Holy Spirit

Until that day

When we meet the Lord

We shall faithfully spread

The message of His love

And when it is our time

To face the Lord

We will be able to say—

Lord, this one soul

I won for You.