The Ascension: A Call To Witness

The Ascension of Christ marks not an ending, but a powerful beginning for the church and for each of us as believers. In Acts 1:1-11, we discover that Jesus didn't abandon His disciples when He ascended into heaven—He positioned Himself at the right hand of the Father and sent the Holy Spirit to empower us for mission. The disciples watched Jesus rise into the clouds, and angels immediately challenged them: why are you standing here looking up? The same question confronts us today. We cannot remain comfortable spectators in our faith journey. Jesus gave us a clear mission strategy: start in our Jerusalem—our immediate community where we're most comfortable. Then move to our Judea and Samaria—the uncomfortable places that challenge our preconceived notions. Finally, reach to the ends of the earth—the global mission field. This isn't about human effort or programs; it's about Spirit-empowered people reaching people. When we're baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive power beyond ourselves to step into the unknown, take off our masks of fear and shame, and watch God work miracles through our obedience. The question isn't whether we're called to mission—we are. The question is: where is our Jerusalem, our Judea, and our ends of the earth?