When Jesus was conducting His earthly ministry. He manifested authority. This authority was manifested in the way He cleansed the temple; in the way He forgave sin; and, in His healing of the man with palsy. Mark 3 tells how Jesus came upon a man with a withered hand and told him, “Stand forth. And he saith unto them (the scribes and Pharisees), is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace” (vss. 3-4).

Jesus was angry because of their hard hearts, and He was completely in control of the situation intellectually as well as spiritually. Jesus does not change personality or become timid when He mounts the throne in each Christian’s heart. He wants to speak with certainty even though the Christian may tremble to believe it. For example, the Apostle Paul was one of a number of prisoners on board a ship bound for Rome; yet before the trip was interrupted by shipwreck, this prisoner was acting like a captain! Through revelation, he warned of the dangers ahead. Today’s missionary may be poor in physical resources, unskilled in languages, and sometimes an actual hostage of the gospel’s enemies; but as a servant of almighty God, he is actually in a place of command. Read the words of the Prophet Elijah before King Ahab (I Kings 21:20-24): the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego before king Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 3:16-18); and the words of John the Baptist before the religious leaders of his day, Roman soldiers, and the general public.

Should you and I fear to risk the world’s disapproval as we go forth into the world’s arena to witness for the king of Kings? Answer the call to day and fulfill Jesus’ mandate to be in mission.