Author: Lori Casto

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:12-17

Authority is such a glamorous word, right? The boss, in charge, and head honcho. When I was a kid, I used to think of all the good things I believed came with authority. For example, If I was mad at my parents for disciplining me, I’d be like, I can’t wait until I’m the parent and no one can tell me what to do.  I mean, wouldn’t it great to boss others around and not have to be told what to do? 😊 Isn’t it great to have no accountability to anyone? Afterall you’re the person in charge.  Just imagine the power that comes with authority. Everyone must answer to you. You get to make all the decisions, and everything gets to be your way. I’m laughing as I write this. Understand, I really don’t believe this.

Another word that comes to mind when thinking of authority is prestige. Prestige- respect and admiration given to someone or something, usually because of a reputation for high quality, success, or social influence; reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes

I know I gave a 5-year-old view of what authority might look like, but even as adults, I often think the world views authority or position as glamorous.  Many people go after the 3 “Ps” –

Position-Power-Prestige

If you look at the life of Jesus, you soon find out having position, power, and prestige isn’t very glamorous. He’s not living in mansions or wearing fancy clothes. In fact. He’s looking down the barrel of gun. We find in John 13, Jesus (Teacher, Master, Lord) is realizing His earthly ministry is winding down and He faces the cross ahead. The heaviness He must have felt may have been overwhelming. What does He decide to do? He starts washing His disciples’ feet. All the authority He’s been given on heaven and earth and He’s taken His garments and proceeds to wash feet.

From the outside- power, position and prestige- look very glamorous. However, the higher the position, the more weight, stress, and hardships one carries. Being a leader causes weight gain- because burdens are heavy. I think the more one has, the more the temptation and fear of losing it. The more one has, the more time they devote to preserving it. We can have such a tight grip on our authority and everything that comes with it, that our knuckles turn white.

Jesus exercised His own authority given to Him from His father by washing feet. He instructed His disciples to do the same. It seems so simple. Feeling weighted down? Wash feet. Feeling concern for the future? Wash feet. Feeling grieved in your spirit? Wash feet. Going through a loss or financial hardship? Wash feet.

Does someone seem like a burden to you? Wash their feet. Maybe a little foot-washing could turn them in to your biggest blessing.

Is your grip too tight? You have to put down whatever it is you’re carrying in order to wash feet. Maybe the answer was in front of us all along. Whatever the situation or the burden we carry, maybe the heaviness could be alleviated simply by doing exactly what Jesus did… wash feet.

How will you devote2day?

And Jesus came and spoke to them, 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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

1. Do I have full confidence in The One who has full authority over me?
2. Am I willing to submit fully to the Holy Spirit for God’s power to be working through my life?
3. Will I be open and obedient to His leading and guiding?

Now that we’ve taken the opportunity to ponder those 2 very important words of Jesus, (Go therefore) and we’ve read and re-read the above 3 questions, it’s time to examine what ‘Go therefore’ really means. To understand these 2 words, we need to understand what God’s will means. What I’m about to say is up for interpretation. (That’s kind of funny for me to say. I guess everything I’ve written up to this point is always up for interpretation, as it should be. Don’t take my word for anything. It’s good we can have varying opinions and still get along. We are all just trying to “Rightly divide” God’s word)

The bible is full of God’s general will for all of us. For example, It’s God’s will we all demonstrate love to one another. It’s God’s will we all be saved. It’s God’s will for us to be thankful and show mercy. Those are just a very few examples of God’s general will for all of us that we find throughout scripture.

God’s will is also very specific. He Know the plans He has for each of our lives individually speaking. He has plans for you and He has plans for me. God’s will is also permissive. His permissive will is for another discussion altogether and causes for great debates among Christians a whole.

The great commission in Matthew 28 was given to all of us. Generally speaking, we are all called to “go therefore.” We are all called to be soul winners. We are all called to be His hands and feet on a daily basis. Maybe today my “go therefore” is praying with someone in the Kroger parking lot or at work. Maybe tomorrow my “go therefore” is taking food to a shut in or praying with someone in a hospital. We are all called to “go therefore.”

The great commission also holds very specific callings in ministry for many people. Some people are called to be missionaries and truly go to all nations. Some people are called to evangelism, teaching, preaching, etc…

Because God’s word is alive and active, and His Holy Spirit is speaking to us through His word, we all can experience very amazing moments at the foot of the cross. Many can remember that moment when God called them to a very specific ministry. I think the more we  have full confidence in The One who has full authority over us and the more willing we are to submit fully to the Holy Spirit to allow God’s power to be working through our lives and the more willing we are to be open and obedient to His leading and guiding, the more we are able to live according to God’s general and specific will for our lives.

One of my greatest desires is to be living and walking in God’s will generally and specifically for my life as Paul talks about in Romans 12:1-2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

May you and I be willing to generally and specifically “Go therefore.”

How will you Devote2Day?

And Jesus came and spoke to them, 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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

…for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:5, 8

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-18

While pondering the great commission and the responsibility of the authority handed down to us as joint heirs with Jesus in Matthew 28, three words come to mind… confidence, submission, and obedience. I must ask myself a few questions. Maybe you could ask yourself these questions, too. Do I have full confidence in The One who has full authority over me?   Am I willing to submit fully to the Holy Spirit for God’s power to be working through my life? Will I be open and obedient to His leading and guiding?

As I ask myself these questions, I can’t help but be reminded again of Peter walking on water as He asked Jesus … “Bid me come.” I believe Peter could answer these 3 questions with a resounding Yes!!! He desired to obey and believe. He wanted to be confident in Jesus and He was ready to submit fully to Jesus, but the pesky wind and waves got in the way.

It’s always the wind and waves that get in the way.

If it weren’t for the wind and the waves, it would be so easy to be confident, submissive, and obedient. Sometimes we don’t even need to see wind and waves. We are just reminded of the past wind and waves or the possibility of future wind and waves and fear creeps in.

It’s aways the wind and waves that get in the way, but that’s when God’s power can shine the most!! Miracles happen every day, but we can see the fullness of God’s power clearly in the midst of the storm.

Now, I want to take 2 little words from Matthew 28… “Therefore, go” and ask myself these important questions again:

1. Do I have full confidence in The One who has full authority over me?
2. Am I willing to submit fully to the Holy Spirit for God’s power to be working through my life?
3. Will I be open and obedient to His leading and guiding?

Let’s take the day to meditate on those 2 words and examine our hearts with the above 3 questions. Next time we’ll take a closer look at those 2 simple words… “Therefore go.”

How will you Devote2Day?

And Jesus came and spoke to them, 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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

 …for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:5, 8

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-18

I hope you’ve taken the opportunity over the last few days to read, re-read, and ponder the above scriptures. I found myself leaping with joy as I read these scriptures again this morning. We’ve been talking about how powerful God is. We’ve reminded ourselves of How His power is made perfect in our weakness. Today I want to discuss the authority we have as Christ followers and why authority is so important.

When Jesus is getting ready to ascend into heaven, He understands his physical, human body will no longer be on earth. Throughout His ministry, He exercised His authority given Him by His Father God through The Holy Spirit. Jesus demonstrates his God-given power & authority throughout His ministry. He didn’t have power without authority given to Him by His Father. Without authority, there is no power.

The Great commission, (Matthew 28: 18-20) is Jesus exercising the authority His Father has given Him and giving that same authority to us. God considers us Joint heirs with His own Son. The same authority He gave Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, is the same authority He gave His own Son, who in turn, gave it to you and me.

The same power He gave Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, is the same power He gave His own Son, who in turn, gave it to you and me.

If we weren’t given authority, we can’t demonstrate His power.  However, we have been given this authority, and it can be demonstrated through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Something very important to remember as I move forward. Yes, we’ve been given authority and power, but it’s important to remember it’s not our power, its God’s power through the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. The more we are in total surrender, the more The Holy Spirit is able to work through us. We tend to get in the way of the Holy Spirit’s ability to work. I tend to get in the way of the Holy Spirit’s ability to work. Maybe that’s why “His power is made perfect in our weakness.” The weaker we are, the harder it is for us to get in the way of The Holy Spirit’s ability to work.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot for my brain to comprehend. Jesus said… “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Therefore Go …” What does it mean to exercise the power and authority given to us by Jesus from His (our)Father, God? What does it mean to make disciples of all nations? What does “Therefore go.” mean in our lives today?

We have big shoes to represent. We represent Jesus. He took on pain, suffering, rejection, hurt, and humiliation for mankind. He was despised and rejected, yet He still showed love and forgave those who hurt Him.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss 2 simple words. “Therefore, go,” as I try to comprehend the importance of the authority we’ve been given as Christians.

How will you Devote2day?

We’ve been talking about how powerful God is. Next, we’ll explore our authority as Christians and what the power of God at work in our lives can mean. Here are a few scriptures to ponder before we move forward.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, 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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

…for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:5, 8

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-18

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:23-33

As we continue to discuss just how powerful God really is, I’m reminded of Peter. I’m more intrigued with Peter walking on water than I am Jesus. After all, by this time, we’ve read miracle after miracle. We’ve read everything from Jesus turning water into wine and demons being driven out of men to a leper cleansed and everything in between.

Could you imagine being a disciple and witnessing these miracles in person? It seems like if we saw first-hand all of Jesus’s miracles, it would be so easy to believe in Peter’s ability to walk on water. Furthermore, if we witnessed these miracles in person, wouldn’t we naturally believe Jesus was the one walking on water?

The disciples witnessed Jesus’ miracles in person. They lived life with God’s Son and had physical, real life access to the Power of God, yet even they still struggled with understanding the power of the Son of God. Peter was so close to understanding it fully. He trusted Jesus’ power so much that He was willing to walk on water. When He took His eyes off Jesus and instead looked at the wind and waves, he began to sink. He trusted Jesus enough to cry out… “Lord save me.”

What Peter had a hard time understanding, was that once Jesus said… “Come”, It was both a command and a promise. If Jesus told Him to come, Peter could guarantee He would be safe. Jesus wouldn’t have commanded Peter to come only to watch him drowned in the sea. God’s son, Jesus is so powerful He not only could walk on water, but He could also instruct Peter to do the same. He can make the impossible, possible.

God is so powerful that whatever He instructs us to do, He will see to it that we can do what He asks. Just like Jesus commanded Peter to come and enabled him to walk on water, He will enable us to do whatever He commands of us. What seems impossible to us, is entirely possible through the power of God at work in our lives.

We’ve taken a deeper look at just how powerful God is. We also know His power is made perfect in our weakness. What does that mean for you and me in our daily lives? I hope you’ll continue reading as we discuss the authority we have in Christ.

How will you Devote2Day?