>John 17 : 1 - 11 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

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 Like a true leader and mentor that he was, Jesus sort to prepare his followers for his departure from their midst. True to his character he prayed for the disciples and also for all of us who would come to believe on account of their testimony. He also prayed for himself and made a claim on the Father to glorify him for the simple reason that he had done all that the Father sent him to come and do here on earth. Such a blunt request can only come from someone who is sure of what he had been sent to do. 

It would be recalled that the Apostle Paul made a similar statement towards the end of his ministry. 
>2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8: Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.


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In these two statements, it is clearly seen that Jesus and Paul had knowledge of who had called them, what they were called to do and the reward of their labor. In other words, they had a clear vision and mission. A walk through the book of Acts shows the zeal with which Apostle Paul accomplished his task of carrying the Good News to both Jews and Gentiles in the face of serious opposition and threats to his life. At the end of it all, he could well say…he had done what his Master had called him to do. 

Jesus himself did same…he preached the kingdom, healed the sick, cast out demons, fed the hungry and above all he was about to pay the ultimate price for our sins. He needed the Father who had promised He would not leave him in the grave to see corruption, he would raise him from the dead, he would give him a name above all names and have him seated on His right hand, to glorify him by doing just that. 

Jesus' marching order to the church is clear and simple…..we have received diverse gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit to go and bear witness of our Savior and Lord. God’s plan for us is Total/Whole Body or Team Ministry and that is for all believers to be engaged in doing the work of ministry in the church and missions (reaching out to the world). Folks, when the fields are this plenty,riped and ready for harvest, we cannot afford to have an Association of Unengaged Believers  in the body of the church. Not at all!!

May I ask you to reflect on these questions: What is your charge to the Lord? For what reason has God called and added you to the church? His life was given for you, what have you given for Him? 



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