Skip to main content

Are you Thankfullly Equipped - Part 4

Jesus has provided the disciples with the tools they needed, a purpose, and even provided instruction on what they didn't need.  So what else is left?  Here's the story again from Mark 6:7-13.

And he called to the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.  He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in their belts - but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.  And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.  And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."  So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Jesus provided the disciples with success.  The last two sentences of the story read, "And they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them." - Mark 6:12-13. 

Did you notice what the success in the story is?  It clearly tells us that the disciples cast out demons, anointed, and healed many, so we see that people were healed.  But what was their main purpose?  It was to preach the kingdom of heaven and a message of repentance.  Does the text say that people repented?

We assume it, but it doesn't actually say that.  Now it is likely that their sin is what they were being healed from.  But for the disciples, the people's acceptance of the message wasn't the measuring stick of their success.  Their purpose was to preach the gospel (Luke 9:6).  That's where it applies to us.  We don't have the power to go out and save anybody, but we do have the power and purpose to go out and tell them about the Savior.

Our success is in sharing the message of the love of Jesus Christ.  We can see that the early disciples, and generations before us, have been successful in sharing this message just by the fact that Christianity is still here today.  As we pause and give thanks for the message of faith, hope, and love that has made it to us, let us not get complacent in our mission for Him.  Where will the next generation be as a result of the lives we live for the Lord today?  Are we giving them a reason to be thankful?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n...
Post a Comment
Read more

Worship > Fellowship

I believe that worship, true worship of God, is more important than fellowship with other believers.  Now I'm not saying that fellowship and relationships aren't important.  But I am saying that if I'm not worshiping God, if I'm not right with him, then my other relationships can't be right.  My fellowship and worship with him is more important than my relationship with my wife, my son, family, friends, my church, and my community.  Think about it.  How can I love my wife like Christ loved the church if I don't love Christ?  I wouldn't know how to love without knowing him.  Why should she submit to me if I'm not worth submitting to?  And yes I do believes wives should submit, but I also believe that won't be an issue as long as she's submitting to a godly husband.  (Ephesians 5:22-25) Our love for others must flow from our love and worship of God.  1 John 4:19-21 reads, "We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do You Need Revival?

"Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You?" - Psalm 85:6 The thoughts below were in my devotional this morning by Dr. Lee Sheppard: "So how can we know if we need revival in our lives?  Well, we need revival when our salvation has lost its joy, when our sin does not break our heart, and when we make little to no effort to witness to the lost.  We need revival when worship becomes boring, when we are at odds with believers and see no need for reconciliation, and when we fail to believe God for the impossible.  We need revival when we have to be begged to give and serve in church and when we would rather make money than give money.  We need revival when we have to be entertained to be drawn to church and when we are indifferent to the fact that there are 2.5 billion people on the planet who have never heard the name of Jesus.  We need revival when we don't regularly see the supernatural evidence of God's power and when ...
Post a Comment
Read more