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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Purpose of the 12
Jesus chose twelve men and called them apostles. Jesus wanted
these twelve men to be with him, and he wanted to send them
to other places to tell people {God's message}. And Jesus
wanted these men to have the power to force demons out of
people.
-- Mark 3:14-15 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus selected the 12 for several clear purposes. First, they were to
be his companions -- they would learn by being with him. Second, he
sent them out to do what he had been doing -- preaching the Gospel of
the Kingdom. Third, he gave them authority and power to serve. His plan
for the development of these disciples, most of whom became leaders
after his death, is a good one for us to follow. If we want leaders who
can make a huge difference in the world, we need to train them, task
them, and trust them. Training means that we don't just give them a
manual or a book, but that we help them learn by serving as an
apprentice to a proven leader. Tasking means that we give them a clear
mission or task to perform and hold them accountable to fulfill that
task. Trusting means that we actually give them authority and power to
do what needs to be done. Unfortunately the whole Body of Jesus is not
turned loose to work as it could because we are afraid that some
leaders won't live up to the holy task they are to perform. So let's be
honest with Jesus' example. Did these 12 all live up to their holy
task? How long did it take for even the best of them to get it right?
How many of them failed at some point? How many of them failed
completely? Get the point? Let's prayerfully call more people to serve
and then follow Jesus' example.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, forgive us. We have limited your people because we have not
called more to lead; and the few whom we have called to lead, we often
limit because of our lack of faith in them and our lack of direction
and accountability given to them. Dear Father, please raise up more
leaders and open our eyes to their presence. In Jesus' name. Amen.
>> NEW: Phil's What Jesus Did devotional is now
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http://images.ultracart.com/aff/ACU9/1414/108/185/575/0/index.html
>> The WJD! web page has related scriptures and the
>> full text of today's key passage. Read it at:
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/mark/0219-wjd.html
>> For further study of today's passage, use our
>> online Bible study site: SearchGodsWord.org!
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Mark+3:14-15&sr=1&t=erv
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