The reason Jesus chose Simon (Peter), James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew (Levi), Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot was to raise them up as leaders to continue His mission after He ascends back to Heaven. These men were not religiously educated and known in the community, but they were simply ordinary men chosen by Jesus because of His grace. One of the ways that Jesus equipped them was to send them out in pairs, giving them the authority over evil spirits, the power to heal the sick, and preaching the gospel. Jesus instructed them not to take anything in their journey except staff and sandals. They should not bring food, bag, money, and extra garments. He wanted them to travel light and trust God with their provision through the people that would accept them. He instructed them with these words, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." After Jesus sent them out, they drove out many demons and healed many people (Mark 6:7-13).
As Jesus has chosen and sent out the twelve apostles, He also chose us to be His disciples and be a witness to others. The same power that worked through the twelve disciples is the same power that works in us. The power comes from God. We can pray for people who are sick and share the gospel. We must let others know that only by believing in Jesus can we be forgiven and saved from our sins. The main emphasis of the mission of the twelve was to preach the gospel so that those who would believe in Jesus would be saved. The healing and the casting out of demons were to prove that God sent them out so they might believe their message.
As God's children, God called us to be a witness in this desperate world. The only solution to all the crime and the political mess that we are in is by believing and surrendering our hearts to Jesus because He is the only one who can change the hearts of people.
Ask yourself these questions: Am I willing to be God's witness to others? What does God call me to do? Do I believe that God's power works within me?
Write down all the worries you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you that the same power that works within the apostles is the same power that works within me because all power belongs to you. You can heal people through my prayers because, ultimately, you are the healer and the giver and sustainer of life. Please give me the boldness, courage, and wisdom to share the gospel with others. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Correction: From our last devotion, the distance from Bethlehem to Nazareth is 64.6 miles, not 5,700 miles.