Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Jesus went up to a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve-designating them apostles- that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.”- Mark 3:13-14
Thought of the Day- Jesus was the best net-worker that ever lived. No I-phone, no laptop, no cell phone, no Nike’s, no car, no planes. Just the most perfectly executed networking strategy in history. Take 12 ragtag guys, mostly uneducated fisherman and despised tax collectors, and tell them that they are the plan. In their hands the Gospel lies. Their job? Nothing less than to ensure that the gospel is heard throughout the world. They are to spread the good news of Christ’s coming, His death and resurrection, and the eternal implications of that for all of humanity. TALK ABOUT PRESSURE! No last minute drive to win the Super Bowl or playing golf for $5 a hole with only $2 in your pocket can even shake a stick at this amount of pressure.
But here we are over 2,000 years later and the gospel is still being preached in Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.How did Jesus know that His plan would work and why did he choose to carry it out this way? The fact that Jesus chose 12 guys to carry the gospel message reveals some deep and interesting things about Him; He understood math and the compounding of numbers. He values a relationship with us more than we could ever imagine. He is a great delegator, communicator and coach. He knows that for the Kingdom to grow, that we must personally grow in our faith and as a result, be involved in helping the Kingdom to grow. Finally, Jesus knew that this wasn’t a sprint but a marathon.
He spent three solid years with the disciples teaching, rebuking, preparing and motivating them for the task at hand. He imparted wisdom from His Father unto them, but they didn’t get it. He was patient with them. He understood their human condition to doubt, whine and betray. He never stopped investing in them. As a matter of fact, He took great joy in investing in them.Nearly 2,000 years later these same things apply to us. By the grace of God, He never leaves us or forsakes us. When we fall down, he picks us up, dusts us off and gets us back in the game. No condemnation, only love and joy. He is willing to invest in us as long as it takes for us to get our act together. Sometimes that takes awhile, like maybe an entire lifetime. To him, it is always worth it. Each soul a precious treasure to be redeemed. I am humbled at the thought of His amazing grace, unfailing mercy and incomprehensible love. How can I respond in any way other than to offer my life to him. Isaiah 6:8 sums up the response we should have when he proclaims; “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
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