"SELECTING THE TWELVE"

Just a thought!

Have you ever wondered what criteria Jesus used if any in the selection process of the twelve. It is written that before every important event in Jesus' life, He took time to go off by Himself and pray. When it came time to choose His "Inner Circle", the 12 Disciples, He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Jesus selected "ordinary" men with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to be His disciples. Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. From the hundreds of people who followed Him from place to place, Jesus chose 12 to be His Apostles. The word Apostle means messenger or authorized representative. He did not choose these 12 to be His associates and companions because of their faith; their faith often faltered. He didn't choose them because of their talent and ability; no one stood out with unusual ability. The disciples represented a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences, but apparently they had no more leadership potential than those who were not chosen. The one characteristic they all shared was their willingness to obey Jesus. After Jesus' ascension, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to carry out special roles in the growth of the early church. We should not disqualify ourselves from service to Christ because we do not have the expected credentials. Being a good disciple is simply a matter of following Jesus with a willing heart. The disciples were sent out in pairs. Individually they could have reached more areas of the country, but this was not Christ's plan. One advantage in going out by two's was that they could strengthened and encouraged each other, especially when they faced rejection. Our strength comes from God, but He meets many of our needs through our teamwork with others. As you serve Christ, don't try to go it alone.

My wife and I go out and while one of us is sharing the Word, the other is standing there in prayer. We should not be afraid to reach out to people who are living in sin - God's message can change anyone. Listen and please understand, we are going to run into those who are sure that they are righteous, can't be saved because the first step in following Jesus is acknowledging our need and admitting that we don't have all the answers.

I like to consider myself as well as any one else who is a student of Christ, a Disciple. A learner, one who is being mentored by another, with a view to assimilating and propagating what is learned. The more we share our faith with others the easier it gets. We all are proficient in something and we can be used by the LORD, all we have to be is available.

Until Next Wednesday....

Make sure that all your important decisions are grounded in prayer.