"Then
He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send
them out to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out
demons: ..." (Mark 3:13-15)
Observations:
I
asked myself the reasons Jesus appointed the twelve:
1. That they might be
with Him.
2. That He might send them out to preach.
3. And to have power to heal sicknesses.
4. To cast out demons.
Interpretation/Application:
I
asked myself the significance of reason 1?
We see that Jesus' heart was set on developing personal relationships
with people. Jesus' main reason for appointing the twelve is
'that they might be with Him.'
This is very significant because I believe the entire
ministry of Jesus is focused on personal relationships. Foremost, Jesus
wanted the twelve to have a personal relationship with Him before they
can do anything such as preaching, healing, etc. This is very exciting
too because it shows Jesus taking the initiative. Jesus wanted to spend
time with the twelve and train them in that time too.
It is wonderful to know that when Jesus
calls us to be His, it is not just so we can have Salvation but for a
much bigger picture. Jesus wants us to be with Him. He wants us to be
wanted and loved. Being with Jesus and learning from Him is the best
experience any of us can have. We should not let anything crowd out our
times with the Lord whether it be sleep, studies, jobs, activities,
relationships, etc. Jesus knew the hectic schedule of his disciples too,
for each of them had a profession to make their living. Jesus took them
to a mountainside where I suppose it would be a quiet place that they
might be with him.
A relationship with Him is what Jesus
desires for each one of us. Without that personal relationship with
Christ, everything we do in life will not have the same effect or
meaning than it would with our personal relationship with Christ. He
wants to spend time with you and He is the One that can empower us. He
does not want us to ignore our studies, our jobs, our relationships, etc
but He wants to be part of them and to help us through them. This will
not happen unless we go to Him as the disciples went and were taught by
Him.
Jesus was not just building relationships
but was engaged in making disciples in action.
Observations/Interpretation:
What
were the actions going to be?
The twelve with whom
Jesus spent time with became disciples and they all were trained by the
Master Himself:
The preaching, healing, and casting of
demons were the fruit that were to come as the disciples spent time with
Jesus.
It is very interesting to know that
Jesus trained the disciples and empowered them not only to meet peoples'
spiritual needs (preaching) but also to meet people's physical and
emotional needs (overcoming sicknesses/demon possession). Jesus cares for the whole
of the person.
Application:
I saw important
implications for my own life. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and
tomorrow. The main thing Jesus wants from me is that I might be with
Him. This is really exciting because Jesus wants to spend time
with me. He loves me so much and wants me to develop a personal
relationship with Him. Through that relationship, He wants to train me
and make me His faithful worker so that I can go out to preach, heal, or
do whatever He has called me to do!
It is significant for me to know that
preaching and healing are not emphasized before spending time with Jesus
even though they are very important too.
I ask you now
dear friend what emphasis do you put on your relationship with Jesus?
Dear friend, what I learned today should tell us that nothing is more
important than spending time with the Master daily and learning from
Him. Everything else should be secondary and flows from our relationship
with Jesus.
Ministry or whatever we do in our life should be an out flowing of our
relationship with the Lord. In life we need to be led, taught, and
preached to by the Master Himself to be effective. I know I need to
spend at the feet of Jesus and in His Word daily, praying and seeking
Him if I want clear direction in life and to have strength to do what He
calls me to do. It is not an easy process.
I
am reminded of a passage from Luke 10:38-42 that addresses a
relationship with Jesus:
"As Jesus and
his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman
named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary,
who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was
distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to
him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to
do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the
Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but
only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it
will not be taken away from her."
Martha was so concerned about doing things for Jesus when she opened her
door to Him but Mary wanted to sit at Jesus' feet and learn from Him.
Jesus was telling Martha that Mary BEING WITH Jesus pleased Him more
than Martha DOING THINGS FOR Jesus.
It was important for me to realize that I can do, do, and do so much FOR
Jesus thinking I am pleasing Him but you know that actually would not
please Jesus as we may think it does. What would please Jesus is that we
do, do, do things WITH Jesus. There is a major difference doing things
for someone and doing things with someone. Jesus wants to be a daily
part of our lives and wants us to do things with Him. Jesus loves us so
much and desires to spend time with us.
Won't
you take time out of your 24 hr day schedule to spend with Jesus
studying His Word, praying, and seeking Him?
Don’t
base it on feelings because that’s what Satan loves to emphasize. Satan
will make you feel like you are not in the mood to do it so why bother.
Satan will also whisper since you are not in the mood to do it, it is
not genuine time so why bother. Satan will also whisper that you are
doing it as an obligation not because you want to so you should not do
it. Don’t listen to those lies.
Even when we do not feel like spending time with the Lord, if we are
faithful and obedient because Scripture states to meditate on His Word
day and night and not to let His Word depart from us, He will bless us
because we have been obedient.
" Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in
it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be
discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
(Joshua 1:8-9, NIV)
Even if Satan brings to your attention that you are doing it
legalistically without your heart in it, ignore Satan’s whispers. As you
spend time with the Lord even when you do not feel like it, Jesus will
meet you there! I know He will because He has met me there! Do not go by
feelings. The amount of time you spend should be between you and the
Lord.
I hope you do not go by feelings when it comes to your relationship with
Jesus! Feelings can be deceptive but hold on to Jesus and you will be
holding on to hope!
What could be more important than giving your time to the One who
created you, made you so special and knows what He wants for your life.
Your life will come to perspective as you will see the Lord's guidance
in your life as you seek Him first. Ask Jesus to be part of your life
and allow Him to lead you daily. You will draw so much strength and
guidance from the Lord! One of my most exciting times in the morning is
to open up the Bible and see what God wants to speak to me!
May we give
the Lord first place in our lives before everything and learn from Him.
As we spend time with Him, may we have the passion and zeal to go out
and preach the Gospel, be empowered to heal the sick, cast out demons,
or whatever He has empowered us to do!
As we rest in the arms
of the Savior daily, He will give us the wisdom to be able to do
whatever He asks us! Being empowered to heal does not just mean physical
ailments but emotional ailments, etc. As important as preaching and
healing were to Jesus, He always made spending time with God a priority.
May we sacrifice our own pleasures that we might get time to spend with
the Master daily. Our education and everything else will fall into
perspective as we seek the Lord first.
Never feel you are inadequate to be
used by the Lord for He can use you in mighty ways if you make yourself
available to Him.
Do you know someone who needs to hear the Gospel?
Do you know someone who needs healing and restoration in their lives?
You be the
one to give them the Gospel and bring healing and restoration in their
lives.
Take everything to the Lord in prayer
even if you do not understand why things happen the way they do. We
cannot understand everything but the Lord's wisdom and strength can give
us endurance to get through! Amen!
Lord
wants to REVIVE you and me friend as we spend our time with Him! Yes, He
does! Thank you Jesus! Amen!
"I will instruct you and guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch your progress" says the Lord. (Psalm 32:8,
TLB)
“Realize Everyday Lord’s Aspirations Totally Involve Our Nurture So He
Invites People” (R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P)/"What
emphasis do you put on your relationship with Jesus?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, we come to you now and thank you so much that you chose
the disciples that they might be with you. It is exciting to know that
you want to spend time with us. It is so easy to be caught up in the
notion that we need to spend time with you but the fact of the matter is
that you want to spend time with us if we give you the time. Thank you
so much Jesus. During that time we thank you that you can train us and
empower us, making us the way you want us to be as you also help us do
what you want us to do. Forgive us when we do not give you first place
in our lives. We are so sorry Lord. Thanks for always being there for us
and we do rest in you Lord. Please make our times with you exciting even
though at times you have to prune us and we do not feel like giving the
time. I thank you for dying for our sins and coming back to life to save
us. Thank you for loving us so much and always making time to hear us as
we seek you. Thank you Lord that you never get tired of hearing from us
but you have inclined your ears to listen to us. In Your Name We Pray
Jesus praising you and thanking you for everything! Amen!
If you would like to invite Jesus
Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can
this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises
for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His
wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to
the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in
your heart.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner Lord.
I am so sorry for my sins. I confess my sins to you. I confess the wrong
things I have done and messed up my own life. I need you Lord right now
and in the years to come. I have gone my own way and have not found what
only you can give me. You alone have the words of Eternal Life. You
alone love me unconditionally for who I am. Thank you Jesus! I turn
myself to you Oh Lord in this Fall of October 2005. Please forgive me of
all my sins and come into my heart. I accept
you Jesus into my heart. Thanks Jesus for coming into my heart. Thanks
for forgiving me of all my sins. Thanks for giving me a new identity in
you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior as I believe in my
heart that you died and came back to life to save me now and forever. I
give myself to you and ask you to be in control of my life. Fill me with
the Holy Spirit. Thank you
Jesus in the coming days we can do things together. Thanks for being my
Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and
answered me. Thanks Jesus for changing me and helping me through life's
storms and winds. Thank you Father God for Jesus Christ who you sent for
us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Friend, you may feel something
or you may not but this you can be assured that the Lord Jesus has come
into your life and will give you a new beginning! Amen!
Get yourself involved in a
campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing
church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord.
They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord
in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me
know!
If you
need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this Fall of
October 2005, you can email me at
reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579.
Love in Christ,
Ramesh
Next Devotional:
How is your R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P with Jesus?
Express your view
