Author: admin

There are many confusing, almost troubling statements found in the Gospels. This is one.

When Jesus first sent out His disciples, He instructed them not to go to the Samaritans or Gentiles, but to their fellow Jews. This seems contrary to all we know of Christ and His love for all people.

Yet there is a principle here. God began with His own people. The Jewish people had been granted a rare and unprecedented opportunity to know and walk with God. But they had departed from Him. Because of their former relationship, God gave them the first opportunity to return to Him. God’s heart was for the revival. Throughout history, revival has typically preceded a great awakening. God first gets His own people in right relationship with Himself before He draws unbelievers. Some Christian leaders today are impatient with other believers and want to focus entirely on unbelievers. But God began with His own.

Jesus also taught His disciples to begin with those closest to them. Jesus eventually sent His disciples to the ends of the earth, but He first asked them to reach the people in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). At times it is easier to convert someone from a distant land than it is to share Christ with a colleague at work.

Are there people close to you, to whom you should be going? Perhaps you should begin with them.

There are two things disciples of Jesus can count on. First, that Jesus will draw them into an intimate relationship with Himself; and second, that He will subsequently send them out to be on mission with Him.

If you are not going with Christ, you cannot be walking with Him. Jesus’ mission was to go. He left the glory of eternal heaven to fulfill His Father’s purposes on earth. Once He had gathered His twelve disciples, Jesus sent them out. God’s nature is missional. He is constantly sending people to accomplish His will. To relate to God is to be prepared to go.

It is a great disservice to the Church to assume that God’s call to His people is merely to believe. Inactive belief is unbelief. If we genuinely trust in Christ, we will be on mission with Him. We will love what He loves. We will go where He goes.

Where are you presently going with Christ? What drives your decisions? What determines how you invest your time and money? Where is Christ currently sending you?

One is quickly struck by the simplicity of the twelve disciples. They were ordinary people with common names. Nothing stood out about them. No one had marked these men as potential leaders of an international movement. Except God.

God knew these men’s names. God ensured that each of their names were recorded in Scripture where they would be remembered ever after. These ordinary people could never have imagined that a simple decision to follow Jesus would have such enormous consequences. They could not have known that, by leaving their businesses and ordinary lives, they would be making a name for themselves in the kingdom of God.

Today we know the names of the twelve apostles because they obeyed Jesus. Had any of these men decided the cost was too great, or the demands too onerous, their name might have been as lost to us as is the name of the Rich Young Ruler.

Jesus knew the name of each of these men. They had not been lost in the myriads of people populating the earth. God had a purpose for each one. When God was finished with each of these people, not only God, but human history, would be familiar with them.

God knows your name. He created you. He has a purpose for you. Fulfill your destiny.

It is easy to explain away what makes us uncomfortable in Scripture. We assume that what God did in biblical times is not applicable to our day. Or perhaps God’s work or words were intended only for their original audience. Anything that challenges the way we are currently living is dismissed as being relevant only to Middle Eastern, First Century culture.

But here are verses that can trouble us. When Jesus sent out His disciples, they had power. And, their power was manifest. Things happened. People tormented by demons were miraculously set free. People plagued with illness were healed. It was clear to believers and unbelievers alike that a powerful new force had entered the area when one of Jesus’ disciples showed up.

Today there are many Christians who excuse the powerlessness of their own lives by claiming this was a special endowment for the apostles. Or, it was a unique occurrence heralding the coming of the Messiah. Yet we wonder if Christ does not still intend to fill His followers with His miraculous power. Perhaps modern needs are somewhat different. Perhaps the expression of God’s power might look different in our context.

But should we not be experiencing God’s power in our lives in such a way that people recognize there is something special about us?

Before Jesus sends you out, He will draw you in.

You may be eager to charge out into the battles of your day and change your world. You may have a love for people that drives you to invest yourself fully in others. You may be zealous to share the Gospel and delight in leading others to Christ. Nevertheless, there is an overarching truth that affects everything you do. It is this: the key to being an effective disciple hinges not on how much time you spend with others, but on how much time you spend with Christ.

Jesus intended to turn the world upside down with the twelve men He selected. Facing such an immense task, the first thing Jesus did was to draw His disciples to Himself. Unfortunately, modern Christians often assume they are too busy to draw near to Christ. Such an investment of time appears to them to be a luxury. There is simply too much to do. Too many appointments to keep. But the stark truth is this: if you will not draw near, you will not have power.

Do you need to draw near to Christ today?

How hard are you willing to strive in order to achieve victory? Gideon had already won a major battle. But the war wasn’t over yet. There were still enemies in the land! Gideon might have reasoned that the invaders had already been beaten. He could have taken comfort in the knowledge that the invaders were now on the eastern side of the Jordan River. He could have stopped to celebrate the amazing victory his little band had already achieved against seemingly insurmountable odds. Further, Gideon’s forces were exhausted. They had fought through the night! They had chased their enemy relentlessly. Surely it was time to stop and rest.

Yet Gideon was not finished. He was determined to complete the job God had given him. Anyone might have excused him for taking time to catch his breath. But often the victories God grants us are minimized or negated because we do not follow through with them to the finish. We can see the finish line in the distance so we decide it is time to stop for a rest. Complete victory is traded in for partial victory. A portion of our enemy is allowed to escape to fight in another day.

Have you seen God’s assignments for you through to the end? Or, have you paused to catch your breath? Could it be that you still need to push through to the end?

One of the surest ways to attract criticism is to lead. When you lead, people will inevitably find fault. That ought to come as no surprise.

Gideon had simply done what God had told him. Yet people complained for not having been included. Now that victory seemed assured, everyone wanted to participate!

Gideon could have lost much of what had been gained had he become petty or resentful of his critics. Had he divided his people at that crucial time, it might have allowed his enemies to regroup and to retaliate. Instead, Gideon chose humility. He did not try to defend his actions or to angrily defend himself. He chose humility. As a result, the naysayers were satisfied, and victory was assured. Some people would rather be right than victorious.

By his response, Gideon demonstrated much wisdom. He proved that God had known what He was doing all along when He chose the timid farmer.

One of the divinely appointed tasks of leaders is to inspire others to levels of greatness they would never have achieved on their own. Such was the case with Gideon. The land had always been populated with warriors. But these soldiers remained immobilized until God raised up Gideon.

Once Gideon and his little band of men confronted the Midianites, the oppressed peoples immediately rose up to expel the invaders. Why had they not done so seven years earlier? The answer is simple: they needed leadership.

There is no point in criticizing people for not doing what they should. That is, unfortunately, their nature. What is also true is that those same people will take action, if they are properly led.

If your people are not acting as they should, don’t resort to criticism or complaints. Rather, ask God to use your life to be an inspiration to others. Hopefully when people watch your life they will feel compelled to take action themselves.

God has numerous means of making you far bigger than you are. You may be ordinary. Your resources may be minimal. You may lack experience. But when God gives you a task, He also stands ready to make up any shortfall on your part.

There were only 300 people with Gideon. They faced a vast army. Gideon may well have wished God had given him a additional battalions, instead, God gave him trumpets and clay pots! His men may well have wondered what they were to do against an enemy with swords and spears when they were armed with pots and instruments. But that was God’s plan. And, at the appointed time, in the dead of night, the 300 broken pots and trumpet blasts made the band of Israelites sound as if they were a thousand times more numerous than they actually were. Thus a vast army was intimidated and overcome by a very noisy, little cohort.

God is never intimidated or bewildered by what challenges you. He has an unlimited number of ways to address your problems! Over the centuries, God’s people faced many enemies, yet God never again led them to use this particular maneuver. It was one of a kind, like much of God’s activity throughout Scripture.

At a particular moment in history, God’s people faced a need. God met it uniquely. If you are facing a challenge right now, don’t expect God to provide for you in exactly the same manner that He has before. He may choose to do something unique in your life.

Imagine creeping up to the edge of a vast host of ruthless enemies. These are people who would kill you in an instant if they learned of your presence. These are heartless invaders who plunder your nation and callously leave your friends and neighbors penniless and hungry. As far as you can see, there are campfires and the silhouettes of sentries patrolling the perimeter.

Imagine trying to keep your heart from racing. Think how hard it would be to breath quietly so you did not attract anyone’s attention. Imagine desperately trying not to cough or sneeze! Imagine having only 99 other soldiers with you, as you looked out over the vast expanse of the enemy camp, one thousand times larger than your meager force.

Then consider the order to blow your trumpet as loudly as you could! Imagine the contrast between hiding quietly in the bushes and standing up and boisterously announcing your presence. At that moment, you would know that unless God intervened: you were as good as dead! There would be no second thoughts. There would be no escape. It was all or nothing. You had to fully embrace God’s plan. Once you blew your trumpet, there was no turning back!

Is it time for you to blow your trumpet?!