Week 35   Day 5

            to those twelve

            called disciples

Six pairs; two by two they went

The disciples were chosen/called

            first to be with Jesus 

            then to do the works of Jesus

They were

            empowered

            named and

            given a job to do

While the crowds watched in amazement

            the disciples participated in faith

Discipleship is a move

            from the bleachers

            onto the playing field

                    where Jesus tells the game plan

                    the bitter and the sweet.

Jesus mentioned three sources of conflict for his disciples

            religious counsels 

            governmental authority 

            and our families

Just as light can overcome darkness

            so we must hope

            and pray

            and believe

                    that conflict is not the final word

                    because Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

                                             DISCIPLESHIP

                            Lord, you want me to do what?!

                                                Matthew 10

    1When Jesus had called His twelve disciples, He gave them

power to cast out unclean spirits, and heal all kinds of disease. 

    Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who

is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee,

and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew

the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon

the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

    5These twelve Jesus sent out, saying:  "Do not go into the way of

the Gentiles, nor enter a city of the Samaritans.  6Go rather to the

lost sheep of Israel.  7As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of

heaven is at hand.'  8Heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead,

cast out demons.   Freely you have received, freely give. 

    9"Provide neither gold, silver nor copper in your belts, 10nor a

bag for your journey, nor two tunics, sandals, nor staffs; a worker is

worthy of his food.  14Whoever will not receive you nor hear your

words, depart from that house, and shake off the dust from your feet.

    16"I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Be wise as

serpents and harmless as doves.  17Beware, they will deliver you up

to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  18You will be

brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to

them.  19Do not worry about how or what you should speak.  It will

be given to you in that hour what you should say; 20for it is not you
who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

    32"Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess

before My Father who is in heaven. 

    34"I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  35For I have

come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36a man's enemies will

be those of his own household.'  37He who loves father or mother

more than Me is not worthy of Me.  He who loves son or daughter

more than Me is not worthy of Me. 

    38"He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy

of Me.  39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his

life for My sake will find it.

    40"He who receives you receives Me, and receives Him who

sent Me.  41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet

shall receive a prophet's reward.  He who receives a righteous

man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  42And whoever

gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name

of a disciple, assuredly, he shall by no means lose his reward."
                 _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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