Disciples Sent Out to Preach and Heal

 Prayer Practice

Spoken Prayer – Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.

DAILY READING

Luke 9:1-62

REFLECTION

Disciples Sent Out to Preach and Heal

by Pastor Jeff Morlock

Jesus’ disciples have received his teaching and witnessed his authority over disease and the demonic. Now Christ gives them the responsibility and authority to do what he himself has been doing - proclaim God’s kingdom and demonstrate its power (verses 1-6). Jesus sends them without the necessary provisions of bread, money, or extra clothes, asking them to trust him for daily provision. Their faith will grow in proportion to their experience of  God’s faithfulness (verses 10-17). Of course, this is all preparation for the day when Jesus will ascend to heaven, and they’ll be given the task of taking the Gospel to the nations. Like their master, these disciples will receive from God a cross and a crown (verses 23-27). And as they obey him, they'll experience his triumph and truth (verses 37-45).

This is a long passage, but its bottom line is simple: to answer Jesus’ call is to be in over your head and out of your comfort zone. When you go in the authority he provides, with his promises in your heart and on your lips, when you dare to speak his good news in word and deed to the people around you, you’ll be desperate for the Lord to supply even the simplest of needs. Are you desperate yet? If what Jesus asks of his disciples then and now seems risky, consider this: you, me, and all of us together are like a conduit that the Spirit of God uses to deliver his grace and power to those trapped by sin and its consequences. So the real question is, “What blocks the flow of the Spirit's power in your life and mine? What blocks the flow of the Spirit's power in our life together as church?”

Joining Jesus in his mission always demands adjustments of us. Our text highlights four attitude adjustments that are necessary in order for Jesus’ disciples to be conduits of the Spirit who are able to effectively reach others for the kingdom. Spend some time reading, praying and meditating on the need for these adjustments. Which one is most applicable for you right now?

- He turns us from pride to humility (verses 46-48)
- He turns us from tribalism to cooperation (verses 49-50)
- He turns us from vengeance to mercy (verses 51-56)
- He turns us from security to sacrifice (verses 57-62)

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I have often been too comfortable and content to be sent. I’ve been silent when you’ve called me to speak, and timid about operating in the
authority you’ve given me. Please forgive me, and make the necessary adjustments
in my attitude, so that your Holy Spirit can freely flow through me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and to set the oppressed free. In your holy name. Amen.

How Authentic Love Rebuilds Broken Lives

By Thomas Denegre

Unloved, abandoned, and rejected is a cruel way for any human being to start their life.

A mother and her young son moved to Los Angeles for a new beginning.  Losing one job after another, the mother and child moved to smaller apartments until they found themselves living on the streets. Early one morning the little boy woke up from their makeshift tent in the alley and watched the children across the street get onto their school bus. He told his mother, that he too wanted to attend school with the kids.  His mother told him, that if he left, she would not be here upon his return.  Nonetheless, the little boy got onto the school bus and found out that he could not attend the school.  When he returned to the alley his mother was gone.  For weeks he looked for his mother and never found her. He was seven years old. 

Worse stories occur in the streets of Los Angeles, and counter intuitively, teenagers who are traumatized, physically brutalized, and heartbroken find a bitter refuge with the gangs. It is through Fr. Greg Boyle and his ministry called HomeBoy Industries that tells the stories of how thousands of former gang members find hope and restoration through God’s authentic and practical love. 

In this week’s readings of Deuteronomy Chapter 28, Moses explained the blessings when we obey God’s commands and the curses when we disobey them; ignorance is no excuse as God’s commands work in the same way as the law of gravity. Much of the world’s evil is a result of people not acknowledging nor obeying his Word. (Hosea 4:6). Yet, it is not God’s desire for us to live in desolation. God’s mercy is unbelievable. Who else would say, “I love you more than my life,” and die on the cross for us while we were still ungodly wicked sinners?  Since the foundations of the world, it has been God’s desire to reunite us and he does it brilliantly.

Mario is example of God’s transformative love at HomeBoy Industries.  Covered head to toe in tattoos, he has a menacing appearance.  On his eyelids are two tattoos that say, “The End,” to indicate that there is no doubt to his finality when he’s lying in his coffin. Yet, if you went to the HomeBoy café and ask for the kindest and gentlest soul they point to Mario. 

One day Mario was telling his experience of HomeBoy to an audience and described how the actual love of Jesus worked.  As St. Francis once said, “go out and preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.”  The command is simple, people don’t care what you know, until they know that you care. Broken people from the streets don’t want to hear religious things, until they know true love and care has found them. 

A person in the audience once asked Mario what wisdom he would impart on his children.  Mario thoughtfully reflected, “I don’t want them to be like me.”  The person in the audience responded, “How could you say that?  You are a kind, caring, and a gentle soul.  You are an excellent model for your children.”  It took a while for Mario to understand his true identity in Christ and how he was transformed by the Holy Spirit. He went from being cursed to being blessed. 

Jesus has instructed us the way to act in his true love and it was not religious; it was authentic from the heart, not the intellect.  In the Book of John, Jesus stated, “If you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire, and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!” (John 15:7-8 TPT) Jesus makes it clear that he is our source of life, love, and riches.  By opening our hearts to his love and his word, then God’s love will naturally pour through us onto others.  This is the way of preaching the Gospel without words. It’s the way Mario became transformed.

Since broken people feel invisible, they want to be seen. Authentic love can start anywhere anytime with a waitress, store clerk, nurse, patient, student, gang member, or anyone else the Holy Spirit directs you too. It first starts by knowing their name.  There’s nothing more precious than hearing one’s name; especially the one your mom affectionately called you.   “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) 

Because you are in life-union with Jesus and his words live in your heart, then the Holy Spirit will direct your steps to bring the healing waters of Jesus to the brokenhearted. 

Through heart-to-heart love, the brokenhearted will know Jesus sees them just as they are.  Stripped of their destructive worldly labels and false identifications, the broken people become whole beings knowing they are loved unconditionally from our Lord and from the people they work with. Despite all their shortcomings and mistakes, they know Jesus will love them 100%; all the time. By knowing they can trust Jesus, they have the security to step outside of their walls to bless others.  As they open their hearts to the Lord, he will pour His love into them.  They will come to know their worth and value.  (Psalm 139:16-18) By being blessed with love, peace, wholeness, and sweetness from God, they become fully integrated people. As they live in the perfect love of God, no fear or anxiety threatens their lives. In this way, they are able to bless others with the same love, so they become blessed themselves.  By this love, you can understand why Mario is the gentlest kindest soul. You also come to understand that it was always God’s intention to bring the Kingdom of God to everyone so they may live a blessed life. 

Praying Blindfolded

Colossians 1:9-14 New International Version (NIV)

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

How do we pray for someone we don't know, like missionaries across the globe? How do we lift up politicians to God and pray for them when we not only don't know them personally, we don't always understand what they are up against, the challenges they face? This is where the Holy Spirit comes alongside and using the words from Colossians 1:9-14, guides our prayers. 

It isn't necessary to have a personal relationship with the person we are praying for. We only need a personal relationship with Jesus. We can pray as though blindfolded, moving forward boldly because there is the Holy Spirit to guide us. The yellow highlighted texts above list a few of the things we can pray about for those strangers we are called to pray for. 

These are things we could all use more of in our lives. Let's pray for one another, even if we have never met.

Colossians 1:9-14

Loving the unloved

by Thomas Denegre

Unloved is hell.  There is no worse experience than to be unloved.  Orphan babies left untouched in their cribs die within weeks from unloved. Children who are unloved by their parents develop wounds in their hearts that disable them.  Grievances are stored and cataloged bearing a fruit of rage, bitterness, and resentment. Children join criminal gangs just to get a little love. The unloved despise God and see him as the enemy. They see their condition based on a God who is indifferent. God is considered cruel. How are the unloved to be saved? 

This week’s reading gives us a clue to the answer, for it reads;

16 We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. 17 By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17

For the past twenty years as a Christian leader in the Kairos prison ministry I have experienced a bridge that takes the unloved into God’s kingdom.  Here’s what I discovered.

There are two sides to every bridge.  For me to enter the side of the lost I learned a person doesn’t care what I know, until they know that I care.  If possible, it was important  to understand the person first before being understood.

I noticed a few trademarks of the lost.They live under a banner of pride and self-centeredness. They identify themselves with the wounds of their heart and the heavy load of grievances they carry. It's a false and self-destructive identification.  Being teachable was a problem. They carry deep feelings of anger, rebellion, fear, grief, apathy, guilt, and sometimes humiliation.  By being inwardly focused on their misery, they generally could not see the light touching them.  Sadly, they viewed God as being indifferent, vengeful, condemning, or at worse, despising. Life is viewed as survival; not joyful.

When reaching out to the lost, the biggest failure I made was trying to save them with my own love. I did not have the capacity, nor the ability nor the job description to do it.  Paul expressed this in Romans, “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Rom. 5:5

 

Clearly it was God’s job to love and to save the lost while nourishing and empowering his saints to carry out the mission. By living in life union with Jesus and having his words living powerfully within me, it was easy to allow God's love to flow through me. By having an intimate relationship with Jesus, I was capable of extending that same relationship to the unloved. More than anything else the unloved want to be loved. When the unloved knew they were genuinely loved, then they refocus their view from themselves to the source of the love.

By relying on the Holy Spirit I’m able to see the lost person as God does. I channel the Holy Spirit by acknowledging the goodness, uniqueness, value, gifts, and love to that person.  I let them know that before the foundations of the earth were made, they were loved.  How precious is that?

To cross the bridge from darkness into light, the unloved person must trust God and believe that he is a God of love and abundant life.. By being affirmed that they are loved, they must take the courage to cross the line from darkness into the the truth. It requires them to open their hearts to God so he can heal their wounds and empty their grievances. 

As saints abiding in God, we have the intimate relationship and love to reach the unloved.  It is through this genuine love that draws the sinner to trust, believe, open their heart, and take the courage to cross the bridge to salvation.

The Advocate of Truth and Peace

John 16:5-15

Sometimes we have to let go of one thing, to make room for another.  In today’s passage, Jesus tries to explain to the disciples why he must go away.  I’m sure they were wondering who this “Advocate” was who was coming and wishing their dear friend could stick around a while longer.  But Jesus was adamant – the only way the Father’s plan would be complete is through the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  God gave the world his Son and now the Son is proclaiming the good news of the Spirit.

Not to trivialize, but it makes me think of the Three Musketeers, “All for one and one for all!”  We can’t get to the Father except through the Son and we get to the Son through the Spirit.  We need all three.

Several times throughout the book of John, especially in Chapter 14, Jesus mentions that He is the way to the Father and promises the Holy Spirit.  “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (v. 11) “And I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever” (v. 16).

This advocate is the Spirit of Truth – not the Spirit of Half-Truths or the Spirit of What We Hope to Be True, but real truth.  The only truth that matters.  ”The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14: 26-27).

Just as I’m sure the disciples were worried about what was to come, we too are worried about what happens next.  When we can’t see things clearly or understand why something happens, our humanness causes us to be afraid, but the Spirit’s message is peace.  So why not let go of the worry for something far greater – peace in Christ, through the Spirit, from the Father.

A Million Pieces

Romans 8:22-27

Waiting is never easy.  It’s tough when you’re five and it’s just as difficult at 45, even when you know something’s “worth the wait.”

Today’s passage talks about waiting eagerly and patiently.  Ah, what a virtue it is to wait eagerly and patiently.  But what if we’re annoyed and irritable?  That feels more like it.

Well, that’s where the Spirit comes in.  “The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (v. 26-27).  He really does know best, yet it can be hard to hand over control especially when we want something NOW!

When we try to steal control from the Spirit, we end up feeling like we’re broken in a million little pieces.  The Spirit brings wholeness.

It’s like a spoon and egg race – when we run too quickly, the egg falls and breaks, but when we’re patient and let the spoon do the work (as slow as it may seem), the egg will arrive at its destination intact – and I’d really like to finish this (human) race in one piece.

But guess what?  Even if we fall and break into a million pieces, God is right there to put us back together.  He picks up the pieces, and like only He can, makes us whole again.  Don’t you love worshiping a God who does that?!

Open to the Possibilities

Romans 8:5-8

Sometimes I catch myself clenching my fists, not out of anger, but anxiety.  My mom says that even as a toddler she’d find me stiffening my arms and legs.  Apparently, “tensing up” has always been my physical reaction to stress.

Over the years, I’ve searched for ways to deal with it constructively – yoga, meditation, breathing – but it wasn’t until I turned to prayer that I started finding some relief.  Life is still a daily struggle against my biological instincts, but it’s more manageable with “open hands.”

The world can be a scary, unforgiving place, but that’s where the Holy Spirit comes in.  “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (v. 6).

The flesh brings about heartache, but the Holy Spirit brings joy.  If you want life and not death, peace and not sorrow, then you need to create space for the Holy Spirit.  Make a place for Him and He’ll open your hands and your heart.  Give him room to do his thing, because with the Spirit we can’t help but be open-handed.

And as we unclench our fists, a peace that passing all understanding will come over us.  As a person who struggles with anxiety, Philippians 4:6-7 has become my “go-to”… Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. AMEN

Waiting for a Valentine

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-6)

Sometimes it feels as if all I do is wait. As a child I remember waiting for school to get out for the summer, waiting for my birthday. I was even told often, "wait until your father gets home." Fast forward a few years and I wait for high school graduation, then waiting to for my twenty-first birthday, (not all its cracked up to be by the way).

Fast forward many years and February 14th is marked as the day I waited at my husband's bedside as we said our goodbyes. Now, I am waiting out my last weeks before retirement. Waiting seems to be punctuated by change. The apostles were instructed to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift most definitely ushered in change for this band of faith-filled followers.

While waiting, we are not stagnant, we are preparing. A child prepares for summer break by planning all the fun things he/she will do and dreams of these things with friends. The adult prepares for a huge life change. Life is peppered with seasons of waiting.

Waiting is a positive position to take. We prepare during a time of waiting. We plan and we often pray during our waiting. Had the apostles ignored the command to wait for the Holy Spirit, for that special gift from God and rushed out to tell about their journey with Jesus - no one would have understood or listened. They waited and were blessed beyond measure.

The next time we are forced to wait--for anything, use the time to breathe in and contemplate all that is happening. Examine your heart and thank God for this precious time and then just wait on Him to do something spectacular.


Acts 1:4-8

Filled With Joy

Read Acts 2:25-28

We prepared. We waited eagerly for His coming. And last week we celebrated His quiet incursion into our time and space. Now again, we anticipate a different kind of celebration: the beginning of a new year.

In today’s passage, Peter addresses the crowds on Pentecost. In his explanation of the events surrounding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit he recalls David’s prophecy about the Messiah’s resurrection (Psalm 16). David’s joy and security was rooted in his confidence that the Lord is and will remain with us, not abandoning us – ever, because even death cannot overcome Him. Standing on the other side of the cross, Peter’s passion and drive was rooted in the same.

Whether we are inclined to face the coming year with apprehension or excitement, fear or enthusiasm, let us always remember this tremendous work of love and redemption that God has done for us, and let it change us.

Let our hearts be joyful; let our spirits be unshaken. Let our praises be heard; let our minds be at peace. Let us walk in His ways and let us be present in His presence.

QUESTIONS:

1. Pentecost coincided with Shavout, the Jewish Feast of Weeks. What do you know about Shavout and how does it enrich the context of the passage?

2. What was the response of Peter’s audience to his message? What is our response? Who do you know that hasn’t heard?

PRAYER:

Father, you made Jesus, this newborn Babe, whom we crucified, Lord and Messiah. Let this fact cut us to the heart and move us. Amen.

Jon Gerckens

Another Man's Treasure

Acts 4:8-12

Have you ever been fired up about something?  Sports, maybe?? (Certainly not in Central Ohio, right?)  Or perhaps someone cutting you off in traffic or an injustice committed against a friend or loved one?

Often when we’re “fired up” we open our mouths and all sorts of things fly out.  Well in today’s reading, Peter is fired up in a different way.  He’s filled with the Holy Spirit when he talks with the rulers and elders and sets them straight.  He’s not filled with the same righteous anger we might be, but instead speaks truth through the Spirit when he declares, “Hey, remember that guy you had killed?  Well, he’s risen and he’s the reason for this miracle before you.”

He goes on to describe Jesus like a stone that the masons rejected.  He brings to their attention that although they dismissed him, Jesus is the cornerstone or rock on which salvation rests.  Jesus is the only way.

Verse 11 brings this phrase to mind, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  Jesus’ value was not recognized at the time.  He was condemned and discarded.  His words considered rubbish.  Only a very few realized the true treasure he was and even they didn’t truly recognize his worth until he died and rose again.

Peter wants everyone to be absolutely certain who Jesus is and what He’s done.  He’s filled with the Spirit and fired up for his friend.  When he opens his mouth it’s not foul words, but truth that comes out.  I admire Peter’s example of speaking the truth with such passion.

Father, I want to be fired up and declare your Son as my treasure.  Fill me with the conviction of the Holy Spirit to speak the truth and share the gift of salvation.  Amen

The Church Has Left the Building

READ: Romans 10:17

Many of us struggle with sharing our faith. We don’t want to be seen as pushy; we’re afraid of rejection; and we feel unqualified to answer the tough questions others may challenge us with.

If you have these fears, I hope you can be encouraged by a few of my stories.

During a recent business lunch, I was asked why I became a real estate agent. I explained that I’m a follower of Jesus, sought his guidance, and felt like he was leading me into this career. The transition was difficult, but God blessed it. My title affiliate responded by talking about difficult transitions in her career and began to see how God’s hand was at work in her life too.

Another time I briefly met with a client on a Sunday afternoon. Certain that I had a busy day of selling ahead of me, he was surprised to hear that I was spending the afternoon volunteering at a picnic for incoming international students. He opened up about how he had been burned in the past by abusers of church-run charities. I encouraged him to look past the people who take advantage and consider those who are helped.

Finally, as I was exiting the hospital this month, I was confronted by a young man begging for a ride to his broken down car. Many people, exercising reasonable caution, had refused to help him and he was exhausted from walking. I felt secure enough in the situation to give him a ride, and he was very grateful. He asked who I was visiting at the hospital. I told him it was a friend I knew from Bible study, and he began to discuss his rough upbringing and eventual connection to the Lord. I was the help God wanted to send him that day.

None of these stories climax with the sinner’s prayer, but in each one someone was pointed toward the Lord because I am in an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, I look for natural opportunities to talk about that relationship, and I listen for a response. That last part is key. Listening is caring. Trade listening for arguing and conflict will come, but trade arguing for caring and the Spirit will come.

Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Holiness

READ: 1 Peter 1:13-16

BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.

The command seems so lofty. 

Me, holy? No one is righteous, not even one. I confess I am a sinner. I live by grace. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. I am unholy, sold as a slave to sin, but his grace abounds.

Now that sounds a little more like the Christians I know. 

But let us consider what the Bible says about this lofty holiness. 

The prophecy: “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:27)

Christ’s promise: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Prophecy and promise fulfilled: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:9)

Result: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

Therefore, we are not a defeated people, powerless against our base and sinful desires, but we who have received the Holy Spirit are a redeemed and victorious people fully capable of fulfilling the command to be holy as God is holy.

Yes, we are saved by grace, but saved for a purpose: to replicate his holiness.

Dead or Alive: Who Can Tell?

READ: Romans 8:5-8

My grandfather is dead. Physically dead. Embalmed, buried, resting under a tombstone. If I dug him up, heaved him over my shoulder, and the two of us came to visit you, would you have a hard time telling who’s alive and who’s dead?

If you can see, smell, touch, or hear, then no. There’s a big difference between alive and dead!

Ephesians 2 says that we were dead in our sins, gratifying the cravings of our flesh, when God made us alive with Christ. Spiritually dead. Spiritually alive. Shouldn’t there be a big difference?

Yet how often we hear, “You’re a Christian? I’ve known you for years. I didn’t know you were a Christian!” “Yep, go to church every Sunday. Don’t feel the need to broadcast it, though. It’s more of a personal thing for me.”

We are physically alive. We don’t need to broadcast it. It’s not a personal thing. We’re alive. You see us and you know.

We who have been saved by God’s grace are spiritually alive in Christ. When people see us, they should know.

Yet often they don’t. Why is that? Because we still live much of our lives gratifying the cravings of our flesh, following our selfish desires and caring nothing for the desires of God. Sure, we believe in Christ and want salvation and blessings, but our minds are set on ourselves, not on what the Spirit desires. We don’t look different because we aren’t different. If the mind governed by the flesh is death, we’re just dead people being propped up by our church friends and made to look alive.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Follow that will—the will of God, the desires of the Spirit—and you will appear very alive indeed!