April 23rd, 21

Jesus is sending them out two by two, with his credentials. They're going out as his disciples with his authority and his message. And they're also going out with his compassion. Jesus wants us to go out with his credentials and his compassion. That's what Jesus wants from us as His disciples. When we do that, we begin to experience His kingdom life. And we begin to see him in a clear light, and experience His compassion in our own life, in a new way.

But we shouldn't be surprised when people misunderstand. Or we shouldn't take offense when we experienced persecution. That's what Jesus experienced. That's what he did. And that's what came his way. He tells us quite plainly, that it's going to be the same for us, too. So are you rejected by family or your religious community, or by authorities, because you serve Him and offer his message of love and grace for all? Well, you shouldn't be surprised if you're rejected. Jesus says, because that's what happened to him too. And yet, Jesus still sends us out into this world, just like he did with the 12. He sends us with his credentials, and his compassion, and his very presence, Christ in you. He's sending us out as his apprentice. And he wants you to see this broken world, the way that he sees it. He sees it through the eyes of his father, he sees it with a heart to restore, to make new, to heal. He sees it (the world) with compassion. And he wants us to see the same. So let's go out. Let's do what he told us to do. Let's respond to His command to go into all the world, taking his credentials and his compassion and make Him known. We do this in the power of Christ himself, who lives in abides in you. So let us go with great joy in the power of the Spirit, and do what he's asked us to do.

And that's a prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family for my wife, my daughters and my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May be so.

You are loved!