THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Luke 6:12-16
Matthew 10:5-8

“…as ye go, preach, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

THE TWELVE

Jesus separated Himself from the people to pray on a mountain. His prayer was most probably in relation to the choice of His twelve Apostles. He showed by His example how important it was to pray before embarking on a task or making decisions. He communed with His Father all night, showing the difficulty that lay ahead.

Many followed Him, but He called only twelve to be His apostles. An Apostle is one who is sent forth directly by Christ particularly commissioned to preach the gospel. They became the inner circle of His ministry. He knew them even before the foundation of the world. Having known that Judas was the traitor, Jesus could have removed him from being an Apostle. But God who foreordained these things allowed Jesus to choose one who would betray Him (John 6:70-71).

He chose the twelve men personally, one by one. He appointed and ordained them that they should be with Him and later work in the ministry He had for them. They were not chosen to be His inner circle of friends but as partakers of His authority and power. The Master gave them the authority to preach the kingdom of God, and on top of that, Jesus gave them power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. Today, we may not be Apostles, but as believers, we are given the commission to preach and teach God’s Word. We are granted the honour to speak forth the Word of Life that has the power to save from the condemnation of eternal fire. We are God’s messengers of the great, glad tidings of eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. Having this privilege of being ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ sent forth to do the King’s business, are we doing it with zeal? Are we obeying the command of God to be His representatives on earth? Are we doing the assignment that He has given to us?

THOUGHT: Am I doing what is expected of me as a Christian?
PRAYER: Father, Thou hast granted me that great and heavenly calling. Help me to do it with all my might.