Matthew 10:1-7
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
2 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; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
2 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; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Don't we always think of the Disciples together when Jesus was doing His Ministry?
Jesus points this out in the very short passage, Jesus sends the 12 out to do healing. Jesus isn't here long to do His ministry, and He does not insist they sit at His feet. Jesus Christ was and is like Medical School, see one, do one. The Christ of God, Jesus, didn't send out the Disciples after months of preparation, He sent them out to Proclaim Heaven is coming to earth.
And that makes sense, when Jesus was speaking to the person God had sent Jesus to see that day, Jesus is rarely interrupted by a Disciple asking a question or commenting.
Jesus didn't micromanage.
Jesus fully had Faith, the Message of the Good News was in God's Hands and would change the world. He saw a new Heaven and a new earth.
Jesus is Living the Lord's Prayer.
Abba, Holy Name, Kingdom of Heaven on earth
Give us this Day
Daily Bread
Forgiveness
no temptation
end evil
Miracles and Blessings Abound, Thine is the Kingdom, Power and Glory.
Discipleship is to follow Jesus.
If Jesus was living my life, what would I do to please Jesus.
Given His Word for me to do, how will I do my life best.
Jesus did ordinary things for many years. Although, Mary had quite a few unbelievable successes. Discipleship is to have encouragement, strengthening, nurture in God to do His Will. This is not cheap grace. This is working His Word for our lives.
Ministry is telling the Good News. Ministry is sharing how Jesus has helped you. Ministry is sharing the Good News in other's life. When you give Agape Love, this is your life experience.
My mother had Alzheimer's and spent quite a few years not living Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. However, now is the season and time to remember my mother's better years.
One of her absolute favorite phrases in the Bible was and is:
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the water and it will return to you.
As a child, this would provide hilarity to friends my age visiting. What does this mean? Feed the ducks? Soggy dinner bread?
Turns out Solomon and Isaiah considered this.
Isaiah 32:20
Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.
Cast your bread on the waters: for you shall find it after many days.
Isaiah 32:20
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
Which brings us to the gift she gave us in 2016 to re-plaster the pool at our house.
2016 - My pool was recently re-plastered. Wow, this was needed. This was a gift to us, given by someone who cares and is family. My mom. And because we got a very, very good quote we didn't get all the information we needed. It was all easy going.
However, I had shared the Good News with the man having a new baby, who had fixed our pool a few months back. He'd found out this was being quoted and wanted to quote. I had questions about pool plastering. And the man who told me he just couldn't meet the price we got, came over and told us we found good subcontractors. And he explained about the start-up done on new pools.
This was in the dire to not be informed area. And this man made his way to our house to explain to us the complete and lengthy process of putting together a pool after new plaster.
Without this man having a new baby, with whom I'd shared the Good News of Jesus, we wouldn't have known what to do. It could have very well been an entirely ruined job. Instead, sharing the Lord saved the Plaster.
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the water and it will return to you.
People want to be told about Jesus.
Jesus wants us to be the people who fulfill our vows. Listen and obey the Word of God given to us. People believe when we give our word - this is what we do.
The World actually hungers to know Jesus.
And then they want to know if Jesus will still love them in their brokenness. In the doubts and in their failures. Does Jesus really never leave or abandon us. Jesus is that Good.
The circle is Love, without beginning, without end. Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
Mark 3:34
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers!
This week was:
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the water and it will return to you.
My mother was 88 years old. We are a long-lived family, but suddenly the people we had known for decades had mostly passed on. None of us had fully thought about this until this all started happening. We even discussed not having a Memorial Service because who would come? We live outside of Dallas. And then, we found a few more and a few more.
Mother's 1956 Church Membership at St. Michael's and All Angels in Dallas will see her for the last time, December 11th, as she entered into God's Kingdom. Soon we would discuss the flower arrangements. My mother had been a 3rd generation flower person, or in the 1970s, we'd have said to make more clarity, someone interested in flowers and botany. (Not a flower child!)
The Church put me in touch with the Florist they use. And he said to me, "Anne Anderson? Anne Anderson, who attended St. Michael's???" Yes, I did agree. "Your MOM?" Yes. "What happened to Anne?!" I had to pause. Dallas has countless Florists. Did he know my mom? "Yes, she ordered for All the Ebby Events! She Loved Flowers!!!" I said, he had this exactly right, my mom did and did and surely loves Flowers. "Right, but what Happened to ANNE?"
We shared about my mom. My mother loved to be fun and be funny. And this worked when she was well. She loved to have as many parties as anyone I ever knew. And flowers were always going to be part of this.
This last week I got the most huge amount of Gifted Flower's I've ever had.
When Alexander and his girlfriend arrived to give this to me, they asked if I'd ever seen a bigger Poinsettia. And I had to smile, yes, in Pennsylvania, our cat had kittens and the baby cats liked to nap in the bottom of the Poinsettia tree or bush or shrub - this.
This Poinsettia gift is as large as a table seating 6 people.
And the Florist said to me, "What flowers would your mom like?" She would like to have 2 huge Poinsettias the Church can use for the Christmas Season! And she would. The kindly Florist didn't find any because the Pandemic has affected their supply chain. And the next day none. The next day, yes, 3 huge Poinsettias. Mother's Memory is giving the Church 3 Gigantic Poinsettias. Mother worked on the Altar Guild, and we would set up Poinsettias in Advent!
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the water and it will return to you.
Mother had been so upset to find the kittens liked to nap in the huge Poinsettia pot. That tree never suffered any baby cat damage.
These are called, Pearly Everlastings.
Abba, Father,
Thank You for Christmas. Having the Holy Spirit each day is Joy, Peace, Love, Patience, Goodness, Steadfast and Self Control. Thank You.
Bless us to dwell with You daily.
Bless us to Seek You first.
Bless us to finish well.
Help me to be doing God’s will and be Your brother and sister and mother.
Bless this Nation with peace
Let peace flow for Your Beloved.
Jesus Christ saves the world.
Merry Christmas!
In the Highest Name of Jesus, Thank God. Amen.
In the Highest Name of Jesus, Thank God. Amen.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling-places, in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
Roads of Heaven
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