(Mark 6:7) “And he called unto him the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;” The calling of God is more than just a call to be saved, it’s also a calling to mature spiritually. When we first get saved, we are considered “babes in Christ” (1 Peter 2:2). Meaning that newly saved people know very little about God, spiritual life, or the Bible. Therefore, spiritual growth (like the growth of a child) takes place over time. Jesus sent his disciples “forth to preach,” to experience the ministry first hand and to learn to live by his power. Three lessons are seen here. 1) Come to Christ. The apostles saw that they needed to come and follow Jesus to grow in faith, but unfortunately today not all believers see the need to spend time listening to him and his Word. There are two ways that we spend time with Jesus; first is in personal devotions, and the second is when we come to church and are fed by God’s Word. If a Christian is not doing both, he/she will not grow in spiritual maturity. 2) Obey his Commission. “and he sent them forth.” After salvation we must go forward in our new life, and not back to the old. We are not just called to listen and learn, but to also preach and teach to others what we learn. 3) Go by faith. The apostles were commanded to bring nothing with them, so as to learn and see that God will provide for our needs as we go. Spiritual maturity takes place as we see God keep his Word, and as we grow in our ability to trust in him no matter what the situation. For if we listen and obey, God will do the rest!
(Mark 11:23) "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."Over a hundred years ago, the great evangelist Dr. R. A. Torrey told the story of one little church in Maine that was dead spiritually. In fact, most of the churches in that town were pretty dead, but in this one particular church a few of its godly men decided to petition God for a miracle, and so they said, "here we are, uneducated laymen, but let us form a praying band, and center our prayers on the salvation of one man." So, they decided on one of the hardest men in town, a hopeless drunkard, and centered their prayers on him. To their amazement in just a week this man was converted. Seeing therefore the impossible become possible, they began to pray for another, and then another, unti…
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