October 15, 2012 … Here Am I … Send Me!

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 289

Blogger’s Note: Yesterday I charged any readers here with me to listen/see a You Tube praise song to prepare for my devotional. I repeat that charge today by asking any fellow seekers today to listen to a wonderful piece written and performed by the modern psalmist, Marty Goetz. The song is entitled, Heneni – Here Am I, Send Me – linked here … 

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Mark, Chapter 4-5 To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Highlight Passage: Matthew 10: 1-4; 16-20 : [NLT] … {Jesus calls out the twelve inner core of disciples; and we see that Jesus must’ve seen more in these 12 than would have been seen by us or the world. These were twelve with many flaws and many weaknesses; but Jesus called them to be HIS Disciples.} … 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), 3 Philip, Bartholomew [likely was also called Nathaniel – see John 1: 45-51], Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus [also known as Judas, son of James – see Luke 6: 16], 4 Simon (the Zealot), and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). …  
{And in Jesus’ charge, He prepares His disciples for what will lie ahead for those who are identified as His close followers and messengers.} … 16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. 18 And you must stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me—yes, to witness to the world. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say in your defense, because you will be given the right words at the right time. 20 For it won’t be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 
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Cross Reference Passage: Isaiah 6: 5-8 : [NLT] … {When God calls, the only response can be as Marty Goetz sings in his song, “Heneni – Here Am I, Send Me!”} … 5 Then I [Isaiah to the seraphim, the Lord’s angel] said, “My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” 8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?” And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.” 
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Cross Reference Passage: Mathew 28: 18-20 : [NLT] … {And later, when the LORD was lifted into heaven the remaining inner disciples – minus, of course, Judas of Iscariot, were again called by the Lord, which became the commission of all of Jesus’ disciples – and that’s to you and me as well from the Great Commission.} … 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 

My Journal for Today: Matthew 10 is another of those loaded chapters in the synoptic gospel accounts; but at the outset of the chapter there is the account, also found in Mark 3 and Luke 6, of the twelve who were called to be Jesus’ inner core of Disciples. And as soon as I read through the names of these twelve, my memory of Scripture took me to the account in Isaiah 6 (copied above) where God called Isaiah, who felt himself to be way below God’s calling, to be His messenger – His Old Testament “apostle.” And here were these twelve very diverse and flawed individuals that Jesus, God in the flesh, was calling out to be His chosen followers. And we read in Matthew 10: 16-20, copied above, that Jesus warned them that they were going to face severe opposition.

Well, I hope you’ve listened to the Marty Goetz song, to which I linked you above, because it says about all I could say today in this devotional. Because, … when Jesus left this earth, ascending into heaven to be with His Father again, The Lord re-commissioned His disciples, the remaining 11 (minus Judas, of course) to “go and make disciples” in His Name. And that passage (also copied above from Matthew 28) is God calling and commissioning all disciples to “GO” in His Name … to share His Gospel message … to be the agents of change in the lives of all who would believe in Jesus, … knowing that Jesus, through His Spirit, will be with us as we go.

So, just like Isaiah responded to God’s call; and just like the twelve disciples responded to Jesus’ call on that beach near Capernaum, and just like the remaining 11 would respond to Jesus’ ascension commission, we, who are Jesus’ disciples now need to be saying, as Marty Goetz sings, “Heneni – Here Am I – Send Me!”

My Prayer Today: … Yes, LORD, … here I am … send me! Amen