Mark 3:13-15

Every day I must remind myself of my true calling, especially in these crucial times of the now. How the devil would like for us to forget and become tripped up and sidetracked. We can so easily become taken up with the purpose of the calling that we forget the person whom we were called to serve. All the gospel writers make this so unmistakably clear to us in their writings, that beyond anything else and before anything we are called most preeminently to have a relationship with Him.

Mark, the evangelist, scripts it this way – “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons (Mark 3:13-15 NIV). In the King James version it states, “And he ordained twelve that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” (Mark 3:14,15). May the Master help us again to realize that there can be no effectiveness of ministry, no demonstration of supernatural power without the Church of God first spending real, quality time in His presence. There is no way that we can do the works of ministry without the power and presence of the divine Christ in our midst.

How awfully sad and pathetic it is to attempt to do ministry without Him. It is like putting the cart before the horse. We might try to do it but as we have seen repeatedly, very little is ever accomplished. We preach but with very little results. We lay hands on the sick but to no avail. We command but the demons resist even more stubbornly.

As we read this brief passage, I think it is so easy for us to miss these very indispensable words of power “… That they should be with him . . . “(14). Before any preaching, teaching, or evangelizing in any fashion, first we are called upon to consult and dialogue with Him. This certainly is the key to being effective apostles, bishops, pastors, teachers, evangelists, leaders, and members – spending time with Jesus. How beautiful the concept – ordained to be with Him, called to be with Him, designated to be with Him. The Head of the church, the Master of the universe, the Lord of creation desires that we, His called-out-ones spend time with Him even before we attempt to do anything ministerial or ecclesiastical.

The truth is we can get so busy doing ministry, answering emails, listening to complaints, working for God, attending meetings, going to church, doing social media, preaching sermons, that many times if we are not careful God is left out altogether. So busy working for God that we forget that we are working with God! So busy that many times we forget even to pray and read the Scriptures for our own edification and spiritual development. We are indeed consecrated and ordained to this very purpose, first to spend time with Him.

I prayerfully submit that meeting with Him and spending time with Him should be prioritized on our daily agenda. It must be on the top of our to-do list. It must be done not only penciled in. Otherwise, we come up dry and empty every time. No apostolic power is derived or demonstrated without this. This year we resolve to revive the discipline of the quiet time and having regular devotions with Him. Before anything else, we commit to earnest praying and spending quality time in the Master’s presence, first and foremost!