1 Peter 5:8-10 English Standard Version

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

What have I experienced that might be of use to someone?

In these verses is one word in which I pray will offer help to some reader somewhere. That word is confirm.

There was a time in my earlier training that I was part of a ministry team that stood before the congregation to offer help. Being the newest member of the team I found myself without anyone that chose to come to me. Long lines formed in front of the others. People were willing to wait to be ministered to by the ones they had confidence in as servants of the Lord. I was an untested resource.

Then one day, a man in pain was desperate enough to get out of the long line and come to me, who had no one before me. He told me of his pain. I laid hands on him and the Holy Spirit moved in power and healed him immediately.

Was I gifted with the power to heal? No. Did this man deserve to be healed more than the others? No.

What happened was the Lord used an opportunity to confirm in me that Christ could and would use me if I made myself available in whatever manner He should so choose.

If anyone out there feels the way I felt, unused and unwanted, do not lose heart. Do not give up because the Lord is the one who restores, confirms, strengthens and establishes.

Just keep making yourself available.

Mark 6:7-13 English Standard Version

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.[no undergarment] 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

The first thing we should note is that it is Jeus who gives us the authority to minister the gospel to the lost.

The second should be that Judas was one of the twelve given authority. Yes, that same Judas that would betray Christ with a kiss. We should acknowledge that our worthiness has nothing to do with obedience of faith. If we are called to do the work of an evangelist, the authority given to us by Jesus is sufficient.

These times are different from those first evangelistic efforts. They could walk to their mission field. Ours may be around the world. Jesus charged them to take nothing. It is unlikely that Jesus would charge us to go without being prepared. Just because He charged the twelve to take nothing does not mean that applies to us, except for one thing. We must all rely on God to provide for His work.

The instruction to not take two tunics might seem an odd instruction and has its roots in our attitude. That first tunic is a chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin. The outset garment is the only thing keeping them from being naked. Naked from the very beginning in the garden is to be seen as being vulnerable. An attitude of vulnerability will be seen by those we encounter as humility. It will put them at ease as they listen to what we have to say.

Verse 11 tells us not to go where we are not welcomed. We are not to force the gospel on anyone that is not willing to listen. Kicking the dust off our shoes upon leaving is a sign that we have not sinned and that sin lays at their door. We have not given up on them, they were not ready.

Where in all this is it said that we have to be worthy to spread the gospel? Nowhere is it found. What is found is a reliance on God to make His will be known to everyone involved.