 has been his approach ever since, to send out his followers to tell others about him. For 2,000 years, we, the church, have been sent out, just as the first twelve disciples were. It is an incredible privilege, even if a somewhat daunting one.
The disciples were given three tasks.
Firstly, to have authority over evil spirits, to drive out demons. To challenge and address evil, in whatever form it may take. In biblical times there was a very strong belief in demon possession. I have lived in other parts of the world where that is still the case, and even in this country I have come across just on a couple of occasions situations where there has been a very tangible sense of evil, an evil that has needed to be confronted and challenged. The disciples were given authority to challenge such evil, to bring hope and light into situations of fear and darkness. For us today, by God’s grace, we may encounter such things rarely, if at all, but sadly evil and wrong manifests itself in other ways too – in greed, injustice, hatred, lust, slander, in the ways we treat and abuse others. Part of our calling as Christians is to stand up and oppose such evil, to say “enough is enough”. Look around you – are there situations where you need to take a stand today?
Secondly, the disciples were to go into communities bringing healing. That meant physical healing through prayer but it also meant bringing other forms of healing too – reconciliation to fractured relationships, love to the unloved, hope to those in despair. As Christians we should be sources of healing in our communities. Look around you today – how can you bring Christ’s healing into broken or hurting situations that you are aware of?
And thirdly, the disciples were to preach, to speak about Jesus. At such an early stage in the ministry of Jesus it is difficult to imagine what else the disciples would have been able to say other than to talk about their own encounters with Jesus, what they had witnessed, what he meant to them. They didn’t have a well-worked out theology, they didn’t have a clear message to communicate. But they could talk about what Jesus meant to them, this man who had totally transformed their lives, who had opened their eyes to seeing the world in fresh ways, this man who both loved them and awed them at the same time, this man who gave them hope and peace and meaning. “Come and find out more, come and meet him,” they could say.
I know we can find it difficult but as we begin to talk more freely to one another about what Christ means to us, whether in our home groups, or over tea and coffee, or in the knitting group, or wherever, we may find that it becomes easier to share with others beyond the church as well. I wonder – who could you share with about faith this week?
Two final things.
Christ would never have been rejected at Nazareth had he just descended from heaven as a fully-formed semi-human, semi-angelic being, full of mystery and totally unknowable. But God in Christ chose a different way. He chose to live his life fully among us, to live our life, to be fully integrated into our world, to communicate his love by action as well as word, by being as well as doing.
And he asks the same of the disciples too. He instructs them to travel light – only a staff and sandals – but no food or money by which means they could stay aloof from the villages they visited. When they arrived somewhere they had no choice but to rely on others, to live in people’s homes. For people to be able to see them up close and personal and decide whether the integrity of their lives matched the words of their message. At times that may lead to rejection, but living out the message is as important as speaking it – both are needed. That is true for us too: we are called to live open lives, lives of integrity, lives of transparency, lives that reflect the light of God within us.
And a final encouragement, maybe as you think of those in your family, or close friends, who have rejected or turned their backs on faith. Some of Jesus’ brothers we know shared the same bewilderment and scepticism as much of the rest of the village, and rejected Jesus at the time. However in later life we know that they came to believe. Indeed, James, one of his brothers, becomes the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and is key to holding the church together while Peter and Paul are off on their missionary journeys. We should not give up hope for those who we love. Keep praying. Things can change.
Christ knew that mission is hard, but he calls us to join him in the task: to challenge evil, to bring healing, to tell others of what he means to us. May God help each one of us to live out this calling.SDSM’s whole Executive Board, all six Vice Presidents of the party, the Organisational Secretary, the Sec Gen, the Women’s Forum Coordinator and the International Secretary were dismissed during the session of the ruling party’s Central Board on Sunday. This was announced by PM and party leader Zoran Zaev after the end of the session. He thanked everyone for their terms. As the SDSM leader added, Ljupco Nikolovski will become the new Sec Gen and will no longer serve as Agriculture Minister. According to the decision, the dismissed persons are: Sec Gen Aleksandar Kiracovski, Organisational Secretary Mile Zecevic, International Secretary Dane Talevski, Women’s Forum Coordinator Cvetanka Laskova and Vice Presidents Frosina Tasevska Remenski, Oliver Spasovski, Petre Silegov, Blagoj Bocvarski, Damjan Mancevski and Muhamed Zekiri. The SDSM leader also said that more than three ministers would be replaced. That means there would be a reshuffle. He revealed neither the exact number nor the names, and only said that new party management will be elected either on 9 or on 16 June.
Storm has introduced Quadra, a four time-zone watch that was chosen by Storm’s owner.
The special edition watch has a contemporary leather strap as well as the four time-zone multi dial, making it a fine choice for travellers.
The style was chosen specially by the owner of Storm and is available in black, silver, slate and rose gold, in a limited production run.
If they made a USA Total War and it was top selling on North American Steam people would probably call it nationalism, as it is usually attributed to one of the reasons why CoD and Battlefield games sell so well. It's also nationalism when a lot of Japanese game companies make a lot of games focused on the Sengoku period. Nationalism is, itself, not a bad word and has gained a negative connotation from the political meaning and cultural superiority tie. Likewise, the Chinese government has a historical narrative that, in part, argues for their legitimacy which is focused on a historical national identity, of which the Rot3K is a notable part of said narrative. [Here](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1406288?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents) and [here](https://thediplomat.com/2016/04/the-three-kingdoms-three-paths-for-chinas-future/) are some sources on the subject.Eltham Concrete Polishing for a Brilliant Basement!
This Eltham concrete polishing project resulted in a great bonus space for any Melbourne family.
Just like our other work, the floors came to life after finishing the Eltham concrete polishing job.
New or existing concrete floors can both be candidates for concrete polishing. They are evaluated and repaired during the polishing process. Polished concrete is incredibly versatile and suits both residential and commercial settings.
During the Eltham concrete polishing work, the process began with heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with diamond abrasive grits were used to grind down the floor to the desired level of shine and smoothness.
The last step during the Eltham concrete polishing project was to apply sealers to help increase the concretes already impressive durability and reduce the need for maintenance. Sealers are available in Acrylic, Epoxy or Polyurethane and they can be used on all concrete surfaces and can come in either satin or gloss finishes.
The final outcome was a stunning high gloss finish that will make a great foundation for family fun.
With such a high number of options, polished concrete is quickly replacing the more traditional methods such as timber and tiles in businesses and homes alike. The Eltham concrete polishing job showcased all the benefits and transformed the floor into a sleek, sophisticated piece of functional art.
At Eco Grind, we can help create a beautiful new canvas from drab, old concrete. Servicing all areas of Greater Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and Geelong, the team at Eco Grind are here to make your floors shine.
Contact us today for an obligation-free quote, and let concrete polished floors become the greatest feature in your home.It's All About Kids
Help raise money for teachers and their classrooms by turning in your empty ink cartridges to the school. We collect any type of cartridge, small or large, we take them all.
Empty cartridges can be given to your homeroom teacher or you can put them in the recycling container inside the front entrance of the school.
Thank you for your support!A second Rigged on Empress AD, because one is never enough.
Yes, a new drummer rigged! Plus, drum mic'ing tips from Baptists' producer