I Can Do That!

I Can Do That! I Can Do That! David Kelley recently sent a study that convinced me that I am more like the apostles than I thought I was. Quite frequently we see these men as so super spiritual that we could never do what they did. As I was reminded of these scriptures, however, I kept saying to myself "I can do that!" For example, Jesus said they were fools and slow of heart to believe the prophets (Lk. 24:25.) Such a thought made me feel right at home. One day as they were traveling, they forgot to take provisions. Zounds! I said, "I can do that!" On another occasion they tried to cast out a demon and failed (Mk. 9:18.) Then they criticized a man who did cast out demons because he didn't follow them (Mk. 9:38.) Hey! I'm starting to feel right at home. Then there was the time the Samaritans refused them hospitality and they wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy them (Lk. 9:54.) Or what about the time they rebuked those who brought little infants to Jesus (Lk. 18:15?) Or what about the time they didn't understand Jesus and were afraid to ask (Mk. 9:32?) By this time I'm starting to think: "Hey! I'm apostolic timber" after all." Then there are those many references to "fear" in the apostles. They were afraid in a boat (Lk. 8:25.) They were afraid on a mountain (Mk. 9:6.) When they saw Jesus walking on the water and were afraid (John 6:19.) When Peter saw the wind and waves he also was afraid (Matt. 14:30.) On the way to Jerusalem they were "amazed and afraid" (Mk. 10:32.) After the resurrection they didn't say anything to any man because they were afraid (Mk. 16:8.) Maybe all of us are more like the apostles than we thought we were! The apostles disputed among themselves about which of them was the greatest (Mk. 9:34.) On another occasion they were moved with indignation against their brethren (Matt. 20:24.) They criticized Mary for her generosity (Matt. 26:8.) They also had wrongful indignation against her (Mk. 14:4.) They slept while Jesus prayed (Lk. 9:32.) They fled at the time of His arrest (Matt. 26:56.) They refused to believe the testimony about His resurrection (Mk. 16:11.) At the time Jesus gave them the Great Commission, some still doubted (Matt. 28:17.) Please consider these words of Scripture: "And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles" (Lk. 6:12-13.) The apostles of Jesus were carefully chosen after a night of prayer. He selected men who were quite ordinary. In fact, they were just like us. We can identify with their lives. We can do many of the things they did, and we can also understand their fears and frustrations. But wait! There were also other things which the apostles did. They denied themselves and took up a cross. They left their homes and went into all the world to preach the Gospel. They were constantly in danger, and most died as martyrs. They had thousands of converts and many remarkable answers to prayer. Is it possible that we can do these things too? Yes we can! Apostolic power came from Jesus. These men would have been total failures on their own. That's why Jesus commanded them not to try it by themselves. He said to "wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4.) He promised them: "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you . . . " (Acts 1:8.) This same power is available to us today. "And now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the church . . . (Eph. 3:20-21.)