Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming The Good News of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has come near; Repent and Believe in The Good News!” –Mark 1:14B-15
The Twelve Apostles
Jesus summoned His twelve Disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast
them out and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve
Apostles: First, Simon also known as Peter; his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his
brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of
Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean; Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus.
The Mission of the Twelve
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles
and enter no town of the Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of the HouseofIsrael. As
you go proclaim the Good News, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; Give without
payment. Take no gold, silver or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or
sandals or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out
who in it is worthy and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house greet it. If the house is
worthy, let your peace come upon it but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If
anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you
leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
Coming Persecutions
“I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent
as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their
Synagogues; you will be dragged before governors and kings because of Me, as a testimony to
them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or
what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you
who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to
death and a father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
you will be hated by all because of My name but the one who endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have
gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A Disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; It is enough for the Disciple to
be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house
Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!”
Whom To Fear
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing
secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; what you hear
whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the
soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Hell. Are not two sparrows sold
for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father and even the
hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid, you are of more value than many
sparrows.
Everyone therefore who acknowledges Me before others, I also will acknowledge before My
Father in Heaven but whoever denies Me before others, I also will deny before My Father in
Heaven.”
Not Peace But a Sword
Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth;
I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father
and a daughter against her mother
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
and one’s foes will be members of one’s household.
Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me and whoever loves son or
daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me and whoever does not take up the Cross and follow
me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life for My
sake will find it.”
Rewards
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes Me and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent
Me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of the prophet will receive a prophet’s reward
and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the
reward of the righteous and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in
the name of a Disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” –Matthew 10:1-42
- You May Know the Joy of Salvation and Eternal Life Today,
Through The Good News of Christ Jesus!
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