Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee. There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.
Jesus called 12 men to follow Him. These men had different professions. They were different ages. Their family life was at different stages. They were not all best friends. How does that work? Can you imagine what it would be like to have yourself and 11 others invited to be part of a group like this? Folks you don’t know who are different from you in almost every way. Except, you all believed in God and were all waiting for the fulfillment of the greatest prophecy. This was just the beginning. They would go a long way together in just a few short years. And it would change their lives forever. Do you think they would have said yes if they knew what was coming? Is God inviting you to follow him in a new way? A deeper commitment? A way you’ve not considered before? Keep your eyes fixed on him. Be faithful in prayer. Be faithful in reading scripture. Let God lead you. Then rejoice in the process.