Pouring Out
In Mark 3:7-12, Jesus withdraws to the Sea of Galilee, and a crowd follows. The crowd is made up of an unprecedented group of people from: Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon (3:7-8).
This is incredible. People have heard of His miracles from everywhere, and those with diseases are pressing in just to touch him (3:10). (It was like a Covid-19 super-spreader event in Galilee!) For those who don’t care about what Jesus was doing or for those Roman soldiers occupied with keeping order, this must be a nightmare.
Filling Up
All throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus withdrawing to get some rest, and the crowds are always following, finding him, and pressing in. He often gets up earlier to get a head start to a desolate place to be alone with the Father and recharge.
My hope and prayer for you and me this holiday season is that we would resist the urge to be caught up in the consumerism of the month and instead spend time having our cups filled up.
Accountability
What is HE asking you to join him in next year? What goals would you set to ensure you stay on track, and who do you need to ask for accountability to help you walk in the right direction? In OPEN, we acknowledge that we all need mentors who provide excellent and relational accountability, keeping us on track in all that He has assigned us to do amongst the precious peoples we are serving.
If you don’t have a mentor yet, what steps can you take to get one? If you are a B4Ter on the field, contact us today at mentors@theopeneservices.net to start the process.
Greg is the President of OPEN USA. He used his education to work as a tentmaker in the Middle East for 8.5 years seeking to plant a church amongst a least-reached people group. Currently back in the USA with his wife and children, they aim to return to finish what the LORD used them to start.
To learn more about B4T, read Business for Transformation by Patrick Lai.