Presenting ...
... a weekly letter of encouragement.
Singapore
December 12, 1994
Good Morning!
NEVER GIVE UP ON ANOTHER PERSON!
How easy it is to write people off who fail to live up to our
expectations:
John Mark, a youthful recruit of Paul and Barnabas, walked out
on the team in the middle of a missionary journey. A "deserter."
(Acts 12:25; 13:13).
Three years later Paul and Barnabas sharply disagree over this
quitter...this "deserter." Barnabas wants to take him
on yet another missionary journey, and Paul adamantly says no.
(Acts 15:37 - 39)
John Mark: The quitter. The deserter. The cause of sharp dissension
among Christian leaders. A looser.
NOT QUITE:
Years after John Mark's failure, Paul writes from
a prison cell asking Timothy to "Pick up Mark and bring
him with you for he is useful to me."
(II Timothy 4:11)
John Mark, the "deserter" had become "useful"
to hard-nosed Paul.
Of John Mark, F. F. Bruce writes:
He "was to play an important part in Christian
history OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS"+:
- Acted as Peter's interpreter in Rome
- Reproduced Peter's preaching in the Gospel of Mark
- Founded the church in Alexandria, Egypt
- Probably served as Dr. Luke's informant in the early accounts
of Acts
Tough-minded Paul wrote John Mark off as a deserter...a
looser.
Battle "softened" Barnabas believed in John Mark
and reinstated him to the cause.
AND JOHN MARK ROSE TO BECOME A SIGNIFICANT FORCE IN THE FOUNDING
OF THE EARLY CHURCH!
So...NEVER GIVE UP ON ANOTHER PERSON! Only God knows
what they may become!
Have a great week!
Dwight Hill
+ "The Book of Acts" - F. F. Bruce, Page 251
© Copyright 1996 Dwight Hill. Unlimited permission to copy or use is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.
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