When... Don't worry...

Matthew 10:19-20 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. As Christ sent out His apostles, He gave them promises about what they could look forward to on their mission. They could count on persecution and being arrested. He does not say "if you are arrested...", He says "When..." They could count on it. But rather than give them instructions on what to do, He addressed what they would say. He did not want them, or us, to worry about how to deal with persecution; He does want us to think about what we will say when we find ourselves in that place. But even more than that, He wants us to realize and rely upon the ever-present Holy Spirit to guide us and strengthen us.

Behold, Beware, Bear Witness...

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. (Matthew 10:16-18 ESV) As Jesus sent out the Twelve, He gave them clear instructions what they were being given authority to do. He then outlined a simple, straightforward outline of what would happen. They had to go into this thing with eyes wide open: they were going to be watched. Some would be ready to pounce on their every word and action, criticizing, even persecuting them, while others would be watching to see if their words and actions matched. They also had to realize that it was more than verbal criticism they would face; there was real physical punishment and even legal action. This was no adventure for wimps; it involved exciting risk. But all this would lead to something great: the opportunity to bear witness for Christ before people of influence, to do something that would impact the world. Whom does God want us to bear witness to today? Are we willing to take the risks? Do we realize we are being watched? May He make a difference through us.

Can I judge who is worthy???

Matthew 10:11-15 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. At first glance, this is one of those troubling passages: "Are we to judge who is worthy to hear the Gospel?" The context, however has to do with who is worthy of offering hospitality. What we are given is guidelines based upon receptivity. "If they will not welcome you or listen to your words..." is the factor to keep in mind. It is part of being a good steward. We have only so much time and energy. We need the heart of compassion of Christ that looks out on the fields of humanity in their great need, that makes us wants us to let everyone know. But when we are not received, we need to ask Him: "Where now?" It is not a matter of judging "Who is worthy to receive what God is offering?", but "Who is Wanting to receive what God is offering?"

Living Light..

Matthew 10:9-10 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. As Jesus sent out the Apostles two by two, one of His instructions was to "travel light," to take along as little as possible. This, of course, was for at least two reasons: so what they had with them could not weigh them down and slow them down, and, so they would learn to depend upon God and His people to provide them what they needed. These are lessons few of us have learned well. We have too much stuff that "slows us down" in serving Him, and, we trust in ourselves (and maybe Uncle Sam) to provide, instead of God and His people. How much is too much? Wrong question. How little is enough? May we learn more today how to live light and follow Him.

Don't stop listen until The Lord stops talking...

Matthew 10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. In these marching orders, Jesus gives the who and where, the what, and the why. They were to go to only thier fellow Jews who lived in Jewish territory. Whew! No Gentiles or pigs!!!. They were to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. Easy enough, that's all they had heard Jesus talk about day after day! And they had seen Him do enough miracles that they might have that down pat. But with these things, the mind can wander - me, the great preacher, doing great miracles!!! We can very easily stop listening, start daydreaming, and miss the last part. Why are we to do this? because we are recipients of God's grace. The natural response to receiving what He gives is to give it to others. It is not because we are so worthy or so great (especially as we compare ourselves to the "heathen.") He has given. His Kingdom is a kingdom of followship His standards: Freely Give.

Seeing my place in God's plan

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Matthew 10:1-4 ESV) As Matthew records the preparation for his first road trip without Jesus, he has a clear perspective on who he is in God's plan. First, he realizes that Christ did not give him all authority. He and his comrades had been given limited authority. It was an awesome privilege to be among the select few, but he knew he was not the one with all the authority Christ had demonstrated. Secondly, Matthew puts himself in the middle of the pack. He was not a standout at either end like Peter or Judas Iscariot. And he was okay with that. He rejoiced that he was a part of the kingdom, a member of the team, a part of what God was doing. Can we see where and how we fit in to God's plan? Are we okay with that?

The Heart of the Shepherd....

Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” In this Chapter, Matthew has finally joined the team. Having witnessed all he had heard and seen about Jesus, he has accepted the call to follow Him. After a round of seeing more miracles and hearing more of the Gospel, the one thing he observes about Jesus is His compassion. He is a caring Shepherd who sees the effects of sin on human lives, and He is determined to do something about them. He then turns to Matthew and the others and challenges them to get on board - not only with the task at hand, but with the character He has displayed. He wants noting less from us as His followers today - to look on those around us wallowing in life, having compassion on them, and sharing the love and truth He died to bring.