Monthly Archives: February 2016

The One that matters won’t hate you (Matthew 10:21-23) February 29, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 32-35

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:21-23
Jesus: Your task will be fraught with betrayal: brother will betray brother, even to the point of death; fathers will betray their children, and children will rebel against their fathers, even to the point of death. When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next town. This is the truth: you will not be able to witness to every town in Israel before the Son of Man comes. Everyone will hate you because of Me. But remember: the one who stays on the narrow path until the end will be saved.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Who would have believed history would unfold the way it has over the last fifty years? I think about the really bad kids in my school when I was growing up. They smoked behind the bleacher! How terrible! We had no drugs in the schools. No police stood at the doors to the schools. We didn’t worry about guns or knives in backpacks. No one abused illegal or prescription drugs. Once in a long while you would hear about a teenage pregnancy, but those were few and far between. There were a lot more virgins that not and those that were not were frowned upon.

No one “lived together” to see if they were compatible before getting married. Divorce was a bad word and husbands and wives learned to work out their differences. Almost all the kids I grew up with had two parents…at home. And they were they same parents that were there at their birth! Amazing, isn’t it. Now, pornography is one of the biggest vices in the church. Divorce rates in the church exceed those in the secular world. Police walk the halls of middle schools and high schoolers face metal detectors when they enter their buildings. Smoking cigarettes is still a problem, but so is marijuna, ectascy, cocaine, crack, prescription drugs, and all sorts of homemade concoctions.

We live in evil times. And with the degradation of society, we get the news reports of fathers and mothers killing their children. We hear about children killing their parents. We read about the random slaughter of innocent people. Violence and disregard for human life runs rampant. Is it any wonder the words of Jesus mean more now than they did when He spoke them 2000 years ago? As men and women try to satisfy their selfish desires with more and more of what the world offers, is it a surprise that His words are true today as they were then?

Men will hate you if you tell them about dying to selfish desire and living for Christ. Men will hate you if you talk about repentance and obedience to God’s word. Men will hate you if you tell them the only way to heaven is by following Jesus’ example. Men will hate you for bearing the righteousness of God because of His forgiveness and His Spirit in you. Jesus promised they will hate you if you carry His message to them.

So what are we to do? Continue to share the message. Continue to love. Just because those of the world will hate you, doesn’t mean you can hate them back. In fact, if God has forgiven you, you can’t hate them. He says we are forgiven in the same measure that we forgive. How can you hate and forgive at the same time? You can’t. We must love our enemies. Do good to those who persecute us. Pray for those who wrong us. Jesus knew we would face tremendous opposition when we share His message in this evil world. But this isn’t the end.

As we help others understand the truth of Jesus’ message, some will hate us. But some will learn about Him and be gathered into His kingdom. Some will repent because His kingdom is at hand. Some will recognize their evil ways, their brokeness and want to find freedom from the burden of sin they carry. Some will listen to your words and want the peace and joy they see in your face. And for those few who find the narrow path on which we walk, all the trials and persecution and suffering and heartache will be worth it.

Jesus lays out the job description pretty well for His disciples. The road ahead will be a hard one. Even relatives, parents, children, siblings will turn against one another because of the message you share. So ingrained is the desire to satisfy our selfish pleasures that we would turn against those we love the most.

But there is a better way and those who follow Christ know that way. Just keep your eyes on Him and follow in His footsteps as He leads you along. Keep doing what He asks of you. Will it be easy. Not always. But He will never give you a task that you cannot accomplish with His help. He promises. You will be hated, but not by the only One who matters in the end. So just keep sharing His message. He’ll reward you in the end. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Don’t worry, just talk (Matthew 10:18-20) February 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Corinthians 1-2

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:18-20
Jesus: Because of Me, naysayers and doubters will try to make an example out of you by trying you before rulers and kings. When this happens—when you are arrested, dragged to court—don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. The words you should speak will be given to you. For at that moment, it will not be you speaking; it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

A great job description, don’t you think? Join my firm and the people that don’t like what you say will drag you before the highest authorities in the land and have you arrested and taken into court for your “crimes”. But don’t worry about it. Don’t worry that those authorities have the power to execute you. Don’t worry that the naysayers and doubters are paying off those officials and have the power to get you arrested and thrown into prison in the first place. Don’t worry about any of that. Just join my company and do what I tell you to do. How would you like those instructions?

Notice Jesus didn’t mince words here. “When this happens,” He says. “When you are arrested and dragged into court, not if. This is going to happen to you. You’re going to find yourself in jail. You’re going to be arrested. You’ll get your mug shots on the post office wall as part of the most wanted crowd. But don’t worry about it. You’ll have your day in court.”

Can you imagine the looks on the disciples faces as they heard those words? What? We’re going to be arrested, thrown in jail, go to court, stand in front of kings and judges? What are we supposed to say to them? What is our defense against those that doubt You? You’ll be miles away in some other city, how are we supposed to defend ourselves against these guys? What do you mean don’t worry about what to say?

I can just see their eyes grow wide and their jaws slacken and their mouths open wide as they take in what Jesus tells them in these words. He knows what will happen to them. He knows He will become the sacrifice for the world’s sins. He knows these twelve will carry His message and His Spirit will live in them and empower them once He ascends back to His home in heaven. But they don’t understand any of this at this point. They are dumbfounded with the prospect of what will happen.

But they also trust their Master. And they listen carefully to what He says next. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say when you stand before the authorities. It will be the Father’s words that come through you. Don’t worry about it.

Those that know me well, know that on personality tests, I am a slammed against the wall introvert. I can stand in front of a crowd and preach. I can get up in front of an auditorium full of people and teach. But I really am a died in the wool introvert. I’ve learned to act like an extrovert when I have to, but it is really hard for me to talk to people. I am much more comfortable sitting in a room with a book.

When I go to restaurants, I like my back to the wall. When I go to parties, I migrate to the edges of the crowd. I seldom attend things where people will just mill around and when I do, I either go early to find a spot where I can anchor myself and not have to move or go late to arrive just before the main event starts and everyone freezes in place. I don’t mill around very well. I would never survive New Year’s Eve in Times Square. I just couldn’t do it.

All that said, I have to tell you that preaching is a passion for me. I’m called to preach. I don’t understand why God would do that as much as I dislike meeting and talking to people individually. It is so difficult for me. But when I stand in front of people to share His message, I understand these words of Jesus. I study hard to prepare sermons, but when I stand before a crowd, the experience is overwhelming. It’s almost an out-of-body experience. I don’t know where the words come from sometimes.

Preaching is hard work and I’ve been more exhausted after preaching a 20 minute sermon some days than after moving a truck load of furniture, but I love to preach. Why? Because I know these words of Jesus are true. The words are often not my own. When I’m truly prepare, the Holy Spirit takes over. When I’m prayed up and the topic is His, not mine, His words flow in a way that is hard for me to explain. Others hear a sermon I didn’t seem to prepare. But hear the words they needed to hear in that moment to convict, convence, encourage, admonish. They got what they needed, not from me, but from God’s word.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us? Don’t worry about sharing His message with others. He will give you the words to say. When you boldly speak in His name, others will hear what they need to hear from His word. But you need to prepare yourself. Be prayed up. Stay rooted in His word. Stay connected to the Source from which those words can flow. When you stay connected, like Jesus says, “Don’t worry about what you will say…the Spirit of your Father will speak through you.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Sheep, wolves, snakes, and doves (Matthew 10:16-17) February 27, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 23-25

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:16-17
Jesus: Listen: I am sending you out to be sheep among wolves. You must be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. You must be careful. You must be discerning. You must be on your guard. There will be men who try to hand you over to their town councils and have you flogged in their synagogues.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Guess what? Some things never change. There are men (and women) out there who try to hand real Christians over to criminal and civil courts to have you bankrupted, embarrassed, imprisoned, and beaten and killed if they could. Even in our churches. The world is against us. Guess which religion is persecuted more than any other around the world. Guess which religion has more martyrs than any other every day in our civilized, modern, politically correct world.

Jesus told His disciples both then and through the ages they would be like sheep among wolves. Have you ever seen the aftermath of a pack of wolves against a stray sheep or goat or even a cow? It’s not a very pretty sight. There’s not much left when they get through with it. And when they attack, they start with the softer parts of the sheep so it doesn’t die quickly. The battle isn’t long, but it’s not over nearly as quickly as the sheep would like it to be in that losing battle.

So, Jesus warns us. Watch out. Be careful. Be discerning. Be on your guard. Be shrewd in dealing with the people who hear the message. Many will hate you because you tell the truth. The message cuts to the heart of every person…without exception. Because God’s word is sharper than a two-edged sword. It exposes the sin people think they have hidden so deep inside them no one can see it. But when you share the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, God’s word exposes sin. And people will hate you for it. They will try to destroy you because you carried the message that laid them bare.

Some of the terms Jesus used reminds us of those Roman soldiers that stood all around those disciples. The country stayed flooded with soldiers because this place always caused problems for the empire. They refused to honor the gods. They refused to bow to the emperor. They always talked about God as their King. Their loyalties were certainly focused on something other than the good of Rome. Other nations revolted, but none had such deep devotion to a single entity like this nation. So warriors were always present. Jesus used those terms to prepare His disciples for the onslaught they would face.

But in the middle of His description, He gives one little phrase we sometimes miss when we picture those valiant Roman warriors, “be…as innocent as doves.” Doves have held a place in many nations’ hearts as a symbol of peace and life and harmony and innocence for millenia. It was a dove that brought back the olive branch to Noah that marked the end of the flood and the beginning of a new covenant of peace between God and man, marked by His bow in the sky.

Doves were often used in sealing covenants as we remember with God and Abraham when God gave Abraham the task to bless all nations. When God gave Moses the instructions for sacrifices, doves often became the substitute for larger animals for those who couldn’t afford large animals. Blood still needed to be shed, but God also didn’t want to extend or exacerbate poverty and perhaps make a person’s situation worse by requiring sacrifices out of the reach of the most poverty stricken in the land. Doves were abundant and cheap. If that’s all you could afford, doves could be offered as sacrifices. Mary and Joseph brought doves to sacrifice for Jesus after His birth.

So as we share the message, acting as God’s soldiers in a battle between good and evil, obedience and disobedience, we must have those characteristics we like to emphasize: boldness; shrewdness; careful; discerning; on our guard. But we must also be innocent, peaceful, in harmony with God and His will. We must remember whose message we carry and He means it to do. The message, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But the message is one of love, mercy, grace, hope. The message comes to the lost to show them the way to everylasting life.

Jesus sent His disciples and He sends us to a world He knows will try to swallow us up because of the message we carry. But the people we reach need hope. And they only find that hope in one place. That one place isn’t a place at all, but a person, Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the living God, Incarnate. In our innocence, others will see Him instead of us. In our peace, others will find Him. In our reflection of His righteousness, others will find hope for their own cleansing. All we need to do is share the message. “Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Will your neighbors point to your house? (Matthew 10:11-15) February 26, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Isaiah 45-50

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:11-15
Jesus:When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is trustworthy and stay at his house as long as you are visiting that town. When you enter this home, greet the household kindly. And if the home is indeed trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it; if not, keep your blessing to yourself. If someone is inhospitable to you or refuses to listen to your testimony, leave that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. This is the truth: Sodom and Gomorrah, those ancient pits of inhospitality, will fare better on judgment day than towns who ignore you tomorrow or next week.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

This is probably one of those passages you just run through real fast to get to the next one, isn’t it? Jesus already said stay with someone in the villages you enter. So it makes sense to thank them for their hospitality before you leave. We just jump right over these verses, though, without really thinking much about them in the scheme of what Jesus tells His disciples to do. Let me read it to you again and listen carefully to the authority Jesus gives His disciples.

“When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is trustworthy and stay at his house as long as you are visiting that town. When you enter this home, greet the household kindly. And if the home is indeed trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it; if not, keep your blessing to yourself. If someone is inhospitable to you or refuses to listen to your testimony, leave that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. This si the truth: Sodom and Gomorrah, those ancient pits of inhospitality, will fare better on judgment day than towns who ignore you tomorrow or next week.”

Wow! These guys are to go to the town square and figure out from the average citizen who is trustworthy in the village. Go to that person’s house, knock on the door, invite themselves in, and stay there as long as they stay in that village. Now what do you think about their mission? I thought yesterday bit off more than we could chew, but this is really radical! But those were Jesus’ words not mine or yours. Notice Jesus said, “When you enter this home.” Not “if you enter this home.” He didn’t expect His disciples to get an invitation from the villagers, He expected them to go to the most trustworthy person according to the standards of those in the village. When they arrive at that person’s house, greet them kindly, and tell them their taking up residence in their house as long as they stay in that village.

So how long would that be if someone came to your door? “Hi, I’m Simon. I work for this new preacher in town. I’ve come to stay with you until I decide to leave your city. By the way, I don’t have any money or extra clothes or bedding or anything except what you see on my back. So I expect you to take care of me as long as I’m in town.”

Reminds me of the popular television show, “What Would You Do?” To be honest, I’d probably tell him to take a hike. Am I going to let a stranger stay in my house indefinitely? It will take a lot of nudging, well to be honest it will take a 2×4 across the back of the head from the Holy Spirit to help me know I’m really supposed to do something like that. Someone I know, sure. Someone referred to me, probably. A stranger off the street…these days? Hmmmm.

Listen to their authority, with rewards and punishments, though! If hospitable, leave your blessing of peace. If inhospitable, shake the dust off your feet and leave. They will be judged more harshly than Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember those two cities? Fire and brimstone falling out of the sky until no trace of those two cities exist today! That’s authority for deciding whether a host is good to your or not.

So what? What are we supposed to do today? Do we take in every stranger off the street? Do we give up our homes to anyone who comes around? I think the answer is maybe. The answer is do what God tells you to do. I’m pretty sure there was a reason Jesus sent His disciples to the most trustworthy person in each village. When Jesus’ disciples showed up, these trustworthy men saw something in them that was different than the people that surrounded him everyday. He saw the same trustworthiness and integrity he exercised in his daily life. He saw in these disciples’ eyes the same kindness he showed to others every day. It was not hard for him to extend his personal grace and hospitality to these itinerant preachers sharing the good news of the kingdom of heaven.

But to see trustworthiness, we must be trustworthy. To see kindness, honesty, integrity in the core of a person in that first meeting, in must be in your core. To discern the makeup of the person in front of you, you must have those qualities deep inside you. Only then will you know what that inner peace and confidence looks and feels like when you meet another of your kind. To be one of those to whom Jesus sent the disciples, your actions must demonstrate who you are on the inside by consistent behavior day in and day out through every situation that arises. Then others will call you trustworthy, a person of integrity, honest, loyal, a person of great character.

It was probably easy for the villagers to point the disciples to the right house in every place they visited. So the big question as Christians in a sin-filled world, where will people in your neighborhood point if a disciple asks the question, “Can you point me to the most trustworthy person around here?”

Will they point to your house?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Pack your bags, wait, don’t (Matthew 10:9-10) February 25, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 15-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:9-10
Jesus:Do not take money with you: don’t take gold, silver, or even small, worthless change. Do not pack a bag with clothes. Do not take sandals or a walking stick. Be fed and sheltered by those who show you hospitality.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

So, what’s one of the first things you do when you go on a vacation or a business trip these days? If you’re like me, you make motel reservations. I want to make sure I have a place to sleep when I get off the plane or finish the long drive to wherever I’m going. I know I’m going to be tired after traveling and the last thing I want to be doing is trying to find a place to sleep. Once I know I have a place to sleep and know how I’m going to travel, I pack my bags.

After 30 years in the Army and several years in the corporate world after that, I know a little about traveling. I know how to pack pretty lean, but I know what I need to for short or long trips and I take care to make sure I have what I need. It doesn’t take me long to pack my bags because I’ve done it a lot. But I take what I need. I know where everything goes in my bag and everything is in its place so I can find what I need even in the dark. Lots of lessons learned through years of travel have helped me wean down my necessities, but I still need that one bag when I travel by plane, train, or automobile.

Once I arrive, I start looking for the restaurants with cars around them. It doesn’t matter what flavor of food I eat as long as it seems to appeal to the local populace and has a crowd. Restaurants with empty parking lots are usually not places I want to try in strange cities. So, I look around my surroundings for those favorite places for the locals to make sure I know some spots close by where I can get some reasonably good food at reasonable prices. Those crowded parking lots are usually a good clue.

I have to admit, I can not remember a single time in my life launching out the way Jesus told the disciples to travel. Talk about faith.

Put on your sandals, tighten your belt and start walking. When you get to a town, find someone that will listen to your message and take you in. If you can’t find anyone in the village that will give you a place to eat and sleep, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Wow! I’d be asking about the Holiday Inn or Days Inn or something! “Jesus, do you really mean that? Just go and hope someone will take care of us, just like that? Isn’t that a little on the crazy side?”

Granted, middle-eastern hospitality rules are little different than ours. Hebrew hospitality insisted that if you saw a fellow Hebrew in the city square without a place to stay, you should take them in and show them your hospitality. The problem then, like now, is that trust was starting to disappear. After all, Israel sat along the crossroads between Europe and Africa. A lot of strangers wandered through the villages traveling from one place to another. How could you be sure these two or three men that came into the village weren’t thieves or worse?

And with all the taxes Rome required, the economy wasn’t so great. Feeding another mouth or two when they had no money to offer in exchange for their meals…well, that’s just rude. At least they could offer to help pay for the food they ate, right? But Jesus told them to take no gold or silver or even pocket change. The disciples were just out there learning a lesson in faith as they share the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

So what are we to do with this? First, I think we should recognize that God will take care of us when He sends us on a mission. We don’t need to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear, just as He told us in the Sermon on the Mount. Second, I think He tells us as He showed His disciples, we will face times with Him when He will test our faith. Expect it as part of growing as a Christian. He will put us in situations where our only recourse is to lean entirely on Him. We will find ourselves with nothing left but our faith. But as with the disciples on that mission trip, that will be enough. He will make a way for us if we will trust Him.

It took a lot of faith for the disciples to head out on the tasks Jesus gave them that day. Don’t take money with you. Don’t pack a bag. Don’t take any extra clothes or sandals. Just start walking and trust me to take care of you through the people you meet along the way. Trust Me and share the good news that I have arrived. The kingdom of heaven isn’t just coming, it’s here. I have arrived.

Can you trust Him the way the disciples did on their first missionary venture?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The message (Matthew 10:7-8) February 24, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 21-23

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:7-8
Jesus: As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons from the possessed. You received these gifts freely, so you should give them to others freely.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What message do you share with others when you tell them about Jesus? He sent His disciples out with a pretty short and sweet message. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then He gave them a few other things to do to demonstrate the fact of the kingdom’s arrival: heal the sick; raise the dead; cleanse the lepers; drive out demons. A pretty short list. But the list would keep them busy for a while and help show those they met that the Messiah and God’s Kingdom had arrived.

I’m afraid we don’t think too much about the message we share when we go out into the world every day. But if we take Jesus’ words to heart, we are supposed to share His message, aren’t we? Do we think about what we should say? Do we think about what those around us need to hear from God? Do we understand ourselves that the kingdom of heaven is at hand? What does that mean, anyway?

I’m afraid we sometimes get so enamored with our future in heaven that we forget we can and should enjoy a piece of it now. When Christ came to live among us and then sent His Spirit at Pentecost to remain with us until He comes again bodily, the kingdom is here. It resides wherever He lives. If He lives in you, a part of heaven and His kingdom is in you. Have you ever thought about that?

He overcame sin, death, and hell to live in us and give us a taste of heaven now. So even more so than the disciples, we can proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And what does that mean? The good news for us is that because of God’s grace, He holds back the wrath that should come pouring down on us because of our past sinful actions. It doesn’t mean those consequences won’t come. There is a judgment day and there is a harvest for each of those seeds we plant. But God’s prevenient grace and mercy holds back His wrath.

Remember the stories of the Old Testament and the early church when His presence entered the camp? People died when they disobeyed. Those who opposed Moses and the commands God uttered through him died. Some were swallowed up by the earth. Some died by snake bite. Some died of plagues in the desert. Most died from the hardships, struggles, and consequences of their disobedience. None of the adults who left Egypt except Caleb and Joshua lived to see the promised land. And in the early church, there were Ananias and Saphira, Silas, the sorceress, and others who found out pretty quickly about God’s wrath when they opposed His preachers.

Do we talk about that when we talk about the kingdom of heaven being at hand? His wrath is as real as His love, you know. Sometimes I’m afraid we water down the words into a feel-good, do whatever you want because God is love, message. That’s not what Jesus sent His disciples to say. His message was the same as John the Baptist. “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Did you notice that?

Jesus called people to repent. Turn around and walk away from sin and walk to God. You can’t have it both ways. He talks about dying to self. He talks about taking up your cross. He talks about making a complete break from what this world offers or thinks is important and listening to what God tells you is important. Jesus’ message is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the coward. It is not for the wishy-washy, in and out, fence-walker.

With Jesus, the message is “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It’s here. God has burst on the scene. Time is short. Do something about who you will serve. You only have two choices. You can serve God or you can serve self. One leads to life, the other leads to death. One is a gift of grace from God, the other receives the wages of our sins, death. You would think it would be an easy choice. Why would anyone choose death over life? Sin over obedience? Hell over heaven? Why would anyone run away from the One who loves us more than we can begin to imagine?

Maybe people run because our behavior doesn’t match our words. So what goes with the words? Jesus said His disciples received gifts from Him. They were to use those gifts for others. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. What gifts has God given you? Do you use them for those around you as you share the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand? Does your behavior match your message? Maybe if we share the gifts He’s given us and the message He’s given us we might see more results around us. Maybe we would see our churches full. Maybe we would see the miracles the disciples saw. Maybe we would rejoice in the fact that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Tell your friends first (Matthew 10:5-6) February 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Judges 12-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:5-6
Jesus: Don’t go to the outsiders or to the towns inhabited by Samaritans, a people whose Jewish ancestors married Gentiles. Go instead to find and heal the lost sheep of Israel.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Now that’s a strange command to give the disciples knowing He came to save the world. Why would Jesus tell His disciples not to go beyond their borders? Why not go to the outsiders, the Gentiles? Why not go the Samaritans? Why did Jesus tell them to stay away from those towns and only share His message with the Israelites? Especially given the fact that He specifically sent Paul to the Gentiles later. He gave Peter the vision of unclean foods coming out of the sky to let him know he was supposed to go to Cornelius’ house to share the gospel?

I think the answer come in several smart strategic thoughts from the Master. First, He is still very early in His ministry. He wants to get His message out to as many as possible, but the Jews still hold their racial prejudice against everyone outside their community of faith. Remember Jesus didn’t come to start a new religion. He came to clean up the Jewish faith. Just like Martin Luther didn’t intend to start a revolution that began the Protestant movement away from the Catholic Church. The disciples always went to the synagogues to begin sharing the message of the Kingdom of heaven.

So, to ask these new disciples to go out to the Gentiles early in His ministry might have been too much for them. Pentecost hadn’t happened yet. Jesus was beside them, not in them. They had not received His Spirit in them yet. Asking His disciples to give His message to outsiders might have been too radical even for these twelve selected individuals at this point in their walk with Him.

Second, I think Jesus knew the disciples hearts would be with their own people if He sent them to the outsiders first with His message. The Jews jealously guarded the scriptures. They were God’s chosen and demonstrated to others their pride in their special place. They forgot their mission to bless the world, but they guarded their position and let others know they belonged to God. The disciples were part of that heritage. As I mentioned, in every town, Jesus always started in the synagogue in sharing His message. In the early days of the church, the apostles and disciples did the same. The often found themselves thrown out into the street shortly after their message, but they started in the synagogue…as was their custom the Bible often tells us.

So if their heart was back home, how well would they do on their missionary journey if preaching to the outsiders, the Samaritans? Jesus didn’t want them to have divided loyalties on their journey and the best way to do that would be to assign them to preach to the Israelites only. Share the message with those whose histories were similar to theirs. He wanted them to share His message without an initial barrier of racial prejudice from those who would hear them.

Third, the Israelites looked for a Messiah. Scriptures pointed to the coming of God’s Kingdom and the physical manifestation of God as Savior, the Messiah. If anyone believed in the arrival of a Savior, the Israelites would. They expected Him. They prayed for His arrival. Hebrew girls prayed that they would be the mother of the coming King. Devout Jews knew He was coming. All the disciples needed to do was let people know He arrived. He was here in the flesh.

By sending the disciples only to the Israelites, they would find more success than they would among the Samaritans or the Gentiles. To share their message outside the Hebrew community meant explaining from the start who the Messiah is to those not brought up in the faith. It meant dispelling their belief in the pantheon of gods they grew up with and observed from the Greeks and Romans around them. To share the message to outsiders so early in Jesus’ ministry when they didn’t have the benefit of His indwelling Spirit giving them the words they needed when they stood before others.

Early success in their ministry kept them going before Pentecost. After Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit in them overwhelmed any disappointment, frustration, sacrifice, even death when they shared the message Jesus gave them. But before Pentecost, I imagine the disciples felt some disappointment and frustration when rejected by those who should know the Messiah was coming to rescue them. They also experienced the joy and excitement of leading crowds to come and see the one they followed. They took others to meet this man who could do things only God can do.

The disciples did well as they went to their brothers and sisters to share the good news of the Messiah’s arrival. Some 500 people gathered on the hillside at Jesus’ ascension. They shared the story and people believed them. They came to see for themselves, to see this man they talked about, to discover the truth about this Messiah.

So what should we do? Start sharing with those around you first. Share your good news with those who know you. They are the ones who will see the change in you first and recognize there is something different about you when you really give your life to Christ. So tell family and friends first. Then you’ll find your early success there. Then reach out beyond your immediate sphere of influence to share the message to anyone who will listen. But those who know you best are most likely to listen to your story because when Jesus gets on board in your life, they will know by your love. Tell them where it comes from. That’s all He asks. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Are you ready to work? (Matthew 9:37-38) February 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 28-31

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 9:37-38
Jesus understood what an awesome task was before Him, so He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His harvest field.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

When I was much, much younger, I worked on a couple of farms just enough to realize I never wanted to be a farmer. I think the worst couple of days was helping load baled hay onto a hay truck. The harvest was plentiful and the workers were far too few. Those bales got heavier as the day wore on and the bed of the truck must have been on hydraulic lifts that pushed it ten feet higher in the air. By the time we cleared the field of those bales, I could barely move.

Helping with livestock wasn’t much better. Slopping hogs or staring down a cow that weighs as much as my car isn’t my idea of a fun day. To all you farmers out there, my hat’s off to you. I don’t know how you do it. It’s hard back-breaking work without much return on investment other than seeing God at work through your labor. Of course, all of us could use a little more of taking time to admire the miracle of harvest time. Just the thought that crops grow from a seeds is a little mind boggling. After multiple courses in biology and chemistry, I can tell you the theories and mechanics, but what a miracle!

Just take time to hold a seed in your hand and look at the plant that comes from it. Take any seed. It doesn’t matter, but imagine an acorn and an oak tree. Or a pecan and its tree. Or a watermelon seed and the vine that produces a crop of melons. Can you imagine the Great Designer that put all that in place just perfectly for us? God is a magnificent Creator!

Back to Jesus’ words. We distance ourselves from harvest time today by getting our meat and potatoes from the grocery. A large percentage of us don’t even go to the produce aisles, we just get our vegetables in a can. So harvest means nothing to us. Our meat is neatly packaged in little white trays with plastic wrap on it so we can see how fresh it is. We never see the animal the meat comes from or the fields in which our fruit and vegetables grow.

But in Jesus’ day everyone knew what harvest was like. Everyone knew what farming and taking care of livestock was like. Everyone had a small garden in their yard. That’s how they lived. It’s how they got the majority of their vegetables. Most people had some chickens for eggs and a maybe a goat for milk or a couple of sheep for wool. In the cities, animals were everywhere. They didn’t appear on the streets just for transportation, they were a way of life for everyone. The disciples understood about harvest and workers in the field. But the metaphor might have caught them a little off guard.

You see, Jesus talked about souls. He talked about bringing a harvest of people into the Kingdom of God. The world was filling with people as He looked out over the mountainsides filled with villages and cities growing up under the influence of Roman rule. So many came into this tiny crossroads of the world traveling between Europe and Africa, from Persia and India to Egypt. This was the center for all international travelers. Everyone came through here.

Jesus saw these souls wandering aimlessly through life without direction, without hope. He had the answer. He was the answer. But He needed others to get the message out. He needed the disciples to believe, grasp His message of love and surrender to God. He needed more mouths than His to tell the story. He needed more feet than His to carry the message. He needed more hands than His to help the hurting. He needed more than just Him to show God to the lost and dying souls all around Him.

We often jump up and say, “I’ll be one of those workers! Let me work in your fields!” But I think back to my few experiences of farm life and know that harvesting is hard work. That metaphor sticks in the spiritual world, too. A lot of people jump up and wave their hands to volunteer, but when they find out about the sweat and tears and investment in others lives, they quietly sneak out the gate at the side of the field and disappear. What happened to the enthusiasm? What happened to the great cry to win the lost? What happened to mass of people in our churches who said they would volunteer but then don’t show up when it counts?

Talking with my fellow ministers, it’s not a problem in just my church or my denomination. If 15% of your congregation are fully engaged in ministering to others, you are truly blessed. That doesn’t mean giving up your job, it means saying “yes” when God has a task for you to do. It means doing the things Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount. It means living the “Be Attitudes” for others to see the transformation He makes in our lives when we really let Him be Lord.

You see, the Lord of the harvest needs workers, not spectators. He needs people who are not afraid to get their hands dirty, deal with the messy issues of broken lives, love the unlovable. He did it for you, can we reciprocate? Are you ready to work?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Don’t tell! (Matthew 9:30) February 21, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Romans 15-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 9:30
Jesus: Don’t tell anyone about this.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you wonder why Jesus didn’t want the blind men to tell about their healing? Why wouldn’t He want people to know He could do these miraculous things? Wouldn’t that solidify His position as the Son of God? Wouldn’t that help to secure His ministry in the world and increase His followers? Wouldn’t that help to build His church while He walked with us? Why ask these men to keep silent about their healing?

Of course, we know they didn’t, anymore than we could if something like this happened to us. Can you imagine what it would be like to suddenly see after years of stumbling around in darkness? Suddenly the lights come on and you can see in living color! You see all the beauty of the world around you. Just by the gentle touch of the Master’s hand, you suddenly receive your sight. Could you keep quiet about it? I don’t think I could any more than these two men.

But why the command in the first place? I think it might go back in part to what we talked about yesterday. Jesus was a busy man with an agenda. I wonder if in some ways He wanted to get to His work faster than the Father wanted and the Father worked to slow Him down by putting people in His path. Jesus knew His mission, don’t you think He wanted to get it done?

Maybe Jesus wanted to keep the men quiet so He could stay on His schedule as the Son of Man, Jesus rather than the Son of God, Jesus. I can’t imagine the struggle He had internally sometimes trying to get His tasks done from a heavenly perspective yet dreading each moment as well, knowing what the end game finally meant. But perhaps He wanted fewer interruptions as He headed toward His fate from His earthly side. Keep quiet, let Me get on with the task I’ve come to do. Don’t get the word of My healing spread too far because I’ll never get the time to do what I really came to do.

From a busy schedule perspective, I think that argument could fit well, the crowds always surrounded Him wanting healing, release from demons, help with their problems. As soon as He reached the outskirts of any village, the word had already spread and Jesus was flocked with those who wanted His help. And by the curious who wanted to see a miracle.

But I really think Jesus didn’t want the blind men to tell because if we’re going to follow Jesus, it can’t be for the miracles He can do for us. Yes, He wants us to ask Him for His help when we need it. Yes, He tells us to ask Him and He hears our prayers. Yes, He acts on our behalf and gives us good gifts as a good father would. But if that’s why we follow Him, our following will fail. We will hit a bump in the road and suddenly we will find our faith gone.

Jesus doesn’t want us to follow Him because of the things He can give us. He wants us to follow Him because He is God and that’s enough. If we ever lose sight of the fact that He is God and we are not, we’ve missed it. There is a God-sized hole in us that only He can fill. He created us to worship Him. All the rest of creation worships Him, but He gives us a choice. We try so hard to fill that void with everything but Him. It doesn’t work. Nothing fits that space in us but Him.

So maybe, just maybe Jesus didn’t want the blind men to tell anyone how their healing took place, because he wanted people to listen to His words, not watch His miracles. He wanted people to understand their need for forgiveness instead of coming for all their other temporal needs on this world. He wanted them to see the spiritual warfare they battled instead of the Roman occupation that clouded their daily conversation. Jesus wanted them to understand the Kingdom of God instead of their self-serving kingdom of self-righteousness.

Don’t tell anyone about the healing, tell them about grace. Don’t tell anyone about feeding five thousand. Tell them about forgiveness. Don’t tell anyone about miracles in your life. Tell them about love. Tell them about mercy. Tell them about Peace. Tell them about the relationship God has with you and allows you to have with others because of His spirit in you. Tell others about the transformation He makes in your life, not the temporal fixes to earthly problems.

Don’t tell about the unimportant. Tell them about what really matters. Tell them about your new life in Christ and how He can make a change in them, too. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What’s your answer? (Matthew 9:28-29) February 20, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 20-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 9:28-29
Jesus: Do you believe that I am able to do this?
Blind Men: Yes, Lord.
Jesus (touching their eyes): According to your faith, it will be done to you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Matthew records for us another story of healing. Two blind men follow Jesus and beg Him for mercy. Once again, an interesting thing happens that we should note at the very first of the story. Here it is: Jesus goes to the men’s house. I think we sometimes get the impression that Jesus was a wandering homeless nomad with nothing on His calendar and just flitted from place to place. We get the idea that He had no place to be or nothing to do. No agenda to keep. No schedule to meet. We get the idea He could do whatever He pleased and had all the time in the world to stop and do all these things at a whim.

I think that’s the wrong impression. If we could go back in time. I think we would find that Jesus was a very busy man. I think we would find His calendar was very full. I expect His agenda would match that of most successful executives. Jesus knew what His Father sent Him to do and even at an early age, He told His parents He had to get at it, remember. I don’t think getting to His Father’s business meant lazily roaming around the countryside.

I expect Jesus always had a schedule to keep and places to go. I expect He always headed to meet someone in particular or set off to particular places for specific tasks to perform at the direction of His father. I imagine His disciples had to set a pretty good pace to keep up with Him when He set out on those Judean hillsides because He was in a hurry to get to the next meeting place or the next appointment on His agenda.

But the thing that was very different about Jesus as a man was that He understood people were more important than agendas. Relationships were more important than calendars. Meeding human needs was more important than success. So He let people interrupt His schedule as He did the woman with the bleeding disease. As He did with the official whose daughter died. As He did with these two blind men. So Jesus does with us, when we call His name.

So Jesus stopped His journey. He went to their house. He saw where they lived. They invited Him inside. An important point. Remember Revelation 3:20? “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door…” These guys let Him in and He did a marvelous thing for them. Oh wait, He just sat down and made Himself at home. He didn’t do anything.

These two blind men wanted a miracle and all He did was go home with them and eat their food as He sat on the couch and ate. I sometimes wonder what the rest of the conversation was like with the two men. Surely, on the journey to their house and as they invited Him in to sit and with the nature of Jewish hospitality there was much more said than recorded in Matthew. I’m sure it was more than pleasantries about the weather or the latest sports team scores. Jesus probably talked about more than gossip in the Roman entertainment industry or the latest fashion hitting the streets of Jerusalem.

I expect as Jesus entered the blind men’s house, He asked lots of questions that caused them to think. And I expect they had few satisfactory answers. I expect He also pointed those questions at the crowds that followed and those questions caused some of the pious in the crowd to shrink into their pious shrouds in shame as He saw through their sham of self-righteousness.

As the two men finally sat across from Jesus in their home, though, Jesus got to the critical question Matthew records for us. “Do you believe I am able do this? Do you believe I can bring back your sight? Do you believe I can make new eyes for you?” The two men answered in the affirmative.

Then Jesus touched their eyes and like the woman in the crowd who touched His garment, Jesus said to these men, “According to your faith, it will be done to you.” No faith, no healing. No faith, no sight. No faith, no miracle. But with faith, all things are possible.

We go back to our discussion of a couple of days ago, what has changed since the days Jesus walked with us on the earth? What has changed since the days of the early church? He hasn’t. The Father hasn’t. His holy Spirit hasn’t. His love and desire to meet our needs hasn’t changed. What has changed in our world that we don’t see these miracles today? We must answer the question Jesus posed to these two blind men. Do you believe I am able to do this? What’s your answer?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.