St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:28a, To Serve.

Our paragraph topic is: (Humility according to Christ's example) Part 7. 

Whoever wishes to be first shall be your slave is what Christ told his disciples.  Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.  And they did not understand his meaning.  He spoke in parables.  He spoke in riddles.  He spoke in words that had one meaning on the surface and a different meaning on a deeper level. 

They wanted to be great.  They wanted to be known.  They wanted all the things that they saw exhibited by the leaders of their time and that was their example.  So they assumed that he would follow the example of the day and lead them to be great leaders of the new order.  But his example had one meaning on the surface and another meaning on a deeper level. 

On the surface they were repulsed at the thought of being great with being a servant.  They definitely did not want to become a slave in order to be first.  But on a deeper level Christ was telling his disciples not to be like the leaders of their time.  He was telling them to be humble, to be obedient.  He wanted them to understand that greatness comes from the Father and that it is rewarded through humility.  He told them that even he who is lord of all, came to be a servant:  "Even as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve." 

Follow his example.  Listen to his words.  Walk in his footsteps and know the will of the Father.  For we are but his servants, here to spread the good news of our redemption to all who have not heard, to all who do not know, to all who are blinded by the world.  Love is the key to what we do.  For we are all his children.  We are all brothers and sisters.  We all come from the same tree of life that he created.  And we are all created in his likeness and his image.

We are not black or white, Asian or Latin, Native Indian or immigrant.  We all belong to one family.  We are all the same.  Beneath the skin of the flesh, beneath the muscle and bones of the body, we are all living spirits created in his image and likeness.  And we all have one Lord, Jesus Christ, who came to serve and not to be served.  For he loved the life that was in us.  He came to restore that life because it was lost.  And through the knowledge of the spirit within us we can come to know and come to see that which he gave to us.

Follow the example.  Humbly seek that which has been given you.  We all have a purpose.  We all have a place.  And we all are loved by the Father who knows our hearts desires.  He will provide.  He will protect.  He will listen to your needs.  But you must open the heart to believe in him.  You must act on him.  You must know, with everything that is within you, that he will take care of you.  Practice the patience of heaven.  And in that patience is the proof of who you are in him.  Open the mind!  Open the heart!  Seek the truth that is within you and you will know the truth of who you are in Christ.  God, your father loves you.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 17, The Enemy

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 3.  

Christ continues to give instructions to his disciples about the enemy.  He has given them instructions on who they will face, ravenous wolves.  He has told them how they should conduct themselves, with the wisdom of serpents and guileless as doves.  Now he gives them a forwarning.  He tells them to, "Beware of men."   Men are not who they appear to be.  He tells them, "They will deliver you up to councils, and scourge you in their synagogues."  Christ is telling his disciples that men will betray you.  The disciples are going to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  They are going amongst their own people.  They are proclaiming the good news to the lost sheep.  And yet they are to beware of the men they meet.

Christ gives these instructions because he wants his disciples to be prepared for what they are going to meet.  They do not know the hearts and minds of men.  They do not know what is said behind closed doors.  They do not see the evil that men do.  So he is providing them with instructions that are vital to their survival on their solo journey.  For we are spiritual creatures in a physical body and are influenced by the evil one who wants to maintain power over the lost sheep.  So he inhabits the minds and bodies of men influencing them to do evil.  Through his control, men will betray their mothers.  Through his control, men will kill their brothers.  Through his control, men will lust after their sisters.  And they will do anything to maintain the power that they have acquired.

So Christ wants his disciples to beware.  He wants them to be wise as serpents and guileless as doves.  He wants them to know that they are going into the midst of wolves.  He wants them to be prepared.  The battle is a spiritual battle fought in the physical realm.  The spoils are the souls of men.  And the disciples will have a taste of their future calling.  They will become generals fighting the battle after Christ has returned to the kingdom with his father.  They will train the future solders, and captains, and lieutenants of tomorrow.  So they must lead the way.  They must learn from the master all that is necessary to be successful in this war.  It is through their learnings and teachings from the master, written in this training manual that we survive today.

The war continues.  The enemy has taken over the world and exerted his influence over the lives of men of power, the captains of industry, the rulers of advertisement.  Their payment to participate in the battle with the evil one is paper money whose value provides them with the passions of their heart.  And the children of God live in a sea of passion, a sea selfishness, a sea of lust, and all manner of evil.  We must not take in the fumes of darkness.  The temptations are present all around in our everyday lives. 

Put on your gas masks that you may not die.  Put on your protective suits that you may not be contaminated with the toxins of evil.  Guard your eyes and put on your eye gargles that they may not be filled with the lusts of this world.  Cover your ears with the muffles of spiritual soundness that you may not hear the blasphemy of the dead.  But above all remember Christ's words and carry them with you daily.  For they are your protection.  They are your shield.  They are your weapons of war to do battle with the enemy.   Beware of the council of men for they will deliver you up to be scourged.  Are you ready for battle?  Are you ready for the war?  Prepare yourself!!!

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 16b, The Enemy

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 2.  

Christ has told his disciples about the ravenous attitude of the enemy.  They are like wolves and he is sending them among them.  He wants them to appear as sheep.  He wants them to be disguised so that the enemy will not recognize them.  He wants them to have an advantage.  The enemy knows Christ.  They can spot him from far off.  His spirit is the light of the world.  But the disciples are just beginning to obtain their light and it does not shine as brightly as the light of Christ.  So he is instructing his disciples on how to appear before the enemy.  He tells his disciples,  "Be therefore wise as serpents."  

Now serpents are cunning creatures.  They slither on the ground with amazing swiftness and they strike with lightning speed, delivering a venom that is deadly to humans.  But the important thing about serpents is that you seldom see them.  You may walk upon one in the wild, not having any indication of its presence.  You may walk past one not knowing that it is there, hidden under a log or a bush.  You may even step on one, at which time you will feel its presence in a bite.  But most serpents seldom just stroll around in the open to be discovered by humans.  To find a snake you have to go hunt for them.  Their amazing senses alert them to oncoming danger and gives them an advantage to seeking their pray.  

So Christ in telling his disciples to be wise as serpents.  He is telling them to consider the serpent and keep themselves hidden.  He wants them to proclaim the kingdom of heaven but he wants them to not do so that it attracks so much attention that they are discovered.  Do not go out and seek to be the next rock star.  Do not go out and seek to be the next American Idol.  Consider the serpent.  He keeps himself hidden, either purposely through the use of his senses or through camouflage.  The mission of the disciple is not one of fame and fortune.  It is one of camouflage and battle, detection and advantage.  Be wise as serpents!!

Christ also tells his disciples,  "Be therefore guileless as doves."   He wants his disciples to be straighforward, frank, and without deception.  Doves are harmless creatures.  They are creatures that envoke love.  So Christ instructs his disciples to be the same as doves, sincere, honest, and without cunning.  Their mission is not to deceive the people.  Their mission is one of love and peace.  They bring the good news of the kingdom of heaven to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  They are to gather, not to scatter.  They are to love, not to hate.  They are to bring life, not to destroy.  The come to restore hope in the Lord God Jehovah. 

The enemy is watching.  The enemy is waiting.  The enemy will seek to turn them around.  The enemy will fight to maintain their stronghold on the people.  But the disciples have been trained and are ready to do battle.  We live in a society today where cunning and deception are accepted traits.  Can you be wise as a serpent and guiless as a dove for Christ? 
  

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 15, The Instructions

Our paragraph topic is:  (Instructions to the Twelve) Part 7.  

Christ is finishing up his instructions to his disciples.  After giving individual instructions he now has a general huddle to show his disciples what the game plan will be.  Just as a general huddles with his captains and majors to discuss the overall plan of attack, so Christ tells his disciples what will happen.  After they have gone through the villages and towns and spread the news of the kingdom of heaven, he shows them the results. 

For those towns that have not availed themselves of the the message of love and hope, Christ has instructed his disciples to kick the dust from their feet.  He has instructed his disciples to mark the towns that did not repent.  He has given specific orders to set the mark for the coming destruction for that village or town.  Just as an advance recon team marks an area for the coming fighter jets to lay down a path of destruction, Christ has done so with his disciples.  He then tells his disciples of the coming destruction that will take place.  He tells them that for those towns that do not accept the words of the disciples, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for these towns.  For Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone poured down from heaven.  But for these towns, they will see a worse punishment than what was given to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Christ is the Lord of the Battle.  He is the commander-in-chief.  The disciples are his generals who are practising for the battle to come.  In this solo journey by the disciples, Christ gives them a taste of what is to come.  He has prepared them with proper training.  He has given them the challenge call.  He has shown them how to find the one that is worthy and how to determine the spiritual wellness of a house or a town or a village.  Kick the dust from your feet, he instructed them.  Lay down a marker for the destruction of the wicked ones.  The angel of destruction will come forth and destroy the towns and villages that are marked for destruction. 

This is our wake up call today.  Christ is giving us the opportunity to open our eyes and see.  He is giving us the opportunity to hear the message of hope, the message of love, and the message peace.  It is given freely to freely accept.  The choice is yours.  Know that the decision has consequences.  Know that for those who are blessed with new life and the joy of the Holy Spirit, they will be saved.  But for those who are cursed with the spirit of evil, the devil will continue to keep them blind and deaf.  No one can make them see.  No one can make them hear.  The desire has to come from the heart.  Christ will listen.  Christ will wait.  Christ will be patient up to the last minute.  But our heavenly Father decides the day and time.  And when that time comes, all will know who is Lord and Master.  All will know who is the commander-in-chief.  Take heed today.  Heed the call.  Come join the ranks of those who are saved before the battle begins.  Will you suffer a fate worse than Sodom and Gomorrah in the time of judgment?  Or will you rejoice in the grace and glory of God and of Jesus Christ?  The choice is yours.
   

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verses: 7-8, The Instructions

Our paragraph topic is:  (Instructions to the Twelve) Part 2.  

The disciples are ready to go forth and preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.  Christ has given them instructions as to where to go and where not to go.   He wants his disciples to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel first.  He does not want them to go in the direction of the Gentiles or to the Samaritans.  The lost sheep are to be gathered first, those that will listen and follow.  Many have fallen by the wayside.  Many have taken up with the pagans.  And many are blinded by the evil one.  

Christ tells his disciples what to preach.  He tells them, "And as you go, preach the message, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' "   So he wants his disciples to walk through the towns and villages preaching to the people, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand."  He wants his disciples to tell how the kingdom has arrived.  He wants his disciples to awaken the people and spread the good news.  He wants them to let the people know the arrival of the kingdom to their towns and their villages.  Christ wants the lost sheep of the house of Israel to know that the opportunity has come for them to return to the fold.  The opportunity has come for them to turn back to the God of their for fathers, the one true God, Jehovah.

Christ tells them further to demonstrate to the lost sheep the presence of the kingdom.  He wants them to not just talk about it but to show the people that what they preach is true.  He tells them to,Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.  So the disciples are to perform the miracles that Christ has instructed them to do.  They are to battle with the demons that possess the village people.  They are to battle with the sickness that cripples families.  They are to cure diseases that rob the life from the ill and the injured.  They are to cleanse the lepers and raise the dead so that the people will know without a doubt that something is happening that is bringing about the miracles that they are witness to by the disciples.

Christ now gives his disciples the most important requirement of all.  He tells them that they have received freely.  He tells them that,  "Freely you have received, freely give."   Christ wants his disciples to know that they are not to force the teachings upon anyone.  It has been their free decision to follow him.  It has been their free choice to become his disciples.  Without the threat of punishment or damnation, they freely followed his teachings.  They, in turn, are to preach to the people to freely accept the teachings, so that through their belief they may know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.    

Christ wants to send us forth today to be his disciples.  He wants us to proclaim the kingdom to the lost sheep.  He gives us instructions as to what we are to do when we accept his discipleship.  He instructs us in specific tasks that we are to perform and he provides the Holy Spirit to guide us daily in our walk with him.  Beware, if you are convicted of the Holy Spirit in the love of Christ, your life will not be the same.  Beware, you will no longer want the things of this world.  Beware, you will no longer do the same things that you did before.  You will no longer live the same way.  You will be a new creature in Christ, convicted of his love.  You will have a new life, a new spirit, a new inner being, alive with the life that Christ has given you.  You will be different.  

Come, all who would know the true God.  Come, all who would be different.  Come, all who would become a new person.  Come, receive your gift, for freely it is given.  It is up to you to freely receive it.  Will you freely receive the gift that Christ wants to give to you?