St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 23, The Enemy and The Final Outcome.

Our paragraph topic is: (Opposition foretold) Part 11.  

We end our paragraph study of the (Opposition foretold) with Christ telling his disciples what to do when they are persecuted.  He says to them,  "When they persecute you in one town, flee to another."   Christ instructs his disciples to not continue with persecution.  Instead he tells them that when they are persecuted to leave.  He has given warning to the towns by saying to his disciples, if a town or village or person does not receive you, then kick the dust from your feet and leave.  The dust left behind will be the marker for the destruction of that village or town.  He tells them that it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that village where they left the dust from their feet.

Christ wants his disciples to survive.  He wants them to teach.  He does not want them to be martyrs.  The time will come for that but now they must leave those areas that persecute them and go to another.  They must continue to spread the message of the kingdom of heaven, for there are many towns and villages and the laborers are few.  Christ will follow his disciples.  They are the advance guard, preparing the way for Him.  They carry the good news to the lost people of the house of Israel.  So the message must go forth.  The people must hear the coming of Christ, and repentance must come.

Christ also tells his disciples,  "Amen I say to you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."   Christ will follow his disciples throughout the villages and towns to see their progress.  He will walk in their path.  He will see the work that they do.  He will monitor their progress.  The Teacher will see the work of his students and know that they have learned well.  By coming after his disciples Christ will also note further teachings and instructions that he needs to give his disciples.  He will tweek their training so that they are fully ready to become his apostles when his mission is completed here on earth and he returns back to heaven to his father.

The task is great.  The harvest is ready.  But the laborers are few.  The message is the same and the Helper is ready to assist.  Do you hear the calling of God?  Workers are needed.  Listen to the word.  Clear your senses so that you can hear.  Take your mind out of the world and open your heart to the word of God.  We labor for the things that the world can provide as though the providence of God cannot do the same or even more.  We lust after the pleasures of the world when God can satisfy our every need and fill the desires of our heart.  Are you ready to flee the towns and cities of the world when you are persecuted?  Are you ready to do the work of God instead of the work of the world?  Come!!  Prepare yourself for the training needed.  Christ is coming after you to see the work that you do.  Do it well and carry the message of the kingdom of heaven to all the peoples of the world.

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 22b, The Enemy and The Final Outcome.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 10.  

The disciples get a chance to know the outcome of their actions.  Christ tells them the destruction that will take place as a result of their preaching of the kingdom of heaven to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Those opposed to the teaching will take up arms against those who believe in the teachings of Christ.  Christ told them that brother will hand over brother to death.  He told them that parents will give up their children to death because of the teachings.  And  he told them that children will turn against their parents because of unbelief in the teachings they will make.  There will be bloodshed in the family.  There will be bloodsed amongst kinspeople.  There will be bloodshed in the streets of the villages and towns where they will make their solo journeys.

The disciples are at war with the evil forces of the spiritual world.  They have put on the armor of Christ and have gone to war with the demons that have taken over the villages and towns of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  The demons have planted tricks and traps for the disciples.  But Christ has prepared them for the battle.  The demons fight against the spread of the word of Christ.  They will bring about the slaughter of brothers, and mothers and fathers, and children to achieve their goal, the destruction of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  But there will be those who will hold steadfast to their beliefs.  There will be those who will not be afraid.  There will be those of the lost sheep who will welcome the teachings of Christ and who will become martyrs for the teachings of Christ.

Christ tells his disciples that there is one trait that will prevail for those who believe.  He tells them that  "He who has persevered to the end will be saved."  Being steadfast is the key to salvation.  Holding on to the end will bring eternal life.  Perseverance, Christ says, is the one trait that will bring salvation to those who believe.  They will face obstacles.  They will encounter hurdles.  They will face challenges.  They will be tempted by the evil ones who would turn them away.  But perseverance will be the key for their salvation.  Holding on steadfastly and doggedly believing in the principles that Christ teaches will be the key.

Likewise we also must take heed of this trait that Christ tells his disciples.  Perseverance will be the key for us today.  Some days will be more difficult than others.  Some days we will be tempted to give up and give in to temptation.  Some days we will not have the energy to fight.  Some days the world will cave in on us with all of the challenges that will come on us all at once.  Some days we may not be able to see the light of day becuase of the hole that we find ourselves in.  But Christ, in his own words, has told us that those who have persevered to the end will be saved.  So, we must pick ourselves up each day, each minute, each hour, and continue to fight the fight, win the battle, sing the song of praise and glory to God our Father.  For he is on the throne in heaven.  He is the one true God and there is no other before him. 

So gather your strength before you.  Store up your weapons of priase that will support you during your hour of need.  Read the verses of the Bible and keep them near you as your rock of salvation.  For they will give you your strength.  They will support you.  They will defend you when you cannot defend yourself.  They will uplift you in your time of need.  They will provide for you in your hour of temptation.  For Christ said, "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God."  Let us then persevere at all times, and be steadfast in our beliefs in the risen Christ.  Are you ready to persevere for Christ unto your salvation?  

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 22a, The Enemy and The Final Outcome.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 9.  

We have now seen the results of the battles with the evil demons that possess the villages and towns of the house of the lost sheep of Israel.  These are the locations that Christ sent his disciples to preach the kingdom of heaven.  He did not want them to go in the direction of the Gentiles.  He did not want them to go to Samaria.  He wanted them to first go the the lost sheep of the house of Israel to present to them the kingdom of heaven.  These are the people that have strayed.  These are the people that were first chosen by God.  These were the descendants of Abraham.  And Christ wanted to first bring them into the fold.  He wanted to offer first the opportunity for them to turn back to the one true God from which they had been led astray.

Christ trained his disciples so that they would know what to do when they faced the tricks of the enemy.  He fortified them with the weapons of war so that they would not be overcome.  And he instructed them how to bring forth the Spirit of the Father when they faced the kings and governors possessed by the evil one.  He now tells them of the final outcome of the battles they will face.  He shows them the destruction that will be brought about by the evil one who will seek to kill and destroy those who return to the teachings of Christ.  There will be division.  There will be separation.  There will be bloodshed amongst family members, brothers against brother, father against child, children against parents.  The evil one will seek to destroy all who do not follow his way.  He will seek to eliminate all who believe in Christ.

Christ tells his disciples,  "And you will be hated by all for my name's sake."   For he knows the operations of the enemy.  He knows that the enemy will spread hatred like wildfire spreads throughout the dry grasslands.  He will inflict fear in the minds and hearts of those who do not believe.  He will drive the people like cattle to the slaughter the innocent and encourage them to kill, like a crowd mentality without a mind.  The new doctrine of Christ will be rejected by those who do not believe.  It will be cursed by the unbelievers.  It will be blasphemed against.  And the evil one will rejoice in his accomplishments.  And the name of Christ will be hated by all the demons who possess men.  And the men of this world who follow the evil one will come to hate the name of Christ also.  He is the light of the world.  His message is true.  And they will hate him.

Throughout time the battle continues.  For Christ's  name those who believe are hated.  Those who follow the teachings are scorned.  Those who believe in the principles are set aside.  For the world does not believe.  The world believes only in itself and what it can conceive.  This is the world of the evil one.  This is the world that we live in.  And many are blinded.  Many are deceived and do not know.  Many have been brought up to believe that the world is the way.  Many think that they are part of the world and do not know the difference.  For they have not been told.  They have not seen.  Their ears have been shut and their hearts filled with the lust of the world.  For they believe that the world provides for their needs, both physical and spiritual, and they do not know. 

There is no place for spiritual principles in the way of the world.  The evil one has diluted the true message so that now there are several messages, and several platforms that deliver the message.  Each platform claiming the true message, having the right to deliver its own version.  So now as a result no one message comes forth and no one message has the right to come forth over another, for that would be conflict and would infringe upon the rights of other platforms.  So confusion reigns.  And the harvest withers on the vine because the harvesters are in confusion.  And the lost sheep continue to be lost.  Those who are lost use doubt and ambiguity as the source of their disbelief.  The lost sheep turn from the message because they see uncertainty, they see ambiguity, they see confusion, they see many messages and platforms.  And Christ said that the disciples will be hated by all.  All the demons and the people possessed by them, hate those who carry the message of Christ.  Are you hated by the people because of your belief in Christ?  Know that the demons despise you but Christ loves you.