St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 19a, The Enemy and his Tricks.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 5.  

Christ now begins to tell his disciples how they are to act when they are delivered up.  A prisoner of war will only give his name rank and serial number to the enemy and the disciples are given instructions as to how they are to respond.  For they will be brought before governors and kings.  They will testify for the sake of Christ.  They will be questioned about the new doctrine they preach.  And the spiritual demons will want to devour them like sheep.  Christ, however tells them, "Do not be anxious how or what you are to speak."  

Do not be anxious, he tells them.  Do not allow yourself to fear.  Do not let your heart be overwhelmed with anticipation.  Do not let your mind race with thoughts of what will happen.  These are the things that Christ wants to prepare his disciples for.  He wants them to practise mental training.  He wants them to still themselves spiritually so that they have a defense against the enemy that they will face.  For the battle is for the souls of men and the soul is reached through the heart and the mind.  So they must be prepared.  They must be ready.  They must know what to expect. 

Anxiety opens the door to fear.  Fear is the gateway to speculation of what will happen in the next minute, the next hour, the next day, and the future.  And fear will give the enemy the advantage to destroy the faith implanted in the disciples by Christ.  Christ has spent time preparing his disciples for the coming battle.  He has spent time showing them the results of faith.  He has questioned their faith in order to strengthen it for the battle ahead.  He has demonstrated to them what faith looks like and what it can do.  Now it's time for them to exercise that faith in the battle that they will face before the evil governors and kings of the land. 

So Christ is warning them to keep the door to anxiety closed.  He is showing them the tricks that the enemy will use.  And he is giving them weapons that they will use to defeat the enemy.  They are the disciples of Christ.  They have the spirit of Christ within them.  They are prepared for battle. 

Can we say the same today?  Do we allow anxiety to control our lives?  Do we open the door to spiritual evil allowing it to bring forth fear into our lives?  How can we fight the spirit of anxiety?  How can we control the entrance of fear into our lives?  Sometimes just repeating the words of Christ begins to help us keep the door closed.  He said, do not be anxious.  So we can tell ourselves to not get anxious, over, and over, and over again, as a means of bringing calm into our lives and our situations.  We can breath and listen to our hearts so that they do not become gateways to fear.  A calm heart is a clam mind, and a calm mind fixed on Christ is a steel door that the devil cannot penetrate.  So let us put on the armor of Christ and keep him before us as we face our trials and tribulations daily.  Will you close the door to anxiety and stop fear from entering your life??

 

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 18, The Enemy

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 4.  

Christ has told his disciples that they are to beware of men.  The disciples do not know the hearts of men the way that Christ does.  They are not able to see into the hearts of men.  The are not able to see the deep seated evil that lurks therein.  They do not know the things that men conceive from the depths of their hearts.  So Christ warns them to beware of men.  He tells them that they will be delivered up.  He tells them that men will scourge them in their synagogues and temples.  And mostly men will have them brought before governors and kings as a witness to Christ.

Why will these things happen?  Why do men do the things that they do?  Fear rules in the hearts of men.  They do not know how to accept the things that men of God will do.  They are not able to accept the miracles that their eyes will witness.  They are not able to listen to the words that the disciples will preach.  They cannot open their hearts to the message that will be preached by the disciples of Christ.  So they will bring them before the governors and kings for judgement.  They will bring them before governors and kings for discernment.  They will deliver them to kings and governors to determine the acceptance of the words that are contrary to the set beliefs established by the rulers.

This is the battle, the minds and hearts of men.  This is the war.  And the established rulers are the judges.  They are the ones who will decide if this new teaching will be accepted by all.  They are the ones who will judge the words of the disciples.  They are the ones who have the final say in the matter of changes that will take place in the life of the common people.  And they are the ones that the forces of darkness have established their rule with.  This is a spiritual battle.  The spirits of darkness rule the minds and hearts of men.  The spirits of darkness have established their rule in the governors and kings and thereby over most of the people.  There are those who do not follow the masses.  There are those who adhere to the laws passed down by Moses.  There are those who have the spark of life within their hearts and will accept the message of Christ.  These are the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  There are those that the seed of the word will fall upon fertile ground and produce fruit.  But the battle will be won in the hearts and minds of the people as they are ruled by the kings and governors of the land.

Just as then, 2000 years ago, the same is true today.  Men are delivered before the kings and governors to be judged.  Rules are passed contrary to the preachings handed down by Christ.  In the land of freedom, laws must be passed so that the freedoms of all peoples are protected, even the freedoms of the evil one.  Therefore, one cannot pray in the schools because the evil one may be offended and the rights of those who do not practice prayer or those who do not believe in the one true God may be transgressed.  Therefore, one cannot speak of the biblical teachings of marriage because the evil one may be offended and the rights of those who believe in a different marriage may be transgressed.  The battle is in the minds and hearts of men and women and we must beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the rulers, the kings, the governors, the supervisors, the managers, the alpha dogs, the bully on the job, as a witness for the sake of Christ.  For the evil one rules in the minds of men.  Will you be afraid when you are delivered up for the sake of Christ?          

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!!!