St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 32, Heavenly Value.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Confidence in divine protection) Part 8.  

Christ now concludes his talk with his disciples.  He has prepared them to do battle with the dark forces of evil they will face when they travel throughout the towns and villages carrying the message to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  His entire message was meant to prepare them spiritually for what they would face.  On several occasions he has told them not to be afraid.  This is the central theme of his message to them.  Keep fear out of your hearts for the Spirit of the Father will come to you when you have a calm heart and a quiet spirit.  

The mission of the disciples is to carry the message of the kingdom of heaven to the people.  The people have strayed away from their worship of the one true God.  So the disciples are sent for to gather the lost sheep and bring them back into the fold.   They will face obstacles.  They will face trials.  They will encounter resistance by the demons of the evil one.  But Christ has given them the weapons to defeat them.  He has armed them spiritually by giving them power to cast out demons.  He has given them power to heal the sick, cure the lame, and restore life to the dead.  Those who do not accept the message he has instructed his disciples to kick the dust off their feet and mark the towns and villages for destruction in the last days. 

This is war.  This is spiritual battle and he wants his disciples to know the consequences of the decisions that men make.  The disciples can only carry the message.  They can not force the people to accept.  Christ tells his disciples, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven."   Blessed are they who accept the message of the disciples.  They will be accepted by Christ  before his heavenly father.  He is telling his disciples that everyone that they meet, that accepts the message of the kingdom of heaven, he will accept also when he is restore to his heavenly father.  Hearing is believing.  And believing is the door to faith and truth. 

Acceptance, acknowledgement, truth, God, religion, all denote concepts that evoke mixed feelings and awareness, in our society today.  To believe in God and accept his precepts requires one to step back from the world that we live in today.  It requires a distinct separation of mind and spirit from the reality of today.  This for many is a position of isolation, a position that brakes away from the reality of the world.  Most people struggle to be accepted in the world and not to separate from it.  After all, it is most peoples desire to become more involved in the world.  They want more money.  The want more fame.  They want more beauty and power.  They want more passion and lust.  They want more involvement with the world.  For this is the world that will bring them happiness, only if they can just get more of it. 

Many people try to live partly in the world and partly spiritually.  They do all the things that demonstrate their commitment to the spiritual precepts of God.  Yet they continue to live in the world also.  But acceptance,complete acceptance, requires one to live apart from the world.  

Complete acceptance requires one to brake from the world, to open the door to the spiritual realm of God and his principles.  One has to almost become schizophrenic to separate from the world.  And yet this separation is not a make believe world but one that is real, reinforced by Christ himself and the Holy Spirit.  For with the acceptance of Christ the Holy Spirit comes and resides with one.  Small miracles begin to happen in ones life and one walks along the path of righteousness.  No longer is one in the world but only exist in the world to do the will of God. 

Trust in the word of God and one will not walk alone.  Trust in the Holy Spirit and one will see the miracles of Christ.  Believe in the desire to be one in Christ as he is one in the Father and you will live a life of peace and joy.  Acceptance is the key.  Surrender is the vehicle.  Trust is the paddle and faith in the word is the direction that takes you to the kingdom.  Will you accept Christ before you accept men?  Partial acceptance is not the key.  Hypocrisy will not work.  Only in your heart will you truly know the gift of God.  If you accept Christ he will accept you before his father.  Will you accept Christ today and surrender to his will for your life?  He waits patiently for your response.

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verses: 30-31, Heavenly Value.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Confidence in divine protection) Part 7.  

 Christ has made a comparison with the birds of the air.  He has indicated that two sparrows are sold for a farthing, a thing of little value.  Yet even they are watched over by our heavenly Father.  Not one falls to the ground without the leave of the father.  Christ has told his disciples in previous passages that the salt has no value if it looses its strength.  It is of no good except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  And yet this does not happen without the leave of the father.  The decision is upon the individual.  The choice is theirs.  And the father will abide by their decision.  Yet he will wait until the last minute until the last hope of turnaround before leaving the person to their decision to live without him.  When we do not accept the message of the kingdom of heaven we turn our backs to Christ and become things of little value.  And yet he does not give up on us.  He continues to wait and to expect a turnaround in our decision to accept him.

Christ comes now and tells his disciples that even though two sparrows are of little value, God does not allow them to fall without his knowledge.  He cares about the smallest thing of value and he cares about the greatest thing of value.  And man is of great value to him.  Christ tells us that, "The very hairs of your head are all numbered."  This is how important the souls of men are to God.  He knows all about us, even down to the individual hair follicles on our heads.  He is intimately involved with everything about us.  And nothing happens to us without his knowledge.  Christ says because,  "You are of more value than many sparrows."   Our heavenly value is greater than many sparrows.  God loves us more.  He protects us more.  He provides for us more.  Christ is telling this to his disciples because he wants them to know their heavenly value.  He wants them to know that their God will protect them, provide for them, and keep them in his love.  Though they do battle with the evil one and come against his minions, God will be the ultimate protector.  Their job is to carry that message to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and tell them about the goodness of the Lord.  

Because of that protection Christ tells them again not to be afraid.  They are things of great value to the Lord.  God will not allow any harm to come to them as they travel throughout the towns and villages carrying the message to the people.  So, he tells them again, "Therefore do not be afraid."   They will not be lost to the torments of hell.  Do not be afraid, for they will not be tortured by Satan.  Do not be afraid for they are more valuable than many sparrows.  But to those who are released by God, they have no value.  To those who will not accept the message of the kingdom, they will have no value.  To those who do not receive the disciples, it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for them that do not receive the message of the kingdom.

Christ values us.  Christ loves us and so does God our Father.  We will not fall, unless it is our decision.  We will not be overcome by the tricks and traps of the devil, unless we decide not to accept the love that God offers us.  The decision is ours to make.  We are more valuable in God's eyes.  He knows even the individual hairs on our heads.  The message is clear.  Heed the calling of Christ and repent.  Turn away from the worship of pagan gods and turn to the one true God in heaven.  Do not be afraid for he loves you very much and will protect you.  Do not be afraid for he will provide for you.  Do  not be afraid for he will love you.  And do not be afraid because he will keep you in his hands and out of the hands of the evil one.  For Christ has told us that the very hairs of our heads are numbered so do not be afraid.  We are worth many sparrows so do not be afraid.  Are you a disciple of Christ or a disciple of the world?  

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 29, Heavenly Value.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Confidence in divine protection) Part 6.  

Now, in Christ's description of hell, he has given his disciples a picture of the torment that awaits those who do not heed the message of the kingdom.  Within the minds of the disciples lurks the picture of the many souls that will not see the kingdom.  There are many that they have encountered that have turned away from the message.  There are many who have not accepted the laws but turned to the worship of pagans.  There are many who live by the passions of their hearts and who disregard the calling to repentance.  So the disciples see how Satan is winning the souls of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Christ tells them, by way of example, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?"   Are not two birds sold for a very small value?  In just the same manner, are not two small things sold for a very small value?  Are not two, lost body and lost soul, sold for a value that is very small, a value that is of no value?  Christ wants his disciples to know that those who do not accept the message have little value.  Those who are lost are like the sale of two sparrows for a very little value.  There is no value.  There is no loss.  He continues by saying, "And yet, not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave." 

So even though Satan is capturing the souls of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, those souls are the ones who have not accepted the message sent from the father.   God our father does not allow souls to go willingly into hell.  He knows all of those that do.  He makes every effort to save those lost souls.  He provides opportunities for them to repent.  He provides ways for them to hear the message.  He provides a means for them to return to the God of their forefathers.  God knows all and any lost soul is only lost by his leave and by the choice of the individual.  For Christ has told his disciples that the Father will protect them.  He has told them that the Spirit of the Father will come to them.  He has given them training to protect themselves from the tricks and traps of the devil.  So they are prepared and they will prepare others who will listen and heed the message of the kingdom of heaven.

Christ has said to his disciples that they are the salt of the earth.  But what if the salt looses its strength.  Of what good is it except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  He has also shown that the birds of the air and the lilies of the field neither toil nor sweat.  Yet the heavenly father provides for them just as he will provide for them.  Even for those who do not accept the message, God waits patiently, even up to the last minute, for the veil of deception to be thrown off and the eyes opened and they repent.   For our God is a God of mercy and a God of patience and a God of love.  And yet not one sparrow falls to the ground except by his leave.  Like the disciples, are you of great value to your heavenly father?  Is your body and soul compared to two sparrows who are sold for a farthing, a very small value?  Can you hear the message?  Do you care?  Christ is calling you to repentance that he may love you.  Will you come?