The Daily Dose

Indestructible Soul

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:28

I have an indestructible soul.  You do too if you have received salvation through the blood of Jesus.  If you have not, well, your soul will still exist forever, but it will be separated from the One who created and loves you?  It is a very grim picture. Many people never consider where they will spend their forever, but have no doubt, we will all spend it somewhere.

In today’s passage, Jesus told his disciples not to be afraid of people, because even the evilest person can only take your life.  They cannot touch your eternal being.  That’s the part of you that lives on the inside of your physical body.  We should, however, fear the One true God that can destroy both soul and body.

Today we know that God doesn’t want any person to go to hell.  Hell was created for Satan and his demonic forces.  But hell is a real place and those who reject the gift of salvation that God freely gave through the blood and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, will spend their eternity there with Satan and his demonic forces.

Since it is not God’s will for people to go there, Jesus told His disciples to talk openly about what Jesus told them in secret and to preach from the rooftops what was whispered in their ears.  Jesus wanted the whole earth to know that God loves the world so much that He sent Jesus to rescue all people from the eternal separation caused by sin.

Jesus then told the disciples that they are more valuable to God than many sparrows.  God created the birds, and not one falls without God knowing about it.  God even knows the number of hairs on our heads and everything else about us.  He knows that because He created us to be His children and He loves us as a  Father loves His children.

Today I want to encourage you to think about how valuable you are to God.  Consider that He is your Father and wants to be close to you.  He wants to walk each day in communion with you and He wants you to know how precious you are to Him.  Your soul is indestructible, so ensure today that you will spend your eternal life after this life with Him in His glory!  If you have never received His gift of salvation through Jesus, pray this prayer today and Jesus will come into your life and change you for all eternity.

God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new.  I know Your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus’ name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 10:27-33

 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

 

Jesus was in a small group

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Matthew 10:1

Who are you walking through life with?  Your family?  Close friends?  Church members?  Hopefully we all have loved ones that we connect with day to day.  Jesus gave us the example of walking through life with others in His concept of small groups.  He chose twelve men to walk through life with to lead, teach, encourage, build up, and serve.

Today’s scripture starts with Jesus calling and empowering His twelve disciples/apostles.  This became His small group.  In this small group, Jesus taught these men for three years and He walked through every season of life with them. They not only served in Jesus’ ministry, but they served each other including Jesus as the leader.  Their connection became so great that after Jesus left, the disciples picked up and continued that ministry and it goes on even today. 

The small group concept continued after Jesus’ ascension into heaven when the New Testament church began having meetings in their homes.  They could not go to the synagogue to meet and talk about Jesus without seriously offending someone, so they met daily with each other, caring and serving one another.

Over the years the church has grown and become one of the largest organizations in the entire world.  Since the local church has grown and our focus in life tends to get distracted with keeping up in the world, it seems like this is a good time to reestablish small groups for accountability and support.  Even though you may have members of your church that you are close to, small groups are a way to get new believers connected so they don’t fall away when pressure comes.  Small groups can also become community outreach groups and neighborhood support groups.  It is an excellent way to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world!

Today I want to encourage you if you are not part of a small group, get involved with one.  If you don’t know how or where, maybe start one of your own.  You can start a Bible study group, an activity group (hiking, golfing) or a community service group.  If you are new in the faith, ask the person who led you to Jesus if they would be willing to co-lead a group with you to keep you on track as you learn.  When leading an activity or serving group, it can be more about the project or activity, just make sure to include a time of prayer, prayer requests, and some discussion of what life is dealing to people in the group.  You can do some scripture encouragement and some worship, too.  There is really no set structure, just so the focus is connecting closely with others and walking through life together.  Remember this is God’s group, you are only hosting or participating in His group.  Make Him the focus and encourage all who join to walk closer with Him and to love other people.

Today’s scripture reading:  Matthew 10:1-15

 1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,

10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

12 And when you go into a household, greet it.

13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

What is your first response?

 _{O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me, – Psalms 7:1}

 In the world we live in, there are opportunities everyday to panic, judge and stress in the conditions surrounding us.  We have the choice daily and even hourly of how to response to the circumstances and people around us.  Often times when faced with unexpected problems and struggles, fear and panic is the first reaction.  Trying to find a way out or a defensive position of protection is the natural response, especially when someone you love is being threatened.  People over all assume the responsible posture is to take matters into their own hands and figure out a way to vindicate and even justify keeping from being overtaken.

King David was a man well acquainted with people and situations coming against him.  He spent the first half of his time as king running from those who were seeking to take his life.  He was forced to go on the run and hide out for many years to preserve his life until the kingdom was turned over to him.

In today’s reading, David writes about being chased by his enemies that want to tear him to shreds.  He confesses that if he has done something deserving of this pursuit then he is willing to take the punishment.  But if not, he calls on God to rise up and take his judgement on the situation.  David knew that he was following the direction of God for his life and trusted Him to get him through the obstacles of enemy oppression and negative circumstances.

This chapter starts with David calling out to God first thing.  He didn’t start with calculating the troubles surrounding him, his first response in the situation was to bring God on the scene.  This was always David first response and even when he was confronted with his own sin, he was quick to repent and fall on his face before God’s presence.  This is why he was said to be a man after God’s heart.  It was what he pursued in every area of life.  No matter what he came up against, his first questions was always: “What is in God’s heart about this set of circumstances?”

Hopefully this is your first response too.  When things don’t seem to be going right in the world around you, is your first response to go to prayer or to go into panic mode.   Do you feel pressure to make something happen, to avenge yourself or someone you love or do we let God be the judge?   Are you looking for the “God” solution in every situation or the world’s way of dealing with things?  I hope and pray today that you will begin to seek first God’s way and answer to every problem you come up against in life.

Today I want to encourage you to trust God first with every area of your life’s circumstances.  Follow Kind David’s example and chase after the heart of God for everything that comes up in life.  Don’t try to figure out your own way of handling things, get the plan.  God has designed a path and solution to every struggle you face in life and it is the perfect response.  Go ahead and take the time to let Him lay it out for you no matter how great or small your dilemma.  Trust Him first today and you will always be assured victory in your life.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Psalms 7

1 O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me,

2 Lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands,

4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, or have plundered my enemy without cause,

5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah

6 Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!

7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high.

8 The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me.

9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.

10 My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart.

11 God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.

13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.

14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.

15 He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made.

16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.

17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Get Real

_{Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. – Psalms 6:2}

 The majority of people that live in our world today are quick to judge others, but when it comes to their own shortcomings or sins, they find every excuse in the book to justify their own actions.  People generally have very little grace to give others because they are so busy giving it to themselves.  Overall, the mentality of the society we live in think that what they are doing wrong is ok for them.  You can hear the excuses they make justifying their behavior.  Phrases like: “God knows my heart” or “I’m a work in progress.”  I think we all have heard people say: “The devil made me do it.”  Or even “Who are you to judge me?”  There are even some that would quote scriptures like: “We are under grace, not the law” and “saved by grace, not works.”

Even worse, instead of confessing the sin and asking God for forgiveness, they tell God the same excuses.  What?  Don’t you think that God knows the truth?  Sin is sin and He wants us to call it what it is and get far from it.  As long as you try to justify your actions, that sin will disguise itself so you cannot even identify it when it comes around.

While most of the excuses listed above may be true and some even scriptural, these cannot make your heart right with God.  These words will only sooth your conscience for a short while, but in the end, you are protecting that action and trying to hide it from God your Father. 

David’s approach to his sin was different than that in today’s reading.  His was a prayer of humility and repentance.  David got real with God.  He started this Psalm with recognizing that he had offended and even stirred up God’s anger by his sin.  As he came to God, he asked that God have mercy on him because he is weak.  We are talking about David, probably the mightiest warrior in the bible, in this chapter confessing that he is a weak person and needs God’s help.

It would have been easy for David to justify that he was the king so it was ok. The king can do whatever he wants and you better not question him. Instead, David was honest with himself and honest with God and as he concluded his prayer of repentance, he was confident that the Lord had heard his voice and received his prayer to forgive him.  When he left that place of repenting and getting forgiveness, he knew that he could get up from there and go forward on his mission for God.

Today I want to encourage you to get real!  Be honest with yourself when you miss it and run to your loving heavenly Father for forgiveness.  When you confess your sin is not when God finds out about it.  He already knows, so go ahead and admit it to yourself and receive the cleansing He died to get for you.  You do have the power to forgive others and you do have the strength to turn yourself over to the mercy of God. Only when you get honest with yourself will you find true repentance.

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 6

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

3 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord—how long?

4 Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

5 For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?

6 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.

7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer.

10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

Plain and Clear

Lord, I have so many enemies! Lead me to do your will; make your way plain for me to follow.  Psalms 5:8

 I have prayed a prayer like this for many years.  When I am not sure what is the right thing to do in a situation or when I need direction about a next step or an open door.  I thank my Father in heaven for making the plan plain and clear to me.  That it becomes so obvious that I cannot miss it.  Because I have made so many unwise decisions in my past based on circumstances surrounding me or just selfish desires, I do not want to ever do that again.  If I am face with a predicament or decision that I am not 100% confident of His direction, I begin to pray that He makes the way easy to see and places the desire in my heart to go that way.  Truthfully, up until this very moment I didn’t know there was actually a scripture that I had been praying all along.  I know that it was effective because He always shows me the way when I pray this way.

I know that it is no coincidence that this verse came up today of all days.  Like I said I have prayed if for years, but today I was praying with a friend who is going through a struggle right now.  Her story is similar to mine in that she wants to follow God so closely now.  I had encouraged her to Thank God that He makes His way plain and clear for her to follow so that she is assured to make the right choices coming up and even further down the road.

Chances are everyone reading this is dealing with something in life that they just don’t know quite the right way to handle.  I highly recommend praying this scripture over your situation and also preparing yourself to follow as soon as it is clear which way to go.  If you struggle once you know, it is okay. Simply begin to thank Him for His grace to empower you to do the right thing and go His way.  I promise you; you will never regret it and it will be an open door to the next wonderful blessings He has planned for your life.  Just keep following Him step by step and it will not take long for your confidence to become so strong that you know that you are completing the mission He designed for you before you were even born.

Today I want to encourage you if you are struggling with a decision in life and don’t know exactly the right choice to make, begin to pray this scripture over you situation.  If you are at a fork in the road and don’t know which path to follow, thank Him that He is leading you in the path of righteousness and that He is clearing the way for you.  Another translation says: Smooth out Your road in front of me, straight and level, so that I will know where to walk.  Thank Him for smoothing out the direction you should follow and that you know where to take the next step because it is straight and level. He is clearing the way for you, but it is not always automatic for you to follow.  You must stay closely tuned into His direction, so you don’t get distracted with the activities and pleasures of this life.  Only Then will you be able bask in the promise of verse 12 of this chapter that says: You, O Lord bless the godly and surround them with your shield of love.

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 5

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.

2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.

3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You.

5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.

6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue.

10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Worthlessness

How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah  Psalms 4:2

 There are very few things in this world that are worthless.  Some things can only be purchased with money, which makes them worth their price to the one who buys.  Even free things have value and worth to the one receiving.  Whether it is a benefit or gift, there is always a price that was paid by someone.  There is pretty much some use and worth to every tangible thing in the world around us.  Even dirt is important to grow and produce food and plant life.  The air, though it cannot be seen in essential to life.  I am thankful that it has not been discovered yet how to charge for that.

In the reading today, it speaks of loving worthlessness.  It defines worthlessness by what a person is seeking, putting energy into and pursuing in life. Most of the time that can be easily identified by where people spend their lives.  If they are pursuing a life of idleness and ease, it is evident in their habits of not going out to be a contribution to society.  They love worthlessness.  On the opposite side of that is pursuing riches and a life of luxury and leisure.  It seems like that life is full of worth based on the amount that is in the bank or worldly investments, but in chasing after those things as the ultimate goal in life, all ends in worthlessness.

Depending on what is done with wealth and funds you have worked hard to earn is how you can truly identify the worth of a person’s daily efforts.  If working is important just to be comfortable in this world and to play all of your days, that is what the Psalmist is calling worthlessness.

The rest of this chapter gives some clear directions on how to pursue things that are valuable.  This is not to say that you should not work and pursue work when you do not have a job. Doing your best for your employer and contributing to the good of a community through employment is directed in scripture and a godly principal to follow.  But the instruction in this Psalm is different than that.  It gives us some clear ideas what to be doing in our down time.

Vs.3 – call on God

Vs. 4 – it is ok to be angry, but do not let it lead to sin.  Also meditate God’s Word in your heart when you are laying down to rest or sleep.  Be still (not scrolling)

Vs. 5 – sacrifice desire for personal fame for a right relationship with the God of heaven.  Put your trust in the Lord in every area of life.

Vs. 6 – seek God’s favor instead of man’s approval

Vs. 7 – God’s gladness is worth more than all natural increase

Vs. 8 – When you pursue these things, you will lay down each night in peace and sleep soundly.  God alone keeps you living in safety.  He is the most worth-y pursuit for all people.

On paper, these things do not look like they should be hard to seek after, but in reality, it will take some focused attention and intentionality.  Here are some practical ways that you can be assured that all your pursuits are not worthlessness.

1. Spend time talking with and reaching out to your heavenly Father everyday you are alive.
2. Don’t let anger make decisions for you but rather look to God’s Word for solutions to any conflicts. Selah
3. Spend time each day meditating some of God’s Word.  Write out a scripture in the morning that the Holy Spirit puts on your heart and then take it with you and read it before you take time to look at your phone.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you each day to encourage someone who needs it.
5. Turn every area of your life over to God for direction and protection
6. Ask the Holy Spirit each day how you can be helpful in the plan of God for today.

Today I want to encourage you to pick one of these practical steps to start pursuing a life of worth and value.  Begin your day talking with and communing with your Father in heaven.  Take a scripture with you through the day to meditate as time permits and make a concentrated effort to consider what you are pursuing the things you are going after.  Then, encourage others along the way.  Commit to living all areas of you life by the power and direction of God’s Word and His Spirit and check in often with Him to stay on track.  Don’t let the end of your days here in this world end without purpose and value.  Instead, Seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.  Then everything He adds to you will count for all eternity.

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 4

1 Answer me when I pray, O God, my defender! When I was in trouble, you helped me. Be kind to me now and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people insult me? How long will you love what is worthless and go after what is false?

3 Remember that the Lord has chosen the righteous for his own, and he hears me when I call to him.

4 Tremble with fear and stop sinning; think deeply about this, when you lie in silence on your beds.

5 Offer the right sacrifices to the Lord, and put your trust in him.

6 There are many who pray: “Give us more blessings, O Lord. Look on us with kindness!”

7 But the joy that you have given me is more than they will ever have with all their grain and wine.

8 When I lie down, I go to sleep in peace; you alone, O Lord, keep me perfectly safe.

He lifts up my head

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.  Psalms 3:3

I remember some low times in my life and at one point, I figured out that if I lifted my head up and looked up to the sky, it just made me feel better.  I can’t explain it.  Maybe it helped me to see that there was a bigger picture than what I was going through or maybe it was just looking beyond the world I was in at that point in time.  After that, I started noticing that when I was down, my head was down, and I was looking at the ground.  With just a simple shift in my posture, suddenly, things didn’t feel so bad for me in those days.  I know it was right around that time when I first came across this verse in Psalms 3.  He is the One Who shields me and the One Who lifts up my head.

Now I understand that God gave me the strength and the grace to look up and look beyond all those years ago when I was struggling with life.  He was the One Who made a way for me and He was the One Who carried me through.

This has since become one of my favorite Psalms.  I also like to remember it while I am going to sleep to remind myself that He will sustain me while I am sleeping and make sure I get back up as long as I have work to do here in this world.

The chapter ends with the promise of God’s blessing on His people.  Even though I see His blessings surrounding me every day, I use this passage to help me remember to thank Him for His protection and that He hears me when I talk to Him. 

Lastly, don’t forget the “Selah.”  Even though we are only three chapters into the book of Psalms, this is the first chapter that uses the word Selah.  Usually, I notice it at the end of the chapter, but this one has the word in it three times, which seems unusual to me and the only reason I noticed it was because I am writing about it.  Up until today, I thought the word was only at the end of a chapter.  The word quite literally means: Stop and take a minute to think about what you just read and what the Holy Spirit is showing you in the scripture above.

In this chapter, it is at the end of verse two, four and eight. To me that seems repetitive and if it was at the end only, you would stop to consider the entire eight verses.  However, since it is in three places, I consider that there is a continuing thought to meditate.  So, verse 2 says that many people say to me that there is no help for him in God.  Verse four and eight seem to be the answer to the writer’s consideration of what the world around is throwing at him.  Even though people are telling him that God cannot help the situation or the person he is praying for, the writer reminds himself that he knows that when he cries to the Lord his God, God always shows up and has blessings for His people. Meaning that whatever he is praying about and talking to God about, God has a good answer in the situation.

Now that I consider these three different “selah” verses together, it speaks to me, almost like a secret message.  I know this might not always be the case, but consider that “selah” is there for you and when you take the time to stop and ponder what was said, it could be the answer you are looking for at that very moment.

So today I want to encourage you to look for the part of this chapter that stands out to you.  Spend some time reading it over and see what blessing the Holy Spirit is giving you in the passage.  Consider the verses with “selah” at the end and ask the Holy Spirit if there is anything in them for you, today.  Also, remember that when you are feeling down or disappointed, look up and see if that doesn’t help you to see beyond the circumstances you are up against right now in life. Then, thank Him for His blessings that He is continually pouring out on you and that you will recognize each one of them today.

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 3

1 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! many are they who rise up against me.

2 Many are they who say of me “There is no help for him in God.”

Selah

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.

4 I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.

Selah

5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people.

Selah

Mission Accomplished

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  Matthew 10:16

Have you ever dreamed about being a superhero?  Someone who rescues lost and hurting people?  Someone who comes on the scene at just the right moment in time to pull others out of trouble and give them hope again? 

In today’s reading, Jesus sent His disciples to rescue the lost sheep of Israel.  The way Jesus explained the mission to he disciples made it pretty clear that it was going to be a tough assignment.  He told them that they would be persecuted, delivered up to councils, scourged in their synagogues and brought before kings and governors.  He wrapped up the details of the journey by saying they would be hated by all because of Jesus’ name, but to endure through it all to the end, then they would be saved.

This does not sound like good news to me, but if I take a closer look at the text, there is a couple subtle words of His message to keep them inspired along the way.  First of all, He told them that they are going out as sheep among wolves.  Even though this is a frightening picture, He explained that they could be smarter than the wolves and still be harmless as doves.  By their subtle clever methods, they would be able to gather some lost sheep without even being noticed by the “wolves” waiting to devour them.

Next, He encouraged them that when they are brought before their persecutors, don’t worry about what to say because the Holy Spirit will speak in them.  Lastly, He assured them that the covered things would be revealed, and the hidden will be seen.  It will all be clear and plain to them at just the right moments.

My question in this part of Jesus’ ministry has always been:  Why would they want to go after He told them about all these awful things that could happen?  However, after reading it this morning, it reminded me of something out of a spy movie.  It is like when the hero gets the mission they are told: Here is your mission.  If you choose to accept it, there will be dangers and troubles along the way.  You will have to go out among wolves that want to destroy you.  You will be brought before councils and kings.  But don’t worry about that, your advocate will let you know what to say to them.  Even your family members may rise up against you and you will be hated by all people because of the name you are doing the mission in.  But hang in there until the end and you are guaranteed to accomplish what you have been sent to do.  Now, having changed my perspective, it sounds pretty exciting!  Just like in the theatre, The leading role gets to save the day, or in this case bring others to the Savior.

So now comes the most exciting part!  You have actually been given a mission too!  If you choose to accept it, you can be guaranteed there will be troubles and dangers along the way.  It is an important mission intended to rescue many people.   Stick with your mission and the One who sent you, so your mission will be accomplished, and you will be able to rejoice with Him in the end.

Today I want to encourage you to accept your mission.  Go before your Heavenly Father and tell Him you are ready to go.  Wait for your instructions and prepare for the dangers ahead.  Watch for the warning and be wise to the traps of your enemy.  Do not be afraid when you are confronted, the Holy Spirit, your divine Commander, will give you the right responses.  Then endure, press on and continue until you have successfully rescued the ones assigned to you.  It will be exciting, and you will have some troubling times along the way.  But it will all be worth it because it will be the greatest adventure you have ever been on and at the end you will be able to say: “Mission accomplished.”

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 10:16-26

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.

18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;

20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

 

Freely give

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.  Matthew 10:8

I’m sure we all remember the plans of our lives that got cut short in the year 2020.  As news of a pandemic pummeled our country and abruptly shut it down, many became shut in by fear.  Only a short time later, the entire nation was caught in the upheaval of an ethnic conflict.  Then came the climate disruptions all over the world.  There were floods, cyclones, Hurricanes and wildfires threatening all around us.  Right in the middle of this great worldwide turmoil, I was praying in a church meeting that had gathered for prayer.  I asked the Lord: “Lord, the world is such a mess, how are we as believers and the body of Christ ever going to be able to make a difference in the chaos?  How are we going to bring your love to a world gone mad?”  I heard the answer in my heart almost immediately.  I know it wasn’t an audible voice, but if I had been alone, I might have thought it was.  It was probably the clearest and quickest answer I had ever gotten in my life.  He said:

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give it to others!”  Wow!  I knew this was a scripture, so I immediately looked it up to see who had this direction in scripture.  Here it is in today’s text, Jesus, giving the authority to do these things, to His disciples.  Jesus told His disciples to reach the lost sheep of Israel by touching their infirmities in life.  If they are sick, give them health.  If they are diseased, give them cleansing. if they are dead, give them life.  The disciples had received these things freely and should give them to others the same way, expecting nothing in return.

My heart felt hope almost immediately.  He was telling me; I could make a difference just by giving to others the things that I had already freely received from Him.  I have been given new life, I have been given forgiveness, I have been given freedom from my past and I have been given divine protection from harmful things around me.  I have been given the promises of God!  Now I freely share these with others every opportunity that He gives me.  It’s not that I make a spectacle of myself to get the message of salvation out. But it is that I love people with the love that God my Father has given me.  If they need healing, I pray for them.  If they need financial help, I give to them or help them secure income.  If someone needs a place to stay, I invite them into my home.  Whatever the need, I do what I can to let them know they are important to me because they are important to God!

Today I want to encourage you to freely give what you have been freely given.  Don’t hold back because of fear that you will not have enough for your own needs.  Your heavenly Father knows what you have need of and takes care of you.  Be that disciple of Jesus that gives the love of God to everyone He brings into your world.  Let all other people know that they are valuable to you because they are valuable to God!

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 10:5-15

 5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,

10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

12 And when you go into a household, greet it.

13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! 

Ask for the Nations

Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.  Psalms 2:8

 I had a lot of time this week to think about this Psalms 2.  I know that it is a prophetic chapter about Jesus and there are many references in it about Him and to Him.  I found the beginning part to be comforting and it even makes me chuckle a little, because no matter how much the nations of the world rage and the people plot against God and His Anointed, my heavenly Father is not worried about it.  He sits in the heavens and laughs at their futile efforts to make progress against Him.

What I meditated on the most was the scripture that I selected for the key verse of this chapter.  I realize that it is speaking to the King of kings, but it says: If you would ask me for the nations, I would give them to you as your inheritance, even to the ends of the earth.  Basically, He is saying I would give You the world if you asked Me. 

Again, knowing that He is talking to Jesus because the next verse says that He will break the nations with a rod of iron and dash then to pieces like a potter’s vessel, I wasn’t sure that I could apply this verse personally.  As I thought about it, I imagined what I would do with the nations.  Why would I ask for the nations.  I considered economies and governments.  Certainly, I would want them to be ordered of God if I were in charge. 

But then I had a different thought.  What if I asked for the salvation of the nations.  Would He give that?  What if I ask to reach the nations with the message of salvation and the good news of God’s love for all people.  It was a totally new perspective and I let it marinate for a while.  How can I touch the world with salvation?  Then I realized, I am already doing many of the things like: supporting missions and sending people on mission trips.  Posting a daily blog that feeds a message of encouragement and salvation on the world wide web.  Now I am looking for ways to reach not only the world, but also to my neighborhood and town.  I am living life beyond me and I hope you will too.

Today I want to encourage you to join me in starting to pray about reaching the world with the gospel message.  Ask your heavenly Father for the nations.  He is big enough to get them for you.  Begin to pray bigger and ask for things beyond your own needs.  Ask for opportunities to send people, ask for finances to fund mission in other countries.  Ask for the words and faith to talk to others in your daily life about God’s love and provision.  Most of all, ask for a willing heart to share to good news whenever the opportunity comes. Expand your world view today from your world to the world!

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 2

1 Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.

5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath and distress them in His deep displeasure:

6 “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”

7 “I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.

8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.