Category Archives: Share the Good News

Church / Body of Christ, Discerning / Judging, False Prophets / Teachers, Hearing from God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News

Jesus’ Appearance Was Transformed

November 28, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

In Matthew 17:1-13, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to a high mountain to be alone and what they witness is amazing. For these three disciples it is another incredibly personal exposure to God. Jesus clearly wanted them to be witness to these events.

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. ²As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. ³Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

⁴Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials^[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁵But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” ⁶The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

⁷Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

⁹As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man^[b] has been raised from the dead.”

¹⁰Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?^[c]”

¹¹Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. ¹²But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” ¹³Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

Jesus clearly wanted Peter, James and John to witness this event, even though He did not want them to tell anyone until after He was raised from the dead. Jesus is not seeking personal glory in His earthly ministry. God confirms that He is pleased with the life of Jesus, reaffirming that Jesus’ earthly ministry is the example of how God wants us, as His followers, to live.

We see again reference to the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man rather than one or the other. God refers to Jesus as His “son” and Jesus refers to Himself as “Son of Man”.

We also see that when God reveals Himself directly to His people it can actually make people afraid. This is a theme that repeats throughout scripture in other examples like when God appeared to His people at Mt. Sinai and when God’s messengers, angels, appear to people. It can be an overwhelming experience.

At the close of the scripture we are also reminded that those who claim special knowledge because they are in positions of religious authority often get it wrong. They not only abused and persecuted just about every prophet God sent, but completely missed the role of John the Baptist… even though they were looking for the return of Elijah as part of their own teaching. They completely missed the role of Jesus even though they were looking for the Messiah as part of their own teaching as well!

Many who were less “educated” or who were not in positions of religious authority could see clearly when the Pharisees and Sadducees could not. We are not called to blindly follow our religious leaders, but rather study scripture and get to know God’s word ourselves. We are not only to participate with other believers in a congregation but also study and seek God prayerfully in families and small groups to ensure a solid foundation to living out our faith. Then when we are actually better positioned to help our faith based leaders and to discern which should be followed and which should be rebuked.

Reflect on what it would be like to be on the mountain top with Peter, James, and John as they experience that event. Would that change your life… making you more confident and bold in studying scripture, praying humbly, submitting your life to Jesus, and sharing the good news of the gospel with more passion?

Jesus wanted us to know about this event after He died and rose again! That is why He brought the disciples and why it is in the Biblical text. Jesus wants us to accept it every bit as much as if we were there with Him on the mountain top!

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hearing from God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Share the Good News

Jesus Was Not Honored In His Hometown or Amongst His Family

October 28, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Matthew 13:53-58 reveals to us how Jesus was rejected in Nazareth despite people observing that He had great wisdom and power to do miracles. The scoffed at Him and dismissed Him… some were deeply offended by Him.

⁵³When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. ⁵⁴He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” ⁵⁵Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph,^[f] Simon, and Judas. ⁵⁶All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” ⁵⁷And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” ⁵⁸And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

It is common for us to tend to dismiss those we know as having special wisdom or relationship with God and instead look to strangers. Similarly human nature sometimes leads us to trust those that are like us and reject those that are different from us based on appearance or language or home country. We should always challenge ourselves to test what a person teaches against scripture itself, not against our biases or opinions of where they were from or what they look like or whether or not we know them.

There is also much encouragement for those who follow God’s instruction to share the gospel with others. Do not be discouraged by those who come against you or dismiss your efforts telling you “Who are you to teach people?” Look and see that Jesus received the same treatment. He did not let it discourage Him. Study the word, as Jesus did, to learn greater depth and understanding. Continue to proclaim God’s word boldly and share the gospel with others.

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Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting the Wheat From The Weeds

October 24, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

²⁴Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. ²⁶When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

²⁷“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

²⁸“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

²⁹“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

³⁶Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷Jesus replied, “The Son of Man^[d] is the farmer who plants the good seed. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,^[e] and the harvesters are the angels.

⁴⁰“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

When God created the world, He allowed free will – the ability for us as people to choose to follow Him or reject Him and do things our own way. He made us like His children, not a set of robots who are pre-programmed to accept Him.

God allowed Satan to have much influence in this world, but Satan ultimately can only do what God allows. He has been defeated and will again be defeated by God. However, Satan preys on our sin nature and selfish view of the world. His actions to deceive us and lead us away from God are like the enemy who planted weeds in amongst the wheat. It makes life difficult for the wheat (the righteous).

God has a plan though. He is not confused or surprised by Satan. He will separate the wheat from the weeds when harvest comes. Those who follow God will get what they chose… an eternity with God in heaven. Those who serve their own sin nature and reject God will get what they chose… eternity in hell, separated from God.

Of course we, as followers of Christ, want to bring as many people as we can with us to follow God in this world and enter heaven after they die. We are to seek God wholeheartedly and proclaim Him loudly and publicly.

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Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting The Wheat From The Weeds

October 24, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

²⁷“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

²⁸“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

³⁶Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Suffering / Adversity

Sharing God’s Word – Parable of Farmer Planting Seeds

October 23, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus prepares us for sharing God’s word through the parable of the farmer planting seeds in Matthew 13:1-23. Jesus Himself even provides the explanation at the end to describe what the parable means.

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. ²A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. ³He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

¹⁰His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

¹¹He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets^[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹²To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. ¹³That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

¹⁴This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
¹⁵For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’^[b]

¹⁶“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

¹⁸“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²²The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

I find great encouragement in this parable. I am reminded that my role is to be the farmer planting seeds and I have the opportunity in some cases to help the plant grow by watering or fertilizing with more discussion about the gospel and prayer or sharing personal testimony. I am not responsible for the plant to grow… I can not accept Jesus on someone else’s behalf.

I should not expect that every encounter where I share the good news of Jesus Christ will result in transformed lives, but I keep on planting seeds for those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

Praise God for giving us His written word! Praise God for coming to walk among us as man in the person of Jesus Christ and showing us how to live for God and how to relate to Him! Praise God for dying for our sins! Let us help as many as we can to come to know Him.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Share the Good News

Salvation In Jesus Through Grace Alone

October 22, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

We gain important insight into salvation in Romans 10:1-15.

10 Dear brothers and sisters,^[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. ²I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. ³For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. ⁴For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.^[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

⁵For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.^[c] ⁶But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). ⁷And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” ⁸In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”^[d]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: ⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. ¹¹As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”^[e] ¹²Jew and Gentile^[f] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. ¹³For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”^[g]

¹⁴But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? ¹⁵And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”^[h]

A few key comments that strike me from this passage:

As followers of Jesus, we want God’s people to be saved. We want them to do more than claim the label Christian, but to understand God’s word and change their lives and hearts to seek Jesus wholeheartedly.
Often even people with zeal for God end up on the wrong path, seeking to do things their way instead of God’s way. This is true of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus when this scripture was written and is true today of people who accept their sin or the sins of others and ignore the Bible because they do not want to change or cannot see the need to change.
None of us can meet God’s holy standard for salvation by ourselves, our sin comes between us and God.
God loved us enough to make a way to reconcile and forgive that sin through grace alone. We are to openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
We are all called to be messengers of the good news of the gospel, the news of forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ with the world.

We must ask ourselves… Do we really believe? Are we sharing the good news? Are we proclaiming Jesus Christ as our lord and savior? Does our life… our behaviors and thoughts … reflect our submission to Jesus and His teaching? Are we in fact living differently from the world of non-Christians and people who claim the label of Christian but live the lifestyle of the world?

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Love, Peace / Rest, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News, Sin

Our Lives Should Be A Witness to God

October 10, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Genesis 21:22-34 provides witness to the fact that when we truly walk with God as the top priority in our lives, people notice. To honor God is not a secret thing we do in private. The Bible tells us to proclaim Jesus as lord publicly.

²²About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. ²³“Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”

²⁴Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!” ²⁵Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.

²⁶“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”

²⁷Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. ²⁸But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves. ²⁹Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”

³⁰Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.” ³¹Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.

³²After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. ³³Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.^[d] ³⁴And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.

This scripture also reminds us not to hate others because they may not share our faith in God. We love all God’s people, but reject their sin. Abraham was able to get along fine in a foreign land without hiding the fact that He served God.

There are exceptions where we must defend ourselves, but in this case Abraham was able to handle himself in a way that he did not have to fight. He was able to conduct business peacefully without violence and without denying or hiding his faith in God.

As Christians, we are called to love people so much that we tell them the truth of the gospel. Sometimes they respond harshly to us, but we continue because we follow the example of Christ and we want to help save whomever will accept the truth. We are not call to hate or persecute others, but we must never accept or normalize their sin as a way of making peace. Accepting and normalizing sin leads people farther and farther away from God.

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Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Obeying God, Share the Good News

God Blesses Those Who Do Not Turn Away Because of Jesus

October 5, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

After preparing and sending His twelve disciples to share the good news of the gospel, Jesus also went to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. In Matthew 11:1-19 Jesus addresses some of his critics, speaks about John the Baptist, and reminds us that the prophets and law of Moses all looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ.

11 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.

²John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, ³“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,^[a] or should we keep looking for someone else?”

⁴Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— ⁵the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. ⁶And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.^[b]’”

⁷As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? ⁸Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. ⁹Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. ¹⁰John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’^[c]

¹¹“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! ¹²And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing,^[d] and violent people are attacking it. ¹³For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. ¹⁴And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.^[e] ¹⁵Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

¹⁶“To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

¹⁷‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t mourn.’

¹⁸For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ ¹⁹The Son of Man,^[f] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

I am truly impressed by John the Baptist. He spoke out openly for God to common people and leaders alike. He did not fear retribution, or if he did, he feared and trusted God more. Even after he is thrown in jail, he refuses to stop speaking the truth. And from jail, when he hears about Jesus’ ministry… he does not send his disciples to ask for personal help to get him out of jail but rather he is still seeking to know the Messiah. John was focused on God instead of his own life and personal circumstances.

Jesus reminds us that all of the Old Testament is a very important part of our Christian faith when He teaches that the law of Moses and prophets were looking forward to the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We should be careful to heed this and not overlook the importance of continuing to study and learn the Old Testament along with the new. It has much to reveal about God and how He relates to His people and God’s plan for salvation through Jesus.

Once again we see the healing power of Jesus Christ recorded here. John’s disciples and others who were following Jesus were witness to the healing of the blind, the lame, the deaf, lepers, and even the dead raised. Powerful miracles, with many witnesses… yet still “violent people are attacking” the kingdom of heaven as Jesus teaches the people. Many people refuse to see the truth.

Instead of recognizing Jesus as Messiah, by the evidence He provided across many miracles and instances of healing… we see that there is such pressure to reject Jesus that He even comments specifically that God blesses those who do not turn away because of Him.

Jesus then points out the foolishness of those who speak against Him and John the Baptist… like children complaining. They are inconsistent and basically say anything to persuade people to agree with them.

“John is a demon because he does not eat and drink like us.”

“Jesus is a drunkard and glutton because he feasts and drinks.”

Wisdom is indeed shown to be right by its results and Jesus demonstrated many miracles and signs with many witnesses and much was documented. The Bible can be trusted.

Let us heed the words of Jesus… ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’ [Matthew 11:6]

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Am I on the path?, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Share the Good News

Jesus’ Instructions For Sharing the Good News

September 30, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Matthew 10 contains important insight from Jesus to those of us who commit to serve Him and take the message of the gospel to the world. The instructions are as relevant to us now as they were to Jesus’ disciples 2000 years ago.

There is a lot of crucial guidance in Matthew 10, and I have summarized key points at the end so this devotional is rather long. I encourage you to read it through.

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil^[a] spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. ²Here are the names of the twelve apostles:

first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James’s brother),
³Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,^[b]
⁴Simon (the zealot^[c]),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

⁵Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, ⁶but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. ⁷Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.^[d] ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

⁹“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. ¹⁰Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.

¹¹“Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. ¹²When you enter the home, give it your blessing. ¹³If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. ¹⁴If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. ¹⁵I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.

¹⁶“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. ¹⁷But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. ¹⁸You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.^[e] ¹⁹When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. ²⁰For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹“A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. ²²And all nations will hate you because you are my followers.^[f] But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. ²³When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man^[g] will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

²⁴“Students^[h] are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. ²⁵Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons,^[i] the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

²⁶“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. ²⁷What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

²⁸“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^[j] ²⁹What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin^[k]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. ³⁰And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. ³¹So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

³²“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

³⁴“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

³⁵‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
³⁶ Your enemies will be right in your own household!’^[l]

³⁷“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. ³⁸If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. ³⁹If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

⁴⁰“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. ⁴¹If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,^[m] you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. ⁴²And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Trying to break down some of the key points:

Jesus wants His followers to openly and boldly bring the good news of the gospel to others, even though many will reject it.
Jesus called the twelve specific individuals and gave them authority for healing and casting out spirits. Not all of us will be given this special authority, or share the same task… in this case going out on the road to share the gospel with others. However, we all are called to share the gospel with others.
Jesus sent his disciples first to God’s lost sheep rather than going to those that never knew Him. God later sent others to bring the word to the gentiles. God loves all but sometimes may send us to a specific group at a specific time. This can help us have needed direction to be effective in operating in God’s plan.
Jesus instructed the disciples to go without extra money or supplies, but instead rely on hospitality. This guidance certainly focuses the disciples on trusting and following God rather than their possessions. Jesus is reassuring them that God is with them and will provide what is needed to complete the mission.
Once you bring the message of Jesus Christ to someone, if they reject it you are to shake the dust from your feet and move on. This was a symbolic way to show separation from those who reject Jesus Christ. We must not linger with those who reject His message for we will run out of time and fail to bring the good news to others who may receive it.
You may endure much suffering when you bring the news of Jesus Christ. Expect it. Jesus assures us He will be with us. Sometimes the suffering will create unique opportunities to share the gospel with others.
Many people, even family will persecute you for passionately following Christ and bringing His message in full truth. [Even those who say they follow God, but do not live according to His word. They often do not want to change and thus reject those who show them the truth that they should change.]
Sometimes it will be necessary to flee a bad situation. That is an opportunity to bring the message of the gospel to another group of people somewhere else.
Those who claimed to serve God, religious leaders, called Jesus prince of demons. Expect many to call you names and reject you… even those in the church.
Jesus tells us not to be afraid of those who can only kill our body, but of God who holds our eternity in His hand. What God whispers in our ear, He wants us to shout to others!
Those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus here on earth, despite persecution… He will not recognize before God the Father.
A common misunderstanding is refuted clearly. Jesus tells us He did not come to bring peace. People are peaceful when everyone is comfortable in their sin and leave others to their sin. Jesus came to bring conflict. He wants us to stand up and clearly be different from the world and confront others with truth and the need for them to change and repent from sin. When we honor God with our lives instead of just blending in quietly, it creates conflict because people prefer to remain comfortable in their sin.
Jesus must be first in our lives. He must come before our own desires and before our loved ones. When we put Jesus first, everything else that should be in our lives will be placed in the right priority by following God’s instruction.
Jesus wants us to help His followers. We are to receive righteous people for being righteous. Even giving a cup of cold water to “the least of my [Jesus’] followers” will be rewarded.

This passage in scripture requires time to reflect and re-read to fully digest. Please take the time to apply it to your life and be encouraged that Jesus will be with us as we share the truth of the gospel with others!

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Hypocrisy, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Share the Good News

Bring the Good News to Sinners

September 14, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus clearly reminds us in Matthew 9:9-13 that we are to bring the good news of the gospel to sinners. To do so requires that we interact with sinners. However that does not mean we need to endorse their sin or sin with them. On the contrary, we show them by our behavior and teach them with our words the truth of God’s word.

⁹As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. ¹¹But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?^[d]”

¹²When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” ¹³Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’^[e] For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Matthew must clearly have known already who Jesus was or he would not have immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus. Matthew also must have known that he was a sinner and not worthy to serve a holy servant of God. Imagine his delight to receive the invitation. He leapt at the chance, leaving everything else behind.

Jesus extends that same invitation to us today. Will we sit in place, remaining in our sin? or jump up to leave sin behind, change our behaviors, and follow Jesus Christ?

There is a message here also for those who feel they are no longer sinners… that they have overcome sin… you have not. Maintain humility and submit to God. Continue on your journey to grow closer to Him. Remember, as soon as you believe you have “arrived”, that is as far as you will ever go.

As we follow Jesus, we are called to bring as many sinners with us as possible. Do not exclude anyone. We follow God’s example… we tell them the truth, allow them the choice to follow Jesus. They are responsible for making the decision to accept the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ. We cannot accept Jesus for them or force them to accept Him.

As a final word of caution as you evangelize… do not miss the example Jesus provides in distinguishing between His inner circle of disciples and those who are openly sinful. His close friends are those who are receptive to the message of the gospel and seeking God. He goes with them to visit with and share the gospel with open sinners who do not yet know God. It is a dangerous trap for someone to try to persuade open sinners to follow God by making them very close friends… you risk instead being influenced away from God.

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Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.

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Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.