12 chapters of heavyweight, heavenly soul.
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@abundantwater
12 chapters of heavyweight, heavenly soul.
"Jesus didn’t command his disciples to stand behind a pulpit and preach to make disciples of all nations."
GO: The Biggest Word in the Great Commission by Christian Piatt
(via sojomag)
My God, I give you this day. I offer you, now, all of the good that I shall do and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself during this day in a manner pleasing to you. Amen.
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) [via Sojourners]
The Beatitudes
Jesus' Beatitudes, from the Gospel of Matthew, served with some West Indian swing, courtesy of the rock steady group The Uniques
The Uniques "The Beatitudes: Blessed Are The Meek," Island Records (1968)
Yes to the Lord!
Words of praise set to the beating rhythm of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas' "My Baby Loves Me"? Keeping the faith, indeed.
The Stovall Sisters "Yes To The Lord," Reprise Records (1971)
“Jesus, as the Master Builder, takes us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His enterprises and His building plans; and no one has any right to demand where he will be put to work.”
Have I been missing or ignoring or belittling the Lord’s call to work by chasing the opportunities that I want to pursue?
More insight for ministry, the final sentence of the first paragraph has a deeper probing for me:
“…the liberty that comes from realizing the absolute control and authority of Jesus Christ.“
Am I living in that liberty? Have I submitted myself “…to His yoke, and His yoke alone,” or am I still yoked in part to money, in that search to find security in the natural, the physical, the financial? Am I caught in the struggle of serving two masters? Sadly, I believe I am....
Furthermore, this entry comes with a gentle reminder: “Don’t get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you—with patience and with gentleness.”
I know this chapter is about evangelism, about spreading the Word and leading the unknowing to Christ, but in my current state – still feeling as though I’m wandering the wilderness of unemployment – the final paragraph spoke to me differently.
Am I stubborn or substituted? Am I spoiled or complete in my relationship to God? Am I irritable or spiritual? Am I determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him?
It's this last paragraph in this day's entry that convicted me. What are my answers? Sadly, I think I am stubborn and determined, because I'm not complete in my relationship to God. And that, in many instances, has left me sitting in a corner licking my wounds than seeking to surrender to Him, to put my troubles at His feet and my life fully in His hands.
Interesting how this entry focuses on the verse I cited two entries prior! Yet it seems that two entries prior or two-hundred entries onward that this surrender to faith, this liberty from self, remains my battle. I must admit that when I'm not feelings those moments of exhilaration, those epiphanies—precisely when God is requiring me to walk by faith without His immediate touch—that I lose sight (or is it lose faith and regain sight?). So my prayer is that I can muster the strength to admit that I'm weak and that I can't do any of this on my own, and that even when He seems far, that's precisely when He's calling on me to walk by faith and not by sight, with a faith that whatever it is I'm doing is by His design and for His glory.
There was something in this entry, especially the final paragraph, that evokes Ephesians 2.10: "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." As Chambers writes, "The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, which flows naturally from His nature within us. And when we look back, we will not be able to determine why we did certain things, but we can know that we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us." And it's through that love, fueled by that love, that we do (or should do) what we do without thinking about it, because it's the Spirit that's guiding us. I've experienced that on occasion - going to neighborhoods I wouldn't usually go, doing things I would usually feel comfortable doing, because it was the Spirit in control - but I long and pray for the day when I've fully surrendered so that I could live with the kind of abandon and liberty that allows me to follow Him solely and purely.
This is among the most difficult states for the Christian to attain, and that's the rejection of self. This was Francis of Assisi's struggles. The Lord endowed us with free will, and it's with that free will that we must renounce all that we mistakenly believe we should assume: cast your worries at the feet of the Lord and let Him carry them; you can't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow is not yours to worry about. It's that embrace of the belief that everything is for a purpose, even if He hasn't revealed that purpose to you. And trying to understand that with the human mind is queasying. But faith calls us to trust in Him, even if it's in defiance to all we know. For isn't that what it is to believe: to walk by faith and not by sight?
Matthew 10
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here 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),
3 Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
4 Simon (the zealot),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal 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. 10 Don’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. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I 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. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You 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. 19 When 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. 20 For 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. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.
24 “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25 Students 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, 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. 27 What 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. 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So 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. 33 But 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!’*
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. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If 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. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, 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. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
*Matthew 10.36: Micah 7.6
New Living Translation (via biblegateway)
Matthew 9
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
1 Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”
3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”
4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 As 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.
10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”
12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’* For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
A Discussion about Fasting
14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”
15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
Jesus Heals in Response to Faith
18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”
19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
Jesus Heals the Blind
27 After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”
“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” 30 Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” 31 But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.
32 When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.
34 But the Pharisees said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”
The Need for Workers
35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Matthew 9.13: Hosea 6.6
New Living Translation (via biblegateway)