Matthew 10:5-42
“5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogue.”
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
To be loved to be hated. To live by what others label you is folly. To live by how Christ sees you is truth and the only way to obtain joy. For Christ knows you completely. From intention to action, the good and the bad. From ashes of what your mind has destroyed, to the wall of stone built to hide yourself from your own mind. To the beautiful lilies that come and go season by season. By accepting the truth, joy can come from pleasing the Father. Freed from blind guides leading an angry mob. Freed from the razor teeth demons who prey on your insecurities cannot exist in the light of the Word. Yes, even freed from your self-inflicted slashes from the daggers of hatred you forged.
Instead, truth is brought into your life, being a child of God is bestowed upon you, with knowledge of real purpose and the endearment of the Father. God will put you through fiery trials to burn away wooden idols sewed into the tattered fabric, built to protect yourself. These trials cause the acknowledgement of your weakness and sin. Leading to a changed life. The L*RD’s intention is not malevolent, but to help you build a strong house both with life and fortified boundaries, yet open to community and love. God does not bring change through fear and shame, but reverence and repentance. Listen to the still small voice alone. (1)
Close your ears to the voice of willfully ignorant mobs preaching love, but bestowing chain and collar to encapsulate you in their doctrine of selfish kindness, through social ostracization and cleverly placed honeyed words. Who preach the doctrine of love which is not true love, but to be seen as loving. These false brethren grasp the authoritarian gavel to silence any who disagree. Those that dare speak out against a loving leader will be sentenced to a branding with a hot iron shaped into the words hateful. As if you are a leper this branding will bar you from any social interaction.
Neither listen to the witch hunters who seek to turn any deed or word to an incriminating action punishable by death. Death of jobs and death of character. These are as ravenous wolves seeking only to feed on a ruined life, desiring the life in your eyes to be bled dry. Sending crows to pluck what remains of the fruits of your labor. Only to finish the job by cutting your limbs to leave you hopeless and unable to bring change. (2)
Jesus Christ is not like this for He loves with truth. Jesus will whisper the beautiful words of who He created you to be. God will also warn you of the leaven that leavens the whole lump. Not to hurt you, but to help you live a fulfilled life. Still He honors your free will, allowing you to listen or not, to choose him or not. But keep in mind true freedom is not a case of indulgencing in sin but the ability of a rational mind to deny desires over being held in the bondage of those desires. “17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). (3)
My brother, my sister, abandon the self-centered, self-destructive, hateful venomous spew, by not just foolish people and viperous demons but by your own self. (4) Forgive those that wish to harm you, whether known or not. Forgive yourself for Christ made you and loves you. He seeks a continual relationship with you, to hear about your day or hear how the world around you is crumbling. (5) Repent from the behavior you know you are without excuse. And ask Jesus to forgive you and ask the L*RD for help to forgive yourself. (6) Accept Jesus as L*RD of your life and He will baptize you with His Holy Spirit. The pain of this world won’t end, but you will have a constant companion to heal your wounds, to lead you and to protect you.
For our choices all will stand before God and we will all both be avenged and exposed. (7) But only through Christ will we enter eternal bliss to be who we were created to be. No more sin, no more pain. Honoring your free will God gives you a choice, so please choose God for the alternative is a fiery eternal torment. If you already have Christ, know daily we must pick up our cross to live a life for Christ. The life lived for Christ is not grievous for us but a joyful adventure filled with purpose. (8) Live a life for our Savior Jesus Christ, there is no greater calling. Please do not forget what God has for you. Please do not forget how God sees you. His love for you is beyond human comprehension, beyond all collective minds of the human race.
Featured Photo © Andrew Curtis (cc-by-sa/2.0) https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6589109
(1)
1 Peter 1:6-7
1 Peter 4:12-13
Job 1:10
(2)
1 Timothy 4:1-3
1 Peter 5:7-10
John 1:16-17
(3)
Galatians 5:9
Galatians 5:1
(4)
1 Peter 5:8-9
(5)
1 John 2:1-6
(6)
1 John 1:8-9
(7)
2 Corinthians 5:10
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
(8)
Jeremiah 29:11
1 John 3:1-2
Romans 8:35-39
Arsenal Of The King 