Article for June 25, 2023
Matthew 10:32–33 32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus is still talking to His disciples as this is a continuation of the gospel from last week. Jesus is telling them what is important is not how we fit into the world, but how we should never deny God. We should realize how we have been fitted into the kingdom of God. The world wants to destroy everything and everyone. In fact, the world wants to destroy itself, it’s just too blind to see it.
God wants to save the peoples of the nations. We have a God who is and has gone through great pain to save us even the pain of watching His son die on a criminals cross for many. When we fully realize the great lengths of God’s love, we will realize just how important we are to God. He loves us to life, where the world hates us to death.
Do not, by any means, let the world make you ashamed or quiet about your faith in God. Instead, not only acknowledge God but boast in Him for He gives us who are forgiven sinners life eternal. We have much to celebrate when we are with God. And remember God is always with us.
Deny God? Only the evil one and the world wants you to deny God. The world wants you to believe in a doomsday star exploding end. God wants you to believe in eternal life. The way of Satan is doomsday, and the way of God is life, eternal life. We should always remember God choses us to live.
Matthew 10:21–22 21“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.
What Jesus is showing His disciples, and you know, you too are His disciples, is the way the world will travel towards its own devised destruction. Even now as we watch the news many are trying to destroy others and they destroy themselves too. The world tries to disguise itself by fooling everyone into thinking it is spreading equality and justice. In truth many are working toward dividing us in this false guise of equality. It is an old game, “Divide and Conquer.”
Jesus told His disciples to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We too need to be wise as serpents to keep out of the way, so we are not trampled on. We also need to keep ourselves innocent as doves and fly away from the temptation the world offers. We also need to listen to Jesus Christ the very Son of God. He our Lord has the saving words of eternal life. It’s called repentance and forgiveness.
Matthew 10:24–25 24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
Unfortunately, the world and some of our Christian denominations, want to make you think that they are greater than God. Or that they can recreate God or put God in a box and give Him the attributes of man. The real truth is that we are not greater than the creator. So, we who believe, worship the one greater than ourselves and not some self-proclaimed god, just the one true and only God.
Yahweh is the creator, the savior, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. But in all of this there is only one Yahweh one God that all should be compelled to worship! Three persons in one God is hard for anyone to understand and so we depend on faith to guide us to know Him, the one true God.
Matthew 10:26–28 26“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
We fear God because He is the Almighty. We love God because He is the Almighty who loves us first. God loves so much that He really wants to save us. So, we are saved through the Son who was crucified for our sin yet forgave us in His suffering.
We have sin and we continue to sin, but we are saved from sin because God created us to love and to be loved, to forgive and be forgiven. What you call your free will is really what gives God the message of our love towards Him. You can use that free will to go against God, or you can use your free will to obey God and the Gospel given to us by His Son.
Matthew 10:29–31 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
God is with all that He has created, and He holds us very dear to His heart. So much that our Father in heaven loves us that He gave His only begotten Son to suffer and die for our sins. And that He resurrected our savior gives us life and love forever and ever. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May