Genesis 37:1-36; Matthew 12:22-32; Psalms 16:9-11; Proverbs 7:6-23

OT: “Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more… Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” …His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind… They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him. They said to one another, “Oh, look, here comes that dream expert! So now, come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” …Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and his brothers agreed.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:3-5, 9, 11, 18-20, 26-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

In James 3:16, the Apostle James explains that wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, you will find disorder, confusion, and evil of every kind. We see that with Joseph’s 10 brothers. God signaled His plan to use Joseph to bring salvation the children of Israel, and ultimately salvation for the entire world. Satan used the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers to bring about his evil scheme to snuff out God’s purposes before they had a chance to be realized. Satan is always scheming to stop God’s redemption of mankind. However, no matter how hard Satan tries to sabotage God’s plan, and no matter how many people he drags down into his evil purposes – God’s purposes will always be accomplished… and many times the things that Satan uses to sabotage God’s purposes end up sabotaging Satan’s plans and setting up God’s plans for fulfillment and success. How foolish it is to willfully come against the purposes of God, for you will surely lose that battle.

NT: “Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see. All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? …If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you… Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:22-26, 28, 30-31‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Blasphemy means to slander or revile someone’s good name. Satan leveraged the jealousy and selfish ambition of the Pharisees to lure them into the evil of actually saying that the Holy Spirit’s power was satanic… for the sake of drawing attention away from Jesus and back on themselves. So Jesus took that opportunity to teach some truths. No kingdom that is divided against itself will stand, and Satan is not about to come against his own purposes. Jesus was able to drive out the demonic because He was representing a kingdom that was directly opposed, and infinitely greater than the kingdom of darkness… and He was able to drive out the demonic, not by Satan’s power, but by the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus then drew a “line in the sand.” He explained, if you are not with Me and partnering with Me in what I am doing, then ultimately you are against me and are in league with the enemy in trying to sabotage what I am doing, whether you realize it or not… whether you are doing it intentionally or not. What a sobering truth, and all the more reason to keep our eyes on the Lord, our hearts softened to His purposes and His desires, and our will submitted to His lordship.

Genesis 36:9-43; Matthew 12:9-21; Psalms 16:5-8; Proverbs 7:1-5

NT: “And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:10-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

People are often drawn to extremes. They may start out with a good and balanced understanding of a truth – but then begin drifting to extremes and becoming hardened in their categories which leads them to legalism, inconsistency, and hypocrisy. Hypocrisy comes when you apply your hardened categories on others but make exceptions for yourself. When you drift into extremes, you lose the heart of the truth and fall into a perverted, self-confirming version of the truth. How do we stay in the middle of the truth and keep ourselves from drifting to extremes? We keep the Lord of Truth as the focus of our attention instead of our categories, understanding that He sets the laws for the truth, and in His infinite wisdom, knows how to properly apply it. The Pharisees allowed their vision to drift from the Lord onto their categories and convictions – to the point that they were walking inconsistencies, soaked in hypocrisy. And when the Lord of Truth arrived, they were more committed to their platform than His purposes and set out to destroy Him. Are there areas in my life where I have become hardened in my categories and have lost the heart of God? Am I more concerned with mercy or maintaining my self-made platform?

Psalms: “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:5-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

When we set the Lord before us and allow Him to instruct our heart, then the boundaries that are set in our life are placed in pleasant places. We become immovable – not in our categories, but on our trust and reliance on Him. He maintains what is ours to watch over and ours to do… He draws out the lines between right and wrong, what is allowable for us and what is not… and all of it is pleasant and blessed.

Proverbs: “My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Keep His words (not our version of them). Treasure His commands (not ours). Have His law as the apple of our eye. And make sure that in everything you do, your heart is aligned with His.

Genesis 35:1-36:8; Matthew 12:1-8; Psalms 16:1-4; Proverbs 6:27-35

OT: “God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone.” …God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be named Jacob, but your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. God also said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you, and kings will descend from you. I will give to you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac. And I will give the land to your future descendants.”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭35:1-3, 9-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The wonderful truth about people with strong wills: once they set their will to righteousness, their will is set and they are all-in. Once Jacob made the decision and set his will to come under God’s authority, he was all-in. From that point on, there would be no other gods or idols allowed. He was making a new start, and from that point on, he and his family were God’s and God’s alone. It was at that point, when Jacob aligned his will with the Lord’s will, that God gave Jacob the inheritance that He had for him. Jacob’s life may have started off rocky and full of self reliance and connivery, he ended His life fully submitted to God. Isn’t redemption wonderful? It doesn’t matter how you start or where you start from. What matters is that along the way, you submit to the Lord’s destiny for your life and end up finishing well. So many people do the opposite – they start well, but finish in pride and self-reliance. Couple of questions to ask: 1) are there any idols or gods that I keep near by just in case this walk with the Lord doesn’t pan our, or am I all in – fully trusting God? 2) Am I committed to finishing well, and not allowing my life to be tainted by or identified by my past self-reliance?

Psalms: “Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.” …The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:1-2, 4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is a psalm of King David. Although he had moments in his life where he allowed his heart to go after unrighteousness, his life was marked as someone fully committed to following the Lord and finishing well. Though his kingdom was surrounded by nations that pledged their allegiance to other gods, he would take no part in that. He and his kingdom would follow, serve, and worship the One True God and Him alone – and because of that, he was protected and blessed… and his kingdom was protected and blessed.

Genesis 34:1-31; Matthew 11:20-30; Psalms 15:1-5; Proverbs 6:20-26

NT: “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure. All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him. Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:25-30‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

People try to reason their way into an understanding of God’s kingdom and even God Himself. They come up with theories based on their experiences and the things they have come to believe, and end up making an image that they are willing to worship and call the image “the God I know”, or “my Jesus.” God revealed the Son through His word, and God the Father is only revealed and understood through the Son. If our understanding of God’s will and ways is not firmly founded on the Word and revealed to us by the Son through the Holy Spirit, then we don’t really understand God and are following, to some degree, a manufactured idol. So Jesus says, “Come to Me.” And unlike the religious leaders of the day… instead of loading down already weary people with religious requirements too burdensome to carry, Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” The endless striving for righteousness ends when you come to Me. Take My yoke… harness yourself to me… join yourself with My strength, My endurance, My knowledge, My understanding… learn from Me – and you will find rest for your souls. Stop striving… stop trying to make things happen… stop trying to form God into what you want Him to be… stop blindly trying to find your way through life. Humble yourself as a completely dependent infant who can do nothing for himself, and come to Me.

Psalms: “Lord, who can dwell in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain? The one who lives blamelessly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart — who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbor, who despises the one rejected by the Lord but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his word whatever the cost, who does not lend his silver at interest or take a bribe against the innocent — the one who does these things will never be shaken.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭15:1-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

First, juxtapose this list against the list of 7 things that God despises from Proverbs 6. These are the things that God honors. Secondly, the only way that someone can truly live blamelessly (innocent, integrous, complete) and practice righteousness is to come to Jesus, “yoke up” with Him, and follow Him. Otherwise you will spend your life trying to earn your way into God’s presence and always falling short.

Proverbs: “My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching. Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6:20-23‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Rejecting God’s words, refusing Jesus offer to teach you as you follow Him, resenting Jesus yoke of gentle corrections – that leads to darkness and death. Listening to the Father’s commands, receiving Jesus teaching, and binding yourself to Jesus by taking His yoke – that leads to eternal light and life.

Genesis 32:13-33:20; Matthew 11:7-19; Psalm 14:7; Proverbs 6:16-19

OT: “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied. “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” …After Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at Shechem in the land of Canaan and camped in front of the city. He purchased a section of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. And he set up an altar there and called it God, the God of Israel.” (‭‭Genesis‬ 32:24-28; ‭33:18-20‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The “man” that Jacob wrestled with is a mystery. The prophet Hosea describes him as the angel. Some translations capitalize Man and The Angel signifying the belief that the “man” could have been the pre-incarnate Son of God. Whomever the “man” was, Jacob physically wrestled with him and was tenacious in doing do. The human will is very powerful, second only to the will of God. When someone sets his will to do something, it is difficult for anyone or anything to defeat it. Jacob was a very strong-willed man – and he set his will to get blessed, so he wrestled and held on tenaciously until he got what he wanted. Did Jacob have to wrestle with God to get blessed? No. God had promised to bless him without the wrestling. In wrestling with God, Jacob was, in a way, wrestling with his own will – and in the end, Jacob, marked for life with a limp and a new name, finally decides to make God his God. The name Israel means “God Prevails.” So for the rest of his life, Jacob will have a physical reminder of his wrestling match – and will also carry a name that reminds him that no matter how willful and independent he is, God will ultimately prevail.

NT: “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force… Let anyone who has ears listen. To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children: We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t mourn! For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:11-12, 15-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Violent used here isn’t the kind of violence we see in movies… it isn’t talking about physical violence. It is talking about intense exertion and ardent zeal. The kingdom of God is in direct opposition to the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of darkness – and the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of darkness does subject those in the Kingdom of God with physical violence – but Jesus is talking about those who are actually in the kingdom. How did they get there, and why are they greater than John the Baptist? They were and are ardently zealous for the will, word, and ways of God. Instead of wrestling with God, they “violently” pursue the Lord and keep their flesh, the lures of the world, and the temptations of the enemy forcefully in check. Most people, according to Jesus, are like children who just want to play around with life and get upset when they don’t get what they want or lose what they have… never satisfied and always judging those who set side childish things and ardently pursue the Kingdom. Am I going to be someone that wrestles with the things that God calls me to… or am I going to be someone who embraces the things of God and ardently, “violently” pursues them to the death of childishness in my life?

Proverbs: “The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him: arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6:16-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

These are 7 things that are detestable to God and completely in contradiction to His Kingdom. Note to self… don’t be guilty of these things.

Genesis 32:1-12; Matthew 10:40-11:16; Psalms 14:1-6; Proverbs 6:12-15

OT: “Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. Indeed, I crossed over the Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps. Please rescue me from my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. You have said, ‘I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to be counted.’”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭32:9-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

From what I can tell, this prayer is the first time that Jacob ever asked for the Lord’s help – and it wasn’t until he was faced with the consequences of all his past self-centered conniving. So, when he finally got out of his depth and faced something he couldn’t control, he welcomed the hand of the Lord in his life. How convenient. This goes to show just how merciful and forgiving the Lord is… and how willing He is to step into our lives when we humble ourselves before Him and welcome His presence. In my own strength, I would not be so willing to help. My tendency would be to say, “you dug the hole – so now you have to get yourself out.” Thank God that the Lord is great in mercy and abounding in forgiveness… and thank the Lord that he doesn’t respond to people’s mistakes the way I would. But along those lines – just as the Lord is willing to forgive when we humbly welcome Him in, He will give us the grace to be just as merciful and forgiving to others if we welcome Him in to our relational challenges.

NT: ““The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.” …Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:40-42; 11:4-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When we welcome those who represent the Lord Jesus into our lives, we welcome the Lord Jesus… and when we welcome the Lord Jesus, we welcome God the Father. The blessing that we receive directly correlates to the level at which we welcome someone in. If we welcome someone in with a high level of respect and honor (like a prophet) we will receive a prophet-level reward. If we lower the respect level and only recognize them as simply a righteous person, then we will receive a reward commensurate to our welcome. But even if all we do is just be kind and offer a glass of cold water, we will still receive blessing for that meager act of respect. John the Baptist wasn’t sure if he could fully welcome Jesus as the Messiah, or just a righteous man. He had certain expectations of The Messiah that Jesus didn’t seem to be meeting… so he sent his disciples to ask Jesus a very pointed question: “Are you truly the Messiah, or do we need to look for another?” Jesus response to John was look at what is being accomplished… the prophecies in the Bible about the Messiah are being accomplished through me… you decide. If we recognize who Jesus truly is and welcome Him into our lives appropriately, we will be blessed.

Psalms: “The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one. Will evildoers never understand? They consume my people as they consume bread; they do not call on the Lord. Then they will be filled with dread, for God is with those who are righteous.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭14:1-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Many in the world… maybe even most in the world foolishly reject God… and even in their heightened sense of their own understanding and intelligence – because they can’t see God in the flesh – reject even the notion of His existence. This rejection removes from them the sense of absolute good, absolute truth, and absolute righteousness – which leads to corruption. When we reject God and do not welcome Him in, we become corrupt and deceived by our own biases. Ultimately, because they cut off the source of life, peace, joy, etc. their lives become marked with anxiety and dread. For everything good flows from the Father of Lights, and He and His blessings are only with those who welcome Him and walk in his righteousness. Are you filled with dread? Are you fully welcoming, with humility, the presence of the Lord in your life? That’s a good place to start, at least.

Genesis 31:17-55; Matthew 10:24-39; Psalms 13:5-6; Proverbs 6:6-11

OT: “For twenty years in your household I served you — fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks — and you have changed my wages ten times! If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and he issued his verdict last night.”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭31:41-42‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Twenty years prior, Jacob made a deal with God. He was unwilling to fully place his trust in the God of his fathers. He only trusted himself to have his best interests in mind. So he said, if You prove yourself to me, then and only then will I declare you as my God… until then, I am my own god. It was not until Jacob’s life was spared by God’s obvious intervention that Jacob finally realized that God was faithful to His word – even though God had been working on his behalf, blessing his efforts for the entire 20 years. Jacob could have saved himself 20 years of angst, worry, and fear if he had just trusted the ever-faithful God the way his father and grandfather had.

NT: “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent… So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword… The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:28-29, 31-34, 37-39‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

If you are placing your trust and faith completely in the Lord and following His word, will, and ways; you have no reason to fear. You are of great value to the Lord. More than you can probably comprehend. There is no reason to fear man, the world system, the forces of evil, or even Satan himself. The worst that they can do is end your earthly life… and what is that if you have the assurance of an eternal life awaiting you. What you should fear is not having that assurance of an eternal life and receiving eternal death instead. What is it that most often causes a person to deny God? Fear. Fear of the unseen… fear of the unknown… fear of rejection… fear of what could happen… fear of difficulty and trial. So out of a lack of faith and “self-preservation” we reject God and trust in ourselves. God’s kingdom is completely contrary to the kingdoms of this world, which happen to be under the sway of the kingdom of darkness. If you are living as a citizen and ambassador of the Kingdom of God, you are guaranteed to face resistance, rejection, hatred, etc. But, in the end, which kingdom actually preserves your life eternally? Don’t worry about or fear what may happen in this mortal life. Acknowledge Jesus… place your faith in Him… and be assured of blessing in this life and the life to come.

Psalms: “But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When we trust in the ever-faithful Lord who values us immensely, we will (guaranteed) rejoice in His generosity and deliverance. When we trust in Him, we need not and should not fear.

Genesis 30:25-31:16; Matthew 10:5-23; Psalms 13:1-4; Proverbs 6:1-5

NT: “As you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worthy of his food… Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts and flog you in their synagogues. You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:7-10, 16-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

At first, Jesus speaks to His disciples in present-tense, giving them instructions for the current mission – but then, He switches to speaking of the future and expectations of all who share in His mission. Though part of this is spoken directly to the 12 disciples for the time at hand, Jesus’ core mission is the same today – and will be until the end of this age: proclaim that the kingdom has come, heal the sick, deliver people from the demonic, bring those who are dead to life, freely give as you have freely received. He also warns about using the Gospel to make yourself rich. Instead He says to simply earn what you need as you go. The message of the Kingdom is contrary to the world system. Those who are committed to the world system and/or committed to fulfilling the desires of their flesh will be committed to silencing the message of the kingdom. Therefore it is important to be shrewd, while at the same time maintaining God’s character. You need to be wise to the ways of the world, but not corrupted by the ways of the world. While circumstances described by Christ haven’t fully occurred here in the United States where we still hold (to some degree) that freedom of speech is a right, there are countless places around the world where followers of Jesus are not able to freely speak of the Kingdom. I know people that live in areas like that… and despite the hostility and opposition, they continue to proclaim God’s Kingdom albeit not publicly. Yet, more and more, even in the United States, worldly tolerance for the message of the kingdom is diminishing year by year. Through it all, Christ’s disciples then and now can be comforted by the promise that as we go, Christ will be with us… speaking through us… and if we endure ‘til the end we have the assurance of eternal salvation.

Genesis 30:1-24; Matthew 10:1-4; Psalms 12:6-8; Proverbs 5:22-23

NT: “Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:1-4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Right after Jesus told His disciples to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send workers, He sent His disciples into the harvest… 12 ordinary men with all sorts of shortcomings. However, He didn’t send them empty handed. He delegated the authority that He had as the Son of God to them. As His delegates, they would have the same authority that He had… these normal run-of-the-mill, back-water, some of them outcasts of society men. They hadn’t been to Bible College or attended the School of the Supernatural. They didn’t have titles or entourages – just normal lack-luster men. They hadn’t even received the fullness of the Holy Spirit… but they had been with Jesus and He had delegated His authority to them and given them directives to follow. Those of us who are followers of Jesus have been sent out as well… by the King of Kings that has all authority on Heaven and Earth. And not only has He delegated us with His authority, He has filled us with His power and life by the Holy Spirit. What reason do we have to not walk in His commission?

Psalms: “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever. The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12:6-8‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The words of our Lord are pure. What will our lives be about? Will we exalt and honor the pure words of our Lord, or will we be like the rest of the world and exalt what is worthless? Will we honor our Lord’s commission, or will we spend our lives honoring worthless things? Will we stay the ordinary people that we are, or will we allow our Lords words to transform us into extraordinary people doing extraordinary things through His authority and power?

Genesis 29:1-35; Matthew 9:27-38; Psalms 12:1-5; Proverbs 5:15-21

NT: “Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:35-38‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This scripture is especially timely. Just last night, over 500 churches in the greater Nashville Area kicked off 30 days of prayer and fasting. The movement is called Awaken Nashville and this will be it’s 2nd year. Last year we prayed for people we didn’t know, covering every listed person in the Nashville area. This year the focus is on people we do know – people in our sphere of influence. But overarching both years is the call for Jesus’ Church to awaken out of their slumber and engage the commission that every committed follower of Jesus is called to engage. My kids hear me say this often: the root cause of all the social injustice, bigotry, racism, etc. is sin. There is only one way to address sin and actually see a transformation in society. It is not political programs, or protests, or clever hashtags, or progressive agendas. The only way to truly transform society is for the people in that society to be transformed from practitioners of sin to workers of righteousness. True and lasting transformation only comes as people are made into new creations through faith in Jesus Christ. Have people over the millennia misrepresented Christianity and done evil things in the name of Christ? Yes, they have. But true, authentic disciples of Christ are new people that are full of light and life. If you truly have compassion for the distressed and dejected, get the gospel out there so that people can respond to it. True transformation takes work by those who lay aside their preferences and comforts and take on Jesus’ yoke and work alongside Him in the harvest. Revival isn’t something that just miraculously happens. Revival occurs when Christ’s followers line their priorities up with Christ’s and begin faithfully obeying Him. Then, in the midst of obedience, comes the winds of grace that stoke the sparks and fan the flames. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest so send out workers, which includes us.

Psalms: “Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts… “Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord. “I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.”” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12:1-2, 5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The plight of the world can seem discouraging. The task is, when limited to our resources, overwhelming. We can look out at the state of society and think: “No faithful one remains.” God is willing to rise up and He is more than able to save – yet He works through His faithful followers. Who is willing to offer their lives as a living sacrifice to be used mightily as a worker in the Harvest?