Master – Page 3 – Praying Pint

18.q. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

The earliest Christians would know the hatred of the world. “Tacitus spoke of the people ‘hated for their crimes, whom the mob call Christians.’ Suetonius had spoken of ‘a race of men who belong to a new and evil superstition.’” (Barclay)

“It is an odd fact that the world soon justified its hostility to them by imputing to them the initiative in hatred. The earliest extant reference to Christians in pagan literature charges them with ‘hatred of the human race’.” (Tacitus, Annals, 15.44.5) (Bruce)

“It is not without significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.” (Morris)

“The perfect tense of the verb ‘hate’ (memiseken) implies that the world’s hatred is a fixed attitude toward him — an attitude that carries over to his disciples as well.” (Tenney)

If people do not know God as He really is, they often attack and persecute those who represent God in some way. “Men may prefer to evolve an idea of their universal Father, but that idea of theirs will take their own color and the color of their Age. The only true idea of Him is to be got from The Son.” (Trench)

It would seem there is nothing new under the sun. Mankind is void of love when God is displaced and rejected. I took special note of what was recorded (written) by pagan historian Cornelius Tacitus and how Christians were hated for their crimes of hatred against mankind with their superstitions. Calling good bad and bad good. Hatred of Christians was good. Works of peace and love of Christians was called bad. Mankind void of God will hate the things of God and the people who honor, glorify, obey, follow, trust, and worship Him. If you speak out against abortion you are labeled a woman hater. If you speak out against LGBTQ you are a labeled a bigot. If you speak out that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven you are labeled ignorant. If you speak out about injustice you are labeled intolerant.

Mankind will call our love and devotion to Jesus Christ a hatred of mankind.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

“It is not without significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.” (Morris)

“The perfect tense of the verb ‘hate’ (memiseken) implies that the world’s hatred is a fixed attitude toward him — an attitude that carries over to his disciples as well.” (Tenney)

Mankind will call our love and devotion to Jesus Christ a hatred of mankind.

18.a. “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.”

Jude 1:3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Jude 17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They told you, “in the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.” These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.

Psalms 14:1-2   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

1 Corinthians 2:14   The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

James 3:15    This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Romans 8:9    You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

John 3:5-6    Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

The lure of sin was able to drag angels away from God. Certainly, it is possible for a man to be drawn away too. What is in this “lure” that is so appealing? Is it self-worth, self-control, self-reliance, power, greed, anger, lust…..? Some of these attributes we can see in the actions people take but many times they are hidden from observation and only known by God. They very well may be known by the person but more than likely they are denied or embraced. Jude speaks of these people who seem to disguise themselves as fellow believers. He calls them dangerous reefs, wild waves, fruitless trees, waterless clouds, wandering stars, and twice dead. There is a place called hell reserved for them, where utter darkness, torment, and anguish is eternal.

An individual Christian may not know it, understand it, or benefit by it, but to be a Christian is to be a part of a community. To be a Christian means you stand shoulder to shoulder with millions of Christians who have gone before. We stand with strong Christians and weak Christians, brave Christians and cowardly Christians, old Christians and young Christians. We are part of an invisible, mighty army that spans back through the generations.

“Upon other matters, there are distinctions among believers, but yet there is a common salvation enjoyed by the Arminian as well as by the Calvinist, possessed by the Presbyterian as well as by the Episcopalian, prized by the Quaker as well as by the Baptist. Those who are in Christ are more near of kin than they know of, and their intense unity in deep essential truth is a greater force than most of them imagine: only give it scope and it will work wonders.” (Spurgeon)

More people believe in “the faith that is in my heart” than the faith once for all delivered to the saints. In the book Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah and his colleagues wrote about an interview with a young nurse named Sheila Larson, whom they described as representing many American’s experience and views on religion. Speaking about her own faith and how it operated in her life, she said: “I believe in God. I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It is ‘Sheilaism.’ Just my own little voice.” We might say that this highly individualistic faith is the most popular religion in the world, but the idea that we can or should put together our own faith is wrong. Christianity is based on one faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints.

We may occasionally meet or sit next to a person who believes like this and they go unnoticed by us, but not unnoticed by God. When we are aware we must contend for the faith that is found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It should never be watered down or added too. The first step in this direction is fruitless and robs Jesus Christ of His glory and honor. Contending for the faith is to proclaim the gospel and live to honor and glorify Jesus Christ through surrender, repentance, obedience, reliance, and trust.

16.s. “But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”

John 10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Jeremiah 23:16-17   Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.  They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”

Ecclesiastes 11:9     Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

2 Peter 2:1   But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1 John 4:1    Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

There is but one gate, one way to eternal life and that is through Jesus Christ. All other attempts through any other means will result in Hell. Every day we face numerous gates that offer peace, satisfaction, health, wealth, etc….. There is only one gate that gives us assurance of peace of mind that passes all understanding. It is Jesus Christ alone. Trying to find a path to eternity apart from the gate of Jesus ends in missing the shepherd. There appears to be many preaching right now that try to fill the church with the promises of what this world has to offer rather than preaching what eternal life has to offer. This world is not our home. Things of this world are not our inheritance. Things in this world are not our satisfaction. Things in this world are not our hope. Things of this world do not offer eternal life. In fact, things of this world pull at us, confuse us, and try to entice us this is where we find hope, peace, eternal life, satisfaction, wealth, etc…..

There is one gate, one path, one way to eternal life – Jesus Christ

10.x. “But me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.”

Micah 3:8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

Amos 9:10    All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’

Jeremiah 7:8-12    “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.  Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,  and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?  Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.

2 Peter 2:1-3    But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Ezekiel 22:12    In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

Micah did not hold back any words calling out the sin of the people. Justice was a mockery, greed was everywhere, false things were called truth, and things that ought not to have been done were willingly condoned. The further the people got away from God the more they believed in deceptive words, false teachings, and capitalizing on their neighbor’s misfortune. They lost sight of God and their sinful ways. They became so accustomed to their sinful way of life it was normal and they still thought they were in God’s will. To convince themselves of this they proclaimed disaster will not find us or overtake us. And such is the way of many lost prodigal souls. They lost their love for God and His Word. They lost being able to discern what was right and wrong. This is still true today. When God’s Word is not hungered and thirsted for in our daily lives we too will fall away, believe false teachings, and use worldly wisdom and acceptance to convince ourselves that we are right with God. God’s Word is true and able to discern our thoughts and intents if we would but seek it to be active in our lives. His Word is living water and the bread of life. With it filling our souls we will not be led astray by worldly compromise or social norms. Be intentional with His Word every day. Seek it, taste, and see that it is good for your soul.

10.v. “Leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

Micah 2:10 Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction. If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!

1 Kings 22:21-23     Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’  And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’  Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you.”

Jeremiah 14:14    And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.

2 Peter 2:1-3     But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

2 Thessalonians 2:11   Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,

Isaiah 30:10-11   who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions,  leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

Jeremiah 5:31    the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

The Old and New Testament is ripe with examples of Kings, Preachers, and Prophets speaking falsely. The worst part of them speaking lies to the people is that most of the people want it this way. They don’t want to hear that they need to stop being neglectful and complacent and repent. They have become confident in their soft undisciplined lives. Their itching ears for lukewarm preaching about what they can get from Jesus Christ if they would just ask, without having their hearts, minds, and souls fully committed to honoring, glorifying, following, obeying, listening, trusting, and relying on Him. They itch for an easy gospel of peace, rest, prosperity, and ease of life preached to them. They do not want to hear about sin, repentance, and the need for forgiveness. They wallow in self-centered wants and self-reliance for their shallow Christian lives. This ought not to be so. Our lives ought to be hungering and thirsting for truth and desiring to have Jesus Christ show us our wickedness and wayward thoughts with a heart deep seeking to honor and glorify Him in all we think, do, and say. This ought to be our want for every day not just for times of crisis, trials, and troubles. When our first thought is to dig into His Word for truth, guidance, and knowledge we are at the beginning of maturing in Jesus Christ. We can not continue to listen to watered-down preaching. It will zap our souls of sound doctrine, God-honoring, and glorifying lives. If sin is not preached how is it we will examine our lives for it? If sin is not preached how are we going to see a need to confess it? If Sin is not preached how are we going to search The Word of God to lead us toward godly lives? Ask God to show you your heart and if there is anything in it that is contrary to that which will honor and glorify Him.

6.l. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Luke 12:36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

John 14:21-23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Notes from Reggie A. Braziel: Who is that is standing at the door of the human heart? It is JESUS CHRIST who stands at the door of our heart and knocks. Its not the preacher. Its not the pope. Its not the president. It is JESUS CHRIST, the Son of the living GOD. It is the DIVINE One knocking on the door of the HUMAN. It is the SINLESS One knocking on the door the SINFUL . It is the INNOCENT One knocking on the door of the GUILTY.

Many have believed this is a picture of Christ knocking on the heart’s door of the unsaved wanting to come in and bring salvation. But we must remember these verses in their proper context. Jesus spoke these words at the end of His letter to the “lukewarm” Church at Laodicea. So it isn’t the heart’s door of unbelievers Jesus is standing at, its the heart’s door of lukewarm , self-sufficient Christians.

You and I are “the keepers of our own heart’s door.” We decide who we will let into our heart and who we will keep out. We decide who we will accept into our heart as a friend and who we will reject as an enemy or a stranger. Jesus wants “full access” to our heart, not some of it, not most of it, He wants access to all of our heart. He wants to be our LORD…….and our KING……and our VERY BEST FRIEND. But how much access He has to your heart and mine is entirely dependent upon us.

Jesus is pleading for our attention! He is pleading for us to “Hear His voice!” How do we hear the voice of Christ? Does He speak to us audibly? Does He speak to us through signs? How do we hear His voice? We hear His voice through THE HOLY SPIRIT who communicates to us through the word of GOD. Do you ever struggle with a sense of dissatisfaction in your spiritual life as though you aren’t where you ought to be in your walk with Christ? Do you ever get the sense that you are stuck in a spiritual wilderness and your Christianity has become dry and barren? Do you ever come under the conviction that your life isn’t as “fruitful” and “productive” as it ought to be? Do you ever come under the conviction that Christ is calling you into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him?

Hearing is NOT enough! There must also be ACTION. Jesus will never barge through the door to your heart. You must listen, open, and invite Him in. The life of a Christian without desiring Christ in your heart, mind, and soul results in a lukewarm life that is not worthy of the price that was paid for your sin.

185. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

2 Kings 18:26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?”

Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.” Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Psalms 11:1   In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain,

Psalms 125:1-2    Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.

Matthew 27:43    He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Luke 23:35   And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

When we face trials and troubles, chaos and confusion, and anxiousness and worries where do we turn for peace within the storm. We see the flashes of lightning and the roar of thunder within our problem and want to run into the saving arms of Jesus. As we take steps toward Him and as we are putting more and more of our faith, trust and reliance on Him, there are those who mock this thinking. They may or may not come right out and say that this problem is bigger than what faith needs and then give you all of the worldly ways to find help apart from Jesus. They have no basis in their heart, mind, and soul for faith. It makes no sense to them. They see leaning on and in the arms of Jesus as a weakness.

But to those who trust in Jesus, they will never be forsaken, never be left alone, never be powerless, and will never be afraid. “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” They will close their eyes, ears, and mind to what the world is offering a solution. They will seek the Lord their God and trust in Him alone, “for He is able to do more than they ask and much more than they can imagine.”

How does faith like this come about? It is in and through the word of God. The more we desire it, seek it, listen to it, and want it speaking into our lives each and every day, we will grow in our understanding and knowledge of the Grace, Mercy, and Love of our Heavenly Father. It is intentionally daily choosing to desire, seek, and want to be led by Jesus Christ and live in such a way that we serve, honor, glorify, listen to, follow, obey, rely on, and trust in Him alone.

You do not want to wait until the storm clouds are upon you to decide to find wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God through His word. The time to build and grow your faith is now. Choose to be in His word each day and be led by Him. Choose to listen to His guiding. Choose to follow and obey His leading. Choose to rely on and trust in Him. Choose the narrow path that leads to Jesus Christ, relies on Jesus Christ, waits on Jesus Christ, trusts in Jesus Christ, and lives to honor Jesus Christ.

17. We have only done what was our duty

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

2Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Ephesians 3:1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Luke 17:11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

I read this in Compelling Truth and share it with you this Thanksgiving holiday time.

There are so many reasons to thank God, and yet it is a far too rare practice for many. Complaining and grumbling come all too easy for us. Rather than look at what is lacking in our lives, may we learn to thank God in everything realizing that God owes us nothing and yet has graciously given us all things in Jesus Christ. Jesus pointed out both the importance and the rarity of thanksgiving when only one of the ten lepers that He healed returned to thank Him. We would do well to imitate that one former leper. For in a spiritual sense, we are all born lepers with the disfiguring and alienating disease called sin. Yet, Christ voluntarily took on the punishment due our ingratitude, the bruises due our iniquities, and the stripes due our sins.

We have done and can do nothing to deserve these gifts. We are forever debtors to God and to His grace which reached its zenith in His sacrificing His only Son for our salvation. The eternal life that we have received through faith in Jesus deserves an eternity of gratitude.

I am sending you

Exodus 4:10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.

1 Corinthians 2:1-4 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

2 Corinthians 11:6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

What is it that keeps us from proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Coming up with excuses is nothing new. Note Moses when he said “they will not listen to me” and again when he said “I am slow of speech and of tongue”. We can come up with all kinds of excuses not to do what the Lord has asked us to do.

John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide,

John 20:21  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Luke 14:23  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

Matthew 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

Psalms 96:3  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Knowing ourselves and what we think we are capable of, what we have done in the past, how we have failed and fallen short, how we listen to the doubt satan has put into our head, and not wanting to be rejected, all can lead us down an excuse path. In reality it is just us with fear of not saying it right, not knowing it right, not knowing it good enough, and thinking we are not good enough and that if the good news message we proclaimed is rejected we did it wrong or we will be perceived as foolish and weak.

Replace the thoughts that lead to excuses with promises and commands from scripture. Beyond these you only need 3 seconds of courage to speak the first word of the Good New of Jesus Christ. It is God who works in the hearts of mankind to soften it to hear the need of redemption and forgiveness of sin. It is not how well we speak or know the entire bible. It is not with eloquent words but by the simple truth and mighty work of God that a person comes to either believe or reject salvation – our calling is to proclaim the Good News.

“I am with you”

“I will never leave you”

“I chose you”

“I appointed you”

“You will receive power”

“I am sending you”

“Go and make disciples”

“Declare His glory”

“Compel people to come”

I will send an angel before you

Genesis 24:39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way.

Genesis 24:54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”

Exodus 23:20    “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.

Psalms 91:11    For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Exodus 33:2    I will send an angel before you

Daniel 3:28   Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

Hebrews 1:14    Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Revelation 22:8    I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me,

Revelation 22:16    “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

It is good to notice God’s sovereignty and works in the common events of human life. Those events which to us seem the effect of choice, skill, or chance, are “appointed, directed, and purposed“ by God.

Satan will tell us to believe it is by our choice or by our skill which leads us down a path of pride and way from God. He will tells us another lie, that it is by coincidence or chance which leads us down a path of complacency and neglect.

God tells us of His steadfast love, protection, plans and purpose for us. He has told us of angels guarding our ways, preparing our destination, and bringing us safely through and to where and what God has planned.