Confident Faith (Matt. 10:9-10)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/30/2021 9:55 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  “Confident Faith”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matt. 10:9-10

 

            Message of the verses:  “9 "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.”

 

            We begin this SD looking at the fifth principle of ministry which is practically illustrated in this passage and that is that of confidently trusting God for whatever is needed.  We have talked earlier that the apostles were not to demand payment for their services but now we learn that they must not amass a great amount of money in advance of their mission.  These verses tell us that they were not to acquire gold, or silver, or copper for their money belts.  These three metals represent the various coinage in use at the time, in descending order of value.  I suppose that things today are about the same as far as the order of value.  We are told that the apostles were to go out with their money bags empty.

 

            It is possible that the bag refers to a food sack that was commonly carried on a journey, since inns were widely scattered and expensive.  The apostles were not even to take a sack lunch, and that must have taken a lot of faith.

 

            MacArthur writes “Nor were they to take extra tunics, or sandals, or a staff.  The tunic was an important outer garment that served both as overcoat and blanket.  Sandals were necessary to protect the feet from sharp rocks, thorns, and the hot ground.  A staff was helpful protection against robbers or wild animals.”

 

            So we see that the apostles were to go forth with a minimum of clothing and supplies, trusting the Lord to provide whatever else that they may need.  God Himself established the principle that “the worker is worthy of his support,” and He will see that it is fulfilled.

 

            The following quotation comes from MacArthur’s commentary that comes from a Rabbi:  “He who receives a rabbi into his house or as his guest and lets him have his enjoyment from his possessions, the Scripture ascribes to him as if he had offered the continual offerings.”  These Rabbis rightly believed that God would bless those who provide food, clothing, shelter, and other aid to the teachers of His Word.

 

            1 Tim. 5:17-18 says “17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages.’” 

 

            MacArthur concludes “Ministers who never demand anything, who never put a price on their work, and who trust the Lord to provide for their needs have the special blessing of knowing that what they do receive is a gift from the Lord, expressive of His loving, generous care.”

 

9/30/2021 10:12 AM

PT-4 "Confirming Credentials" (Matt. 10:8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/29/2021 10:19 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  PT-4 “Confirming Credentials”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  Matthew 10:8

 

            Message of the verse:  “8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

 

            In looking at being ready to do the things that these apostles of Jesus went out to do has to be a gift from the Lord to be able to have the desire to do these things.  Our human nature does not cause us to do things like this in the way that they can be done from the power of the Holy Spirit, so it is best to pray that the Spirit of God give us the desire to serve people in the way that these apostles did as seen in this verse.  I know that we cannot go out and heal people or cleanse lepers or some of the other things that are talked about in this verse but we can have the right attitude to go out and help people who are in need.

 

            John MacArthur goes on in his commentary to talk about the second apostolic credential which was the power to “raise the dead, and to “cast out demons.”  Bringing dead people back to life and conquering the unseen demonic kingdom of darkness is what they were empowered to do.  I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that this kind of apostolic power was only done during the time when the apostles were alive as they were what is called “sign gifts” that is gifts to aid in beginning the church, and then after the NT was completed there is no need to have such gifts even though some people believe that they are still available at this time.

 

            The third confirming credential was obedience to Christ’s admonition, “freely you received, freely give.”  These gifts were given from God and were not coming from the apostles so to speak, but through God’s power and thus they should be used to glorify God.  There was a person in the book of Acts who tried to buy these gifts and Peter sternly warned him that his motives were wrong and he was in need of repentance.

 

            We come to the point of freely doing the things that God has enabled a person to do.  A Pastor is worthy of receiving his pay, but when he goes out to preach and teach others who are not of his church that Pastor should not have a set fee for doing this and if he gets something that is great, but if not then this should not bother him as he is simply using the gifts that God has given him to use.

 

            On the other hand false prophets then and today are the ones who make it known that they should be paid.  This is a good way to tell who one is dealing with. 

 

            We conclude by again quoting from MacArthur’s commentary:  “One qualification for elders is that they ‘shepherd the flock of God…not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain’ (1 Peter 5:2; cf. Titus 1:7).  They are to be ‘free from the love of money’ (1 Tim. 3:3).  The pastor who puts a price on his ministry prices himself out of God’s blessing.

 

            “The present application of this teaching should be that God’s ministers are to be supported by God’s people, because ‘the worker is worthy of his support,’ as Jesus gos on to say (Matt. 10:10; cf. Luke 10:7).  But they are not to put their services out for hire to the highest bidder or demand a given amount they feel they deserve to be paid.  It is their responsibility to faithfully minister and the people’s responsibility to faithfully support them.  This balance becomes clear in the next element of our Lord’s teaching.”  The next thing we will be talking about comes from verses 9-10 of Matthew 10 “Confident Faith.”

 

9/29/2021 10:45 AM

 

           

PT-3 "Confirming Credentials" (Matt. 10:8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/28/2021 8:54 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  PT-3 “Confirming Credentials”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  Matthew 10:8

 

            Message of the verses:  “8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

 

            I mentioned that we would be looking at the contrast how the world does things, and I have to say that the making of money is usually at the root of what their motives are.

 

            Ezekiel 18:12 gives us an example as he speaks of the unbeliever  “oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits abomination.”  Psalm 10:2 tells us that He persecutes the poor, and then Amos 5:11 and 8:5-6 tells us that He puts heavy burdens on them and defrauds them.  Isaiah 3:15 “"What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.”  MacArthur writes “The world has little use for the afflicted.  What concern there is comes as the residual fruity of Christian influence on society.

 

            False prophets have no mercy or compassion but rather use and abuse people to their own selfish advantage.  Jesus warned about ‘the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets’ but ‘who devour widows’ houses’ (Mark 12:38-4).

 

            I am sorry to say that I won’t be able to add any more this evening as I had a terrible night last night and had things to do today on very little rest.

 

9/28/2021 9:06 PM

 

 

 

PT-2 "Confirming Credentials" (Matt. 10:8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/27/2021 11:45 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  PT-2 “Confirming Credentials”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 10:8

 

            Message of the verse:  “8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

 

            We want to begin by looking at the first of the miraculous credentials which was the ability to heal the sick and cleanse the leper.  It was not that Jesus just wanted people simply to know God’s power but to know that He offered His power to help them.  These miracles are signs pointing to God’s compassion and mercy as they demonstrate the sympathetic heart that God has, who cares for the suffering, the hurting, the afflicted, and the needy.  Now as we again talk about the future kingdom which is a big theme in Matthew’s gospel which will be coming to planet earth, as this will bring the removal of disease and the restoration of broken bodies just as God’s Word had predicted.  Let us look at some verses from the book of Isaiah.  “18 On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see” (Isa. 29:18).  “5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah” (Isa. 35:5-6).  “To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison” (Isa. 42:7).  Thus these miracles not only revealed the nature of God but predicted the millennium.

 

            There is a story in the 11^th chapter of Matthew’s gospel when John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus to ask Him if He was the coming One or should they be looking for someone else.  Here is the answer that Jesus gave to John’s disciples “4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5  the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”  Jesus knew that John would recognize those miracles as the confirming marks of God’s Messiah and God’s kingdom.

 

            John MacArthur writes “Though such apostolic miracles ceased with termination of the apostles’ work, those who genuinely represent Jesus Christ still give themselves to the sick, the suffering, the downtrodden, and the needy of every sort.  The Christian leader who spends all of his time and effort working with those who are healthy and well-to-do either is not sent by God or is not fully faithful to his calling.  Every person needs the gospel and every believer continues to need God’s help and provision, but God has compassion for those who are in great need.”

 

            The following are some verses from the Psalms and also one more from Isaiah to show that the Old Testament made this truth clear about God’s compassion:  “For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever” (Psalm 9:18).  “5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs’” (Psalm 12:5).  “All my bones will say, "LORD, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?’” (Psalm 35:10).  “12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted And justice for the poor (Psalm 140:12).  “6 You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the LORD is his refuge” Psalm 14:6).  “"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them” (Isa. 41:17).

 

            Now in our SD for tomorrow we will begin by looking by contrast, the world and its representatives who have little compassion. 

 

            After being down with covid for three weeks I have studied a lot about where it came from and who is making money and killing people through this Satanic disease and they fit right into the contrast of what God does for the afflicted.

 

9/27/2021 12:13 PM

PT-1 "Confirming Credentials" (Matt. 10:8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/26/2021 9:29 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  PT-1 “Confirming Credentials”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 10:8

 

            Message of the verse:  “8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

 

            Yesterday while finally being able to walk for a little over an hour I listened to the second sermon from this 10^th chapter of Matthew beginning with verse five and I got the picture of what the points are to help us better understand what Jesus was sending out the Twelve to accomplish in their first ever “short missions trip.”  Today we begin looking at the “confirming credentials” found in verse eight, something that in our world today believers will not be able to do, but during the time of Christ He gave power to the Twelve to accomplish the things that are mentioned here in verse eight.  What we are looking at here is the fourth principle of ministry that is presented here and that is that of confirming credentials, something as mentioned we can’t do today.

 

            John MacArthur writes “Doctors, lawyers, and other professionals prominently display the diplomas that certify their qualifications and authority to practice.  In a far more important way, those who represent Christ must have credentials that confirm their divine mission and message.  Jesus gave confirming signs for His own ministry, and now He calls the apostles to demonstrate their authority by performing similar signs and wonders.”  I remember that a pastor that I sat under for five years, as that was all I could stand, when he got his doctorate degree he posted it in the men’s bathroom in his office.  Now you may understand better what I had to leave that church soon after that.  Another thing that I want to mention is that when the Lord started something new, some new ministry, like when He called Israel to be a nation, or when He was working on beginning the church that there were different miracles that He used to affirm the ministries.  Once the ministries became established then the miracles would stop, but what we are looking at now is the very early stages of Jesus training His Twelve Apostles and so that is why these miracles mentioned in verse eight would be used.

 

            We have mentioned that all of the Apostles came from Galilee with the exception of Judas who came from Judah.  The disciples were looked down upon as they did not have the “superior” training that the scribes and Pharisees received in Jerusalem.

 

            In 2 Corinthians 12:12 Paul gives the signs of a true apostle “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.”  Notice how similar what Paul wrote with what we have in Matthew 10:8 “"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

 

            In the 9^th chapter of John’s gospel Jesus healed a man born blind and the man recognized that Jesus was from God otherwise He could not do what He did.  The man even scolded the Pharisees for not understanding this great truth.

 

            MacArthur writes “The signs, wonders, and miracles Jesus commanded the apostles to perform were not for the purpose of simply demonstrating raw supernatural power.  Jesus did not tell the apostles, for example, to disappear and reappear, to move the temple from one place to another, or any such thing.  The miracles they performed created wonder and demonstrated the character of God and the nature of His kingdom.”  Once again remember that is one of the great themes of Matthew’s gospel, “The Kingdom of God.”

 

            We will look in more detail at these miraculous credentials in our next SD.

 

9/26/2021 9:52 PM

PT-2 "A Clear Message" (Matt. 10:7)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/25/2021 11:27 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  PT-2 “A Clear Message”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 10:7

 

            Message of the verse:  “7 "And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

 

            This message that Jesus gave to His disciples is very simply stated “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Obviously they were to elaborate and also explain what this meant, but the basic truth was unmistakable.

 

            John MacArthur writes “In Scripture, the kingdom of heaven can be viewed in three aspects.  First, it is manifest in conversion, when a person enters the sovereign rule of God by trusting in Christ for salvation (cf. Matt. 18:3).  Second, it is manifest in consecration, as believers live out the divine principles of God’s revelation by obedience to His Word.  ‘The kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Rom. 14:17).  Third, the kingdom will be seen in its glorious millennial form when Christ returns to earth to establish and rule it in person and then sets up His eternal kingdom (Matt. 25:31; Acts 3:19-21; Rev. 11:15; 20:4).” 

 

            As we look at the title “The Kingdom of Heaven” we have to realize that the central message of the kingdom is the message of the King.  So by definition, a kingdom is the domain ruled by a king, its sovereign.  However the essence of a kingdom is not the geographical area but the actual ruling of the king, the administration of his will over the citizens of the kingdom.  So the Kingdom of heaven is above all the domain of God’s lordship, where He rules by His divine will.  MacArthur adds “All of Jesus’ teaching—from His public instruction of the multitudes in the Sermon on the Mount through His private instruction to the twelve disciples at the Last Supper and for forty days after His resurrection—was teaching the truths and principles of life in God’s kingdom.”  As we have been studying the gospel of Matthew for close to 18 months we have been stating that this is the gospel about the kingdom of God showing Jesus as the King.

 

            MacArthur concludes “The gospel of the kingdom has many practical ramifications, social as well as personal.  But until its central message of God’s sovereign provision for man’s salvation is clearly understood, accepted, and obeyed, trying to apply it to any other area of life is both disobedient to Christ’s command and futile.  The gospel transforms society only as it transforms individuals.”  As I look around the great evil found around the world today I would have to say that we are in great need of a Holy Spirit revival so that the end result of that revival is to have many souls transformed into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and then it is my hope and prayer that at the climax of that revival that the Lord would return for His revived church at the rapture.

 

9/25/2021 11:44 AM

PT-1 "A Clear Message" (Matt. 10:7)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/24/2021 10:53 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                         Focus:  PT-1 “A clear Message”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 10:7

 

            Message of the verse:  “7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

 

            I know that it has been a long time since I posted a Spiritual Diary and it was because of going through Covid for the last three plus weeks.  My wife has been in the hospital for the last couple of days and seems to be doing much better as we hope she can come home today.  I am so thankful for my daughter Kim who stayed with Sandy through thick and thin in the ER room to help her through this difficult time.  Many have been praying for us at our church, especially Kim’s volleyball team which she had to miss yesterday’s game because she was staying with her mom.  I could not be there because I have it too and they would have probably wanted to keep me too.  I can say that in my mind Covid is a product of the devil as when a person gets it they lose strength because they lose the ability keep a good supply of O2 in their bodies and this are very tired and cannot think straight so that is a reason that I have not kept up with my SD’s over the last week.  In the end God will use this to bring glory to His Name and those who invented this to harm people will one day have to sit at the Great White Throne Judgment where they will be tried for the wrong that they have done to humanity.  I look forward to watch that trial.

 

            We have been in the 10^th chapter of Matthey for a very long time and we begin a new section today with the following words “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7).  This is the third precept for effective ministry illustrated here and it is that of having a clear message.  Having a clear message is most important.  Many people fail to understand and receive the gospel because they have not heard it clearly presented.  Having a good testimony as one understands exactly what happened to them when they became a Christian is very important.  I have shared my testimony on these pages many times as God certainly made things clear to me that I was a sinner in need of salivation that came only through the life death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ who took my place when He died for me.

 

            I will close this SD with a story from John MacArthur’s commentary to help illustrated the need of having a clear message.

 

            “Some years ago a fellow pastor who was sitting next to me on a plane took a small piece of paper and began writing on it until it was completely covered.  When he handed it to me and asked me what it said, I could hardly distinguish a single letter.  ‘Well, what was the first word I wrote?  He asked; and I had to confess again that I had no idea.  Then he showed me what he had done.  He gave me another small, blank piece of paper and told me to write ‘Christ’ on it.  On top of that first word and all over the rest of the paper, I was then told to write ‘Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Pentecostal, dispensational, fundamental, evangelical, liberal, Protestant,’ and perhaps a dozen more such terms.  His point was clear:  the simple gospel of Jesus Christ is sometimes so encumbered with secondary matters and human interpretations that the world has no idea what its central message is.

            “Not only the world but many believers are confused about Christianity became preachers and teachers digress from the gospel of the kingdom into every sort of secondary cause and emphasis.  Satan’s surest way of making the gospel impotent is simply to keep it from being understood.  When the gospel is clouded with political, cultural, social, economic, environmental, ecclesiastical, and other such causes, its message is muddled and its power is diluted.”

 

            I totally have to agree with this quotation.  The gospel message is simple as long as one tries to make it simple.

 

9/24/2021 11:19 AM

PT-3 "A Central Objective" (Matt. 10:5b-6)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/17/2021 10:37 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus: PT-3 “A Central Objective”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference: Matthew 10:5b-6

 

            Message of the verses “"Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

 

            We will begin by looking at a second reasons that Jesus sent the apostles to preach first to Jews because they were barely up to the task of witnessing effectively to their own people—much less of witnessing to Gentiles and Samaritans, whose cultures and ways they little understood and greatly despised.  Even after the church began in Acts chapter two at Pentecost, Peter was not convinced the gospel was for Gentiles, it took time all the way to the tenth chapter before Peter would go and talk to Gentiles, and that took place only after a miracle from the Spirit of God.  Peter still had some issues even after the miracle which Paul speaks of in Galatians 2:12-13.

 

            God would raise up Paul to be the apostles to the Gentiles and this began in the 13^th chapter of Acts.

 

            Third, Jesus probably restricted the apostles’ first ministry to the Jews for the practical reason that the Twelve needed a special point of attract, a limited and familiar field in which they could concentrate their fledgling efforts.  An unfocused ministry is a shallow ministry.  The effective worker for Jesus Christ puts his primary energy and effort into the task the Lord has assigned him.  He is concerned for all of the Lord’s work, but he does not try to do it all himself.

 

            As we look at our Lord’s ministry while on earth we find it was limited.  He did not travel outside Palestine, and His ministry to Gentiles and Samaritans was incidental when compared to His ministry to the Jews.  He did not have preaching missions in Gentile territory, and He ministered to Samaritans only as He passed through their land while traveling between the Jewish regions of Judea and Galilee.  All of His public teaching and preaching and the vast majority of His miraculous works were done among the Jews.  To the Canaanite woman from the district of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24).  As already pointed out, His personal ministry to others besides Jews and His commands to take the gospel into all the world show that “only to…Israel” referred to the primary objective of His work at that time.  The gospel was not generally taken to non-Jews until it was first fully presented to God’s chosen people (cf. Rom. 1:16).

 

9/17/2021 10:59 PM

PT-2 "A Central Objective" (Matt. 10:5b-6)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/16/2021 9:25 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-2 “A Central Objective”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference: Matthew 10:5b-6

 

            Message of the verses:  “"Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

 

            I decided to wait until the evening to write my Spiritual Diary hoping that my mind may be a bit clearer as this Covid seems to have a bad effect on my thinking.

 

            We mentioned in our last very short SD that Jesus did not want His apostles to speak to any gentiles or Samaritans.  In other words, they were not at this time to proclaim the kingdom message of salvation to non-Jewish people.

 

            If one looks at the great commission at the end of Matthew’s gospel we know that this was just temporary.  We also mentioned that Jesus spoke to the woman at the well who was a Samaritan.  There are other people that Jesus healed who were gentiles like that slave of a centurion.   

 

            The Jews hated the Samaritans because that were half Jews.  I don’t think that Jesus wanted His apostles to get involved with the gentiles and the Samaritans on their very first missionary trip.

 

            MacArthur writes “Had the apostles gone first to the Samaritans and Gentiles, the Jews would have been perceived the apostles as bearers of a pagan religion.  Although they had greatly distorted and disobeyed God’s revelation, the Jews were right in their relief that His revelation to them was unique and that they had a unique role in His plan of redemption.

 

9/16/2021 9:46 PM

PT-1 "A Central Objective" (Matt. 10:5b-6)

 

SPIRIRUAL DIARY FOR 9/15/2021 11:20 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  PT-1”A Central Objective:

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference: Matthew 10:5b-6

 

            Message of the verses:  “"Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

 

            This central objective is the second principle for ministry that emerges indirectly from this passage.  Some may wonder what our Lord did not want his apostles to go to any gentiles or Samaritans, but as we go through His reasons for this we will understand more about this.  In the fourth chapter of John’s gospel we see that the very first person that our Lord gave the gospel to was a woman who was a Samaritan.  This is obviously a different situation.

 

            MacArthur writes “The Great Commission was Christ’s broad, general order to proclaim the gospel to the whole world, but in carrying out that commission, the apostles would be given specific gifts and specific ministries.  Yet as this particular time in Christ’s plan for proclaiming the gospel and for preparing the apostles, His objective was especially narrow and limited.”

 

            I want my readers to know that both my wife and I are struggling with covid and  in doing these Spiritual diaries it takes a great deal of effort for me to do them, and so they will be rather short until I am feeling better.  Your prayers for us would be appreciated.

 

            9/15/2021 11:35 AM

PT-2 "A Divine Commission" (Matt. 10:5a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/13/2021 11:04 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-2 “A Divine Commission”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 10:5a

 

            Message of the verse:  “These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying,”

 

            We are looking at three criterions to help a believer decide whether or not he is called into the Lord’s service, and we looked at the first one yesterday.

 

            The second criterion is the confirmation of the church.  When a person feels a strong desire to preach but does not have the encouragement and the support of godly believers who know him well, then he should then reevaluate the source of his feelings.  The Lord will use other believers to confirm His call to individuals.  The qualifications for church leaders is given in 1 Timothy chapter three and also in Titus chapter one.  They are standards by which the church is to measure the suitability of a person who desires to minister.  Such confirmation is illustrated in what Paul told Timothy:  “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through the prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery (elders)” (1 Tim. 4:14).  An example of having the church being a part of a person’s calling into the ministry can be seen when Paul was a preacher in Antioch as we read “1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:1-3).

 

            Now the third criterion for determining God’s call is that of opportunity.  When a person has a strong desire to minister and has the encouragement of the godly believers in the church is that God will open a clear door of service, just as He did for Paul at Ephesus as seen in 1 Corinthians 16:9).  “for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

 

            John MacArthur next in his commentary goes back to write about the calling of theTwelve.  “The Twelve were called and sent out by the direct spoken command of Jesus.  His will for them was specific and unmistakable.  Par angello, the verb behind instructing, had a number of usages in the New Testament times.  As a military term it represented the order of an officer to those under his command, an order that required unhesitating and unqualified obedience.  As a legal tem it was used of an official court summons, the equivalent of a modern subpoena, which to disregard made a person liable to serve punishment.  Used ethically, the term represented a moral obligation that was binding on a person of integrity.  As a medical term it represented a doctor’s prescription or instruction given to a patient.  The world was also used to refer to certain accepted standards or techniques, such as those for writing or oratory.

 

            “In every dimension of its use, parangello included the idea of binding a person to make the proper response to an instruction.  The soldier was bound to obey the orderst of his superiors; a person involved in a legal matter was bound by the court’s orders; a person of integrity was bound by moral principles; a patient was bound to follow his doctor’s instruction if he wanted to get well; and a successful writer or speaker was bound by the standards of his craft.  In various forms, the word is used some thirty times in the New Testament.”

 

            In our next SD will begin by looking at a number of times that this verb is used in the New Testament.

 

9/13/2021 11:31 AM

PT-1 "A Divine Commission" (Matt. 10:5a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/12/2021 12:43 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-1 “A Divine Commission”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 10:5a

 

            Message of the verse:  “5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying,”

 

            These twelve that we have been writing about for a couple of months had not volunteered to become disciples and apostles, nor did they volunteer to minister in Christ’s behalf.  I know that this may sound strange, but I believe that it is true.  These twelve were sovereignly called, commissioned, and sent out by Jesus Christ as He certainly was the One who chose them for this work.  The Twelve were under divine orders, and what the Lord said of Jeremiah could also be said of each of the Twelve:  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you: (Jer. 1:15).”

 

            As we look at this time period that is described in Mark’s gospel we find out that the Lord had sent them out two by two:  “And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;” (Mark 6:7).  By going out in pairs it would mean that they would have companionship while beginning a type of work that was new and completely foreign to them.  We have mentioned before that this was an early teaching ministry for these men, very early.  John MacArthur writes “Loneliness is fertile ground for temptation and weakness, and by going out with companions, they would be less prone to discouragement, depression, and self-pity.  They could encourage one another, hold each other accountable, and take turns =ministering, thereby helping to reduce pressure and fatigue.  In addition to that, the Old Testament principle of a testimony being confirmed by two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15) would give added authority to the apostles’ preaching.”  All of this makes perfect sense.

 

            We can’t be sure how long that short missions trip lasted, but probably for a few weeks, however it was very significant, because it was the first time kingdom truth was proclaimed by anyone other than Christ Himself.  Now in fulfillment of the purpose for which Christ had said to each of them, “Follow Me!” He now sent out each of them on their first assignment in His behalf.  I have to believe that this could have been a difficult time for the Twelve at first, but as they depended upon their Lord things probably got much easier as time went on.

 

            John MacArthur writes:  “God’s calling and sending of His people today is not as direct as that, but it can nevertheless be known.  Three criteria can help a believer decide whether or not he is called into the Lord’s service.  The first criterion is strong desire.  God’s Word reveals that when we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).  The Christian who loves the Lord and wants above all else to please Him is sensitive to His will in ways that an unfaithful believer cannot be.  When one’s life is centered on joyous obedience and one’s motive is God-honoring, it is perfectly appropriate to seek a place of ministry in the Lord’s service.  Paul says that if a godly man aspires to the office of bishop, or overseer, ‘it is a fine work he desires to do’ (1 Tim. 3:1).  The closer we walk with the Lord, the more certain we can be that our desires are His desires.”

            There are more criterion to be looked at and Lord willing we will do that in our next SD.  I have to say that I listened to the sermon on this subject yesterday and really found it worthwhile.

 

9/12/2021 1:07 PM

Intro to Matthew 10:5-15

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2021 12:29 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  Intro to Matthew 10:5-15

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference: Matthew 10:5-15

 

            Message of the verses:  “5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. 11 “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. 12 “As you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13 “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 “Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”

 

            Well after sixty days looking at the first four verses of Matthew chapter ten, which I must say was well worth it, we now move on to begin to look at verses 5-15.  John MacArthur entitles this chapter in his commentary “Principles for Effective Ministry.”

 

            Now after Matthew mentions the twelve apostles in this tenth chapter we now can divide up the rest of the chapter in the following manner.  The first section of verses 5-15 deals with the basic task of ministry as Jesus sends the twelve out on their own.  The next section, verses 16-23 we will see the reaction to ministry and then the last section 24-42 deals with the cost of ministry.

 

            Any missionary that goes out to spread the good news can be comforted by the fact that the apostles were the original missionaries, trained and sent forth to preach the gospel to a world under God’s judgment, into a harvest that was plentiful but for which the workers were few as seen in Matthew 9:37; and then compare 2 Corinthians 5:11.  It seems that the workers have always been few ever since these first missionaries went out to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This first missionary trip for these twelve was a short term missions trip work in their own country, but the basic concepts apply to every believer the Lord sends out into ministry.  Some of the specifics were restricted to a given time and a given situation, whereas the principles are broad and universal.

 

            We will see that Jesus’ purpose for this first apostolic mission was twofold as first, it was for the sake of the lost, to give them opportunity to hear and accept the gospel.  Second, it was for the benefit of the Twelve themselves, to give them training in the enterprise of winning souls.  Jesus was instructing His disciples how to reproduce disciples, and that was so very important as without that teaching then nothing would be able to move forward after the last apostle was gone.

 

            MacArthur writes in conclusion to this introduction:  “In Matthew 10:5-15 Jesus articulates eight principles, each of which is a general requirement for effective ministry:=; a divine commission, a central objective, a clear message, confirming credentials, confident trust, settled commitment, concentration on those who are receptive, and rejection of those who are contemptuous.”  Lord willing we will begin to look at “A Divine Commission” from Matthew 10:5a in our next SD.

 

9/11/2021 12:50 PM