SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/16/2022 10:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “Intro to Matthew 18:10-14
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
18:10-14
Message of the verses: “10 “See that you
do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in
heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 “For
the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 “What do you think?
If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not
leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is
straying? 13 "And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he
rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 “Thus
it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these
little ones perish.”
We spoke of those who were in “high positions” not
wanting to come to Christ in our last SD, for most of these don’t think they
have any need to do so because of their positions. Also that Paul talked about this in 1 Cor.
1:26-27 “26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.”
Notice the highlighted portion above to which Paul
refers are the intelligentsia, those whose learning is far above that of the
average person. Now the “mighty” include
those who have political, military, or financial power and who thereby exercise
control over the lives of many other people.
We move to the “noble” as they are the social elite, those who have
inherited or achieved elevated social status.
Feeling proud, superior, and self-satisfied, most such people feel no
need for God, especially if coming to Him would demand childlike humility and
surrendering confidence in their human abilities, accomplishments, and
positions.
I
think it takes a special calling to be able to win these types of people to the
Lord, a calling that means this is really what I want to do for the glory of
the Lord, and not for my own personal selfish way. I think one has to really know that God has
given you this ministry before setting out into it. I have a young friend who plays cello in the
Army band in DC and has had two opportunities to talk to the present speaker of
the house. My young friend would be the
perfect person to someday talk to her about the Lord. I pray for him and his wife each day as I
believe that God has given him the talent and this job to tell people about the
Lord, it is a missionary position.
For
a person to become a believer in Jesus Christ they have to be willing to become
one of Christ’s little ones (Matt. 18:6, 10, 14). It is good to remember that the little ones
Jesus is talking are young believers in the Lord, or young people who realize
they need to receive salvation from Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and
resurrection. I am not saying that it is
impossible for one of the people we have been talking about to become
believers, but I think that many believers have come from are what Paul
describes in 1 Cor. 1: 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the
things which are strong.”
MacArthur concludes:
“As He continues to teach the disciples about caring for one another as
believers, the Lord first states the rule and then the reasons for the rule.” We begin this in our next SD, Lord willing.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Be ready to tell those whom the Lord brings
my way the truth of the Gospel, and that is that Jesus loves them and died in
their place.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I trust the Lord to keep me close to Him all
day and to pray without ceasing, at least begin to do better at that.
12/16/2022 10:45 AM
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