**Read Matthew 10:19-11:1 and Romans 9:1-5
I. Bearing the Cross of Jesus
- Matthew 10:19-11:1; Remember in the previous post that Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the gospel. Jesus also told them that men will deliver them to councils to accuse and persecute them. The disciples were uneasy and they thought they were not ready to preach the gospels but Jesus assured them and told them not to worry for God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will give them the words to speak and the wisdom to teach and share the Word of God. After this, they are warned that they, along with others who accepted the gospel, would be persecuted by others including their own family members. As a believer, we will face much hate from our friends, neighbors, siblings, parents, or our own children just because we have a different faith and way of life but we should all persevere and not give in with what the world wants for it is God that we should fear because He is the only one that can take our lives. We all have a duty to share the Word and be the light of the World and as we confess our faith before everyone, Jesus will be our advocate when it is time to stand before God. Let us not be scared of what others might say or think of us for what is important is what God sees in our heart and the treasures that we store in heaven. If we keep hiding our faith in the closet, Jesus will not know and defend us. Becoming a follower of Christ is not easy. We need to know that we have to give up everything and everyone and put God as our priority. We must love God more than our family and put Him first in everything we do. We can't continue to ignore our faith because of our family or friends. Not everyone can enter God's kingdom, and it is our choice if we want to please our family and be denied entry to heaven or please God and be adopted into His family. As we take up our own cross, our values, morals, goals, and purposes in life will change and this will set us apart from others. The more we put value in the treasures here on earth, the more we will realize how empty they really are. We need to loosen our greedy grasp of all of the world's rewards so we can be free to follow Jesus. The earlier we can build our treasures in heaven, the faster we can build our relationship with God inherit eternal life.
II. Paul's Longing for the Salvation of the Jews
- In Romans 9:1-5, Paul expressed his sadness and disappointment that his fellow brothers and country men are not accepting Jesus as their savior. He then said that he would sacrifice his life if that would help them be saved. We all know that it is only through our faith in Jesus that we may be saved but Paul is showing us great love of his neighbors that he is willing to sacrifice his own life for others. So how much do we love our family, friends and neighbors? Are we willing to give up something, even small, for the sake of their salvation? Can we share our time, our energy, our money for those who need Christ so they can receive the gospel and be saved? We get disappointed when it seems like our friends and families ignore the message that we share. We need to know that sharing love, encouragement, hope, and a few verses is never a waste. We are planting seeds in our their hearts in hope of some day they will open their eyes, ears, and hearts to the Word, accept the Lord as their savior, and pick up their cross to follow Him. We are hoping that someday, this seed that we planted months or years ago will grow to a big tree and bear good fruit.
III. Proverbs for Today/5:1-6 (The Peril of Adultery)
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.[a]
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Genesis 50, Exodus 1, Exodus 2:1-10, and Psalms 21:1-13
