And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Matthew 10:6-7.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
I will always love you. No matter what you do or say, no matter where you go or do not go, I will always love you. I planned you from everlasting and conceived you within My innermost being from the foundation of the world and I love you with an eternal, everlasting love.
The LORD appeared to me from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Jeremiah 31:3.
I do not change. True love, pure love, does not change. It is not “yes” one minute and “no” the next, as to goodness and faithfulness it is always “yes.”
For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:19-21.
I will always be your refuge.
Lord (Adonai), You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:1-2.
Jesus felt compassion for the people, they were wandering lost like sheep with no shepherd. Many were sick, disabled, poor and did not know Me or My ways, they did not understand the Kingdom or how to bring it to the earth.
Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38.
Jesus could not reach everyone as one man alone. He needed those who learned from Him and knew My Word like He did to go out to the people. He wanted all the world to know the truth. He was looking for those who would do the works He did and greater, those that He would pour out My gift of the Spirit upon once He had made propitiation for your sins and had returned to His glorious throne at My right hand. He came not only to save you but to empower you with authority to take dominion of the world but this time to bring My Kingdom to earth and bring all people to salvation and knowledge of the truth that would set them free. I sent My Word to heal you and deliver you from destruction. And if you care to learn from Him you can be part of this glorious mission as the Body of Christ, the Church, upon earth.
So to start this glorious adventure He needed those who would be with Him to learn from Him with sincere and open hearts and whom He could send forth to preach, teach, proclaim, heal, and cast out demons wherever they went and whatever their assignment was in the world. Those who could reach people in every walk of life.
So Jesus, after praying to Me for an entire night, appointed twelve men that He Himself wanted to be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons. Luke 6:12-16; Mark 3:13-14. They were to be with Him and learn from Him and then go out to share the good news of salvation and of the Kingdom with others. The glorious body of believers that you see today all began with the one man Jesus and then twelve disciples who had faith in Him enough to follow Him and leave their own agendas, one of whom betrayed Him.
And the conversation we consider today will be His choice of the twelve and then a whole chapter of instructions He gave them on how to carry out the great ministry He had entrusted to them. And you should listen as well, because these instructions apply to you who are following Him today as much as they did at the time He spoke them. My Words are eternal and are for all generations.
It was at this time that Jesus went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to Me. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Luke 6:12-16. He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Matthew 10:4.
And it was these twelve Jesus the sent out to go after the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It was not the time to reach out to the rest of the world yet. Salvation started with the people who were descended from My friend Abraham, to whom I had promised to send the Messiah in his line to take down the gate of the enemy.
“Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His name, it isthe name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. Acts 3:12-16.
And then He gave them the instructions on what to do to be “fishers of men,” which Peter wanted to find out because that was his calling.
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Matthew 10:6-7.
There are your marching orders: proclaim the good news of My heavenly Kingdom, that it is freely accessible even now and all good things will chase you down and overwhelm you if you will transfer your citizenship to My Kingdom by taking Jesus as your Lord and King. Heal the sick (those who believe in His Name will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover), raise the dead (call them forth as Jesus did Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter for whatever you ask in His Name He will do and He is the living One who has the keys of death and of Hades, Revelation 1:18), cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons in His Name. Mark 16:17. In other words do the works Jesus did and greater ones yet.
If you recall, at the Last Supper, Jesus gave you a promise He intends to keep. It is that you will have the joy and honor of doing the works He did and even greater works after He returned to Me and poured out My promise of the Holy Spirit in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And, of course, the greater works are that you can bring people to be born again from above. Jesus could not do that because He had not yet died for your sins and been raised yet when He was living as one of you according to the flesh.
And so the instructions continue;
“Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. Matthew 10:8-10.
The motive for preaching the Gospel and healing people and setting them free is not to make money from them. Jesus had a lot to say about that to the money changers in the temple. My house is not a market place. I will give you other avenues of income but your sharing of the gospel is sacred and I will supply all you need for that. You are in My employ and I will take care of your support according to My riches in Christ Jesus in glory. I will send you partners and those that have in their heart to contribute. Like the women did who followed Jesus.
Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. Luke 8:1-3.
And let us go on with His instructions of where to stay on your travels in preaching My Word of salvation:
And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 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. 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. Matthew 10:11-15.
Stay with worthy people with believers who are of like mind. When you enter a house, give the house your greeting of shalom peace. Do that with your own place of abode each day when you come in, bless your home with peace and all who dwell therein. Do the same for wherever you visit. And do not worry it is in wasted if not received it will return to you as the dove returned to Noah until it found a place to land that received it. And for those you have made every effort to bring to the Kingdom who will not heed, do not get upset and battle with them, just go on with your joyful refrain and shake the dust that the devil crawls in from your feet. Those who do not receive My Word do not have anything good to anticipate, the devil is a cruel master and if you reject Me that is who you are choosing. And those to whom day in and out you have shown My Word have no excuse, not even as much as Sodom and Gomorrah, who went down in ashes.
And Jesus let His disciples know that people would not always be willing to hear what they had to say for they have been taken captive by the devil to do his will and they will rebel against you as they do against Me. Be aware of this and stay on guard that they do not lead you into sin with them. You must be alert to evil but innocent of it.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Matthew 10:16-20.
Put Satan under your feet with the truth and you have My Spirit with you and in you to guide you to the truth and remind you of all I have said. Do not worry you have My Spirit and you have My Word, whether you live or die you are with Me absent from the body you will be present with Me. I never leave you or forsake you. All are alive to Me.
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. Matthew 10:21-22.
One of the most vicious attacks the devil can pull off is to divide families over the truth of Jesus. His hatred for the Word that became flesh and crushed his head is fierce but he cannot reach Jesus and never could so he pursues to get even by attacking His body, His church, on earth by seeking to divide it. Resist him knowing that he is pulling the same antics on all your fellow believers throughout the world and he must flee from you. You have much more going for you than he does. You have the victory over him already, never fear him or give in to his tactics. Never let him catch you off guard and take you captive to do his will in unforgiveness and resentment and offense towards those that are oppressed by him. Pray for them and laugh. That is true endurance. It is rejoicing always, praying without ceasing and giving constant thanks that you already have the solution and the victory in Jesus. No weapon formed against you will prosper and every tongue raised against you, you will prove false and take down. Never back down and when the dust settles you will still be standing and the devil will be crawling away as fast as he can go.
“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. Matthew 10:23.
Never stay somewhere that you are being abused unless I tell you to stay and save them. I never try you beyond your strength but always give you a way out. I am the LORD your deliverer. And Israel has still not come to her Messiah. I always described them as stubborn and stiff necked but many are beginning to see the Light now that My gospel of the Kingdom is infiltrating by the internet and social media. Do not be silent, they need saving. And they are open to it if you just show them the Old Testament prophecies side by side with the fulfillment in Jesus. They have been kept from reading the New Testament by their leaders and from seeing the truth in Jesus of all the prophecies.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! Matthew 10:24-25.
Be careful who you make your teacher or master. You will become like them. And never think you cannot learn more, especially in My Word. It has many levels of revelation and there is always a higher one. The riches in Christ are unfathomable, they have no end to height or depth.
“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Matthew 10:26-31.
Have no fear, be grounded in Me. I am your source, not the world. The devil is not a source, he must steal what he has from you and the things I have supplied by deceit.
I reveal things that are in the dark by shining in My light in and My light is in My Word. Use My Word to bring light.
Who should you fear? The one who can cast you into hell. Who is that? Only YOURSELF. Adam did not have the devil or Me to fear, only his own unwise choices. The devil has no power over you if you do not give it to him.
Cast your care on Me because I care for you. My loving eyes are on you for good and not evil. I have the hairs of your head numbered, you are precious in My sight, and that includes every part of you, spirit, soul, and body.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
There are a few more instructions to go over but that is enough for this Life Lesson. We will gather more treasure together in our next Life Lesson.
I love you and I always will. Forever. But it is up to you to receive that.