Author: KingdomLink

The Church and the individual Christian are faced with much opposition. Some of that   opposition is overt and blatant right from the get go. Their voices are loud and boisterous, their movements obvious and threatening. Some of that opposition is quiet and some of it is quite sly, its movements hidden in plain sight within the church itself.   

Beyond the ever-present temptations and trials, there are those outside of the church that seek the destruction of the church and the people of God. They will campaign to limit Christian activity, seeing prayer at a flagpole, or a Bible study at the workplace, as an assault on their sensibility and way of life. They will shout you down, throw rocks through your windows and spray paint the church’s walls in efforts to intimidate God’s people. They will threaten physical harm and then carry out that threat in efforts to shut down the Gospel and stamp out the move of God. 

But even worse, there are also those who seek to destroy the fabric of the church and God’s people from within. Those who pretend to be believers, but have not actually been changed by a personal encounter with the Spirit of Christ, or they’ve so grieved the Spirit of God that they can no longer hear His appeals for surrender. These are the sleeper cells of the enemy. They do not contribute in meaningful ways, but they are loaded with criticism of those who do. 

Both groups are dangerous to the unity of the church, the life of the immature believer and the nascent seeker of God. Both groups are also inevitable. They will be encountered by every believer at some point, and by every church at some point. All the more so when the believer goes out into the world to spread the Gospel! Fortunately, Jesus has some words of wisdom for us in this regard, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Some might think that the Lord means for us to be shrewd among the wolves, and innocent among the doves. Certainly from a human standard that makes sense. But He is actually encouraging us the opposite, and for good reason. The apostle Paul put it this way, “I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” 

To the wicked we must be blameless and pure. This is a testimony to them of God’s perfection, and a judgment on them for not acting likewise in the presence of those who reflect His character. One commentator put it, “The innocence called for will involve a consistent integrity that is prepared to suffer rather than compromise and which is careful to give no grounds for legitimate legal objection.” When we act so, the Spirit of God convicts those who persecute us of the evil they are doing. And they cannot shout down His conviction, for it is a conviction in their hearts, not their ears.

It is among the good that we must be shrewd and wise. Constantly seeking for their betterment, intentional about their discipleship and pure in our use of the Word of God. By this the people of God are encouraged toward Him in praise, and by our silence the people of our enemy the devil are encouraged toward God in repentance. Let everything we do draw people to God.

Amen.

Christians need hard heads as well as soft hearts.

Pete Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli

APPLICATION: Intentionality

Pray for and practice wisdom among the pure, and grace among the wicked. 

Jesus’ instructions to His disciples for pioneer missionary work is to go with the goers,   and to leave those who reject the Gospel preached to God’s wrath, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

That sounds harsh. But in the book of Romans, Paul declares that people have no excuse to reject the arrival of the Gospel, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” 

The preaching of the Gospel and the accompanying evidence of His Kingdom provided to those who have never heard or seen it before is the first glimmer of the coming Kingdom of God. It is a ray of hope. A light in the darkness that must not be ignored. Those who do ignore it are like those who shut their eyes when the first light of dawn breaks across the horizon. They do not want to wake up. They think themselves better off without the light. They desire to keep dreaming. It is to them a harsh and unwelcome reality to which they react poorly. Reacting physically to its presence, they do their level best to suppress the light.

God’s view is that the Gospel is so precious, and so many are perishing without it, that the limited time of those who have been prompted to carry it to new places must not be wasted. There are other fields that do not put up so much resistance. Resistance and suppression of the Gospel are legitimate gauges of one’s call to preach. Only those who know they have heard the voice of God telling them to stay, can stay. The rest must move on, but not before participating in God’s intention to pour out His wrath in judgment on those who refuse the free offer of His grace and forgiveness. 

That participation consists not of violence, but prophetic act. The plain, ordinary and  small act of shaking off dust from one’s feet. It is a silent signal, perhaps physically noted by no one except God alone. It is a sign to those who see it, and to Him a flare. For to them it signals the withdrawal of the Gospel, while to God, it signals where to pour forth His wrath. Not the wrath of his fiery anger, but the wrath of His withdrawal and silence. 

That is a far worse judgment than calamity, because calamity brings grief, and grief might bring about repentance. 

Silence and abandonment brings about only greater anguish of soul, as the wicked forsake repentance and instead work themselves into ever deeper pits of hopelessness and despair. Until the day they stand before His throne, and repentance is no longer an option.

When God is silent, and speaks not by His judgments, men think He is like themselves and are emboldened to sin; but when God thunders by His judgments, they have other apprehensions of Him.

William Greenhill

APPLICATION: Intentionality

When God is silent in prayer, He nevertheless speaks through His Word – so whatever you do, do not stop seeking His face. 

To this day, it is appropriate when visiting a friend’s place for the first time to say   something along the lines of, “What a nice place you have here!” It’s just a kind and appropriate thing to say. Sometimes we wholeheartedly mean it, and sometimes we say that out of courtesy. It is not always a comment on how much we enjoy their taste in home décor or their selection of furniture, or even the location and style of their home. But its origin is not in politeness or vanity. Its origin is part of the revealed character of God, who both provides shelter for His creation and first seeks to bless. So the idea of hospitality and seeking to bless others upon greeting them is all through the Scripture.

This in mind, it is hardly surprising to hear Christ’s instructions to the traveling Gospel minister, “As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.” Luke puts it this way, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” 

Blessing a house might seem strange, but the blessing is not for the house itself. It is in recognition that the visitor brings the presence of God with them, and ultimately meant for the people who dwell there. Commentator John Nolland says, “Though only a standard Jewish greeting, in the present context it has become an anticipatory bestowal of the blessings of the coming kingdom of heaven. With this precious new significance it seems improper to mis-bestow it. The disciples are, however, told not to worry about that possibility. Their bestowal of peace will function like the benefit bestowed by the baptism of John: the significance of the act will be determined by the manner in which it is received.”  

Read that again, “The significance of the act will be determined by the manner in which it is received.” Isn’t it so with so much of the Kingdom of God in the here and now (before God’s physical return to earth)? Recall how John baptized people and then warned them, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” John wanted them to know that the blessing of baptism for repentance is only as sure as the obedience of the one who repents. Those who went through John’s baptism and didn’t repent (or even intend to) cannot escape God’s judgment. God cannot be fooled by behaviour that doesn’t fool us. 

Jesus told us to ‘baptize’ (in a manner of speaking) a residence when the presence of God’s Spirit in us enters said residence as we walk into it. Then, whether that blessing gets attached to the person who occupies the home or not becomes entirely dependent on whether that person co-operates with the Spirit of God or offends (grieves) the Spirit of God. If there is a foothold for the holiness of God’s blessing there, God’s blessing stays there. If not, then not. It is for this reason that showing hospitality to the people of God is so helpful, because they always leave a blessing wherever they stay. For as the Spirit of the Lord goes, so goes the blessing!

Throughout the saga of history, God consistently initiates relationship. He is a gracious host, constantly welcoming in wayward sinners who deserve His wrath—a people whose only hope is that He would show them underserved hospitality

Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements

APPLICATION: Intentionality

The next time you are welcomed into a home, remember to bless those who live there!

Jesus’ instructions to the traveling minister in Matthew 10 are straightforward. They were to go only where they were called to go. They were called to not only preach, but minister and do works of power. They were to completely rely on God for their daily sustenance. They were also to have a particular strategy when they got to a new town. 

Simply put, the first missionary trip Jesus commissioned His disciples to was to expand the Kingdom of God by bringing the Kingdom to places where it was not recognized before, even though the people there already had the Word of God and considered themselves the people of God. Jesus sends His disciples to minister first to their own culture. Going to familiar towns and villages, they were to find the ‘worthy person’ there and focus entirely on that individual and their household. The disciples were not to use a crusade approach. Jesus notes that even if finding that person involves a search, it would still be His desired approach. He said, “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.”

It is of note that Jesus’ chosen method for this missionary work was not widespread advertising advance of their arrival followed by a public meeting. Neither were they to use a mass market approach by handing out written pamphelts or announcements. Jesus also does not give instructions for a street ministry. Nor a compassionate door approach such as a soup kitchen or clothing loft. Nor a teaching ministry, or a language ministry or a sport-related outreach. No, the disciples were to use an evangelism method we now call “the person of peace” method. 

It is of some significant note that Jesus’ approach is entirely dependent both on God’s providential circumstance and Spirit-led decision. The town they would find themselves coming into is the next town they could get to. That’s literally obvious. The person of peace (the “worthy person”) they would find is the person the Spirit of God leads them to discover. A person of peace is just someone who has both influence and interest in God’s purposes. You find them in your travels as God leads both your paths to cross. They express interest in you because they can sense something of God’s presence in and upon you. They express interest in your message because they want to know God better. They are able to demonstrate hospitality because they have means, and it becomes obvious as they do that, that they also know many other souls. 

That may not be obvious at first glance, but it is certainly not mystical. The disciples would need to use nothing more than a bit of spiritual discernment and basic common sense. Blogger Michael James Breen put it this way, “Find the person of peace, the person who is open to you, interested in you, likes you, wants to be around you. Go to their turf, where they’re comfortable. Allow them to serve you, show you hospitality. Spend intentional time with them, and be ready to do the works of the Kingdom and speak the words of the Kingdom (in appropriate ways).”

The mission of God done the way Jesus would have us do it requires neither great resources or great pre-planning. But it does require radical obedience and radical dependance on our Father in heaven and His Spirit’s work in our lives. Being the hands and feet of Jesus always has.

Amen.

When our people cast fear to the wind and spend themselves and risk their lives and fortune in the cause of God’s truth, and in love for other people, then God is revealed for who He really is: infinitely valuable and satisfying—so much so that His people don’t need the fleeting pleasures of sin in order to be content.

John Piper

APPLICATION: Intentionality

Who has God lead you to? Who has He lead to you?  How is He being glorified in those relationships?

Anyone who has ever gone camping in a remote location knows the importance of proper preparation. Unlike car camping, where you can simply drive to the nearest store or go home in a few hours, remote camping typically involves hiking or canoeing a full day or more just to get to where you want to be. Once you get there, you soon realize that if you haven’t brought it and the location doesn’t naturally provide it, it isn’t there! Nothing quite grips you like realizing you forgot a warm enough jacket, are running out of fresh water or didn’t pack quite enough food. The rush of adrenaline immediately gives way to a near-overwhelming sense of panic. Such things turn trips into adventures, albeit in a most uncomfortable way. Not properly managed, they can even turn what was supposed to be a wonderful trip into a life-or-death situation. Preparation is important.

The same is true of all overnight travel. You always want to ensure you have enough money to get to where you are going and the right clothing for the conditions you’ll find along the way. We know these things. So Jesus’ advice to His disciples as He sends them out appears to fly in the face of common-sense, “Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” Is Jesus saying that preparation is not necessary for the Christian? 

Hardly. Actually, Jesus had been preparing His disciples for some time for this next step in their journey of faith. Jesus was following a plan, and that plan required the discipling of a group of followers who could take the Good News all around the world, discipling many more along the way. All that Jesus had done to this point was His preparation, and now He commissions the disciples knowing they are spiritually prepared enough to do what He wants them to do. 

Commentator Stuart Weber writes, “Having trained the disciples by example in chapters 8–9, Jesus took them another step forward. His command not to take any money or supplies for their journey was a great challenge to their faith in God’s provision. Jesus wanted the Twelve to focus on who they represented as they ministered to those in need. If they would make his kingdom their sole focus, the Father would provide their daily needs through those to whom they ministered.” Commentator Leon Morris puts it this way, “The disciples are workmen for God, and they can rely on their employer to supply the things they need.” 

They can, and they must. Jesus’ point is not that they should be truly unprepared. It is that when you have chosen to wholeheartedly follow Him and are spiritually prepared to do what God wants you to do, you can rightly expect God to provide all you need to glorify Him as you go. God’s obedient disciples  are not assured of a comfortable life, nor a life free from want. Rather, it means we will not physically lack what He needs us to physically have to fulfill His purpose through us.

Our fallen nature is untrusting, so our flesh tells us to reject that idea and store up an abundance for ourselves that is so great we could not possibly use it all along the way. Yet it is obvious to all who look on that hoarding resources is evidence of distrust of the Father as our provider. Worse, our lack of faith hinders God’s message through us. Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier to let go and simply trust Him. But it does cause us to daily choose to overcome our fallen flesh, and simply trust Him along the way. 

Through following Christ’s example, believers will persevere and learn to live in dependence on God alone.

Tokunboh Adeyemo

APPLICATION: Worship

God will provide for His obedience followers. This is the promise of eternity. Why should it not be our promise for today? Let us worship God, believing on His provision. 

“Freely you have received, freely give.”

It was God’s work to bring us into His Kingdom. We are the direct result of the work of, “him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” So none of us can say we were born in His Kingdom. Rather, we were born in sin. Rather, all we can say is that at some point – as we were being raised in sin or while we were living out our own sin – the Gospel was preached to us as the Father drew us, and we became sons of the Most High.

That was all the work of Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God. Nothing we once did or were doing or even ever will do can qualify us for His presence. As Isaiah once said, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” So preaches Paul in the book of Romans, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Indeed, humankind’s sinful bent is the ‘common knowledge’ of the Scripture. It is a prevailing motif throughout the Bible whenever people are mentioned.

This is something every follower of God knows, both from reading His Word and personal experience. We are saved not of ourselves, but of God and by the preaching of His Word. None of us did anything to deserve the blessing of God or His Kingdom.

In light of those facts, one would think that it could not even enter the human mind to think that one particular people group was more deserving than another. Yet it is not uncommon to find self-identifying Christians who actively despise other people groups! Even a casual poll among the faithful of any given church reveals some who look down on secularists, and/or Muslims, and/or homosexuals, and/or people of the opposing political party. It is bizarre to think that someone who was spiritually dead can be raised to spiritual life by grace, and then complain that others who are spiritually dead are somehow less worthy to be likewise raised by that same grace. People who do such things fail to see how the hypocrisy and selfishness of such hatred is not compatible with new life in Christ. The Gospel is for all and is meant to be preached to all, just as Christ will be one day seen by all on His glorious return, “’And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”

Likewise, neither are the works of God in healing and restoration to be restricted. Jesus commanded His disciples, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” From that we can gain that wherever the Gospel goes, so also must go the work of God through the servants of God by the gifts of God and the power of God. Not that everyone who is saved experiences a miracle in this way, but that everyone who is saved can experience the reality of God (either directly in themselves, or indirectly in someone they know).

We must understand this. There is no demarcation point; the blessing of healing and deliverance is not only for those already in the church, but for all flesh. Like the preaching of the Gospel, it is a witness of God’s love for the lost. Freely given to us, that we might freely give it to others. For it is when they see the kindness of God to them that they can be convicted by the Spirit and repent.

In these things let us occupy ourselves, without giving offence, and let us not do anything with partiality or for the shaming of others, but let us love the poor as the servants of God.

Clement of Rome

APPLICATION: Intentionality

How will you bring the free blessing  those beyond your normal circle of influence today? 

Humankind is made in God’s image, but that does not mean we are made  with  anywhere even close to His capacity to think or act. In fact, God Himself testifies, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Amen. 

Nevertheless, we must try to understand God’s will for us and how to advance His Kingdom, and we work though that process with our own limited thinking. Inevitably, that leads to some level of confusion, because what God instructs us to do is far beyond what we can perceive is even possible. He is not restricted to only viewing the present, or what we are capable of now and of ourselves. He sees the whole of time all at once, including we will be capable of eventually, and what we can do with His Spirit working powerfully working through us. 

An example of this is Jesus’ simple and straightforward charge to His disciples; “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” 

On first hearing His charge, one is prone to think it was a misguided joke. Thinking linearly, we see what He is asking the disciples to do as far beyond what is reasonable. For though one might be able to travel, and though one might be able to preach, how can any mere mortal – without medical training and ample supply of remedies – heal the sick? How is it not ridiculous to tell someone to raise dead? How can God expect that a mere man can clease another from leprosy? How could He ask flesh to drive out that which is obviously stronger than any flesh? With a keen knowledge of our own human limitation, we immediately disqualify ourselves from participation in what He instructs. 

All too often we conclude that He must’ve been exaggerating. Or perhaps it was misinterpreted – maybe He meant, “Those who go should preach, and sometimes the occasional gift of the supernatural may occur. Do the work of charity.” But Jesus’ command is not meant to be taken lightheartedly, or to be questioned as unreasonable. As all that Jesus said, it is not limited by occasion of time or place, so it is not limited to those who work for charities, or even limited to the apostles or the apostolic age!

Every disciple is called to make other disciples. Every disciple is given the Holy Spirit and the authority of Jesus Christ. We are all meant to be filled with His Spirit and we are all blessed of God with His peace, His presence and His power, and all for that very reason. Therefore, anyone who can describe themselves as having the authority of Christ by the Spirit of Christ is at least as qualified to do the work of fulfilling the mission of God.

If it wasn’t for that fact, we would have seen the Church of Jesus Christ dwindle down and die shortly after the death of the apostles, and the meaning and fulfillment of the Gospel with it. Thank God, that did not happen. We ourselves are the evidence that Jesus’ charge is still valid, and still the primary work of His church! 

Your religious life is every day to be a proof that God works impossibilities; your religious life is to be a series of impossibilities made possible and actual by God’s almighty power.

Andrew Murray

APPLICATION: Intentionality

When did you last attempt the impossible at His Word? Are you ready if He calls you to that today?

One might think that after you have been established where you are sent, and after you arrive where you are going, and after you have earned some credibility among the people you are sent to – that then and only then can you effectively preach the Gospel. But Jesus does not teach that. That is human wisdom, not divine wisdom. Jesus’ instruction is actually much simpler and much easier to follow, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’”  

Jesus says, ”As you go.” Meaning, “As you are on your way.” As you begin the journey. As you are on the journey. As you are almost done the journey. All along the way, you are to preach the Good News that God’s Kingdom is not far from anyone. It is as close as repentance. It is right there, even with you that very day, as you preach it. For this is not your own Gospel, it is Jesus’ Gospel. It is the divine message. The Good News that John the Baptist preached. It is the grace of God to all of us. That God forgives, and we can yet find restoration to our true purpose as children of God! It starts with recognizing how close His Kingdom really is, and recognizing that we have a call to reach for it – to actually repent and so enter His Kingdom. 

That the Gospel is to be preached at all times and at all places is paramount. It is the first thing Jesus tells his discipleship group to do. It becomes the primary charge of every disciple and of every minister of the Gospel. The value and importance of that far outweighs every other thing we can do. Of course, one cannot say that to devalue ministry to others in addition to preaching the Gospel. Ministry is a wonderful thing. There is an inherent value in healing others. Not merely because they become grateful, but because it brings hope. It brings hope to them, and to those who love them. But what good is healing if the healed have no internal peace with God? It is a wonderful miracle if the dead are raised, but what profit is there in raising the dead if those who believe because of it do not believe on the God who does the miracle to start with? It is a terrific thing to cleanse lepers from sickness, to remove both the disease and the stigma that another suffers under. But what value is there in cleansing lepers or even in driving out demons, if those rescued from bondage to decay and the demonic wind up dying in their sins later? 

We must give priority to the preaching of the Gospel. This is not just the call of the apostle. It is the call of every disciple. As the Word exhorts us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 

So it is – hear the charge from Jesus, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’” Know the charge from His Word! “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

Ministry is a necessary support tool. It opens doors and holds them open so the message can be heard. But it is not and cannot be a replacement for Gospel proclamation. 

The church cannot possibly exist without preaching the Word. Preaching has power like nothing else the church has or does. Moreover, preaching reaches more people than anything else the preacher can do, whether it is teaching, visiting, administrating, or counseling.

Stephen Olford

APPLICATION: Intentionality

Are you where you need to be in the balance between speaking for Him and ministering for Him? 

One of the reasons Matthew is keen to show Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophetic expectation is that God’s work always begins with God’s people. As Paul would later write, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Paul understood that God’s plan starts with God’s people – always has and always will. That includes salvation from the human condition of sin. 

In Christ’s time then, the solution to humankind’s sin problem had to start with the Jewish people – the people group that God called out from Babel to carry His Name across the earth. Not that God was playing favourites, or would restrict His plans to that one nation. Matthew and Paul both understood that though salvation would be first brought to the Jews, it could not remain there. It must go beyond them to the Gentiles (non-Jewish) world, just as judgment would start with the Jews and go beyond them to the non-Jewish world. As Paul writes, “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.”

Knowing those facts is key to reading Jesus’ sending of the newly commissioned apostles. Without it, we find our present culture’s aversion to discrimination informing the reading of Scripture. But our culture should never inform Scripture. Scripture must inform culture. So when we read of Jesus’ instructions, let us not jump to the conclusion that God is racist or discriminatory. Rather, God is orderly. He starts with His own household first.

“These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.”” 

One commentator writes, “Matthew is here preparing, from the perspective of Jewish concerns, for the affirmation of Gentile mission to which he will reach in 28:19. Jesus comes as, in the first instance, a thoroughly Jewish and restrictedly Jewish messiah… The separate mention of the Samaritans has no independent significance: these people considered to be of doubtful Israelite extraction are introduced only as a way of insisting with considerable tightness of definition on a restriction of mission to ethnic Israel. In this respect Jesus is presented as having impeccable Jewish credentials.”

In other words, that is not just important to Matthew’s primarily Jewish readers. It is of value to us all that Jesus is rightly seen as one who upheld the Law, honored the Abrahamic covenant and fulfilled Scripture. 

God, who is above the culture of all people groups, works through the culture of all people groups. Not only to save, but to restore. Not only the people, but the very cultures that they identify with; First that of the Jew. Then that of the Gentile! 

Amen. 

All the blessings of Israel are summed up in Christ.

William Wordsworth

APPLICATION: Thankfulness

Let us thank God that the blessing of God came to Israel first. For in His doing so, Israel is made into an example for the rest of humankind.