Burunche’s Blog

Matthew 11:16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and of sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”

Jesus loved to laugh! And many times, the things that made Jesus laugh the most were the contradictory behaviors of those who questioned him. Surely, Jesus must have been grinning as he said the words recorded above. Jesus compared those who compared and criticized John the Baptist and him to children in the marketplace. One child would begin playing the flute and expect other kids to dance. Another child would demand that his friends pretend they were at a funeral and pull long faces and pretend to cry.

John the Baptist was an aesthete who might have been a member of the strict Essene sect. John’s disciples fasted frequently and lived abstemiously. John did not live on locust insects, but on the pods from the Carob tree, which are still referred to as “St. John’s Bread” in Israel.) At one point, John’s disciples even questioned Jesus as to why his disciples failed to fast frequently. Jesus answered John’s disciples by comparing himself to a bridegroom. Nobody invited to a wedding feast would fast during the feast; instead, they would wait until the marriage feast was over and then fast. The Jewish religious leaders criticized John by claiming that John had a demon. On the other hand, when Jesus socialized with those ostracized by the religious leaders, those leaders then claimed that Jesus must be a drunkard and a glutton.

Jesus pointed out the fact that neither assessment was the correct one. John was called to one kind of ministry, Jesus to another. But it was the same Holy Spirit who was empowering both John and Jesus. John’s actions were appropriate for his ministry while Jesus was reaching out to a different group of people.

When Jesus mentioned wisdom, many in the crowd might have remembered the verses about wisdom from Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me. 18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness.” Jesus was trying to get his hearers to understand that God cannot be put in a box; the very time you think you have defined and limited God to a particular modus operandi in a particular place is the time that God chooses to do something totally new somewhere else. God is always doing new things!

Today we are anxious about the COVID – 19 pandemic. Recently a number of people who have been working in southern Ghana have returned to their home villages. We have no idea whether or not any of these people are infected. But this one thing we do know: God is not shocked! God is not surprised. God knew these people would return to the North. And God can do new things, even in the midst of a pandemic. God is always working, and we just need to find out where He is working and join Him.

PRAYER: Father God, today we confess that we are anxious. We don’t know which way things are going to go with this pandemic. But we thank you that you are the Source of all wisdom, and that nothing frightens or surprises you. Help us to follow hard after you and to be your hands and feet in this time of need. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 11:7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

8 Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 Truly, I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears, let him hear.“

It was a familiar television scene. The auditorium was huge; the stage was ornate; and the furnishings were as lavish as those in a baroque European palace. The music from the large orchestra swelled to a crescendo as the congregation enthusiastically welcomed Prophet Z. Wearing a purple velvet cloak over a brilliantly white suit, Prophet Z swaggered to the front of the stage and immediately began making pronouncements. With each statement, the congregational applause became increasingly frenzied, until the noise was deafening. And everyone in the room was SURE that a true prophet had arrived!

Nobody noticed when a man in rags slipped into the back of the auditorium; everyone was paying too much attention to Prophet Z…. until the ragged man began walking decisively toward the front of the gathering. When the Prophet’s macho men attempted to grab the stranger, they found themselves paralyzed, unable to do anything. Meanwhile, the stranger continued his march to the stage, mounting by the stairs on one side. When Prophet Z saw the stranger, he opened his mouth to order him dragged away, but found that his face was frozen and that he couldn’t say a word.

There was a holy light enveloping the stranger as he strode to the front of the stage and whispered one word, “Peace!” There was no noise from the crowd, no sound from the orchestra because everyone in the place was on their faces in awe. And as the stricken people looked up, the rags fell away to reveal the stranger clothed in garments of light, his face shining like the sun. And everyone realized that the stranger was Jesus.

The story I have just recounted has not yet happened, but it could take place at any time. These days we have large numbers of self – styled prophets who reap enormous sums of money from their followers. These prophets can preach about themselves, but rarely do they glorify Jesus, even though He is the One they are supposed to be preaching about. Things haven’t changed too much since Jesus’ day.

The Jewish religious leaders knew all the prophecies and could recite them glibly. They were absolutely sure that when Elijah appeared to announce the coming of the Messiah, they would be the first ones to know. And yet, it was the common people, the shop owners, the petty traders, the fishermen, the farmers, the tax collectors, the people upon whom the religious leaders looked down, who recognized that John the Baptist was preparing the way for the Messiah. In this passage, John the Baptist’s disciples were just leaving after confirming that Jesus was really the Messiah. Jesus took this opportunity to affirm to the crowd that in fact, John the Baptist was the second Elijah mentioned in the Messianic prophecies. Jesus goes even further to emphasize that “among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist.” Wow! Really? That meant that John the Baptist was even greater than King David or King Solomon. Incredible! Then Jesus makes a strange statement; he says that even the least person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. What does Jesus mean?

John the Baptist was called to be the second Elijah, the herald of the coming of the Messiah. But glorious as that calling was, no earthly calling could compare with becoming a citizen of heaven. Even though John was a great man and a major prophet, he was still sinful. In the entire history of the world, there has only been one man who lived a perfect and sinless life; that man was Jesus Christ. Even John the Baptist needed the atoning work of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to be saved from his sins.

Do not put your trust in prophets or televangelists! Do not worship any man or woman! Humans die, and their ministries die with them, unless the ministry is bigger than an individual. Jesus Christ is the only One who is worthy of worship! Trust Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for allowing Jesus to come to us, to live as a man, to die for our sins, and to triumph over death and the grave. Help us to worship you, Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 11: 2 “Meanwhile, John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent two of his disciples 3to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

John the Baptist had confronted Herod because Herod had divorced his wife, Phasaelis, so that he could marry his brother’s wife, Herodias. Now John was in prison, facing almost certain death. Even though John had witnessed the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism, by this point John is entertaining all kinds of doubts and fears.

”Did I really see that dove descending on Jesus? After all, Jesus is my cousin. Is he really the Messiah, or have I deluded myself? Have I really been following the Lord, living in the desert, traveling around and preaching and baptizing, leaving my aged parents? Most of my disciples have deserted me to follow Jesus. Has all of this been worth it or have I made a major mistake?”

So John sent some of his most trusted friends to seek out Jesus and question him.
“Rabbi, are you really the Messiah, the Sent One, or should we look for someone else?” And Jesus gives them an answer straight out of the 35^th chapter of Isaiah. “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. ⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,  and the mute tongue shout for joy. Jesus alluded to other passages besides Isaiah 35 (which speaks of the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute). Isaiah 26:19 says, “Your dead shall live”; Isaiah 29:18 also refers to the healing of the deaf and the blind; while Isaiah 61:1 speaks of bringing good news to the poor (quoted by Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:18–19).

Earlier this week, many expatriates flew out of Ghana on a flight arranged by the U.S. Embassy. For those who decided to stay, there were many questions: Are we doing the right thing by staying? Will we help our Ghanaian friends, or will we become a liability? And what about our family members and friends in the U. S.? What if we never see them again? It’s been a week full of tough questions, many times with few answers. We can certainly identify with John as he second – guessed himself in that stinking prison. And Jesus also understood and gave John the answer that John needed. “John, everything you preached about me is coming true. Everything the prophets said about the Messiah is happening before your eyes. Yes, John! It has been worth it! Don’t fall away! Don’t become discouraged! You have heard God correctly, and you have fulfilled God’s purpose for your life.”

As we work here in northeastern Ghana, we pray that COVID – 19 stays far away from us! Our hospital has very few supplies. There are very few ventilators in our entire region. We must depend on a few oxygen concentrators that could quickly become inadequate. But did God send us here? YES! ABSOLUTELY YES! TEN MILLION TIMES YES! GOD SENT US HERE AND GOD HAS KEPT US HERE! Is it possible we might die in Saboba? Yes. But consider this: the distance between Saboba and heaven is no further than the distance between the U.S. and heaven. It is God who has kept us here and who will keep us here as long as it pleases Him. Our prayers are not for ourselves; our prayers are for our patients, for our friends and neighbors here – people who are as dear to us as any relative can be.

John the Baptist was beheaded to satisfy the vengeful nature of Herod’s wife. But once dead, John was free – free of the prison, free of the whims of any tyrant. If COVID – 19 strikes Saboba, either or both of us may die. But know this: the moment we cease breathing, Jesus will stretch out his hand and we will stop out of those failing bodies to be with Him in heaven for eternity.

Today, do you have that assurance? Do you know that you will go to heaven if you die? Nothing any of us does is good enough; that is why Jesus had to die for the sins of the entire world. When we die, we are not trusting in any righteousness of our own; we are trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: FATHER GOD, PLEASE TURN THE HEARTS OF ALL WHO READ THIS TO YOU! HELP THEM TO KNOW THAT OUR TIME IS LIMITED AND THAT TODAY IS THE DAY TO DECIDE TO ACCEPT WHAT JESUS HAS ALREADY DONE FOR US. IN JESUS’ NAME. AMEN.

Matthew 10: “After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. “

After Jesus sent his disciples out to minister in places that were new to them, he himself went on to teach and preach in their cities. Many times we are concerned when we leave our families to minister in another country. We entertain all kinds of fears – what is going to happen to my elderly parents? Will my children follow the Lord? What is going to happen to my friends and neighbors?

These days COVID – 19 threatens the safety of the entire world. Now we have new reasons to worry about elderly parents, or children, or friends or neighbors! We live and work in Saboba, Northern Region, Ghana, a small district capital on the border between Ghana and Togo. We work at an Assemblies of God, Ghana, mission hospital. Our only points of contact with our friends or family are long -distance phone calls and Facebook posts and messages. In such a setting, it is easy to allow fear to take over. But Jesus came to free us from fear! There are 365 times in the Bible where God says, “Fear not!” That’s one promise for each day of the year.

Let’s look at these disciples for a minute. Most of the disciples were successful tradesmen or businessmen, respected members of their communities. In those days, people rarely traveled more than a few miles outside their home areas; yet, Jesus sent every one of these men out to brand new communities, places where they had no friends or relatives. Many of these men must have had wives and children about whom they were concerned. But Jesus wanted his followers to learn that God could provide for them. Jesus also wanted to teach a second lesson. Once these men went forth to follow Jesus’ instructions, Jesus went to every one of their cities to preach and teach. Wow! Which would be better, having Jesus come and preach and teach, or having one of the followers try to witness to his own family? Hmm. This was not a difficult decision. How many of us have learned that witnessing to a family member is one of the most difficult things one can do?

There was another aspect to this situation as well. Jesus once told his disciples that a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country. If the disciples went out to new places, they would be received as honored guests. If the disciples stayed home and tried to teach and preach, all their friends and relatives would simply laugh. “Oh! That Simon Peter! Ever since he’s been following that carpenter from Galilee, he thinks he’s really somebody!” No. Better to go to a bunch of strangers and allow Jesus to do what he did best – minister in a myriad of ways.

Today as you worry about your loved ones, remember that if God sends you out, He will make sure someone else takes care of those you left behind. If you are faithful to go where God wants you to, Jesus will move someone else to care for your family and friends. Trust him! Jesus never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:5)

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that if you send us to minister to someone, you care for those we have left behind! Thank you that your watch care is far more comprehensive and effective than anything we can possibly accomplish. And thank you that even in the midst of a world – wide pandemic, we can trust you because you are a faithful, covenant – keeping God. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10:40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

Jesus is completing his instructions to his disciples before sending them out to ministry. By now the disciples are probably really worried because they have been warned that sooner or later, they will be persecuted. But now Jesus speaks assurance.

Jesus assured his followers that if they were about his business, whoever received them because of Jesus would be receiving a representative of the one true living God. Whoever recognized that they were receiving a prophet or a righteous man and received them gladly, would be contributing to that ministry and would therefore receive the same reward as the prophet or righteous man. No good deed would go unnoticed; even if someone merely gave a Jesus follower a cup of cold water, they would be rewarded.

My husband and I have been in missions for most of the last thirty – three years. We were accepted by our first mission group in August 1987 and began raising funding to go to Ghana. That first time, we drove more than 30,000 miles, speaking in churches and staying with people. Through the years, untold numbers of people have sheltered us, fed us, and contributed to our ministry. Many of these people have become dear friends.

Did we deserve such generosity and hospitality? No! These people received us because of Jesus, because they were followers of Jesus and because they recognized that He had called us into the mission field and they wanted to help further the Kingdom of God. They were kind to us because of Jesus.

Today the world is being convulsed by the COVID – 19 pandemic, but one thing has not changed. In the midst of this chaos, we can still be kind. We can still offer cups of cold water.

Today, let us leave fear behind! Let us pray and let us look for opportunities to show the love of God to those around us.

PRAYER: Father God, today we ask that you help us to look beyond our own needs and our own fears to those around us. Help us to give in as many ways as we can so that those around us will feel your love and the touch of your Holy Spirit. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. ³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father,     a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— ³⁶a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. ³⁷Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany and a founding member of the Confessing Church, a group that staunchly held to Biblical principals at a time when the Nazi regime was manipulating the state Lutheran church for its own purposes. Bonhoeffer vocally opposed euthanasia and the extermination of the Jews. For these stands, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned in two different prison camps, eventually being executed 21 days before Hitler hanged himself and the Nazi regime came to an end. Bonhoeffer was 39 years old at the time of his death. Bonhoeffer’s book “The Cost of Discipleship” is a classic call to follow Christ, no matter how many difficulties we may encounter.

Today many Christians face persecution for their faith. Muslim extremists are attempting to exterminate Christianity by massacring whole congregations in Africa, Asia and the Philippines. Christians in India are being attacked by their Hindu neighbors. Christian missionaries have been kidnapped and/or killed in several parts of the world.

Jesus made no pretenses to his disciples; they would face persecution and death. And they had to expect that even members of their own household would turn against them. Jewish culture was a close – knit affair, and it was assumed that one’s relatives would also be one’s biggest supporters. The idea of these relationships being torn apart must have horrified the disciples. And to make matters even worse, Jesus made reference to the Roman practice of crucifying prisoners. Crucifixion was one of the most shameful deaths possible. Criminals on their way to crucifixion would carry their own cross bars as an additional form of punishment. Jesus is not merely promising suffering; he is guaranteeing that this suffering will be shameful as well.

Jesus laid out the cost of discipleship to his followers so that nobody could come back later and complain that they had not been warned. Today all over the world there are emergency workers and health workers putting their lives on the line to care for COVID – 19 patients. In Italy 6 older doctors and at least 1 nurse paid with their lives; in the U.S. there are nurses who are now on ventilators because they took the risk.

In this life there are no guarantees. We have no control over the way in which we will die. But we can choose whom we will worship and whom we will serve. Jesus’ challenge to his disciples was quite clear: Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Whom will you serve today? Choose wisely, for you are choosing for eternity.

PRAYER: Father God, today we are afraid of so many things, but we want to follow you. Please give us the grace and courage so that we will always choose you, even at the cost of our relationships with our families. In the matchless Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10: ^“28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

It is Sunday March 22, 2020. As I am writing this, the number of global coronavirus cases surged past 300,000 on Sunday, with more than 13,000 deaths worldwide, according to John Hopkins University, which reported that China, Italy and the U.S. had the most people diagnosed with the respiratory illness. The number of Americans under virtual lockdown grew to over 80 million on Saturday when New Jersey joined the list of states issuing a stay-at-home order or other sweeping mandates to fight the spread of the disease.

People everywhere are anxious. Nobody knows when or where the virus will next appear. 41 members in one church in the U. S. became positive when they were exposed to the virus by a single choir member who was unaware of his/her status. Now more than ever before, we need the assurance that God is watching over us. God has not merely counted the hairs on our heads; He has each hair numbered and knows if a single hair falls.

How many sparrows are there on earth? Sparrows were so cheap in Jesus’ day that two birds were sold for a single penny – you don’t get much cheaper than that! And yet, we are told that God knows about each and every sparrow. Not so much as a single sparrow will fall to the ground outside of your Father’s care.

Many of us struggle with the concept of God as a Heavenly Father. Some of us may have had abusive fathers or absent fathers or fathers who were depressed or distracted so that they really weren’t available when we faced problems. But God is a good Father! Good fathers take care of their children. Good fathers provide for their children. Good fathers know what is going on with their children’s lives and the struggles they are facing.

Now, this does not mean that a good father will keep his children from suffering. But we can be assured that God knows every trial we are facing and every problem with which we struggle. God IS watching over each one of us. Does this mean that all of us will survive COVID – 19? No. Some of us may die. But Jesus ordered us not to “be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Today, whom are you serving? Are you following Jesus, or are you trusting in something or someone else? Please do not take this question lightly! None of us is guaranteed even our next breath. Every second we are making decisions for eternity. Either we are going to follow the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or we are following wrong gods.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to trust you! Thank you that you do have every hair of our heads numbered and that we are of infinite worth to you. Thank you that you cared so much for us that you allowed your Son Jesus to go to the cross to die for our sins so that we could be with you in heaven for eternity. Help us to choose to follow you, to trust you, and to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10: 24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household? 26 So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”

By this point, the disciples are hoping for some relief, some encouragement. But Jesus has even more warnings about the cost of discipleship. Why did Jesus tell his followers all these things just as he was sending them out into ministry? Jesus wanted to make sure that his disciples counted the cost before they committed themselves to following him. There would be no point in hiding the eventual costs from those on whom Jesus would have to rely to spread the news of the Kingdom. The disciples needed to realize that they would be called Beelzebul and possibly worse.

Who was Beelzebul? Beelzebul was a Philistine god who was considered the Prince of Demons by many Jews. Jesus was implying that at some point people would consider that he was demonic and therefore his followers must also be demons. For good observant Jews who had carefully observed the Laws of Moses, being misunderstood in this fashion would be misery! Jesus was warning in advance that religious leaders would throw his followers out of the synagogues and label them as criminals. Pretty bleak prospect, right? Why even start following such a teacher if this was going to be the result? But then Jesus sounded a note of hope.

Jesus wanted his disciples to know that no matter kind of evil someone intended against them, God already knew about it. At the right time, any evil devised against the followers of Jesus would become evident. And God was going to be with the Jesus followers so that they would be able to speak boldly and publicly. Shouting something from the roof top sounds crazy, unless we realize that the roofs were flat. Someone who wanted to make a public announcement could have easily gone up on the roof and shouted to the whole neighborhood. And Jesus was promising that he was going to give his followers messages at night so that they would be able to share those with others in the daylight.

Right now, you might feel that you are really in the dark. You are confused and afraid; your social media posts have exploded with more horrifying details about COVID – 19 than you ever wanted. But Jesus is here, just as he was with the disciples. If you will pray and ask Jesus for wisdom and hope, he will hear you and answer your prayers.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please come! Come to our broken, fearful hearts! Come in your strength, your beauty, your wisdom, your grace, and your mercy. Heal our hurts, take our burdens, and help us to realize that you are always with us, that you will never leave us or forsake us. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10: ²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

The pastor couldn’t believe it! The previous Sunday, one of his church members who had converted from Islam to Christianity had failed to appear in church. Assuming that the young college student was probably sick with malaria, the pastor and two elders had visited the student and his family after church. But when the group entered the family compound, they found the young man’s body wrapped in a sheet and lying on the verandah. The family smugly informed the pastor that since the young man refused to revert back to Islam, they chose to poison him! They were now about to bury him. And the pastor and church elders really had nothing they could do because this took place in a predominately Muslim city. Had church members reported the family to the police, local Muslims would have probably torn the church and its members to pieces.

This story is very real; we were in the church the Sunday the pastor was describing the death of this promising college student. The situation is similar in most Muslim countries: convert and die. Unfortunately, some Christians are so insensitive that they post photos of converts publicly, thus ensuring that these converts may soon pay with their lives.

Why should we follow Jesus if all we have to look forward to is rejection and death? “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” We are not pursuing limited earthly goals; the decision to follow Jesus has eternal rewards. The question is this: how are we going to spend our lives? Rest assured, you are spending your life in some fashion with every breath that you take. Each decision you make has eternal consequences.

Now the world is facing the threat of COVID – 19. This virus has hit people of every age and of every health background. The first case in the state of Oklahoma was a local pastor with a clean health history who died one day after the diagnosis was made.

2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Choose to follow Jesus Christ while you still have time!

PRAYER: Father God, we choose to follow you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Help us to be brave so that when we face opposition, we will continue to be faithful. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10:¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Whoa, Jesus! What’s going on? You were giving out instructions for short – term ministry that sounded pretty promising. Now all of a sudden, you’re handing out warnings! Why?

Jesus always had eternity in mind when he said anything. The disciples were sent out early in Jesus’ ministry before the religious leaders had fully convinced themselves that he was a threat. At that point, the disciples were not in danger; however, later on, they would find themselves facing every situation that Jesus describes here. Not only would Jesus’ original disciples face such trials, but every single Christian since Jesus’ death and resurrection would find themselves in the same predicament. Today Christians in heavily Muslim countries are paying with their lives for their faith, and Jesus’ words are just as important to those Christians today as they were to the original disciples.

Anybody who makes the mistake of thinking that being a Christian gives one a free ride into heaven without suffering is going to be severely disappointed! Later on, Jesus promised his disciples that “In John 16:33 Jesus warned his followers that “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” There’s no such thing as “you might” have trouble. No! Jesus followers are guaranteed problems. But if we are faithful to continue to follow Jesus, we can ask for divine wisdom and divine guidance whenever we are brought before authorities and it will be given to us.

PRAYER: Father God, today Jesus’ words frighten us! We don’t want to find ourselves as innocents being attacked; yet, we know that this might happen. Father, enlighten us. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to know that your promises are true. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.