CHANGE OF FOCUS

The disciples head off to minister to Israel... but Jesus goes to Galilean cities!              
Is He hinting at a change of focus? (Matt 11)

Meanwhile poor John languishes in prison, knowing only too well what Jesus is doing...   “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”                         
'Go tell John again’...   Blind see, lame walk, lepers are cured, deaf hear... and don’t forget the bonus.... Dead are raised! The poor hear the gospel!  

 

 

So who is this Man who leaves His friend and cousin in jail?                                 

Matthew reminds us too... Christos (the Messiah)                                                             

So who is John? Is he a wimp or a softy?...maybe a prophet?                                    

More than that... John was God’s personal announcer!

“Behold I send My Messenger before thy face...”                                                       

The kingdom of heaven is not being received though - it is experiencing violence as John well knows, after being despised for ‘having a devil’. Now Jesus is despised as ‘a glutton and wino’, friendly with the riff-raff.  ‘I just can’t win with you guys.’    

Imagine living in Bethsaida, Chorazin or Capernaum: so blessed having ‘God with us’!  

Well, those cities are just a pile of ruins today.

What now?                                                                                                                                

“He that has ears to hear...”  Is that you He’s speaking to?

“Come unto Me...I will give you rest...take My yoke upon you...learn of Me...”

Interested?


NEXT... http://guvsdesk.blogspot.com.au/2017/09/crunch-time.html

WHAT'S THE COST?

Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is urgently preaching and healing with His apostles...   
They can even raise the dead – wow, what power!

Can’t they expect to be treated as heroes?... surely there’s no down-side?        

Beware guys... you will be ‘sheep among wolves’ ...so be ‘wise as serpents, harmless as doves’.

Read Matthew 10 for yourself but here are some observations:

• don’t forget to confess Jesus before men                                                            
• Some Jews called Him Beelzebub - pagan god of the flies. In other words: ‘sh.t-head!’... so don’t expect anything better!

• Jesus ‘came not to send peace but a sword ‘        “Did you say sword?”

• “fear them not” (x3) – just fear God

• you may even have to flee!

• you will be amply rewarded for loyalty under persecution

“Did you say take up your cross?”  “You don’t mean crucifixion do you?”

This is the JEWISH MESSIAH warning His JEWISH disciples: yup, very Jewish with sanhedrims and synagogues - while the Gentiles watch.

How do we know they represent the faithful JEWISH remnant in the End Times? Jesus repeats this in chapter 24...                                                                                       

• “you will be hated of ALL men”
• “he that endureth to the end shall be saved”  

NEXT... http://guvsdesk.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/change-of-focus.html

 

LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL

Imagine this happening in your country...                                                             
Jesus has been visiting ‘all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing every sickness and every disease among the people.’  Wow!

Now it’s graduation day in Matthew 10 for those disciples of His as they become apostolos – apostles or ambassadors -  even Judas Iscariot!                                
Notice that there are 12 chosen, matching the 12 tribes of Israel.                    

Jesus bestows on them the power to not only preach the kingdom of heaven, but...     “heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead (!), cast out devils...”  

Double wow!!

By the way, who are they looking out for?    Gentiles? Samaritans?  No...     

“The lost sheep of the house of Israel”

Make no mistake – Matthew is presenting the Messiah to Israel:

• Jesus Christ is son of David, son of Abraham (1:1)                                           

• He is born King of the Jews (2:2) – in Bethlehem as prophesied (2:6)               
• He takes refuge in Egypt just as the patriarchs did (2:14)                               
• He came to fulfil the Law & the prophets (5:17)                                               
• He claims Jerusalem as city of the great King (5:35)                                             
• Now He is sending His ambassadors to every city and village of Israel – again! ...and there’s more to come

If you don’t receive these apostles, they will just shake the dust off their feet and move on.                                                              

Remember what happened to Sodom and Gomorrha?                                              

Be warned folks!  Your King means business.


NEXT... http://guvsdesk.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/whats-cost.html