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Category Archives: Matthew

My God is…a Communicator Matthew 10:18-20

Matthew 10:18-20 – On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 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, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

On my account you will be brought before governors and kings

What’s the likelihood of you or I actually being brought before governors and kings? How many of you have met a king? Maybe a homecoming king, but for most of us that’s the closest thing to a king we’ll likely meet on this earth. Most of us aren’t rubbing shoulders with royalty. Some of you might actually know your governor. You might even be friends with them, but again, most of us probably don’t hang out with our governor.

We may not have daily interaction with the government of our state or nation, but we have those who govern us. We have bosses, parents, teachers, friends and relatives. These people strongly influence what we do and say. They have expectations of us, and try to help us fit in the “norm” of our societies.

But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it

In America, we are blessed to have the freedom to say what we want and to believe what we want, for the most part. But in our places of business, in our schools and sometimes even in our families, we’re not permitted to say what we believe.

Imagine this. You’re at work, and someone rushes in to tell your co-worker that her spouse has been in an accident. Her daughter is on her way to pick her up and take her to the hospital. You instinctively go to your co-worker and ask if you can pray with her. She says yes. You pray together, and your words are received with the compassion they were given. But over in the corner your boss stands looking on. He comes over after your prayer and walks your co-worker out. On his return, he calls you into his office.

You’re nervous. You know your boss has teased you about your beliefs before, but you’ve never been this bold about your faith, and you don’t know how he’ll react. He asks, “What could you say to her in a time like this?”

At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

This is your opportunity. Your chance. Are you going to chicken out or are you going to witness about the one who saved you? Are you going to be more worried about your job, or your bosses faith? In the verse above it says, “when they arrest you”, but we can also think – when they call you into their office. When we’re asked about our faith, we don’t have to worry about the words we’re going to use or saying it perfectly. Instead we can trust that the Holy Spirit will be there helping us to communicate God’s word and heart when we’re witnessing about our faith.

God is still speaking. He’s speaking through you.

Every moment is an opportunity to witness for the Lord. In the grocery store, we can let the person with cranky children and a pile of coupons go in front of us. In our families, we can reconcile with those who are frustrating and have caused us harm. Forgiving them, not because they’re sorry, but because we have a chance to respond differently, because we have been given a gift of eternal life – even though we don’t deserve it. When our children frustrate us, we can respond with patience instead of fury even though they’ve done the same thing wrong everyday this month. We have an opportunity to have the Lord speak through us by His Holy Spirit. That is if we can hold our tongue long enough to turn our thoughts, voices and hearts over to His control.

1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

What are you saying about God?

 

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My God is… a Servant – Matthew 20:25-28

Matthew 20:25-28 – Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a servant

Ok, that’s not quite what I said to my parents, but my plan as a child was to become a Lutheran School Teacher (like my dad and mom). I wanted to be like my father who seemed to always be willing to help anyone in need (as long as my mom told him about it – he wasn’t so good at picking up on some of the clues that people needed help). If my father had any thought that someone needed help moving, a ride, painting a room, delivering something or almost anything else, my father would almost always be quick to volunteer.

Called to be a servant

My dad is gifted with a servant’s heart, but we’re all called to be servants. In the verse above from Matthew, Jesus himself tells us that whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave. That’s some pretty powerful words. The funny thing is my father, when he does nice things for others, serving them with love, he doesn’t look for a thank you or pat on the back, but they come. People admire my father’s kindness. They are drawn to him, respect him and trust him. That’s an amazing thing to be able to say about your father.

Follow the example

I have been truly blessed to have a father (and a mother) who have lived their lives as servants. They want to help, and try to help as much as they can. But even without their example, we can all live by the example of Jesus Christ. Here he is the son of God, washing the feet of his disciples. He stopped, healed and talked with those no one else cared about. Ultimately he not only gave of His time, but He gave of His life. He was a Servant who was willing to give up His life that all of the stuff I had done that wasn’t so good would be washed away and forgotten. That I might have eternal life with Him in heaven. I understand that some might die for a great man, but my God died for me. Even though I continually make mistakes and treat those I love with unkindness, and those I don’t love even worse. I pray that I too may become more of a servant. That I might serve others and my Lord, not to get me into heaven, but so I might reflect the awesomeness of my Lord to all those I know. If they ask me why, I will be blessed to say it is because of the example Jesus set for me, and my earthly father who also followed Jesus example.

Whose servant are you?

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2012 in Matthew, My God is a servant

 

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