Delight*Abide*Love

Knuckle Position

Matthew Continued!

July 2013

Dearest Reader,

Wow! is all I can say about this month’s new

magazine. Obviously if you are a frequent

reader you will automatically notice the

extreme difference and if you are a new

reader chances are the difference is what

made you pick this up. Let me assure you that

our focus has not changed; we still aim to

study the Word to show ourselves approved

and to offer devotion based conversational

writing that will hopefully make you think.

The difference then is that the magazine will

be more magazine-like in structure. We look

forward to any comments or suggestions

you’d like to make. I pray that this new style

will be beneficial to you and that it will

increase our outreach attempts. We are living

in end times, friends and we endeavor to

awaken and instruct as many people as He

will enable us to. May His hand be upon you

as you read the pieces herein and may He

empower you to reach your potential and

serve your purpose in this Body!

Peace and blessings,

Ginny Mink

www.delightabidelove.com

deal to you but the fact

Matthew reveals Judas’

betrayal of the Christ makes

me think that he’s telling us

that Jesus knew Judas’

ultimate purpose. Not that

this is shocking in and of

itself. What really gets me

though is that there are

other verses that say satan

entered Judas, so basically

I’m thinking that even the

enemy gets his power from

above. Not that God wants

satan to do the things he

does, but that satan can’t

do anything without God

allowing him to. Judas was

sent to heal diseases and

cast out demons just like

the other disciples, Christ

imparted power to him. If

He willingly handed power

over to His enemy, I have to

wonder how much greater

is the power that He

bestows on those who love

Him.

Chugging along we come to

verse 8 where Jesus tells His

disciples to use the power

He’s given them for the sole

purpose of helping others

without personal gain. I bet

there are a lot of people

that find this concept

problematic. What if

everyone who claimed to be

“called” to something did

whatever it was they were

“called” to, for FREE? Dare I

say there’d be a lot more

starving artists and

preachers and teachers and

writers? The truth is, no

Matthew Continued

Last month we ended in

Matthew 9:29 and so we are

going to take a look at

Matthew 9:37 now. This is an

interesting verse as it makes

me think of all the farming I

don’t do. Yes, you read that

correctly, I don’t gather like I

should and as we’ll see later

we are told that if we aren’t

gathering, we’re scattering.

This world has been planted

with God’s children and the

enemy’s seed and it’s up to

His children to plant and

water and then harvest. I

suspect that we have a

problem with the word

laborer as so many of us have

an abject hatred for work.

That’s probably why Jesus

tells us to pray that God will

send people out to do the

harvesting. I guess that gives

some of us a bit of a way out,

if you are too chicken to

participate in the labor then

at least support those who

aren’t by praying that others

will be led to come to their

aid.

Since we are going through

Matthew together, you will

realize that we have reached

chapter 10. It starts off with

Jesus sending His disciples

our cast out spirits and heal

diseases. What caught my

attention though is verse 4.

Notice that Jesus includes

Judas in the group He sends

out. Perhaps that’s not a big

one, not even modern day

“Christians” are willing to do

things, those that might be

deemed work, for FREE.

Everybody expects something

and that’s why Christ felt it was

necessary to give His disciples

that directive. I suspect they

were just like us, human, and no

doubt they would have at least

appreciated some sort of

thanks or recognition if not

money in the bank. Thankfully

Christ adds verse 10 which lets

us know that we will be

reimbursed for our labors. I

think really Jesus was telling His

disciples, “don’t set a price on

these works, you will be given

what you deserve.” Perhaps

these TV evangelist need to

read that verse before they try

to sell me a prayer shawl.

I’m jumping to verse 20 now.

You see, we are promised and

warned even that the world is

going to hate us, that it’s going

to persecute us and that

ultimately we may be

imprisoned or killed for our

faith. I don’t know about you,

but I suspect that will be pretty

anxiety inducing for me.

However, I find great comfort in

my Savior’s promise that the

Father will speak through me at

that moment. If you read on to

verse 22 you see what I am

talking about with regards to

being hated, but thankfully

there’s another bit of

inspiration there, and that’s the

fact that if we’ll endure until the

end (whatever that might be),

we WILL be saved!

A disciple is not above his teacher, verse 24 tells us. I am amazed by my own arrogance sometimes, an perhaps you have felt that way about yourself. Listen, Jesus only got to walk this planet 33 years (the fact that I say “got” reveals my arrogance immensely as if being down here with us was some tremendous privilege that His death on a cross for my sake brought to a regrettable end- I have to shake my head at myself). Anyway, what I mean is that we need to understand, particularly those of us whom have lived beyond our 33rd year, that life is a gift and the fact that we have one to live should make us consciously indebted to the One who gives us breath. Yet, I find myself thinking I should be further along in life, more recognized as a writer, a prolific speaker, something more notable. What a snot I am! I am reminded of a Johnny Cash song which is really just a poem (and I’m not sure who wrote the thing) that says something about how unaccomplished from a worldly sense Jesus was, no books written, no college degree, no stadiums reserved for His conferences etc. While Christ’s sphere of influence as He walked this planet was miniscule the longevity with which that influence and impact has exhibited is tremendous and should certainly remind us that we will never be better than Him, never more popular or more powerful. As He says in verse 25, it is enough that we be like Him, but how many of us are?

And yet, when we read on we discover what being like Him will mean to us. Verse 25 also tells us that if the world called Him horrible names, beelzebul (the devil), how much meaner to us will the world also be. Maybe you’ve never been persecuted for your Faith, maybe you’ve never been called names, fired, ridiculed or physically and verbally assaulted for aligning yourself with the Messiah. If that’s the case then chances are you’re not really looking forward to the occurrence either. Can I tell you that is a sad position? Yes, I said it’s sad not to be mistreated for being a Christ follower. I’m sure there are “believers” that would disagree with me but we find elsewhere in Scripture that we are blessed when we are persecuted for His name’s sake. Listen, if you have never had any repercussions for following after Him then perhaps you need to reexamine your own walk, check your Faith as Paul tells us to do (2 Corinthians 13:5). It’s easy to be a Christian when there are no consequences therein and that’s what Christ was trying to get across, there will be consequences. Surely you’ve come across the verse that tell us to pick up our crosses, that’s no easy task, that requires laborious devotion and painful dedication, and dear one, that’s what being a real believer is all about.

I know that probably wigs a bunch of us out. No one wants to hear that the world will hate you and say bad things about you. No one wants to think about trudging across the desert with a large beam on your back. I suspect that’s why our Beloved Redeemer added verse 26. We are not supposed to be afraid of those people, the ones who call us names, take our jobs, mistreat our families, no indeed, Jesus tells us to have no fear of them because all their badness can’t be hidden forever, all those things they’ve done that they don’t want anyone to know about, all their self-righteously hidden infractions will be brought to light. Man, I have to tell you that the erasure of sin is one of the greatest parts about following the King. I don’t ever have to worry that you’ll see how heinous I was before He washed me clean, but all the people who have persecuted me for that same Faith, will indeed have that Power Point on display on judgment day!

Matthew

10:28

We left off knowing not to

fear our enemies. Jesus must have looked at His disciples and seen that inevitable, “yeah right!” eye roll going on because in verse 28 He clarifies the concept for them. I have to laugh a little about this because we are all guilty of assigning to man more strength and power than he/she is due. Jesus shows them just how limited mankind is, He says, “Don’t fear people, all they can do is kill you. Instead, you need to be more concerned with the One that can affect your eternity, namely My Father and yours.” This isn’t a do as I say, not as I do, statement either because Jesus demonstrated for us what it meant not to fear man. Pilate tries to instill some semblance fear in our Savior when he claims to have the power of life and death and Jesus real quick tells him that he only has power because God gave it to him. Listen, there are things way worse than death and the average human doesn’t seem to get that. Perhaps that’s a good enough reason to start worrying about other people and the eternities they face, maybe it’s enough of an instigator to make a harvester or laborer out of you. Regardless, make sure you know Who to fear.

[Sidebars are great for calling out important points from your text or adding

I just came across 1 Corinthians

12:18-19 & 25. Truth is, I was reading

the devotion assigned by Our Daily

Bread. Actually, the whole truth is, I

never read the author's commentary

on the verses, I just read the verses

that the editor selected for the day's

reading. Not that you really care

about all that but I just wanted you

to get the background information.

Anyway, I came across verse 18 and I

thought this concept of God choosing

the parts of the body to be exactly

what and where He wanted them

was interesting. I mean, how many of

us feel like we don't belong, like we

have no real purpose, like we are

totally unconnected to those around

us, even all those lovely people we go

to church with. Then, I started

thinking about myself. I just had a

baby and though I am attending

church still, I feel like I have lost a

valuable connection in that I have to

leave the service after the music so

that my wee-one (whom is breast-

fed) doesn't disturb everyone else

and certainly not the preacher (even

his daughters take their kids out). So,

I miss the service, basically. I mean

yeah, we can hear through the

speakers in the fellowship hall, but

generally we are having our own,

totally not related conversation. I am

bothered by this, really I am and it

makes me wonder, "What am I doing

here?" Have you ever felt that way,

even in a place you should totally feel

at home, like church? Well, I guess

I've got great and sucky news for you,

you aren't alone. Perhaps that's a bit

of a stretch given the verses I've

chosen here, but then again, maybe

it makes complete sense to you.

I still don't know why He chose me, I still can't come to grips

with His incredible patience and love for us while we were yet

sinners, but I am oh-so-thankful for it! So, if I can really

embrace the fact that I am important and of value to Him

then I suppose the next issue is to discover what I'm here for.

Obviously the Word tells us that we are here to bring Him

glory, to shine for Him, and for His enjoyment. The God of the

universe likes our company. It's really unfathomable but it is

truth nonetheless. So, since He wants us here, and since there

are other verses that tell us that we are here to do the good

works He planned for us beforehand, I have to ask myself,

and maybe you're asking a similar question, "What good

works has He planned for me?" I know all the pat-answers

that pop into my head, all the instant Christian-ese Scripture

quotations, and though I hate to say that I view them this

way: all the generic, applicable to everyone directives. Maybe

it's because I am a product of a me world, but I hear my heart

(deceitful above all things) saying, "Yeah but I want

something specific to me, what makes me special, what am I

here to do that no one else was designed for?" You'd think

that the sheer fact that our Redeemer knows us in our

mother's womb, that He desires us and died for us would be

enough to make us feel special but NOOOO, we want more

(as usual); we want to feel like we are indispensable. I kind of

have to laugh about that, because really, what are we?

Scripture calls us: worms, filthy rags, sinners, fallen short, etc.

Man, we are so full of pride (or I am at least)!

I have a tendency to ramble on so let me just go ahead and

move into verse 19. What stood out to me there was the fact

that we are actually here for specific duties. Even though it

might seem arrogant to expect to be something special in His

kingdom, this verse kind of tells me that indeed we are. I get

this picture of a really big human body. That insinuates to me

that since there are so many people who adhere to His calling

then each of them really only makes up a small part of the

body. Let me attempt to create the same imagery for you.

How many of us feel like we don’t belong?

Nope, I kind of blew each of them off,

if you want to know the truth, and

then I confessed to my husband. Of

course he's of the mindset that I

shouldn't care, not because he's

heartless but because the things that

these friends were confiding had to

do with their marriages and various

other relationships and my husband

thinks everyone should mind their

own business. Now, maybe that's a

man thing, they kind of keep each

other at a distance, but women, well,

we like to talk through our volatile

emotions and I just wasn't interested

in hearing anybody else's issues at

that moment. I was definitely dividing

myself from the body and doing all

that I could to not be concerned with

anyone else. What's interesting about

that though is the fact that when we

think we're better off taking a step

back from everyone and their

emotional needs, we discover that it's

pretty lonely.

Well, I can already feel the regret of

typing so much setting in, namely

because my knuckles are really

starting to hurt. I hope that I have

managed, somehow, to say something

of value here and if not, then as a

consolation prize I pray that I have at

least made you think. Let's seek His

will, accept our knuckle positions in

the body and do all that we can to

care about each other.

Here's what I'm thinking...What if we are individual veins, and

arteries and tendons and muscles and knuckles...I mean, the

human body really is made up of a bazillion intricate little parts and

when any of these parts fails to do its job inevitably other body

parts feel the repercussions. I can tell you that this concept is

particularly poignant to me right now because though I am sitting

here typing this for your reading pleasure (or at least for my

venting ability) I know I will almost certainly regret it in the

morning as there appears to be something (not carpal tunnel)

wrong with my hands. It's been suggested that something is

pinched, swollen or torn, or that arthritis is setting in, regardless of

the diagnosis though, it only takes one small thing to be wrong in

your hands and suddenly even the menial tasks are monumental. I

can't tell you how painful it is just to make a bed, or pull the coffee

pot out of the maker. So, if as believers we are as connected to one

another as Paul suggests in these verses, maybe it will become a

good deal easier to see why our country and our world is so rapidly

falling apart. We are not connected and if the knuckles aren't

attached to the muscles and tendons, well, we won't be able to flex

our Faith.

This brings me to verse 25, no division in the body; its parts should

have concern for one another. I don't know how to better state

that than Paul did, but I can tell you something I experienced

recently that made me a wee bit disturbed. Some friends had

contacted me, a few weeks ago, with some of the issues they were

enduring. They'd sent me texts and emails and asked for prayer,

they'd confided in me (and quite possibly no one else) and I found

myself feeling the following statement, "I don't care." I felt hugely

guilty for the thought and the emotion, but really that's where I

was, I just didn't care, I couldn't make myself care either. I tried,

trust me. I didn't offer my usual encouragement and I certainly

didn't offer my normally readily available shoulder and ear.

I still don’t know

why He chose me;

I still can’t come

to grips with His

love for us while

we were yet

sinners…

My hair is in need of a

good dye job, the grays are poking through everywhere I look. I am pretty familiar with the tangled locks that inhabit this odd head and yet I can honestly tell you I have absolutely no idea how many there are. I love, completely treasure and adore both my husband and my darling children and yet I can’t tell you how many hairs are there. This verse is so powerful and it comes after we’re told not to fear mankind and that we’re worth more than the birds. While life may sometimes seem like it’s for the birds, not a single one perishes without our Father’s knowledge and neither will a hair fall from your head without His permission. Now that’s love!

“But even the hairs of your

head are all numbered.” (ESV)

Life may sometimes seem like it’s for the birds but not a single one perishes without the Father’s knowledge…

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny…”v.29

Again, in verse 31 Jesus tells us not to

fear, He reminds us how valuable we

are! Then we reach verse 32 and this

is a biggie, friends. If you are scared

to tell others you know Him, He

warns you that He won’t

acknowledge you either.

I’m reminded of the popular kids in

school, no, I wasn’t one of them (I

was a band nerd if you must know the

truth). Anyway, I knew tons of those

popular kids, was friends with

cheerleaders and football players or

at least I thought I was. Here’s the

thing, there are people in our lives

that will acknowledge our existence

only when it’s beneficial to them.

Jesus isn’t that kind of friend and we

need to make sure we aren’t either. I

can assure you we aren’t the ones

with the reputations to protect. There

are times in life when claiming the

Faith is beneficial and there are other

situations in which you will suffer for

such a proclamation. What our Savior

is saying here is essentially, “bite the

bullet; acknowledge Me wherever

you are so that when you get here, I

can introduce you to our Dad.”

Otherwise we’re all gonna be treated

like the band nerds in the middle of a

cheerleader party.

Worthy? Yes, that’s what He says, if we don’t take

up our crosses then we are not worthy of Him. Now obviously Grace is a gift and thusly our King is not telling us to earn His love, or labor our way towards becoming valuable to Him. He loves us period and yet, there is something we must do, that’s love Him back. Taking up the cross of alien-hood, of denial of self, well that’s demonstrative of loving your Savior and if you aren’t willing to sacrifice popularity, acceptance, greed and pride, well, then what need have you of redemption? If you truly recognize your own worminness then you’ll have no problem desiring to pick up that cross no matter how hard it is to do and when you’re walking that road, bearing the beam, He says that those who accept you, accept Him! Yeah, they see Him through the crosses we bear, if we’re willing to pick them up. Are you?

It probably seemed like we spent forever in chapter 10, but good news, we’ve reached

11! Jesus is preaching in all the surrounding cities and John the Baptist (who’s in jail)

hears about Him. Jesus tells John’s disciples to report back to John what they’ve seen.

He tells the crowd that they’re wishy washy, that they came out to see John but must

have been expecting something other than who he was. Then He tells them that they

have a wrong view of who He is as well. Later He shares some woes with those cities

that refuse to acknowledge Him. Finally He declares who He is and the power He has

in verse 27. It is amazing to me how seemingly ignorant the people of His time were.

Yet, I suspect we’d be just as thick headed. This verse tells us why, “no one knows the

Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” I hope

you understand the magnitude of that statement. It’s really easy to look down at the

Pharisees and Sadducees and wonder what was wrong with them that they denied

Christ. Yet, He tells us that the only people who can know Him and the Father are

those whom He has chosen to experience that privilege. Listen dear one, you are

saved by the Grace of God, surely, but your salvation was a conscious decision on His

effort more than it was yours. He chose you! I can’t imagine that there’s another verse

in the Bible that’s more revealing of our value to the King. From my perspective it kind

of makes me feel sorry for the religious leaders of that time, they missed out on

knowing the King and that’s exactly the way He wanted it. I know some people will be

bothered by that predestined insinuation but please remember that Jesus tells us in a

parable that the enemy has seed here too. Jesus knows who are His and who belong

to the evil one, we don’t so just be glad you’re on His side!