February 22nd, 2024
by Randy Eliason
by Randy Eliason
SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 10:26-42
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
OBSERVATIONS:
The key theme of this passage is the costs and benefits of being a follower of Jesus. In the first eight sentences Jesus says, ”fear not” three times and “do fear” one time.
They are not to fear those who will persecute them because of their allegiance to Jesus.
They are not to fear the possibility they may be killed because of their allegiance to Jesus.
Instead, the one they should fear is God who has the power to punish them eternally in hell.
However, as followers of Jesus they do not need to fear because they are not in danger of God’s judgment. Instead, God will preserve them regardless of how others treat them.
In choosing to follow Jesus there is a cost. We will lose certain benefits that the world has to offer. However, the benefits we will gain by giving up all for Christ are far superior.
Acceptance of Jesus is acceptance of God the Father. Acceptance of Jesus’ followers is acceptance of Him. This is a principle repeated often in the NT.
APPLICATION:
How foolish it is to desire the approval of men and fear their judgment rather than to desire the approval of God and fear his judgment. The devil wants to deceive us to believe the crazy notion that we have more to lose than we have to gain by following Jesus but the truth is we lose everything and gain nothing of eternal value if we don’t follow Jesus!
Ultimate security and ultimate blessings are mine so long as I am in Christ. I have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. Being “in Christ” places me squarely in the Father’s hand!
I cannot claim to love God the Father if I don’t love Jesus. I can’t claim to love Jesus if I don’t love his other followers. They are part of the “Body of Christ”.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank you for reminding me that I am in your hand. You control my destiny, both my earthly and eternal destiny. Help me to recognize that whatever costs I must incur by following you are worth it and that obedience to you will ultimately be for my gain, for the gain of others, and most importantly for your glory. Thank you for reminding me how important it is that I treat your people with love. To love Christ is to love the body of Christ.
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
10:31 “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
10:38-39 “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”
OBSERVATIONS:
The key theme of this passage is the costs and benefits of being a follower of Jesus. In the first eight sentences Jesus says, ”fear not” three times and “do fear” one time.
They are not to fear those who will persecute them because of their allegiance to Jesus.
They are not to fear the possibility they may be killed because of their allegiance to Jesus.
Instead, the one they should fear is God who has the power to punish them eternally in hell.
However, as followers of Jesus they do not need to fear because they are not in danger of God’s judgment. Instead, God will preserve them regardless of how others treat them.
In choosing to follow Jesus there is a cost. We will lose certain benefits that the world has to offer. However, the benefits we will gain by giving up all for Christ are far superior.
Acceptance of Jesus is acceptance of God the Father. Acceptance of Jesus’ followers is acceptance of Him. This is a principle repeated often in the NT.
APPLICATION:
How foolish it is to desire the approval of men and fear their judgment rather than to desire the approval of God and fear his judgment. The devil wants to deceive us to believe the crazy notion that we have more to lose than we have to gain by following Jesus but the truth is we lose everything and gain nothing of eternal value if we don’t follow Jesus!
Ultimate security and ultimate blessings are mine so long as I am in Christ. I have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. Being “in Christ” places me squarely in the Father’s hand!
I cannot claim to love God the Father if I don’t love Jesus. I can’t claim to love Jesus if I don’t love his other followers. They are part of the “Body of Christ”.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank you for reminding me that I am in your hand. You control my destiny, both my earthly and eternal destiny. Help me to recognize that whatever costs I must incur by following you are worth it and that obedience to you will ultimately be for my gain, for the gain of others, and most importantly for your glory. Thank you for reminding me how important it is that I treat your people with love. To love Christ is to love the body of Christ.
Posted in Book of Matthew
Posted in Fear, Commitment, Judgment of God, Blessing, Body of Chirst, Loving others
Posted in Fear, Commitment, Judgment of God, Blessing, Body of Chirst, Loving others
Randy Eliason
Recent
28. John 11:28-44 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
March 29th, 2025
27. John 11:1-27 Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life
March 28th, 2025
26. John 10:22-42 Jesus, One with the Father
March 27th, 2025
25. John 10:1-21 Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the Door
March 26th, 2025
24. John 9:24-41 Jesus, the just judge of the world
March 25th, 2025
Archive
2025
March
Reading Plan : The Gospel of John Reading Plan1. John 1:1-18-Jesus, the Word Made Flesh(The Incarnation)2. John 1:19-28 - John the Baptist: The Forerunner of Christ3. John 1:29-34 Jesus, the Lamb of God Who Takes Away Sin4. John 1:35-51 Jesus Calls His First Disciples5. John 2:1-12 Jesus Turns Water into Wine6. John 2:13-25 Jesus, the True Temple of God7. John 3:1-21 Jesus, the Giver of Eternal Life8. John 3:22-36 Believe in Jesus, Receive Eternal Life9. John 4:1-19 Jesus, the Giver of Living Water10. John 4:20-26 Jesus Teaches True Worship11. John 4:27-42 Jesus Calls Workers for the Harvest of Souls12. John 4:43-54 Jesus Heals an Official’s Son13. John 5:1-18 Jesus Heals at the Pool of Bethesda14. John 5:19-29 Jesus, the Son Who Shares the Father’s Authority15. John 5:30-47 Jesus, The Fulfillment of Scripture16. John 6:1-21 Jesus, the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15)17. John 6:22-59 Jesus, the Bread of Life (Exodus 16:4, 14-15)18. John 6:41-71 Jesus, the Source of Eternal Life19. John 7:1-24 Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles20. John 7:25-52 Jesus, the Messiah rejected by the World21. John 8:1-30 Jesus, the Light of the World22. John 8:31-59 Jesus Declares Freedom23. John 9:1-23 Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind24. John 9:24-41 Jesus, the just judge of the world25. John 10:1-21 Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the Door26. John 10:22-42 Jesus, One with the Father27. John 11:1-27 Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life28. John 11:28-44 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
2024
February
Day 5: February 1Day 6: February 2Day 7: February 3Day 8: February 4Day 9: February 5Day 10: February 6Day 11: February 7Day 12: February 8Day 13: February 9Day 14: February 10Day 15: February 11Day 16: February 12Day 17: February 13Day 18: February 14Day 19: February 15Day 20: February 16Day 21: February 17Day 22: February 18Day 23: February 19Day 24: February 20Day 25: February 21Day 26: February 22Day 27: February 23Day 28: February 24Day 29: February 25Day 30: February 26Day 31: February 27Day 32: February 28Day 33: February 29
March
Day 34: March 1Day 35: March 2Day 36: March 3Day 37: March 4Day 38: March 5Day 39: March 6Day 40: March 7Day 41: March 8Day 43: March 10Day 44: March 11Day 45: March 12Day 46: March 13Day 47: March 14Day 48: March 15Day 49: March 16Day 50: March 17Day 51: March 18Day 52: March 19Day 53: March 20Day 54: March 21Day 55: March 22Day 57: March 24Day 58: March 25Day 59: March 26Day 60: March 27Day 61: March 28Day 62: March 29Day 63: March 30Day 64: March 31
September
0. Background: The Social and Cultural Context in Romans1. Romans 1:1-7 - Introduction and the Gospel2. Romans 1:8-17 - Paul’s Thanksgiving and The Power of the Gospel. The righteous shall live by faith? - Roman 1:17 3: Romans 1:18-23 - The Revelation of God’s Wrath and Human IdolatryUnderstanding the Indictment of Homosexual Conduct in Romans 1:24-284. Romans 1:24-32 - Human Sin and Degradation 5. Romans 2:1-11 - God’s Impartial Judgment
Categories
Tags
Adultery
Anger
Apostles
Attitudes
Authority of Jesus
Beatitudes
Being a blessing
Belief
Blessings
Blessing
Body of Chirst
Bridegroom
Caesar
Call
Commitment
Compassion
Consequences
Control
Covenant
Crucifixion
Daniel
Death of Jesus
Delegated Authority
Discernment
Disciples
Discouragement
Divorce
Doubt
Drawing closer to God
Elijah
End Times
Equality
Eternal Life
Failure
Fairness
Faith in Action
Faithfulness
Faith
False Prophets
Family of God
Fear
Forgiveness of Sins
Freedom
Fruitfulness
Genuine Faith
God is in control
Golden Rule
Govenment
Grace
Great Commission
Greatness
Healing
Helping others
Herod
Holy Spirit
Hope
Humility
Hyperbole
Hypocrisy
Incarnation
Injustice
Innocence of Jesus
Introduction to SOAP
Jesus the Messiah
John the Baptist
Jonah
Judas
Judging Others
Judgment of God
King Herod
Kingdom citizens
Kingdom of Heaven
Law of Moses
Learn Live Share
Listening
Love
Loving others
Marriage
Mercy
Mess
Misguided Faith
Moses
OT Prophecy
Obedience
Our Legacy
Parable
Passover
Persecution
Persistence
Peter
Pharisees and Sadducees
Prayer
Priorities
Promises of God
Questions
Reconciliation
Redemption
Repentance
Responsibilities
Righteousness
Royal Priesthood
Sabbath
Sacrifice
Salt and Light
Salvation
Second Coming
Seeds
Servants
Service
Sign from Heaven
Sinners
Son of David
Son of Man
Spiritual warfare
Stewardship
Storms in life
Suffering Servant
Suffering
Surrender
Temptation
Testing God
The Church
Tradition
Transfiguration
Treasure
Tribulation
Triumphal Entry
True Life
Trust
Truth
Two paths in life
Valuing People
Wealth
Witness
Word of God
Worry
No Comments