Grains of Sand

Google Images It’s not something we pay much attention to but in Matthew 10 we find an interesting fact about the ministry that Jesus assigned to His first team of disciples. According to verse one of the chapter, Jesus gave His followers the ability to cast out demons and to heal the sick. They immediately went out and opened bank accounts, signed contracts for television shows, planned huge crusades with twenty dollar entrance fees, hired PR people to advertise their miraculous powers and shopped for gold-plated offering plates. Not. The disciples were instructed to “ ..,proclaim the message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons” and then, “Freely you have received; freely give ” (10:7-8). They were to expect that people would look after their food and lodging along the way, but they were not to even carry an extra set of clothing let alone an Armani suit and Italian leather shoes and be driven aro...

Reading: 3 John It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I have strong feelings about missionaries. Most of my working life has been in missionary service overseas and our own country is as much of a mission field as any part of the world. What part of my life I didn’t spend overseas in missions, I have spent here in ministry. So I have a bit of a soft spot for those who leave behind what they can’t take with them to gain what will accompany them to glory. That’s why the first few verses of John’s third letter brought a smile to my face as I read them. It’s a mini-manual on how to treat your missionaries. “ Dear friend, ” writes John to Gaius, “ you are faithful in what you are going for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitalit...