The Reason for More Workers...

The reason Christianity has spread and continues to grow can be based on one principle: asking God to send more workers into the field. Will you make this part of your daily prayers, then take action.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers in Matthew 9:35-38

Show Me...

Here’s a paradigm that few ever run through their minds. For people, seeing is believing. For God, believing is seeing (John 11:40). While others may laugh at you for following God, you must see it as necessary and continue to do it, not just for God’s calling and your obedience, but sometimes for their eternal benefit. Just like Elijah’s servant who didn’t see the angelic army, or the man who asked Jesus to help him believe, so we must too never lose heart when others laugh at us for doing the right thing. We see because we believe. Never adopt the state of Missouri’s motto, “SHOW ME”, unless of course it’s in reference to displaying your own faith.

23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, He saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” He told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at Him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside. Matthew 9:23-26

We Don’t Need Miracles...

God wants us to believe in Him simply because He is God and He is good. We don’t need miracles to believe.

19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and went with Him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind Him. She touched the fringe of His robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9:19-22

Put On the New...

God replaces our old sinful desires with new ones when we pledge our allegiance to Him when we become a Christian. He ushers in the new and throws out the old. It’s like getting cleansed of lice, you wouldn’t want to put back on the “old clothes” would you? This new life requires us to live differently, unlike those who are worldly. That doesn’t mean we no longer have the desires or are never tempted anymore. It just means when we do sin, we don’t just dive right in and enjoy it’s pleasures. Instead, we realize what it is we’ve done, and immediately climb out, repent, and make right what we’ve messed up. This “new heart” is sensitive to sin; it gives us the right perspective on the world, and reality of the spiritual world that exists right along beside it.

16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17

Your Status with God...

The bottom line to Christianity is this: are you ever in need of a doctor? Then you need Jesus to pay you a visit. He will change your status with God.

9 As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me and be My disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him.10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”12 When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor–sick people do.” 13 Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Matthew 9:9-13

God Can Only Forgive Sin...

So many people think Jesus was a righteous man, or a good teacher, or a great, peaceful leader, but the Bible clearly shows us He is God. There are so many verses that prove this point. The reason people have forgotten this or refuse to believe it is because their parents and grand parents never passed down their biblical knowledge, or they are just Bible illiterate themselves. It’s just that simple. You can’t misinterpret statements like this.

Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to His own town. 2 Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, My child! Your sins are forgiven.”3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does He think He’s God?”4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so He asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. Matthew 9:1-8

Honor God by Giving Your Best...

Honor God with your best and He will honor you even more. This doesn’t always mean God will honor you with material rewards. It just means He will reward you. It could mean spiritually, emotionally, or physically (health). The fact that God will honor you when you give Him your best should be enough, and not motivation to give in order to get from Him. This is often misconstrued in the practice of the Christian faith today. His nearness is to us our good. You can’t out give or out do God.

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.10 Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. Proverbs 3:9-10