Matthew 10

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves." v. 16..."Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven." v. 32
I had an opportunity to share tonight with a customer at my bar. (I don't work at a bar, I work at a Golf Course.) He felt comfortable enough with me to tell me that he is reading through the Old Testament in a year. He is not a believer and wanted to know if reading the Bible would change his life. WOW...really, me? I was given the opportunity to share some of what I know to encourage him on his journey. I only hope I said what God wanted me to say. "...do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak." v. 19

In this chapter we meet all the disciples. I learned that to be an apostle there are three criteria: 1. Being chosen by Jesus or the Holy Spirit, 2. being given miraculous spiritual gifts, and 3. having seen the Lord and been an eyewitness to His resurrection. They are:
Peter
Andrew
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Thomas
Matthew
James
Thaddaeus
Simon
Judas Iscariot
They were instructed to go out to the lost sheep of Israel, with authority, and perform the miracles needed to be performed and spread the word. Stay where you need to stay and if those people do not "heed your words" then "it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement, than for that city."v15

The most astonishing verse is: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." v34 He goes on to talk about how believing Him and His message will divide families and friends. I have experienced this. What is amazing to me is how angry someone can get when you bring up Christ and His message. Even tonight when I was talking to the guy about his year going through the Bible, his friend made sure that I understood that he - the friend - was a heathen...that he didn't care about our conversation. How sad that he found it better to not be identified with the Bible. Why? What does the Bible say that is so threatening?