Matthew 4:16 " The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned."
What an amazing verse.
It reminds me of a story that was told to us by another friend who was going into a new place and begin ministering. There were two individuals going and the land where they were going was close to Tibet. As they were traveling by bus to get to their final destination they topped a mountain and the bus stopped on the side of this mountain as these two individuals were looking down into the valley they said there was a shadow over the whole valley. Immediately they felt the oppression and spiritual darkness. One shared that the verse from Ps. 23 came to their mind, " the valley of the shadow of death". But as she prayed and began to claim the land for Christ and began lifting her hands up over that place her partner at that time looked out and the clouds began to part and light began dawning on the valley below.
I sometimes think we forget that we are the Light of the world. This verse Matt. 4:16 is my prayer for today that just as Christ was prophesied as the light we too are light in this dark world. We need to stand up and be seen. We need to proclaim the promises of our GREAT GOD.
Jesus continues with : " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Amen and Amen again!
Matthew 4: 18-25
The first disciples are called out. I think this is so significant for us because so often we wonder what our purpose is as Children of God and what we are Called to accomplish while here on this earth. We know from reading in Deut.4-6 that we are called to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength. We know from New Testament that we are to Love our neighbor as our self. So to love God and to love Man is our purpose. The call we've been given the ministry we are to live out is from Matthew 28:16-20 we are to make "Disciples of all the nations."
I truly believe that Jesus is our example. We often times make Paul, Peter, or some of the other great men of the bible our example but Ladies, we need to make JESUS our example.
Here in Matt. 4:18-25 Jesus calls out the first disciples. Two brothers Simon who Jesus calls Peter and Andrew his brother.
I heard a preacher share some insight into Peter that I had never thought about before and I'll share it later on as we study through Matthew but just place a memory peg here and don't forget that Peter has two names!
These two young men were the first to be called out. Jesus said to them, " Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matt. 4: 19
And the word says, " they immediately left the nets, and followed Him." Matt.4:20
Then Jesus calls out two more brothers: Matt. 4: 21-22 James the son of Zebedee and John his brother. They too immediately left their boat and their father and followed HIm.
I think it is very important to see what these young men left. The first two left their nets and the catch that they had already caught. It says that they were casting their nets into the sea. You know they probably had catch from the day sitting in their boats and they left it ALL to follow Christ. The second two left their earthly father/family and their profession as fishermen.
Jesus says to them " Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
I have often times struggled with not having any real degree and I have at times felt inadequate or uneducated. Which in all honesty I am. However, I think the enemy can cause us to be distracted by what we "think" we need to have in order to serve the Lord. Here is the greatest example of all. These 4 young men had a trade they were working and were depended on by others. However, Christ's says, come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. They needed nothing but willingness to follow Him.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't get a degree or have one for that matter. I think it is wise to have something and I also think the Lord calls us all to do different things and uses our knowledge to further His kingdom here on earth! But, our lack of college shouldn't be what keeps us from serving and our current jobs shouldn't be what keeps us from serving the Lord. Especially if He is Calling you to go into a new place or new job.
I love this story because it is one of many examples that we have where Jesus CALLS people to serve with HIM. I should note that I am not using the word CALL as a call on their life. I believe the Word is clear that if we are followers of Christ, Believers, then we all have the same CALL. We are to make disciples. None of us are exempt from that call.
These are the first Disciples and this is our first real look at what it means to be a disciple and how we too ought make disciples. We are all have a Purpose to love God and to love Men. We all have a Call on our lives, if we are followers of Christ, to make Disciples.
Jesus begins his ministry with his disciples in Matt. 4:23-25
Just look at these verses and list what things he does.
1. He went out in all Galilee. Matt.4:23
This is where he started His ministry, right where he was in the city of Galilee. Where ought we start our ministry? Right where we are among those people we live and work with.
2. He began teaching in their synagogues.
Can you imagine this where I live. How about I go into the Temple here in Thailand and begin teaching? I often times wonder what kind of ministry we would have if we truly took the word and lived it out as our example. We sometimes guard to closely our security and we think too highly of ourselves. If Jesus is our example then why aren't we doing as He does? I really struggle with this.
3. He began proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (good news).
Sharing with all He came into contact with.
4. He began healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
When we first started our work in East Asia we would pray for opportunities to do just this and I remember the first time we were confronted with praying for someone to be healed. We were confronted immediately with our own "culture" and how we were trained up in the Church. It was the first major crisis in our faith and we began searching the Word and praying for Faith to believe that we could be used in this way only to see the Good News go forth. God answered our prayers and we do have faith now to believe God is able to do such things now in our time and day!
5. Great Multitudes followed Him from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
Jesus didn't just stay in one place He traveled throughout the region going out to the lost not waiting for the lost to come to Him. What an example for us.
I am so challenged to begin again, living to bring the good news to those around me and carrying it to those who have yet to hear.
I pray that as you go about your day today that you will take every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those you come in contact with. I pray that you will be bold and have faith to believe that God is calling you to share what He has done in your life with those you know and those you may not know.
Lord, I pray today that as I go about my day that I would be sensitive to Your leading and that I would be obedient to when your Holy Spirit speaks to me or leads me to someone that I would speak about the Life you've so blessed me with. That I may share of the Hope I now Have in YOU.
Help us all to be bold and obedient. Help us to trust in you and Lord may we not be deceived by the enemy to think we are not good enough or that we don't know enough. Lord, your word says that we, as your children, are a light to the world. Just as Isaiah prophesied about You, so we are to the world around us.
Thank you again Lord for Saving us and for giving us a Purpose and a Call. May we walk in total surrender and full obedience to what You have for us!
it is in Your name I pray,
The Name of Jesus.
Amen...................
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