People are looking for the signs of the times. And these signs shall follow the believers. Yet most people are not willing that this particular sign would follow them. What sign am I talking about? Jesus talked about this sign many times, but the disciples didn’t understand until they were in the midst of it. The sign I’m talking about is persecution. Jesus said if they hated Me, how much more shall they hate you. The servant isn’t above the Master. But he strives to be just like his Master. If you are doing what God told you to do, the world will want to kill you. Don’t think that it is strange that the world will hate you. In Matthew 10:23-27, Jesus instructed His disciples about what to expect. He was preparing for success. Understand, success is bittersweet. It is never all good or bad. It is somewhere in the middle. But understand persecution is one of the signs of the times.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In Matthew 10:16-22, Jesus was given instructions to the disciples about preaching the gospel. Jesus was sending His disciples out by themselves and they needed to know what to expect. He said I’m sending you out in the midst of wolves. But you are to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. They will bring you the councils, governors and kings and they will kill you. If they hated Me, how much more will they hate you. All this is a testimony against them. Jesus said, take no thought what you will say, because the Holy Ghost will give you what say at that time. He said brother will turn against Brother, father against children, children against their parents. But he the endures to the end shall be saved. Jesus is warning us that in this world you will have tribulation. Because we go out into this world of wolves.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In Matthew 10:1-15, Jesus called his 12 disciples together. They were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas Iscariot. It had been about 1 1/2 years since Jesus had started preaching. He taught the disciples to pray and how to use their faith. Now this was going to be their first time to minister on their own. Jesus gave them instructions on what to do. They were to go to Israel only. God begins at our house first. They were to go as they were. No preparations. They were to use their faith and let God provide. They were to heal the sick, cast out devils, cleanse the lepers and raise the dead. Then Jesus said, freely you have received, freely give. Then He said if any city refused to receive, shake off the dust on your feet. And it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrha than that city. In Matthew 11, Jesus talks about the cities that refused to hear the gospel. The disciples were excited and afraid at the same time. Most of them were uneducated. But Jesus was proving a point, that it is God only that makes all things possible.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

I live in a farming community. I see the changing of the seasons and the harvest. There are 3 major crops in my area, crawfish, rice and sugar cane. The farmers prepare the fields each year, believing that their labor will yield a harvest. There is nothing so beautiful as a rice field ready to harvest. In Matthew 9:35-38, Jesus went about teaching about the kingdom. He lived in a farming community. The bible says He had compassion on the people, because Jesus saw the people as sheep scattered abroad without a shepherd. Then He talked about the harvest. Jesus said that the harvest is ready, but there isn’t enough laborers. He said pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest sends more laborers in the fields. Open your eyes and look. The fields are white unto harvest, everywhere. I pray that God will send more laborers into the fields. This is the heart of God, that all would be saved and none lost.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

Jesus was just beginning His ministry. He had just healed the dead girl and she came back to life. His fame was spreading across the region. At that time, there were no doctors or medical facilities. If you had a disease or fatally wounded you died. Jesus began His ministry by healing people. His fame spread across Israel and Jordan and Syria and Lebanon. People with all sorts of ailments came to Him to be healed. And Jesus didn’t turn away anyone. On the sermon on the mount, there were 5000 men, not counting women and children. Capernaum may have had 500 people. The only thing that Jesus required was faith. He always asked each person do you believe I can do this? In Matthew 9:27-31, 2 blind men came to Him and said, thou Son of David, have mercy on us. Jesus said, do you believe I can do this? They said, yes Lord. Jesus healed them. They were healed by faith in Jesus. This is what moves God, faith. All things are impossible to man, but nothing is impossible to God.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

in Matthew 9:18-26, there are two examples of healing. A ruler of a synagogue came to Jesus because his daughter was dying. He asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Jesus was on His way, when a woman, as the bible says an issue of blood for twelve years, touched Him. She was healed. The only way that these two people received their healings is that they believed God. Faith is what moves God. Jesus didn’t even know that the woman was there until healing flowed from Him. Jesus turned to look for the person who had touched The heart of God. When He saw the woman, Jesus said thy faith has made thee whole. Faith is what God uses to restore man to the kingdom. Whether it is healing, deliverance, salvation or the baptism of the Holy Ghost, faith is what moves God. The Children’s Bread, Matthew 15:26.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In Matthew 9:14-17, a disciple of John asked Jesus why they fast and His disciples don’t. Jesus gave them an interesting answer. He said, the children of the bridegroom don’t fast as long as he is with them. Or do you put a new piece of cloth on an old garment or new wine in old wine bottles? Jesus said if you do, it will break and all is lost. Here He is talking about His death, resurrection and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. In 2 Cor. 5:17, behold all things have become new, the old is passed away. What He is talking about is us. We will be change into the image and likeness of God. Then we can take in the new wine, the Holy Ghost. God’s mercy is new every morning. He that has an ear let him hear what the Holy Ghost is saying.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus called Matthew and said come follow Me. Jesus had looked upon Israel and saw a flock of sheep without a shepherd. He said, I came to seek and to save that which was lost. Matthew followed Jesus. He invited Jesus to supper. When Jesus went, Matthew had gathered his friends, which were publicans and prostitutes, sinners. The scribes and pharisees fused at the disciples that Jesus had entered the house of sinners. Jesus said, the whole don’t need a physician, but those that are sick. And He said, I will have mercy instead of sacrifice. Because with God, mercy triumphs over judgement. As we walk on this earth, God wants us to be merciful. Jesus said, if a person strikes you on your cheek, turn and let him strike the other. Christians have struggled with this not wanting people to take advantage of us. But God wants his mercy seen by others to know that God loves us. And there is hope for a better life. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (Rom.9:15).

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

Jesus had gone across the sea of Galilee to the people of the tribe of Gad. There were one of the 12 tribes of Israel. They didn’t cross over the Jordan river into the land of promise. Jesus had returned to Capernaum. There was a man sick of the palsy, lying on his pallet. Jesus saw his faith and said to him, thy sins are forgiven. Some scribes and pharisees began to complain about Jesus. Jesus knew what was in their hearts and said to the man with palsy, rise, take up thy pallet and go home. Jesus did this to show them that God have given Him the power to forgive sin. The scribes and pharisees had the same problem as the Gadarenes. They refused to cross over into the Promise Land. Because they refused, they lost their inheritance from God. This is what happens to anyone who refuses to accept Jesus and return to the Land of Promise, heaven.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The children of Israel, after wandering in the wilderness, reached the Jordan river. Two tribes refused to go into the Promised Land, Manasseh and Gad. They saw that the lands on the east side of the Jordan river were good for their cattle. Moses tried to persuade them to go in. Their names and position in the kingdom were lost in time. When Jesus and the disciples entered the ships to cross over the sea of Galilee, He knew where He was going. It was called the land of the Gadarenes. They landed and began to walk toward Gadara. Two men possessed of the devil, came and fell down in front of Jesus. They worshipped Him. Jesus didn’t let them say who He was. The devils asked Jesus to cast them into the herd of swine that was nearby. Jesus said, go. They entered the pigs and the whole herd ran off the cliff into the sea and drowned. The two men were now free and in their right minds. The whole town came out and asked Jesus to leave. God gave us opportunity to enter in and it is up to us to respond. God gave the Gadarenes opportunity twice to enter in and they refused. They were lost to their place in Israel. Entering in is how we will find our place with God. (Matthew 8:28-34).

PS. Jesus sent the two men back to their people to preach the gospel.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com