SHARING BREAD
12 From the days of John the
Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and
forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was
to come. 15 He
who has ears, let him hear.
Matt
11:12-15 (NIV)
“The kingdom of heaven was never intended to indulge the
ease of triflers, but to be the rest of those who labor.” Matthew Henry
Make no mistake about it; Jesus is the Light and the Golden
Thread throughout all of Scripture - from Genesis to Revelation. In our verses for today, our Lord shows us
the Light of the Old Testament was set up in the Law and the Prophets who
spoke, though veiled, of Christ and His Kingdom. On this side of the cross we have the New
Testament doctrine to explain the Old Testament prophesies and the Old
Testament prophesies to confirm and illustrate the doctrine set forth in the
New Testament. The Prophets, the Law and
the Baptist all pointed to Jesus. Christ
is now our par superior and excellent vehicle for divine revelation – He is, as
you know, the Word made flesh. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After
he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty in heaven. Heb 1:1-3 (NIV)
Jesus tells us today that the kingdom of heaven was and is forcefully
advancing and it is forceful men who lay hold of it. The wording indicating those who seek to
enter often do so with tremendous conflict and force – as though resisted by the
very forces of this dark world. Entering
God’s Kingdom takes courage, unwavering faith and endurance due to the
resistance of the evil one. The moment
we receive anything from the Lord worth contending for, the Satan seeks to take
away. Remember our battle is not against
flesh and blood. This is not to make us
fearful but to be aware. The Christian
is never to give up, never to lose confidence in God ever holding to a firm
belief they will experience God’s victory either here or in heaven. Paul tells us in Ephesians:
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12 (NIV)
The writer of Hebrews also tells us not to throw away our
confidence as it will be richly rewarded:
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." Heb 10:35-38 (NIV)
“The future is as bright as the promises of God.”
Adoniram Judson
Satan never gives up his prey without a fight yet power is developed
by resistance. If he cannot keep us from
being saved, he will seek to keep us from being used. Ruining testimonies is his specialty. That is why God’s Word tells us to put on the
full armor of God so that we can stand against Satan’s devious schemes. We do not battle against Satan; we stand in
God’s armor against him so that he cannot take from us what God has given. We are no match in our own strength for the
adversary. Scripture tells us how to prepare:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty
power. 11 Put
on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes. Eph 6:10-11 (NIV)
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when
the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand. 14 Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In
addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Eph 6:13-18 (NIV)
“Satan
doesn’t surrender his prey without a fight.
He comes racing after the converted soul, chariot wheels churning the
dust, seeking to discourage you, to defeat you.
He pursues you with the intensity of Pharaoh. He may use your old friends, a spot of
persecution, or discouraging responses by your family. He may show you a hypocrite in the church or
afflict you with a general slacking of zeal.
He may launch a missile of temptation right at your heart or fire a
volley of trials and troubles into your life.”
Robert J. Morgan
Our Lord closes
these verses with a solemn declaration for our attention with: “He who has ears, let him
hear.” These things are difficult to understand and therefore need
our contemplation so that we will not be caught off guard. The consequences are great and therefore our
attention is deserved. God requires no
more of us than the faculties He has bestowed upon us but He does require us to
use these faculties.
What I glean from this:
· Satan
seeks to destroy what God has given.
· I am to
put on the full armor of God and take my stand against Satan’s schemes.
· I am to
use the faculties God has given me.
