Tag: Matthew 28:19-20
Beautiful feet!
Scripture reading for July 31st: Isaiah 52-57
When you think of beauty, what parts of the body do you immediately think of? Are the feet the first parts to come to your mind? Do you give lots of attention to your feet to make sure they are “beautiful” and noticed? Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, made particular mention of the feet of those who would bring the “good news” of God reigning on Zion. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7) God would Himself come to Zion and lay bare His holy arm and all the earth would see His salvation! (Isaiah 52:10)
Isaiah saw the ‘Servant’ as “high and lifted up and highly exalted”. This Servant would act wisely, but would be marred and disfigured. He would not even look human anymore! In His suffering, He would sprinkle many nations and bring understanding of His salvation to those who did not know! (Isaiah 52:13-15) Isaiah saw the Servant as one with no natural beauty that would attract us to Him. (Isaiah 53:2) He was actually despised and rejected by men and was a Man who knew sorrow and grief intimately from personal experience. He took our infirmities and carried our sorrows but we assumed that God was punishing Him. (Isaiah 53:3-4) In actuality, this Servant was willingly pierced and crushed for our sins and iniquities. He took wounds for us that brought us healing!
When we think about this amazing description of a willing Servant and what He did for us, we better understand beautiful feet! Our Savior walked on this earth on human feet! He willingly walked in total obedience to God so that we can walk in healing, salvation and freedom! He offered His feet to be nailed to a cross for us! Those feet took our Savior to the place of suffering because of us! What beautiful feet and what great Good News He is to us!
Now, we can have “beautiful feet” too! We can continue the mission of our dear Savior by obeying Him and taking this message of “Good News” to a lost and dying world. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Discipleship at Antioch
/Scripture reading for April 20th: Acts 11
Key Scriptures: Acts 11:19-25 “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he saw the grace of God, he was glad and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord, So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.”
Luke now tells the story of how the Church spread out from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. The persecution after Stephen drove disciples outward, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit they preached the Word to Jews and increasingly to Gentiles. The Jerusalem church heard about the salvations and sent a trusted leader, Barnabas, to check it out. Barnabas was an encourager and was a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” He exhorted the new believers to stay faithful but then went and found Saul (Paul) and brought him there to help disciple these Jew and Gentile converts. For a year they met together and taught the Word of God. It was here that disciples were first call “Christians.” Paul got experience teaching the new Gentile converts that he would be increasingly involved with as God had commissioned him.
Acts 11:26 “For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, making disciples of all men and teaching them to observe all that You taught is the mission of the church. Help Your church to keep the main thing the main thing. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and faith to fulfill Your mission.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”