"Stop Chasing the Feathers"

Matthew 10:16-26

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known NKJV

Someone ministered this to me this morning. I felt it would help some of you as it is helping me. Jesus said that he who endures to the end will be saved. He is not referring to the end of time. What is the end? It is the end of your battle, trial, adversity. Here is the principle I got, there are some enemies you can't beat, you can only outlast them.

The hardest thing for me in the middle of a fight, is resisting the temptation to fight back, but instead let God. Jesus says they will speak all manner of evil about you, speak falsely, lie on you, criticize you, spread nasty rumors about you...

If you climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and you cut open a pillow and shook all the feathers out into the wind, then I came to you and told you to go throughout the streets of New York and collect all the feathers and put the pillow together again, it would be impossible tasks.

When people let corrupt communication concerning you come out of their mouth, the worst thing you can do is to get on the phone and try to retrieve every feather. It can't be done, and it would waste the next 20 years of your life. That's why Jesus says there is nothing that will not be revealed and nothing hidden that will not be made known. What is He saying?

When you get feathers flying all over town don't become consumed with a feather hunt. It is God's responsibility, He can cause a wind to blow that will retrieve all the feathers and put your life, reputation, character, ministry and respect back together again.

If they disrespect you publicly, God will validate you publicly, if they bring you down before men, God will raise you up before men, If someone dishonored you before men, God will honor you before men!

God says, fear not, I will collect all the feathers and put your pillow back together again. I hope this encourages you as it did me.

To be continued...

Blessings,
Craig