Often when missionaries return home from the foreign field on furlough, they decide not to return. Author, Gordon Franz attributes the high attrition rate for missionaries to loneliness and discouragement. He also suggests this problem could be solved by following a more biblical example.

Have you ever noticed that in Scripture, when the Savior sends people out in ministry, it is nearly always in pairs, and not alone? In our text, the apostles are listed in pairs, either brother with brother, or friend with friend. Likewise, when seventy disciples were sent out to harvest eternal souls with their Gospel of the Kingdom, Christ “sent them two by two” (Luke 10:1-2). There were likely multiple reasons for following this pattern. The Savior told them, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves…But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to their counsels, and they will scourge you in the synagogues…”(Matthew 10:16-17). These brave souls were going to minister in spiritually hostile territory. Going in pairs may have brought greater safety by making a violent attack less likely. Working in pairs likely helped lessen discouragement, and was more effective in answering questions or objections. Two heads have always been better than one. The reason for going in pairs may have been to follow the divine principle of Deuteronomy 19:15, which says, “…at the mouth of two witnesses, or…three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” In other words, it gave them greater credibility. Moreover, working together enabled them to forge a strong bond with another believer as they ministered together. It is noteworthy that as these apostles continued their ministry in the Book of Acts, Peter and John continue ministering as a team (Acts 3:1-3).

God the Holy Spirit confirms this principle when separating and ordaining the Apostle Paul for ministry. “The Holy Ghost said [to prophets and apostles in the church at Antioch] Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Paul also continues this pattern of ministering with others throughout his lifetime. The lesson to learn from all this is, whenever possible, when you go to minister, especially to share the gospel, it is wise to enlist someone to go with you. They can pray for you and for the lost as the gospel is presented. They can help give biblical answers to honest questions. You can also encourage one another to be faithful and enjoy sweet fellowship together.

When this author’s father was a young man, he worked the family farm with horses. When it came time to harvest crops, it was very labor-intensive. Workers commonly traveled from one region to another to work for several weeks until the fields were empty of grain. It was a time of hard work, but working side by side forged life-long friendships, and all the workers were rewarded with generous pay.

As the Lord Jesus Christ “went about all the cities and villages…preaching the gospel of the kingdom…but when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them…” (Mathew 9:35-36). When many of us see masses of people, we often focus with irritation on their sinful conduct. It is noteworthy that when our Savior saw people, He saw their spiritual need and was moved to work to rescue them from eternal punishment. As the Son of God, He knew many were indifferent to His message of salvation and that most would turn away from Him, particularly around His crucifixion. Nonetheless, He knew some would respond and be saved. Therefore, He told His disciples, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few…(vs. 37).

We must not allow Satan to convince us that no one wants to listen or respond in saving faith to our gospel of grace. The field of souls is still ripe for harvest, many will still trust in Christ when they hear the gospel, and there is still an urgent need for workers. Like our Lord, we need to cultivate a compassion for lost souls in danger of eternal torment and allow a burden for their souls to motivate us to share with them the good news of eternal life. We also need another new perspective. Of the tens of thousands to whom the Lord ministered, only about one hundred and twenty actually believed on the Lord Jesus and remained faithful to Him until His ascension. Still, the Savior considered this a plenteous spiritual harvest of souls. In our era, when some ministries fill arenas and boast great numbers, we sometimes forget what our Savior considers successful ministry. We, too, need to begin to look at one, two, or three souls that we lead to a saving knowledge of Christ as a plenteous harvest, and begin to get busy giving out the gospel. Share a gospel track or a simple explanation of salvation with a lost soul today. You can forge life-long relationships and be richly rewarded in eternity.

A sincere Christian businessman once told this author, “When I retire, I intend to dedicate the rest of my life to serving the Lord.” His involvement in the local church was fairly limited, and, once he retired, he moved far away from any grace church. His final years were spent largely without any meaningful spiritual ministry.

In Matthew 8:18-23, two disciples offered to follow the Savior. The first said, “I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest” (vs. 19). Our Lord’s response was, “the foxes have holes…but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head” (vs. 20). In divine wisdom, the Lord Jesus knew this man needed to understand there would be hardship and sacrifices for those who followed Him. The second man, likewise, expressed a willingness to be our Lord’s disciple, but he asked, “…first to go and bury my father” (vs. 21). This was not a request for a temporary leave of absence. If his father had just recently died, he would surely have been attending to the needs for burial at the time. Instead, he was asking for a delay in fully following the Lord for what likely may have been many years. The Savior’s response was, “Follow Me; and the let the (spiritually) dead bury the dead” (vs. 22). In both instances, the Lord Jesus Christ was explaining He expected complete and immediate commitment in following Him, not delays or half-heartedness. These were requirements for Jews in this day to receive eternal life and enter the Millennial Kingdom. He more fully explained in Luke 14:26 saying, “If any many come to Me, and hate not (comparatively) father, and mother, and wife, and children…he cannot be My disciple.” Being a true believer in this era meant complete commitment because, “No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Today, under Grace, such exacting standards are not demanded to be a follower of Christ. Still, we see tremendous dedication in the lives of grace believers like the Apostle Paul, Titus, Timothy, and more. Surely the Savior expects us to similarly be “sold out” in our daily walk because we are told, “…that He [Christ] died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (II Corinthians 5:15). Is your life one of total commitment to the Lord, or one of delay and half-heartedness? Today, make your first priority your Savior.

We all know people who have a critical spirit. They almost always seem to be criticizing, finding fault, and tearing others down. Constructive criticism, on the other hand, is always expressed face to face, from a good spirit, and with the intent to build another up. But one with a critical spirit gravitates to a pattern of dwelling on the negative, looking for flaws, complaining continually, and being often upset about something.

In Matthew 7:1, the Savior told the Jewish multitudes being promised the Millennial Kingdom, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Unfortunately, this verse has been widely misunderstood. The Lord Jesus was clearly NOT forbidding making any judgments about people or conduct. In verse 6, He gave instruction not to give “that which is holy to dogs.” In verse 15, He warns to “beware of false prophets.” In both instances making some judgments were necessary. Later in Hebrews 5:14, it is promised that saints with a kingdom hope (who will first go through the seven years of tribulation) will “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” During this time, false teachers and evil influences will abound, and a keen sense of discernment, anchored in Scripture, will be essential. What then did our Lord mean when He told His followers to judge not? In essence, He meant they must not allow a negative judgmental spirit to dominate their daily walk. Once the persecution of the tribulation unfolds, believers who choose to be harsh in judgment and constantly find fault with others (Matthew 7:2- 4) will be dealt with in a similar fashion by the forces of the Anti-Christ. Moreover, the Lord was seeking to impress on His followers that there must be a difference between them and the hypocritical leaders of Israel. They were like the self-righteous publican thinking himself better than the humble sinner who prayed in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). The Savior was urging believers to cultivate a humble and sincere godliness all could readily see.

While this passage has primarily application to Jewish believers awaiting or going through the Tribulation, there are two principles for us to glean. We, too, must guard against having a persistent, fault-finding, critical spirit. This leads to a soured negative existence and a testimony rooted in pride. Yet we must not fail to judge bad doctrine or sinful behavior and distance ourselves from both, for “he that is spiritual judgeth all things” (I Corinthians 2:15). Are you striving for balance in both areas?

Hoarding is an obsessive-compulsive behavior of acquiring different things in large volumes, while failing to throw away things of little or no value. Television shows document examples of people with voluminous stacks of magazines, newspapers, artwork, clothing, and just plain junk that residents literally cannot walk freely in their homes. Many people are “pack rats” displaying similar characteristics, but hoarding rises to a level of excessive extreme. In many cases, a hoarder’s passion for possessions consumes their lives, personal space, and relationships.

While speaking to His disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ told them, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt…But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:19-20). There were several reasons for this instruction to His apostles. In the past, God miraculously provided manna for Israel’s daily need for food in their wilderness wanderings. Christ required His apostles to trust that He once again would provide supernaturally for them in the days ahead, through the years of tribulation, and into the Millennium. He explained that earthly riches are often corrupted by moth or rust, and stolen by thieves. Instead of these fleeting riches, the Savior wanted His followers to be living and serving Him so that they would have secure riches in the figurative vaults of heaven. He further explained, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (vs. 21). If their true riches were in heaven, their hearts would be fixed on living for Christ. But if their primary treasures were on earth, these would capture their affection and devotion. Moreover, whether choosing Him or the riches of earth as their “master,” they would love the one and hate the other (6:24). Therefore, the Lord Jesus was urging them to make serving Him the primary focus of their lives.

While these instructions and promises had exclusive fulfillment to Jews under the Law in the tribulation and Millennium, there is a basic principle that applies to us in a secondary sense. We, too, must be careful not to be consumed by hoarding earthly treasures. Paul warns believers today, “No man that warreth (for the Lord) entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Timothy 2:4). Make the Lord Jesus your true master, love Him above earthly gain, and “lay up in store”(I Timothy 6:19) a wealth of eternal riches through a life of genuine faithfulness to Christ.

It is estimated that annually 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States. In 2009 it was fully 8.1% of high school students. One source refers to this as “The Silent Epidemic” because this problem receives so little press. However it is a big problem with long-range effects. Students who drop out of high school in the United States are more likely to be locked into low-paying jobs, be unemployed, be homeless, be incarcerated, be on welfare, and have children at an early age.

It is a sad reality that there have always been a high percentage of people who once followed the Lord Jesus Christ who become spiritual dropouts. Matthew 5:1 records that “multitudes” followed the Savior early in His ministry. But their true motives and spiritual depth was revealed when He told them, “Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (John 6:22-26). It was shortly after these events when the Savior began to teach deeper truths. Many concluded, “This is an hard saying…From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him” (John 6:53-66). For a time, there was enough spiritual interest and receptivity to make people listen. But eventually the majority fell away. In essence, many who once followed Christ wanted to make little mental effort or personal commitment. When it came to paying the price of personal persecution that came with following the Savior, very few remained faithful. As a nation, eventually the multitudes joined with the spiritually hardened religious leaders of Israel, to first oppose the Lord Jesus Christ, then to call for His crucifixion. You might say the multitudes were fickle and shallow in their spiritual interest.

Dear one, how deep is your interest in the things of God? Are you interested in following Him primarily when you want Him to intervene in your circumstances? Do you seek to know more of Him and His Word only for a time, or when it is convenient? Surely the Lord Jesus, who suffered and died for us, is worthy of our complete and consistent, sold out, loyal participation. Through good times and bad, purpose now to be a dedicated believer who makes prayer, the study of His Word, sharing the gospel with the lost, and regular worship your constant practice.