Heavenly Father, as I examine the lives of the twelve You chose to walk with Jesus as His disciples and inner circle, I learn that I don’t have to be something extraordinary for You to use in extraordinary ways. I praise You for the record of each of these testimonies and that our history and tradition tell us how each of them died, all being martyred except John. None of them, except Judas, who betrayed Christ, forsake Christ at the end before they were put to death. I pray my faith and hope are that strong.
Holy Spirit, as I learn more of each disciple, Matthew is one who intrigues many on different fronts. He was a person of learning; he was a tax collector for the Romans, which was despised by his fellow country men of the time, and he was wealthy. Yet, when Christ came into his life, he walked away from the luxury of his job to follow Christ. He also introduced Christ to his former community. Matthew was scholarly enough and grew to trust the Holy Spirit so that he wrote one of the epistles that we have in the New Testament. History can not decide how Matthew eventually died, but he did take on the Great Commission and travel to many of the places of the known world of his time to tell of Jesus and salvation. Help me to never put my job or my financial status ahead of my salvation or service to You. Let me be sure in my faith and trust Your Holy Spirit so that I can rest assured that, like Matthew, I will one day live in heaven and have my name in the book of life.
But, beloved, remember the words that were previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who cause divisions, sensual, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God while you are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which leads to eternal life. On some have compassion, using discernment. And others save with fear while pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with rejoicing, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 17-24 (MEV)