Matthew 10:16-20

Rachel Workman: 16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.[e] 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Countless times I've wondered if what I have said to a non-believer was the right or wrong thing to say. I love verse 20 it's a great reminder that God knows exactly what needs to be said and when. We just have to be the willing vessel.

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John Burnett:  ¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so ^[a]be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  In verse 17, Jesus is telling the disciples what they will endure because they follow Him.  It has not reached that level of persecution in our country yet but when the federal government list evangelical Christians on the same terrorist list as Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and ISIS, and if we are shrewd like serpents, we know that it is coming.  This is why we should be praying for Jesus to come quickly but if he doesn’t come and we are persecuted, I cannot think of a better reason to stand up.  We are promised that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say.  My words will be, “Jesus Christ is my Savior.”