Jesus' Mouthpiece

 "Whoever listens to you listens to me. 

Whoever rejects you rejects me. 

And whoever rejects me 

rejects the one who sent me.”

(Luke 10:16)

The concept of Jesus as the mouthpiece of God is deeply rooted in biblical teachings. Jesus Himself emphasized that His words were not His own, but those of the Father who sent Him. For instance, in John 5:30, Jesus says, "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me". This highlights His role as the perfect communicator of God’s will.

Additionally, John 3:34 states, "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit". This reinforces the idea that Jesus’ teachings and actions were direct expressions of God’s will and wisdom.

In the broader context of Christian theology, Jesus is often seen as fulfilling the roles of Prophet, Priest, and King. As a Prophet, He is the ultimate mouthpiece of God, delivering God’s message to humanity. This is beautifully encapsulated in John 1:1, where Jesus is described as the Word of God, indicating that He is both the messenger and the message.

In the quiet moments of dawn’s first light,

I hear a whisper, soft and bright.

A voice of love, so pure and clear,

Guiding my heart, drawing near.

Through words of grace and truth profound,

In every scripture, His voice is found.

A beacon of hope in times of fear,

Jesus speaks, and I draw near.

With every breath, His message flows,

A river of peace that gently grows.

In acts of kindness, in words of cheer,

His love is spoken, ever near.

I am His mouthpiece, humble and small,

To share His love, His call to all.

In every word, in every deed,

To be His voice, to plant His seed.

May my life reflect His grace,

In every step, in every place.

For in His service, I find my peace,

As Jesus’ mouthpiece, my soul’s release.

Lord Jesus, in Your presence, I humbly bow, seeking Your guidance, here and now. 

Make me Your mouthpiece, pure and true, to speak Your words in all I do. Fill my heart with Your endless grace, so I may reflect Your loving face. In every word and every deed, let Your love be the seed. Grant me wisdom, Lord, to know, the path You’ve chosen for me to go. With courage, let me boldly share, Your message of hope, everywhere.

In moments of doubt, be my guide, in times of fear, stay by my side. Let Your Spirit flow through me, a vessel of Your mercy, endlessly. May my life be a testament of Your love, guided by Your hand from above. In every breath, in every prayer, let Your presence be there.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your grace, for calling me to this sacred place. As Your mouthpiece, I find my peace, in Your service, my soul’s release. Amen.

Pericope:

V: The Journey to Jerusalem: Luke's Travel Narrative

REPROACHES TO UNREPENTANT TOWNS

Luke 10:13-16

Gospel Acclamation 

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Gospel | Luke 10:13-16 

13 Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’” 16 Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Reflection Source:

Conversation with Copilot

TESTIFIY AND BEAR YOUR SHARE

So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. -- 2 Timothy 1:18

I was assigned to proclaim the Word of the Lord taken from the second letter of St. Paul to Timothy and the above reading forms part of my proclamation. I have been in the Ministry of the Word for quite sometime now but I still shake and tremble each time I proclaim God's Word. There is always a need for me to pray and claim the strength that comes from God. This is the hardship that I bear for the gospel and only by God's grace can I effectively testify.

Lord, I claim the strength that comes from you alone. By your strength, may I be able to boldly proclaim your word so that you may touch the lives of those who will listen. May your word serve as our guiding light to the truth of your will and purpose for our lives. In Jesus Name I humbly pray. Amen.

PROVIDE OUT OF THEIR MEANS

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Mag'dalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joan'na, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. (Luke 8:1-3)

When the Lord calls upon you to serve Him by way of preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God, He will surely take you out of your comfort zone and make you journey towards the unknown. He will ask you to leave all things behind and follow Him. This is God's way of telling you that His grace is more than enough and sufficient for you.

You will not be alone. The Lord will bring to you people whom you can trust. These are men and women who have experienced God's healing touch. Like you, their lives were completely changed by the Lord. They will be the ones who will provide for the needs of your ministry out of their own means.

Lord, thank you so much for calling me to serve in the Ministry of the Word. I believed that this is a gift you have given me so that you can use me for your greater glory, honor, and praise. I just surrender everything to you whom I dearly love and trust. In Jesus Name I humbly pray. Amen.

STUDY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

"A disciple is not above his teacher, 

but every one when he is fully taught 

will be like his teacher." 

Luke 6:40

"Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?" (Luke 6:39)

 
Do you wish to study to your advantage? 

Let devotion accompany all your studies. Consult God more than your books. Ask Him to make you understand what you read. Never begin or end your study except by prayer. Science is a gift of God. Do not consider it merely the work of your own mind and effort. -- St Vincent Ferrer

Devotion is a feeling of strong love or loyalty and the use of time, money, energy, etc., for a particular purpose. When you love to study, it does not only sink deep into your mind but it penetrates your heart as well. What you have learned automatically becomes part of your growth and being.

This is why you must first consult God so that you may not be misguided on what you read. In prayer, seek and claim the wisdom of Christ in order to gain knowledge and understanding of the truth. He will teach you everything there is to know in accordance with God's will and purpose for your life.

Friend, pursue your studies with God. Do not allow others to influence you over false teachings and precepts. Only the Lord can bring to light the truth in all that you have to learn.

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Prv 2:6). God gives knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom (Dn 1:17).

The Lord promises "I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be." (1 Kgs 3:12)

Lord, give your servant an understanding heart. And this I pray, that our love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. We continually ask that you fill us with the knowledge of your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. All these we humbly ask and pray, in Jesus Name. Amen.

PAY ATTENTION

One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. (Acts 14:14)

Lord, thank you so much for your words that cuts through my heart after hearing them from a preacher whom you have used as your instrument.

After attending the Feast, I approached our Preacher and Senior Feast Builder Bro. Arun Gogna and asked where I could get a copy of his talk. I told him that it was the best "Life in the Spirit" talk I ever heard so far. His emphasis on who the Lord Jesus Christ truly is,  has penetrated the deepest recesses of my soul. Truly, the Holy Spirit was present and at work in him that made him speak and preach from the heart.

One can never give what he does not have. His best comes from what is in his heart and not his mind. A mindful preacher can make people learn from his talk but a loving preacher can make people experience God's presence in his talk. His glory comes not from the applaud of people but in the fulfillment that He was able to obey the Lord in bringing even just a single soul closer to God.

In every place where Paul went, he preached and ministered not only to big crowds but even on single persons or household. His passion to be a witness and to share his personal encounter with the Lord had brought him to the ends of the earth.

Once you have encountered the Lord, your life will never be the same again. He will surely lead you to greater things, greater heights, and great places where you have never been.

To my mentor, good friend, and brother Arun Gogna, thank you for being a part of my household. Truly, you were used by the Lord in bringing love to my family whenever we spent our Sundays at the Feast. May the Good Lord continue to bless you and your family for His greater glory, honor and praise.

QUOTES:

ONE CAN NEVER GIVE WHAT HE DOES NOT HAVE. HIS BEST COMES FROM WHAT IS IN HIS HEART AND NOT HIS MIND.

A MINDFUL PREACHER CAN MAKE PEOPLE LEARN FROM HIS TALK BUT A LOVING PREACHER CAN MAKE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN HIS TALK.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; 

so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

MATTHEW 10:16

And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. (Mk 6:7)


Beware of Men

Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. (Mt 10:17)


Do not be Anxous

When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Mt 10:19-20)


Take Nothing

He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. (Mk 6:8-9)


Endure to the End

Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them 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. (Mt 10:21-22)

Go through All

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes. (Mt 10:23)

And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." (Mk 6:10-11)


Be like your Teacher and Master

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. (Mt 10:24-25)


So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. (Mk 6:12-13)

“Amen, I say to you, 
no prophet is accepted in his own native place."

LUKE 4:24

IMPRESSION AND EXPECTATION

They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” -- Luke 4:22-23

IMPACT TO NON-BELIEVERS

Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. 30 But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away. -- Luke 4:25-29

IMPACT TO BELIEVERS
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth (Lk 4:21-22).

Published: 2/3/13-9:29AM; 2/4/13-7:22AM

WORDS UPON YOUR HEART

The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart. -- Deuteronomy 6:5-6

Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart. I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; lo, I have not restrained my lips, as thou knowest, O LORD. I have not hid thy saving help within my heart, I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness from the great congregation. -- Psalms 40:7-10

Published: 11/4/12-8:05AM