Jesus Teaches on Using Wisdom in Ministry

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they
​trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Mat 7:6

In this devotion the subject of preaching and teaching the bible, and giving the gospel in public places, and knowing where the boundaries should be, when we face opposition, and rejection.

I've been in several types of ministry for many years, over 40, and I have seen a great change of atmosphere when in public places. When people gather for public meetings, quite often it becomes violent, and unruly. You cannot predict or be confident any longer, in what people are going to do. We've seen a significant rise in chaos, lawlessness, and violent acts, resulting in assassination attempts, and murders. I really wonder how people can feel it's a good idea to take their kids to these places, knowing the dangers that they may face.

I listened this morning to a teaching from Derek Prince, who was ministering throughout the 20th century from the forties through the early 2000's, he is an excellent teacher on several subjects-deliverance, end time prophetic events, and is sound in his doctrine on numerous subjects. 

I've left the link to this teaching below, to add to this devotion. In this teaching he said two things that I especially needed to hear. 1. He said- "When you see someone has heard the gospel, and rejected it, and doesn't want to change, don't waste anymore time on them. Leave them alone, and don't bother trying to preach to them anymore." 2. Later in the teaching he described the different functions and terms in the bible for a preacher/teacher of the gospel, he described what scripture terms as a minister, and that it means a servant, which is the term Jesus used very often. He also said he was asked if he believed women should be in ministry and preach the gospel and he said "I certainly do, and have no problem with it". These two remarks were both what I've been praying about for several days, because when you are a woman in ministry-you will get this attack often, and you'll hear it throughout your ministry, that the bible says a woman is to be silent-without researching deeper into what Paul really meant, when he said it. Derek Princes history, and sound ministry throughout his life, speaks for itself.

When describing what it will be like in the end of days, he uses the verses in 2Tim. that describes them well, and breaks them down. When you look around today, and watch the news of the riots and lawlessness in government and the cities, the verses describes our world today. People want their pleasures, lovers of money, and excess in every area of life, many are rude and unruly, feel entitled to invade your life, and are bullies.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

When in a public place, a street preacher can expect every kind of behavior, and it can become violent. When your in a public place trying to do business, there's times people will intentionally bait you, or track you, and what their intentions are, cannot be trusted. This is true in shopping malls, and parking lots of grocery, and department stores. I've had several dangerous encounters of people intentionally trying to hit me with their cars, and incidents of groups of people coming at me and surrounding me-and being alone, I had to think fast of what to do, to not let them get close enough to me, to force me into their vehicles. I've learned to make changes on when I go to any public place to try to shop, or do business-and I know I am not alone by any means. I've spoken to other's who've had the same experiences in recent years, and have learned to make the same precautions.

For those who may feel my statements are too extreme, and I'm being overly concerned, I'll remind you of several murders of women in the last 15 years, here in my area, and how they were killed. They were taken violently, and brutally murdered. I'll let you do the research. One was stabbed to death right next to a department store, in St. Johnsbury, another kidnapped out of her car in the middle of the road with her small child in the back seat-taken to a boat launch on the Connecticut River, and tied to a block, and drowned, after being sexually assaulted, by a local man "just wanting to get a girl". There were several other's as well, and seniors among them. I do not trust anyone, and take nothing for granted.

The verse above that Jesus spoke is a clear warning, and direction for us when we've giving a gospel message to someone, and have been scorned, and rejected. Don't waste your time, energy, or your safety trying to say any more to them. Do what Jesus and his disciples did-go on to someone else, or focus on your ministry in the capacity your serving in, and leave them alone. Once you've spoken to them once, your responsibility is done. By trying to force the message, you can put yourself in needless danger. Jesus went into hiding and left crowds that tried to kill him, numerous times. It's important to use discernment on when and how to speak.

In maintaining these websites, the devotions put in them are an important part of this ministry. There's many devotions over many years in them and anyone could take their bible, and sit down and use them to study, and they contain many commentaries from serious bible scholars, bible teachers, and preachers, that they could gain much insight, and God would reveal more of Himself to them, if they took the time to do this. These websites can be seen by anyone from any part of the world-and I've been told by the Lord, that one day, He will show me those from far away places, that have come to them and use these devotions, so I know this work is not in vain. The pearls being cast here-is falling on good ground, in places around the world.

But, today it's important to use wisdom in when and how to minister. Jesus wants us to be bold, and courageous, but not foolish. God has many ways, and uses every means to get His word out there, and He can use us where we are, and in the capacity we are able to serve Him. 

Below are some commentaries, to add to this subject. May God use this to help anyone today, who is facing adversity, and opposition-Jesus will guide us, if we use His word, and apply it.
Lorna Couillard

Glimpses of the End | Derek Prince
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmO2bLLdROU

Ministering-With Common Sense

​Give not that which is holy ... - By some the word “holy” has been supposed to mean “flesh offered in sacrifice,” made holy, or separated to a sacred use; but it probably means here “anything connected with religion” - admonition, precept, or doctrine. Pearls are precious stones found in shell-fish, chiefly in India, in the waters that surround Ceylon. They are used to denote anything especially precious, Rev_17:4; Rev_18:12-16; Mat_13:45. In this place they are used to denote the doctrines of the gospel. “Dogs” signify people who spurn, oppose, and abuse that doctrine; people of special sourness and malignity of temper, who meet it like growling and quarrelsome curs, Php_3:2; 2Pe_2:22; Rev_22:15. “Swine” denote those who would trample the precepts underfoot; people of impurity of life; those who are corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene, and sensual; those who would not know the value of the gospel, and who would tread it down as swine would pearls, 2Pe_2:22; Pro_11:22. The meaning of this proverb, then, is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive people who would growl and curse you; nor to those especially debased and profligate who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and would abuse you. This verse furnishes a beautiful instance of what has been called the “introverted parallelism.” The usual mode of poetry among the Hebrews, and a common mode of expression in proverbs and apothegms, was by the parallelism, where one member of a sentence answered to another, or expressed substantially the same sense with some addition or modification. See the Introduction to the Book of Job. Sometimes this was alternate, and sometimes it was introverted - where the first and fourth lines would correspond, and the second and third. This is the case here. The dogs would tear, and not the swine; the swine would trample the pearls under their feet, and not the dogs. It may be thus expressed:
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,
Neither cast ye your pearls before swine,
Lest they (that is, the swine) trample them under their feet,
And turn again (that is, the dogs) and rend you.
​(Albert Barnes)

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that
house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha
​in the day of judgment, than for that city.  Mat 10:14-15

Give not that which is holy to the dogs,.... Dogs were unclean creatures by the law; the price of one might not be brought into the house of the Lord, for a vow, Deu_23:18 yea, these creatures were not admitted into several temples of the Heathens (h). Things profane and unclean, as flesh torn by beasts, were ordered to be given to them, Exo_22:31 but nothing that was holy was to be given them, as holy flesh, or the holy oblations, or anything that was consecrated to holy uses; to which is the allusion here. It is a common maxim (i) with the Jews, "that they do not redeem holy things, to give to the dogs to eat".''
Here the phrase is used in a metaphorical sense; and is generally understood of not delivering or communicating the holy word of God, and the truths of the Gospel, comparable to pearls, or the ordinances of it, to persons notoriously vile and sinful: to men, who being violent and furious persecutors, and impudent blasphemers, are compared to "dogs"; or to such, who are scandalously vile, impure in their lives and conversations, and are therefore compared to swine; neither cast ye your pearls before swine. But since the subject Christ is upon is reproof, it seems rather to be the design of these expressions, that men should be cautious, and prudent, in rebuking and admonishing such persons for their sins, in whom there is no appearance or hope of success; yea, where there is danger of sustaining loss; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you: that is, despise the admonitions and reproofs given, and hurt the persons who give them, either by words or deeds; see Pro_9:7. The Jews have some sayings much like these, and will serve to illustrate them; "do not cast pearls before swine", nor deliver wisdom to him, who knows not the excellency of it; for wisdom is better than pearls, and he that does not seek after it, is worse than a swine.''   (John Gill)