Honestly, you guys are as helpless as a mouse in middle of a cat convention in the work I’m setting you to do. So, in dealing with people, be shrewd and yet pure in God’s eyes. You’ve got to be on guard from these churchies I send you to. They will throw you out of their buildings and call the cops on you. You will go before judges and mayors to tell them what I have told you. And when you are given to the authorities, don’t fret about your defense. God will send His Spirit to tell you what to say at the time.

It says in Scripture that a brother will have his brother arrested, a father will arrest his child and children will have their parents arrested. Honestly, because of me and my word, everyone will hate you. But if you stick with this work to the end, then you will be delivered. So, if they attack you in one church, just go to another. You see, you won’t have finished the work I’ve given you, and I’ll be coming back.

No one treats a student better than the teacher. Nor do they treat a servant better than his employer. Frankly, if the student or servant gets treated with the same respect as their betters, that is more than enough. So if they call your master, “Satan”, what do you think they’ll call you? So be prepared and don’t be afraid of it.

Honestly, these guys aren’t so scary. Anything done covertly, God will display before all the world. Whatever secrets I whisper to you, announce from a megaphone. If someone threatens to throw you in jail or kill you—don’t worry about it. All they can do is touch your body, but they can’t touch your soul. Rather, you should be afraid of the One who can put your whole being into hell! You can buy a chicken for a couple bucks, and the Father knows every one that was butchered and put on your dinner plate. You are much, much more important to God than a chicken. God knows you intimately and cares for every single hair on your head. So stop being afraid to tell people what they don’t want to hear!

Here’s a deal, if you give my message to anyone and everyone, then I will talk about you to my Father on the final day! But if you refuse to talk about me to people, I will tell the Father that I never knew you. Do you think I came to bring “peace on earth”? Far from it! My visit here will cause more violence than it stops. Because of me, family members will turn on each other and people will be looking over their shoulder, fearing what others in their house might do to them! Let me tell you now, if you love your parents more than me, then just quit now. If you love your child more than me, then forget about following me. And unless you are ready to be executed as a seditionist, quit my school. If you want to save your soul, you have to tear your heart out. And the one who does allow his heart to be torn out will find that they are a whole person.

Matthew 10:16-39