Matthew

October 14th – Matthew 18:6

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Matthew 18:6

We all have a spiritual walk, and are in different places on the path of faith. And as children of God, our Father expects us to help each other make the trek to becoming mature Christians. While it’s true that we all stumble, God gives us an extra warning against causing a fellow believer to fall into sin. In fact, Jesus says it would better to be drowned in the sea, than face Him and the consequences for making a fellow brother or sister fall in faith. So in light of the seriousness, we need to be extra careful . Careful about the examples we set, the words we say, and the teachings we share. We should be constantly aware of the weakness of others, and never encourage them to act in a way that the Bible specifically prohibits. God calls us to builders of faith, not demolition crews. Brightly shining lights on the path to righteousness, so that others following don’t lose their way.

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October 11th – Luke 6:35

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Luke 6:35

From childhood we are all taught the golden rule. “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Matt. 7:12) Easier said than done. Because no matter how well you treat people, there will be some that will still mistreat you. The truth is, in our own strength it’s impossible to treat those who hurt, abuse, and misuse us. But in the strength of the Spirit, nothing is impossible. But why is God so insistent on us being different from the world? Why does He want us being good to all people? Because if God treated us in the way we deserve, there would be no hope. For we too were once His enemy. But God has nothing but love for all of His children. And so His greatest desire is for us to turn from our sin and receive the salvation He freely offers. And we as followers of Jesus, should want the same for all of our brothers and sisters. So we are to show God’s love and mercy to both friends and enemies, in the hope that they too will repent and be saved!

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October 8th – Matthew 19:14

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Matthew 19:14

I can remember going to Sunday school and learning all of the wonderful things Jesus did for me. And at the end of each class we would sing, “Jesus loves the little children.” Although I didn’t quite understand what this meant, I happily belted out the words. Because it was pure joy to know I was precious in His sight. And that kind of innocent, childlike delight and faith, the kind that believes God can do anything, is just what our Father wants us to have. Children, in their humility, aren’t concerned with the things of the world. They aren’t worried about fame and fortune. All they know is the tender care and trust they put in the one they love. The arms of Jesus are always open to His children. He wants us to approach His throne of grace with joy, innocence, and humility. To have open, moldable hearts of a child. Hearts that believe, Jesus loves the little children of the world!

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October 6th – Philippians 2:15

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Philippians 2:15

In a poem Shakespeare once wrote, “All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” On the world’s stage, the spotlight on Christians is particularly harsh and bright, checking to see if our actions line up with our preaching. And God tells that as His sons and daughters, the lights we project should be above reproach. That means living lives that are completely opposite from the fallen world in which we live. We are to be in the world, not of it, becoming distinctly different examples of Christ. Just as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:16. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). And after all isn’t that the goal as a Christian? To live for the Lord in all that we do so that when He returns, we will have “reason to glory!” (Phil 5:16)

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October 4th – 2 Corinthians 6:18

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2 Corinthians 6:18

Trying to live with one foot in the flesh and the other in the Spirit is a balancing act doomed to fail. For as Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters.” God wants both of our feet firmly planted with Him. And to do that means separating ourselves from the evils of the world. God called His children of Israel to live a life separate and distinct. To be holy among the other nations. And for us to be sons and daughters of God, means doing the same. We too are to lead lives separate and distinct. Holy among the wicked of the world. Which means loving the lost, sharing the Gospel with the lost, and being godly examples for the lost. But it doesn’t mean becoming influenced by the lost. Because it doesn’t take much for temptation to get a foothold in our lives. And Satan never passes up an opportunity to tempt us into compromising our faith.

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September 22nd – Matthew 6:26

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Matthew 6:26

Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” It’s only human to fret over things we can’t control. But as Christians we can let go of worry and anxiety because of the faith we have in God, our gracious Provider. Many suffer in this world with not having clean water to drink, food to eat, or shelters over their head. And as hard as that can be, life is more than just about basic necessities. It’s about working for God, including trusting Him to provide what we need to live. Jesus tells us to look at the birds of the sky. They don’t plant, harvest, or store up their crops in a barn. They live day to day, moment by moment. And still they get fed from the hand of God. We are much more valuable to our Father than the birds. And as such, we can trust God to take of us in every way. Meaning we may not always get what we want, but God promises to always provide exactly what we need at exactly the right time.

 

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September 11th – Matthew 13:23

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Matthew 13:23

In the parable of the sower, or parable of the four soils, Jesus explains four different responses of people who hear the Gospel. The first is a hard soil, in which the seed, (the Word of God), does not penetrate the heart. And God’s seed becomes nothing more than food for the birds. The next is stony soil. It provides just enough for the seed to sprout, but doesn’t have the depth needed for the seed to take root. And at the first sign of trouble, the seed withers and dies, and God’s Word forgotten. The thorny soil, allows the seed to grow, but the love of the world takes over. It chokes out the good plants with weeds and produce no fruit. But the good soil is fertile and eager to receive the seed of God. It hears, understands, and obeys His Word, producing much fruit. It sprouts and blooms in glory to the Lord. The good soil provides a bountiful harvest for God to reap. So let me ask, which soil are you?

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September 4th – Matthew 13:30

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Matthew 13:30

I remember a time when young son stood on the porch with a proud grin on his face and flowers in his hands. “Look mama. I picked these for you!” he happily said. To my dismay there in his little hands was a bouquet of my garden flowers mingled with some weeds. Not knowing the difference between the two, he picked a handful and gave them to me to sort out. Jesus is our great Sorter, and He tells us so in the parable of the wheat and tares. After planting his field, an enemy of the farmer came along and planted weed seeds, to sabotage the good harvest. And because the wheat and the weeds look so similar, the farmer had to wait until harvest time to separate the two. At the time of the Lord’s great harvest, He too will reap both the wheat and the tares. Christ will sort out His precious bounty, bringing them to dwell with Him forever, binding the rest as weeds, to be discarded and separated from Him for eternity.

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September 1st – Matthew 9:37

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Matthew 9:37

If there’s anyone who knows about labor shortages, it’s Jesus. When looking over the huge crowd of people all coming to Him for healing and teaching, He was filled with compassion. Like sheep, they were lost and alone without a shepherd to guide and protect them. The people were eager and desperate for the message of hope Jesus provided, ripe and ready for harvesting. Yet the workers were few. So Jesus, our great Shepherd, issued a calling. Go and reap the field of lost souls and bring them home to His flock. How? Through prayer and action. First we need to plead that God will send out the workers needed to get the job done. Second, we need to be willing and ready to be those workers. To go out into the field and glean it of every soul for the Lord. For the harvest is great and the time to reap is upon us!

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August 22nd – Matthew 5:12

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Matthew 5:12

Proverbs 10:18 says, “He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool.” Throughout history Christians have been falsely accused of many things. Cannibalism, treason, immorality, and fanaticism were just a few. And Jesus Himself was the recipient of many unfounded and ridiculous accusations, for many were His enemies. It hurts when we find ourselves on the receiving end of other people’s lies and rumors. Yet Jesus tells us when we are mistreated for our faith, to “rejoice and be exceedingly glad.” Literally translated this means that when we are persecuted we should, “leap for joy”! Because just like God’s prophets before us, our reward in heaven will be greater than we could ever imagine! It’s hard to see our reputations dragged through the mud as a blessing. But one day as we stand at the side of a Jesus, our victory will be complete and the critics silenced forever!

August 22nd – Matthew 5:12 Read More »