SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. [Matthew 7:21] The teachings of Jesus are hard, very hard. They go against the grain of human nature. They cut to the heart of…
putting God first
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be (Matthew 6:21). Whatever I love the most, that is my ‘god’. Whatever I put first in my life, that is what I worship. Whatever I set my heart on, that is my treasure. Jesus is cutting deep with these words,…
its opposite day
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: You have heard… But I say… (Matthew 5:21-22). Is Jesus having an “opposite day”? Is He being contrary, to make a point? If we look closely at what Jesus says, we ought to be shocked. If not, then it’s probably become too familiar, and we’re missing the point.
Spirit-led, Spirit-powered
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil (Matthew 4:1). The Spirit leads Jesus into a wilderness experience to be tempted by the devil? How can this be? Didn’t God say that Jesus was His dearly loved Son, how then could He lead Him…
how empty life is without God
Taken from In the Presence of Mine Enemies by Howard and Phyllis Rutledge [Fleming Revell, 1973, p.34]. Howard was a United States Air Force pilot who was shot down in the Vietnam war and spent several years in prison there. During those longer periods of enforced relfection it became so much easier to separate the important from…
the real thing
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of heaven is near. (Matthew 3:2) Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God (Matthew 3:8). This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy (Matthew 3:17). What I get from this reading…
finding Jesus through stars?
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.’ (Matthew 2:1-2) I love this part of Jesus’ story. How on earth did these pagan astrologers learn about…
reading Matthew
For those participating in the SOAP Bible Reading schedule, here is an introduction to the readings from Genesis that begin today (Taken from GotQuestions.org). Author: This gospel is known as the Gospel of Matthew because it was written by the apostle of the same name. The style of the book is exactly what would be expected of a…
surprise!!!
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 1 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ (Matthew 1:22-23) As we switch from reading Genesis to Matthew, we see the connection between…
dying with confidence
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 50 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” (John 11:25-26) Do I believe this? Do I believe the promise of God? Am I…