Category: Matthew
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The “God Things”
Matthew 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Some years ago, I was having a conversation with a friend whose view was that although God may have been involved…
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Prayer: Active vs Passive Voice
Matthew 6:9-10 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God!” Do you know the difference between passive and active voice? In passive voice, the subject is being acted upon…
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Careless Words
Matthew 12:36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” I heard a good Will Rogers quote the other day: “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” Sounds…
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First Things
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” How careful we should be to pay close attention to the individual words of the Bible. They aren’t there for filler. God, in His infinite wisdom, has said the things He has said to us in the…
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Depression
Matthew 25:21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” The one emotional condition that, above all, is the opposite of what God would have for His followers is depression. It’s closely…
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The Easy Yoke?
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” How easily we can misinterpret the Scriptures if we fail…
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Four Glorious Words
Matthew 6:9 “Our Father in heaven” These few words from the lips of Jesus are a wonderful revelation of the wisdom, power, and glory of our great God. To think that Jesus, the Son of God, could both reveal both His glorious condescension and lift our minds to the highest plane in just four words…
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The Source of Fear
Matthew 8:26 “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” One of the commands Jesus gives His followers over and over again in Scripture is this one: “Fear not!” What wonderful words these are, if we will just believe and obey them. It’s one of the truest tests of our faith. In the verse…
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Identifying “the Least of These”
Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” That God views things far differently than we do is strikingly apparent in the verse above. Here Jesus makes reference to “the least of these my brothers.” Interestingly,…
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The Legalists
Matthew 25:42-45 “I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did…
To Encourage You 