What Rule Book Are You Following…OUCH!


In any sport there are rules which are listed in a play book. Players need to memorize them and abide by them. The Pharisees had their rule book and to be a “righteous” Pharisee one studied it religiously!  In Matthew 12 it seems that the Pharisees and their religiosity or legalism surfaces more clearly than […]

Me n’ Jesus makes a Majority…Matthew 10


Did you ever see the Apostle Matthew as humble and unassuming? Yep, he was and in chapter 9 we see a short snippet of his calling. Here he was minding his own business…the tax business that is and along comes this radical preacher dude and says “Follow Me.”. Hmmmm Choices! Choices! Yet, this humble man […]

I Would See Jesus…..Matthew 9


Matthew has us walk with him as the “Son of Man” encounters those who are in need of healing (disease-death-demon possession). Not only does the “Son of Man” encounter those who need physical healing but those who are in need of spiritual healing. One of the keys that is noted in this chapter is the […]

Revenge or Forgiveness ..Your Choice


Psalm 69 is one of the three most quoted psalms in the NT in reference to “The Messiah.”  (e.g. Those who hate me without cause [Jn 15:25], vinegar to drink [Matt 17:48]. Thus it is fitting that we walk through this psalm as part of our study in the book of Matthew about our True […]

The Kingdom Mindset


Long ago I thought I had learned what a mindset is but then again…we all need a refresher course once in a while. So today while gathering my thoughts for Matthew 7 I was struck with this phrase: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is wise.” It was an aha moment. […]

Worthless vs Ideal Words [ Matt 12 &Prov 16 ]


I love this picture to the left because it reminds me that even if I am faithless He is faithful. I don’t know if you can relate but often have I cringed at something I have just said and the verse in Matthew 12 comes back to convict me.  It is then that I am […]

Authentication and Proving Required


So far in the book of Matthew, we have walked through the first three chapters and seen that as a superior researcher and writer, Matthew has given us three areas to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. First was the genealogical record, second his birth, thirdly, the world’s reception, and now in chapter 4 we […]

Hail King Jesus…Worship or Ignore…how say you?


The Apostle Matthew introduced us to the genealogical record of our Messiah in chapter 1. At the end of that chapter we know that two times the angel of the Lord came to righteous Joseph to lead and protect the divine conceived Messiah in Mary’s womb. In chapter 2 we see once again his immediate […]

The Man Matthew


It has been intriguing to study the man called Matthew and to dig beneath the surface. He probably never thought anyone might be so interested but here I am on the quest. Just who was he and why did the Holy Spirit inspire him to write such a lengthy book filled with so many details? […]

Living Life to the Fullest!


The second command is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The author of Hebrews exhorts us to live that command before unbelievers and the world that they may see the Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday as He is today and will be forever! The world needs for you and I to show that […]