WITNESS If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin. —Leviticus 5:1 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. —Acts 1:8 It is an interesting statement in Leviticus 5:1. If someone was a witness to something or new about something and refused to testify, then it was sin and they would be punished for refusal to bear witness. Think of…

FAITHFULNESS IS WHAT HE DESIRES You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. —Matthew 24:44-47 What responsibility has the Lord given to you? Are you a faithful sensible servant? Will He find that you have done a good job when He…

THE GLORY OF THE LORD Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. —Exodus 4:34-35 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” —Matthew 24:1-2 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object…

BE REAL For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. —Matthew 23:27-28 Beware of fakes, frauds and false guides. They look so good on the outside— like a bright shinny apple, but inside the outer skin they are rotten to the core. So there are religious leaders that look good on the outside, but their core is filled with hypocrisy. They are putting on a mask and what is seen is not what they are on the inside. Outwardly…

BE A SERVANT The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. —Matthew 23:11-12 Who are considered the greatest in our society or this world? Is it the rich or the poor? Is it the famous or unknown? Is it the powerful or the weak? Jesus said the greatest among us are those who serve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Pk2NHKg_o Are you serving or are you seeking to be served? Are we seeking to be honored now? Is pride driving us? If that is the case then we will experience a low position in the Lord’s measurement of our…

GOD INCARNATE Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’ Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. —Matthew 23:41-46 They…

GIVE! “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” —Matthew 22:21 Tax season is upon us again. How do you feel about that? Or how do you feel about the taxes you pay with every gallon of gas you buy? Then there are the property taxes and state and federal taxes. God’s word says to “Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect…

GOING IN JESUS’ AUTHORITY When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” —Matthew 21:23 “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him” (John 5:43). Jesus came in His Father’s authority and just as the Father sent Jesus so Jesus sends us in His authority (John 17:18; 20:21). “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.…

PRAY He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” —Matthew 21:13 The temple was supposed to be a place of prayer, but thieves in the temple distracted people away from that. Today, our bodies are His temple. Are there “thieves” that distract us away from prayer? Maybe the thief of business keeps us from prayer. Or, maybe it is the thief of priorities. Could it be the thief of laziness or apathy that keeps us from prayer? Is there anything in your life right now that is keeping you from prayer? Are…

SERVE But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Matthew 20:25-28 What was Jesus’ life all about while He was on this planet? Service… His life was about serving others. He served through…