THE INNOCENT, SPOTLESS AND BLAMELESS JESUS— THE LAMB OF GOD Judas said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” —Matthew 27:4 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. —Matthew 27:7-8   For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.  Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” —Matthew 27:18-19  22 Pilate said to them, “Then what…

SERVE AS HE HAS EQUIPPED YOU! For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say…

BE READY, BE ON MISSION! And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. —Matthew 24:12 So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand). —Matthew 24:15 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. —Matthew 24:21 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the tribulation of those…

DON’T BE ROBBED OF PRAYER He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” —Matthew 21:13             The temple was to be a place where people would come to pray, to seek the Lord’s face.  But there were those who “robbed” the temple of the purpose it was intended for.  Instead, those at that time turned it into “a den of robbers.”  They were using the temple for their own purposes and not the Lord’s— their own desires and not His.             Today the temple is not the central location for gathering to pray.  God’s…

SPEAK JESUS TO PEOPLE Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” —Matthew 19:16             How exciting to have a conversation that starts like this?  But what is the motivation behind it?  How sincere is the person who is asking the question?  Will they see the salvation in Jesus as more important than anything else?             In the case mentioned above, Matthew 19:16-30, the man, in this case, was told what to do to enter eternal life.  But, instead of acting on what Jesus said “he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”  The rich man’s…

LISTEN TO JESUS! “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” —Matthew 17:5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. —John 1:1-3 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. —Psalm 89:11 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the…

THE HEART OF A PERSON DEFINES WHO AND WHOSE THEY ARE! It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person. —Matthew 15:11 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” —Matthew 15:17-20 What a person eats does not defile or define that…

LOOK TO JESUS AND NOT THE CIRCUMSTANCES! But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” —Matthew 14:16-18 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save…

LISTEN… AND WALK IN HIS TRUTH! 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.” —Matthew 11:28-30 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. —Psalm 86:11             Where do we turn when we have a burden?  How do we seek to find rest?  Jesus invites us to come to Him.  He will give us “rest.”  How does…

PRAY FOR LABORERS IN THE HARVEST AND BE ONE! Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” —Matthew 9:37-38             According to this passage “the harvest,” Jesus said, “is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”  So then, the problem is not that there isn’t a plentiful harvest, but there are too few people working in the harvest.  What is the solution?  It is to “therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  Whatever you are doing, will you not stop…