a 365 day trip through Matthew with a key thought, prayer, focus verse and contextual verses for each day
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“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”(NIV)
Matt. 12:48-59
All of you must yield to the government rulers. No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now without that power from God.So those who are against the government are really against what God has commanded. And they will bring punishment on themselves....So you must yield to the government, not only because you might be punished, but because you know it is right.This is also why you pay taxes. Rulers are working for God and give their time to their work. Pay everyone, then, what you owe. If you owe any kind of tax, pay it. Show respect and honor to them all. (NCV)
Rom. 13:1-7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.(NIV)
Heb. 13:7 |
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October 26
Do what they Say! - Matthew 23:1-3
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his followers, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell you what the law of Moses says. So you should obey and follow whatever they tell you, but their lives are not good examples for you to follow:
Full Text
Key Thought
When leaders do what God has gifted them, and when they teach the truth, we should obey it. Jesus' demanded that we respect those in places of authority. Jesus' also demanded that his disciples (that is us!) obey God's truth. The truth is not dependent upon a worthy life-style in the person proclaiming it. So if a person of authority teaches the truth, we are to do it. Because they are a hypocrite does not give us the option of ignoring God's truth when they speak it!
These two principles are key to putting Jesus' scathing words that follow in their proper place. After his opening words here, Jesus is not talking to us about our responsibility to our leaders in Matthew 23. Instead, Jesus is addressing the leaders and telling them what their responsibility is and pronouncing judgement on them for being hypocrites. We are not to follow their example, but we are to practice the truth they speak.
Today's Prayer
Holy God, please remove from my heart any duplicity and self-deception that may exist. I know of those who teach powerful and truthful messages whose lives are not in harmony with your will. Please give me discernment to know your truth when I hear it, even when it comes from those I don't respect. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses with Jesus
(key verses in bold)
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1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to
his followers, 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees
have the authority to tell you what the law of Moses says. 3 So
you should obey and follow whatever they tell you, but their lives
are not good examples for you to follow:
“They tell you to do things, but they themselves don’t
do them. 4 They make strict rules and try to force people to
obey them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle
under the weight of their rules. 5 They do good things so that
other people will see them. They make the boxes of Scriptures
that they wear bigger, and they make their special prayer
clothes very long. 6 Those Pharisees and teachers of the law
love to have the most important seats at feasts and in the
synagogues. 7 They love people to greet them with respect in the
marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ‘Teacher.’
8 “But you must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because
you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters
together. 9 And don’t call any person on earth ‘Father,’
because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 And you should
not be called ‘Master,’ because you have only one
Master, the Christ.
11 Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you. 12
Whoever makes himself great will be made humble. Whoever makes
himself humble will be made great.
(NCV) The New Century Version, (Dallas, Texas:
Word Publishing) 1987, 1988, 1991.
Used by permission.
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