datethewordtest

Tag: Matthew

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 25 (6/25) is Matthew 6:25

    “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you
    will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food
    and the body more than clothing?” – Matthew 6:25
    A Challenging Command – Do Not WORRY about your life!

    As we consider our life that is really in two worlds, we find ourselves so often in a tug-of-war between the PRESENT EARTHLY MOMENT and the FUTURE ETERNAL MOMENT.  The present moment can be all-consuming as we see so many things we don’t have or may not have. This leads to anxiety or worry.  The need for physical nourishment and protection takes center stage and can easily, yes, very easily squeeze out the ability for spiritual nourishment and involvement.  The desire to survive consumes the mind.  

    Jesus comes along and challenges this mindset of the PHYSICAL being first.  As spiritual beings, the priority order is to be SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD!  Thus, He confronts one of the most basic actions every one of us does: He states, “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE.”  (Sometimes you read something that Jesus says and you want to reply back, “Are You serious?” This is one of those times!) 

    He not only says DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE, He adds to not worry about the basic, no, the essential elements of life telling us to not worry about what we will eat or drink nor worry about the clothes to wear.   Now this has moved the command to not worry to a very CHALLENGING level.  Making sure we have something to eat or drink or having clothing are essentials.  Yet JESUS does not want us to worry about these life essentials.  

    When Jesus says, “Do not WORRY” He is saying do not let these things consume the mind to the point that it divides the mind.  A divided mind will be a paralyzed mind, meaning it can’t function.  I have a feeling you have been there before (and maybe there now).   The fears of this day are so great you find that you can’t think straight.  You just don’t know WHAT TO DO!

    This is not how Jesus wants us to live.  Don’t miss His last statement of this verse:  IS NOT LIFE MORE (please lock on) MORE than food and the body MORE than clothing?   You are MORE than the physical.  Life is so much MORE than this temporal, earthly life.  You have a soul and you have a SPIRITUAL life.  The spiritual life looks at life from an eternal perspective, not the temporal.  

    As one approaches Matthew 6:25 with the challenge to NOT WORRYING ABOUT YOUR LIFE one has to know that this is setting one up for the greatest challenge where Jesus will say in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

    Is JESUS FIRST in your life?  Does spiritual nourishment and involvement take precedence over physical nourishment?  Are you focused on doing what God desires?  

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 25 (6/25) is Matthew 6:25.  It says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

    How does DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE challenge your thinking?   

    Continue Strong not worrying,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 24 (6/24) is Matthew 6:24

    “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and
    love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 
    You cannot serve God and money.” – Matthew 6:24
    CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

    Jesus is preaching/teaching in Matthew 6.  The chapters of Matthew 5, 6, and 7 are called the Sermon on the Mount.  There will be several times in His sermon that He will bring the message to a decision point.  As we get to this portion of Matthew 6, He is headed to a call for each person to seek the kingdom of God FIRST.  (Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

    As Jesus preaches, He knows there is tremendous competition for our hearts.  We can easily be LOVING a lot of things, a lot of wrong things!  For Jesus, our relationship with God is to be preeminent – supreme – above everything else. Knowing that one of the greatest competitors of our hearts is money, Jesus gets really personal and direct.  He says we must know that money and things can control and even consume us.  The love of and the desire to have more and more money causes a person to have wrong priorities.  Rather than seeking God, this love for money will squeeze God and God’s desires out of one’s life.  

    Personal and direct Jesus says YOU CAN NOT SERVE TWO MASTERS! 

    So, which will it be?  Who will be first?  The Lord? or Your family? Your finances? Your personal needs?  Your personal freedom?  Your recreation? Your work?  And the list can go on and on, can it not?   As Elijah said in 1 Kings 18:21 “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”  WHO will be FIRST?

    Maybe today you need to realign your priorities as you cannot serve two masters!  FIRST THINGS MUST BE FIRST and if you are a believer then JESUS IS TO BE FIRST!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 24 (6/24) is Matthew 6:24. It says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 

    What adjustments do you need to make based on the teaching from Matthew 6:24?

    Continue Strong seeking Jesus First,
    And remember to DATE the Word
    BTW – I hope you know that money makes a horrible master. 
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 21 (6/21) is Matthew 6:21

    “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21
    WHAT HAS YOUR HEART?

    To grasp the meaning of Matthew 6:21 we need to read verses 19 and 20.  Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

    While we do ask what is in a person’s heart, we also must ask what has a person’s heart.

    What has your heart?  Is it something that is temporal?  Is it something worldly? The Bible tells how Demas forsook serving the Lord because of his love for this present world.  Our hearts can be so in love with finances, fitness, fun, even family and friends, that we have no desire for God.  

    What has your heart?  Is your heart desiring God?   Are your affections on the things ABOVE as Colossians 3:1-4 teaches?  As a reminder it says, “Since you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”  

    The Bible tells of David being a MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN heart.  Acts 13:22 says, “God raised up David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”

    There is an old saying that says FOLLOW THE MONEY.  In my early years as a new Christian, I was told you can tell much about a person by looking at their calendar and at their checkbook. The calendar and checkbook reveal what is really important to a person.   What is your calendar and checkbook revealing about what is most important to you?

    What HAS your heart? Are your affections toward things on earth or on things eternal? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 21 (6/21) is Matthew 6:21. It says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

    Application – When you give to God and His work you become more mindful of God and His work!

    Continue Strong focused on the eternal,
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on April 22 (4/22) is Matthew 4:22

    Verse to DATE the Word on April 22 (4/22) is Matthew 4:22

    “and immediately they (James and John) left the boat and
    their father (Zebedee) and followed Him.” – Matthew 4:22
    Letting GO to GO

    For us to have the full picture of Matthew 4:22 let us back up to verse 18 to read of Jesus calling men to be His disciples. Matthew 4:18 “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  19  Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22  and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

    Our verse to DATE reveals there was a lot of LETTING GO that day.   For James and John, they had to LET GO of their own dreams and desires.  To be a FOLLOWER means one must LEAVE.  It means one has to LET GO.  To be a follower one is no longer leading their own life and doing their own thing.  To be a follower you FOLLOW the leading of the one LEADING!

    A great example of this is the prophet, Elisha.  When he was called to go with Elijah he had been plowing with his oxen.  Elisha would kill his oxen and burn his plow in order to follow Elijah. It is worth reading. Notice from 1 Kings 19:19 “So he (ELIJAH)  departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.  20  And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”  21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”

    In Matthew 4 we are reading of two brothers who LEFT in order to follow.  What did they leave?

    They LEFT the boat where they had fished for fish to now fish for men. They left their business to go and do the Lord’s business!  While they were doing something GOOD, they had to turn loose of the good in order to do what was BEST.  

    When Jesus said, “LET’S GO” they LET GO!! 

    It is very possible that as you are reading this the Lord is working in your heart to do something that is different from what you are doing.  And the thing you are doing is most likely GOOD but God has something else for you.   I encourage you to turn the “good” loose.  As if you were holding it in your hands turn your hands over and release it.  They turn your hands back over, palms up, and receive the new assignment from God.  As He says, “LET’S GO” you LET GO so you can GO where He wants you and DO what He wants you to DO!  And there is no better place to be than in the place where God wants you and doing what He wants you to do!

    They LEFT (oh don’t miss this) they left their father. They LEFT their family to go and become and do what Jesus wanted. 

    And while we see these two LEAVING as “they LEFT their boat and their father,” we also need to know that many times for a person to FOLLOW means someone else has to LET GO.  That other person is Zebedee.  Zebedee has always been a hero to me because he did not believe his sons belong to him. His testimony here is he LET GO!

    When Jesus said, “LET’S GO” Zebedee LET GO!! 

    Parents reading this: Are you preparing your child(ren) to be followers of Jesus – to go where He wants them to go – to be what He wants them to be – to do what He wants them to do? I surely hope so!  When Jesus says to your child LET’S GO will you LET GO? 

    Friend, when Jesus calls for you to FOLLOW HIM are you going or staying? I hope you have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back – no turning back! 

    Verse to DATE the Word on April 22 (4/22) is Matthew 4:22.  It says, “and immediately they (James and John) left the boat and their father (Zebedee) and followed Him.” 

    Continue Strong letting go so you/they can GO
    And remember to DATE The Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on April 4 (4/4) is Matthew 4:4

    Verse to DATE the Word on April 4 (4/4) is Matthew 4:4

    But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
    Matthew 4:4 says, “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
    EAT YOUR SCRIPTURES

    One of my favorite cartoons growing up was Popeye the Sailor Man. It was a cartoon that made eating spinach famous because as Popeye was facing his arch nemesis, Bluto, he would pop open a can of spinach and squeeze the contents of the can into his mouth. Immediately he had big muscles and was STRONG, so strong that he started whipping up on the bigger and stronger Bluto. Parents and grandparents (moms and grandmothers) seized on the opportunity to encourage the eating of spinach by saying EAT YOUR SPINACH so you can be strong like Popeye.  

    Today’s verse to DATE reminds us that we need to be EATING GOD’S SCRIPTURES. Jesus speaks right back at the Devil as he tries to convince a hungry Jesus to misuse His power and command rocks to turn into bread. Even though He was hungry from fasting for 40 days Jesus knows He is not to fulfill a natural appetite in an unnatural way. He quotes to the devil Deuteronomy 8:3, using Scripture to push back on the devil’s temptation to fulfill or satisfy the lust of the flesh.  

    As humans, we are more than a physical being. We are spiritual and our soul must be fed just as our physical beings need to be fed and nourished. The Scriptures are SOUL FOOD. In order to be spiritually healthy and in order to be spiritually strong we need to feed on the Scriptures DAILY.  To the new believers, Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:2   “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,”. The writer of Hebrews spoke of moving forward to solid food or what might be called the meat of the word.   

    One of my favorite verses about eating God’s Word comes from Jeremiah 15:16. Jeremiah said, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.”  I think Jeremiah might say EAT YOUR SCRIPTURES!   

    There is another verse for April 4 that ties to Matthew 4:4. It is Proverbs 4:4. Proverbs 4:4 says, “He (KING DAVID) also taught me (Solomon), and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.” Our spiritual LIFE is so dependent on the SCRIPTURES! It is imperative to hear (EAT) and read (EAT) and memorize (EAT) and study and meditate and APPLY God’s Word, Scripture to LIVE! 

    To cap off EAT YOUR SCRIPTURES let us be reminded that John wrote to young men and commended them for being STRONG. They were STRONG because the Word of God was in them. Because God’s Word was in them they were STRONG and they OVERCAME the evil one. (See 1 John 2:14)

    Friends, EAT THE SCRIPTURES! Do not become spiritually malnourished. In the morning (before physical breakfast) EAT THE SCRIPTURES Psalm 143:8 says, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.” In the evening BEFORE BED read God’s Word so that you might meditate in your bed as Ps 63:6 says, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” My friend, Stu Epperson says, Bible before breakfast, Bible before Bed!   

    Please listen to Jesus: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’  EAT THE SCRIPTURES!

    Verse to DATE the Word on April 4 (4/4) is Matthew 4:4. It says, “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

    Continue Strong EATING THE SCRIPTURES
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verses to DATE the Word on February 11 (2/11) are Luke 2:11 and Matthew 2:11

    Verses to DATE the Word on February 11 (2/11) are Luke 2:11 and Matthew 2:11

    Our verses to DATE the Word on February 11 (2/11) are Luke 2:11 and Matthew 2:11
    Luke 2:11 says, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 
    Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they (the wise men) had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 
    Responding to the Savior

    February 11 is not normally associated with Christmas unless you are looking at verses that connect to a date.  Even though we are in February, just days from Valentine’s day,  I could not resist using Luke 2:11 and Matthew 2:11 for February 11 (2/11).   I do recall from the movie A Christmas Carol that Scrooge said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Thus we seek to learn and live out lessons from Christmas all year!

    Our two verses combine to tell of the MOST AMAZING ANNOUNCEMENT the human race could hear and the MOST INCREDIBLE RESPONSE to the SAVIOR.  The amazing announcement brings to us the answer to our greatest problem.  The response challenges us, and inspires us, on how to respond to the Savior. 

    Let us first consider the amazing announcement.   While each word has significance the word SAVIOR stands out above the rest.  Jesus came to SAVE.  Matthew 1:21 says, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” John 1:29 says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  In Matthew 18:11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. In Luke 19:10 we read, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

    His purpose was to be our SAVIOR!  What makes this such an amazing announcement may be best shown by the words of Roy Lessin who wrote: If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.

    How do we respond?  From Matthew 2:11 we read of how Wise men came to Him and they fell down and worshipped Him.  What these wise men did was a preview of what is happening in heaven.  Revelation tells several times of those in heaven falling down, bowing down, laying prostrate before the Lamb, THE SAVIOR, and worshipping Him.   

    When is the last time you fell down, knelt down, bowed down, and laid prostrate before the Lamb?  When was the last time you poured yourself out in worship?  Worship comes from a word meaning to COUNT WORTHY.  Our worship is considering the Lamb WORTHY thus from your heart comes WORTHY IS THE LAMB!  

    Their response continues with GENEROSITY.  They gave, they PRESENTED gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  So much can be learned here about the gifts, but for now please let the word PRESENTED hold your attention.  The Apostle Paul calls us in Romans 12:1 to PRESENT ourselves to God as a holy vessel, a living sacrifice.  As the wise men presented from their treasures, we present ourselves, our lives to Him.  Just as the Corinthians gave themselves to the Lord we GIVE ourselves to the Lord.  (2 Cor. 8:5)

    Yes, let us keep Christmas in our hearts all year long.   Hear the amazing announcement that the Savior has been born and let us now be the ANNOUNCERS as His ambassadors.  Let us daily kneel before Him and offer worship and present ourselves as His holy vessels to be used as He sees fit!

    Verses to DATE the Word on February 11 (2/11) are Luke 2:11 and Matthew 2:11. Luke 2:11 says, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they (the wise men) had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 

    Continue Strong with adoration of your Savior,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on January 24 (1/24) is Matthew 1:24

    Verse to DATE the Word on January 24 (1/24) is Matthew 1:24

    Our verse to DATE the Word on January 24 (1/24) is Matthew 1:24
    Matthew 1:24 says, “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary to be his wife,”
    Bring the ability of DEPENDABILITY to the room!

    Have you ever pondered on the key “Christmas Characters” in the Christmas story?  Much of the Christmas story focuses on Mary, His mother, and for good reason. One has to love her AVAILABLITY in Luke 1:38. (Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”) There are Angels making the most incredible ANNOUNCEMENT that a Savior has been born. (“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.) There are Shepherds who hear one of the greatest announcements of all time and immediately take ACTION and go with haste to see the baby that is born to save the world! Then they went from hearing the announcement to being announcers!  (Luke 2:17 “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.) There are Wise men who will make their way following a STAR and OFFER extravagant gifts to the newborn King!

    And then there is Joseph. Ah, Joseph. Let us not forget Joseph.  Joseph seems to be very much behind the scenes. If one was writing a Christmas play for children’s church play Joseph would have NO LINES if one follows the Bible story as there are no recorded words that he ever spoke.  That is right.  He never speaks a word.  He was the strong SILENT type.

    Yet, what an incredible example Joseph is to every one of us!!  He is one of the best examples of IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE. Not just obeying God when told what to do, Joseph IMMEDIATELY OBEYED. IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE to God!  That is Joseph.  

    Let us ask how quickly, yes, how quickly and quietly do you obey God? Is heaven recording a Matthew 1:24 action regarding you? Can your name be placed in place of Joseph?  A reading of Matthew 1:24 would have your name, “Then (your name), being aroused from sleep, DID as the angel of the Lord commanded.”  Are you known for immediate obedience to God?

    Bonus thought – Jesus had parents with extraordinary ABILITIES:
    Mary brought to the table AVAILABILITY and Joseph brought DEPENDABILITY!

    Availability is the first ability and dependability is the greatest ability!!

    Verse to DATE the Word on January 24 (1/24) is Matthew 1:24. It says, “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary to be his wife.”

    Continue Strong immediately obeying God,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21

    Verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21

    Our verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21)
    Some verses to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) start with Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
    Our DATE THE WORD approach will be a little different today as I am on a study tour in Israel and as I looked at the various verses that are available to be the verse for the date there are several that connect with Israel, even connecting to some of the things I experienced and saw this very day.  So we will highlight several verses with short thoughts.   

    The first verse is Philippians 1:21.  To ask the Apostle Paul what he was living for in this present world would bring about an immediate answer are you living for CHRIST?  What are you living for?  What goes in the blank when you state that for you to live is ________________.    Is it Christ?  

    Yesterday I was in Bethlehem and part of the tour was to see the living quarters of Jerome.  Jerome came to Bethlehem and did the hard work of translating the Hebrew Bible into Latin and gave us the version called the Latin Vulgate.  In the courtyard was a statue of him and at his feet was a skull.  Immediately questions started coming about why there was a human skull at his feet.  The guide told us it was there because Jerome understood that death was sure to come, and he needed to work with urgency and leave something for future generations.  He needed a symbol, and the skull was a symbol of the transience of human existence.  

    Jerome had a mindset of living every moment for Christ and making a difference that would carry on long after he was in heaven.   How about you? 

    A verse for January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Deuteronomy 1:21 ‘Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’

    Being in Israel has been a reminder of what God told the Israelites to do and how they were not to live in fear nor be discouraged.  Are you stepping out by faith daily to do what God has called you to do?

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Judges 1:21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

    Reviewing the history of Israel, one has to acknowledge that they did not do what they were supposed to do and they ended up letting the enemy “hang around.”   A spiritual principle that can be drawn here is to ask if we are letting some temptations hang around.    

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Ruth 1:21. Naomi says,  “I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

    Being in Bethlehem meant we considered the various stories related to Bethlehem and one of the major stories is the story of Ruth. One of the tough verses of the book of Ruth is Ruth 1:21 where Naomi laments that she has come back to Bethlehem EMPTY and her evaluation of her life is God has afflicted her.  Yet knowing the full story we know that Naomi had made a bad evaluation because she did not return empty.  Returning with her was RUTH and Ruth was one of the greatest blessings Naomi would have.   Let us make sure we are evaluating our present circumstances carefully.  Let us not miss the blessings God is putting in our lives!

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

    Being in Bethlehem we were minded why He came and Matthew 1:21 lays out clearly what His purpose was. 
    Matthew 1:21 states it so beautifully, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

    On Thursday we were in Nazareth, and we pointed out that by 12 Jesus said that He must be about His Father’s business.  (Luke 2:49).  On the coming Tuesday we will tour where Jesus died and then rose again fulfilling the words of Matthew 1:21.  He died to SAVE!  He died to save you!

    Continue Strong 
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 28 (11/28) is Matthew 11:28

    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 28 (11/28) is Matthew 11:28, Matthew 11:28
    Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 
    COME TO JESUS!

    Matthew 11:28 is the first great general invitation extended by Jesus as He says, “Come to Me.” The purpose of the invitation is to provide REST for any and everyone who is under the burden of sin.  The invitation comes personally from Jesus as only He will be able to provide the REST.  He does not say GO AND SEE or GO AND DO.  He says Come to ME! 

    Considering the verse, notice the conditions of the invited for they are those “who labor and are heavy laden.” This speaks of those laboring for salvation.  The word conveys very hard labor making no progress.  Along with the labor is the weight of sin that continues to pile up. The conditions of those invited are one of helplessness and hopelessness.  Without someone else helping there is no hope.  A sinner cannot get themselves out from under the burden of sin and nor can other sinners help them.  It is these horrible and hopeless conditions that make this invitation from Jesus so wonderful.  He invited the hopeless to find the help they needed!

    Now notice the PROVISION from the inviter; “I WILL GIVE YOU REST!”  REST means one is to be totally free from having to do anything, and totally free from any weight upon one. Coming to Jesus means Jesus handles all of our sin problems. For instance, the entire penalty of sin is removed.  What a relief the sinner finds coming to Jesus!

    Now notice the little word “ALL.” This is the extension of the invitation and it is not just to a select group of people but to ALL.  ALL means ALL and that is ALL that ALL means!  The invitation is to ALL! It is to EVERYONE in the world regardless of color or nationality; regardless of being Jew or Gentile; regardless of social or economic status; rich or poor; educated or uneducated; male or female; young or old!  Everyone is included in the word “ALL.” 

    ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN COME TO JESUS and He will give them REST!

    Come to Him today and receive REST for your soul!

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 28 (11/28) is Matthew 11:28, Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

    The invitation to have your sins removed so that you might have rest is extended to ALL and ALL includes YOU!  What a SAVIOR!!

    Continue Strong by coming to Him,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD