Our Father is the Sovereign and Supreme God, God Alone, the Only God, who remembers (Genesis 31:13). The deceitful Jacob fleeing for his life encountered the God who pursues us at Luz, and having a face-to-face conversation with God, Jacob renames the place Bethel (House of God). Here was God remembering Jacob's covenant with Him (Genesis 28:18-22) and His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15). We se...  Read More

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)Who believes in co...  Read More

"He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." (Matthew 10:40, AMP)The Greek language tends to be very concrete. A literal reading of the word translated 'receives, welcomes, accepts' is 'to take with the hand' (Joseph Thayer). What a picture that creates. In the context, this is what I see: you walk into a room, see a familiar person (perhaps one ...  Read More

It happened in Jesus' day and it happens today. We cannot control how others act and react to us, but we can control (by God's grace and His Spirit within us) how we respond to others. Jesus' words in Matthew 10:16 are captivating...  Read More

Matthew has recently become my favorite disciple, thanks to The Chosen's unique approach to his character. This eccentric portrayal aside, I have often pondered Matthew's calling: "Get used to different." Judas aside, Matthew should have been the last person Jesus invited to become The Great Rabbi's disciple/student. Rabbi's wanted someone of good stock, of the correct lineage, of strict formal le...  Read More

Isaiah 53 is a favorite Old Testament Scripture for New Testament writers. It is quoted 7 times in the New Testament, and some believe that to those 7 references you can add another 78 allusions or paraphrases. The first of the quotes is found in Matthew 8:17: "...so that He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 'He Himself took our infirmities [upon Himself] and carried away our diseas...  Read More