30 Days In The Book Of Matthew... Day 7

Day 7 – Matthew 5:17-48

If I only had a few verses of the Bible to read every day, this section would be among my top choices

because it is so practical. When I read this section of scripture I often personalize the tender words

of Jesus saying something like, “I want you to grow up spiritually so let me give you some ideas on

how.”

As a child, I didn’t always appreciate my parents telling me to “grow up.” But, now that I’m a parent,

I understand their motive. They wanted me to live out what they were confident I already knew. In

these verses, Jesus gives us very practical examples of doing what we already know. He shows us

what it means to live a God-first life…a different life (remember the salt and light from yesterday?).

Jesus uses the religious leaders (Pharisees) as bad examples. Jesus saw their religion as a ritual

and not a living relationship. The Pharisees were more concerned about looking religious than they

were concerned about their heart. Jesus wants us to know that holiness starts with the heart being

changed and then the changed heart impacts our actions to others.

You see, starting with the action is too similar to acting…people who act right might impress

humans but God isn’t impressed. God is concerned with our hearts. You might even re-read this

section and look for the heart-talk. Jesus uses issues such as murder and adultery as examples

of heart-talk. Jesus says, “you’re concerned about murder (action) and I’m concerned about your

anger (heart). You’re concerned about adultery (action) and I’m concerned about your lust (heart).

You’ll see more of this type of teaching throughout your daily walk with Christ. If you’re concerned

about keeping up with this reading schedule (action) remember, God is more concerned with what

you learn and apply (heart) than if you finish.

MATTHEW 5:17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.23 If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.26 Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.29 And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.30 And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.31 It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.

33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:34 but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.37 But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.

38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:39 but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.40 And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:44 but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;45 that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.46 For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?48 Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

30 Days In The Book Of Matthew... DAY 6

Day 6 – Matthew 5:1-16
I often imagine being one of Jesus’ committed disciples and sitting near him as he talks about living.
Here, he speaks to his closest followers about attitudes that flow from a pure heart. Jesus’ words
are very exciting to read and yet very difficult to apply!
Jesus paints a picture of happiness in verses 3-10, and then he gives us a strong image of how
followers are to “look” to the world. Basically, he says, “this is why you’re here…to be different.”
(my paraphrase of verses 13-16) Yesterday you read about a higher calling that affects what you
do—fish for people. Today’s reading impacts who we are to be—different. Not “weird” different…but
“different” different. Different so you stand out in a crowd…not because you’re crude but you stand
out because you’re a person with character. You are different because of whose you are.
Jesus uses the images of salt and light to help us see that we are to counteract decay (salt)
and darkness (light) which are symbols of living the world’s way. I love the paraphrase (from The
Message) that reads, “You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this
earth…and you’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.”
Are you living a life that’s different from the world’s way? Not a life that brings attention to itself, but
a life that counteracts the decay of hatred and brings light to the darkness of evil? How can you be
different today?

Matthew 5

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him:2 and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.15 Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

30 Days In The Book Of Matthew... Day 5

Day 5 – Matthew 4:12-25

If I walked up to you at Taco Bell and said, “drop your burrito and follow me” you would probably

think I was crazy and you’d call the police or punch me out. But for the guys you read about today;

Simon, Andrew, James, and John it was a different story. They followed. They dropped everything

and followed Christ. Why?

I think it’s because Jesus gave them a calling that was bigger than their trade—fishing. He used

terms they could identify with to talk about a more important type of fishing—people. Fishing for

souls—changed lives. A more attractive catch don’t you think? Think about it, what would you rather

do? Pull in a big-eyed bass or open the door to heaven for someone in desperate need to walk

through? Can you see why they dropped everything and followed? They sensed a higher calling.

Some say Jesus asked them because fishermen had to have patience and faith to fish. Patience

in the waiting game and faith that there were actually fish out there. Do you think you have what it

takes to follow Christ’s call to be fishers of people? Do you have patience to allow God to use your

life to send a message to your non-believing friends? Do you have faith that God can and will use

you? If you do, drop your nets and follow him…there’s a lot of lost fish out there who need what you

have and who you know.

MATTHEW 4:12 Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee;13 and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali:14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,15 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,16 The people that sat in darkness

17 From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18 And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.19 And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men.20 And they straightway left the nets, and followed him.21 And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.22 And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.24 And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them.25 And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.

30 Days In The Book Of Matthew... Day 3 / 4

Day 3 – Matthew 3:1-17

About thirty years has passed from the time you read yesterday (in chapter 2) to what you read

today (in chapter 3). Now, you read about John the Baptist, a prophet, a man chosen by God for

a mission to set the stage and prepare people for Jesus. John the Baptist’s mission included a

message--“repent.” Repent is basically a fancy word which means, “to change one’s mind and act

on that change. To turn around. To turn from living the world’s way to living God’s way.”

Did you notice who came to hear John the Baptist’s message? Those who sincerely wanted to

confess their sins and change, as well as those who wanted to be part of the “in” crowd. The first

group experienced baptism and life-change while the others received a lecture and a slap to their

character.

Which group do you most identify with? Do you go to church because you need to hear a message

that will lead to life-change, or do you go because you want to be seen? When was the last time

you asked yourself this question, “Why do I really go to church?”

John the Baptist had a message of change. Jesus Christ is the way to bring about change. John the

Baptist said of Jesus, “he will change you from the inside out…”

What needs to be changed in your life? It’s never too late! Do you need to change your motive for

going to church? Is it your heart? Do your actions need change? You can’t make any significant

life-change without God’s help and power…that’s a big message in the Bible! That’s the goal of the

Christian journey . . . change. That’s the reason for this church! By the way, the beginning of the year

is a great time to make changes!

Day 4 – Matthew 4:1-11

As you take this daily walk with Christ you’ll discover that although Jesus was human, he was also

divine (meaning he was God). This is both difficult to figure out and exciting to comprehend.

As you just read, his human life wasn’t without temptation. He got the royal treatment from the King

of Liars. But, unlike Adam and Eve’s first encounter and temptation with Satan, Jesus won! Because

he won, we can also win over temptation if we use the same tools Jesus did. Notice Jesus didn’t

use his supernatural powers (although he could have—remember he was divine) but he used what

is available to us today. He used:

(a) The power of the Holy Spirit (verse 1), and

(b) God’s Word (“It is written”).

These are available to us today! If you are a Christian you have been given the Holy Spirit—God

within you. Ask for God’s help during times of temptation. He wants you to win. Also, as you read

God’s Word you will learn some promises from God that you can use to counteract temptation.

The more you grow in your faith, the more you will be tempted. If your life isn’t being lived for God,

you’re no threat to Satan’s work. But, when you put God first and walk his way you will threaten the

enemy and you can guarantee the door to temptation will fly open. Because Jesus defeated Satan,

he became a walking example to every human past, present, and future that He is the ultimate

conqueror. If that doesn’t get you excited you may be dead!

Matthew 3

1 And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying,2 Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.3 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

4 Now John himself had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.5 Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan;6 and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.11 I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:12 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.14 But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?15 But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.16 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 4

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.5 Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple,6 and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,

7 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.8 Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;9 and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.11 Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

30 day walk through the book of Matthew DAY 2...

Day 2 – Matthew 2:1-23 READ BELOW
Today you read about God’s sign (a star) signaling the birth of Jesus. As I read this chapter I realized
that all the key players were confronted with the news of Jesus Christ and they acted in different
ways.
• The wise men (or the Magi’s) chose to find Jesus and rearranged their life to seek him out.
• The religious leaders (the priests) knew the prophecy concerning the birth of a Messiah and chose
to ignore the news of Jesus.
• Herod heard the news and chose to oppose and destroy Jesus out of fear and jealousy.
All three made choices regarding Jesus--all different choices. Do their choices sound familiar to you?
Do you know people who have made choices in each of these three ways?
As you walk with Christ, through the New Testament this year, it’s my experience that you will
respond the way the Magi did and be overcome by Jesus’ presence. When God’s Word impacts
your life you will respond in worship. There’s really no other appropriate response other than
worship. As your life begins to change don’t be silent to those who ignore and oppose… your
praise, your life, your words, and your tenderness will act as a strong sign that God is alive.

Matthew 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,2 Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet,6 And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,

7 Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared.8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him.9 And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.11 And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

13 Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.14 And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt;15 and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Wise-men.17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying,18 A voice was heard in Ramah,

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,20 Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child’s life.21 And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee,23 and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.

30 Days In The Book Of Matthew...

Day 1 – Matthew 1:1-25 READ BELOW

You may be thinking, “what a crazy way to start the New Testament . . . with a bunch of long, too many-syllable names. If there’s 30 more days of this I’ll have had some good pronunciation practice but reading the New Testament is going to be a drag!” I know how you feel! I remember thinking the same thing the first time I read the first chapter of Matthew over twenty years ago. Actually, I laughed at the name Jehoshaphat because it sounded like “Joe’s-so-fat.” But, over the years, I’ve learned the list of names you read are important because they set the stage for Jesus as he Savior of the world. Everyone was looking for the Savior but no one expected him to be a baby. The list of names reveal the power of God’s work, behind the scenes, to fulfill some big-time promises (also known as prophecies) from the Old Testament (all the writing in the Bible before Jesus). I’ve known a lot of people who read these names and immediately gave up reading the Bible because they didn’t get it. In frustration they say, “hey, this doesn’t read like a love-letter, it reads like a historical genealogy from my history class.” If you feel this way today, my response is similar to how the angel responded to Joseph, “don’t be afraid . . . don’t hesitate to dig-in and read . . . you’ll never be the same.” Joseph was surprised with his new adventure and he got to hold the King of the world. May you, too, be surprised with this new reading adventure . . . soon you’ll hold the truths that are out of this world.


Matthew 1

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren;3 and Judah begat Perez and Zerah of Tamar; and Perez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram;4 and Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon;5 and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;6 and Jesse begat David the king.

7 and Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abijah; and Abijah begat Asa;8 and Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Uzziah;9 and Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah;10 and Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and Manasseh begat Amon; and Amon begat Josiah;11 and Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brethren, at the time of the carrying away to Babylon.

12 And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel; and Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel;13 and Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;14 and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;15 and Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;16 and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,

24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife;25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS.

NEW DAILY DEVO STARTING THURSDAY!!!

Who Is Jesus?
He is God (Matthew 26:63-64)
He became a person (John 1:14)
He taught with authority (Mark 1:22)
He healed the sick (Matthew 4:23)
He hung out with the outcasts (Matthew 9:10-11)
He got angry at the religious fakes (Matthew 23:27)
He was persecuted unfairly (Matthew 26:59-60)
He was tempted in every way (Hebrews 4:15)
He never made a mistake (Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5)
He died, rose from the dead, and continues to live to this day (1 Corinthians 15:20)
He made it possible to have a relationship with God (John 3:16-17)
He can sympathize with our struggles (Hebrews 4:15)
He Loves Us (Ephesians 3:19)
In this devotional, you’ll get to explore for yourself the life of Jesus as told by one of his followers.
Matthew was one of the twelve disciples and walked with Jesus for three years. When Jesus found
him, his character was questionable: as a tax collector he was cheating his own people. Jesus
transformed his life, and Matthew would later write the story of Jesus’ life so others might also be
transformed.
Each day includes a scripture reading, a short inspirational thought, and space for you to reflect on
what God is teaching you. Having a quiet time 31 days in a row is tough! Pick a time when you are
at your best: if you’re a morning person, consider the morning. If your a night person...you get the
picture. Pick a place that is free of distractions. Disconnect from the internet, your phone, anything
that’ll grab your attention away from God.
Having a quiet time for 31 days is REALLY tough. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up! Jump
back into the swing of things, don’t stress yourself out by trying to “catch up.” The point is to grow
closer to God, so read at your own pace. The goal is not to “finish,” but to grow.