Songs of Deliverance

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

I’ve been blessed to work in contemporary Christian radio since 1988. In that amount of time, I couldn’t possibly count all the times that we just happened to play the right song at the right time! Words of biblical truth set to music  that comfort, console challenge and often times deliver people who are at the end of their rope.

 

To hear the testimonies of people who have been touched by these various songs has been one of the real blessings of this job.

 

I bring this up today, because this morning I found myself in the 32^nd Psalm and verse 7 says, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

 

Now that’s the ultimate in “surround sound!” How does God do this? Does HE have a celestial angelic  choir at His disposal for just such a purpose, or does He use the music at a worship service, or a Christian Radio station to help, comfort, strengthen, and deliver  His children in their hour of need?

 

One of  my all time favorite songs of deliverance was done by Steven Curtis Chapman back in the 1990’s. It speaks to me even to this day, when I’m “up against it,” It’s called “His Strength IS Perfect/” I pray it will help you today in your seemingly impossible situation. Give it a listen!

His Strength Is Perfect (Live At Studio C, Gaither Studios, Alexandria, IN/2018) - Bing video

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Let Goods and Kindred Go

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mr 14:51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

This obscure verse is only included in Mark’s account of the arrest of Jesus. Therefore, some speculate that this “certain young man,” was Mark himself. The problem with that speculation is, we are not told the name of this “certain young man.” Nor are we told what this “certain young man was doing in the garden.

 

If we really needed to know these things, the Holy Spirit would’ve logged it for us. But if  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (2 Tim 3:16)

 

What is this account doing here? What possible lesson can we garner from it? Well for one thing we know that this young man had quickly thrown an expensive piece of linen over his naked body and it was ripped away from him as he was following Jesus.

 

The lesson I believe for all of us is this, it’s going to cost you to follow Jesus. Count the cost! Jesus said in  Lu 14:33 "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

 

Or as Martin Luther put it in the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress,” “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, the body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.

 

Let us learn to be like this certain young man: in this account! Let us go all in with Jesus as we follow Him!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

WATCH

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mr 13:7 "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

 

Don’t miss the word “sorrows.” This particular Greek word here means “a pang or throe associated with childbirth. I’ve never given birth to a child, but I have witnessed the “throes” of labor in the delivery room. These pangs increase in frequency as the woman in labor draws nearer to giving birth.

 

Jesus was reminding us that we will always have wars, earthquakes, famines, and troubles, but with the use of the word “sorrows” He reminds us that all these things will increase in frequency and intensity.

 

That means that the fallen world (the world you and I live in) will experience these various calamities exponentially until He returns.

 

No wonder He concludes this section in the gospel of Mark with the admonition to “watch!” Mk 13:37 "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

 

Watch! Observe what’s taking place in our world in increasing fashion. Be ready for the Lord’s soon return. When He returns, let Him find you as the obedient servant, trusting His promises and obeying His Word.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Another School Shooting

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

I received the text yesterday afternoon. Six people dead (seven counting the shooter) in a school shooting at a private Christian School in Nashville. As I read the reports some words jumped out at me. “Two automatic rifles and a handgun,” “the suspect identified as transgendered,” and “private Christian school.”

 

Anyone of these phrases are flashpoints for finger pointing, and we need to be careful not to be drawn into that fray. If you want to point a finger, point it at sin! Point it at the one who is behind all sin…..the devil, whom Jesus described in Jn 8:44 as “a murderer from the beginning.”

 

As these incidents of senseless killings increase in frequency, know this about the devil, his time is short and he is furious. Rev 12:12 tells us, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

 

One of his strategies is to seek out the isolated for his prey and in a world that is becoming increasingly isolated through social media, he has no shortage of victims. 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

 

It’s all part of his strategy to separate individuals from the love of God. In these times of uncertainty, let us encourage one another to stay the course, to pray for the families of the victims,  and to remember, Ro 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

A Four-Word Prayer

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

I have a simple four-word prayer for you as you kick off your week. It’s found in Ps 28:9 Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.

 

The four words are, “save, bless, shepherd, and bear

 

I don’t know where you are in your relationship with God, but if you are not “saved,” none of these other things matter. “What must I do to be saved? The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas the same question in  Ac 16:30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Elsewhere in Scripture we are plainly told to call on Jesus for our salvation! Ro 10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

 

Once saved, we then move on to ask the Lord to “bless” us, as a loving father would bless his children. Ps 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah

 

In this prayer we also ask Jesus to Shepherd us. As our shepherd. We ask for protection from the evil one, and it’s also a prayer for guidance and correction as we follow Him.

 

And finally we ask Him to bear us up under all burdens and griefs that may come our way. Ps 91:11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

 

Further, we have this promise from Jesus:  Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

A simple prayer for the unbeliever and the believer alike! “Save me, bless me, Shepherd me, and bear me.”

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Tax Time

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 "Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" 21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

 

It's tax time in the good old USA. We have until April 15^th to get our taxes done! It’s that time of the year when the integrity of Christians is put to the test. We are tempted to overstate our deductions or not report that cash income, I mean everyone else is doing it right?

 

The Bible has a word for such activity….it’s called lying!

 

In our text today Jesus tells us plainly to render unto the government what they ask. This truth is further highlighted in  Ro 13:7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor

 

Now, I’m not in charge of monitoring your tax returns, but I want to zero in on something even more important from our text today, and it concerns images. The image of Caesar was imprinted on that coin and Jesus said render it unto Caesar as is required.

 

May I ask you, whose image is stamped upon you? The answer is simple, we are all created in the image of God. (Gen 1:27) Therefore we are required to render ourselves unto God.  “Render unto Caesar what is Caesers and unto God that which is God’s.

 

Have you surrendered your life to Christ? A soul rendered to God has nothing to fear when it comes to doing taxes.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Secret Sins

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Secret sins. We all have them. Wrongdoings from our past and even things going on now in our lives that we just as soon not let anyone know about. David struggled with these secret sins and asked the Lord to cleanse him from them. He pleaded with God in   Ps 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Ps 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.

 

These are sins of thought, word, and deed. Pride, lust, hatred, covetousness, selfishness, and more, all lurk in our sinful minds and hearts, just waiting to break out and many times they do.  Sometimes presumptuously …we know better, yet we plow ahead in our willful waywardness.

 

O God, I am such a miserable sinner, have mercy on me! I may hide my sins from others, but I cannot hide them from You! Sometimes I even hide them from myself, unaware that I have offended You! Forgive me! Cleanse me from sins.

It is both chilling and comforting to know the truth of  Ps 139: O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

 

Jesus knew of all my sins, secret and willful yet He stayed on that cross as God poured out His wrath against all my sins on His Son. His atonement is complete! Praise God!

 

Would you pray with me today: Almighty and everlasting God. We bow before You in repentance of our sins. We have sinned against you in many ways, most of which are unknown even to us! Forgive us for bad attitudes that offend You, for remarks that hurt You and others, for not following Your Word and Spirit as they try to lead us. Forgive us for those times when we have forgotten to call upon You and help us to live our lives in the way that will please You. This we pray, thanking You for Your great love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Baptize!

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

A disturbing twist found in the ending of the parable of the wedding banquet! Here’s a man who responded to the invitation, but didn’t dress for the occasion. His lack of adherence to the heavenly dress code resulted in him being tossed out of heaven and into hell.

 

It would be wise for us to learn from this parable, lest we get tossed out on our ears! What is the required dress for the heavenly banquet? Simply put, we must, by faith, put on Christ. It is His spotless robe of righteousness that makes us fit for heaven. He is our wedding garment and we don him in our baptism!

Ga 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 When confronted on the matter, the man was speechless! He had no defense. The Bible is rife with the urgency and necessity of baptism. When the gospel is rightly preached, baptism is always placed alongside. It is an inescapable part of the wedding invitation as found in the Great Commission.

 

Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

Learn from this parable! Learn from Mr 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 

 

The church is divided over the issue of when and how to baptize, but neither camp ought to be divided about the urgency and necessity of what is commanded by Christ in the Great Commission. Get baptized!

  Ac 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  (I will add, as many as God invites to the wedding feast!)

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 'Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 10 "So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 

Continuing today with the parable of the wedding feast. Last time we talked about the times of the early church era. The times of the martyrdom of the Apostles and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  Now we move on to the latter days and the Great Commission of the post apostolic age. This is the time we are living in now and have been for the past 2000 years!

 

The wedding is ready! Jesus could return at any time! The gospel has traversed the highway of the four corners of the earth. If I can use a film analogy, The good, (Clint Eastwood,) the bad (Lee Van Cleef) and the ugly (Eli Wallach)  almost all tribes and nations have heard the Good news!  They have been invited!

The world is ripe for the return of Jesus as He said in  Mt 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

There is just one thing missing. The wedding hall must be filled to capacity! When the last soul is in the barn, the end will come. In that sense not one of God’s children will be missing on that Final Day!

 

Isa 34:16 "Search from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these shall fail; Not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them.

 

As Jesus said in Joh 6:39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

The Apostle Paul wrote this to Timothy:

 

 2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

 The invitation stands even today for you and I until the Lord returns. Open it! Receive Jesus and be a part of the great wedding feast!

 

Joh 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Your Time of Visitation

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city..

 

Continuing today with the parable of the wedding feast. Last time we talked about those who weren’t willing to come to the heavenly banquet. They were the Jews who were and continue to wait for their version of a militant and conquering Messiah.

 

Others were just plain apathetic to the whole business of eternal life. They were more concerned about the good life now and not the hereafter.

Today, we have a third class of invitees. They flat out hate the church and sought to silence the message by torturing and killing the messengers! Many of the Apostles met horrible deaths at the hands of these Jesus haters.

 

Jesus then gives the prophetic warning concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The city of Jerusalem burned, the temple destroyed, those who failed to heed the warning were massacred within the city walls.

 

Jesus knew it was coming and the coming destruction of Jerusalem caused Him to weep!

Lu 19:41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

 

Let these events speak to your heart today! They are somber warnings encased in very real events. A far worse ending awaits those who for whatever reason reject God’s gracious invitation to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and be spared.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Better Things To Do

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."' 5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

 

Continuing today with the parable of the wedding feast. It is a parable for the last days and we would do well to pay attention. The king (God) arranges a marriage (a union) for His Son (Jesus) This marriage was arranged through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

He ascended into heaven where He is preparing a mansion for His bride1 while He prepares, He sends out His servants, (the apostles) with the invitation to the wedding feast (eternal life with Jesus)

This is the great commission! Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

Note the response of those who are initially invited. (The Jew first rejecting the invite because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah, therefore they were not willing to come.)

 

More servants go out and reach out to the Gentiles, who claim to have better things to do! Some make light of the Gospel, (don’t take it seriously.) Still others reject the invitation because they regard earthly things as more important. (Farms and businesses to run…money to make rather than respond to the Kings gracious invitation.

 

To think you are good enough to just walk into this wedding feast at the end of days is to take the message of the church lightly, and to be more interested in filling your barns is short-sighted.

 

Jesus invites you NOW! Learn from this parable and respond to the invitation with a YES! Place your trust in Jesus for  Mr 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

WATCH!

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

I want to get back to the parable of the wedding feast today found in Mt 22.

 

Mt 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,

 

An “arranged marriage” would be very familiar to the people Jesus was talking to here. Though we cringe at the idea in our culture, it was the way things were done by the Jews. A father who desired a bride for his son, would approach the father of the perspective bride and work out a price.

 

When agreed upon, the betrothal period (engagement in our culture) was on. The groom would then set about going to the family compound and prepare a place for he and his wife to live. When it was completed he would come unannounced for his bride, and after the wedding celebration, he would whisk her back to the family compound where in a perfect world, they would live happily ever after.

 

This is a beautiful picture of what the kingdom of heaven is like. The king here is God the Father. The price HE worked out for the purchase of His Son’s bride, was the death of his Son on Calvary1

 

Normally, that would be the end of the story, but this Son rose from the dead, and after 40 days headed back to the home compound to prepare a place for His bride (you and me)

 

When that place has been prepared, when all the rooms are ready, He is ready for the Father to give Him the green light to return. Not one mansion will be unfinished!

 

When all is prepared, the Son will return unannounced to claim His bride. This unannounced return is emphasized time after time by Jesus and serves as a reminder to all of us to WATCH! Be ready for His return at all times! Don’t get sloppy with your God-given faith!

 

Mt 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Jesus our Love Is Crucified

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Digging into the archives today for a message that ties in with the Lenten season of the church. I pray it will be a blessing for you.

 

Reading in my prayer journal from an entry dated December 20, 2008. Jesus said, “blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” He was not speaking of those grieving over the loss of a loved one, He was speaking about mourning over our loss of innocence that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. It is a mourning over the effects of our sins and the sins of others on God's good creation of man, beast, and nature!

 

The Bible records two times that Jesus wept, once when his friend Lazarus died, and the other when He overlooked the city of Jerusalem knowing what was going to happen to them because they refused His gift of salvation. Both of His times of weeping were related to the effects of sin!

 

In Ps 28:2, David “mourned” over the effects of his sin and prayed, “hear when I “CRY” to Thee!”

Let me ask you something: “When's the last time you wept over sin?” Maybe it's time for God's people to look again at our own lives and the condition of the world around us and weep! Weep over abortion! Weep over pornography! Over fornication, adultery,homosexuality, sex slavery of children, and all other confusion over sexual issues! Weep over gossip! Cry over the anger that is erupting like a volcano in the land! Weep over war and horrendous persecution of brothers and sisters!

 

Weep! And weep some more! Then believe the promise of Ps 126:5,6, “Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

 

And don't forget the words of Isaiah as he spoke concerning Jesus, “Comfort, comfort my people says your God!” Indeed, it will be as Jesus said in His sermon on the mount, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted! Tears demand comforting! And there is no one who can comfort like Jesus!

 

The words of the hymn “O Come and Mourn With Me” come to mind!

 

O come and mourn with me awhile

O come ye to the Savior’s side

O come together let us mourn

Jesus our love is crucified

 

Have we no tears to shed for him

While soldiers scoff and foes deride?

Ah! Look how patiently He hangs;

Jesus our Lord is crucified

 

Seven times HE spake seven words of love;

And all three hours His silence cried

For mercy on the souls of men

Jesus, our Lord, is crucified

 

O love of God! O sin of man1

In this dread act your strength is tried

And victory remains with love

Jesus our Lord is crucified.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

RSVP

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."' 5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

 

I’d like to spend a couple of days on the parable of the wedding feast found in Mt 22:1-14. Time is short. It always has been since Jesus ascended into heaven. He could return at any time and the wedding banquet will begin. Even if the Lord tarries, your time on earth is short. God can call you and I home at anytime! Jas 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

 

And when your life on earth “vanishes away,” You are going to wish you responded to God’s gracious invitation!

Now you may say, “What invitation? I didn’t receive a wedding invitation1” But yes you did, and it was found in the Bible beginning at Gen 1:1 and concluding at Rev 22:21. And the message was simple “come!”

 

God sent you reminders in the form of his servants, (prophets and ministers of the Word” and they said “come”

 

He sent his only Son whose open arms on the cross of Calvary had one message for you….”come”

 

“Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

Re 22:17b, “And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

So what have you done with His gracious invitation. Is it at the bottom of your pile of the cares of this world. And you plan to get to it one day? Learn from the prosperous farmer who set about to build bigger barns because the things of this world were more important to him than God’s gracious invitation!

Lu 12:20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

The feast has been prepared, and if you were the only person in the world, it is prepared for you.

 

Jesus said in Joh 6:37b " and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

RSVP today. Simply tell Jesus “I come”

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Beware the Doctrine of the Sadducees and the Pharisees

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

Mt 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

Beware! A forever warning for the followers of Jesus Christ! Watch out for false teachings that infiltrate and infect the church! Time does not permit a dissection of all the teachings of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, so let’s zero in on a couple of major ones.

 

The Sadducees did not believe in a bodily resurrection and there are liberal denominations today that are following that same path. They got there by denying the infallibility of the Scriptures. Beware of churches that do not hold to 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

 

On the other hand you have the Pharisees. Their problem was legalism. They added their own rules to the salvation equation. Beware! Lest you be tempted to do the same and trample upon the grace of God!

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Why do we need to avoid both extremes? Because one group, (the Sadducees) take away from the Word of god, and the other (the Pharisees add to it1)

 

Re 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

 

Beware then beloved of the doctrines of the Sadducees and the Pharisees. They are still with us today!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Just Kids On Our Way Home

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

In Mt 18: 1-5 Jesus talks about the necessity of having the faith of a child, then in the next segment HE speaks of “little ones” rather than literal children.

 

Who are these “little ones?” They are anyone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and they are mentioned three times in the following verses! Once in in verse 6, Mt 18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, (Commit apostasy, walk away from the faith)  it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

 

Pity the purveyors of false doctrines! 

 

Then in verse 10, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

 

Don’t mess with those who believe in God! His angels are on call 24/7 to come to our aid! Heb 1:14 Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

 

 And finally in v14 “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

 

God wants to see you in heaven, woe to any who would seek to lead you astray!

 

I think it is vital to stop thinking like we are some sort of super mature people and to remember that we are but little children, who won’t fully mature until God calls us home.

 

I am a child, you are a child! As children God loves us tenderly and HE loves us enough to discipline us to keep us from going astray. As children He seeks to guard and protect us from all that would seek to separate us from His love and our ultimate reunion with Him in heaven!

 

No matter our age or years of experience we are all children in the eyes of God. Let us not forget that! Let’s embrace that fact and seek to live like the reality that it is. In the kingdom of God…..we’re just kids on our way home!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Called and Set

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

Mt 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

 4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

 “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Who is the greatest Christian you know? Is it your pastor? Someone in your Bible Study? Maybe someone from the past like Luther or Calvin? Is it Spurgeon or Billy Graham? Who is it?

 

And Jesus called and set a child before them. So this child was old enough to respond to His call and small enough to be lifted by Jesus  and set in the midst of this adult conversation.

 

I think “called” and “set” are two very important words. Jesus calls us through the preaching of the gospel, and when we respond HE sets us where we need to be, in His church (the kingdom) doing whatever it is that HE has gifted us to do!

 

His initial response to the question, was not who is the greatest, but rather who gets in! He says, unless you are converted, (turned around) and become as this trusting and obedient child, you’re not going to get in.

 

As far as who is the greatest? Jesus said it is the one who humbles himself like that little child. Ask yourself this question. :How does a child express humility? The answer is by yielded to His superiors. Do you want to be great in the kingdom of God? Then yield to the superiority, the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life and you will share space with those regarded as the greatest!

 

Beloved! Respond to the call of Jesus, and through humble yielding, let Him Place you where He needs you to be.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Why God Hates Divorce

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Getting back to the “pre-marital primer” found in Mal 2:11-16. This is a “must read” section of Scripture for those considering marriage! Today we will look at one of the reasons God hates divorce.

Mal 2:15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16 "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

 

Note the repetition of the phrase “take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously with your wife.” It’s mentioned twice for emphasis! Treachery is defined as a  “violation of allegiance or faith.” A double mention here should tell us how important this is in the eyes of God!

 

You may not understand it or even believe it but the Spirit that made you and your spouse one knows it! Therefore take heed to your spirit, because God hates divorce!

 

Why does HE hate it? Because it does violence to the seamless garment of marriage. The garment that He put together when you exchanged vows,when the two become a literal one.

 

Divorce does violence to that garment, ripping it in two damaged pieces and it ignores the command from Jesus found in  Mt 19:6 "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

 

As much as God hates divorce it still happens, and when it does, there is always pain involved. The pain is the same as that experienced by the death of a spouse. Before you tie the knot, get that picture of the seamless garment ever before your eyes and fight for your marriage.

 

One more vital thing. Divorce is not some unforgiveable sin. There is no sin that Jesus didn’t pay for on the cross. But these things in Malachi, are truths that couples should be aware of as they take that step into marriage. It will go a long way in keeping things together.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word