June 5, 2024

Scripture: Matthew Chapter 3

Title: Jesus, the perfect example

Reflection:

Matthew's story of Jesus jumps forward several decades from the moment when His
family settled in Nazareth. This passage finds John the Baptist preaching about
repentance in the wilderness and baptizing those who are willing. Crowds come from all
around to hear John preach in the look and style of Elijah, including Israel's religious
leaders. John warns them of God's coming judgment on those who do not truly repent.
Jesus arrives and insists that John baptize Him. As Jesus emerges from the water, the
heavens break open, the Holy Spirit descends to rest on Jesus in dove-like form, and the
voice of God declares that Jesus is His Son. After this baptism, Jesus will be led into the
desert to be tempted by Satan, in chapter 4.

Application:

• As Christians, our physical heritage, even if we have grown up in the church and can trace
our Christians roots back many generations, means nothing without a living and genuine
connection with God and His Word.

• At every step and stage of life, Jesus is the perfect example for us

• A work similar to that of John the Baptist has been given to God’s last-day people to
prepare the

world for Christ’s second coming.

• John’s warning of judgment is an important encouragement for all of us, especially the

leaders of God’s church, to be awake and ready to meet the Coming One at His second
arrival.

Prayer:

Lord, you are the perfect example for us. You don’t have to, but You did it anyway so that
we can look up to your deeds. Your humility and obedience should be practiced by everyone
daily.
June 6, 2024

Scripture: Matthew Chapter 4

Title: Jesus being tempted

Reflection:

Matthew 3 ends with a great affirmation from the voice of God the Father: Jesus is His
Son. Immediately after that, God's Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for a time of
temptation by the devil. Jesus passes that test and then begins His ministry in the region
of Galilee. Jesus begins to call His disciples and travel around the region. He teaches in
the synagogues and heals people with every kind of affliction. Jesus' fame grows quickly.
This provides Him a large audience for the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew begins to
record in chapter 5.

Application:

1. Temptations often intensify following baptism. It seems that the devil works even
harder to turn “forward-movers” into “backsliders.” But no one can be compelled to sin.
Jesus, being tempted in all points as we are, shows us that by relying on Him and His Word
we can likewise be victorious over temptation.

2. The three temptations of Christ cover the three main spheres of human temptation:
“the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Christ’s
victory over each of these three temptations shows that:

• what we eat and put into our bodies affects our spiritual health.

• it matters whether we are willing to rely upon God completely and be satisfied with His
approval or whether we desire human praise more.
• idols cherished in the heart prevent us from putting God first in everything and hinder us
in obeying and worshipping Him.

3. The fact that Satan could change the meaning of a Bible text by omitting just a few
words shows that every word in Scripture is necessary in order to understand the inspired
meaning of the whole. Changing or ignoring even one word may drastically change the
message (cf. Matt 5:18– 19). The warning about adding to or taking away from what has
been revealed may also apply more broadly to the whole canon.

4. When considering one’s occupation it is wise to consider not only how it may be helpful in
this life, but also how it could enable us to advance God’s kingdom and produce fruit for
eternity (Matt 6:33).

Prayer:

LORD, thank you for enduring the hunger and thirst and experiencing the worst for a man
to bear, to be tempted at his weakest physical state and yet you overcome and become
victorious. Thank you for leading us and showing us on how we can fight our battles.
June 7, 2024

Scripture: Matthew Chapter 5

Title: The Beatitudes

Reflection:

This chapter follows Matthew's description of the enormous crowds that were following
Jesus (Matthew 4:25). One day, Jesus sits down on a hill to teach them, in an address we
now call the Sermon on the Mount. He describes as blessed those who are poor in spirit,
who mourn, and who are persecuted. Christ also explains how God's standards of
righteousness go far beyond behaviors and speech; they also include our thoughts and
attitudes. Meeting God's standards means perfection.

Application:

1. Regardless of how difficult life might be now, those who are truly blessed have the
principles of heaven in their hearts.

2. To be truly whole and truly healthy in every way includes having healthy thoughts.

3. It is humanly impossible to achieve the righteousness that God requires of all who will
enter heaven. Only a miracle of God’s forgiving grace that transforms willing believers
more and more into His image by the Holy Spirit can make it possible.

4. Putting these principles into practice in daily life will help us not only to be more like
Jesus but to understand Him better and to love Him more. “God’s ideal for His children is
higher than the highest human thought can reach”

Prayer:

Thank you LORD GOD! You want us to be happy! That's right! You want us na maging
masaya! Thank you for your Beautitudes (Blessings) Especially through our closeness and
Relationship with You LORD JESUS. Itong mga Beatitudes ay daan patungo sa kaligayahan
at ang kaligayahan na nagmumula saiyo ang nais mo na aming maranasan.
June 8, 2024

Scripture: Matthew Chapter 6

Title: Pray then like this

Reflection:

Chapter 5 began Matthew's telling of the Sermon on the Mount. In that passage, Jesus
pointed out that thoughts and attitudes are part of righteousness, just as much as actions.
In Chapter 6, He explains how good deeds are only righteous when done out of sincere
devotion to God, rather than for other people's approval. He also provides a model for
prayer. Jesus explains how excessive worry, such as over money, interferes with faith in
God. Knowing that God loves us should lead believers to trust Him, not to be anxious.
Chapter 6 is one of the few chapters of the New Testament entirely composed of the
words of Christ. In chapter 7 Jesus will introduce additional themes such as appropriate
judgment, trust in God, and treatment of others.

Application:

1. Worshipping God is a deeply personal and private activity, even when ministering to the
needs of others.

2. What matters in prayer, whether personal and private or in public, is not how much or
how long we pray but remembering to whom we are praying and why.

3. What most consumes our discretionary time, money, and thoughts reveals what has
captured our heart.

4. Since God knows our needs, rather than worrying about them, we should ask our
heavenly Father to supply them and trust that He will.

Prayer:

Lord I pray that I would be more prayerful than ever. Give me the right heart and mind to
do it. Alam ko po na walang dumadaplis na panalangin sa Inyo. Salamat sa palaging pagdinig
nito, masambit man o nasa isip lamang.
June 9, 2024

Scripture: Matthew Chapter 7

Title: Do not Judge

Reflection:

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5, discussing the Beatitudes and the idea
that inner thoughts are very much part of sin and righteousness. Chapter 6 denounced
hypocrisy, modeled prayer, and opposed anxiety. Chapter 7 discusses the proper manner of
judgment, including how to gauge the teachings of others. Jesus also warns against
spiritual self-deception. He concludes with an analogy about foundations and storms. The
crowd's amazement at Christ's teachings leads into the miracles and encounters of
chapters 8 and 9.

Application:

 Jesus commands His followers not to judge each other, a statement easily and
frequently taken out of context. What immediately follows, including most of the
rest of this chapter, is a careful description of the right way to judge.
 What Christ condemns is arrogant, hypocritical condemnation (John 7:24).
 Those who presume to take God's place as judge will be judged in the same way.
Human beings are unqualified to pronounce judgment in the same way as God
because they are unable or unwilling to see their own sinfulness.
 Only after a person has addressed their own sin, and admitted their own condition,
can they help others address their sin. Even then, the goal is to help and not to
condemn (Matthew 7:1–5).

Prayer:

Lord, I pray that I avoid judging others in an arrogant manner. I pray that I always look at
others the way you look at them so that I may have a deeper understanding of them. May I
look at them with love and compassion as you do.