MSS - Matthew 25

Too often Yeshua's words are treated as something revolutionary, astounding, paradigm shifting.  I say "too often" because of the mistaken belief that Yeshua was giving something new, unheard of.  Yet, time and time again, a little study reveals that Yeshua is restoring, not replacing, all things.  Many passages from Scripture could highlight Yeshua's parables of the ten virgins and the talents in Matthew 25; today we merely highlighted two, in Isaiah and Ezekiel. 

MSS - Matthew 24:29-51

Joel 2:12
“Yet even now,” declares YHWH,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to YHWH your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.

Joel here is speaking of the worst of the Tribulation, the worst of how things are going to be for this earth.  And yet even then, God keeps open the door to forgiveness and salvation.

And then Yeshua returns, and the door is closed.

Don't wait till the last moment.  You don't know when your last moment is going to be.  Repent now, rend your heart now, turn to YHWH now!  In this way you can be the faithful servant, dutifully fulfilling the will of your king, and will be richly awarded when he returns and sees your faithfulness!

MSS - Matthew 24:1-28

The abomination that causes desolation.  Daniel gave a prophecy about it.  Antiochus Epiphanes fulfilled that prophecy.  Yeshua affirms Daniel's prophecy as something that hasn't happened yet.  What gives?  We discuss this, false teachers, false christs, and seeking God with all our hearts as we begin our study of Matthew 24.

MSS - Matthew 23 - Woe to you Pharisees, hypocrites!

Too often we see the Pharisees as the ultimate bad guys - and completely miss that they represented the righteous ones in Judea during the 1st century.  Yet, despite their "righteousness", they fell short of the kingdom of heaven.  Why?  Yeshua spells it out rather succinctly in this 23rd chpater of Matthew.  

MSS - Matthew 21b - 22a

It's Passion Week, Yeshua has thrown out the money changers, and, enraged, the chief priests and elders - on whose authority the money changers were present - want to know by what authority Yeshua operates.  In the parables that follow, Yeshua demonstrates clearly that these authorities have … well, listen in and find out!

MSS - Matthew 16

Once again the Pharisees and Sadducees ask for a sign, and once again Yeshua gives them the sign of Jonah.  You know, there is more to that sign than three days and three nights!

We also discuss the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Peter first acknowledging Yeshua as Messiah and then rebuking him, and what it means to take up your cross.  We pray you are edified today!

MSS - Matthew 15

"They honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me,
teaching as doctrine the precepts of men."

The theme of Yeshua's ministry as presented in Matthew continues here in the 15th chapter - that is, the heart produces the actions of a person, and if that heart is wicked, adulterous, and arrogant, then the action produced is vain honor from lying lips, perverse usage of God's Commandments, and elevation of man-made tradition.  But if one mourns their sin, acknowledges their guilt before God, humbles themselves in their heart, then their blindness is healed, their hearing is restored, and their mourning is comforted.  A ritual from an unclean heart is worthless.

MSS - Matthew 13b The Wheat and the Tares

We continue today with our study of Matthew 13, which appears to be a collection of Yeshua's parables about parables.  Parables within parables.  Parable inception!

Today's study begins with Psalm 73 and also spends some time in Psalm 78.  I encourage everyone to take some time to work through these Psalms and see how they relate to today's study, and also how they relate to our lives today.

Also, consider what your treasure is, and what you will pay to achieve that treasure.