NEWS, ARTICLES, DEVOTIONS AND MORE FROM BttB...

Purpose for Purity READ Matthew 5:27-28 27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” God is not opposed to sex; He is the one who created it. He approves the sexual relationship in marriage between a man and a woman (see Hebrews 13:4). God wants purity in thought and life, however, so these are warnings about bad thoughts tha

The Other Cheek READ Matthew 5:38-39 38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” Jesus continued to contrast the letter of the Old Testament law with a higher level of life He wanted His followers to have in His kingdom. On the one hand He set the limits of punishment; on the othe

Good Deeds READ Matthew 6:1-2 1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.” Jesus continued to tell what His followers should be like—not doing things fo

Forgiveness READ Matthew 6:14-15 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Some are thankful for God’s forgiveness of them but are unforgiving of others. This does not please God. The more believers in Jesus are sensitive to how much they have been forgiven, the more forgiving they will be of others. These statements from the Lord Jesus should be

All Your Worries READ Matthew 6:25-27 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Jesus continued to co

Specks and Logs READ Matthew 7:3-5 3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” It is easy to judge someone else, even a Christian brother or sister. Som

The Narrow Gate READ Matthew 7:13-14 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Think of a funnel: wide at the top with a narrow tube at the end. Consider that those who enter God’s kingdom enter the narrow end with all kinds of blessings and liberties that follow. Rel

Built on Sand READ Matthew 7:26-27 26 “But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Jesus said this after having said the wise person builds his house on bedrock. He warned that all those who do not obey His teaching would be like those building their houses on sand. He warned that those houses wo

The Nature of Authority READ Matthew 8:8-9 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” Jesus said He would come heal the officer’s young soldi

No Place to Lay His Head READ Matthew 8:18-20 18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Capernaum was on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus instructed His disciples t

Confronting Jesus READ Matthew 8:29 29 They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” The two demon-possessed men who had come out of the tombs yelled this at Jesus. Notice they knew He was the Son of God. They also knew they had an appointed time when they would be tortured. This reveals how much the devil and his demons know, but their knowledge only condemns them. REFLECT

That's Blasphemy READ Matthew 9:3 3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” After Jesus told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven, this is the reaction of the onlookers. They realized only God could forgive sins, but they didn’t believe Jesus was God. There are also those today—some standing behind pulpits—who think Jesus was only a good example but not God. REFLECT Do you attend a church that te

Mercy Not Sacrifices READ Matthew 9:12-13 12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” The Pharisees were indignant when they saw Jesus associating with tax collectors. Jesus’ remarks were directed at the Phari

Back to Life READ Matthew 9:23-26 23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside. The leader of a synagogue had asked Jesus to come to his house b

The Twelve READ Matthew 10:1-4 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), 3 Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, 4 Simon (the zealot), Judas Iscariot (who later

Enduring Hatred READ Matthew 10:21-23 21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.” Jesu

A Sword READ Matthew 10:34-36 34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. 35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!’” Some people believe Jesus came only to bring peace. That is not what He said. He refers to Micah 7:6 as He mentioned divisions within families. Many families a

Report What You Have Seen READ Matthew 11:4-6 4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” John the Baptist was in prison and having doubts about whether Jesus was really the Messiah. He sent some disciples to a

Comparisons READ Matthew 11:16-17 16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, 17 ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t mourn.’” God had sent John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus who was the promised Messiah-King. His many miracles showed Him to be qualified as this Messiah. The nation of Israel rejected Him, however, and o

The Father and Son READ Matthew 11:27 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Jesus told who truly knows Him—only the heavenly Father. He also told who truly knows the heavenly Father—only those to whom He chooses to reveal Him. This verse shows no one can completely understand God and all His workings. One would have t

Greater Than the Temple READ Matthew 12:5-6 5 “And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!” Jesus continued telling the Pharisees what they should have known from their Scriptures. Even the priests were allowed to work on the Sabbath. The Israelites were fixated on the Temple, which was the center of worship for them. As Jesus stood in fron

Many People Followed READ Matthew 12:15-16 15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. Jesus left the area because the religious leaders wanted to kill Him for healing a man’s hand on the Sabbath. Note that even though the religious leaders rejected Him, “many people followed him.” He healed the sick among them but didn’t want them to t

Divided Then Conquered READ Matthew 12:25-26 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.” The Pharisees accused Jesus of being able to cast out demons by the power of Satan, the prince of demons. Jesus pointed out how illogical it was to think what the Phar

A Tree and its Fruit READ Matthew 12:33-34 33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” Jesus rebuked the self-righteous Pharisees. Their words were bad and their actions were worse. Their words revealed what was in their hearts. Jesus said they were like