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Matthew 25:40 Ministries, 260 Calhoun Road, Mendenhall, MS (2026)

10/20/2026

Morning Devotional at the Shelter with Pastor Matthew
October 20, 2026

The Kingdom of Heaven: From a Small Beginning to a Kingdom That Spreads Throughout the World

Today at the shelter, Pastor Matthew continued teaching from Matthew chapter 13, where Jesus tells several parables about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pastor Matthew reminded us of something important: If we want to understand the book of Matthew, we have to understand that it is all about the Kingdom of God. We cannot take one parable by itself, forget what Jesus has been teaching, and make it say whatever we want. We need to look at how these teachings fit together.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed — Matthew 13:31–32

Jesus said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.” — Matthew 13:31 (NIV)

Jesus went on to explain that although the mustard seed was small, it would grow into a large plant, becoming the largest of the garden plants, so that the birds could come and perch in its branches.

Pastor Matthew explained something important here. Just because Jesus used a mustard seed in this parable doesn’t mean He was teaching about having faith the size of a mustard seed. This parable is not about the size of our faith. It’s about the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We have to pay attention to what Jesus actually said. He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that was planted and grew into something much larger. The seed started small, but it didn’t stay small. It grew into something much bigger.

That is the point Jesus was making. The Kingdom of Heaven was beginning with Jesus and His ministry. He was the promised Messiah, and through Him, God’s Kingdom was being revealed and established. What began with Jesus and a small group of followers would grow into something far greater than people could see at the time.

Think about where it all began. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He had a small group of followers compared to the countless people who would eventually hear the Gospel. But God had a much bigger plan than what people could see in those early days.

The mustard seed helps us understand how the Kingdom began small and would grow and spread throughout the world. We must be careful not to take a familiar idea about faith and put it into a passage when that isn’t what Jesus was teaching. We need to let the passage speak for itself.

Jesus wasn’t talking about how much faith we should have. He was showing what would happen to the Kingdom of Heaven. It would not remain small!

Just as the mustard seed grew into a large plant, the message of Jesus would spread far beyond where it began, reaching people from all kinds of backgrounds and nations.

And just as the birds came and found a place in the branches of that growing plant, the picture helps us understand how the Kingdom would grow and reach people from many places.

The Parable of the Yeast — Matthew 13:33

Jesus then told another parable:

“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” — Matthew 13:33 (NIV)

Pastor Matthew pointed out how this parable connects with the mustard seed. One picture shows something small growing into something large. The other shows something spreading until it works its way throughout the whole batch.

Both parables point us toward the growth and spread of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus began His ministry in a particular place, with a small group of followers. But the message would not remain there. It would spread throughout the world, reaching people who had never even heard His name.

Think about yeast working its way through a large batch of dough. It doesn’t just stay in one little spot. It spreads throughout the whole batch.

That is the picture Jesus gave us of the Kingdom. It began small, but its influence would continue to spread.

These Parables Work Together

Pastor Matthew reminded us that we cannot look at these parables as if Jesus were telling a bunch of unrelated stories.

First, Jesus told the parable of the sower. The seed fell on different kinds of soil, and the people who heard the Word responded in different ways.

Then Jesus told the parable of the weeds. The enemy sowed weeds among the wheat, showing that good and evil would exist together until the time of the harvest.

But the story didn’t stop there!

Jesus then told about the mustard seed and the yeast. Even though there would be opposition, rejection, and people who would not receive the Word, the Kingdom of God would continue to grow and spread.

The Kingdom began small, but it would become great. It would spread throughout the world, and people from many places would become part of what God was doing.

When we put these parables together, we can better understand the bigger message Jesus was teaching about His Kingdom.

Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?

Matthew 13:34–35 tells us that Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, fulfilling what had been spoken through the prophet.

Psalm 78:2 says:

“I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old.” — Psalm 78:2 (NIV)

Pastor Matthew explained that God’s purposes were not something He came up with at the last minute. The coming of the Messiah was part of God’s purpose from the beginning.

The truth was there in the Scriptures, but people did not yet fully understand how it would all come together.

Jesus revealed these truths through His teaching, little by little. His followers would understand even more after His death and resurrection, when they could look back and see what God had been doing all along.

There was also a reason these truths were not all laid out plainly for everyone to understand at that time. Jesus had a mission to fulfill, and His time had not yet come. His death and resurrection were part of God’s plan, and He would carry out that mission at the appointed time.

Matthew points out that Jesus teaching in parables was also fulfilling Scripture. What seemed hidden to people at the time would become clearer as God’s plan unfolded.

Jesus Was Always the Plan

Pastor Matthew reminded us that Jesus going to the cross was never Plan B. God didn’t try one plan, watch it fail, and then have to come up with something different. Jesus was always the plan.

The cross wasn’t a last-minute decision or a backup plan. From the very beginning, God knew what He was doing. Jesus came into this world with a mission, and His death and resurrection were part of God’s plan to save us.

Revelation 13:8 speaks of:

“the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” — Revelation 13:8 (NIV)

God’s plan to redeem us through Jesus was not an afterthought. Even when people didn’t understand what Jesus was doing, God’s purpose was unfolding just as He intended.

As we read through Matthew, we can see Jesus revealing more and more about the Kingdom of Heaven and the mission He came to fulfill. What seemed hidden at the time became clearer after His death and resurrection.

Jesus wasn’t Plan B. He was always the plan, and the cross was never a failure of God’s plan. It was part of His purpose from the beginning.

What Can We Take Away From This?

Sometimes we look at something small and think it can’t amount to much. We may look at a small church, a little ministry, or a few people trying to make a difference and wonder how much of an impact they can really have.

But we must not judge what God is doing by how small something looks at the beginning.

Look at the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus began His earthly ministry with a small group of followers, but the message of the Gospel has spread throughout the world.

What began small did not stay small. The Kingdom kept growing, just as Jesus said it would.

We may not always understand the whole picture while we are living through it, but we can look back at God’s Word and see how His plan was unfolding all along.

And remember, we need to read God’s Word carefully. We shouldn’t take a verse, ignore its context, and make it say something it was never meant to say. We need to pay attention to what Jesus was teaching and how each parable fits into the bigger picture. Yeah

The Kingdom of Heaven was not an afterthought. Jesus was always the plan, and He came to carry out God’s purpose from the beginning.

Morning devotional at Matthew 25:40 Ministries, where broken people help broken people and we keep learning together.

10/19/2026

Morning Devotional at the Shelter with Pastor Matthew
Matthew 13:24–30 — The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds

Today Pastor Matthew continued teaching us about the Kingdom of God and the parable of the wheat and the weeds.

Jesus tells us about a man who planted good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat. As the wheat began to grow and get ready to produce a harvest, the weeds grew right alongside it.

Pastor Matthew helped us see this parable in a different light. The weeds don’t mean that the wheat isn’t growing. The wheat is still there, but the weeds can interfere with the harvest.

Remember the parable of the sower? Jesus explained that the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth can choke out the Word and keep us from producing fruit.

Think about that for a minute.

We can love the Lord, want to serve Him, and have a heart for ministry, but still get so caught up in worrying about money, our jobs, our families, and everything going on around us that we lose sight of what God has called us to do.

Sometimes we’re so busy trying to make sure everything in our lives is taken care of that we never get around to doing the very things God has put on our hearts.

Pastor Matthew talked about the deceitfulness of wealth. That means being fooled into thinking money is the answer to everything. We start believing that if we could just make a little more money, we would finally be secure and everything would be all right.

But money can’t promise us tomorrow. It can’t fix every problem, and it can’t take the place of God.

That doesn’t mean money and resources aren’t important. We all have responsibilities, and ministries need resources to do the work God has given them. But in the end, our trust must be in the Lord, not in how much money we have.

We have to do our part, work hard, and be faithful with what God puts in our hands. But we must remember who our provider really is.

Don’t let the weeds choke out the fruit God wants to produce in your life.

The enemy wants to distract us with worry, fear, temptation, and the constant pursuit of things we think we need. He wants us so tied up in everything else that we become discouraged and stop doing what God has called us to do.

That’s why Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to grow weary in doing good, because we will reap a harvest in due season if we don’t give up.

Sometimes the harvest is just beginning to show when trouble comes along. That’s no reason to quit. Keep serving. Keep loving people. Keep doing what is right. Don’t let worry steal the time and energy you could be using to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Matthew also reminded us that the wheat and the weeds would grow together until the harvest. The servants wanted to pull up the weeds, but the owner told them not to, because they might damage the wheat, too. The separation would come at the proper time.

The presence of weeds didn’t mean the wheat had disappeared. And the presence of trouble in our lives doesn’t mean God has stopped working.

There was one more important point Pastor Matthew made. The devil tempts and persuades, but we are still responsible for the choices we make. We can’t keep making destructive decisions and blame the devil for everything that happens afterward.

Temptation may come, but we must choose how we respond. We can listen to those wrong thoughts and follow them, or we can turn to God and choose His way.

So today, let’s ask ourselves: What has been taking up so much of my time, my thoughts, and my energy that I’m not producing the fruit God wants to see in my life?

Are we trusting God, or are we trusting money? Are we moving forward in what He’s called us to do, or are we allowing worry and fear to keep us sitting still?

Here at Matthew 25:40 Ministries, we know we need resources to help the men God sends our way. But money isn’t what makes this ministry work. God does. We still have to show up, do the work, and be faithful, trusting Him to provide what we need along the way.

Let’s not spend so much time worrying about the weeds that we forget to tend to the wheat.

Keep planting good seed. Keep doing good. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and don’t give up.

The weeds may be growing around you, but don’t let them keep you from bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God.

God bless y’all!

10/18/2026

Matthew 25:40 Ministries
Morning Devotional at the Shelter with Pastor Matthew
October 16, 2026

It’s Not Enough to Clean Up the Outside

Today we continued in Matthew chapter 12, and there is a lot here for us to think about.

Yesterday, Jesus healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and unable to speak. Instead of recognizing what God was doing right in front of them, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, whom they called the prince of demons.

Think about that for a minute. Jesus had just done something wonderful for a man who was suffering, and instead of seeing God’s goodness, these religious leaders accused Him of working for the devil.

Then, after accusing Jesus, they turned around and asked Him for a sign.

Jesus answered them in Matthew 12:39 by saying, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!” He told them that no sign would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, Jesus said the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

Jesus was pointing ahead to His death, burial, and resurrection.

But He also brought up something the Pharisees should have understood. When Jonah preached to Nineveh, the people repented. Nineveh was known for its wickedness, yet when the people heard God’s warning, they turned from their ways.

Jesus also reminded them of the queen of the South, who traveled a great distance to hear Solomon’s wisdom. Now, someone greater than Solomon was standing right in front of them, and they were refusing to listen.

These religious leaders knew the Scriptures. Teaching the law and the stories of God’s people was their job. But knowing the Scriptures and allowing God’s truth to change your heart are two different things.

The people of Nineveh repented when Jonah preached to them. Yet these religious leaders were standing in front of Jesus Himself and refusing to repent.

You can know the Bible, know the rules, and know how to look religious without allowing God to change your heart.

And that brings us to another important part of what Jesus taught.

In Matthew 12:43–45, Jesus talked about an impure spirit leaving a person, only to return later and find the house swept clean and put in order. The spirit then brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and the person’s condition becomes worse than before.

Jesus was showing the danger of simply cleaning up the outside without dealing with what is happening on the inside.

We see this in life all the time. A person may quit using drugs, walk away from destructive habits, or try to get their life straightened out. Those are good steps, but stopping a bad habit is not the same thing as having a changed heart.

If we only focus on cleaning up the outside, we can end up right back where we started. Sometimes the damage gets even worse.

Jesus isn’t just calling us to straighten up our behavior. He is calling us to repent, turn to God, and allow Him to change us from the inside out.

The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He wants to lead people down a road that takes more and more from them. He wants to destroy their lives and leave them without hope.

But Jesus came to give life.

Here at Matthew 25:40 Ministries, we see men every day who are trying to put their lives back together. Some have struggled with addiction. Some have lost just about everything. And some are carrying burdens that other people may never know about.

We want to help these men get back on their feet, find work, and move toward a better future. But we also know that lasting change goes deeper than a roof over someone’s head or a change in their circumstances.

The goal isn’t just to help a man clean up his life. It’s to help him see that there is a Savior who loves him and can change his heart.

We cannot change another person’s heart for them. We can love them, walk alongside them, share God’s truth, and point them toward Jesus. The work of transformation belongs to God.

So here’s something worth asking ourselves today:

Are we just trying to clean up the outside, or are we allowing Jesus to work on the inside?

Are we satisfied with looking like good people, or are we willing to let God show us the places in our hearts that still need to change?

The Pharisees knew the rules, but they missed the One standing right in front of them. Let’s not make that same mistake.

It’s not enough to know about Jesus. We need to turn to Him, trust Him, and let Him change the way we live from the inside out.

That’s where real change begins.

— Matthew 25:40 Ministries

10/15/2026

Morning Devotional at the Shelter with Pastor Matthew

October 15, 2026
Matthew 12:22–37 —

Jesus and Beelzebub

Today, Pastor Matthew led us through Matthew 12:22–37 and shared it with the kind of compassion that reminds us why Jesus came: to bring freedom, healing, and hope to people who could not help themselves.

In this passage, Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak. He was trapped in a condition he could not escape on his own. He could not ask for help or find his way to Jesus. But Jesus saw him, went to him, and set him free.

After the healing, the people began asking whether Jesus could be the Son of David, the King they had been waiting for. But the Pharisees, the religious leaders, had a different explanation. They accused Jesus of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.

Pastor Matthew helped us see that this was not just an argument about a miracle. It was a battle over who Jesus really is and whether people would recognize the work of God when they saw it.

The Son of David and the Kingdom of God

The man Jesus healed had three serious problems: He was demon-possessed, blind, and unable to speak. He could not cry out for help, see where to go, or explain what he was suffering through.

But Jesus knew exactly where he was. The man was not only set free; he was given his life back.

Jesus went to him, and when Jesus touched his life, everything changed. The man could see. He could speak. He was no longer held captive. The people saw the miracle, and it could not be denied.

That is why they began asking, “Could this be the Son of David?”

Why did they call Him that? Because the Messiah was expected to come from David’s family line and reign as King. David had been a great warrior who fought Israel’s enemies, and the people were looking for the promised King who would come from his line.

When they saw what Jesus had done, they began to wonder whether He was that King.

They were not just amazed by the miracle. They were beginning to recognize that God’s promised King might be standing right in front of them.

But the Pharisees would not accept that possibility. Instead, they claimed Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan.

Pastor Matthew pointed out several reasons they might have resisted Jesus. His authority threatened their positions. They were afraid of what Rome might do if the people began proclaiming another king. Beneath all of that was a heart that did not want to surrender to what God was doing.

Sometimes people can see the truth and still refuse to accept it because it threatens what they want to hold on to.

That is a sobering thought for all of us. We should never assume that seeing a work of God automatically means we will accept it. We must also be willing to humble ourselves and receive what God is showing us.

A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

Jesus knew their thoughts and answered them:

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

Jesus explained that if Satan were driving out Satan, then Satan’s kingdom would be fighting against itself. That made no sense.

Pastor Matthew emphasized how plainly Jesus answered them. Their accusation did not hold together. If Jesus were working for Satan, then Satan’s own kingdom would be destroying itself.

Jesus also asked them, in essence, by whose authority their own people drove out demons. It was a question that exposed the weakness of their argument. The Pharisees were willing to recognize spiritual authority when it seemed to support them, but they refused to recognize Jesus’ authority.

They had witnessed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and unable to speak, and now that man could see and speak.

The miracle was right in front of them.

Even the Pharisees did not deny that something had happened. They simply refused to acknowledge the true source of Jesus’ authority.

Jesus then said:

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” — Matthew 12:28

This brings us back to something Pastor Matthew has been teaching us throughout the book of Matthew: the whole book is about the Kingdom of God and the King who has come to establish it.

Jesus was showing them that God’s Kingdom was breaking into their world. The Kingdom was not just an idea or something far away in the future. It was being revealed through Jesus’ compassion, authority, healing, and delivering power.

The people were seeing the authority of the promised King, but the Pharisees were looking for another explanation.

Who Is the Strong Man?

Jesus continued with the example of a strong man guarding his house. Before someone can enter his house and carry away his possessions, the strong man must first be tied up.

The discussion turned to what this means in spiritual warfare. Some deliverance ministries teach that believers bind the strong man through the authority Jesus has given them. Pastor Matthew raised the question of how we should understand that authority and whether this passage points to Jesus Himself binding Satan through His finished work on the cross.

The important point in Jesus’ illustration is that someone cannot plunder the strong man’s house without first dealing with the one who holds it.

Jesus was showing that He was not working for Satan. He was demonstrating authority over the powers of darkness. The coming King had entered the strong man’s territory and was showing that Satan would not have the final word.

This is good news for people who feel trapped, oppressed, or forgotten. The enemy may be strong, but he is not stronger than Jesus. The darkness may be real, but it does not have the final authority.

Jesus then gave a serious warning:

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” — Matthew 12:30

There is no neutral position when it comes to Jesus and His Kingdom. We must decide whether we will follow Him and take part in His work or stand against Him.

Jesus is not asking us to admire Him from a distance. He is calling us to belong to Him, trust Him, and join Him in gathering people into the hope and freedom of His Kingdom.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

Jesus next warned that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven.

This led to an important discussion about what blasphemy means. It involves speaking evil against God, dishonoring Him, or falsely speaking about what is holy.

The Pharisees had witnessed Jesus’ work, yet they attributed it to Satan. They were calling the work of God’s Spirit the work of the devil.

Pastor Matthew explained the importance of the Holy Spirit’s work in bringing people to repentance and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit convicts us and leads us toward the truth. He does not condemn us in a way that leaves us without hope. He draws us back to God.

That is why this warning is so serious. If a person continually rejects the truth and calls the work of God evil, they are rejecting the very work through which they are being brought to repentance.

At the same time, Pastor Matthew spoke with care about this passage. It should not be treated as though every wrong word spoken about God or every past rejection of Him means a person can never be forgiven.

A person may have rejected God for years and still turn to Him in repentance. Someone may have lived far from the Lord and still come home. The door of mercy is not closed to the person who humbly turns back to God.

The warning is serious because we must not knowingly reject the truth of God’s work and call what He is doing evil. But the passage should also remind us that God is patient and compassionate, continually drawing people toward the truth.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

Jesus then said:

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” — Matthew 12:33

This was one of the central points of today’s devotion.

The argument was over whether Jesus was doing the work of God or the work of Satan. Jesus pointed them toward the fruit.

Pastor Matthew used the example of someone being accused of stealing or lying. If someone makes accusations against another person, we should not automatically believe everything we hear. Over time, we can look at the lives of the people involved and see what their actions produce.

What kind of fruit is coming from their lives? Are they helping people, serving others, and doing good? Are they showing compassion to those who are hurting? Or are their lives marked by dishonesty, chaos, and constant accusations against others?

The same principle applies to the Pharisees. They were accusing Jesus of doing evil, yet the people could see the good He was doing. A man who had been blind, unable to speak, and demon-possessed had been healed.

Jesus’ work was bringing freedom to someone who had been suffering.

A person’s life and the fruit it produces over time can tell us a great deal more than accusations alone.

This does not mean we should ignore wrongdoing or assume that every accusation is false. It means we should look carefully at the truth and the fruit a person’s life is producing instead of accepting words without examining the evidence.

Pastor Matthew reminded us that fruit takes time to grow, but it eventually becomes visible. A person may say all the right things, but their life will eventually reveal what is truly in their heart.

This is not only a lesson for judging others. It is also a lesson for examining ourselves.

What is growing in my life? What do people experience when they are around me? Do they experience patience, kindness, truth, and mercy? Or do they experience anger, suspicion, and condemnation?

Out of the Heart, the Mouth Speaks

Jesus did not hold back when He addressed the Pharisees. He called them a brood of vipers and said:

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” — Matthew 12:34

A good person brings good things out of the good stored up in the heart, while an evil person brings evil things out of the evil stored up within.

Our words reveal what is going on inside us.

If our hearts are full of bitterness, anger, jealousy, or resentment, those things will eventually come out in the way we speak and treat people.

Pastor Matthew explained that we should pay attention not only to what someone says about another person, but also to the fruit of the speaker’s own life.

Sometimes people are quick to accuse others of being liars, thieves, or troublemakers while doing the very things they condemn in someone else.

Eventually, their own actions may expose the truth.

The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of doing the devil’s work while resisting the work of God themselves. Their accusations revealed the condition of their own hearts.

But this passage also invites us to look inward with humility. Before we focus on the words of others, we should ask God to search our own hearts.

Are we speaking from love or anger? Are we trying to help or simply trying to hurt? Are we telling the truth, or are we using words to punish someone because we are wounded?

Pastor Matthew spoke with compassion because all of us have said things we regret. All of us have allowed anger to get ahead of wisdom. The answer is not to pretend we have never failed. The answer is to bring our hearts before God and allow Him to change what comes out of us.

Every Careless Word Matters

Jesus continued:

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” — Matthew 12:36

And then:

“For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” — Matthew 12:37

Pastor Matthew explained that empty words are not simply words spoken while joking around or having a good time. The concern is words that are false, worthless, or spoken without regard for the truth.

Think about how easy it is to get angry and start saying things about someone that we know are not true. We may say things simply because we are upset, even though we do not really believe what we are saying.

Those words matter.

They matter because words can wound people deeply. A careless accusation can damage someone’s reputation. A cruel statement can stay in a person’s heart for years. Sometimes people forget what they said, but the person who heard it may never forget.

Jesus was warning the Pharisees that they would answer to God for the false things they were saying about Him.

The same warning applies to us. We should be careful about what comes out of our mouths, especially when we are angry or talking about someone we dislike.

Before we accuse somebody, we ought to stop and ask ourselves whether what we are saying is actually true.

We should also ask whether our words are necessary, loving, and reflective of Jesus’ heart.

This does not mean we can never speak hard truth. Jesus spoke hard truth. But He spoke it to bring people into the light, not to destroy them.

When People Oppose You for Doing God’s Work

This lesson brought us back to the last of the Beatitudes:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:10

Jesus also said that people would speak falsely against His followers because of Him.

Pastor Matthew pointed out something important: Throughout much of Jesus’ ministry, His strongest opposition came from religious leaders, not from people who were openly struggling with sin and brokenness.

The demon-possessed man was not fighting Jesus. The people who witnessed the healing were asking whether Jesus was the promised King. It was the Pharisees who tried to discredit Him.

Why? Because Jesus was challenging their authority, their way of doing things, and their understanding of what God was doing.

When we begin doing the work of God’s Kingdom, we should not be surprised when people push back. Sometimes the strongest opposition can come from people who know religious language but resist what God is actually doing.

That does not mean every person who disagrees with us is against God. We must examine ourselves, remain humble, and make sure we are following Jesus rather than simply defending our own opinions.

But when we are doing what is right and people falsely accuse us, we do not have to spend our lives arguing with everyone.

Jesus answered the Pharisees’ accusation by showing them that their argument made no sense. He pointed to what had actually happened and exposed the truth in their reasoning.

Then He continued doing what He came to do.

That is an important lesson for us. We cannot always control what people say about us, but we can control whether we continue walking faithfully. We can keep serving. We can keep loving people. We can keep doing what God has placed in front of us.

Over time, the truth often becomes clearer. A person who continually lies, steals, and creates trouble will eventually show that pattern in other places, too. And a person who consistently serves, helps others, and does good will also produce fruit that people can see.

We cannot control what everyone says about us, but we can control how we live and how we respond.

What Can We Take Away From Today’s Devotion?

Today’s passage reminds us that doing the work of God does not mean everyone will agree with us or speak well of us.

Jesus was healing people, setting them free, and showing them the Kingdom of God, yet the religious leaders accused Him of serving Satan.

He did not pretend their accusations were true, and He did not simply ignore the falsehood. He answered them with the truth. But He also showed that their own words and the fruit of their lives exposed the problem.

Pastor Matthew reminded us that Jesus saw the suffering man before anyone else seemed to care. Jesus did not turn away from him because his condition was difficult. He did not ask whether the man deserved help. He simply brought healing and freedom.

That is the heart of Jesus.

So we need to ask ourselves some honest questions:

* What kind of fruit is my life producing?
* Do my words line up with the truth?
* Am I quick to accuse others while overlooking my own faults?
* When somebody speaks against me, can I answer honestly and then keep doing what God has called me to do?
* Am I more concerned with defending my position or serving the Lord?
* Do I have compassion for people who are hurting, trapped, or unable to help themselves?
* Am I willing to let Jesus change what is inside me so that good fruit can come out of my life?

We all need to take these questions seriously.

But we should not leave this passage feeling only condemned. We should also leave with hope. The same Jesus who delivered that man is still able to bring freedom today. The same Jesus who saw someone others may have overlooked still sees people who are hurting. He still meets people in their darkness and brings them into the light.

The main lesson is this: Don’t let false accusations pull you away from the work God has called you to do. Speak the truth when you need to, watch your own words, examine the fruit of your life, and keep following Jesus.

Our words matter. Our hearts matter. The fruit of our lives matters.

And the people who are hurting matter to God.

One day, we will all give an account to God. Until then, let us walk humbly, speak truthfully, show compassion, and keep serving the King who came to bring freedom to the captives.

Let us make sure that the life we live and the words we speak point people toward Jesus and His Kingdom.

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Matthew 25:40 Ministries

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