Matthew 11 reports that Jesus went preaching in Galilee and John the Baptist sent a question from prison asking if Jesus was the Messiah? Jesus replied pointing them to the evidences of his healing the sick, raising the dead and preaching to the poor. Jesus then goes on to honour John the Baptist saying "there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist... he is the Elijah who was to come". Then Jesus denounces cities where he had ministered like Korazin and Capernaum that refused to repent. Then Jesus praises God because he was revealing the truth "to little children as opposed to the wise and learned... he then goes on to reaffirm his unique relationship with God the Father saying... all things have been committed to me by my Father... and then he calls people to himself saying... Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest".
Thursday, 6 August 2026
Readers
The readers of this blog come from a wide-range of countries. By far the largest group is from the USA. Next comes Seychelles, third is Brazil, fourth is India and fifth Vietnam. 6th is Pakistan, 7th Philippines, 8th Bangladesh, 9th Argentina and 10th Saudi Arabia. My prayer is that many people will be blessed by my daily missionary diary and my summaries chapter by chapter of the whole Word of God. I remember how I met a man once who told me he had been converted through my radio ministry many years earlier although I had never met him. My prayer is that this may happen too through this daily blog for the glory of God.
I am now proceeding with my résumé of the New Testament, having completed the Old Testament. Yesterday I concluded the first 10 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew with the sending out of the 12 in mission in chapter 10.
Today the results have come out from the Ministry of Education for all the schools in Brazil, and once again our 'Pastor Frank Dyer School' in Patos has been classified in first place for primary schools in Patos with a mark of 8.2 on the IDEB. Well done headteacher Gerlânia and all the team! All glory be to God!
Wednesday, 5 August 2026
Matthew 10 (résumé): Jesus sends out the 12
Jesus sent out the 12 in mission. "Jesus called his 12 disciples and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to cure every type of disease... he told them to go to the lost sheep of Israel... preach that the kingdom of heaven is near and heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons... freely you have received, freely give... take no bag for the journey... if people reject you shake the dust off your feet... I am sending you like sheep among wolves... you will be given what to say by the Spirit... all men will hate you because of me... a servant is not above his master... but do not be afraid of them... for they cannot kill the soul... and you are worth more than 2 sparrows... whoever acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my Father... I did not come to bring peace... and anyone who loves his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me... he who receives you receives me".
Matthew 9 (résumé): Furth ministry by Jesus
Jesus' messianic ministry continues in Matthew 9 as a paralytic man was brought to Jesus so he forgave the man's sins, which put the cat among the pigeons, as far as the teachers of the law was concerned as they felt this was blasphemy. So Jesus healed the man to show his authority which left everyone "filled with awe". This is followed by the calling of Matthew related by Matthew! He was a tax collector and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for keeping their company. Jesus reacted saying: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick!" Following this John the Baptist's disciples asked Jesus why his disciples didn't fast and he told them it wouldn't happen when the bridegroom was still with them. Things were changing and Jesus showed them the need to pour new wine into new wineskins. Then Jesus was called to resurrect a ruler's daughter, but on the way he was side-tracked curing a woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. Having cured her Jesus went on to raise the dead girl. Then Jesus encountered 2 blind men calling out to him asking for mercy, and Jesus healed them. Then Jesus went on to deliver a dumb man who was demon possessed. The people were amazed hearing him speaking and said: "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!" And Jesus went through the towns and villages teaching and preaching the Gospel and he felt compassion towards the crowds. He said: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few... pray for more workers!"
Matthew 8 (résumé): Multiple healings by Jesus
Now Jesus is approached by "a man with leprosy" who asked Jesus if he was willing to heal him? Jesus said yes, "be clean"! And he was immediately cured. Then at Capernaum a centurion told Jesus that his servant was paralysed and suffering and asked him to heal him at a distance because he wasn't worthy for Jesus to enter his house. Jesus was astonished by his faith and proceeded to heal the servant. Then Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law before healing many sick people and driving out evil spirits. The text says that this fulfilled Isaiah 53:4. Then a teacher of the law declared to Jesus that he would follow him everywhere. Jesus answered that foxes have holes and birds have nests but he had nowhere to lay his head. Then another man said he needed to go and conduct his father's funeral, and Jesus said "let the dead bury the dead"! Then Jesus and the disciples went travelling by boat and were hit by a surprise storm and the disciples asked Jesus for help and Jesus lamented their lack of faith. Jesus rebuked the winds and everything calmed down, so the men were amazed that even the winds and the waves obeyed Jesus! Then Jesus arrived in the region of the Gadarenes where he encountered 2 violent devil possessed men and they asked Jesus to send them into a nearby herd of pigs if he was to cast them out of the men. This happened and the pigs hurtled into a lake and drowned. And the townsfolk asked Jesus to leave the area.
Matthew 7 (résumé): The Sermon on the Mount (part 3)
Further teaching from Jesus flows in Matthew 7 starting with "Do not judge, or you too will be judged... and why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye when you have a plank in your own... and don't throw your pearls to pigs". Jesus then goes on to teach further on prayer saying "ask and it will be given unto you, seek and you will find... if your son asks for bread you don't give him a stone... so God will give good gifts to those who ask him". Jesus then says "enter through the narrow gate... for narrow is the way that leads to life". Then Jesus says "watch out for false prophets which are wolves in sheep's clothing... and by their fruit you will know them... not everyone that says Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven!" Finally Jesus says that putting my word into practice is like building your house on a rock... but not practicing my word is foolishness building in the sand. The house on the rock stands firm in the storm but the one on the sand falls with a great crash. And people were amazed at Jesus' teaching with authority.
Matthew 6 (résumé): Sermon on the Mount (part 2)
Matthew 6 starts with teaching about giving to the needy which Jesus says should be without exhibitionism. "Don't announce your giving with trumpets!" Let God know and nobody else. Then Jesus teaches on prayer with his famous 'Lord's Prayer'. Jesus condemns 'show off' prayers and teaches that prayer should honour God's name... pray for God's kingdom and will... ask for daily bread... seek forgiveness whilst forgiving others... ask for deliverance from temptation and evil. Then Jesus says that fasting ought to be discreet "so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting". Then Jesus teaches that "you cannot serve both God and money... don't store up treasures on earth but rather do it in heaven". Finally in this chapter the Lord tells his disciples not to worry about food, clothing and the days ahead, because the birds and flowers do fine without worrying. "Seek yea first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you".