Matthew 6:16

 Matthew 6:16 says, Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  Jesus tells us that when we fast that we are not to make a display of it.  Verse seventeen adds,  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;  Then verse eighteen concludes, That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.  Jesus tells us that when we fast that we are to appear as if everything is normal.  As with anything that we claim to be doing for God, except witnessing, it should be not be done just so the world will notice.  If we fast so people will notice us, then Jesus tells us that we already have our reward, which is earthly praise.  Verse nineteen declares, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  Jesus warns us to not lay up our treasures in the world, because they will never last.  We leave it all when we die.  Verse twenty adds, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  We should spend more time doing God's work than we do in simply trying to get rich in worldly goods.  The treasures that we lay up in heaven are everlasting, but I don't believe that they are what we would call treasures here on earth.  they are spiritual and not material treasures.  Verse twenty-one concludes, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Jesus tells us that what we value most determines where our heart, or thoughts and affections, will be focused.  As followers of Christ, our focus should be on the things of God and on His will for our lives.  Verse twenty-two says, The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  Our eyes allow us to see the things of the world, and Jesus tells us that our focus should be on the Light, or the things of God.  Verse twenty-three adds, But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!  Jesus tells us that if we focus on the evil of the world instead of the light of God that the darkness for us is great indeed.  Jesus came to be a Light to all the world, but many people refuse to see that Light that leads us to salvation.  Verse twenty-four proclaims, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  No no can faithfully serve two masters, especially when the two masters are so much opposed to one another.  Jesus makes it very plain.  We cannot serve God and mammon, the things of this world, at the same time.  I believe that when we begin to make Christianity about how much we have materially as a sign of God's blessings that we are attempting to serve two masters.  Verse twenty-five adds, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Jesus tells us that we are not to be concerned about what we eat or what we wear, but how often is that our overlying concern?  How often do we spend more time worrying about what we will wear to church than we do about why we should really be going to church to start with?  Verse twenty-six continues, Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Jesus tells us to consider the birds.  They do not reap or sow, but God provides food for them, and then asks if we are not more important to God than the birds.  As God provides for the birds, He will also provide for us if we put our faith in Him.  Verse twenty-seven says, Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  We cannot just decide how tall we want to be and make it happen.  God is in charge of that.  We might possibly stunt our growth by poor diet or other actions, but we will never increase our height.  Verse twenty-eight asks, And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  Then verse twenty-nine adds, And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Jesus tells us to look at the beauty of the lily and the fact that God makes them so, and then declares that even Solomon with all his riches could not be made more beautiful than the lilies are.  Verse thirty continues, Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Jesus tells us that we are to rely on God to meet our daily needs, and the tells us if we don't that we have little faith.  Jesus tells us that we should never worry about the things of this world if we are truly living by faith in God.  Verse thirty-one declares, Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  I know some people would say that we cannot be expected to live without making sure that we have enough to get through tomorrow and the next few days at least, but Jesus tells us that we are to have no concern about these things but are to put our faith in God to provide for us today.  Verse thirty-two adds, (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  Jesus tells us that we are not to be like the lost people of the world, but that we as Christians are to acknowledge that God knows and will provide for our needs.  Verse thirty-three proclaims. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Jesus gives us the formula for living a successful life, and that is to simply put God first, and then He will provide for our daily needs.  Verse thirty-four adds, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  We are not worry about tomorrow, because we cannot control tomorrow.  We cannot even ensure that we will have a tomorrow, so why would we spend all our time today thinking or worrying about tomorrow/  

Matthew 6:1

Matthew 6:1 says,  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  Jesus tells us that we are not to give simply so that others can see us do so.  Christianity is never intended to be a show off religion, but instead is to be a humble relationship.  Verse two adds, Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  Jesus tells us if we engage in religious activities to bring attention to ourselves, then that is our reward.  We will not receive a blessing from God for doing so.  Verse three continues, But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  Jesus says in effect that we are to do our alms, or give our gifts, without anyone knowing.  Verse four concludes, That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.  Jesus tells us to keep what we give secret, between God and us alone.  When we give to the church or to help others, we are to do so in such a way that only God receives the praise.  Verse five states, And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Jesus then spoke about prayer and said that we are not to be as the hypocrites who like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so they could be seen of men.  We should never pray to bring attention to ourselves, but should keep the focus on God.  Verse six adds, Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  Jesus tells us tt when we pray simply to be seen by men that we already have our reward, and that is from people and not God.  Verse six declares, But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  Jesus tells us that we are to go into our closet and shut the door when we pray, so that our prayer may be between God and us.  Verse seven adds, But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Jesus tells us that our prayers should not be full of empty words and long, drawn out speeches.  Now, my mealtime prayers are usually repetitious, but they hopefully are not vain, or empty, words.  Verse eight continues, Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.  Jesus tells us that we do not need long, repetitious prayers because God already knows what we need.  We are simply acknowledging the fact that we know that He already knows and will supply our needs when we pray to Him.  We do not need to get God's attention or beg Him for His help.  Verse nine declares, After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Jesus then gives us what I like to refer to as the model prayer.  The first thing that we should do when we pray is acknowledge God as our heavenly Father and give honor to Him.  Verse ten says, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Jesus tells us that we are not to first ask for material things, but we are to ask for Gods will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Verse eleven states, Give us this day our daily bread.  After acknowledging God as our heavenly Father and asking that His will be done, then we are to ask that He meet our daily needs.  This does not say that we are to bring a shopping list to God and expect Him to fill it.  Asking that our daily needs be met means that everyday we need to ask God to meet them, so this requires daily prayer.  Verse twelve adds,  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  Then, we are to ask God to forgive us as we forgive others.   We cannot expect God to forgive our sin if we do not forgive others of their sins against us.  Verse thirteen concludes, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  God is never going to lead us into temptation, but we need to rely on Him to keep us from temptation.   Then, Jesus said we are to close by acknowledging that everything belongs to God and that we are to live by His power and for His glory.  Verse fourteen declares, For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive  you:  Then verse fifteen adds, But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Jesus then expanded on forgiving others.  He said if we do not forgive those who have done something that somehow hurt us, then the heavenly Father will not forgive us.  I believe this means that we can not harbor resentment against other people or wish bad things would happen to them, no matter what they may have done to us.

Matthew 5:38

 Matthew 5:38 says, Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  Verse thirty-nine adds, But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.  Jesus then began to speak about the law of retribution which said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  This in itself limited the amount of retribution one could take, since a person could do no more to the one who had harmed them than had been done to them.  Jesus limited this even further, saying that as a Christian if someone slapped or hit you one the right cheek that you were to turn the other cheek as well.  I believe that what Jesus was saying is that we are not to demand that those that harm us are to be equally harmed, but that we are to be ruled by God's love, and forgive as He forgives us.  Verse forty states, And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  Jesus told His followers that if they were sued for their coat and lost to give them their cloak also.  I believe this means that they were to not put too much importance on material things.  Verse forty-one declares, And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  I believe that at that time Roman soldiers could compel people to carry their things for a mile, and Jesus said that Christians were to be willing to do even more than they were compelled to do.  This is where we get our expression to go the extra mile, but we as followers of Christ need to not only know the expression, but we need to be willing to live by it.  Verse forty-two says, Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.  Jesus tells us that we are to be generous to those who ask us for help.  If we are at times taken advantage of, that is not our concern, but God's I believe.  Since God really owns all that we have, then if someone takes advantage of us, who are His followers, then they are really taking advantage of God.  We should not look for reasons to not help others, but should help whenever we can while giving God the glory for doing so.  Verse forty-three declares, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  As followers of Christ, we seem to be pretty good at the hating our enemy part of this, but I am not too sure how much we rally love our neighbor, but this was not what Jesus taught.  Verse forty-four adds, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  I would have to ask if we really love our enemies today, do good to them that persecute us, and most especially pray for them.  A lot of what I see posted by Christians on social media does not seem to support this idea.  Verse forty-five continues, That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  If we want to be known as one of God's children, then Jesus tells us that we will love our enemy.  We are not really going to want those who are our enemies to come to salvation if we hate them and want them to be punished.  Jesus said that God allowed the rain to fall on the just and the unjust, and if God does not punish the unjust by withholding the rain, then who are we to attempt to punish them.  Verse forty-six asks, For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  If we as Christians love only those who love us, then are we really any better than people who do not believe in God?  Verse forty-seven continues, And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  Jesus asks if we only show respect to our fellow believers how are we any different than others.  Verse forty-eight declares, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  I believe that when Jesus calls for us to be perfect it means in our faith in God and in following His guidance, because we all fall short of perfection.

Matthew 5:25

Matthew 5:25 says, Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.  Jesus said it is better to settle disputes with your adversary quickly and between the two of you than to allow the law to become involved.  We at times hear today about church members suing each other, or groups of church members suing other groups of members in the same church, and I don't believe this ever brings honor and glory to God nor does it serve as a good witness to the unsaved people of the world.  Verse twenty-six adds, Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.  Jesus said that if the law was involved and the judgment went against a person and he or she was cast into prison that he or she would not be released until every farthing had been repaid.  I believe we can also say that we must make peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ or if not, then we are subjected to the penalty of sin under the law, which is everlasting separation from God, and we can never repay that penalty.  Verse twenty-seven says, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:  Jesus next talked about the fact that a person was to not commit adultery, and we would all agree with this today.  Verse twenty-eight adds, But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  Jesus took the law against adultery to another level and said that someone who even looked at another person with lust in his or her heart was guilty of adultery.  Former president Carter received a lot of criticism for saying that he was guilty of committing adultery in his heart, but he was evidently just being true to what the Bible teaches.  Verse twenty-nine declares, And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  This seems really severe, but it is true that if somehow one part of our body is leading us to sin then we would be better off without that part if we cannot keep it from leading us to sin.  Verse thirty adds, And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  This just continues the statement made about the eye and applying it to the hand and we have just looked at the fact that we are better off without a body part that leads us to sin than we are being cast whole into hell.  Verse thirty-one proclaims, It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:  Then verse thirty-two adds, But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.  Jesus said that the reasons for divorce were very specific, and that anyone who put away his wife for any other reason would cause her to commit adultery and anyone who married her was guilty of adultery.  The concept of no fault divorce is not a Biblical concept.  Verse thirty-three says, Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:  Jesus then begin to teach about making oaths.  Jesus basically said that our oaths were to be to God.  Verse thirty-four states, But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:  Verse thirty-five adds, Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.  Verse thirty-six continues, Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.  Jesus tells us that we are not to swear, or make oaths by, anything that is a part of God's creation.  I don't believe that this means that we cannot make oaths in court for instance to tell the truth, but when we do we are to base it on following God's rule about speaking the truth.  Verse thirty-seven concludes, But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.  I believe this applies to taking oaths and when we do, we are to simply tell the truth as simply as possible.  We are to answer honestly and without in any way adding anything that we do not know to be true.

Matthew 5:13

 Matthew 5:13 says, Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Jesus said that the Jewish people were to be the salt of the earth, but that if they had lost their savor that they were good for nothing.  We as Christians today are to be the salt of the earth as well, to bring the purpose and saving power of God to the world.  Verse fourteen states, Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Then verse fifteen adds, Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Again, the Jewish people then and Christians today were and are to be the bring the light of God into the world, but too often they did and we do hide that light from the world.  When our actions are based on selfish desires instead of the will of God, we hide the light of Christ from the world.  Jesus said that no one would light a candle and hide it under a bushel, where it would do no good, and neither should we attempt to hide the light of the gospel under anything.  Verse sixteen declares, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  We, as followers of Christ, should let the light of His word shine into the world by both our words and the things that we say and do.  It is not enough to just claim to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior if our words and actions do not shine the gospel into the world.  Verse seventeen declares, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  I hear people say sometimes that they don't really study the Old Testament because after Jesus came it no longer applied, but Jesus said this was not true.  He said He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill the law.  This tells us that we still need to know what the law and the prophets say.  Verse eighteen adds, For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Jesus said that not even the smallest character of the law would pass away until it was all fulfilled.  I believe that part of God's law is the return of Christ in victory, and until that occurs, the law will still be in effect.  Obeying God's law does not bring us salvation, but it does show our obedience to God.  Verse nineteen continues, Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus said that breaking the least of the laws and teaching others to do so would cause a person to be called the least in the kingdom of God and obeying them and teaching others to do so would cause a person to be called great in the kingdom of God.  We must know God's law in order to live by it and teach it to others.  Verse twenty declares, For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.  The scribes and Pharisees were noted for their obedience to the law, but they did it for self glorification, which is not the reason that we should obey the law of God.  We should exceed their righteousness by following God's law for the benefit of others and the glory of God.  Verse twenty-one adds, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment.  Jesus said that the people of Israel had heard the commandment that they should not kill.  Verse twenty-two continues, But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.  Jesus said that the command to not kill went farther than the actual action and went to even the thoughts of unjustified anger toward ones brother.  Verse twenty-three states, Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;  Then verse twenty-four concludes, Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.  Jesus said if a person brought an offering to God and then remembered that his brother had anything against him or her, that he or she was to leave the offering and go and be reconciled with his or her brother before presenting the offering.  Jesus did not say to take your offering with you or to withhold it.  When we bring an offering to God today, we should not do so if we are angry at one of our fellow believers.  We should first go and try to make things right with the person that we are having a problem with.  God expects His people to be united in love through their faith in Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

Matthew 5:1

Matthew 5:1 says, And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:  Jesus went up on a mountain to get away from the multitudes.  I don't believe that this was because He wasn't concerned about them, but because they were coming to him for the wrong reasons.  If someone comes to Jesus today only for physical purposes, that person is coming for the wrong reason.  Jesus' disciples came to Him while He was on the mountain.  Verse two states, And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,  While on the mountain with His disciples, Jesus began to teach them.  As followers of Christ, we need time alone with Him and even time with fellow believers for Him to teach us what we need to do in everyday life.  Verse three adds, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus said that those who are poor in spirit, who do not view themselves as too important, were the ones who would inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Verse four says, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  Today, there are a lot of people who mourn, but if they have put their faith in Jesus they should be comforted by that faith.  Verse five declares, Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  It seems to be harder to find a truly meek person, and the world often looks down on those who are, but Jesus said the meek would inherit the earth.  I don't believe that this means that the meek will somehow gain control of the earth, but that God will bless them with everything that they need in this world.  Verse six states, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  We, as Christians, should be the ones who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and if we do, Jesus promises us that we will be filled spiritually.  I don't believe that we should ever reach the point where we don't hunger and thirst after righteousness, and this can only be filled by Jesus Christ, the living bread and water.  Verse seven declares, Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  As God's people today, we should be merciful to those around us, but I am not sure that I see a lot of that.  Christians are not to behave as the rest of the world does, but are to be merciful even to those that we may not agree with.  Verse eight says, Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  Since our actions are determined by our heart, or thoughts, if we want to see God then we must be pure in heart.  This requires first accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord and then living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nine declares, Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  We need more peacemakers in the world today, but it seems that we are too often ready to shoot to kill instead.  I don't believe that this is what Jesus expects from His followers.  Verse ten proclaims, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  I don't believe that anyone will ever be more unjustly persecuted for the sake of righteousness than Jesus was, but His was indeed the kingdom of heaven, and if we remain true to Him not matter what it will be ours also.  Verse eleven states, Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Jesus didn't say if the people of the world did these things but when they did.  If we are not being persecuted and reviled as followers of Christ today, it may be that we are dong something wrong.  If we are living by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, then we are always going to be at war with the world.  Verse twelve declares, Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.  Jesus said that we were to rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are persecuted and reviled.  How do we react to being persecuted and reviled by the people of the world today because of our standing for God?  

Matthew 4:12

 Matthew 4:12 says, Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;  When Jesus heard of the arrest of John the Baptist, He went to Galilee.  Verse thirteen adds, And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:  Jesus went to live in Capernaum.  Verse thirteen continues, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,  Verse fifteen continues on, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;  Then verse sixteen concludes, The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.  Jesus going to live in Capermaum fulfilled a prophesy by Isaiah, but once again I don't believe that Jesus went there simply to fulfill a prophesy.  Likewise, I dont believe that we can sit with a checklist today and check off the events leading up to the second coming of Christ and determine the precise time that it will happen.  God did not cause Jesus to go to Capernaum simply to ensure that the prophesy would come true.  Verse seventeen declares, From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Jesus began to preach calling for people to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand.  We today need to call for people to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, because the kingdom of God is at hand.  Verse eighteen says, And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee when He called His first disciples, Peter and his brother Andrew, who were fishermen.  Jesus did not go to the religious leaders or even the temple to find disciples, but He called two ordinary fishermen.  God calls people where they are today to follow Christ, and He calls ordinary people to be preachers and teachers.  Verse nineteen adds, And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  Jesus told them that He would make them fishers of men.  He did not promise them great wealth or even security, but He simply asked them to follow Him.  Today, God does not promise us great wealth and security if we follow Jesus, but He simply asks us to follow, or put our faith in Him.  Verse twenty declares, And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.  Peter and Andrew did not wait but immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus.  Fishing was their way to make a living, but they left it to follow Jesus.  What are we willing to give up to become a follower of Jesus today ?  Verse twenty-one says, And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  Jesus then saw two more brothers, James and John, mending nets with their father and he called them to follow Him.  Verse twenty-two adds, And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.  James and John not only immediately left their work, but they left their father as well.  We cannot allow other people to come between Jesus and us, no matter how close they may be to us.  Verse twenty-three states, And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.  Jesus began to preach, teach and heal in Galilee.  Verse twenty-four adds, And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.  As Jesus' fame grew, people brought the sick to Him.  Though Jesus may have healed them, this was not His main reason for coming.  Jesus came to bring spiritual healing to people, and physical healing will never be the main reason for putting our faith in Him.  Verse twenty-five concludes,  And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.  People came from all around to see Jesus.  We need to reach out to all those around us today with the gospel, since as a general rule not too many people are coming to Jesus on their own.