Joseph Mattera

Many people serve God. Few truly walk with Him. Scripture shows that friendship with God is more than obedience, it is intimacy. Abraham was called a friend of God. Moses spoke with God face to face. Jesus told His disciples that He no longer called them servants, but friends because He made known to them the heart of the Father. A servant follows instructions. A friend understands purpose. God is not only looking for activity. He is looking for relationship. When you walk closely with Him, He entrusts you with what others cannot carry, because friendship comes with both access and responsibility. Share with someone who needs to hear this! #friendofgod #intimacywithgod #christianliving #discipleship #biblicaltruth

G. K. Chesterton explains that reading gives a man more lives than he was born with: “A man who has read a thousand books is armed for life; a man who has read none is easy prey. The man who has read a thousand books has lived a thousand lives. He has seen cities he has never visited, spoken to men who died centuries ago, and walked in worlds that no longer exist. Reading does not merely inform him; it enlarges him. It stretches the boundaries of his own experience until he becomes something more than himself.”

Many people serve God. Few truly walk with Him. Scripture shows that friendship with God is more than obedience, it is intimacy. Abraham was called a friend of God. Moses spoke with God face to face. Jesus told His disciples that He no longer called them servants, but friends because He made known to them the heart of the Father. A servant follows instructions. A friend understands purpose. God is not only looking for activity. He is looking for relationship. When you walk closely with Him, He entrusts you with what others cannot carry, because friendship comes with both access and responsibility. Share with someone who needs to hear this! #friendofgod #intimacywithgod #christianliving #discipleship #biblicaltruth

God is not only moving locally. He is aligning His Church across nations, raising up leaders, restoring prayer, and calling His people back to biblical foundations. If we only see what is happening in our immediate environment, we risk missing the larger narrative God is unfolding worldwide. Discernment requires perspective. And perspective requires stepping back to see the bigger picture. In my latest podcast episode, we unpack key trends, movements, and shifts taking place across the global Church, and what they mean for leaders in this hour. 👉 Listen to "The State of the Global Church: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities" to gain clarity on what God is doing worldwide and how to align with His purposes. josephmattera.org/podcast/ #globalchurch #christianleadership #kingdomperspective #apostolicleadership #biblicalwisdom

Not every voice that calls you is meant to lead you. Scripture doesn’t just define good and evil, it reveals how both speak. Sin rarely presents itself as destructive in the beginning. It persuades, flatters, and hides its consequences. Wisdom, on the other hand, speaks plainly, calls publicly, and invites you into a life aligned with God. The real challenge is not recognizing the voices, it’s discerning which one to trust in the moment. Every decision is shaped by what we listen to. And over time, those decisions form our destiny. 👉 Read the full article to learn how Scripture contrasts the voice of sin and the voice of wisdom, and how to choose rightly. josephmattera.org/contrasts-pers… #biblicalwisdom #discernment #christianliving #proverbs #spiritualgrowth

NOT the greatest generation! nypost.com/2026/03/24/us-…

Every person carries layers of loyalty, whether it be family, culture, institutions, friendships, and traditions. But for the disciple of Jesus, none of these can outrank allegiance to Christ. The Kingdom demands a higher loyalty. When our devotion to systems, tribes, or relationships begins to compete with our obedience to Christ, something has already gone out of order. Throughout Scripture, the people God used most powerfully were those who placed loyalty to Him above every other allegiance. Their identity was not anchored in tribe, status, or approval, it was anchored in the Lord. Christ must always come first. #kingdomofgod #discipleship #identityinchrist #biblicalleadership #christfirst

In Proverbs, wisdom calls out in the streets; in John, wisdom walks among men. What was poetic in the Old Testament becomes personal in the New. Wisdom is no longer merely a principle to follow—it is a Person to behold and obey.

When pressure comes, you don’t rise to the level of your gifting—you fall to the level of your formation.

“If borders don’t matter, neither does who ‘stole’ the land.”

James Talarico quoted from the gospel of Thomas to support LGBT ideology while standing in front of a church, speaking from the pulpit! Here’s what’s REALLY in the fraudulent cult work of “The Gospel of Thomas” youtube.com/live/MrBHNE7L_…

“ Politicians and Diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.” - Mark Twain.

Scripture shows us a sobering truth: personal righteousness does not automatically redeem the house we remain loyal to. When God has already judged a system, those who stay bound to it can be swept up in its collapse. Jonathan loved David and recognized God’s hand on his life, yet he remained tied to Saul’s house, and ultimately fell with it. This is a warning for every generation...Loyalty must ultimately belong to the purposes of God, not merely to family, institutions, or systems that resist His will. Send this to someone who needs this reminder! #biblicaltruth #spiritualdiscernment #kingdomloyalty #christianleadership #discipleship

Grateful for some time away with family and the opportunity to create wonderful memories together. Time like this with my children and grandchildren is a true blessing. I’m especially thankful to my wife Joyce for planning this trip and giving us the chance to enjoy these moments as a family. What a blessing! Looking forward to many more, as our family continues to expand.

Most people don’t lose time, they lose awareness. We move quickly, fill our schedules, and measure our days by productivity, yet remain disconnected from the very moments God is trying to meet us in. The issue is not how much time we have, but how present we are within it. Scripture calls us to “redeem the time,” not by adding more activity, but by becoming more attentive, aware of God, attentive to people, and anchored in what truly matters. When our lives are driven by hurry, we miss the sacred hidden in the ordinary. The question is not how much you accomplished today. It’s whether you were present where God placed you. 👉 Read the full article to learn how to live with greater awareness, intention, and spiritual presence. josephmattera.org/present-redeem/ #redeemingthetime #spiritualformation #christianliving #presenceofgod #biblicalwisdom

The Church has always wrestled with this tension. Truth must be defended. Love must be preserved. Lean too far in one direction and leadership becomes harsh and combative. Lean too far in the other and the Church drifts into compromise. The New Testament gives us two powerful leadership models in the apostles Paul and John. Paul demonstrated bold courage in protecting the integrity of the gospel. John emphasized relational depth and the centrality of love within the community of believers. The challenge for leaders today is not choosing one over the other, it is learning how to hold both together. 👉 In this week’s episode of Perspectives, I explore how these two apostolic models reveal the balance the Church needs today. Listen now to learn how truth and love can coexist in healthy leadership. #christianleadership #apostolicleadership #truthandlove #churchleadership #biblicalwisdom josephmattera.org/podcast/

There are moments when loyalty is tested. Scripture calls us first to covenant loyalty to God. That means righteousness must outrank blood loyalty. When protecting reputation, family ties, or tribal allegiance causes us to overlook injustice, we are no longer serving the house of the Lord, we are serving our own. Choosing God’s house means defending the vulnerable, confronting sin, and refusing passivity, even when it is uncomfortable or costly. True love does not protect wrongdoing. It protects people. Joshua’s words still confront us: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” #houseofthelord #biblicaljustice #identityinchrist #spiritualleadership #discipleship

In 1995 I had the honor of chairing the New York American Cities Campaign with John Perkins. He stayed in my home for three days, became a mentor, and my children called him “grandpa.” He just passed at 95. I honor him as a true prophet of reconciliation. Until we meet again, my friend.