The "Heavenly Citizens" series serves as a tool to help the Christian understand not only what the Bible teaches us, but also how to study the Bible. Explaining what the Bible teaches is like giving someone a fish to eat. Teaching him how to study the Bible is like teaching someone how to fish so he can feed himself. Both approaches are essential to developing spiritual maturity. "Matthew" is the seventh volume in the "Heavenly Citizens" series. Matthew, a Jew, was hated as a tax collector for the Roman imperialists. This didn't stop Messiah Jesus from calling Matthew to be one of His disciples and even an apostle Jesus was good at doing unconventional things like that. In this book we make note of a good many suchlike surprises on Jesus' part. Did you know that Jesus' ancestors included some unsavory sorts? Did you know that the religious bigwigs of Jesus' day considered Him to be of questionable character? Don't miss out on those details and much more. Enter through the front book cover and begin your trek through 1st Century Israel. Roman soldiers line the roads and avenues, fig trees are plentiful, and a gorgeous view of the Sea of Galilee and numerous fishermen make for a relaxing view. Jesus is a fantastic story teller. We know His stories as "parables," and He has not a few to tell in this book. Oh, and interpreting them is exciting too Before we exit through the back cover though, we will have to pass a hill known as "The Skull" and mourn over three crosses and the outrageous injustice done there. Not to fret though. Three days later a sealed tomb is unsealed, only to discover that a dead body is no longer in it. Truth be told, the dead body is no longer dead Wow The approach for "Matthew" and for every volume in the "Heavenly Citizens" series is to teach the student the meaning of Scripture. We also teach him or her how to study the Bible on his/her own. We do this in two ways: we provide a few rules by which to govern our Bible study, and we demonstrate by example how to study the Bible. Experience is an outstanding teacher. We practice in our books the rules for Bible study. By walking through the Bible with us, the reader experiences firsthand what our method of study is like. We believe the student will come out of our studies with both an understanding of the Bible and the ability to truthfully understand the Bible on his/her own. The path lies before you. Walk through the gate and join the journey with us And may the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ be yours in abundance.