Author: Bill Hall

Mark 1:5
   The confession of sin was an activity for which John was a stickler. This was his whole purpose and mission. He had come to turn the hearts of men back from their evil ways, lest the Lord Jesus judge the world then and there (see Malachi 4:6). The success of John’s ministry is intimated here by the number of people that came out to be baptized by him. That genuine repentance was involved is evidenced by the fact that John would not baptize everyone who came to him (see Matthew 3:7). Another obvious point here is that John baptized in the river. He did not come to the brink, dip a vessel of water, and pour it on the supplicants. No, he was right down their in the water, and so were they.

Bible Reading: Ezekiel 11:1-13:23

Scripture Memory: James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, your glorious goodness to us is the most wonderful grace we could ever ask for. To know that we may be saved, that is overwhelming! Your profound wisdom, and your excellent holiness, never cease to amaze us. Through all that we see around us we realize that Your power is so far beyond all that we can comprehend. You are higher than we could ever know! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a family that just lost a loved one. Pray for a man who just had a stroke.

Journal Entry #14332

Mark 1:4
   Baptism is always an outward sign of an inward reality. This is very important to understand. If the baptizing, the actual act of dunking persons in the water, was what forgave sins, we would have different words here. The verse would say that John preached baptism that forgives. But, that isn’t at all what we find here. He preached a baptism of repentance. What does this mean? Baptism is an outward show of the inward reality. How can one be sure that any person has repented? Thus, the baptism was a way to signify, before God and everyone, that one had indeed repented. This is why it is referred to as the baptism of repentance. It is this, then, that is said to lead to forgiveness. In other words, this is the basis of forgiveness, the repentance, and the fact that the person is so genuine in their repentance as to submit to baptism. The actual act of dunking, then, does nothing. But, the choice to repent, and to testify that fact to all by one’s baptism, that is what is in view here. It was that admission of guilt, and obedience before all, that is the foundation for salvation. Though Jesus had not yet died on Calvary, which is the actual means of salvation, John is preparing the people to receive that forgiveness. Repentance and faith are the requirements, and John’s baptism was meant to signify both.

Bible Reading: Ezekiel 7:1-10:22

Scripture Memory: James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making your truth plain! You give us so much to think about and act upon. We cannot ever say that we have not been given all that we need for our lives. May our repentance be always genuine! Soften our hearts and mold them after Your perfect will. Make us righteous by the blood of Christ, and renew our minds. You have the power to do it by Christ. You can remake us in His image. You can make us Christians in ever sense of the word. Lord, Your patience with us is astounding and inspiring! You always give us the best examples to follow. You guide us in the right way and show us what to avoid. Thank You for Your almighty power, and that You make it available even for the mundane routine of our lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young man who is travelling. Pray for a man’s unspoken requests.

Journal Entry #14331

Mark 1:3
   This is Isaiah 40:3. Though Mark seems to be written more with a Gentile audience in mind, using the prophets is impossible to avoid. They are the proof of the truth of the gospels. They verify everything. The close connection between the Old and New Testaments must not be ignored. Those who fail to understand these prophecies fail to understand the importance of what Christ has done.

Bible Reading: Ezekiel 3:1-6:14

Scripture Memory: James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have given us so much in Your Word! Thank You for that! We cannot say we have been left without a Guide for our lives, for the Holy Spirit uses Your Word in our hearts to bring us along our way. Thank You for that Comforting Guide for our souls, the very Spirit of Truth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with cancer in his kidneys. Pray for a woman’s unspoken requests.

Journal Entry #14330

Mark 1:2
   This is a reference back to Old Testament prophecies such as the one found in Malachi 3:1. And, this is a case where the Father is speaking to the Son. The Father sent John to prepare the Son’s way.

Bible Reading: Lamentations 4:1-Ezekiel 2:10

Scripture Memory: James 4:13 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great plan! You have put all of this together by Your mighty power. How can we ever comprehend it all? Spending each day finding out more about You is such a joy! You are worthy of all our thanks. Christ has done so much by dying for us! Salvation gives us life, real life! Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who is having difficulty eating. Pray for a woman with spiritual issues.

Journal Entry #14329

Mark 1:1
   Mark is not saying that this is the beginning of the story of Christ. As the other gospel writers, he was aware of the early life of Jesus. However, the ministry of John is intended to be the introduction to the ministry of the Christ. Thus, it is not improper to start here. In fact, the baptism of Christ by John in the Jordan is an almost universally accepted historical fact, even among secular scholars. Jesus also makes it plain by His words that John was the proper introduction to His own ministry. It is a fine place to begin.

Bible Reading: Lamentations 1:1-3:66

Scripture Memory: James 4:13 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your truth! It is so wonderful to open the pages of Scripture and read about the Lord Jesus and His love for us. To know that You have loved us so much that You sent Him to this world to die for us is so uplifting. May we never stop praising You and being thankful for the Living Christ seated at Your right hand! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a Missionary family going through a difficult time. Pray for a family preparing to lose an elderly person.

Journal Entry #14328

   I have enjoyed very much this study of Matthew, but realized today that I have made it all the way through the book, and then some. I originally started with Matthew 25:31 because I decided to study on a passage that my Sunday School class was looking at then. I have just today remembered that I started then. I thought it was a bit further on in Matthew. I will most likely continue into Mark next. But, it is exciting to be through one whole book!

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 51:1-52:34

Scripture Memory: James 4:13 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gracious love and mercy! Your truth spurs us on every day to embrace the life that we may live in Christ, Though without Him we are nothing, through him we may do and be more than we are. Thank You for Your love for us! It is what keeps us going through this life on earth. Though trials and troubles may come our way, Your love carries us through Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two families that just lost a loved one. Pray for a man with cancer.

Journal Entry #14327

Matthew 26:6
   Bethany was Jesus’ home away from home when he wanted to stay close to Jerusalem. It is where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. These three we know were good friends of the Lord, and it seems Simon may have been as well. For this reason, Bethany is a special place in the life of Jesus, much as Bethlehem and Nazareth.
   The fact that Simon is referred to as ‘the Leper’ was likely due to something in his past. The most likely scenario is that the had been a leper and Jesus had healed him. This would explain why he would be referred to in this way, since leprosy was not something you would expect to find in a name. This also possibly explains why Jesus was invited to Simon’s house.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 49:1-50:46

Scripture Memory: James 4:12 “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are too wonderful to fully comprehend. We cannot completely see and know all that there is to know about You. But, what you have revealed to us shows us Your manifold greatness. Thank You for Your magnanimous beneficence. May we learn to always practice that in our own lives, with Your help. Through Christ we will strive to do all that we can do to please You. You are worthy of our service. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with health problems who is having financial trouble. Pray for a man going for a test this week.

Journal Entry #14326

Matthew 26:5
   Their ultimate fear was Rome. Though they wanted no disturbances, this was not out of concern for their countrymen, but for fear of action by the Roman authorities. Thus, everything they did here was in order to avoid the Romans taking something away from them. These were men of little convictions. Everything in their lives ran off of fear, pride, and self-love.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 45:1-48:47

Scripture Memory: James 4:12 “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and kindness. It is so wonderful to be able to ask for Your mercy. Your truth is the foundation of our lives. Thank You for Your wonderful plan of salvation! May we continue to learn more about You, and love You more each day. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman in critical condition. Pray for an elderly woman with a tumor.

Journal Entry #14324

Matthew 26:4
   Of course the only reason that they wanted to do this subtly was because of their fear of the people at large. They did not dare take Him out in public. They wanted to catch Him in private and move Him through a trial very quickly, minimizing the chance for a public reaction. Jesus’ itinerary was apparently only known by His followers. So, the Jewish leaders had know way of knowing where He might be next.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 41:1-44:30

Scripture Memory: James 4:12 “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are so amazing! When I think I know just how wonderful You are, I learn something more about Your greatness. Thank You for enabling us to be saved from sin. Thank You for Your Spirit, and Your Son! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man recovering from a stroke. Pray for a young man with cancer. Pray for a man who is nearing death.

Journal Entry #14323

Matthew 26:3
   This location was an abnormal one for this particular kind of business. However, given the character of the Jewish leaders as we find it in the gospels, they may have used it often when a certain level of privacy was desired. This kind of meeting is conducive to off-the-record shenanigans.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 37:1-40:16

Scripture Memory: James 4:11 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, having Your mercy, grace, and love ever before us reminds us that there is no limit to Your greatness. If we were to spend our entire lives using all the brain power we could trying to think of just how great You are, we could not reach to the center of the matter. You are infinitely wondrously great! How can we praise You? Ah, but we will try! We will lift Your Name high, for You have exalted it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman in rehab. Pray for a woman awaiting surgery.

Journal Entry #14322