Author: Bill Hall

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

Matthew 26:2
   How appropriate is it that Jesus is to be betrayed to die at the very same time that the Jews were celebrating their deliverance from death? The Passover of course commemorates the time when the death angel passed over the homes of the Jews living in Egypt. As God poured out the last plague upon the Egyptians, the Jews deliverance from His wrath was not automatic. This is where the Passover was born. God’s specific instructions had to be followed. The blood of the slain lamb had to be put over the door of the Jewish homes. Thus, just as all of Judaism was celebrating the deliverance brought about by some sheep, Jesus was preparing for the deliverance He would supply by His own death.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 33:1-36:32

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, thank You for all of Your goodness! You are so faithful! May we never fail to give You the thanks and praise in our lives. You are Holy, Holy, Holy! All honor and glory belongs to You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a family man that just lost his job. Pray for a church that is looking for a pastor.

Journal Entry #14321

Matthew 26:1
   Please notice that the proceeding chapters come towards the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. His disciples had been with Him quite some time. As a result, they had already heard, and come to understand, many of His other teachings. Only at the end do they hear all of this prophecy. Notice also the way the Scriptures are organized in our Bibles, with the prophecy towards the end of the Old Testament, and of the New Testament. This is the proper order. Once we have understood all that goes before, then we can hope to properly understand the prophecy.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-32:44

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, thank You for Your love and goodness! You help us through the dark valleys of life. No matter what comes our way, You give us strength through Christ. May we always live to sing Your praises. You are worthy of our love and service. You are great and mighty, O Lord! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man in bad shape in the hospital. Pray for a family that suffered a house fire. Pray for a woman having cancer treatments this week.

Journal Entry #14320

Matthew 25:46
   Though it is not by works that we are saved, there is a very real sense in which our obedience to the Lord is what Salvation is all about. Though we should be careful not to make a final judgement ourselves, we may never teach that disobedience is the path to life. Salvation is not as easy as flicking on a light switch and nothing more. There will be those who think they belong to Christ, who don’t.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 28:1-30:24

Scripture Memory: James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we do easily fall prey to the enemy! We live or lives without even having our eyes open to all that is going on around us. Teach us Your truth that we may live lives that are spiritually effectual. You are important to us, we don’t want to miss what You are doing. Your program for this world is our source of hope. All over we see people fighting each other. Though there is a battle to fight, it is a spiritual one. Only when Christ returns will Your kingdom become physical. Lord, help us to love others as You would have us to. We need in our hearts the Spirit and His guidance. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who just got home from an extended hospital stay. Pray for a couple of women who don’t feel well.

Journal Entry #14319