Author: Bill Hall

Matthew 19:27
   Peter asked this because of Jesus’ interchange with the rich man. Jesus mentioned treasure in heaven, so Peter was trying to figure out what this entailed, and if the disciples would get it. His question might be seen by some as kind of greedy or assuming. But, I think it was appropriate because he and the rest of the disciples were just trying to figure out what this teaching about the rich man meant.

Bible Reading: John 19:1-20:31

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patience with us. You continually love us and are constantly at work in our lives. May we always respond to Your faithfulness with faithfulness. May we respond to Your work on our behalf with service. May we always praise You, for You are worthy! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who is traveling. Pray for a woman who is trying to get her voice back.

Journal Entry #14049

Matthew 19:26
    God gets the glory when a person turns to him. Without God’s working in our lives we would never come to him on our own. The word Jesus uses here cannot be softened. He says it is impossible for salvation to come about without God being involved. This only makes sense, though people try to use this fact to support many unhealthy ways of thinking.
   For one, people often will say that God decides who is going to be saved and who is not. So, they say, we can’t change it even if we try. If a person is meant to get saved, they will get saved. This is quite absurd. To make an observation on the relative effectiveness of our witness to another person is to presume to know all that the Holy Spirit knows. We don’t and cannot know that much. Jesus has specifically told us to witness to others. If a person will never respond to the gospel message that is God’s business. We cannot know that.
   Also, people have said that this means we are completely incapable of being saved. They say we do not have the capacity to do it. We are completely and totally depraved, and thus it is utterly impossible for us to choose salvation. Well, answering this is quite easy. We have two legs, but we are, in relation to Almighty God, incapable of walking down the street. So even though we have the capacity to walk, God must allow us to do so. He could very well prevent us at any time from exercising this ability. Beyond this, he is the one who gave us the legs to use to walk to begin with.
   So, even if we say that we have the capability to choose salvation, this will have been obtained from God. And, without his consent, we will find ourselves unable to use the ability we have. Therefore, though I agree with the idea that man is totally depraved, deprived of any good thing within us on our own, I would have to say that that does not keep us from having the ability to choose salvation if God allows us to have that choice. Indeed, please remember that the choice to be saved is really just the choice to obey, to yield to command of Almighty God. So, arguing about whether a person is able to choose is useless. Without God’s permission we can do nothing, whether we are able or not. And, if we are able, that ability will have itself come from God.

Bible Reading: John 17:1-18:40

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for yet another lovely day to serve You. Everything I see around me, all of the amazing wonders of life, are Your handiwork. Your world excites me because I know I can grow to what I am meant to be in your kingdom. Christ has put me, by the power of his resurrection, into the great position of being one of Your children. I just cannot hardly contain myself when I think of all the wondrous things You are capable of. And, I know that You have determined to share Your creations with us. Wow! I am so excited about heaven. I am so excited about what You will do in this life. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a couple that was just in a serious accident. Pray for a boy with strep throat. Pray for a family that recently lost a loved one.

Journal Entry #14048

Matthew 19:25
    We see that the disciples understood Jesus to mean that it was impossible for rich persons to be saved. Thus, as a result, they wondered if anyone might be saved. Jesus was trying to help them understand what it is that brings a person to the place of repentance. It is always an amazing and wonderful miracle when someone is brought to faith in Christ.

Bible Reading: John 14:1-16:33

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are always available, 24/7. That is a great blessing and comfort to us. May we realize our dependence upon You at all times. Your mercy, grace, and love, are enough to overwhelm us at every turn. Thank you for being always faithful, no matter what. May we serve you just as we should. In a lifetime of praising you, I will never be able to fathom all that you are. You make every day a new adventure. I love you, Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having chest pains. Pray for a woman recovering from surgery, and who is in a lot of pain. Pray for two young girls that are sick.

Journal Entry #14047

Matthew 19:24
    Jesus uses a figure of speech in this verse that has led to some confusion. This confusion has arisen because many want the passage to say one thing, while it really says another. Jesus is using an expression evidently fairly common among Jewish teachers. This reference to the needle’s eye was used to express an impossibility. It is impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Although some needles do have larger eyes, this is still the meaning.
   Many, however, trying to get it to be that Jesus is just saying that it is really hard, have come up with another way to interpret the whole thing. The most common way of going about this is to say, as many have said, that the eye of the needle was actually a small opening in the wall of a city. This needle’s eye was, supposedly, so small that a camel could only enter by it with great difficulty. There is, however, no real proof that such an entrance ever existed. And, even if it did, its name may have come from the expression, and not the other way around.
   But, this interpretation is simply not necessary. That Jesus is describing an impossibility is quite evident from the following verses. With God it is not impossible. Zacchaeus was a wealthy man, and Jesus very specifically declared his salvation. All that Jesus is saying here is that God gets the glory when people are saved. Without his work to bring us to him, we would be like the camel trying to enter through the needle’s eye.

Bible Reading: John 12:1-13:38

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day to serve You. I love You Father. You have saved me and I am so glad that You sent Your Son to save us poor sinners. We did all the wrong, and yet You put it all on Your Son on Calvary. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman who may be having mini strokes. Pray for a man recovering from surgery. Pray for a man making a decision about a job.

Journal Entry #14046

Matthew 19:23
    Jesus makes an observation here that may seem quite easy to grasp. However, remember that in that time, and still among some Jews today, material blessings were seen as an indication of salvation. If a person was rich, though not through questioned means such as being a tax gatherer for the Romans, that person would be seen as very blessed and assured of a place in heaven. The leaders of the Jews were, generally, quite wealthy and were thought to be very holy because of it.
   Therefore, in that culture, to suggest that rich people might have trouble even being saved was quite a disturbing statement. Yet, Jesus was of course quite right in his sentiment here. Rich people have a tendency to trust their future to their wealth, rather than to the Lord. This does not mean being rich is wrong, or that rich people cannot be saved. It just means that many rich individuals will miss out on heaven simply because they have loved their riches more.

Bible Reading: John 11:1-57

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know what is best for our lives. You never lead us in the wrong way. May we always follow your direction. To live a life of service to You may seem like a drudgery to some, but it is a great joy and delight. May we never lose sight of Your great love for us! Jesus is so wonderful! Thank You, Father, for the blessing of Your Son. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having a life-changing surgery this week. Pray for a woman having a minor operation tomorrow. Pray for a man who will be traveling for treatment. Pray for a student who has some difficult tests this week.

Journal Entry #14045

Matthew 19:22
    Jesus just let’s him go. He tells this young man exactly what he needs, let’s him make up his own mind. He loves him, we know that. But he doesn’t run him down to try to persuade him. He doesn’t try to rephrase his message to make it more palatable. He just watches as the man sorrowfully turns away and leaves.
   What was this fellow sorry about? Was he sorry that he was so attached to his riches that they would keep him from eternal life? Not likely. Was he sorry that he did not have the guts to take the plunge and trust Jesus with his eternal soul? No, probably not. Most probably this young man was sorry that, though he had thought Jesus was a great teacher, the Teacher obviously did not understand him or his situation.
   This always the way with sin. It has a blinding influence. It keeps us from seeing the open door set before us. It makes us turn against Christ, because he will not accept it. We must repudiate it. As he said to the woman caught in adultery, go and sin no longer.

Bible Reading: John 9:1-10:42

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You give us the truth. You tell us the right way. May we live to show others the good path. May we be a shining light in a dark world. You are worthy of our lives! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man preparing for a serious reconstructive surgery. Pray for Bible-preaching churches all over the world this morning.

Journal Entry #14044

Matthew 19:21
    It is very important to notice exactly what Jesus is saying here. He tells this man that he is giving him the path to perfection. That is quite a claim! But, of course, Jesus can back it up. Indeed, if he couldn’t, he would be no Savior at all. Make no mistake, Jesus can make us perfect. Otherwise, we could never have a hope of entering heaven.
   Jesus quite literally gives this man the gospel plan. First, he calls him to make a clean break with his old life. Jesus knew this man depended upon his riches; and that, as a Jew, he felt they were evidence of the blessings of God upon his life. Jesus knew that he was asking this man to turn from his present sense of security to depend completely upon Christ. He knew that these riches had become a sin because of this man’s love for them. He was, simply, calling the man to repentance and faith.
   To follow Christ meant to become his disciple. Jesus knew he was about to die for the sins of the world. He knew that his followers would have eternal life. He new that he would perfect his saints by the power of his sacrifice on Calvary. So, he gave him the gospel. Repent and believe in Jesus. That is the only way to keep the commandments, that is the only way to be perfect.

Bible Reading: John 7:1-8:59

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ! I could live a lifetime thinking I am good enough to go to heaven on my own, and many do. But I am so glad to know the Savior, the Jesus, who can make me perfect. I need to keep Your commandments, we all do. But, in Christ, we are enabled to do that. May all that we do honor You! May we always hold Christ high! Praise You Almighty Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a missionary couple trying to get back to the field. Pray for many who are traveling.

Journal Entry #14043

Matthew 19:20
    This young man meant here exactly what all of the Jews meant when they said that they observed the commandments. Jesus had told him he needed to ‘keep’ the commandments. Though, in the English, the man claims to have kept them; he said a different word than Jesus did. In other words, in Greek, Jesus said ‘keep’ and the man said he ‘observed’ the commandments. Though this may seem a splitting of hairs, it reveals the deeper difference between what the Jews believed about the law, and what Christ taught about it.
   What this man was saying was that he felt he was not guilty of anything that these laws disallowed. An observation of regulations, rather than the conviction of the heart, is what is in view here. This happens all of the time. Employees may follow the boss’s rules (while he is present), but they rarely agree with them. So, following the letter, rather than the spirit, of the law was what this young man had it mind.
   But, to his credit, he realized he was still lacking. Something was missing. He knew he needed something. He wanted to feel complete, even perfect. Jesus knew this. He knew that this young man recognized his need, but he was about to call him to let go of what was keeping him from perfection. Jesus knows that he alone can perfect us, but this man needed to learn that.

Bible Reading: John 5:1-6:71

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and love in our lives. You see our deepest needs. You work to get us to recognize these needs, and Your solution. You are so wonderful like that, Your Truth is a gracious gift to us. How can we ever thank You enough. May we always take the time to learn from You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with health issues. Pray for a woman with a pinched nerve.

Journal Entry #14042

Matthew 19:19
   Jesus ends his list of commands with one that did not come from the regular ‘ten commandments’ list. This command can be found in Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 18. Jesus ends with it because it is quite possibly the hardest command for us to obey consistently. Few people would deny that they try to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated. Indeed, those who do not at least pretend to follow this command are not well liked. But, it is our sinful nature to try to hide our true motives. Thus, Jesus knew that this command especially would be one the man would claim to keep.

Bible Reading: John 3:1-4:54

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us to see ourselves as we really are. You are so loving in that. Many people think You are just trying to be picky. But, honesty is the most loving thing. You want to improve us by Your power, not discourage us by Your justice. Thank You for loving us, and may we honor You with our lives. Your name is above all, and Your honor is without limit! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for three women that have silent prayer requests. Pray for a woman with cancer.

Journal Entry #14041

Matthew 19:18
   Why would Jesus give this man the idea that keeping such commandments would bring him to eternal life? Well, this is quite simple. Jesus knew that this man had not kept these commandments. He knew the man’s thoughts. To think a mean thought, or to be lustful, or to covet, or to tell the whitest of lies; any one of these things would be a breaking of the law.
   But, Jesus wanted this man to come face to face with his own righteousness. He wanted him to make a statement of how good he felt he could be. He wanted him to try to establish his own goodness after Jesus had clearly stated that only Almighty God is good. He was trying to get the man to think. He was drawing him to the truth.
   Indeed, the very commandments that Jesus selected were chosen just for this reason. Jesus knew that this man would never admit to having broken even one of these. No self-respecting Jew of that day would dream of being guilty in any of these areas. The man’s answer was expected by all present.

Bible Reading: John 1:1-2:25

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love. You bring us face to face with the truth even though we ignore it many times. You are so just, and yet so gracious, that way. May we always be privileged to have Your truth before us. It is a joy to our hearts! Your love is so worth knowing. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with a mass in her liver and a broken pelvis. Pray for a man in the hospital who is not well. Pray for a man who had surgery and is in critical condition.

Journal Entry #14040