Author: Bill Hall

2: In this verse, Luke reviews the end of his gospel, catching the reader up to the present events. Jesus is said to give commandments through the Holy Spirit. This is not to say that Jesus had no authority to make commands. Indeed, it shows that he had the authority to include the power of the Spirit for the performance of the commands. The disciples could go forth with this power.

Personal Journal Entry #120101
Prayer Journal Entry #12101
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 14:1-16:23
Praise Journal Entry #12061: Heavenly Father, may we always depend upon your strength in our lives! I must not try to work in my own strength, but in You. Thank You for that boundless source of energy and holiness called the Holy Spirit. You are a blessing to me. Your Spirit lifts me from the bottom and sets me high. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

1: Luke is, of course, referring back to his gospel. Many have suggested that Theophilus is not a particular person. However, it seems that he was indeed an actual individual. In his gospel, Luke refers to Theophilus with a title that indicates the man was a magistrate or officer of some type. Acts is the natural sequel to the gospel of Luke.

Personal Journal Entry #12100
Prayer Journal Entry #12100
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-13:39
Praise Journal Entry #12060: Heavenly Father, I thank You for making Your Word so personal. You have not given us a book that is so far above the understanding of the common man that we could never attain to its secrets. Instead, You guide us into its meaning by Your Spirit. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

10: The joy of the Lord can be found in the midst of business. Great works for God can bring a great joy to the heart of the worker.

Personal Journal Entry #12099
Prayer Journal Entry #12099
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 8:1-11:27
Prasie Journal Entry #12059: Heavenly Father, Your Joy is perfect. Your way is a blessing. Following You brings our lives into perfect balance with Your creation. I praise You for Your ability to balance the order and spontenaity of Your universe. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

17: The quotation comes from Jeremiah 31:15.
18: Before the birth of Christ, Bethlehem, and the nearby city of Rama, were though of in connection with the death of Rachel. Just as in the captivity, Rachel is seen figuratively as the mother of the nation, who weeps for her children. She is ‘heard’ here because Bethlehem is where she was buried.

Personal Journal Entry #12098
Prayer Journal Entry #12098
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 4:1-7:29
Praise Journal Entry #12058: Heavenly Father, thank You for being the Person that You are. You know we need something more than a meaningless force, or impersonal being. You know that we need someone who knows and understands us. You have revealed about Yourself just what we need. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

14: It is quite likely that the gift of the Magi enabled Joseph to take this trip. Otherwise, there is a good chance that he would not have been able to afford it. They took their journey at night to avoid anyone knowing exactly what way they had gone.
15: This is from Hosea 11:1, which speaks of both Israel and the Messiah prophetically. Herod died sometime around 4 B.C.
16: Assuming that Herod’s memory was correct, and it surely was, Jesus was around two when they left for Egypt. Though there is no historical record outside of scripture of this slaughter in Bethlehem, that is hardly a surprise. Herod’s crimes were numerous and well-known. Thus, the murder of a few children in Bethlehem would likely not even make it into a list of his crimes.

Personal Journal Entry #12097
Prayer Journal Entry #12097
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 1:1-3:39
Praise Journal Entry #12057: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your working in spite of evil people. You have often caused the light of the Truth to shine where despots rule. Thank You for Your mercy in making Truth available. You are worthy of so much praise for Your beautiful plan of salvation! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

13: On four occasions Joseph received communication from God in a dream. The whole plan had already been thought out. God knew exactly what would happen, and exactly how it would happen.


Personal Journal Entry #12096
Prayer Journal Entry #12096
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 28:1-31:13
Praise Journal Entry #12056: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your knowledge. It provides us with such security! We can know that You know everything, and that You have our best interest at heart. We can have the knowledge from You that we need to face the challenges of life. Thank You for knowing just exactly what we need. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

10: These men were happy to see the star again. Not only had they lost sight of it for a time, and had now regained it; but also, it was obviously indicating the exact location of their destination.
11: The presents were those fit for a king. The wise men, however, being led by the star, were not surprised to find the king in a humble place. He was not still in a stable, but Mary and Joseph were hardly living in a palace at the time. Their worship shows at the very least homage to a king who came from Jehovah God. Being from the east, these men would be familiar with the God of such men as Daniel, Nehemiah, or Mordecai.
12: These wise men were wise enough to listen to Almighty God when he warned them not to turn back to Jerusalem. They, at the very least, had the same sensitivity to God as did the Babylonian or Persian kings who came into contact with God’s people, or even the gentile nations who have been neighbors to the Jews all along.

Personal Journal Entry #12095
Prayer Journal Entry #12095
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 25:1-27:12
Praise Journal Entry #12055: Heavenly Father, thank You for making Yourself known to the world. The Truth concerning You is made more available every day. Send laborers into the harvest, Father. So many need to be saved! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

9: It is evident by this that the star was placed there by God, and that it was no ordinary star. It justifies their efforts to find the child.

Personal Journal Entry #12094
Prayer Journal Entry #12094
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 22:1-24:22
Praise Journal Entry #12054: Heavenly Father, You are worthy of any effort we may give to praise You. You have justified those who would otherwise be hopeless. You give everlasting joy to those who would otherwise be filled with misery forever. What a great Kindness is Yours! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

8: Perhaps the wise men began to sense the true intentions of Herod at this point. False piety is often easy to detect.

Personal Journal Entry #12093
Prayer Journal Entry #12093
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 19:1-21:15
Praise Journal Entry #12053: Heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty, who made heaven and earth and all that is in them. You are worthy of true praise and adoration. May we never offer You a false piety, for You can surely see through our intentions. I praise You for Your greatness. You are worthy of all glory and honor. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

7: It is amazing what pains people will take to maintain their power. When men think that they must maintain their rule by their own schemes, rather than the will of the people, or God, they will work very hard at it. Diligence is thus not always a sign of virtue.

Personal Journal Entry #12092
Prayer Journal Entry #12092
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-18:30
Praise Journal Entry #12052: Heavenly Father, may I ever work with diligence to do Your will! So many spend their lives trying to get things that will never last. And yet, so few will give much effort to those things which will never fade. You deserve to be the focus of our lives, Father. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.