Category: Uncategorized

Matthew 21:34
   The was the way of such an arrangement. The owner would get a certain percentage of the crop because he was the owner. Thus, it was his own possession that he was sending for to fetch to himself. His servant, which he personally sent, had every right to what they demanded because the fruit was his. Indeed, the whole thing would have been agreed upon when the husbandmen were hired.
   This was a common thing in Jesus’ day. His hearers immediately understood the illustration. The responsibility of the husbandmen to yield the owner’s fruit would go without saying.

Bible Reading: Exodus 14:1-16:36

Scripture Memory: James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are glorious! Your grace still amazes me! Your power is beyond my understanding. Your knowledge is too high for me, I can’t fathom it all. Your love runs so deep that all I can do is jump into it, I cannot find the edges, for it is infinite. Your kindness to a poor sinner like me is all I could ever ask for. You are so wonderful! How can I ever praise You enough? How can I ever serve You enough? I wan to honor You with my life. Oh but Father, we can do so little compared to all that You have done! Christ is the joy of our souls. Knowing him is all that we need for life. I rejoice in him! All glory to the Son of God! Praise be to You, Almighty Heavenly Father! All praise be Yours! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who just had a stroke. Pray for a man with major health issues. Pray for a girl who had a fall.

Journal Entry #14120

Matthew 21:33
   Jesus used things in his parables that people would easily understand. Though it is somewhat foreign to us, the Jews of that day would immediately understand all that he was describing in this verse. This is important. Jesus did not teach people with vague spiritualized legends or stories with weird or amazing notions in them. No, Jesus gave simple, down to earth, logical, and practical illustrations. In this way, it was easy for his hearers to understand what he was communicating provided they were willing to allow his truth to sink in.

Bible Reading: Exodus 11:1-13:22

Scripture Memory: James 1:15 “The when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know all that we need to know. You always have the best path in mind. You can lead us in the right way that we should go. Oh Father, thank You for always loving us! You are so good and kind to me. You always have my best interests at heart. We cannot outdo Your care for us with our selfishness. No plan of ours can overshadow Your plan for our next step. You know all of tomorrow before it happens. You have it all in Your hands. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman recovering from a bad fall. Pray for a man in the nursing home undergoing some physical therapy. Pray for a small baby in the hospital because of breathing problems.

Journal Entry #14119

Matthew 21:32
   Jesus brings home the application. Many today might hear gospel preaching and presume in their hearts to think that Jesus would never say what his ministers say. But, this is not at all the case. Jesus was and is the Preacher, and we are only repeating his words. He had a powerful and authoritative way about getting his message across, and we should have the same.
   He gives them the answer to both their question to him and his question to them. He then applies their failure to accept John’s message by comparing it with the response of the undesirables. These, who man would never expect to be righteous, were coming to the kingdom of God in droves. They, the leaders of the Jews who were supposed to be God’s ministers, were shown to have only man’s petty ritualism and tradition, not true and pure religion. They had said, ‘I go Sir’ and went not.

Bible Reading: Exodus 8:1-10:29

Scripture Memory: James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I cannot stop loving Christ. Jesus is the reason for my hope. He is the cause of my life. He is the goal of my journey. Oh Father, thank You for Christ! Thank You for the gospel of Christ. The death, burial, and resurrection is the most important fact that I can know. Without it, I have nothing. With it, I may inherit everything. To have Christ is to have the greatest gift there is. Joy in Christ is powerful. The enemy hates it. I can be happy in Christ. He has defeated death, hell, and the grave. Sickness, sorrow, pain and death are destroyed through Christ. God made us to be His servants, with His authority. We can live in Him, and have the victory. Thank You, Father, for victory in Jesus! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having pain in his knees. Pray for a woman who just went through the tragic loss of her husband to suicide. Pray for a woman having a hard time accepting God’s will for her daughter.

Journal Entry #14118

Matthew 21:31
   Do not miss the wisdom of Christ in this parable. The Jewish leaders had posed a question with an obvious answer. Jesus did the same in return, but they would not answer it because it had the same answer as their question. He then told a story that had a question attached. This answer was also obvious, but seemed ‘safe’ to the elders and priests. So, they answered it quickly, wanting to appear erudite. But, this answer was even more dangerous to their evil designs than the first, for it condemned them before the very Judge of all men, the Messiah.
   There are those in this day that would say that Jesus never rebuked anyone. They would say he never insulted anyone. They would say he never judged anyone. They would say he never offended anyone. He did all of the above. He rebuked the devil in Peter and Judas. He insulted the unbelieving Jews many times. He judged cities that would not hear his message. And, he offended his own disciples indirectly. Though he did not cast a stumbling block before them, which he warned of himself, his teaching was very offensive to them. They were offended at his betrayal and arrest and forsook him. Thus, to offend, insult, rebuke, or judge on the basis of truth is not wrong, but is the right of Christ alone.
   Thus, for us today, if the truth of the gospel is offensive, insulting, corrective, or judgmental, we may not withhold it for any if these because it is true. If, however, our own sentiments, opinions, methodologies, or manner of life causes offense, insult, or any such thing, then we should cease immediately. In other words, to make ourselves odious to others is a great calumny, but for the gospel to be odious in the mind of the unbeliever is only to be expected, and is actually a good thing. Why? Because, to force someone to accept Christ is a great sin, and really impossible. But, to shame them to accept salvation, that is the work of the Holy Spirit in his saints. Our faith in the gospel will offend, insult, and otherwise judge the heathen of this world. This is a mercy of the Spirit of God to the hearts of the unsaved to draw them to the truth, or to harden them against it so that others might see their rage and repent. It is the Christian’s job to teach the commands of Christ, and nothing more. If that offends, then the offended party is under conviction. If it were not so, they could easily conclude that we are crazy and ignore us. But, Christ cannot be ignored!

Bible Reading: Exodus 5:1-7:25

Scripture Memory: James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we think so much of ourselves! Yet You are so much higher than we are. We are nothing before You, and yet we can have everything in You. You have shown us what we really are, and then offered to make us so much more. You don’t waste our life by telling us to learn, grow, create, design, imagine, work, love, and, then, die. No, You give us life so that we may do all these things, and more, in eternity. Thank You, Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young family learning to live by faith as Christ leads on. Pray for an elderly lady who is homebound. Pray for a man who is improving after several months of intensive care in the hospital.

Journal Entry #14117

Matthew 21:30
   Not only did this young man fail to obey his father’s directive, but he lied about it. You might say, so did the first! Well no, not really. The first said he would not go, but repented and went. This one any father would easily forgive. The second lied by saying he would go because he never went at all. Nor did he inform his father that he had no intention of obeying. This is the difference between those who sin much, but repent much, and those who seem to sin little, but are self-righteous. The Lord wisely knows that his bitterest enemies may become his most endearing friends, and his pretended friends will be those who betray him in the end.

Bible Reading: Exodus 2:1-4:31

Scripture Memory: James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You always know best. You understand us when we don’t understand ourselves. Thank You for Your love for us. You have done so much for us, may we serve You much. We can never praise You enough. You alone are able to handle all of our hang-ups. You can solve every problem we have. Thank You for Your goodness in showing us the truth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a pregnant woman having complications. Pray for a woman who is trying to move. Pray for a man with brain tumors.

Journal Entry #14116

Matthew 21:29
   It is very common to find one who turns from God in their early years and then comes to him later. Some run from the Lord because they don’t understand how he could love them. Some do it because they never understand the fullness of his forgiveness. For others, it is simply rebellion, but they mellow out later. All of these things are bad, to be sure, but the individual comes around in the end in each case. The good part of such a situation is that, when they do come around, these individuals generally realize just how bad they really are. Forgiveness sinks in and makes a change in them.

Bible Reading: Genesis 49:1-Exodus 1:22

Scripture Memory: James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You. We easily take for granted the fact that You give us the days of our lives to serve You and follow Your commands. We think of our lives more as ours, but it all belongs to You. Father, thank You for being so loving, gracious, and kind. You are so good to us! May we praise You as we should for You are worthy. Praise the Lord! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who is going through a lot of medical treatment. Pray for a couple of people traveling. Pray for a woman with anemia.

Journal Entry #14115

Matthew 21:28
   Jesus used parables to teach people because parables left the interpretation somewhat up to the hearer. Now, some might say that that smacks of a lack of clarity. The fact, however, is that Jesus’ parables were so clear as to avoid any confusion on the part of the careful listener. What his parables did accomplish was to give him space to say things that would normally be rejected the second they left his mouth. But also, as with this parable which he explained quite explicitly, they allowed him to drive a point home with stunning effect. Indeed, even the most casual observer, if honestly seeking the truth, would recognize the authority of his teaching as it came through his parables as opposed to the teaching of the scribes and pharisees.

Bible Reading: Genesis 46:1-48:22

Scripture Memory: James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the still water of Your Word! It is a balm to my soul. Its truth, though strong, is a gentle encouragement to my mind. It sustains us. You are so wise in every word of Yours, Father. I find beautiful things, treasures, in every place in Your Book. You are so good to us to give us Your very words that we can hold in our hands. May we always obey Your precepts! May we be holy because You are holy! Praise be to You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with pain in his knee. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one. Pray for a woman recovering from a bad fall.

Journal Entry #14114

Matthew 21:27
   In the answer of the Jews, it is all the same for them to mean we cannot because we are unable and to mean we cannot because we are unwilling. They were, indeed, unable because they were unwilling. This is a case of you have not because you ask not. Had they been seeking the truth, they would have seen it plainly before them. As it was, all they were interested in was deceit and trickery, so that is all they could see in anything. The wisdom of Christ’s answer left them with nothing to say.
   The Jews confessed their inability to answer, trying to hide their unwillingness to do so. Jesus confessed his unwillingness to answer them, but implied his inability to answer those whose senses were so dulled to the things of God that they would never understand or accept the answer. To give them an answer would, in every way, be a complete waste.

Bible Reading: Genesis 43:1-45:28

Scripture Memory: James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day of life. Your blessings are absolutely amazing! You are so wonderful! Oh Father, may we never become so enamored with Your blessings as to lose sight of Your person. You are good to us, yes. But You are good Yourself. You are holy and just and pure and lovely and kind and wise and gracious and faithful and powerful. I could go on and on, and why not? You are merciful and glorious and righteous and understanding and authoritative and dependable and sovereign and incomparable and beneficent and long-suffering and patient and eternal and infinite! Wow! You are Almighty God, the Lord of all! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman who is sick. Pray for an elderly woman who just recently had a bad fall. Pray for a woman’s unspoken request.

Journal Entry #14113

Matthew 21:26
   John had been very widely accepted among the Jews. It may seem strange to us now, but many who recognized John as a prophet did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Thus, the following of John caused the Jewish leaders even more grief than the following of Christ had at that point. It did not take much to make these men afraid. Had they even known the truth, they would hardly have the guts to say it. Those who seek their own promotion are easily scared.

Bible Reading: Genesis 41:1-42:38

Scripture Memory: James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for today. You have, in Your infinite wisdom, put together every day of our lives ahead of time. You orchestrate every part of life. And yet, by Your great knowledge and power, You give us choices. You allow us to influence our own future. You are amazing in that! Though there is a whole world of persons that You have made, and though you have allowed us to have a say in our lives, You still control it all. You still know everything that could, and everything that does, happen. How wondrous You are! You are worthy of all honor, glory, riches, power, wisdom, might, and our complete devotion! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man recovering from extensive surgery. Pray for a woman going to find out some test results today. Pray for the family of Juanita Aslinger today. Pray for a missionary family leaving for France tomorrow.

Journal Entry #14112

Matthew 21:25
   The reasoning of the Jewish authorities upon this question reveals much. Rather than really understanding the question, or considering their answer on the basis of truth, they considered and understood only the implications of their answer for the present situation. This tells us that they had no concept of what the answer actually was. This is why Jesus gives them the two options. Ultimately, had he not given them options, their answer would have been the same. But, that he could give them the right answer, and the very opposite of it, and they would still have no more chance of arriving at the truth, was a condemnation of them.

Bible Reading: Genesis 38:1-40:23

Scripture Memory: James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are so glorious in Your holiness! You are the Light. You have brought Light into the world through Christ. Jesus is the Link to You. He is our Key to all the glories of heaven, but also to all that You are. We may, by Him, know You in all Your fullness. Father, Son and Spirit, three in one, You are Holy, Holy, Holy. Thank You for Your work in our lives. That You care for us is an amazing thought. How could we ask for more? You love like none else. Your love is not selfish, it is perfect. Thank You for Christ! He is the joy of our hearts, and the light of our life. Only in Him may we have peace. May all glory be to Jesus! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman awaiting test results tomorrow. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one. Pray for churches all over the world today.

Journal Entry #14111