Category: Uncategorized

Matthew 18:23
   The king here takes account of his servants. He knows what he is owed.  The king represents Almighty God. We must not forget that God keeps record of everything. Many, knowing this, think God will judge us by our works. However, because God knows everything, not just our works, it is more accurate to say we will be judged by our will. Plain works are not enough to determine the value of a person. One may find two persons with similar works, but different wills. One may work for self-righteous reasons, while another does these things out of humility. This is why salvation is based on our trust in Christ rather than our good works. Without him, our works amount to nothing. If we trust him, he makes them priceless treasures.

Bible Reading: Matthew 10:1-11:30

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love! I am constantly aware of and awed by Your work in my life. Why would You take Your time with me? I am not worthy. You love each of us. You are interested in our lives. You are at work with us all  the time. You are worthy of our great praise! Hallelujah! You are wondrous! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman’s silent request. Pray for a man with a sinus infection. Pray for a man who is travelling.

Journal Entry #14011

Matthew 18:22
   In other words, forgiveness does not end. Those who forgive a given number of times make themselves the judge, and the source of the forgiveness. Such forgiveness has never done anybody any good. It is a man’s forgiveness, it cannot fix the problem. Whereas, limitless forgiveness leaves the judging to Christ. I cannot fail to forgive because I cannot judge the failure to begin with. I can go only by the standard of Christ, and he needs no forgiveness. Thus, I forgive, not because the offence is small, or because I fear for myself; but because he who needs no forgiveness bids me to forgive. If I judged by a perfect standard, I would forgive none. But, he who has the right to judge by that standard has made a way of forgiveness. I dare not go against his wishes.

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-9:38

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grevious.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us again today that You tell us the Truth. You don’t hide the Truth from us, but put it in Your Word where we can get to it. All we have to do is read it, accept it, and yield to You as You change our lives. Thank You for the call to Christ. Thank You for making it so clear that he is the only way to You. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love. Father, You have loved us so much. Hallelujah! You are worthy of all the praise and honor and glory! You are truly amazing, awesome, wonderful! Knowing You does lift our lives. May we always see how You change us into something holy and good. May we revel in the beauty that You are putting into our souls. You are so powerful and wise. You are so pure and good. Thank You, Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two men with cancer. Pray for a man having trouble with his kidneys. Pray for a woman who just lost her husband. Pray for a woman’s silent request.

Journal Entry #14010

Matthew 18:21
   Peter was trying to be very forgiving. We might not pick up on that right away. But, for a Jew, he was really trying to be very forgiving by suggesting as much as seven times forgiving someone.

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-6:34

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, than You for teaching us to forgive. It is amazing to me how much time You spend in Your Word talking about forgiving people. You really want us to love each other. Thank You for Your love. It is amazing. Our love is not so good. But, I do love You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman in the hospital. Pray for several people with cancer.

Journal Entry #14009

Matthew 18:20
   Jesus is with us. He is interested in us. He is present in our lives. When we get together, he is there. He wants to be there. He loves us.

Bible Reading: Malachi 4:1-Matthew 4:25

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace. You could take a far less interested view of us. You could stop working on our behalf. You could quit spending so much time with us. Yet You do all these things, and more. Thank You! We can always depend upon You. We can look to You no matter what. You are worthy of our trust, and of all our praise! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for  a lady recovering from surgery. Pray for several people who are sick.

Journal Entry #14008

Matthew 18:19
   We must keep this in context. Though it is true to say that God will hear us concerning our matters, there is something in particular in mind here. Jesus is showing that, just as the whole church may judge in spiritual matters, two may ask for forgiveness on the part of the offender. If two Christians agree together concerning the forgiveness of the sin, God forgives as well. This does not eliminate consequences, but it does eliminate feelings of guilt. God will hear the cry of the repentant and the brother or sister who showed their error.

Bible Reading: Zechariah 12:1-Malachi 3:18

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I love You. I really want to do Your will in my life. I know Your way is perfect, and Your plans are the best. Help me to submit to You in all areas. You alone can organize our lives as they need to be. You alone know the end from the beginning. You are the Source of Wisdom for all mankind. You alone can understand all of the problems and needs that we have. You are the Solution, You are the Savior. You can change our lives into something good for Your glory. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a lady having an operation tomorrow. Pray for a lady having her toe amputated tomorrow.

Journal Entry #14007

Matthew 18:18
   This phraseology is not used in our modern day. It was, however, legal terminology. The binding and loosing idea is a Jewish one, and alludes to the judicial authority of the interpreters of Scripture. In other words, what Jesus is saying here is that the church has the authority to arbitrate in matters regarding the truth of the gospel. Each local congregation has the God-given right to practice church discipline. Those who are unrepentant are judged not by any personal opinion, but by the majority opinion of the church body as a whole. This authority is binding. Thus, the church is, in spiritual matters, the highest court.

Bible Reading: Zechariah 7:1-11:17

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to understand Your Truth. We know that You have given us all of the answers that we need. We can trust You. Thank You, Father. 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 man looking for a job.

Journal Entry #14006

Matthew 18:17
   The focus here is repentance, and avoidance of false believers. Jesus is not trying to cause division among true brothers and sisters in Christ. He is, however, showing that the church body as a whole has the right, under him, to judge the lack of repentance on the part of the offender. Furthermore, even those who are not repentant are not to be mistreated, but treated as lost. This is very important. There is no room in the teachings of Christ for a gospel of violence. Those who do not cooperate with the Truth are not to be harmed, but are to be treated with love and human decency. They are not, however, to be accepted as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Bible Reading: Zechariah 1:1-6:15

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to serve You. You give us so many little surprise blessings on our way through this life, and yet we take so much for granted. Thank You for Your constant care for us. You deserve our praise, for You are holy and just. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a twelve year old with seizures. Pray for a man who just cam home from the hospital. Pray for a woman starting cancer treatment.

Journal Entry #14005

Matthew 18:16
   Some might try to get around this step. In our modern time we have these handy little things called tape recorders. Thus, some might try to say that taking others with them is redundant since it is here stated that the purpose in that is to establish what was said. However, even in our modern world it is best to leave this step right where it is. Nothing beats a personal testimony. Take someone with you the second time. Record it if you want, but that is no substitute. Besides, remember, helping the offender, rather than vindicating yourself, is your goal.

Bible Reading: Zephaniah 1:1-Haggai 2:23

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being our strength. Sometimes life seems so hard. We like to escape. We want to make things easy. Thank You for helping us to see life differently. Thank You for showing us where the true value lies. You help us to focus. You give us that value system that makes a difference to our families and helps us bring others to Christ. You are wonderful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young lady re-taking a test soon. Pray for a family who just lost a loved one. Pray for several people who are sick.

Journal Entry #14005

Matthew 18:15
   Often we talk about this means of dealing with offences without remembering the context. Disputes among believers are to be handled in this way to avoid hurting the one who caused the problem to begin with. this is exactly the opposite of how people usually deal with problems. But, it is the right way to handle it.

Bible Reading: Nahum 2:1-Habakkuk 3:19

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are gracious to us even in the hardest times. You never stop being faithful and true. You never stop loving us. Thank You for Your love and justice. You tell us the Truth from Your Word. You don’t lie. You give us the whole picture. Thank You! 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 two boys that are fighting sickness. Pray for several people with cancer.

Journal Entry #14004

Matthew 18:14
   It is not the desire of Almighty God that any might be lost. However, he does not force us into salvation. Some will be lost, and some will be found. This is a mystery, but it is a fact.

Bible Reading: Micah 4:1-Nahum 1:15

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for explaining life to us. Though many of us would rather not think much about it, knowing the Truth is so nice. Thank You, You are worthy of all our praise! May we be forever in awe of Your grace and love. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for several people who are sick. Pray for a man with chest congestion. Pray for a man in poor health.

Journal Entry #14003