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28: These two men were very persistent. Jesus may have had others following him saying things like they said, only without a genuine heart of belief. There were likely many in the crowds who only repeated what others had said. That these men continued to pursue him showed the genuine nature of their faith.

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 4:1-5:39

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Daily Tidbit: Ephesians 6:6 tells us about not trying to please others. How many of us really take that to heart?

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for this glorious day! I am glad that no matter how rushed we are, You are always right on time. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man with a cold.

Personal Journal Entry #13032

27: The address of these blind men to Christ is more complete than what we hear from the lips of those who see. They did two very significant things by how they called for him. First, to address Christ as the Son of David was no common salutation. Though any male descendant of David might be referred to in this way, it was not how people would have referred to any other of David’s descendants. Thus, this is very specifically used, and has a very specific meaning. These men were recognizing Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and nothing less. Jesus ran into few during his ministry who actually recognized his identity publicly.
   Second, to ask for mercy was quite appropriate. This is not to say that the men were asking only for forgiveness from sin. They were asking for healing. However, using the term ‘mercy’ carries with it an understanding that all physical malady has sin as its root cause. They were recognizing and admitting that, though their desire was to be healed, the Messiah would know and be able to forgive their sin as well. What a great measure of faith we see then on the part of those less privileged than the masses.

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 2:1-3:38

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:“

Daily Tidbit: While the number of men, and women, is constantly increasing, the number of good husbands, and wives, is constantly decreasing. For those looking to be married some day, keep this very important thing in mind. Let Almighty God find the best one for you.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful day. Lord, you are always there. I never can understand how You can live me so much and be so faithful to love me and be concerned about me. But, I won’t complain! Oh Father, You are truly the best friend we could ever have! I can’t get over how You are always there for me all the time. I wake up in the morning not ready to ‘be there’ for anybody, and yet You have been with me all through the night. I need You every hour! I am so glad that You don;t get tired of my needyness. You never complain or tell me to go away. You give me strength for each day and a sense of newness every morning. It is revitalizing to know You. I feel fresh and alive when I live close to You each day. I feel like there is a fountain flowing into my life. Oh do I need a fountain! Everywhere I go it seems I am pushing out, trying to feed the message forth to others. I must have a fountain flowing into my soul. I must not dry up! You are so powerful, so able to make me alive. Without You I would be in really big trouble. Thank You for Jesus! Jesus thank You for Your love! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for the Boy Scouts. Pray for a woman whose husband just left her.

Personal Journal Entry #13031

26: We are told in the other gospels that Jesus instructed the parents of the girl not to publicize the event. Jesus chose some miracles to publicize, and some to keep private. In the case of Lazarus, or the widow’s son, he did not try to make the matter private. Here he does. Though Jesus’ intentions are not always clear to us, there could be several reasons for his choice here.
   First, Jesus did not, in general, want people to believe in him simply on the basis of his miracles alone. He wanted people to believe he is the Messiah. The miracles he chose to make public were specifically for that purpose.
   Second, Jesus was apparently concerned about misunderstanding or misrepresentation. He knew the atmosphere in Capernaum quite well. As a result, he felt it best to keep the matter private. Misunderstanding could lead to the opposite of the desired effect. It could drive people away from him rather than draw them to him.
   Third, the girl was a child. Jesus knew that she, and her parents, did not need to be surrounded and hounded by questioners and curious persons. That would only cause headaches for them. Remember, people were very superstitious in that day.
   Either way, the miracle did end up getting publicized, at least fairly widely. As Matthew tells us, that entire area heard the story.

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 1:1-80

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”

Daily Tidbit: The first church in Tennessee was the Buffalo Ridge Baptist church in Washington County.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wisdom. You always know exactly what needs to be done. You know how we think, and what we think. You have the solution before we know the problem. May we always rely on You for the answers. You are a fountain of good in a world of evil. Thank You for Your Son, and all that he means to us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a middle-aged couple with spiritual needs. Pray for an older man with a cold.

Personal Journal Entry #13030

25: Jesus brought the girl back to life instantly. Jesus could help people in may ways. He could, as in Lazarus’ case, command them to come out of the tomb. In this case, he takes the girl’s hand and gently tells her to get up. Matthew does not record Jesus speaking to the girl, but Mark and Luke do.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 15:1-16:20

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”

Daily Tidbit: Abraham had eight sons: Isaac, Ishmael, Zimram, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all of Your wonderful care for us! You are so good to us and have such great plans for us. Thank You for all that You do, and all that You are! You know our deepest needs and are always there ready to meet them if we will but turn to You for help. Your patience is amazing! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who has 6 months to a year to live. Pray for a young man having surgery on his eye.

Personal Journal Entry #13029

24: Unlike Jairus, the persons assembled about the girl had no faith in Christ whatsoever. They were mostly hired musicians and wailers anyway, none of whom had any personal interest in the girl. Though also, some of her family may have been present on the room. They apparently had not hte faith of Jairus either. By saying that the girl was alseep, Jesus was not claiming that the child had not died. However, the term ‘sleep’ is used by him in connection with those who die in faith. He means by this that their condition is not final. There is a bright future ahead regardless of the current state.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 13:1-14:72

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”

Daily Tidbit: Never miss the little things that God does each day. Though he blesses us in big ways, it is the little things every day that show us his faithfulness so much. Consciousness of his constant care is the key to contentment.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for the hope that You give to us. It is so wonderful to live life without being constantly afraid of death. Most people simply try not to think about death. Your children can think about it freely whenever the need arises because it is not the finality that is so fearful. Oh Father, life in You is so rewarding! You are worthy of praise for Your glorious grace! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for two young families who need prayer this week.

Personal Journal Entry #13028

23: The Jewish customs for mourning and funerals were quite interesting. The minstrels, of which there were likely several, played not to allay grief, but to encourage extreme weeping. The sound of the instruments was so doleful as to cause a very somber mood. In addition, their would be professional mourners assigned to the deceased as well. These, usually women, would wail loudly and cry uncontrollably. That Jesus entered into a very negative atmosphere is an understatement.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 11:1-12:44

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Daily Tidbit: Baptists of days gone by were bold in their witness here in America. But, they were also bold in nations that are closed to the gospel. May we continue to be so today. May we not fail to take the gospel to every nation, closed or not.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity that You have given us to share Your Truth. It is such a joy to be able to tell others about You, and Your Word. We will declare Your greatness, and Your gospel to all who will listen. The opportunities are born every minute. Your message is special to us, and it means so much to those who are looking for answers in their lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for Bible-preaching churches all over the world today.

Personal Journal Entry #13027

22: Jesus did not have the slightest hesitation about the situation. He was far from being upset with this lady. Indeed, he was eager to reward her faith. He knew supernaturally that she had touched him for a reason. Many were touching him, jostling about, pushing, touching him just because, etc. The multitude was almost at mob levels. Yet, Jesus stops everything to speak to this woman. Notice his kind words to her. He not only healed her body, but saw the need to heal her soul. She needed an emotional support she had not had in a good many years. She needed that comfort of Almighty God that she thought she might never have again. She needed the smile of the Master to warm her troubled heart. Her faith in him was all it took. Jesus was willing and ready to heal those who would trust him. And she received the blessing that she came for. Oh what a picture of Jesus’ power to take our sin from us!

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 9:1-10:52

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Daily Tidbit: Johann Oncken, a German Baptist minister who was very influential, had a motto that Baptists today would do well to take up. The motto: “Every Baptist A Missionary” Indeed, when Baptists get serious about their faith, missions work of some type is always the result.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to live for You. You have given us a lifetime of opportunities to serve You. Today we want to give You all the praise that You deserve. You are worthy of the glory! How can we ever thank You enough for all that You do? You are so kind to us, so loving! All praise be to You dear Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a family with spiritual needs. Pray for a man going through cancer therapy. Pray for two men with terminal cancer.

Personal Journal Entry #13026

20: The difficulty of this woman must be duly noted. Her condition was very bad for several reasons. For one, she was not getting any better. She had consulted many doctors, spent her entire savings, and had nothing to show for the trouble. She was thus, in a bad way. Also, her condition, besides being uncomfortable and inconvenient, was isolating her from others. It caused her to be unclean, according to the law, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. As a result she could not hold up her head in society, and was an outcast. Indeed, having had this problem for twelve years, she was surely known by many in the city, her condition included. She should not have even been out of the house on this day. Anyone she touched became unclean, according to the law. Thus, it was quite a risk she took coming to see Christ.
   There was a large crowd thronging around Jesus as he moved through the city. The woman had to force her way to him. She did not ask for healing because she feared that the people would immediately cast her away if anyone recognized her. So, she tried not to draw attention to herself. Otherwise, she would have to have called out to Jesus, which would surely have exposed her identity to someone in the crowd who knew who she was.
   Evidently the woman realized that touching Jesus would not make him unclean. Her faith in him was obviously strong. She knew he was her only hope. The part of his garment that she touched evidences this. She touched the fringe of his garment. This is called the ‘tzitzit’, and it is considered to be the holiest part of the garment. It was a blue thread twisted into the fringe of the garment. It reminded the Jews of the law, and was commanded in Numbers 15:38-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12. It is as if the woman touched this part on purpose, knowing she needed something from God, wishing she could fulfill his law.
21: Her faith is quite plainly stated here. She had no doubt that Jesus had the answer, she had no doubt that he had the power to heal, to make her whole again. She evidently never feared that her touching him would be offensive to him at all.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 7:1-8:38

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Daily Tidbit: During religious persecution in England in the late 17th century, many laws against those of other religions other than the church of England were enacted. One such law limited all public religious gatherings outside of the church to no more than four persons. Not surprisingly, this law did not keep Baptists from meeting together, and being imprisoned for it. This makes one wonder, would Baptists in America today react in the same way to such a law? In some places, it seems that people are trying to avoid groups of more than four worshiping together without any law against it!

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for the religious freedom that we have in this nation. It is wonderful. But, Father, I know that our freedom comes ultimately from You, not a government of man. You are such a blessing to us! Knowing You, and worshiping You together with others is such a joy and privilege. Thank You! Father, I am so glad that You have sent Your Son to solve all of our problems, no matter how big they might seem to us. Forgiveness for sin is a mercy and grace that I will never get over. It is so great to be able to stand before You clean and whole. Bathing in Your grace makes me feel so clean and fresh! I cannot put it into words properly. You make life so much better. We don’t have to live with fear, doubt, guilt, etc. Thank You for Jesus! He is the best friend I will ever have. Nobody cares for me like Jesus – that is a very fitting statement. Only he has met my every need. I only hope I may serve You all of my days. I cannot pay back what You have given, but I will try to do my reasonable service. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman with a tumor in her heart. Pray fro an older couple with health issues. Pray for an older man with health issues. Pray for a family that just recently lost a loved one.

Personal Journal Entry #13025

18: This ruler, Jairus by name, was evidently a person of some prominence in the local synagogue there in Capernaum. Jesus had surely come into contact with him before, and his worship of Christ here indicates that he believed much more about Christ than most of the Jewish leaders.
   One of the difficulties we find here is that in Mark and Luke the ruler tells Jesus that his daughter is not yet dead at this point. It is, we are told in these accounts, later that a messenger comes to tell Jairus that the girl is dead. However, a close look at the wording here will reveal no confusion. Jairus here in Matthew says that his daughter is ‘even now’ dead. These two English words come from one Greek word. This word ‘ἂρτι’ means ‘just now’. Thus, ‘even now’ tells us that Jairus left his daughter’s side as she lay dying. He felt certain that she would be, by the time he had reached Jesus, almost dead, or already dead. Thus, this explains the urgency of the situation.
19: The disciples always wanted to be with their Lord, even if he was just going across town in a familiar city.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 5:1-6:56

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Daily Tidbit: Although the personal faith of the founding fathers of America was generally not as clear as we would like, their help to Baptist people in their day is remarkable. Patrick Henry, for example, one of the chief instigators of the Revolution, was next door neighbor to a Baptist minister by the name of John Weatherford. Earlier in Weatherford’s life, he had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He was, after some time, allowed to leave the prison if he paid a fine for his room and board. He was unable to pay. An anonymous donor paid the fine, and he was released. The donor was, as Weatherford later discovered, Patrick Henry. (This Day in Baptist History, Thomas and Cummins, page 31)

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your renewal. Every day is new with You. You give us new opportunities, and new lessons to learn. Living close to You always keeps life fresh and exciting. You have a boundless store of ideas and blessings waiting for our souls each day. Lord, may we truly drink deeply at the fountain of Your joys! You bring a life to our life that is hard for us to understand with our natural senses. Thank You for new life in Christ. May we always seek to follow him! You give us more than we could ever expect or imagine. The treasury of Your Word is full of good things for our days, and sweet dreams for our nights. Knowing that You have our best interest at heart is such a comfort! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who has six to nine months to live. Pray for a man who will die soon. Pray for a man with the flu. Pray for a little boy who is sick.

Personal Journal Entry #13024

17: Whether this is taken to refer to wine bottles, or wine-skins (which is more likely), the illustration holds true. Old bottles or skins will be more brittle and liable to break than new bottles or skins. Many have suggested that the ‘new wine’ was the intoxicating kind that had not yet completely fermented. This is not necessarily the case. Old containers and old liquids always go together better than new liquids in old containers. Just as with the last verse, Americans would generally not use a container until it would be considered ‘old’ in the ancient world.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 3:1-4:41

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:4 “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.“

Daily Tidbit: Babies have more bones that adults do. As we grow older, our bones fuse together, so grown-ups have slightly fewer that babies.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for being who You are all the time. You never change. You are always wonderful, You are always good. May we stand in awe of Your faithfulness and patience. You take such good care of us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a girl looking for a job with more hours. Pray for a couple looking for a church closer to home.

Personal Journal Entry #13023