Category: Uncategorized

16: In richer nations this illustration will be more difficult to understand. Many in America especially would never dream of repairing the kind of holes that clothes can get in them when they are kept for a long time. This is what is in view here. Jesus was speaking of putting a patch on a piece of clothing. Due to the wear and tear, and washing methods, that a garment might undergo in the ancient world, a new patch would be inappropriate. Newer cloth would shrink a bit and would be stronger than the old garment. Thus, using a patch made from new cloth would make matters worse rather than better.
   By this illustration, Jesus is simply saying that fasting was not the right fit at the moment. There was to be a new covenant, and fasting must be based upon it. The believer would relate differently to the Lord in the future. And thus, fasting would be different. An Old Testament saint might fast in order to remind themselves of their need for God’s presence. A new Testament saint might fast to remind themselves that God is present with them. It is the same thing, except that the one looks forward, and the other looks back.

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 1:1-2:28

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

Daily Tidbit: Just as we have unique fingerprints, each person has a unique tongue-print.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that reminds us of You. You have not left Yourself without witness. There are reminders of You everywhere we look. Your power is so great! Thank You for giving us Your Truth in Your Word. Jesus is such a blessing to our hearts! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a lady with a tumor in her heart.

Personal Journal Entry #13022

15: It was customary for Jews to refrain from certain duties, fasting included, when in the midst of a marriage celebration. In other words, Jesus is here paralleling the joy surrounding the wedding occasion with the disciples’ joy in having their Lord with them. There was no purpose for fasting with their Lord physically there with them. As he says here, the bridegroom is now away for a time, so fasting is appropriate. Indeed, fasting can be seen as a sign of our expectation of the bridegroom’s return.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 27:1-28:20

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Daily Tidbit: Jesus Christ is the only hope for humanity.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wondrous blessings! Thank You for putting people in our lives that encourage us. Thank You for being faithful to teach us Your Truth at all times. Thank You for Your mercy and power. You alone can change hearts. I love You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for two children whose parents have just been arrested.

Personal Journal Entry #13021

14: Fasting is a discipline of the Christian life. It was a regular practice for religious Jews in Jesus’ day. It is not a strange thing, but a normal part of spiritual maturity. Jesus’ disciples, however, did not do it. This provides an opportunity for Jesus to explain more about fasting and why it is done.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 25:1-26:75

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also might have fellowship with us: and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Daily Tidbit: The only bird that can genuinely fly backwards is a hummingbird.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for You love for us. You always know what will happen in our lives. No burden is too heavy for You to lift. Trials, temptations, testings, all are within Your ability to handle for us. You can guide us through every difficulty for Your glory. Father, what a comfort You are to us! Thank You for Your Son, and all of the blessing that You bestow through him. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a little boy who has the flu.

Personal Journal Entry #13020

12: Just as those who are physicians of the physical maladies with which we are faced, Jesus was to be the Great Physician for the spiritual needs of mankind. As a physician, he would, naturally, have to find himself among the sick. By implication, the Pharisees, who would think themselves the spiritual physicians of the day, were not meeting the spiritual needs of these people. Beyond this, when Jesus suggests that some are ‘whole’ it need not be thought that he meant so literally. He was speaking to the Pharisees directly, and knew their state of mind. He knew they already considered themselves to be ‘whole’ spiritually whether they were in actuality or not. Indeed, we are all spiritually in need of Christ’s help at every moment. Thus it might be even better to see the ‘sick’ as those who recognize their need, and the ‘whole’ as those who do not.
13: Jesus here refers to Hosea 6:6. His initial phrase about going to ‘learn what that meaneth’ was a figure of speech to say, in effect, go study the Scriptures and see what is written. It is a tip off that what he was about to say would be a quote. Indeed, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice’ is a direct quote from Hosea 6:6.
   This clarifies his meaning quite well and is a slap in the face to the self-righteous pharisees. The quoted verse is referring to the fact that Almighty God had become dissatisfied with the self-righteousness of the Jews in their observance of the law. They were literally ‘sinning that grace may abound’, as Paul would say. The Jews kept up the sacrificial rituals, but even the priests were involved in murders and lewdness. Thus, God was looking for the Jews to keep his sacrifices with a mind to obey, not as a cover for more and more sin.
   Jesus was saying, then, that he was not there to call those who were unwilling to recognize their need for grace. He had come to call those who knew they were in trouble, and wanted to get out of it.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 23:1-24:51

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Daily Tidbit: John Leland was a Baptist minister who had an influence upon James Madison and Thomas Jefferson in the formulation of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. For some exceedingly interesting reading, take a look at The Writings of the Late Elder John Leland: Including Some Events in His Life, which can be read, for free, at books.google.com.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all of Your amazing love for us! It is so good of You to not only be patient with our sin, but to make a way of salvation from it, and then to teach us how to obtain that salvation. You do not simply give us some small hint about you and then expect us to figure the rest out. Instead, You are actively at work among mankind. You draw us to You and show us Your love and Truth. How wonderful You are! I love You! Father, the wisdom of Your plan is so apparent. I think I shall never stop wondering at it. Nothing could be better than what You have conceived for us. I could never say that Your way is anything less than perfect. I only hope that I will live in a manner that honors Your great will for us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for three families that have recently lost loved ones. Pray for several persons who are sick at this time. Pray for a doctor who has cancer in his nose.

Personal Journal Entry #13019

11: The religious leaders in Jesus’ day had lost touch with the true face of ministry. They had no means by which to reach those who needed Almighty God the most. They had cut themselves off from ministry to the sinner. They had created an elite of hypocrisy.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 21:1-22:46

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Daily Tidbit: James Buchanan was the only president who never married.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You. We are glad that, even when we are rushed, You are not. You have never run short on time. You always have more than enough time to hear us and be near us. Oh Father, You are always available no matter where we are or what we are doing. Thank You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a young lady hoping to get training to be a CNA.

Personal Journal Entry #13018

10: In this verse, two things must be remembered in order to maintain a balanced view of the situation. First, Jesus did not have any problem at all with eating a meal with those who were obviously sinners. Jesus, of course, would have been eating with sinners if he ate with only his disciples. However, these folk were very open with their sin, it was less hidden that the sins of the more religious Jews. Jesus knew that these were the people he had come to reach. Secondly, it must be noted that these persons came to Jesus, not the other way around. Jesus had called Matthew, and now he was eating at Matthew’s house. The other tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were invited to the meal. In other words, Jesus did not walk into a tavern, or visit a house of ill repute, or get caught up with ruffians. He simply went to the home of a man who now followed him and associated with that man’s guests.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 19:1-20:34

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

Daily Tidbit: A giraffe’s tongue is 18-20″ long! Wow!

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful day! We are so glad that You sent Your Son to save all of us. Any who are willing may be washed clean by the blood of Calvary’s Lamb. Nobody is left out. There has never been any person that Almighty God could not save. Oh glory to You, Father! We are so glad to know Your Truth. Jesus is eternal life! Thank You so much for Him, Father. It is great to be involved in taking Your message to the world. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a family in our church who just lost a loved one. Pray for a man having trouble with his knee. Pray for a man that just started some schooling today.

Personal Journal Entry #13017

9: In all likelihood, Matthew and Jesus had seen each other before. Indeed, Matthew may have taken a toll from Christ on several occasions since Jesus lived in that area with Peter. Matthew was not acting as a tax collector in the regular sense of the word.He was at a toll booth, likely taking tolls from those seeking passage over the nearby Sea of Galilee. Thus, Jesus would have seen him before, or may have paid toll to him before.
   Also, Matthew would have been familiar with Jesus and his ministry. Being a man who came into constant contact with the public, he could not help but be so. When Jesus told him to follow him, he knew what he was doing, and, likely, Who he was following.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 16:1-18:35

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Daily Tidbit: According to the Hayes Presidential Center Library, Rutherford B. Hayes was the first president to have a telephone. Alexander G. Bell installed it and the phone number was “1”. Imagine that for a phone number!

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are amazing! May we be filled with the joy of Your presence at all times. You make this world much friendlier and more livable. Without You, it is a place full of self-serving beings with no real reason to love each other. With You there is hope of selflessness and true love. Thank You for the joy, peace, and hope that we can have in You. It is more than just a great comfort to be able to depend upon You, it is a necessity of life. Living in Your will and Word brings us to a place of security. It gives us a sense of our position in the grand picture of everything. It shows us our true worth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who just started a new job. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one. Pray for a good doctor that has inoperable cancer in his nose.

Personal Journal Entry #13016

7: It is likely that this man lived nearby and that he was fairly well known to the people assembled about Jesus.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 14:1-15:39

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

Daily Tidbit: The oldest president (at time of election) was Ronald Reagan and the youngest was Teddy Roosevelt.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for You love and concern for us. Your Word tells us the story of Your mercy and grace. Thank You for not giving up on us, and for being so patient with us. You are the kindest person there is. We long to live in Your presence at all times. What a day it will be when we live in heaven with You! How great it will be to see Your face! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman with the flu. Pray for a man with bronchitis.

Personal Journal Entry #13015

6: There have been many who have made the claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, or even the Messiah. This is, of course, a great error. This verse is one of the most obvious cases of Jesus’ assertion of his identity not only as Messiah, but as Almighty God incarnate. He purposely forgave the man’s sins before them all in order to remind them that he was no ordinary miracle worker. His miracles were real, and his power was Divine.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 12:1-13:58

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Daily Tidbit: Many have commented on the horrible sin of slavery that caused so much heartache and bloodshed in this country. However, precious few are ever heard to comment upon the chief cause of slavery. The slave trade in America at first met with opposition when it threatened to grow. Indeed, it never did take hold strongly in the North as we know. But, in the end, it grew quite prevalent due to an age old problem. That problem is greed. Greed was the primary reason that slavery grew to the extent that it did. Though our nation has, by paying a great price, rid itself of the slave trade, has it ever been rid of the problem that caused the great growth of that trade? May we each day rid our hearts, by the power of Christ, of the horrendous sin that brought about the possession of other human beings in slavery.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for Communion, the Lord’s Supper, which we enjoy so much. You know just what we need. You ask us to celebrate the things that will bring us closer to You. You are so wise! It is great to be able to draw upon Your infinite knowledge. Drinking deeply at the fountain of Your Truth is like sipping from the purest spring we could ever taste. You are so worth living for! Thank You for Your great love for us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for missionaries in Africa. Pray for a man with shingles. Pray for a man who has only two weeks to live.

Personal Journal Entry #12277

5: Jesus reveals the true nature of their evil thoughts by simple logic. If Jesus had the power to heal the man, would he not also have the power to forgive sins? Jesus is bringing attention to his authority as the Messiah. He was not simply a prophet. Jeremiah or Isaiah would not have presumed to forgive sins. Even John the Baptist could not forgive sins, though he issued a call to repentance. Jesus is purposely highlighting the fact that his miracles were signs of his Messianic authority, not simply blessings that Almighty God chose to heap upon those living in that day. Keep in mind that Jesus did more miracles during his time on earth than had ever been done up to that point. The only ministry that even comes close was that of Moses (or perhaps Elijah and Elisha).

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 10:1-11:30

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Daily Tidbit: Matthew 10:29-30 “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, remind us of Your great power. It is to our shame that we do not rely on You more than we do. You are the Sustainer of all things. Without you the universe would unravel in no time. You are the One who made it all, and You are the Reason for it all. May we rest in Your greatness . In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman recovering form pneumonia. Pray for a woman with the flu. Pray for an elderly woman who needs to have a risky surgery.

Personal Journal Entry #12276