Matthew 24:49
   One of the most important elements of the Christian life is the sense of the presence of Christ. Jesus is always with us. This much He promised to us when He left for heaven. Now this is not some kind of out-of-body float around our head manifestation of a ghost of Christ or something. Jesus gave to us the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Christ. He is resident in each born-again child of God in a very real way. Indeed, without Him in us, our spiritual life would be, as with the lost, non-existent. He is vitalizing that spiritual part of us. He indwells our very being. Thus, His presence with us is not just some reassuring promise of His care, which we do have, but it is far more. He is literally in residence in us.
   This is no less a miracle than the incarnation of Christ Himself in the sense that it is amazing to our natural sentiments. Those who are unaware of the presence of Christ are either doing despite the Spirit within them, or are none of His to begin with. To grieve the Spirit of Almighty God is a serious problem indeed. We must consider the ramifications. Many, it seems, are quite content to say that they are saved, having this heavenly gift in their life and heart, and yet live in contrast to the power and authority of The Christ.

Bible Reading: Psalm 90:1-95:11

Scripture Memory: James 3:11 “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing care for us! Your care is not just comforting, it is complete. We tend to relate to You like a good friend or family member. Though those living illustrations of Your care are accurate, we must remember that they are imperfect as we are. Your care is perfect, strong, faithful and true. You give us just what we need just when we need it. We will not always understand Your care either. Like a father or mother when we are young, we may not understand how You are providing for us. We have to learn to trust. Thank You for Your patience with us! You are infinitely higher than all that we might expect. You can do what we could never conceive of. May we always trust Your leading. You are perfectly, wonderfully holy and will always do what is best and guide us in the right way for our steps. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young man that needs to be saved. Pray for an older lady with pneumonia. Pray for a young family battling sickness.

Journal Entry #14271

Matthew 24:48
   The attitude of individuals towards Christ makes all the difference. This evil servant represents those who, knowing the truth of God’s Word, fail to take it seriously. Keep in mind here that Jesus is referring to His second coming at this particular point. There will be manifest evidences of the coming of Christ at that time, but it will be an exceedingly difficult time for the faithful. Thus, many, knowing that Jesus is Lord, and that He is bound to come soon, will think He is not coming ‘right away’ and will be carried away by the great falling away from the Lord that shall be going on in this era.
   Indeed, likely Jewish Christians at the time of the second coming are in view mainly here. They should know that Jesus is Lord, but like the rest of us, temptation to laxity is great. Keep in mind too that knowing Jesus is one’s Lord does not necessarily make a person a child of God. No saved person would deny or resist that fact, but the lost man may believe it even if it does not change him in practice. At the time of the end, all will have to admit that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Bible Reading: Psalm 85:1-89:52

Scripture Memory: James 3:11 “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your love! You have made Your plan and purpose in all things as clear to us as need be. We cannot say that we have not seen the great mercy of Almighty God! For You, who made the heavens and earth, to allow us to be redeemed after our rebellion against You, oh that is just like You! You are just and pure. Our evil does not prevent Your holiness. You have not turned back from Your gracious plan in spite of our disgusting sin. In fact, You have made a way for us to be changed into something so much more that we could ever hope. We may be, in Christ, new creations. We do not have to remain held down by this evil sin nature that has changed our bodies into living graves. We may look towards an eternal future of life and growth and creativity and love and fellowship and friendship and praise for You and enjoyment of all that is real and good and beautiful! This is surely the life that is meant for our souls! You have put eternity in our hearts, and we cannot but think that eternity is our rightful home. Truly, without sin it would be. Thus, You have taken aside the great enemy of our life, the bane of our existence. To live in Christ is to live free from the power of the degrading influence of the course of nature in sin. To be in the Spirit of Christ is to live with the ability to match the beauty of all that we might imagine about You and Your universe with the actual state of our own selves. We may be more that brute beasts with a mind that makes us mad. We may be glorious creations of the Eternally Self-Existent Lord God Over All. And we may enjoy and serve You forever! Thank You for the Christ! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for my Dad as he continues to recover from heart surgery. Pray for us, as we recover from being ill. Pray for a man awaiting some important results from medical testing. Pray for a man with sugar. Pray for a family that travels for ministry and needs a new motor home.

Journal Entry #14270

Matthew 24:47
   The New Testament makes it clear in several places that faithfulness will be rewarded in the life to come. We are indeed, saved by grace, plus nothing and minus nothing, but our works serve as evidence of that faith. Our good works in the present time are being watched by Almighty God. Jesus knows who are His, and He is observing our activities and making decisions about the structure of the future and who he will give responsibilities to in His future kingdom here on earth.

Bible Reading: Psalm 79:1-84:12

Scripture Memory: James 3:11 “Doth a fountain send for at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, how can we ever praise You enough for just the simple blessings You have given us? Family and friends surround us with love and attention. We can turn to people who know us and know You at any time. They are a source of strength in difficult times and they help remind us of Your wonderful care. May we never forget the depths of Your love for us. You are acquainted with every aspect of our lives, and so You know our every need. You know what the next day holds for us. And, You care about what will happen to us next. May we constantly trust You for our next breath. May we follow Your way as You guide us aright. Our dependence upon You is complete, Father. Our frailty is ever before our face, and we cannot turn from our need for Your strength. We praise You for Your manifold blessings, and covet yet more from Your hand because we see no other place to find what is good for our lives. There is none else. You alone are God, and You alone are good. All good in our lives must come from You! We love You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for an older woman with pneumonia. Pray for a man recovering from cataract surgery. Pray for a man who has undergone much medical treatment lately.

Journal Entry #14269

Matthew 24:46
   There are a few places in the gospels where Jesus offers a blessing yet future. Oh to receive that blessing! Whatever of the blessings of Christ that might be ours should be coveted much by our hearts. We should stay busy in the Lord’s work, such that when He comes to us He will not find us wanting. Indeed, Jesus in several places in the gospels makes Himself out as a type of landowner or farmer. He has gone on a long journey, but He will return at last. His servants stay busy about the things of His fields. Those who, on the other hand, are not truly His, become lax and spoil His goods. Thus, there will be much in the judgment of Christ having to do with how we have spent our time here serving the Master.

Bible Reading: Psalm 75:1-78:72

Scripture Memory: James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may our vision of Christ continue to grow! May our loyalty to Him never cease! He is the Master of our lives. You have given Him for us to make us holy by the shed blood of His cross. Thank You for reconciliation through Him! We would not dream of it if You had not promised it. But, Your goodness is like a dream, a beautiful dream come true. To live for You and Your truth makes life worth living. All of the trials and troubles of this earthly struggle seem a light thing if we are living in Your way. We can know the final end and see the purposes of life. Hardships come, but Your hand holds us up. You guide us in everything that we need to do. May we never cease to serve You! Your service brings out the best in us, causing our own efforts to be like those of Christ. You make our works good, our sufferings glorious, and our future eternal. Thank You for The Christ, our Lord Jesus! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for the family of a couple killed in a car accident. Pray for a woman that is not feeling well. Pray for an individual suffering from a liver disease.

Journal Entry #14268

Matthew 24:45
   Thus, prophecy concerning the coming the coming of Christ should cause greater commitment to His service. Unfortunately, it seems many enjoy studying the prophecy, but do not like so much to serve. Faithfulness and wisdom are hallmarks of those whose lives have been touched by the power of Christ. His work in us can cause us to be loyal and obedient servants in His kingdom. It is this group of people that He is producing by His prophecy, not just those who are aware of the seasons.

Bible Reading: Psalm 71:1-74:23

Scripture Memory: James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your glory is great in all of this earth! We can but look about us and see the beauty of Your handiwork. The tender nature of our own souls tells us of Your reality. The very life we hold so dear reveals to us Your Divine purpose. You have the plans to every work and the book for every deed. How can we think without You? Do our minds fool themselves? Do we live in a house caged from the real world? We are blind to the very truth all around us. May we always see You, may the light of Your Glorious Person never be hid from us! To live on this worldly plane and to never know the joys of Your creation because we do not know You, the Creator, is surely the saddest thing thing that could ever happen. How can we ever thank You enough for the life that we might have in You through Christ? It is in this thought that we may come close, that we may live in what You have given us, and not settle for less. To live as You have given us the ability and authority to live in Christ is the greatest way to thank You. For the genuineness of our praise is evidenced by the earnestness of our living. May all praise be Yours in our lives! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a family recovering from sickness. Pray for a man with back pain. Pray for a woman’s sister-in-law who is not well.

Journal Entry #14267

I have an upper respiratory infection and some lower chest congestion. I will not be posting for a couple of days. Jesus is Lord, and He’s coming soon! Praise the name of The Christ!

No post for today. Recovering from being sick most of the week. Will resume tomorrow.

Matthew 24:44
   It seems that we still miss the point Christ is making even today. We have a preoccupation with when He will come. Yet, we seem to do very little to prepare for the fact that He is coming. It is as if the reality of it is stronger for us if we think we can pinpoint it. But, the reality of the coming of Christ will never come home to you until you live expectantly. This is what Jesus is encouraging here, living with an eternal perspective.

Bible Reading: Psalm 38:1-43:5

Scripture Memory: James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your truth and love. You have given us so much by telling us about Your Son. Your plan for our salvation is amazing. That You are holy and just and yet merciful and loving just makes so much sense. Thank You for genuine truth that is not just a facade. We need to be able to depend upon You. Nothing in this life here on earth is sure but You. Christ is the Rock we can build on. He is our foundation. Thank You for Him! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for my Dad. Pray for a woman in the hospital. Pray for a family that needs a new home.

Journal Entry #14266

Matthew 24:43
   Jesus has no intention of revealing the exact moment of His arrival. By this He lulls the wicked (demons and men) into a state of security. Thinking He will not return soon, the devil will not know what hit him. When Jesus returns to this earth, it will not be pleasant for the wicked, or the wicked one.

Bible Reading: Psalm 35:1-37:40

Scripture Memory: James 3:9 “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus! As I look at Your Word, I begin to understand the Christ more and more. There is not mistake here. Jesus is Lord! Wow! You are so wise and mighty and faithful! Thank You for salvation through Your Son! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for my Dad as he goes to rehab after heart surgery. Pray for a woman’s unspoken request.

Journal Entry #14265

Matthew 24:42
   This is Jesus’ desire for us. If it were God’s will for us to know the exact timing of things, He would have revealed that. As it is, He wants us to stand ready. This is a commentary on how our spiritual lives are to be lived. We should not be lax, but always at attention.

Bible Reading: Psalm 31:1-34:22

Scripture Memory: James 3:9 “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for today. Help us as we seek to serve You and bring praise to You in our lives. You are so worthy! May we never cease to lift our lives and our voices in praise to You, the Almighty Creator. You alone are God. You control the heavens and the earth. Thank You for Your mercy in Christ! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for my Dad. Pray for a man with a sore throat.

Journal Entry #14264