Matthew 17:8
   The disciples now saw Jesus just as he always had been before them in times past. One might say there is no great lesson to be found in this verse. However, consider this: Just as the disciples now needed to exercise faith in the Christ of glory, which they had just seen, we must have faith in Christ, who we have not, with our natural eyes, seen at all. Indeed, there may well be a greater lesson to us in this one verse than any in the entire passage. We must remember and believe in the Christ of glory, for he is inside of us who are his.
   This is one of the most difficult but rewarding lessons of the Christian life. The great Almighty God of all the universe is no less present as we go through the mundane tasks of everyday life than he is when we feel we are on the mountaintop with Peter, James, and John. He is always near, and he cares for us all the time.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 14:1-17:27

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your constant presence in our lives. You are so wise and kind! We know Jesus is Your Son, and yet You have given him to us as our constant Guide. Your Holy Spirit leads us through this life, and the Lord Jesus holds our hand the entire way. How can we praise You enough for this kindness. Thank You for reminding us that You are no less glorious than You have ever been. Christ is all in all. He is the Lord and Savior. And yet, he is here present with us at all times. Praise the Lord! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with kidney failure. Pray for an elderly woman who has a problem with her foot. Pray for an elderly woman who cannot get out of the house much.

Journal Entry #13329

Matthew 17:7
   This verse is a beautiful picture of Who Christ is to us. Without him, we have nothing but fear before Almighty God. He, as with the prophets of old, is the connection between humanity and the Awesome Creator. He is Job’s daysman, Abraham’s friend, and David’s Lord. He is the One who spoke with Daniel and Ezekiel in a foreign land, and Moses at the burning bush. He is our link with He Who Inhabits Eternity. He is God in all His fullness manifested before us. He is the One who has made a way, by his blood, for us to access the very throne-room of heaven.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 10:1-13:27

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ! We can never thank You enough for Him, and for what he means in our lives. We have hope because of Jesus, and that is something so precious. You have given us the ability through Christ to know You, and that is all the delight of our hearts. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for tow men with cancer. Pray for a woman who needs to quit smoking. Pray for a man who is on dialysis.

Journal Entry #13328

Matthew 17:6
   Not only is this the only appropriate response, but it is also the only possible response. The Father spoke out of heaven on other occasions without persons falling on their faces. For example, at the baptism of Christ. However, this was specifically a revelation of the glory of Christ, and, thus, God himself. So, this falling on their faces was the only possible response. Unlike some earthly potentate, you do not have to be told when or how to bow before the Holy Almighty God. You know when, and you know how. And, when it is time, no one may dare do otherwise.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 7:1-9:26

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are amazingly wonderful. Your glory is more than we can imagine. You do not need us, we need You. You are the most important person in our lives. The very essence of who we are revolves around You. You are the center of everything. Thank You for making Yourself known to us. You give us so much of Your Truth. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young couple nearing divorce. Pray for a young family experiencing many pressures. Pray for our pastors this morning.

Journal Entry #13327

Matthew 17:5
   It seems that many feel the words of the Father on this occasion are in response to the words of Peter. I am, however, not of that opinion. I say this for several reasons. First, as we have already seen, Peter didn’t know what he was saying. His suggestion was not taken seriously by anyone. He was just trying to come up with something to say. Secondly, the voice of the Father from heaven began before Peter was even fully finished. Thus, it seems plain that the Father said what he said not only to interrupt Peter’s foolishness, but also because it was his plan to make this statement all along.
   Third, it seems from the words of the Father that this statement was meant to confirm Jesus’ position as the Prophet who would come into the world. His words are just as important and of God as were the law and the prophets. He is the One who is to be heard. He has the very words of Almighty God in his mouth.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 4:1-6:30

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness to us in that You tell us the Truth. You want us to know about You. You love us so much that You have given us a whole book of books about You. Oh Father, Your mercy is great! Thank You! Thank You for Your Son, may we always hear him! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for missionaries all over the world. Pray for a pastor in poor health. Pray for a man being evaluated at his job.

Journal Entry #13326

Matthew 17:4
    We may ask ourselves what exactly Peter had in mind here. But, it seems, even his companions never figured that out. We are prone to say silly things when our minds are dazzled by what we see. Peter was awed by the whole experience. He seems to especially have been taken aback by the appearance of the other two persons, here called Moses and Elijah, though at the time he may not have realized exactly who they were. His words came of a mind that knew not what to think. In such instances, it is better to keep one’s mouth shut.

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 1:1-3:25

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being gracious to us. If we just ask You for wisdom, You will give it. You are so kind and generous with knowledge about You. You wants us to know and understand You. Thank You for telling us the Truth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray fir a man’s unspoken request. Pray for a woman with a tumor. Pray for a woman who has pneumonia.

Journal Entry #13325

Matthew 17:3
   Why would Jesus be here seen with Moses and Elijah? This is easily answered. We must put ourselves into the shoes of the disciples. Having, at that time, only the Old Testament, the persons of Moses and Elijah loomed large in their minds. Moses stood, and still stands today, as the representative of the law, and the beginning point for the nation of Israel. Elijah, on the other hand, stands as the most prominent of the prophets. He is the one the Jews were most likely to think of in connection with the prophets, and Scripture does back this up. So, these two represent, at the same time, the law and the prophets.
   How was it that the disciples knew who these men were, having never seen them? We cannot be exactly certain on this point. However, it seems quite likely to be because of their speaking with Christ. The disciples would be able to tell by what was said who each of them were. Also, it seems likely that there would be something about how each of these men appeared that would give them a clue. Finally, it is altogether possible that Jesus told them at a later time who he was talking with.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 63:1-66:24

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are so pleasant to us. You give us our food daily. You shower us with Your daily benefits. You love us and care for us. Thank You for always being there. May we live to serve You and praise You, for You are so worthy of our praise. Your holiness inspires us to sing of Your greatness. You are so wondrously glorious! Thank You for Your Son, he is just what we need. He has made our lives worth living. He has given us a future, a hope. The brightness of his person is the longing of our hearts. We love to think of him all day long. Lord, You are all I need. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two families that just lost loved ones. Pray for a man with advanced bone cancer. Pray for a man taking cancer treatments.

Journal Entry #13324

Matthew 17:2
   Some will take issue here with what exactly is meant by this transfiguration. Jesus came to this earth and took on flesh. He was a real, material person just like you and I. However, then, many will say, how is it he was so easily transformed into this form of glory. They will say that Jesus was a spirit only all along, and that he is here revealed in his true form. They would say that the rest fo the time he was only a spirit, who looked like a man.
   Such is simply not the case. It can be easily seen that Jesus could be transfigured in this way and still be a physical person just like you or I. To understand this two things must be kept in mind. First, Jesus is perfect. His humanity is without sin. The glory of the Christ divinely may shine forth through that sinless flesh with no hindrance. Secondly, remember Moses in the Old Testament. When he came down from the mountain to speak to the people he had to wear a veil on his face. His sinful flesh was yet so touched by the glory of God that he shone and glowed with the glory of God.
   Now, neither of these points is meant to diminish the glory of this event, but only to show that nothing inconsistent with the incarnation of Christ is here found. Jesus was changed before their eyes in that he simply unveiled some of his divine glory before their eyes. They saw what God the Son could be when he chose to be so. This is what we are seeing here, and it makes good sense, and fits with what we know of doctrine.
   Some might object on the grounds of his clothes being changed as well. His clothing would naturally be seen in a different way due to the brightness of his glory. It is a scientific fact that a very bright light such as would be emanating from the Lord would cause his clothing to look almost transparent and lose it’s color entirely. As we know, clothing, or anything else for that matter, has color only due to the way the light hits it. In this case, the light was coming from the other side.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 58:1-62:12

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dewelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we look forward so much to the day in which we will see Your Son in all of the radiant glory You have clothed him in. Lord Jesus, You are the person I want to see and know more than any other. You are the fullest and most wonderful One that shall ever be. Almighty God, the mystery of the trinity is still wondrous to me. But, I know that You are One in Your completeness. I give You all the praise, for You are worthy of it. Knowing that You know who I am and what I am doing is so delightful. You see what I do and think and say. You allow me to live another day. May You be always pleased with it. I want to be pleasing to You. I want to reflect Christ in that way. Father, You are the love of my life. Thank You for all that You are, You who inhabits eternity! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young couple having marital trouble. Pray for a pastor in between churches. Pray for a lady who has a rash. Pray for a little girl’s papaw.

Journal Entry #13323

Matthew 17:1
   Though Peter had just been the one to allow the devil to influence him, he had also been the one to confess the true identity of Christ. Indeed, Peter, James and John were the best choice for this revealing of the glory of Christ. They would be more likely than the others to understand it, having been with Jesus longer. They were often selected in this way for special things.
   It is because of this that they are often referred to as the inner circle. This is consistent with the way of Christ. He gave more to those who had more, and from those who had precious little, he took away even what they had. For example, though Judas was one of his close friends, he lost what he had of the knowledge of Christ. Though Peter wavered, yet his faith was rewarded.
   The mountain that they went up is not know for sure. It may have been Mount Hermon, or it may have been Mount Tabor. But, other mountains have been suggested, and nothing is certain.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 52:1-57:21

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You bring us out of ourselves to a place where we can see Your majesty at work in our daily lives. You show us Your sovereign power in every little thing. The goodness of You is apparent to us even in the darkest of circumstances. Only through You may humanity rise above the plight of this evil world. Only by the power of the work of Your Son may we be citizens of heaven. We can know our future is to be like Him, the Holy Son. We can see his glory in our mind’s eye and know our destiny is to reflect his radiant glory. Oh Father, the glories of heaven! They are such pleasures to our souls! This earth is so wonderful, and yet You have a new earth awaiting us in the future. How amazingly wise and wonderful You are. I cannot wait to see the glory of Your new creation. You are so good at what You do. I revel in the thought of serving in Your kingdom today, and for all of eternity. You are the King, all hail to You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman who is elderly. Pray for a man with kidney failure. Pray for a man with bone cancer.

Journal Entry #13322

Matthew 16:28
   This verse has been a cause of confusion. There are three possible meanings. However, one is preferable. The first possible meaning is that Jesus is referring to the fact that many, if not all, of those then standing before him, would see his ascension and the consequent coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They would, thus, see his coming in power to establish the church in this world. They would see the great growth of it. This possible interpretation is quite weak in that it does not seem to fulfill our Lord’s words literally enough.
   The second possibility is that he was referring only to John. John did live to see, by way of a vision on the isle of Patmos, the coming of the Lord in the future. The book of Revelation is an account of this. However, though this seems to fit Jesus’ words, it cannot be right because Jesus says what he says in the plural. In other words, it has to be more than one person to fit with what he said.
   The final interpretation is what is most commonly assumed, and it seems the best way to look at it. This is that Jesus is referring to his transfiguration which three of the disciples would be witnesses to not many days following. This interpretation is strengthened quite a bit by the fact that this transfiguration is recorded next in the gospel narrative. It is also recorded in Mark and Luke. Thus, it is best to understand it as the fulfillment of Jesus’ words here.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 48:1-51:23

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day to serve You. You are so amazingly good to us. You have given us all that we need to serve You, and yet we still fail sometimes. Oh Father, You are worthy of our service! You are worthy of our very lives! You can take all that we are and make us so much more. You made us, and You can mold us into something beautiful through Your Son. Thank You for salvation! 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 a woman who is homebound. Pray for a woman’s two silent requests.

Journal Entry #13321

Matthew 16:27
    Now, here some would say that we are saved by our works, since Jesus will judge us in that way. However, look closely at what is being said. Jesus will judge the works. Thus, if a person has not accepted Christ, has not freely taken the gift that was provided by his work on the cross, how will that person expect to have any work to be judged before Christ? If one who has rejected Christ stands before him with a list of his own merits, what can that one expect but damnation?
   Obedience to the call of salvation is the thing that will be looked at first and foremost. Our ‘good works’ whatever they may be, are but a pile of garbage before the holy eyes of the Christ. No, my friends, we must have works that are produced by Christ in our lives. He must be our savior. He must be the one who gives us the ability to do true righteousness in our lives. These works will be judged. Thus, many will find themselves empty-handed before the judge. Their mountain of supposedly good deeds will be swept away by the sin of disbelief. There will be nothing to judge but a faithless life. There can be no reward for those who do not have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 44:1-47:15

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are so faithful! It is not difficult to praise You for Your goodness because it is so consistently obvious. You do not hide Your love, You make it openly available. Thank You for Your care for us. You look after us like a Divine Parent. You care for our needs, and meet them better than we could want. You always know what is best for us. Thank You for Your Son, and the works that You can produce in our lives through him. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having a serious battle with cancer. Pray for a woman’s unspoken request. Pray for a woman who is sick.

Journal Entry #13320