Matthew 14:11
   Vengeance is an evil and disgusting thing. It ruins the very nature of the one who seeks it. It creates more terror in the heart of the one taking it than the one receiving it. A vengeful person lives with a guilty conscience that will drive the sanest of persons absolutely crazy. God alone can handle vengeance in the proper way. It is his prerogative, and his alone.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 21:1-23:37

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful day to praise You. Always remind us that You are worthy of Your praises. Honoring You is such a pleasure. Though it is our duty, it is not a drudgery, but a delight. You are so wonderful, and it is easy to love You. You have loved us so much. You sent Your Son to save us and make us Your beloved children. That is so kind and good of You! Thank You for Jesus, and all that he means to our lives! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for church services all over the world today.

Journal Entry #13222

Matthew 14:10
   It is amazing how that the death of a righteous person may be occasioned by the unrighteousness of many others. Though it may not be a great comfort to us at the time, the Lord is quite mindful of any who take part in the death of one of his saints. This deed did not go forgotten, or unpunished.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 18:1-20:21

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day with family. It is so nice to have a day out of the week to spend with those that we know the best. We love You so much, and are thankful for all that You do for us. May we serve You all our lives. We wan to serve you as we should and love You like we should. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who’s kidneys are failing.

Journal Entry #13221

Matthew 14:9
   Breaking an oath was not necessarily impossible. However, it would have been very embarrassing. Herod Antipas was not sorry for John’s sake, but because of his own unfortunate predicament. He knew that many of the Jews would hate him for killing John. But, the breaking of this oath would, in his mind, cause him even more grief. So, he makes the dread command.
   Men who have a price can be influenced much more easily. They can be tricked into things and can be used as puppets by those who are willing to deal dishonestly. Blackmail, bribery, and other dark deeds have been perpetrated by those seeking to force evil men in positions of authority to do unjust things. This is why the Bible repeatedly warns that those in authority, especially in the highest offices, must be righteous and just in all that they do.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 15:1-17:41

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for today, and the many blessings that You have given us in this life. Though we know heaven will be far better, we enjoy Your gifts to us while we are here. You are so gracious and good to us. You could make things much harder on us, but You don’t. Thank You for loving us and helping us during our lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for the schoolchildren as they start next week.

Journal Entry #13220

Matthew 14:8
   Likely, this whole thing was planned by Herodias. Her daughter would likely not have danced for Herod had her mother not been involved. Knowing Antipas’ nature, by virtue of their relationship, Herodias knew that he might offer some kind of gift to the girl.
   Jewish law would have required a trial. However, by virtue of the authority Rome had given Antipas, he was able to execute John at will. This Herodias knew and counted on.

Bible Reading: 

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful day. It is so nice to have Christian friends to talk to and spend time with. You bless our lives so much through them. Thank You for always knowing the blessings that we need in our lives. You are so wise and good. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having an operation on a tumor in his head tomorrow. Pray for a man who has had a nervous breakdown.

Journal Entry #13219

Matthew 14:7
   This promise on the part of Herod was quite foolish. He did not actually have the authority to carry it out depending upon what the girl asked for. As a vassal of Rome, he had lots of limitations, and was more of a puppet than a king. Thus, he was likely quite drunk at the time, and was just trying to impress his guests.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 9:1-11:21

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:11 “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You. You know how to give us verses from Your Word that help us get through the day. You are a blessing to our lives. Thank You for Your tender care for us. It is amazing to think that You even care about us that much. 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 who just had a stroke.

Journal Entry #13218

Matthew 14:6
   Herod’s new wife had already had a daughter, presumably by Philip, who came now before Herod and his dinner guests. This was Herod’s birthday, which he was apparently enjoying. It is likely that Herodias’ daughter danced only for the men at this party.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 6:1-8:29

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:11 “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. We can learn so much from it. Thank You for revealing the Truth to us, telling us that our sins are forgiven through Christ. You are so merciful to us! Thank you for Jesus! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young woman who is trying to improve her grades at school.

Journal Entry #13217

Matthew 14:5
   Evil men live by fear. It is the strongest motive out there. It can trump just about any other reason for human action. And, for those who do not live by faith, it is a powerful and persuasive force. It will lead people to do the exact opposite of what they would otherwise do.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 3:1-5:27

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:11 “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for those times when You choose to bless us so much that we are amazed. Sometimes Your blessings are just overwhelming to us. You are very gracious. How can we thank You enough? Father, You are the most important One in our lives! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having problems with his shoulder. Pray for a man who’s kidneys are failing.

Journal Entry #13216

Matthew 14:4
   Many have speculated that John could have lived longer had he kept his mouth shut. However, this was the ministry we was called to. He was suppose to call attention to sin so that people would get their hearts right with God before the coming of Messiah. In Antipas’ case, their was much to point out and little hope of repentance.

Bible Reading: 1 Kings 22:1-2 Kings 2:25

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to worship You. Sunday is always a blessing to us. You are wonderful and it is a delight to sing your praises. May we always enjoy meditating on Your Word, and living in Your will. You always take such good care of us. Thank You for Your love! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who is going to have a quintuple bypass performed. Pray for a woman going tomorrow for testing for cancer.

Journal Entry #13216

Matthew 14:3
   Herod Antipas divorced his wife, Phasaelis, and married Herodias. This Herodias divorced his half-brother Philip in order to make the union possible. To understand this fully, one must realize how these persons were related. Antipas was Herod’s son by one woman. Philip was Herod’s son by another woman. And, Herodias, well she was Herod’s granddaughter by yet another woman. Evidently, Antipas learned what he knew about women from his father. So, Anitpas divorced his wife (who was the princess of Nabatea), in order to marry his half-niece, who had been the wife of his half-brother.
   Besides being incredibly sinful, he seems to have been quite foolish as well. The Nabatean princess wasn’t amused by his decision, and he ended up having trouble with the Nabatean king before the whole thing was over.

Bible Reading: 1 Kings 20:1-21:29

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us to enjoy Your creation. Though I know it is not what it could be because of sin, it is still quite amazing. You are so powerful to be able to make all the things You do. Your wisdom exceeds anything I can hope to understand. However, it is the highest use of my faculties to seek to understand You as much as I possibly can. You are worth the study. You are worth knowing. Thank You for all that You mean to me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young man who needs to make some changes in his life. Pray for two young people to make the right decisions.

Journal Entry #13215

Matthew 14:2
   Evil men are strange characters indeed! Herod Antipas was the very man who had John killed, and yet he thinks that Jesus is John come back from the dead to work miracles. Never underestimate the influence of superstition in the ‘religion’ of unrighteous ‘religious’ persons. Though Antipas had married his brother’s wife, he thought John a great prophet. What a paradox! People of questionable morals may also be practitioners of a religiosity that leads not to the reformation of their habits, but to the sensationalism of their imaginations. Many throughout history have been much like this Herod, readily willing to believe in ghost stories, but failing to submit to the righteous standards of Almighty God. This is sad thing, and hell will be full of it.

Bible Reading: 1 Kings 18:1-19:21

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the clarity of Your Word. You tell us the Truth in a form that we can understand and accept with reasoned assurance. You don’t scare us into Your kingdom, but give us logical reasons to accept Your Truth. Thank You for Your love for us. Knowing that You are a person, and that You love us on a personal level, is so comforting. We can never truly grasp just how great and good You are this side of heaven, but we are looking forward to that day when we shall see You in all Your glory. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having trouble with his nerves. Pray for a man with bad kidney trouble.

Journal Entry #13214