Matthew 13:49
   Many think that the ‘wicked’ and the ‘just’ are identified solely by their works. But, this is not the case. As Jesus makes plain in other places, the works of the just are counted because of their attitude towards him, not because of the works alone. Thus, there may be many among the ‘wicked’ who have done many ‘good’ things, and yet these works count for nothing.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 14:1-16:23

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:7 “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing our prayers. You know what we are thinking. You understand our deepest and hardest questions. You care about what we are thinking, and feeling. You take our problems seriously. Thank You so much! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for VBS tonight. Pray for a man who has severe kidney problems.

Journal Entry #13203

Matthew 13:48
   Right now the work of the kingdom is to get the word out. Proclaiming the gospel is the focus. Building Christians is the task. Cleaning house is not. Jesus will purge his church. He will take out those who are ‘bad’ and do not belong. None can assume that church membership, or good works, or a Christian flavor will save them in the end. Appearing to be a part of the kingdom is not enough. You must also make it through the judgment of Christ, and he is a perfect judge. He knows those that are his.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-13:39

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:7 “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know who belongs to You. Jesus, You know who is Yours. Please Father, help us to live genuine lives before You. To know You, and live forever with You, is the most wonderful thing we could ever imagine. You are worth it all. To live a whole life of service to You is like a walk in the park when we think of living with You in eternity. You know us more than we know You, and You love us more than we love You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for healing through the preaching of the Word in church today.

Journal Entry #13202

Matthew 13:47
   Though many of us will be more used to the idea of hook and line fishing, net fishing is a method that has been used since ancient times. In this case, Jesus is describing the use of a dragnet. A dragnet would be very large, and would not be cast out, but drug along. This was different from the nets that the fishing disciples would have used.
   This net gathered every type of sea creature, not just the fish. This would be used by non-discriminating fishermen. Such anglers might be going for several different types of fish all at once. All of this applies brilliantly to the church. The net is cast wide. The Lord Jesus tells us to preach to every creature. In other words, no human is to be left out. The message is for all walks of life, for every class, for every race and ethnic group. Language is to be no barrier. Culture is to be no barrier. Distance is to be no barrier. All kinds must be, and have been, reached.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 8:1-11:27

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:7 “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making Your gospel available to all of us. You do not discriminate. The gospel is for everyone. I am so glad that i heard the Truth of Your Word at a young age. It is good to know that we can know Your Truth and share it with others. So many live lives full of uncertainties. I am glad that we can know You. You give us something to build upon. You give us a future. Thank You! In the anme of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having trouble with his shoulder. Pray for a man who’s kidneys are shutting down.

Journal Entry #13201

Matthew 13:45
   Who is this merchant man, seeking pearls? It is Christ himself. We do not seek the Lord, the Lord seeks us. Jesus seeks something wonderful here on this planet. He is looking for gems in an unlikely place. He knows what he will find, and that makes it all worth while.
Matthew 13:46
   Notice, if you will, one of the strangest things about this parable. The merchant man buys the pearl. He does not find it, he buys it. If he is a merchant, it would be bad business to pay full price. Yet, he buys the pearl. Why? The Jews did not value pearls quite the same as did the Gentiles, thus this could explain the situation. However one explains it, the meaning is the same. Christ purchases something which the world does not see the value of.
   Indeed, pearls are formed in a way that parallels the formation of the church. They are the result of irritation. They form as the result of pain. In the same way, persecution grows the church. And this growth is precious to Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 4:1-7:29

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:7 “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we all be precious pearls in Your eyes! You value us so much! To think that the eternal God of heaven and earth values us is so amazing. We would never think it if You had not told us it was so. Thank You for giving us so much. Thank You for loving us in such a manner that You have given us Your own Son for our salvation. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who needs salvation.

Journal Entry #13200

Matthew 13:44
   The man who finds the treasure shows us the nature and value of the kingdom. It is easier for us to understand this today than it would have been even in Jesus’ day. The church is of inestimable value, yet it is hidden among the lesser treasures of this world. It is buried in the dirt of this world system.
   Jesus knows the true value of the church, and has given his all for her. She is his prized possession. Though he was called upon to empty himself of much in order to take on flesh, he thought it acceptable to obtain what he would gain in the end. The church is worth more than all this world has to offer, and more.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 1:1-3:39

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:6 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being our strength when we are weak. Sometimes, when life seems so hard, we want to escape. We want to make everything easy. Thank You for helping us to see life in a different light. Thank You for showing us where the true value lies. You help us to focus on what really matters. You give us that value system that makes a difference to our families and helps us bring others to Christ. You are so wonderful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a couple of unspoken requests. Pray for a man having trouble with his nerves. Pray for a man with bad back pain.

Journal Entry #13199

Matthew 13:43
   Imagine the difference between this present world and the world of the future. Having nothing evil in our world would be so nice. One day, as a result of God’s working, we will have just that. Evil will be eradicated from our lives. It seems almost too good to be true, but it is true.

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 28:1-31:13

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:6 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to serve You. Help us to serve even in a world full of evil. You are worth serving, even in this environment. Your grace gives us all we need to have the strength to do it. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young girl who was just saved. Pray for a couple of individuals that are under the weather. Pray for a woman having a biopsy done to check for cancer. Pray for a man’s silent request. Pray for a young man going on a missions trip.

Journal Entry #13198

Matthew 13:42
   Have you ever thrown stuff into a junk heap? This is the picture you should get into your mind when thinking of this verse. The word ‘cast’ doesn’t simply mean to throw something. It is describing what we do when we pitch an item headlong into the garbage. We don’t do it carefully or with good aim. We just make sure it gets in the trash bin and leave the rest to chance. Our care for the item has been reduced to putting it into the proper place, and nothing more. This is the meaning here. The tares are cast into the furnace indiscriminately. There is no care, no concern for the tares, they are all lumped together and share the same fate. The furnace burns one as well as another.
   This idea of wailing and gnashing of teeth has been very misunderstood. Though those who are condemned to hell will experience great pain in the torments of that dreadful place, these words are describing more than a simple reaction to that pain and torment. The wailing, or weeping, will be on the part of those who, having feared this result, lament the reality of it. The gnashing of teeth will be due to many who will feel their condemnation unjust, and will lash out at anything and everything. This interpretation becomes obvious when one considers what it would be like to realize that hell was now your eternal abode. Some will weep and cry, others will scream and rage. All will be stuck forever.
   Many people would like to avoid thinking that such a place even exists. But, Jesus was very clear about it. He taught about it many times. He does not want anyone to be consigned to that place, but he knows many will.

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 25:1-27:12

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:6 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is so amazing to think of the depth of Your mercy when I think of the awfulness of hell. It is easy, as humans, to fear that hell will swallow us all, but we know that this will not happen. The very fact that You allow this world to continue is a testimony to the fact that You are not finished saving people from that fate. You are so merciful and gracious. It is not by our goodness that we will escape, but by Your kindness. You have made a way, a plan for us. Thank You, Father, for Your precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is so important to us. He is the greatest friend we could ever have. What love! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a 12 year old that has serious heart trouble. Pray for a man who is trying to lose weight. Pray for a family having trouble with their plumbing at home. Pray for a man having neck pain. Pray for Vacation Bible School. Pray for two girls who have not attended church lately.

Journal Entry #13197

Matthew 13:41
   There is coming a great changing of things. The Lord will clean house. We must always remember that this is not our job. The Christian is not called to purge the world of evil. We are never told to be violent against anyone. That is not our place. We cannot do that. However, the Lord will do it. Though our manner may make the lost feel very comfortable with us, there is a difference between those who come to the light, and those who do not. Jesus himself is the measure of things, and he himself is the judge.

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 22:1-24:22

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:6 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day, another opportunity to serve and praise You. It is so wonderful to know about You, Father! Help us to understand Your Truth by Your Spirit and praise You for what we learn. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for young Christian families in this world preparing themselves even now to hold out against the the evil of this world.

Journal Entry #13196

Matthew 13:40
   We must remember that Jesus preached on the subject of hell, or more specifically the final judgement, quite regularly. Many have tried to downplay or ignore this emphasis, but it only makes sense that Jesus would make this a focus of his teaching. We have to remember that, above all else, Jesus loves us. It is because of his great love for us that he warns us of what is to come.
   The apostles were very much the same. They always warned of apostasy. Their love for the brethren was great. Thus, they were very concerned with making sure that everyone was truly ‘in’ the faith. And, this emphasis should remain even today. Though we have little desire to think about people burning in hell, we know that we would be remiss if we did not warn others of the reality of this outcome. Life is not a game. These things are not meant to be so serious so that we will live a life of fear and always be sad and somber. The warnings are intended to get us on the ‘straight and narrow’ so that we may truly enjoy the joy and love and peace that are ours through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 19:1-21:15

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am so glad that You tell us the Truth. May our ears always be open to Your words. Though I know that we will hear many things which we will not like so much, we will also hear wonderful things that we cannot get anywhere else. I need Your words in my life every day. I need to know what You are saying. I need Your message because I don’t want to waste my life. I want to know Your thoughts for us. Your Word is such a mercy! We can have Your very words to us right in our hands. Thank You! Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for the invitation at churches all over America.

Journal Entry #13195

Matthew 13:39
   We must remember that this parable is about the church. These tares are sown by the devil, and yet they are allowed to grow up with the wheat. The devil will plant tares in the church, and it will be quite common to find them there. However, Jesus does not allow his angels to remove them now.
   This does not mean that we should intentionally allow false brethren into the church. It does mean that if angels could root up the wheat with the tares, so could we. We are not on a mission to ‘clean out’ the church, but to build it. If a congregation identifies a sin problem, it should most definitely be dealt with. But, we must not be secret spies lurking about trying to find unfaithful brethren.
   The harvest is coming. We have to remember that the church, though it is protected by Almighty God, is not eternal. There is a time limit for our ministry. Thus, a sense of urgency is not, and will never be, wrong. The second coming of the Lord Jesus is drawing closer every day. The angels are preparing. The devil, though he doesn’t like to admit it, is preparing. The earth itself is preparing. We must, above all else, be prepared.

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-18:30

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You always know what to prepare us for, and how to prepare us. Thank You for helping us to see and know what You are doing in this world. Our lives can be full of vital meaningfulness because of Your communication with us. We benefit most from understanding our dependence upon You. It is so easy for us to forget that we cannot handle everything on our own. We need to know and understand You. We need to be constantly dependent upon Your every word and guiding in our lives. We need moment-by-moment communication with an Almighty God. You make our lives full and free. You give us an abundance that only You fully understand. You are so important, and Your faithfulness to us is so vital. 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 making work-related choices. Pray for a woman who is stuck at home for awhile. Pray for lost people in America.

Journal Entry #13194