32: Though in this world it will be largely missed and forgotten, they who minister for the Lord are recognized by the Father through the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus has given us the task of taking the message of his gospel to the lost world. But, he has the task of representing us to the Father. he is our go-between. He sees what we have to say for him before others. By the way, in the context, this confession is not simply the confession necessary for salvation. It is confessing Christ to others as we witness to them. One of the single most obvious evidences of salvation is the genuine and truthful presentation of the gospel to others. It is nigh impossible for a lost men to be truly interested in sharing the gospel. The urgency of the message is not in such a person.
   Shame has no place in the heart of the believer. Shame for sin is still possible, but, because of forgiveness, can be short-lived. Shame of the gospel should never be found in us. It is never a shame to share the gospel of Christ. It is a wonderful message. It is a joy to discuss. It is not to be forced, but given. It is shared willingly and accepted willingly. Those who are shamed by the gospel, will also be shamed before the Father.

Daily Bible Reading: Romans 12:1-15:33

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:7 “I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”

Daily Tidbit: When I am weak, then am I strong. This has been the statement of many throughout the history of the church. when faced with persecution, trials, frailty, temptation, etc., Christians will find their greatest strength. The question in my mind then is the nature of this strength. We call it Christ’s strength, for, to be sure, it is his and not ours. And yet, are not we the ones who must be strong? Does he literally stand in our place physically? No, it is still ourselves who face the difficulties of life. So then, to what measure is it him, and to what measure is it us. Jesus answers this question quite simply, “without me ye can do nothing,” which answer is found in John 15:5. In other words, it is us who stands strong against the trials. It is ourselves, in our strength (as he said to Gideon in Judges 6:14). However, where do we get that strength? This is the key. Without him, we are more than just weak, we are nothing at all. Thus we may say with Paul, when I am weak, then am I strong. We are literally given real strength. Almighty God does not make the circumstances easier, but causes them to be what he enables us to bear. By Christ we are given strength to stand in the face of the greatest obstacles of life.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the strength to get through each day. We know that anything we have comes from You. No ability of ours originated with us no matter how able You have made us to be. The talents that You have gifted us with are all from Your hand. We cannot be impressed with ourselves. when we see the works of our own hands we must be in awe of You, and not ourselves. You give us the ability to be great men and women for You. You help us to love as we could never have thought to love. You give our lives a standard they would not otherwise have. You make it all good. Thank You for all that You do and have done. We must recognize how You have worked in our lives to give us the skill we need to face each day. Your joy fills us up, and we are full. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman having trouble with her hip. Pray for a young man taking shots for blood clots. Pray for a young woman who needs a car. Pray for a young woman to pass tests tomorrow in school. Pray for the unspoken requests of two women.

Personal Journal Entry #13069

31: The Scriptures tell Christians not to fear on many occasions. It is one of the most common messages of Scripture. Almighty God knows that, as weak human beings, fear is a big problem. We are tempted to be afraid of just about everything. And, if we do not stop it, we can become afraid of everything.
   In this case, Jesus is telling the disciples that they do not have to be afraid because of the level of value God ascribes to them. This is very important, and is a big encouragement to us. For one thing, it counteracts the normal pull of our sinful society, towards the dehumanization of man. This is a natural tendency of wicked society, and must be challenged. That God values us above the animals is an argument for the value of human life, and the importance of the human experience.
   Also, this is a great comfort to us. To know that Almighty God values us as persons is extremely gratifying. It gives us a sense of our given place in the universe and our given right to existence. It helps us to see that we actually are worth being and living. We have a significance that is connected to an infinite being. That is the essence of what it means to be human. We are made in God’s image. We were given a very important role, from which we fell. We are designed to be more than we are in our fallen state. We are designed to be God’s trusted servants.

Daily Bible Reading: Romans 9:1-11:36

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:7 “I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”

Daily Tidbit: On of the most simple concepts of Scripture I think is largely not discussed in this day. This is the explanation of the difference between Adam and Christ, and how this relates to salvation. Romans chapter five gives us an explanation of this concept, and it really helps one to understand how salvation works. Adam sinned. That is the first thing to understand. If Adam had not sinned he would still be alive today and we would have nothing but good things to say about him. He is not, nor never would be, God. But, he would have been a perfect man, just as he was created to be.
   However, Adam sinned. He failed. We failed as humanity. The root of sin was found in all of us. We are under the condemnation of that sin, and our sins that we commit each day. Thus, as Adamites, we are condemned to death. Death reigns in us. We are not, in Adam, living. In Adam, we are dying. Those who have only Adam to look to are, indeed, dying, and not living. So, many will try to deny Adam. Adam is one of the most neglected, disbelieved, distorted, misunderstood, and otherwise misrepresented persons in all of history. Why? Because he is bad news for us. In Adam, we are a shambles, we are broken, we cannot hold up our heads.
   Jesus is the solution to the problem. This is the simple concept of Romans five. It is so simple, many will miss it. Jesus is the Second or Last Adam. He is a perfect human, just like Adam. However, he is even more than Adam could ever be. Adam could influence all of humanity for all of history by one decision. As the leader of all mankind, he doomed us all. However, Adam could influence us only by physical birth. If there was found a man, such as Jesus, who was not born of a man, Adam could not have any influence upon him. The doom would not, and did not, pass to that man. Jesus is different in that he does not change anyone by physical birth. He has no children, no descendants. But, he has released millions of persons from that awful doom. How? By his power as the Son of God. By the power of his resurrection. By faith in his name. In other words, because Jesus is God, he can make us righteous without having a physical connection to us. Only a spiritual connection is required. That is what he meant when he told Nicodemus to be born again. Thus, Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Without him there is no substitute for Adam. Without him, there is no lifting of the doom that hangs over us. Without him, we do not live, we only die.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus Christ! I am so glad that You have solved Adam’s problem. I am glad that You did not simply look at Adam and destroy him on the spot. Your mercy to us is wonderful. Though we have offended Your holiness and worked against Your plan, You made a holy plan for us. How can we ever thank You enough for restoring us to our given place in Your world? You cannot be paralleled! Your love is unfathomable! Your grace is boundless! I love You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a young man who needs to be saved before he makes a wreck of his life.

Personal Journal Entry #13068

30: Like the sparrows, Almighty God knows all about us. He says here that God knows how many hairs we have. Of course, we lose hair continually, and new hair grows constantly. What is the purpose of this numbering? What could God gain by knowing the number of our hairs? Though Jesus does not here answer this directly, two answers are implied. First, God cares that much. If someone cares for a person they will know things about them that nobody else knows. No matter how close you may be to another human being, or how much they love you, they have likely never counted your hairs on your head. That level of care and concern is limited to God alone. Secondly, this kind of keeping track of things is only natural for God. As the Almighty Creator of the universe, it is no surprise if he knows what is under every rock on Mars, and yet has the time to count how many hairs you will lose today.

Daily Bible Reading: Romans 6:1-8:39

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:7 “I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”

Daily Tidbit: Isaiah 55:8-9 tell us that the thoughts of Almighty God are more than we could possibly understand. They are high above us. We could not glimpse but a fraction of all that they contain. This is certain. Nobody could conclude that the thoughts of an infinite being could be fully understood by any limited being. Indeed, it is certain that what God Almighty could think in a matter of two seconds all of humanity could not conceive in several thousand years.
   However, allow me to venture into the thoughts of God for just a moment. I will do so on the basis of what Christ said in Matthew 10:30, for without that statement I would have no conception of what I am about to explain. Here, then, is the thought: Almighty God hates sin on a cellular level. What I mean to say is that he knows about every little cell, trillions of them and more, that has ever come into existence. He knows what cells are in your body, when they began, and when they will die. Thus, when he says he hates sin, he does it on a cellular level. He knows about every little cell that has been made to be involved in something that does not honor him. These cells are caused to participate in something that is not the best for them, for his will and way are the best.
   God Almighty also loves people on a cellular level. He loves every tiny part of us. He knows what cells make us, and he loves every one of them. He loves them as a part of us. He is glad and rejoices in his creation. He is proud of it, and well he should be. He nourishes and cares for it, as a natural task for the Good God of the universe. He knows when you are hurting, sees when you are sad, and understands your thoughts on a microscopic level. When you sneeze, God knows what came out, and what stayed. Nobody else, including you, really cares that much. Nobody else can, or does, take that much time with a person. Only in eternity may we begin to understand the true depth of his love for us.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for being You. We so often go to You for our spiritual needs thinking of You only as a great cosmic pastor, or adviser, of some kind. You are much more than that. You are the Cataloger of Existence. You are the Record-holder of the Universe. You are my most concerned physician, lawyer, friend, policeman, provider, etc. You care for me on a level that I don’t even understand. You love me more than I love me. That’s a powerful lot of love! I can’t understand why You love us so much, but I am so glad. It fills my heart and mind with wonderful things. It makes me feel happy to be a part of Your world. You have made it all, and it is all Yours. It is for Your glory and it is a show of Your greatness. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Jesus, the greatest expression of Your love for us. I love You because You love me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a young man with a blood clot in his leg. Pray for a young man with mental problems to get the help he needs. Pray for a woman’s daughter who has cancer. Pray for a woman with bad back pain.

Personal Journal Entry #13067

29: Sparrows could be purchased for very little. A farthing would today amount to maybe ten dollars at the most. Thus, Jesus was reminding them that a sparrow was of very little value in man’s estimation. And yet, Almighty God, the Lord of all heaven and earth, cares for the fate of this small creature. He knows what goes on with them. He knows about their lives, and their deaths. This is a wonderful blessing. For Christ to come from heaven and tell us the God even cares for sparrows is a great blessing.

Daily Bible Reading: Romans 3:1-5:21

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought also so to walk, even as he walked.“

Daily Tidbit: Sparrows were an especially good choice for Jesus to use in his illustration. They are common. They are found almost everywhere (they were brought to America). They are not especially remarkable. There is nothing particularly noticeable about them. But, God notices them.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for your care for us! If You love the sparrows, we know You love us. What a comfort that is! Your care is so unique. In all the world we cannot find one who can always care and love for us all. You alone can handle everyone at once. You alone can love us all and care for us all. You teach us to love like this. It makes our hearts a better place to have Your love by the power of Christ. Thank You for him and for salvation! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for two men who are undergoing cancer treatments. Pray for a man having trouble with one of his legs. Pray for a man to get his job back.

Personal Journal Entry #13066

28: The principle here is to fear Almighty God. He alone has the ultimate control over things. The devil, and evil persons, may only bring about physical death if God allows it. However, nobody but God himself can destroy the soul. So, he is the one to obey and respect above all else.
   The disciples would, of course, find themselves before civil magistrates of all kinds. They were not to give in to persecution. While Jesus taught obedience to civil authorities, this obedience was to be subservient to obedience to Almighty God. As long as the commands of the civil authorities fit with the commands of God, they were to be obeyed. One might ask how this is to be determined. Scripture gives us the guide on that. It seems that the only area which the early church in Acts and the Epistles felt led to disobey government was in connection with preaching the gospel. That was the hill to die on. civil authorities were not meant to stop the preaching of the gospel. The disciples continually disobeyed any commands from the authorities regarding the cessation of this preaching. Evidently, all other commands were obeyed.
   The early Christians sought to change their nations through the love of Christ, through conversion to Christ, not by civil or social means. Societal ills were not the focus of their ministry. They truly believed that the gospel would change people. Thus, they were not concerned with making their nations better without offering Christ as the solution.
   An issue that comes up in this verse is the destruction of the body and soul in hell. What does Jesus mean here? What is he teaching? It sounds as if he is saying that the soul and body will be destroyed (as in annihilated) in hell. However, this is a case where we must understand Scripture with Scripture. Why would a person’s body be included in the destruction here mentioned if the body and soul will cease to exist? Obviously, there would be no reason to resurrect the body only to destroy it again.
   We know that the rich man in Jesus’ parable was conscious in hell. We also know that hell will be cast into the lake of fire in the end. So, hell by itself is not the final destination of the wicked. Thus, Jesus does not by the word ‘destroy’ mean ‘to make to cease to exist’ but to bring to destruction. This state of the damned will be final, and is as much destruction as anything can be, for all of eternity. This is also evidenced by the fact that Jesus uses a different word in the second part of the verse. He does not say that God will kill the soul and body. It is a different thing. The lake of fire, for example, is the ‘second death,’ a different kind of death from the first death.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 28:1-Romans 2:29

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought also so to walk, even as he walked.”

Daily Tidbit: Romans chapter one is a spot in the Bible where we get a principle that I have tried to explain on several occasions. There are other passages that help with the principle, but Romans gives a complete picture I think. The principle is that sin is wrong because it is against God. That may seem to go without saying. However, many people think sin is wrong simply because it is bad, inadvisable, not the best, not acceptable, etc. In other words, they try to define sin without Almighty God. This is not possible. The moment you lose sight of who God really is, you lose the ability to truly understand sin.
   Let’s use an example. If God said it was a sin to stand on one foot, then it would be a sin to stand on one foot. Now we all know that is not a sin. But, is it not a sin because we know it isn’t, or because God says it isn’t? Indeed, if we know that God wants us to do something, but we stand on one foot instead, it would then be a sin. So, we see that we must not think of things as sin on the basis of their own merits. This will keep us from justifying ourselves when we sin. Therefore, if Almighty God says it is wrong, don’t do it, no matter what.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your working in our lives. Without Your working, we would never come to You. We would never know the Truth. You bring us to Yourself. Yes, we must respond to You, but Your mercy is worth responding to. May we always value all that we receive from You. You help us to see the need for You in our lives. You give us wisdom and knowledge of You. What a blessing that is! You call us to work in Your plan. We can help in the work of spreading the gospel. This is a great and wonderful privilege! Thank you for always knowing what we need in life and for providing it. You are better to us than we even understand. You are worthy of our praise! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a lady taking cancer treatments. Pray for a woman’s unspoken request. Pray for a woman having problems with her back.

Personal Journal Entry #13065

27: In those days the roofs of the houses were flat. So, yelling, or even speaking, from the rooftops was a good way to get the word out in a hurry. We should not be ashamed to proclaim the Truth of the gospel. As we saw in the last verse, God reveals his Truth. Jesus’ disciples are to be the means by which this Truth of the gospel is revealed.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 25:1-27:44

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

Daily Tidbit: There have been those who believe that Jesus was simply a good example to us. In other words, they believe that his death was not salvific, and they believe various things concerning his resurrection. Though this is heresy, one thing does need to be pointed out. Jesus death and resurrection does indeed bring salvation to us. However, these folks who think he is only a good example do get one thing right. Jesus is a good example, and his example is meant to be followed. What I am saying is that it is just as true to say Jesus is our Savior as to say he is our Master. We are to be his disciples. That means more than simply confessing our faith in his salvific work. It also means living our confession by following his example. The Great Commission is to teach the world everything that Jesus commanded. Simply leading persons to Christ, without teaching them how to be disciples, is an incomplete task.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are always good to us. Your Truth is sitting right there before us at all times. It is open to us. We can reach out and take it. It is accessible. Thank You for making it that way. It shows us that Your Truth is here for us. It is for our benefit. It is a blessing to us. We couldn’t thank You enough. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for several people with colds.

Personal Journal Entry #13064

26: This is a blessed comfort as Christians face persecution. We are to find our solace in the person of Christ. He shall bring all to light as the judge of the quick and the dead. We will have no cause for complaint due to his judgement. He always gets it right. None shall stand and cry foul when he judges. Everything that might appear to go unnoticed now will be analyzed to the greatest extent then. Almighty God always knows just when to reveal things. And, ultimately, all will be revealed.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 22:1-24:27

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.“

Daily Tidbit: The past has amply testified to the fact that the same courts that give us religious freedom may also take it away. We must, therefore, count on the Lord, not our justice system.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness to us. You love us so much! Your care and concern is such a blessing to us. How can we ever praise You enough? Thank You for this day, and every day that You give us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for Kenya as today was the national elections.

Personal Journal Entry #13063

25: The servant, or the disciple, should expect to be treated no better than the master or lord. So, Jesus is explaining to them why they will be greatly persecuted. Indeed, he had already undergone persecution, and would ultimately be betrayed to death.
   Jesus was, by the Jewish leaders, equated with Belzebub. In the Greek, this name is actually Belzebul. It seems that Belzebul was some sort of adaptation of the original name Belzebub. Belzebub, the Philistine ‘lord of the flies’, or ‘lord of the high places’ was ridiculed by the Jews. They said he was lord of the flies because he was a pile of dung. Belzebul then was connected with this idea and would at the same time mean the Devil himself, and have the contemptuous description of the ‘lord of the flies’ connected to it. So, to call Jesus Belzebul was quite offensive. The disciples would have understood this.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 20:1-21:40

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

Daily Tidbit: Paul’s sermon in Acts 20 that lasted all night must have been something. I cannot imagine what would happen if someone tried to preach all night nowadays. Everybody would fall asleep I am sure.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for warning us about persecution and helping us through it. May we only be persecuted for doing what is right. We want to always do that which will please You. Father, You are worthy of praise. We will stay busy praising You, not only with our lips, but with our lives. It is so good to live a life that honors You. It makes us feel like we can, in some small way, say thank-you for all that You are and do. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man with terminal cancer. Pray for a man looking for a job.

Personal Journal Entry #13062

24: The lines of this verse were meant as simple illustrations that the disciples would quickly understand. The servant or disciple would, at the very most be equal to their master or lord. Never would the disciple or servant be considered greater than the master or lord. This he said to remind them of the facts before making some statements about their relationship to him.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 18:1-19:41

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

Daily Tidbit: Many have, in years gone by, sought to discredit the Bible by pointing out a supposed bias against women. The fact is that the Bible simply reports the facts. In the case of Priscilla and Aquila, for example, the wife is honored along with the husband in the statement of their names. Usually the wife was not even mentioned, or was accorded lesser status. In this case, she was honored more in that day. This was likely due to social standing owing to upbringing, riches, royalty, or some other factor. Thus, the Bible does not fail to allow a woman the same honors she might enjoy among her own people.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity that we call today. It is so good to have another day from You. Another day to serve You and live for You, another day to praise You, is such a blessing. May we never take Your blessings for granted. It is a joy to recount Your works and see Your hand in all that we see around us. Thank You for taking the time to be concerned about our world. Your care is precious to us. Jesus is precious to us. Thank You for him, Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who will be having a PET scan performed soon. Pray for a woman who just had a stroke.

Personal Journal Entry #13061

23: At first glance, it might simply be thought that Jesus was here saying that the disciples would not get done reaching every city in Israel before Jesus came to get them. This is not the case. They returned to him after a time. Thus, he was making a general statement in connection with his comments on the subject of persecution. The disciples would face persecution during this trip, but also in the future, such as in Acts. In the case of persecution they might be forced to leave one city and move to another.
   So, this was almost the same as saying, “Don’t worry, you won’t run out of cities.” This has proven to be the case. The second coming of Christ is still in the future. Yet, there are cities in Israel, as well as cities of other countries with Jews in them, that have not yet been reached.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 16:1-17:34

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:4 “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.“

Daily Tidbit: There is, at the Areopagus, a plague hung with the words of Paul’s sermon engraved upon it. It is interesting to see that, of all the ‘new’ things said there, it is this, the message of the gospel, that has stood the test of time.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You have shown us of Your Truth. It is so good to be able to open Your Word and see what You have to say to us. We can hear Your Words in Your Book. This is a blessing that cannot be overestimated. To know You, that is within reach because of Your Word. We may know You because You show us how. Thank You for being glorious, yet not haughty. You do not disdain us. You allow us to have Your Truth. It is only our rejection of it that brings Your wrath upon us. May we be found to think Your Word the most precious thing we can have. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for missionaries all over the world.

Personal Journal Entry #13060