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

22: Two things need to be considered here. First, the name of Christ will always be the thing that causes persecution. If we are hated for something other than that name, then it is our fault that we are hated. We should be, in such a case, ashamed of ourselves. But, if it is for the name of Christ that we are hated it is not our fault, nor is it a shame. Hatred is the natural result in a heart turned against Almighty God.
   Secondly, this idea of enduring to the end does not support the idea that one can lose his or her salvation. What it does do is tell us that those who crumple under persecution are not genuine Christians. For example, many have made the argument that it would be okay to deny Christ so that you could go on witnessing for him. In other words, some who have been put to a test of life or death over their beliefs have denied Christ in order save their skin and continue preaching. This is not a genuine Christian response. Many will point to Peter’s denial and argue from that. However, Peter, after Pentecost, would never have been found to deny his Lord. Such endurance to the end is evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s heart and life.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 14:1-15:41

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: Persecution, like what Paul faces in Acts 14, often causes Christians to redouble their efforts to win people to the gospel. But, when persecution is mild, it is easy to become lax in our witness. This does not mean we have to have persecution to do a good job. What it does mean is that we have to do a good job no matter what happens.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You do in our lives. Your grace is truly amazing. Your love is boundless. Your mercy is limitless. Your patience is well nigh unbelievable. Your kindness is wonderful. Your holiness is inspiring. Your goodness is comforting. How could we ever praise You enough? You are worthy of all our praise and adoration. We must focus upon You, for in that focus we will find best use of our lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for the family of a couple pastors that just died. Pray for a man who is not sure what will happen with his job.

Personal Journal Entry #13059

21: Jesus has never wanted to destroy the family. Jesus is the most pro-family person in history. However, he wants us to understand that the gospel will make enemies. And these enemies will come from the most unexpected places sometimes. We have to understand that humans, without God’s help, love themselves more than anybody else. This means that they will betray anybody if they feel threatened enough. The gospel tells us of an all-powerful God who quite simply commands us to be saved, or face the consequences. That really rubs us the wrong way. But it’s true.
  To Jewish listeners, this would be horrifying. In our modern world this kind of statement doesn’t seem as shocking. But, for them, it was quite a jolt.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 11:1-13:52

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: I just watched a couple of videos of Dr. Ben Carson speaking about America. I almost came to tears. It is so refreshing to hear a man who loves God and makes sense. He is the real deal, and he is not afraid of the media, the government, or anybody else. He has real, true integrity. Look it up on youtube. Look up Dr. Ben Carson speaks at 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. Look up his interview with Hannity (I don’t know anything about Hannity, but it was interesting). Look up anything else you want to on the man. He is what we need in America. He is the black man who came up from poverty and has the integrity, brains, and courage to run a nation. And he would challenge each one of us to have the same characteristics. We have to stop being a nation of babies. We must be a nation of grown-ups. If he were to run for president, I would actually enjoy voting for him. I could see voting for a Seventh-Day Adventist much easier than voting for a Mormon.
   Apparently we have plenty of other religions, denominations, schisms, etc. trying to make a difference. Where are the Baptists? The Baptists were crucial to the formation of this nation, and I believe that we would be crucial to the saving of this nation. But, perhaps, help will come from elsewhere.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for You. I know I say it a lot, but You are so important. Without You, this world is just crazy. I need You every day. I need Your help and Your guidance. Oh Father, help me to see Your hand in this world. Help me to remember Your blessings in my life. You are so great and good! For every breath we breath may we find reason to praise You! You have the power to make us into something special in Your sight. You can fulfill the deepest needs of our hearts! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a lady who recently had a stroke.

Personal Journal Entry #13058

20: The ‘Spirit of your Father’ is of course the Holy Spirit. Even today we would say the same, that he speaks through us. And yet, many seem only to claim this, but not to practice it. Does the Holy Spirit truly speak in us? We sometimes claim it because we know it is right, but how seriously do we take it? The most important thing, then, is the preparation of our hearts for his speaking.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 9:1-10:48

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: Congregational singing is a more recent development in church life. Many in the past resisted the idea of singing for many reasons. Often in this day we may give those of the past reason to think their objections were legitimate. Many of us sing as if we were on autopilot. Worship takes a back seat to mindless repetition. At the other extreme, singing and music are used to set the entire tone of the service, while the Holy Spirit waits outside. Though I would not be one to argue against congregational signing, I would warn that we try to avoid these pitfalls. Singing has a purpose, and when we miss that purpose, we lose that purpose.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your strength. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for loving us even when we fail You. Thank You for being strong even though we are all so weak. Thank You for helping us to understand Your will. Thank You for encouraging us when we face what seems impossible. Thank You for helping us to try when we feel like giving up. You are so kind to us. Your help is a comfort to our souls. You guide us every step of the way. You carry us through it all. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who just lost his job. Pray for a woman with macular degeneration in her eyes.

Personal Journal Entry #13057

19: When the disciples were hauled before councils in Acts, they answered in ways that were quite remarkable for simple fishermen. This is due to this verse right here. Jesus had taught them not to try to come up with a case when they were tried for preaching the gospel. The Lord himself spoke through them. The same should be practiced today. If a Christian is hauled before a court for preaching the gospel, he need not prepare an oration. The Lord will provide the defense that is needed.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 7:1-8:40

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: It has been thought, in the past, that sloths have very poor hearing. Actually, sloths, though not having exceptional hearing, can hear things around them quite well. If a sloth is exposed to high-pitched noise that is uncommon in its natural habitat, it will respond noticeably. If, however, you fire a gun right next to it, it will remain completely motionless. This is due to the fact that the predators of the sloth would be able to spot it in a tree if it jumped when lightning streaks the sky.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You do in our lives! Thank You for Jesus Christ and the grace You have given us through him. He is a daily blessing to us. He makes our lives so much more than they would be without him. You are worthy of our best. You are worthy of all our praise. Christ is worthy to be lifted high above all else. May we lift him high all our lives. He is our great Savior  and our precious Friend. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for the family of a pastor that went to heaven today.

Personal Journal Entry #13056

18: Though the disciples likely did not suffer this level of persecution on this particular trip, it was right around the corner, as they would soon discover. Thus, Jesus is warning them ahead of time. The governors would, in this case, be Romans. The kings would be either the Herodian kings or some of the other Roman officials.
   This would happen for two reasons. First, Jesus says it would be ‘for my sake,’ which would be the primary motivation of the betrayers. The cause of Christ is offensive to those who reject him. As such, their response to it will generally be quite negative. Secondly, the disciples would face persecution ‘for a testimony against them.’ Some would say that Jesus here means that it would be a testimony to them, not against them. However, the thought must be taken in context. They would be delivered up for being a testimony to others. Once brought to the officials to be persecuted they would be a testimony against them. In other words, the gospel message has a twofold result here. It brings some to Christ, and it marks others as antichrist. When these Jewish leaders who turned the disciples over to the authorities will stand before Christ one day, the preaching of the disciples will be a testimony against them.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 5:1-6:15

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:3 “And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.“

Daily Tidbit: It is good to take note in Acts 6 that the earliest deacons were not labeled with that title. Evidently, the title came later. Stephen, one of these early deacons, did many things that we would not expect a deacon to do today. He preached and worked miracles, and was, of course, martyred. Thus, though deacons do have a specific role, this must not preclude them from having other roles as well.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. It is a blessing to our hearts. Thank You for involving us in the great task of preaching the gospel. It is such a privilege to be involved in that. everything You do for us is a blessing, but getting to share Christ with others is real treat. Jesus is so wonderful! Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son to die for us. His resurrection is the hope of our lives. It is what we live for. Knowing that by his sacrifice he has made it possible to live with You forever is the greatest knowledge we can have! Thank You for Jesus! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man whose wife recently died. Pray for our police force. Pray for a man with a bad job situation.

Personal Journal Entry #13055

17: The councils were local courts of the Jews. These were run by local elders or priests. The synagogues were the most common meeting places for the Jews at that time. They naturally became meeting places for hearings and public cases of various kinds.

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 3:1-4:37

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:3 “And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

Daily Tidbit: I have spoken with several persons in the past who told me that, in spite of their faith, they did not ‘feel saved.’ 1 John 2:3 helps us with this problem. If your basis of faith is God’s Word, and you have truly been saved, you may still on occasion feel like you are not saved. This verse is a great reference for the advice I usually give in this situation. Doing what a Christian does will likely make you feel like a Christian feels. Some might object, saying that they don’t want to do good works and miss the fact that they are not actually saved.
   I will say a few things here. First, the best way to know for sure that you are saved is to examine your faith. If you believe what God Almighty says in his Word about salvation, that is the key. If you have truly accepted Christ as the gospel prescribes, that is what is expected. You can then be sure of your salvation. Secondly, as John tells us here, this assurance will grow as you keep the commandments of Almighty God. As you live a holy life by the power of Christ, your knowledge of your relationship with him will grow. Finally, I very rarely find that one can genuinely do the works of a Christian without being a Christian. Something usually falls through the cracks.
   So, if you want to feel like a Christian, act like a Christian.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for every knew day. Sometimes we act as if You never have any fun, or allow us to have any fun. Yet You wake up the flowers every morning. You set the birds to singing. You bring the otters out to play. You bring children and small animals together. You make the wind blow lightly through the plains. You cause the beautiful snowflakes to fall. You raise the mountains against a glowing sky. How majestic are Your works and ways! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a local pastor who has only a short time to live. Pray for a couple of families that just lost loved ones. Pray for two men with cancer and who are undergoing radiation. Pray for a young man who hurt his leg.

Personal Journal Entry #13054

16: To go forth as sheep among wolves was a proverbial expression of the day. It would be readily understood. The Jews would likely think of the Gentiles as wolves, and themselves as sheep. Here, the disciples are the sheep, and some of the Jews are the wolves.
   The advice concerning serpents and doves is quite illuminating. Many have a misconceived idea that Christians must be completely ignorant of the ins and outs of sin, the world, and just life in general. This is not the case. Christians should understand sin, people, feelings, life, etc. better than anybody. This is the wise as serpents part. We must understand the enemy. We must be wise enough to see things as they really are. But, the harmless as doves part is the balance to this. We are to understand the ways of the world better than the most worldly of persons, but we are to be as innocent of wrongdoing as the smallest child. This is the balance, and it is an admirable goal. With the help of Christ, it is attainable.

Daily Bible Reading: John 21:1-Acts 2:47

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.“

Daily Tidbit: Schoolchildren are (or at least used to be) taught that the Pilgrims came to America for religious liberty. This is partially true. They, being Puritans, came for their liberty to worship, not necessarily for the cause of religious liberty in general. This is important to understand. The Puritans were among those involved in the persecution of early American Baptists. It was Baptists who championed religious liberty, desiring a nation in which nobody would be imprisoned, or worse, for their faith. That is our legacy.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You do every day that we never even take the time to notice. You do things that we would not even have time to notice if we tried. How much of a blessing You are! Every little thing You do is a precious reminder of Your love for us, and yet we remember it so rarely. Thank You for being patient with us. It is nice to know that You care so much for us. It is great to have Jesus on our side. He is a constant Source of strength and encouragement in our lives. Show us Your glory each day that we may praise You! You are worthy! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for an elderly woman with breathing problems.

Personal Journal Entry #13053

15: It is very important to properly understand what is being said here. In order to get it right we must keep several things in mind. First of all, Jesus is the judge. He alone can properly measure man’s reaction to the Truth. He alone knows every heart. He alone understands every reaction. He alone can be trusted to be completely fair and equitable in his judgments. He alone will stand to judge all of mankind.
   Secondly, Jesus was not accusing all of the Jews of Sodomy. He was not comparing their individual sins, but their reaction to those sins. Though there may have been some homosexuality among the Jews at the time, this sin was not even the basis of the judgement upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
   This is the third thing to keep in mind. It was the lack of righteousness in these two cities that brought their destruction. You must remember Abraham’s discussion with the Lord about how many righteous people were in Sodom. Jesus was going to see about the cities. He didn’t have to do that. He already knew what he would find. But, he is always very merciful. He was waiting for repentance, and none came. He knew it wouldn’t, but for his glory, he waits anyhow. He found no hearts tender to him. He found sent angels to the city. It made little difference what he did. These cities were sold to sin. So, they were destroyed. The type of sin mattered little in comparison to the reaction to the Truth that he found. Nineveh in Jonah’s day is a perfect example. You can be sure that all kinds of wickedness went on there, and yet, Almighty God spared the city because they repented. When he explains his reasons to Jonah, he mentions the children, and the animals. He loves everyone.
   Fourth, the Jews in that region had experienced more direct revelation from Almighty God than, basically, anyone in history. God himself was there, living among them. Jesus performed many miracles and proclaimed the Truth to them. In the same way, his disciples were his personal representatives to the cities in the area. They were to be accepted as he would be accepted. If they were rejected, it would be a rejection of him. This is still true today. The rejection of faithful ministers of the gospel is the same as the rejection of Christ himself.
   Fifth, it is useless to speculate too much on the word ‘tolerable’. What we must do is use Scripture to back up our claims. Jesus will judge individuals. However, he is here speaking of whole cities. This is initially puzzling until you consider his reasoning. Individuals are influenced by their surroundings. If a person living in Gomorrah, for example, did repent of their sins at some point, this would be quite an exception to the rule. Whereas, if someone in the region where the disciples ministered did the same, it would only be expected, given the spread of the gospel.
   What then, does this mean? Well, we must say first that we cannot know exactly. Jesus does not explain in detail how the difference works. However, what we can say is that salvation has always been based upon faith. In Sodom and Gomorrah, repentance, and a different attitude towards sin than what was the norm in those cities, would likely be connected with genuine saving faith. In Jesus’ day, however, simply repenting would not be enough. To evidence faith, one would need to accept Jesus as the Messiah. This is not a double standard. And that is exactly the point Jesus is making. If Jesus had himself preached to Sodom and Gomorrah, and done the miracles there that he did in these Jewish cities, they would have responded better. Jesus says this himself in the next chapter, Matthew 11. Thus, the standard is always what a person does with what a person has. Our response to the Truth is the heart of what faith means.

Daily Bible Reading: John 19:1-20:31

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Daily Tidbit: There are those who do not believe that Christ died for all of mankind. 1 John 2:2 is the best verse to refute this mistake. Propitiation is a loaded word. It describes all that Almighty God has ever tried to teach us about how sin must be dealt with. It describes all that the Old Testament law of sacrifices was about. It includes all that must be done to deal with sin. Nothing is left out. Thus, to apply this word to the ‘whole world’ as John does is to say that forgiveness is genuinely available for all of mankind. To deny this is to miss the very essence of what Christ’s sacrifice has done.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, the glory of Your Son overshadows this world! Father, thank You for revealing Him to us! The world many not understand it, but He is our only hope. He is all that we need. He is Your provision for us. Thank You for Jesus! We will live our lives for him, proclaiming the truth of the gospel about him to all the world. He is worthy of our attention, and adoration. Knowing that Jesus understands everything we have ever done is at once scary and comforting. We know his judgments are fair, and that is the great comfort. Oh Father, thank You for Jesus in my life! He makes such a difference. Though I am not as good as I would like to be, without Jesus, I could never be pure in Your sight. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a family that just lost a loved one.

Personal Journal Entry #13052