3: It is amazing the the scribes knew the law so well that they recognized blasphemy, and yet many of them never understood that Jesus was the Messiah. Yes, if Jesus was just a man, this presumption to forgive sins would indeed be blasphemy in one of its ugliest forms. However, Jesus is not just a man, he is the God-man, he is the Messiah of Israel, he is the Savior of the world.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-6:34

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: Many early Baptists were willingly baptized during the winter months in outdoor streams, rivers, and lakes. In some cases, ice was broken before the service began. Imagine if Baptist converts today were asked to do the same. Many hesitate to be baptized in a heated church building in a heated tub of water. What a change in our sense of need! Our need to obey the Lord is no less great than theirs was. What is different?

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You do each day. We could not possibly, in a lifetime, list the things that You do in a single day. And yet, to You, it is ‘all in a days work’. Oh Father, if we had a full picture of all You have done just in our individual lives, it would completely overwhelm us. You are so intelligent! Thank You for giving us Your wisdom when we ask for it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for an elderly lady that needs to have a potentially risky surgery.

Personal Journal Entry #12274

2: This is the story in which those who brought this man to Jesus broke up the roof to get the man before Jesus because of the throng of people in and outside of the house.  This man was either the victim of a form of palsy, or had been paralyzed due to some injury. In either case, the condition was obviously severe, since he was unable to move about on his own.
 Matthew here refers to the faith of an unidentified ‘they’ without filling in the details. However, from the accounts of Mark and Luke, it is obvious that he is referring to those who brought the paralytic, and to the man himself. In response to this faith, Jesus forgives the man’s sins. Some may object that the man was brought to Jesus for healing, not for forgiveness of sins. Only one thing need be said in response to that – the paralytic had no objections.

Daily Bible Reading: Malachi 4:1-Matthew 4:25

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: The work of world missions is one of the strongest testimonies for Christ in this world. Knowing that those who love Christ will brave the difficulties of living in dismal conditions voluntarily, and for no profit but souls, is a benefit to the hardest of hearts. And yet, the numbers of persons from this country surrendering to the mission fields of the world continues to decline. We must ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest, and we must be willing to go ourselves.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are so worthy of our praise! How glad I am that You forgive sins! Being healed of sickness is great, but being free from sin, that is truly amazing! Your plan of salvation is masterful and perfect. No person is left out. Grace through faith is such a wonderful message for this lost world. Why anyone would not want Your grace is truly a mystery to us. You know everything though. We trust You and depend upon You. Lord, You are worth knowing and loving. May we live to love You more each and every day. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man recovering from a heart attack. Pray for a woman recovering from a stroke. Pray for a family who just lost a young mother.

Personal Journal Entry #12273

1: His dwelling place was Capernaum, which is also on the shore of Kinneret. He moved their from Nazareth, where he had lived with his parents growing up. He evidently lived with Peter in his home.

Daily Bible Reading: Zechariah 12:1-Malachi 3:18

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, which our hands have handled of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: Even in Colonial America, religious freedom took time to catch hold. Thus, we must remember that the right to be a Christian is given by Almighty God, not government. If government agrees with that right, then good. If it does not, we still have that right.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for You hand in world history. Thank You for giving us a nation in which we may be free to worship You. You are so kind to us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for the mid-week church service at churches all over the country tonight.

Personal Journal Entry #12272

33: It must be remembered that, in that time, people were extremely superstitious. In fact, anywhere that you have a melting pot of different nationalities and peoples you will find more superstition and jumpiness related to it. The keepers of the pigs did not run into the city because they were attempting to get the city officials to arrest Jesus, or because they wanted to sue him. They ran because they were scared, and they told everything they knew about the situation.
34: The superstitions of the people of Gadara were more than enough to bring them out of the city to see what went on. Many have assumed that they asked Jesus to depart only because of the loss of the pigs. The financial loss was great. However, it was primarily fear that motivated the whole incident (see Luke 8:37). Yes, they feared the demons, the men who were healed, and even Jesus. They feared everything. The demons knew that their killing of the pigs would cause pandemonium, and so did Christ. Jesus also knew that their fear was only the result of the grip the devil had on those people because of the influence of the demons. He already had a plan to solve that problem before the demons ever even saw him. The man who was released from Legion and the others came to Christ, wanting to go with him. Jesus then sent this man to be a witness for him in this area. When Jesus returned later, the people gladly received him (see Luke 8:40). Thus, the purposes of the devil, as well as his minions, were overturned by the testimony of Christ in the heart of the changed man. What a commentary on the power of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Daily Bible Reading: Zechariah 7:1-11:17

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have see with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: It is quite odd that people will defend to the death supposed truths which bring upon their believers nothing but fear for death. By the same token, it is surely strange that people will ridicule those who believe the Truth, which releases one from the fears of death so completely that anyone observing must admit the absence thereof.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us. You love every person more than they love themselves. Oh, if we could only grasp that! Lord God, Your Truth brings such wonderful change to our lives, and yet it makes us more changeless, like Yourself. You are always wonderful. You will never change. You have no need to change. Change means to grow or shrink. You need do neither. Overshadow us with Your grandeur Father! Make us what we could never be without You. You are worthy of all the praise for all that You do. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman with the flu. Pray for two men with terminal cancer.

Personal Journal Entry #12271

31: The attitude of the demons is quite pathetic. They realized they had no choice but to be cast out, despite how they worded their request here. They knew Jesus could do with them whatever he wanted, and they were very desirous to remain in that region. They furthermore knew that Christ would never allow them to enter another human at that time. The pigs were, thus, likely the only living things nearby at the time.
32: Jesus gave the demons leave to do as they had asked. This may be thought strange at first. Why would Jesus give them what they wanted. A couple of things must be considered. For one thing, they did not get what they wanted at all. They would have wanted to stay right were they were, and they did not get that in any case. Also, the devil and his minions are allowed to go about in this world at this time. However, it is only by God’s leave that they do so. They may have no more influence than he allows. So, we see that Jesus is acting the same as the Father would act. The demons are allowed only to influence the minds of those who would choose the devil over Christ.
   Indeed, we see that this is the ultimate result of the situation. It seems likely that the demons intended for the pigs to perish. However, the exact implications for the final state of the demons in the immediate future after this event is to us uncertain. What is certain is that the death of the pigs caused those in this country who were averse to Christ to request that he depart. The demonic hoard therefore brought more attention to the situation. This did not frustrate Christ. He always allowed people to decide things for themselves. If the actions of the demons influenced people against him, that would be their own choice. The devil and his hoards are never allowed to make people’s minds up for them. He only may attempt to influence men’s minds and wait for the outcome.

Daily Bible Reading: Zechariah 1:1-6:15

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: If we doubt the power of prayer, we doubt the power of God.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are the greatest blessing of our lives. Being allowed to come to You in prayer is so sweet to our souls. Being counted, by Christ’s righteousness, worthy to bring praise to You is a real joy and precious privilege. Knowing Your power, we are overwhelmed to think that You hear and take to heart are every word. Having Your care and concern at our disposal is the surest means of comfort imaginable. You give our lives meaning and purpose. You truly care about our happiness and our future. Oh Father, thank You for loving us as You do! It makes this vast universe of Yours into a friendly place for us, rather than a vacuum of emptiness. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for  a woman recovering from a stroke. Pray for a family that just lost a young mother.

Personal Journal Entry #12270

30: There were Gentiles living in this area as well. They were likely the ones raising the swine. Jews would, of course, lawfully have no use for pigs.

Daily Bible Reading: Zephaniah 1:1-Haggai 2:23

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Daily Tidbit: The old hymn, Blest be the Tie that Binds was penned by a man named John Fawcett. Fawcett was a Baptist minister. Though the church he pastored was quite small and very poor, Fawcett was a man of remarkable abilities. Because of his reputation in connection with his writings and such, Fawcett was offered other positions (which paid considerably more) on at least two occasions. On one of these occasions he was minded to go. He had his house packed for the move. He and his wife were about to leave, and they changed their minds. The hymn, one of many that he wrote, was written in memory of this amazing event.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing what blessings we need. You know exactly where we belong and what we must do with our lives. We would regret doing anything else but Your will. Your ways are always straight and good, Father. Lead as only you can. The mercies you provide along the way cannot be outweighed by any hardship. All praise for the way our lives go is Yours. You guide us as You would have things. May we always see Your hand in our experiences. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

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

Personal Journal Entry #12269

29: As we see from verse 31, it was the demons themselves that cried out. It is important to keep track of exactly who is speaking and when in this passage, especially while reconciling it with Mark and Luke’s accounts.
   The demons knew exactly Who Jesus was, as did all demonic forces which Jesus came into contact with. This may seem strange at first. We would normally think that the devil would not want his minions to be declaring the identity of Christ. However, the opposite is always true. The devil, and his cohorts, are full of pride. They feel as if they have a right to this world, and they resent God Almighty and all who have anything to do with him. When faced off directly by demonic forces, you will find no denial of God’s identity. What you will find is a denial of his right to control the universe. Though they cannot resist his will, as we see here, they are not at all happy about it. They will profane the name of the Lord any way they can.
   The final part of what the demons here say can be understood by taking two things into account. First, it cannot be known exactly what times or types of punishments may be administered by Almighty God in relation to the fallen angels. We are simply not told all of the details, and God intends, for now, to keep it that way. What we do know is that all demon forces shall be finally judged by Jesus Christ. He is the judge of all. Only those he authorizes may be involved in the judgment of demons. Furthermore, we know that they will all meet their ultimate sentence in the lake of fire with the devil himself. Secondly, we must put the statement into the context of Jesus’ ministry and look at it from their perspective. Jesus was making quite a stir in the supernatural world. Nothing could hinder him. He was invincible, impeccable, and he could not be tricked. The devil himself had tried him and failed miserably. The demon world knew this, and they were worried. In order to get the picture here, one must remember that even the devil doesn’t know everything. Only God Almighty has that luxury. As a result, the devil did not fully understand the purpose of Christ’s visit. His minions and he knew mainly this, Jesus is our enemy. So, this hoard of demons, with Legion as their spokesman, wanted to know what was going on. They wanted to know why the Son of God himself had begun to wipe out their kingdom. They wanted to find out why the time of judgment that they had expected was seemingly being cut short. To put it in a word, they were afraid.

Daily Bible Reading: Nahum 2:1-Habakkuk 3:19

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Daily Tidbit: It is amazing that those who called themselves reformers were also perpetrators of religious persecution. Though there can be exceptions, the way to find those closest to the truth is to look for they who will be the last to martyr anyone, and the first to be martyred themselves.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for today and every day that we have to live for you. I am so thankful for Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. His power over the devil means so much to me. I know that You alone know everything, and I am glad that the enemy is sometimes in the dark. Help me to understand how You deal with him, and how powerful You are. Jesus sure puts fear into the forces of darkness. they do not like him one bit. But, he is to be our focus, not them. Learning more about the Lord Jesus and his life is such a blessing! Oh Father, I can never praise You, or Your Son, enough. Christ, I am so glad that You came to this world for me. I am so glad you shed Your blood on Calvary. I am so glad that you have brought me to the Father by Your salvation. I could never thank You enough. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise Almighty God, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman who has gout. Pray for two boys with a rare disease.

Personal Journal Entry #12268

28: Two things in this verse are hard to reconcile with both Mark and Luke’s gospels. For one thing, Matthew calls these people the Gergesenes, whereas the other two mention the Gadarenes. The Gadarenes and Gergesenes lived in the same general region, and both groups of people were likely involved in this story.
  Secondly, Matthew says that there were two demon-possessed men. Mark and Luke mention only one. Many explanations have been given for this. It must be said that no explanation is needed. There were two men, and Mark and Luke wrote about only one of them. However, allow me to offer a possible explanation anyway. Matthew would likely have the best understanding of the events. Jesus was likely met by both possessed men in succession. To the first he gave the command for the unclean spirit to depart. However when then have a response from the demons asking Jesus whether he had come to torment them early. How could the demons do so if they had just been cast out? Thus, it is likely that one of the men was relieved of the unclean spirit in him when Jesus made the command to depart. Then the demons responded from the other man, who probably ran up just then. Verse 31 agrees with this in that it tells us it was the demonic hoard within the man speaking. Indeed, Legion was likely only the spokesman for the group.

Daily Bible Reading: Micah 4:1-Nahum 1:15

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Daily Tidbit: Persecution has served to increase the numbers of believers throughout history. This is strange indeed. In a natural way of thinking, opposition would seem to detract from the attractiveness of the gospel, not add to it. But the gospel is not natural. Persecution of true Christians causes their testimony to shine more brightly. It causes people to realize the true face of Christ. It causes others to see that Christians are not violent, haters, intolerant, or otherwise belligerent. It shows the world that true Christianity is something special, something that cannot be bought, sold, or manufactured. It is real and alive. And it gives us a hope that is sure, and that is worth more than all that his life has to offer.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, it is so good to know that You are infinitely more powerful than our enemy, the devil. It is so good to know that no amount of persecution can outweigh the glories of heaven. It is so good to know that You are in control of it all, and that You have our best interests at heart. Father, Your power is perfect, Your ways are always wise, and Your name is worthy of great praise. May Your praise continually be in our mouths! You are worth knowing, praising, loving, and living for a thousand times over. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a lady with Alzheimer’s. Pray fro a lady with health needs. Pray for a man with fluid on his lungs. Pray for a man recovering from a heart attack. Pray for a young lady recovering from a car accident.

Personal Journal Entry #12267

27: The disciples were immediately brought to a place of greater faith. They left off wondering about the awful nature of the storm, and began to wonder at the One who stilled it. This is the attitude they should have had to begin with. They ask each other how great of a person this One is and exclaim his power in calming the storm.
   Did they expect Jesus, as the Messiah, to be less powerful? The answer here must take the incarnation into consideration. Though we understand it somewhat more readily today, it was difficult for the disciples to grasp that this One was God in the flesh. It was not until much later, after his resurrection, that they truly understood. However, it must be pointed out that they had enough faith to believe in him as the Messiah. They may not have understood fully how he would save their souls, but they believed he would do it.

Daily Bible Reading: Jonah 1:1-Micah 3:12

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Daily Tidbit: Though it is unpopular to mention, the church had a great effect upon the Native Americans in the history of our nation. We often focus on the mistreatment of the Indians and forget this influence. However, we should be reminded that there are those who have been glad to meet the white man’s God. They have gladly embraced the Lord Jesus, just as men of all colors and ethnicity all over the world. These saved Natives of our land are a part of our heritage as well, and it would be a shame to forget that.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are so precious to Your people. We know that Your plans for us are always wonderful. It is easy for us to forget that we have You on our side. It shouldn’t be, but it often is. We get discouraged and defeated for no good reason. If You are for us, who can indeed be against us? We seek to honor You and praise You as You deserve. Remind us of Your mercies daily. We will never know just how good You are this side of glory, but we enjoy finding out more each day. It just gets better every day that we know You, dear Lord. It  is such a blessing to know that You are there, and that You care for us. Almighty God, You are our Rock and Shield. You are our Hope and Anchor. Thank You for salvation. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for young Christian families all over our nation. Pray for an older couple who are sick.

Personal Journal Entry #12266

26: Jesus questions their lack of faith. We, as they, often fall into the trap of forgetting that all lies under God’s watch-care. There is nothing too hard for him, nothing outside of his ability to control. Jesus points out their fear. This fear is the antithesis of faith. Faith will admit only one fear, the fear of Almighty God. How was it, he was asking, that they should be more afraid of this storm than they were of suggesting that the very Son of God was unaware of his surroundings? How could it be that they were more worried about being killed by a storm than by the wrath of Almighty God for suggesting that God did not care that they were just then in jeopardy? How could it be that we could fear a single storm, and yet forget to fear the perpetrator of the world-wide flood?
   Faith will allow the fear of God alone. Faith will cause all other fears to fly far away. And, living by faith, the fear of God becomes sheer delight as we realize his graciousness and mercy, and love. Thus, the disciples, by a lack of faith, forgot the power of the very Son of God Almighty. They forgot that he who was in the boat with them was the Messiah, the King. He made the sea. Surely it would blush to do less than listen to his commands. And, listen it did.
  Indeed, the immediate nature of the calming of the storm is as amazing as the cause of it. The winds and waves stilled completely. Their was nothing gradual about the process. It was sudden and noticeable. The rebuke of Christ held authority not only over the wind and sea as a whole, but over every minute particle, every atom, of the matter of them. He commanded every detail in an instant. There was no question, no hesitation, no resistance.

Daily Bible Reading: Amos 6:1-Obadiah 21

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Daily Tidbit: It is important to remember that many great Baptist preachers of centuries gone by have come from other denominations. Johann Gerhard Oncken, who was one of the early leaders among Baptists in Germany, started out as a Lutheran. He had to study God’s Word and come to the proper understanding of its doctrine in order to become a Baptist. Thus, the most mature of Baptists is not a Baptist by choice alone, but also by conviction. We must know why we are what we are, or else we are in danger of becoming something else.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, I can never praise You enough. You fill our hearts with righteousness. You make an otherwise dark place into a place full of light, gladness, and goodness. You lift our souls to a higher plane and cause us to walk in Your wonderful way. With You we need not be troubled by worry, harassed by fear, or overcome by discouragement. You give us such a delightful outlook on life. Knowing You makes life so much more fun. Without You in our lives, we try to have fun so as to try to have a life. With You, we have fun because we are alive. And, as You have said, that life is abundant. Oh Father, life with You is so wonderful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man having trouble with his blood pressure. Pray for a woman with gout. Pray for two boys who have a rare disease.

Personal Journal Entry #12265