Category: Gospels
Remember Me Lord Jesus!
Scripture reading for April 3rd: Luke 23, Psalm 67, Proverbs 5
Key Scriptures: Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.””
As Jesus hung on the cross, crucified between two criminals, a discussion between them took place. One criminal mocked Jesus as the “Christ” and made fun of His ability to save them or Himself. The other criminal rebuked the mocker and reminded him that they were really getting what they deserved but Jesus was innocent. Then the second criminal made a faith confession. He asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom! Jesus immediately answered that that day he would be with Him in Paradise!
Faith Confession: Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God, The Christ who alone can save me from my sins, and not only me but all who repent and believe in You. I look forward to Your return!
Proverbs 5:21-22 “For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.”
Dwelling in a place of abundance!
Scripture reading for April 2nd: Luke 22, Psalm 66, Proverbs 4
Key Scriptures: Luke 22:28-31 “”You are those who have stayed with Me in My trials, and I assign to you, as My Father assigned to Me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””
Jesus encouraged those who had remained with Him and stayed true with a promise of reward for their faithfulness. They would be seated at Christ’s table in His kingdom and then assigned greater responsibilities there. Peter was told that Christ had prayed that his faith would not fail. Jesus made a faith confession: when (not if) Peter turned back (repented), he must strengthen his brothers.
Faith Confession: Jesus, thank You for praying for me that my faith will not fail! I will stay true to You and strengthen those brothers and sisters in the faith that need encouragement! In You I dwell in a place of abundance!
Psalm 66:10-12 “For You, O God, have tested us; You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid a crushing burden on our backs; You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance!”
The Lord is my confidence!
Scripture reading for April 1st: Luke 21, Psalm 65, Proverbs 3
Key Scriptures: Luke 21:33-36 “”Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.””
Jesus was giving final instructions to His disciples. He emphasized that His word was eternal and dependable. He warned them about the traps that would catch men up in the last days: dissipation, drunkenness and the cares of life. He encouraged them to stay awake and pray in order to escape the traps and be able to stand before Him at the final judgment.
Faith Confession: I believe that Your Word is eternal and truth. I am awake through the infilling of the Holy Spirit and aware of Satan’s traps. I am trusting Jesus to give me grace to stand before Him when He returns.
Proverbs 3:25-26 “Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”
Speaking truth in love!
Scripture reading for March 29th: Luke 20, Psalm 64, Proverbs 2
Key Scriptures: Luke 20:21-26 “So they asked Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch Him in what He said, but marveling at His answer they became silent.”
Jesus was wise to the plots of the Pharisees to try and trap Him into saying something they could use to accuse Him before Rome. He answered their question concerning taxes in a simple but brilliant way, speaking truth to their trap. This caused them to be silent.
Faith Confession: Lord, thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit to know how to answer each person that may confront me or try and trap me. Open my eyes and ears again today and give me Your wisdom to answer wisely.
Psalm 64:1-4 “Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.”
Weeping over the lost!
Scripture reading for March 28th: Luke 19, Psalm 63, Proverbs 1
Key Scriptures: Luke 19:41-44 “And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as He came into it for the final week of His ministry on earth. He had taught in the streets and healed many among the citizens. He had called for repentance and preached the good news of the kingdom of God. But their rejection of Him and God’s Word brought darkness and judgment. They failed to recognize their time of visitation and would suffer eternal loss.
Faith Confession: Lord, help me to see with Your eyes and have Your compassion for people and their cities. Let me weep over the lost and share the Christ’s good news. May none miss the time of their visitation!
Proverbs 1:32-33 “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to Me will dwell secure, and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Pour out Your Heart to God!
Scripture reading for March 27th: Luke 18, Psalm 62, Proverbs 31
Key Scriptures: Luke 18:2-8 “He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?. . . I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?””
Jesus told this story to call His disciples to faithfulness in prayer. Prayer calls for trust in God and His desire and ability to answer His people. Jesus is concerned about finding His people living by faith when He returns for them.
Faith Confession: Lord, I know that you hear and answer prayer. You do it in a timely manner–‘speedily!’ I want to be found in faith when You return for Your people. I will pour out my heart to You alone!
Psalm 62:7-8 “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty Rock, my refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
The King Rules Within!
Scripture reading for March 26th: Luke 17, Psalm 61, Proverbs 30
Key Scriptures: Luke 17:20-21 “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!” or ‘There!” for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.””
Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom, proclaiming that it was near. The Pharisees asked Him when it would actually come. He answered them by telling them that it would come in ways that were not openly visible or able to be observed. The kingdom of God would come inside of each person through the key of repentance and faith. God’s kingdom would not be political or material in its initial appearance, but it would bring righteousness, peace and joy.
Faith Confession: I believe that Christ’s kingdom rule is in my heart through faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I experience this kingdom rule through understanding righteousness by faith, peace with God, and joy of hope in all His promises. Jesus is Lord of my life!
Proverbs 30:5 “Every Word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
Jesus alone saves!
Scripture reading for March 25: Luke 16, Psalm 60, Proverbs 29
Key Scriptures: Luke 16:16-17 “”The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.””
Jesus always taught God’s Word in truth and confronted those who were not obeying the true meaning of that Word. The Pharisees had a habit of judging Jesus and making fun of His teaching. They used the Word of God to manipulate people for money, thinking that they were superior to ordinary sinners. They judged some ‘sinners’ as unworthy of salvation. In these verses, Jesus stated that God’s Law and the Prophets writing would never become obsolete. It cannot be altered or used to force our way into God’s kingdom or to keep ‘sinners’ out. The ‘good news’ was that all sinners could receive mercy by faith in Jesus.
Faith Confession: Lord, thank You for the good news of the Gospel of Your kingdom! Help me to live a life of faith and deliver me from compromise or manipulation of Your Word!
Psalm 60:11-12 “Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly, it is He who will tread down our foes.”
Joy in a sinners salvation!
Scripture reading for March 22: Luke 15, Psalm 59, Proverbs 28
Key Scriptures: Luke 15:8-10 “”Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.””
In response to the grumbling of the Pharisees about Jesus’ eating with sinners and tax collectors, Jesus told several parables to explain God’s heart for those that were lost. The first was about a sheep that was lost out of a flock of one hundred. The shepherd searched until he found it and held a celebration when he did. Next, a woman had ten silver coins and lost one. She searched until she found it and had a party of celebration afterwards. Jesus said this was how it was in heaven when one lost sinner repented!
Faith Confession: Lord, I rejoice when anyone that is lost finds Jesus Christ as savior! It is comforting to know that You and heaven’s angels rejoice as well! Action step: Share the Gospel with someone you know is lost today, with joy and expectancy that they will obtain mercy!
Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
Counting the cost!
Scripture reading for March 21: Luke 14, Psalm 58, Proverbs 27
Key Scriptures: Luke 14:25-28 “Now great crowds accompanied Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
Jesus was very straight-forward with the crowds of people who had followed Him and crowded around to hear His teaching. He warned them of shallow commitment. He demanded first place in the lives of those who would follow Him as disciples. Their relationship with their family and even wife and children must be second to Him. There would be a cross to bear as well! Each person must count the cost!
Faith Confession: Lord, following You is my choice. I place You in first place. You are worth any cost!
Psalm 58:11 “Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”