Day 144/260: Read Matthew 19

Immediately following Jesus’ teaching on the seriousness of marriage and the consequences of divorce, “little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray.” Lovingly, the Lord said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

In the previous chapter, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). What are the child-like qualities the Christian should strive to develop?

First, consider the innocence of a child. Safe, unaffected by the evil around him. In a sense, perhaps, confused about how some people could act so callously toward God and toward his fellow man. An innocent child seeks to please his parents, and a redeemed Christian should seek to please the Father in heaven.

Second, think on the inquisitive nature of a child. Always asking questions, determined to learn more so he can be more like those who are more mature. Shouldn’t Christians do the very same?

Third, children are idealistic and optimistic. Nothing is impossible in the mind of a trusting child; “with God all things are possible.”
Are you child-like in character?

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Matthew 16:26. “For what _____________ is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in _____________ for his soul?”

Pray

Pray for a less cynical outlook, understanding the power of God.

Day 143/260: Read Matthew 18

In His parable of the king settling accounts with his servants, Jesus teaches about forgiveness. One servant who owed a great sum was brought before him, and the king forgave him the debt the servant was unable to pay. The servant then went out and found a man who owed him a much smaller amount, but refused to grant him the same forgiveness. Of course, the king recanted his earlier forgiveness and required the repayment of the large sum.

We owe more than we could possibly pay the Father. However, if we are faithful to Him and treat our fellow man in the same way that we want to be treated, forgiving one another, He will forgive us that debt. We will not have to pay.

Notice the motivation behind the king’s forgiveness of the servant. “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.” God has compassion upon mankind—you and me. He does not desire punishment; He wants to have fellowship with us and reward us for faithfulness.

When you have dealings with your fellow man, show compassion on him. Forgive him. Treat him the same way you want God to treat you.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Matthew 16:26. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole _____________, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his _____________?”

Pray

Pray for greater compassion toward your friends and toward your enemies.

Day 142/260: Read Matthew 17

We must never neglect the power of God as we do His work. That was the apostles’ problem in their failure to cast out the demon. They forgot to include God, even though they were working for Him! “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

One commentary says, “Prayerlessness and powerlessness go hand-in-hand.” What a powerful statement! When we dismiss God’s part in His work, we are sure to fail!

Who do you know that needs the gospel? We all have friends and family members who do not live as they should; perhaps they are rebelliously living against God, or they may be very devout but in a false religion. Are we looking for opportunities to teach them “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26)? Are we praying for those opportunities?

The apostle Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him. “Praying…for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make know the mystery of the gospel…that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:18-20). If an evangelist as successful and influential as Paul saw the need for prayer in sharing the gospel, in doing the Lord’s work, shouldn’t we depend on it even more?

The power of prayer must be recognized by every faithful worker in the Lord.

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

Matthew 16:26. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Pray

Pray for opportunities to do God’s work among your friends, family members, and neighbors.

Day 141/260: Read Matthew 16

In Matthew 13:33, Jesus taught a parable and compared the kingdom of heaven to leaven. In that instance, the leaven was seen as a good thing, as the positive influence the child of God exerts on the wicked world all around him.

Conversely, leaven can also be a bad thing. In this chapter, Jesus warns, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Though the apostles did not fully understand the Master’s saying at first, they finally figured out that He was talking about “the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

We must be cautious that we do not fall into the trap of letting “just a little” false teaching to creep into the church. Once it starts, it is very difficult to get rid of it. Once the leaven goes into the dough, it will affect the entire batch.

If the leaven is a positive thing, such as in the parable of Matthew 13, then there is no problem. But if the leaven is a negative thing, whether it be false teaching or a poor attitude, the church will face great difficulty.

Little sin grows into bigger sin; a little false teaching grows into bigger false teaching. The influence of the church will be hindered if the truth is compromised.

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

Matthew 16:26. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Pray

Pray for the purity of the doctrine being taught in your local congregation, comparing everything to the inspired Word. Pray for the preacher laboring in your area.

Day 140/260: Read Matthew 15

Racism is ugly. The hatred that spurs on bigotry has no roots in Christian character whatsoever. Yet, it has been a problem for millennia—not only in America, but across the globe.

The apostles, all Jewish men, were bigots against the Gentiles for many years. Sure, they were a product of their times, but they were still wrong. Anyone who was not a Jew was considered a “dog.” How dare a woman from Canaan approach the Jewish Messiah with a request for help!

This woman requested a miracle from the Lord, but he allowed the disciples to answer for Him at first. “Send her away!” He played along with their bigotry for a moment, hoping to teach them a lesson. He said He was sent to Israel, and that it would not be fair to take Israel’s blessings and give it to a lesser race.

She wisely replied that she was only a little dog, a puppy if you will, and what she requested was simply a crumb that fell from the table.

The Lord commended her faith and granted her request. “And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Sadly, the apostles’ racist attitude was not healed for many years after.

Can we learn from this lesson? Can we do better toward those who are different from us?

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

Matthew 12:36. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

Pray

Pray for a loving heart toward the downtrodden and oppressed.

Day 139/260: Read Matthew 14

Don’t take your eyes off Jesus, or you might start to sink! That’s what happened to Peter. Jesus sent His disciples away in the boat, and after praying He went to join them—but not in a boat! Jesus walked on the water in the middle of a great storm, and when the disciples saw Him they thought He was a ghost.

He said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Brash Peter challenged Jesus’ assertion. He basically said to the Lord, “Prove it!” Jesus commanded Peter to walk on the water. And Peter did…until he took his eyes off the Master.

“And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’”

We live in troubled times; the storms of life are all around us and they are often “boisterous.” If we focus on the Lord, we can get through these times with His help. When we take our eyes off Jesus, we are sure to sink. Hopefully, when we recognize that we are not strong enough on our own, we will turn to the Lord for help. He is there. He wants to help us.

Later in life, the one who started to sink wrote, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Matthew 12:36. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may __________, they will give account of it in the day of __________.”

Pray

Pray for God’s help in whatever struggles you face today.

Day 138/260: Read Matthew 13

In one of His shortest parables, Jesus reveals a great truth about the influence of the church on the society around her. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

When the church is behaving properly and is faithfully obedient to all the Lord commands, society will benefit. The leavening agent (yeast) is a very small part of cooking, but has an enormous impact on the end product. Likewise, the church may be small, but her influence is powerful in the world.

What happens when the church is silenced, either by force or by choice? The home crumbles. Governing authorities become more and more corrupt. Children are raised with little or no moral compass. Society is worse without the Lord’s church.

Christians must stand up against the evils of this world. The Bible is clear that God’s standards and the world’s standards are not the same. The prophet declared, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

The church must “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3) and “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Influence the world for good.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Matthew 12:36. “But I say to you that for every __________ word men may speak, they will give __________ of it in the day of judgment.”

Pray

Pray for wisdom in opposing those thing the Lord opposes.

Day 137/260: Read Matthew 12

Are you with Jesus? Think carefully before answering that question. What does it mean to be with Jesus? He says, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

We cannot apologize for the truth, nor can we compromise it. Everything Jesus said is the standard by which we will be judged (John 12:48), not just the parts we like or the statements we agree with. We may live a mostly good, moral life, but if we do not fully submit to Him, we are not with Him. What does He say? “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

Think about the church with which you worship. Is it gathering people to Christ, or to a doctrine that is not revealed in the Scripture? Or perhaps to a partial truth? There are some good things being taught in every denomination, but denominations lack “the whole counsel of God.” They may be adding to the revealed Word, or they may be ignoring parts of it. Neither practice is acceptable.

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Have you confessed that belief before men? Have you repented of your sins? Have you been immersed to have your sins washed away? Does the church you attend teach those things as necessary? Or is it scattering abroad?

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

Matthew 12:36. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

Pray

Pray for God’s continual guidance as you search the Scriptures for the truth.