In the days and moments just prior to Christ’s accusation and crucifixion, His disciples all demonstrated the human tendency to failure and betrayal. From Judas to Peter, all failed to provide total obedience and trust to Jesus in His hour of great trial and need.

I walked in the supposed olive garden where He prayed and imagined the disciples, falling asleep in the moments Christ could have used support. It all fell upon Him … it always did and always shall. We fail the Lord so often, yet He … NEVER.

The writer of Hebrews quotes the Lord saying, “I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.”

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 26

The biggest take-away from Jesus’ discourse on the end times is “Be Ready.” He told His disciples not to be alarmed when they saw signs happening that would usher in the end. He wanted their focus to be on maintaining the quality of their spiritual readiness.

We observe this counsel today by staying vigilant in our daily devotion of Bible reading and prayer. God’s Word bolsters our faith and galvanizes our determination to remain faithful to the Lord’s purposes. We won’t be sorry we did.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 24,25

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day tried to trip Him up with trick questions and verbal traps. He was wise to their efforts and could turn their questions back upon them. He was quick to point out their hypocrisy and false humility.

We are wise to likewise avoid trick questions and just put our heads down and continue serving Christ with our deeds and our sincere hearts. There is coming a day when the motive of every heart will be made known and our deeds will be exposed. We will be blessed when He returns and finds us walking in obedience to His commands.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 22,23

Jesus said if you want to be great in His Kingdom, become a servant and begin serving people. He warned against seeking or taking authority in a purely ambitious manner. This is an excellent example of the principle “My ways are not your ways.” In our carnal thinking, we want to lord it over others, make more money, have more possession, or be in charge of more people.

A servant leader sets a Godly example for others to follow. His pay, his authority, his position among men is determined from Above. God is his agent and will exalt him in due time.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 20, 21

Jesus said it’s best to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Children are dependent upon someone else for everything. God wants us to live with this dependency upon Him … as a child.

A child-like faith and trust in their parent is what Christ encourages. Therefore, it’s OK to walk in this life with total dependency rather than bearing the entire burden for life’s subsistence upon ourselves. God is our Father and Christ is our Brother.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 17-19

Wherever Jesus went, He healed people. No wonder large crowds would follow Him. As the infirmed merely touched His garment, they were made whole. Demons were cast out. The deaf could hear and the dumb would speak.

If there were a ministry like this today, the same would happen. Many would be attracted to see signs and wonders. It’s been said, if we could see a church with the Book of Acts power, we would see a Book of Acts impact.

Join with me in believing for this supernatural power to be released in our church services.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 14-16

Jesus proclaimed the truths of God’s Kingdom through parables which were understood by those who provided faith-filled, receiving hearts. Others simply didn’t get it. They ridiculed Him and His teaching, and all who believed Him. It’s no different today. Some get it … and others don’t. The Lord lets them all have their opinion until the end time. Then, unfortunately, those who have rejected Christ will be gathered up and cast into a furnace. The believers will be ushered into eternal bliss with the Savior.

We are not to be frustrated by the resistance to spiritual truth we encounter. We are to be faithful hearers and doers and rest in the protection of the Lord until the end.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 12,13

Jesus declared that His Eternal Truths would be shared with children because the “wise and prudent” people would reject them. For this reason, ministry to children is a very fruitful spiritual endeavor. Wise Christians put their efforts here.

Scott Rasmussen, the pollster often quoted on Fox News, told me personally that reaching children to shape their values around Christianity was the greatest hope for our country. For the past sixteen years, it has been my great privilege to do just that at Trinity Christian School.

I pray daily for its ongoing success and spiritual impact upon children.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 10,11

As Jesus walked about the north shores of Galilee, the Bible records that He did many miracles. Deaf mutes began speaking, a dead girl comes back to life, scores of demons are driven out of a man … these great works are evidence of great faith that was found in the hearts of those who heard Jesus teach and saw His power in action.

In the same way, we can walk in a greater level of faith as we read God’s Word on a consistent, daily basis. Jesus Himself said, “Greater works than these you will do.”

Let’s commit to be in His Word DAILY.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 7-9

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the differences between living for the Kingdom of Heaven and defaulting to a carnal, self-serving life. One such difference is suffering for taking a stand for what is right. He said the suffering will come in the form of persecution, primarily because of Him. The world rejected Him even though He came to save it. It will reject and persecute us because we align with Him and want to do right because He taught us to.

With the power of His Spirit, we can live for Him even though we suffer persecution because of Him.

READ/LISTEN: Matt. 5,6