Author: Gospel Folio Press

Genesis 41:50-42:38; Psalm 19:1-14; Matthew 24:29-51

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:14 NKJV

Forgiveness comes only through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly today, even redeemed believers have begun to depreciate this essential element of our redemption. Some say “It is only important that He died for us”. This is diminishing what He has done for us. Without the shed blood we would still be lost in our sins. —Sam Thorpe

What can wash away my sins,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus…
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. —Robert Lowry

Genesis 41:1-49; Psalm 18:30-50; Matthew 24:1-28

Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. Psalm 77:19

We all want to see God. We all want to have a path laid out before us that we can see and know and trust. But God doesn’t work that way. He wants us to see Him through the eyes of faith. He wants us to know Him through the day-to-day experiences of life. Let Him lead and guide as He sees fit, through the seas and storms and mighty waters of life. We may not see His footprints, but we will experience His mighty hand. —Deborah Manera

Trust were not trust,
If thou couldst see the ending of the way;
Nor could you learn His songs by night,
Were life one radiant day. —Freda Hanbury Allen

Genesis 40:1-23; Psalm 18:1-29; Matthew 23:1-39

So will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight. Isaiah 66:4 NKJV

How beneficial and God-glorifying life is when we base our choices on what delights God. God delighted in exercising steadfast love, justice, and righteousness (Jer. 9:24). The living Word, His beloved Son, whose delight was to do the Father’s will, provided many practical examples of these virtues for our learning. May our lives never veer from the path of the One who pleased Him in all things and said, follow Me! —David J. Reed

Change my heart, O God, make it ever true;
Change my heart, O God, may I be like you. —Eddie Espinosa

Genesis 39:1-23; Psalm 17:1-15; Matthew 22:15-46

His banner over me was love. Song of Solomon 2:4
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain. Isaiah 13:2
We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. Psalm 20:5

In the battle at Calvary, love was victorious! For truly, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Song 8:7). We are now invited to lift up our personal banner of appreciation — our love for Him! This Lord’s Day morning, let us rejoice once more in the victory found in the finished work of the cross. Let us gather in His name and extoll the worthy One! —Pete Smith

As gathered to Thy precious name, Thy table we surround,
Thy death, Lord Jesus, to proclaim, O may our praise abound.  —D. Russell

Genesis 38:1-30; Psalms 15:1-16:11; Matthew 21:33-22:14

Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. John 4:14 NKJV

Christ’s promise here was given at a well to a sinful Samaritan woman. But He is still offering water to spiritually thirsty souls. His water is life-giving, for He said that it would “spring up into everlasting life”. He was not describing physical water which merely sustains life, but a water that gives life. His water is lifelasting (and beyond) for He promised that those who drink it “will never thirst” again. And His water is life-changing, for this woman’s testimony led many others to come to Christ also. If you are thirsty, come to Christ for a drink. – David Petterson

I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him. —H. Bonar

Genesis 37:1-36; Psalms 11:1-14:7; Matthew 21:1-32

Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Ex. 14:13

Israel faced a desperate situation, with the Red Sea before them, and the formidable armies of Egypt behind them. Contrary to human thinking, the instruction given by Moses was to “stand still” and wait on the Lord. So often when facing severe trials in our lives, we tend to devise our own solutions. May we learn to “stand still” and find peace from trusting in our God. —Willie H. Burnett

For they that wait upon the Lord
Shall renew their strength,
They shall mount up with wings,
They shall mount up with wings as eagles,
They shall run and not be weary;
They shall walk and not faint. —J. McGranahan

Genesis 36:1-43; Psalms 9:1-10:18; Matthew 20:17-34

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work. Colossians 1:10

I was at a “celebration of life” and the speaker asked how our hyphen was doing. Gravestones usually say something like 1950 – 2025. What does the hyphen mean? That is the span of our entire life or our “hyphen years”. We should be using this time to bear fruit for our Lord and Saviour. Do we make choices each day to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing”? We never know when eternity will start for us. It could be sooner than we realize. Ask yourself each morning, how will I use my hyphen today for God’s glory? —Virginia Strout

May I do each day’s work for Jesus,
With eternity’s values in view. —Alfred B. Smith

Genesis 35:1-29; Psalms 7:1-8:9; Matthew 19:16-20:16

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land” Genesis 24:5 NKJV

Bible characters were no different from us, in that they too, asked “what if” questions. When told to lead the Israelites, Moses asked God, “What if they don’t believe me?”. Abraham’s servant asked about Isaac’s future wife, “What if the young woman refuses to come with me?”. Joseph’s brothers asked, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us?”. All of them wondered what would happen if circumstances went awry. Dear believer, remember God has a perfect way forward in spite of our doubts. —Sid Halsband

The debt that Christ for me has paid,
Would God another mind have made,
To claim again from me? —A. M. Toplady

Genesis 33:18-34:31; Psalms 4:1-6:10; Matthew 19:1-15

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1 NKJV

Mark’s opening verse focuses on the identity of the Lord Jesus. Many people, including the disciples, were often confused about Him. To build his case, Mark records three testimonies to the unique Sonship of the Lord Jesus. The Father testifies at His baptism, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (1:11). The Father corrects
the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (9:7). But the climax of the gospel is the centurion’s confession, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (15:39). Mark wants his readers to arrive at the same conclusion. —David Wilson

Only the Son of God can be the Christ, The King of glory. —R. C. Chapman

Genesis 32:1-33:17; Psalms 1:1-3:8; Matthew 18:15-35

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:7 NKJV

A beloved brother in Christ, Arnot McIntee, taught me a valuable lesson about sharing the gospel. Arnot was to speak at our chapel one Sunday. It was a holiday weekend and many of the people from the chapel were away. I apologized to Arnot that our numbers were down. He said, “Bob, how many were at the well in Samaria when the Lord spoke to her?” I said, “One”. He said to me, “With the Lord’s help, I prepare a message and let the Lord bring the people.”
I realized numbers aren’t important. I should always be ready to share the gospel (1 Peter 3:15). A lesson well learned! – Bob Cretney

Lord, send me anywhere; Only go with me.  –D. Livingstone, Frank Garlock