Jesus welcomes infants and all children into His presence, not just in time, but also in eternity. Only those who receive the kingdom of God as a child will even enter that kingdom.

Two men went up to pray, but only one returned justified. The difference came in how each man viewed himself in relation to the holy God. Only those who humble themselves and trust in God will find mercy.

Christians long for the return of the Lord Jesus, but, when He comes, will He find faith on the earth- Jesus told a parable to encourage His disciples to persist in prayer and not to lose heart while waiting for God to respond. God will surely answer the prayer of His chosen people, both Jew and Gentile.

The coming of the Son of Man brings about a judgment upon humanity similar to the global flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now is the time to receive mercy from God before He comes again in glory and condemnation. Do not live for temporal matters but live in light of eternity.

While Jesus- disciples rightly should long for His coming, we should also be aware that His coming brings judgment for those who will not repent of their sins and trust in Him only for deliverance. Jesus came the first time to pay the debt of our sin, and He offers salvation to all who will call upon Him in truth.

The Pharisees were expecting the kingdom of God to come, but they would not see how Jesus offered them the entrance to kingdom through repentance and faith. Jesus corrected their faulty understanding and encouraged them to draw near to Him in humility and trust.

Out of the ten lepers Jesus had healed, only one-a Samaritan-returned to give glory to God. This foreigner recognized the work of God and gave thanks to Jesus for His mercy. The other nine seem to have been satisfied with their healing but were not interested in a relationship with the Healer. Let us be sure to draw near in faith to the merciful God who can help us both in time and eternity.

The apostles asked Jesus for more faith in order to deal with sin in themselves and others, but Jesus replied that more faith was not needed-they should just obey the commands given by the Lord. Our faith in God-s supernatural power and authority enables us to do what He has commanded us to do.

We sin and are sinned against, but we should be ever watchful that we do not entice other people to sin. We must also be ready to forgive others who us.

Every person will live forever, but only those who repent of their sins and believe God will live with Him. The rich man in this parable lived a self-indulgent life without compassion toward the needy, like Lazarus. Because of Lazarus-s faith, he was received into the kingdom of heaven- but the formerly rich man went into torment. Despite his requests for a miraculous warning to his brothers, Abraham affirmed that the Scriptures alone are able to lead us to salvation in Jesus Christ.