Tag Archives: God’s Authority

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

02 Thursday Jul 2026

Posted by in Psalm 78, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”


Today’s Reading: Psalm 78:56-64 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
collectively as a nation,
we have wandered away from you.
LORD in your mercy,
lead us back to the center of your holy will.
Give us repentant hearts that seek your face.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans
to trap him in his words.
They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.
“Teacher,” they said,
“we know that you are a man of integrity
and that you teach the way of God
in accordance with the truth.
You aren’t swayed by others,
because you pay no attention to who they are.
Tell us then, what is your opinion?
Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said,
“You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
Show me the coin used for paying the tax.”
They brought him a denarius, and he asked them,
“Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them,
“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

When they heard this, they were amazed.
So they left him and went away.
(Matthew 22:15-22).

* * *

The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them.
And this is how we know that he lives in us:
We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
(1 John 3:24 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

01 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by in Psalm 78, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”


Today’s Reading: Psalm 78:50-55 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
I am thankful your Spirit sought me out
and drew me to the cross of Jesus.
I bow before you in praise and gratitude.
I pray you will show the same mercy to many others.
Give me a heart of compassion
for those who have not experienced your saving grace.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet
to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and said,
‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner:
My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered,
and everything is ready.
Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field,
another to his business.
The rest seized his servants,
mistreated them and killed them.
The king was enraged.
He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants,
‘The wedding banquet is ready,
but those I invited did not deserve to come.
So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’
So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find,
the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests,
he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’
The man was speechless.

“Then the king told the attendants,
‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
(Matthew 22:1-14).

* * *

The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them.
And this is how we know that he lives in us:
We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
(1 John 3:24 NIV)

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian followers!

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

The Parable of the Two Sons

30 Tuesday Jun 2026

Posted by in Psalm 78, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”


Today’s Reading: Psalm 78:40-49 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
I believe in your wrath
because you are grieved
at the hate and harm
we generate in this world.
Jesus, I want to hear you calling
and follow you to the place
of deep personal change.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
The Parable of the Two Sons

“What do you think?
There was a man who had two sons.
He went to the first and said,
‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered,
but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.
He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them,
“Truly I tell you,
the tax collectors and the prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,
and you did not believe him,
but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.
And even after you saw this,
you did not repent and believe him.
(Matthew 21:28-32).

* * *

Dear friends,
 if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence before God
and receive from him anything we ask, 
because we keep his commands 
and do what pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

29 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Psalm 78, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”


Today’s Reading: Psalm 78:32-39 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
I cannot boast because of my righteousness.
You know all my shortcomings.
I have an impressive pile of personal sin.
Forgive me through the mercy
of your son, Jesus.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Jesus entered the temple courts,
and, while he was teaching,
the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him.
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked.
“And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question.
If you answer me,
I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
John’s baptism—where did it come from?
Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said,
“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask,
‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people,
for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said,
“Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
(Matthew 21:23-27).

* * *

Dear friends,
 if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence before God
and receive from him anything we ask, 
because we keep his commands 
and do what pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.