Devotions from August 2023

Passage Read: Luke 13-14 Meditation Verse: 13:24-27 We don't get to enter Christ's kingdom on our terms, but on His. We don't get to live our lives in whatever way we want, then expect Him to let us in at the last because we spent…

Passage Read: Luke 15-16 Meditation Verse: 16:15 Justifying myself before men is meaningless. Men are not the gatekeepers to the kingdom of God. Living this life for the praise of men is meaningless if I spend eternity in Hell. God is the only one I…

Passage Read: Luke 17-18 Meditation Verse: 18:9 No matter how well I think I'm doing in following Jesus, I should never be too confident in my righteousness and I should never look down on people. Any love and longing to please Jesus comes from Him,…

Passage Read: Luke 19-20 Meditation Verse: 20:19 If called out by implication, I should be looking for ways to prove I'm not among the group called out! Especially when the consequences of remaining among those called out are dire! Do I want to prove myself…

Passage Read: Luke 21-22 Meditation Verses: 22:67-71 I need to always testify to the truth about Jesus and God's righteous requirements, even when I'm fully confident that no one will hear and believe. Their response to my faithful witness will be used against them at…

Passage Read: Luke 23-24 Meditation Verses: 24:46-47 It is not just forgiveness of sins that is to be preached in Jesus' name to the whole world, but repentance! Forgiveness is only for those who repent. Someone who "comes to Christ" without recognizing Jesus and turning…

Passage Read: John 1-2 Meditation Verse: 1:23 I'll need to try this when I can go back out and visit people in the community. Let them know that Jesus is returning and we need to be ready by learning to walk in God's ways.

Passage Read: John 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:50 God help me! I want to be a true fool in the eyes of this world, but I fear what it will cost. I still think so highly of this life and all its treasures. Oh Lord, help…

Passage Read: John 5-6 Meditation Verse: 5:3 I don't want to love my own pride more than I love Jesus. I need to be humble when called out and repent when it's true. I don't want to be offended by Jesus and reject Him, even…

Passage Read: John 7-8 Meditation Verse: 7:4 It is a trap to have people gather around you and say all kinds of wonderful things about you. It is so easy to fall into that trap, believing what people say of you and becoming addicted to…

Passage Read: John 9-10 Meditation Verses: 10:25-26 Those who hear of Jesus' power and glory while on this earth and refuse to believe are not chosen. They still need a testimony and a plea to believe. Those who claim to believe but don't listen to…

Passage Read: John 11-12 Meditation Verses: 12:49-50 I need to be very careful with the words of God, because they are life to those who hear and believe them, unless I distort and change them. If I change God's meaning, I block people from entering…

Passage Read: John 13-14 Meditation Verse: 14:31 Sadly, the are many lessons the world, and even many believers, won't understand until Jesus returns. But by then it will be too late. There will be no room for repentance. Salvation is by faith and without faith…

Passage Read: John 15-16 Meditation Verse: 15:6 Jesus taught His disciples many things, and the Spirit continued teaching them and reminding them of Jesus' teachings. They in turn taught those who believed through them all that Jesus taught them, and their teachings have been collected…

Passage Read: John 19-20 Meditation Verses: 20:28-29 The only right response to my Lord and my God is compete submission, surrender and obedience. He is Lord, I am His servant, and if I want to remain in His household, His kingdom, I need to be…

Passage Read: John 17-18 Meditation Verses: 17:22-23 My goal should not be to stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone who claims faith in Christ, but to stand shoulder to shoulder with Christ and all those standing with Him. My desire should be to help all…

Passage Read: John 21 - Acts 1 Meditation Verses: Acts 1:6-8 As much as I'd like to identify when Jesus will return, my primary responsibility is to warn people and prepare a people for His return. I don't need to know when it will happen…

Passage Read: Acts 2-3 Meditation Verse: 3:16 I need to believe Jesus can and is willing to heal. I need to believe that He will heal those He sends me to, and I need to discern who He is sending me to.

Passage Read: Acts 4-5 Meditation Verse: 5:42 The proper gospel must be centered on Jesus being the Christ, the king of Israel, not on the forgiveness He grants as King to those who will believe and obey Him. He must forgive our sins, or else…

Passage Read: Acts 6-7 Meditation Verse: 7:51 I don't want to be on the side of those who resist the Holy Spirit. Whatever the Word of God says, I must humble myself and do, whether I understand the why or not. I must have nothing…

Passage Read: Acts 8-9 Meditation Verses: 9:20,22 Again, the gospel is not first about forgiveness, but about who Jesus is, about why He deserves our worship and obedience. And why we need to repent and receive forgiveness, and He's the only One who can supply…

Passage Read: Acts 10-11 Meditation Verse: 10:35 True fear of God is precious. It doesn't balk at any requirement God lays down. When you fear God, you do anything He asks, without complaint or hesitation. I want to fear God even more, and I want…

Passage Read: Acts 12-13 Meditation Verse: 13:43 I need to encourage people to ask questions afterward, to talk with me about what they heard and what they can and should do in response to the message. May God open their hearts to engage with His…

Passage Read: Acts 14-15 Meditation Verse: 15:5 Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. These is nothing to be added to that for salvation, so even someone like the thief on the cross can be saved without opportunity to live out his faith. But for…

Passage Read: Acts 16-17 Meditation Verses: 17:29-31 Whatever God did in the past, He is not now continuing that. Now He requires all men everywhere to repent of their own ways and turn to Jesus and believe and obey Him as judge of all men.

Passage Read: Acts 18-19 Meditation Verses: 19:8-9 Applying this model today would look like going into existing churches and teaching correct doctrine boldly, until they either embraced you or a sufficient number rejected you, at which point you would divide the church, taking those who…

Passage Read: Acts 20-21 Meditation Verse: 20:28 There are those who want to distort God's Word in order to gain a following; my purpose needs to be to prepare people to stand blameless before Christ. So I need to be sure I can stand blameless…

Passage Read: Acts 22-23 Meditation Verse: 23:11 Where more of a hearing is offered, more can be said about Jesus. But where such word is not welcome, acknowledging who Jesus is is sufficient testimony. Not everyone gets the same amount of information, because not everyone…

Passage Read: Acts 24-25 Meditation Verse: 24:25 Both believers and unbelievers will face a judgment, so both need to understand the conditions of that judgment. It is the same for both: We will be judged for the things done while in the body, whether good…

Passage Read: Acts 26-27 Meditation Verses: 26:2-3 It's much easier to be respectful and calm when you know your audience isn't out to kill you, or when you know there's no competition who will interrupt and argue every point. But it is an important reminder…

Passage Read: Acts 28 - Romans 1 Meditation Verses: 1:28-32 This is happening all over, and indeed a great apostasy has to happen before the end. But no matter how bad things get, I need to hold fast and continually submit and believe the Scriptures…