Personal Devotions
Notes from Mark's personal Bible reading and meditation
With a goal to apply one truth from each day's reading to my life that day
Oct 21, 2022, 8:24 AM
Passage Read: Hebrews 11-12
Meditation Verse: 11:31
Thought
By faith Rahab, though a harlot, knew enough to save her life and the life of her family. She understood the times, she understood what was coming, she recognized that the God of the Israelites was going to give them victory over unconquerable Jericho. So she welcomed the spies in peace, and made peace with them. She may not have known that harlotry was forbidden in Israel, or maybe she did, but she was more concerned for her life and the life of her family than to hang onto anything from her current life.
Oct 20, 2022, 8:25 AM
Passage Read: Hebrews 9-10
Meditation Verses: 10:26,29
Thought
The one who keeps on sinning after hearing the Gospel and understanding the Truth, this one is in great danger, because he is claiming to believe the Gospel, but yet treating it as if it is nothing of value. Jesus suffered and died to pay for our sins, to purchase forgiveness of sins for us. If we continue to sin without care or concern, if we think we can go on in sin because of His sacrifice, the writer of Hebrews is saying that we then trample the Son of God underfoot and treat His blood as unholy and insult the Spirit of grace!
Oct 19, 2022, 8:27 AM
Passage Read: Hebrews 7-8
Meditation Verses: 8:10-11
Thought
This is the new covenant that Jesus brought about: that we should be transformed and God's Law should be written on our hearts to such an extent that we no longer need others to teach us. But the New Testament was sent out through apostles who testified about the Lord and taught the people to believe all that they had learned from Jesus. The Spirit set up apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, whose job is to teach believers until they all come to maturity.
Oct 18, 2022, 8:28 AM
Passage Read: Hebrews 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:10-12
Thought
The Lord will not forget all we have done on His behalf for the saints and for the Gospel. But that doesn't mean we can store up a certain amount of deeds and then kick back, relax and pursue other things. We need to be just as committed later in life as we were early in life. We need to guard against becoming dull, cold and lazy as life goes on. We can't rest in our past victories, but need to continually look toward eternity, and live for heaven.
Oct 17, 2022, 8:29 AM
Passage Read: Hebrews 3-4
Meditation Verse: 4:11
Thought
The writer of Hebrews expects believers to make every effort to enter God's rest, lest any fall away because of disobedience. Having believed in Christ, believers are expected, even required to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. We are called to walk in obedience to His ways, and it takes effort on our part. We don't just wait for the love of God or the Holy Spirit to change us mystically or magically.
Oct 16, 2022, 8:30 AM
Passage Read: Hebrews 1-2
Meditation Verse: 2:8
Thought
Everything is subject to Jesus, but Jesus is not yet visibly reigning over all. So we do not see Him, though He has been made ruler of all. He does not punish everything immediately in such a way that we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He has opposed it. He is Lord of all, but He has not yet taken full control. He still allows men to go their own way, in grace and mercy that they might yet repent, or so that they fill up the full measure of their sin.
Oct 15, 2022, 7:49 AM
Passage Read: Titus 3 - Philemon 1
Meditation Verses: Titus 3:1-2
Thought
The believer should be known for their humility, respectfulness and meekness. Paul tells Titus to remind every believer to be submissive to authorities, obedient, ready to do whatever good, to speak evil of no one and not to be quarrelsome, but forbearing and meek. We're supposed to honor all men in humility and meekness, to put up with those who are tiresome rather than argue with others.
Oct 14, 2022, 7:50 AM
Passage Read: Titus 1-2
Meditation Verse: 2:15
Thought
Wow! "Let no one despise you." Paul gives Titus the command to teach and exhort and convict with all authority the things he had just told him. He is supposed to find men who are submissive to the Word and not quarrelsome, and he's supposed to teach the same, without letting anyone despise him. What happens if people do ignore him? What should he do? You can't force people to obey who refuse to obey, Paul knew that.
Oct 13, 2022, 7:51 AM
Passage Read: 2 Timothy 3-4
Meditation Verses: 3:13-15
Thought
Evil men and pretenders will increase and become worse. There is no stopping them. Between their delight in taking people captive and the laziness of believers to believe and know the Scriptures, it is an easy thing for deceivers to multiply! The only safeguard against being deceived is to know the Scriptures well, believe them and hold fast to all they teach, holding to the original understanding of those Scriptures.
Oct 12, 2022, 7:56 AM
Passage Read: 2 Timothy 1-2
Meditation Verse: 2:19
Thought
Any of us who call ourselves Christian should be separating ourselves from unrighteousness. I cannot be a Christian and be unconcerned about righteous and unrighteous behavior. I have to know what God defines as righteous and what He calls unrighteousness, because I have to flee unrighteousness and practice righteousness, if I call myself Christian. How I act reflects back on Jesus, and Jesus is a holy God who walked the earth without sin. I must not drag His name through the mud.
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