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
Aug 31, 2023, 6:54 AM
Passage Read: Acts 28 - Romans 1
Meditation Verses: Romans 1:28-32
Thought
When we abandon the knowledge of God, when we turn away from the testimony of Scripture, we're free to do whatever we like and believe whatever we want. Sadly, it doesn't make us better but worse. We become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. We commit all kinds of sin, things we know deserve death, but having rejected the truth about God, we not only keep at them, but we encourage others to do likewise.
Aug 30, 2023, 9:19 AM
Passage Read: Acts 26-27
Meditation Verses: 26:2-3
Thought
It's interesting that Paul has a more respectful tone here than even among the Sanhedrin. He's been given freedom to speak as he wishes, and knows that the king understands much of what he is taking about. He has no idea how Agrippa will respond, but he knows at least that he's not before a hostile audience.
Aug 29, 2023, 9:20 AM
Passage Read: Acts 24-25
Meditation Verse: 24:25
Thought
Righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come are all key elements of our faith. We are called to live righteously, as God describes righteousness. That requires self-control, which we must then exercise in order to resist the evil impulses of our flesh and the enticements of the world, and compel ourselves to walk in righteousness. Knowing that all men will be judged for their deeds, whether good or evil, we fear the Lord and act accordingly, seeking to please and honor Him by our lives lived in obedience to Him.
Aug 28, 2023, 9:21 AM
Passage Read: Acts 22-23
Meditation Verse: 23:11
Thought
Paul didn't say so that much about Jesus in Jerusalem, but the Lord considered it enough. He would get more opportunity in Caesarea and Rome than in Jerusalem. But apparently it is enough to say that it was the Lord Jesus of Nazareth who spoke to you from heaven. Something as simple as that, especially in a place that is so set against Him, is sufficient testimony for them.
Aug 27, 2023, 9:22 AM
Passage Read: Acts 20-21
Meditation Verse: 20:28
Thought
The first step to keeping watch over others is to keep watch over yourself. If I don't know Christ or don't remain faithful to Him and His Word, then neither will I be able to keep the flock entrusted to me safe. There are those who want to attack; there are those who want followers for themselves, not Christ.
Aug 26, 2023, 9:24 AM
Passage Read: Acts 18-19
Meditation Verses: 19:8-9
Thought
Paul is committed to going to the Jews first and remaining among them until they reject the teaching about Christ. He would speak boldly about Christ, even though it could divide the people, and usually did. When a portion of the Jews decided he was a heretic, he would rebuke them and depart with his disciples. So he was just like a false teacher but would come in and publicly teach about Christ until sharp division arose, then he would split the congregation.
Aug 25, 2023, 9:25 AM
Passage Read: Acts 16-17
Meditation Verses: 17:29-31
Thought
Paul says that God overlooked the ignorance about Him that led men to make idols of all kinds of created things. Does that mean He will judge them by their own consciences rather than by the Law of Moses? Is there some other means by which they could possibly be saved, or are they just doomed, without any hope? In the past, God overlooked the ignorance of men, but now He commands all men everywhere to repent of their idols and believe in His Son.
Aug 24, 2023, 9:27 AM
Passage Read: Acts 14-15
Meditation Verse: 15:5
Thought
There's a lot to the Law of Moses and this group doesn't specify what all needs to be obeyed, which implies all of it. Of course, this debate began because some men came to Antioch and said the Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved, so at least that, they were making a requirement for salvation. But Jesus had in effect done away with the whole ceremonial aspect of the Law, yet Paul reiterates most of the moral law in his letters.
Aug 23, 2023, 9:29 AM
Passage Read: Acts 12-13
Meditation Verse: 13:43
Thought
This should be the hope and desire of every preacher, that after preaching their message, many would come up afterwards and talk with him, that there would be further discussion about what the things spoken of mean for the individual. That shows true interest on the part of the listener, a desire to meditate and discuss the implications of the message. There is nothing wrong with the lecture format of preaching, but our churches have been conditioned to leave immediately afterward, or just to make small talk rather than ask questions of understanding from the preacher.
Aug 22, 2023, 9:31 AM
Passage Read: Acts 10-11
Meditation Verse: 10:35
Thought
Cornelius feared God and did what was right in His eyes, so the Lord made sure he heard about Jesus so he could also believe in Him. Interesting that Cornelius had already basically repented. He had forsaken the gods of his people and chosen to fear the God of the Israelites and do what He required. God obviously honored that and granted him the privilege of hearing about Jesus, the judge of all the living and the dead, who could forgive anyone's sin if they believed in Him.