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
Sep 30, 2023, 7:48 AM
Passage Read: Philippians 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:14-16
Thought
Just by doing everything without complaining or arguing, we can shine like stars in the universe, even as we hold out the word of life. People may not like the idea that we have to repent of our sins to be saved, but we'll stand out because of our lack of complaining and arguing. If we're eager to do what is asked of us, we'll already stand out as so different from everyone else.
Sep 29, 2023, 8:29 AM
Passage Read: Ephesians 5-6
Meditation Verses: 5:5-7
Thought
No immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Interesting that he puts it that way: There is the kingdom of Christ, which would be His millennial reign, and the Kingdom of God, which would be eternity, after Jesus hands everything over to the Father, who creates a new heavens and earth. No immoral, impure or greedy person will have any inheritance in either of those kingdoms, though some immoral, impure or greedy people will "enjoy" Jesus' kingdom, though not really; they'll endure it only until they can rebel at the end of it.
Sep 28, 2023, 8:31 AM
Passage Read: Ephesians 3-4
Meditation Verses: 4:17-19
Thought
As a believer, I'm no longer to live as the Gentiles do, as lost people do. They do not know God and have no clue as to how He ways us to live, because they have hardened their hearts, and so they are clueless about Him. Having hardened their hearts against the truth, they have lost sensitivity to their conscience and to their God-given nature, and replaced that sensitivity with sensuality, seeking feeling from their flash, which leads to indulging all kinds of immorality and impurity, things that God opposes.
Sep 27, 2023, 8:32 AM
Passage Read: Ephesians 1-2
Meditation Verses: 1:18-20
Thought
Paul prays that the eyes of the Ephesians' hearts may be enlightened so that they can see and understand three things: the hope to which God called them, the riches of God's glorious inheritance in the saints, and God's incomparably great power for those who believe, a power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand. I too need help, that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so that I can understand and know the hope to which I've been called.
Sep 25, 2023, 7:00 AM
Passage Read: Galatians 5-6
Meditation Verse: 5:3
Thought
If you believe you must obey certain parts of the Law to be saved, then you must obey all of it in order to be saved. The problem from the beginning of time is selective obedience: We obey what we want, what we deem easy, and ignore the rest. If I think I must obey certain parts of the Law in order for God to accept me, then I'm obligated to obey all of it, because God never said He'd accept people who obeyed part of His Law, but all of it.
Sep 24, 2023, 7:01 AM
Passage Read: Galatians 3-4
Meditation Verse: 3:5
Thought
The Galatians saw miracles among them, apparently not just when Paul was with them. They were spiritually gifted and enjoyed the power of the Spirit working among them. Today we explain spiritual gifts away by various means and to various degrees, but why? What in Scripture justifies the idea that the gifts were only for a short time? Have we just gotten too intellectual for our own good? God's Spirit still has power; have we just lost faith?
Sep 23, 2023, 7:03 AM
Passage Read: Galatians 1-2
Meditation Verses: 1:3-5
Thought
Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from this present evil age. Those are words you don't hear much. This present evil age. This age and time is nice, the most advanced on earth (that we know of). All kinds of modern conveniences. It's amazing! What's there to rescue us from? Back then, there were Jews who hated Christ and His followers. There were pagans who engaged in all kinds of debauchery. The Roman government in many places and from the highest levels persecuted Christians.
Sep 22, 2023, 7:04 AM
Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 12-13
Meditation Verses: 13:1-4
Thought
Sin should not be so difficult to discern, if every matter can be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. But it requires a clarity of God's Word. If we don't know what God requires or expects, we cannot know if someone has violated that standard, in which case it doesn't matter how many witnesses there are, we can't convict anyone of sin! But Paul is basically stating that if we're clear on what God desires, then it shouldn't be that difficult to determine if someone has sinned (and remained unrepentant).
Sep 21, 2023, 7:05 AM
Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 10-11
Meditation Verses: 11:23-29
Thought
These are the marks of a true servant of Christ. How can any man think he knows Christ unless he had suffered like this in order to proclaim Christ to those who have yet to hear? How can any man think he is close to Christ unless he has suffered in like manner for the gospel and the lost? Who can compare himself to Paul in terms of service? So who can dare to judge Paul or debate his word? Paul knows Christ in ways I can't imagine, so who am I to sit in judgment on his teachings?
Sep 20, 2023, 7:07 AM
Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 8-9
Meditation Verses: 8:2-4
Thought
The Macedonians understood that supporting the saints in Jerusalem was a huge honor and privilege. So much so that they didn't let their own trials or poverty limit their giving; they gladly gave beyond their ability. They begged Paul for the honor of sharing with the saints in Jerusalem. They were not concerned about the things of this world; they happily gave up their own things in order to meet needs among the saints in Jerusalem.