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
Nov 20, 2024, 2:35 PM
Passage Read: 3 John 1 - Jude 1
Meditation Verse: Jude 1:3-4
Thought
Jude urges the believers to fight diligently for the faith, the gospel that once for all was handed down to us by the Apostles. Why do we need to fight for it? Because there are certain men who have crept in unnoticed, who have been marked for destruction from the foundation of the world, just as we who believe were chosen for salvation from the beginning of the world. There is no hope for these men; God will not grant them repentance.
Nov 19, 2024, 2:36 PM
Passage Read: 1 John 5 - 2 John 1
Meditation Verse: 1 John 5:1
Thought
"Whoever loves the Father, loves the child born of Him." At first read, this seems like a command that I have to love every Christian, which would be true if every Christian loved the Father. But what it says is that anyone who loves the Father must love everyone else who also loves the Father. That's not the same. For there are many false believers, false brothers, some who deliberately teach what is contrary to the truth but still claim to love God.
Nov 18, 2024, 2:38 PM
Passage Read: 1 John 3-4
Meditation Verses: 3:5-8
Thought
"Let no one deceive you." John here says that no one who abides in Jesus continues to sin, but he practices righteousness and therefore is righteous. That seems heretical to my modern ears. I have been trained by the church, in the church, that I am a sinner and I cannot cease from sin. Have I misunderstood or have I been deceived by the same people who were to teach me the truth?
Nov 17, 2024, 2:40 PM
Passage Read: 1 John 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:10-11
Thought
Love for brothers is key to walking in the light so as to guard a believer from stumbling. Love for other believers protects us from sinning! But the one who hates his brother is still walking in darkness and has no idea how to live and behave. Now, we think that love for brothers means we put up with everyone who calls himself a brother, even if they don't do what God calls believers to do.
Nov 16, 2024, 2:41 PM
Passage Read: 2 Peter 2-3
Meditation Verse: 2:8
Thought
He doesn't say what Lot did in response to the torment of his soul, but Peter acknowledges that he was tormented daily by the lawless deeds of the men around him. I live in an age where the deeds of Sodom are again manifested and encouraged. Is my soul tormented by the things I see and hear? Not so much.
Nov 15, 2024, 2:43 PM
Passage Read: 1 Peter 5 - 2 Peter 1
Meditation Verses: 1 Peter 5:8-10
Thought
The devil is prowling around, looking for someone to devour. He is not silent. He hasn't given up, even when we have trusted in Christ and surrendered our lives to Him. He is looking to make us stumble, even to attack us violently to shake our faith. By the grace of God, many of us are spared his violence, but we are not all spared his more subtle attacks.
Nov 14, 2024, 2:44 PM
Passage Read: 1 Peter 3-4
Meditation Verses: 4:7-11
Thought
We're supposed to live for the will of God, but what does that look like? Peter has mentioned many things already, but here he points out several commands which suggest a heavy emphasis on caring for one another. There is the need for sound judgment and clear thinking for the purpose of prayer, which is not limited in any way. But then he tells the believers to remain fervent in love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Nov 13, 2024, 2:46 PM
Passage Read: 1 Peter 1-2
Meditation Verses: 1:17-19
Thought
What happened to "perfect love drives out all fear"? I suppose if we have perfect love for the Father, we would do all He asks and so have no fear of His judgment. If we understand what Peter's saying here, we would come to have perfect love for God or we would honor Him out of perfect love. God judges all men impartially, which means He doesn't look at believers and turn a blind eye to their sin. He sees it all clearly. In fact, believers are supposed to be those who have repented and humbled themselves before God and so should be more eager to do God's will.
Nov 12, 2024, 2:49 PM
Passage Read: James 4-5
Meditation Verses: 5:6-9
Thought
Twice in his letter, James warns believers against complaining against one another or judging each other. But in both cases, he is rebuking wrong behavior! He is judging believers, pointing out their faults and calling them to repent! This second time, he warns against complaining against one another, after just rebuking the rich for taking advantage of the poor, of their workers. Then, he turns to those who are being taken advantage of and tells them to be patient and not speak against their brothers. Where's the justice?
Nov 11, 2024, 2:51 PM
Passage Read: James 2-3
Meditation Verses: 3:16-18
Thought
Earthly, natural, demonic wisdom ignores bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. It denies the existence of such things in the heart and justifies every expression of bitterness and jealousy and selfish ambition. So it produces disorder and every evil thing. God is a God of order, so this wisdom is not from Him. The wisdom that comes from God must produce order, at least in the heart and life of the one who possesses it. So it must be pure, not hypocritical, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruit and unwavering.
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