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 5, 2024, 6:04 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 14-15
Meditation Verses: 14:36-38
Thought
This is so true, not just in regard to Paul's teaching on the role of women in the church, but in every matter about which he taught. The Word of God did not originate with me or my generation, so what business do we have to change anything written in it? What business do we have to argue with anything recorded in the Scriptures?
Oct 4, 2024, 6:06 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 12-13
Meditation Verse: 13:8
Thought
Love, agape love in this passage, is not a spiritual gift, but a spiritual discipline. It is learning and choosing to care for the needs, especially the spiritual needs, of others. Spiritual gifts can certainly be a part of helping others, but Paul says here that when true agape love comes, the spiritual gifts will take a back seat and even be laid aside. Spiritual gifts are exciting, but they can be used more to exalt self rather than seek the good of others.
Oct 3, 2024, 6:08 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 10-11
Meditation Verse: 11:16
Thought
This issue of men and women and their differences in life and specifically in the church has been a source of contention from the beginning of the Church. For Paul to mention that if anyone wants to be contentious about it means he has received blowback before, when talking or writing about it. Recent generations were not the first to debate it or reject it. But Paul laid this teaching as a foundation of the Church.
Oct 2, 2024, 6:09 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 8-9
Meditation Verses: 9:25-27
Thought
There are actually some who preach the Gospel but do not obey it or the Lord they preach about. They are called hypocrites. They may preach and teach correct things about the Lord and His Gospel and how He wants His people to live, but they themselves do not abide by their own instruction. They disqualify themselves from receiving the prize they encourage others to pursue.
Oct 1, 2024, 6:10 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 6-7
Meditation Verse: 7:22
Thought
"He who was called while free, is Christ's slave." Several times in these two chapters Paul teaches this concept in different ways. He who belongs to Christ should no longer live for his own agenda, but be willing to submit himself to other, wiser believers to settle disputes. Indeed, we should prefer to be wronged rather than fight with another brother. We are not our own, but bought at a price and we should live to please the Lord, and give up the things of this world and life in order to please Him.
Sep 30, 2024, 2:22 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 4-5
Meditation Verses: 5:9-11
Thought
There are two standards: one for how we treat brothers and one for how we treat unbelievers. The brother we hold to a high standard of righteous behavior, because he has claimed to believe in Christ and therefore has been changed and made to walk in righteousness. The unbeliever needs the Gospel; we have no expectation that he can walk in righteousness so we must go to him and teach him about Christ.
Sep 29, 2024, 2:23 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 2-3
Meditation Verses: 2:4-6
Thought
Paul didn't depend on wise words or polished speech, but on the power of the Spirit. The Spirit worked through him to confirm him as a man who was backed by real power. He preached the Gospel, a message of truth and God's wisdom, but the natural man couldn't understand it. So it was confirmed by the Spirit with demonstrations of power. Paul's desire was that no one would be converted by human wisdom but with powerful evidence of the reality of God.
Sep 16, 2023, 7:07 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 16 - 2 Corinthians 1
Meditation Verses: 1 Corinthians 16:15-16
Thought
Paul notes that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Then he reminds the Corinthians to submit to such men and to any who join in the work and labor at it. Those who devote themselves to the service of the saints are worthy of honor and obedience, because they are seeking the good of the brothers by seeking to know and honor the Lord more than most men.
Sep 15, 2023, 7:08 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 14-15
Meditation Verse: 15:32
Thought
The hope of the gospel, certainly the most foundational, is the rising from the dead to live again, to live forever with God. If there is no resurrection, then the gospel is useless and without meaningful hope. If there is nothing beyond this life, then there is no point in living except to get as much interest out of our days here, then to wink out of existence. There is nothing to keep me from doing evil, especially if other men do nothing about it.
Sep 14, 2023, 7:10 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 12-13
Meditation Verses: 12:1-2
Thought
This should be a sobering statement, that the Corinthians and so many people across the globe and through time, we're led astray and influenced by mute idols. In this context, Paul is saying that there weren't even the use of miraculous gifts, and still they were led astray! They were ignorant, and we should not be. We should understand the truth about God and about false gods, and we shouldn't fall prey to such powerless things.