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 6, 2025, 10:50 AM
Passage Read: 2 Thessalonians 2-3
Meditation Verses: 2:13-14
Thought
It should be clear whom God has chosen, because they believe the truth, beginning with the Gospel, and they submit to the sanctifying work of the Spirit, displayed by their acceptance of further instruction and training in living a godly life. This is contrasted with the majority of people, as described in the preceding verses.
Nov 5, 2025, 2:25 PM
Passage Read: 1 Thessalonians 5 - 2 Thessalonians 1
Meditation Verses: 2 Thessalonians 1:4-7
Thought
Persevering, continuing to grow in Christ, holding firm in faith while enduring persecution and trials, this is evidence that the Thessalonians will be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, which is what causes their suffering. He gives no promise of relief, except that which Jesus Himself will bring when He returns.
Oct 27, 2024, 8:14 AM
Passage Read: 2 Thessalonians 2-3
Meditation Verse: 2:15
Thought
Paul, in effect says that the only defense against the deluding influence coming on the world to prepare the way for the Antichrist is to hold fast to the traditions and teachings that he spoke or wrote to them. The Antichrist cannot come until the one holding him back is taken out of the way. But before that happens, God is going to send a deluding influence on all people who did not receive a love of the Truth, God's truth. The Church needs to hold fast to Scripture's teachings especially in this age when men refuse to believe it.
Oct 7, 2023, 2:37 PM
Passage Read: 2 Thessalonians 2-3
Meditation Verses: 3:7-9
Thought
This is a high bar. To work night and day, both to set an example and to provide for their own needs, even while Macedonian churches were sending gifts to aid them, that's exhausting. Did they take turns? He says they were not idle. Of course, if everyone else was working during the day, there would be few people to teach. If he preached in the marketplace during the day, he would mainly be reaching slaves and merchants and people who had no slaves to do their shopping.
Oct 8, 2022, 3:03 PM
Passage Read: 2 Thessalonians 2-3
Meditation Verses: 3:14-15
Thought
These are strong words from Paul. What he has written, he expects everyone to obey, and if anyone doesn't obey it, we are not to associate with that person. If anyone does not obey what Paul has written, they are to be cut off from fellowship. Paul's writings had better be God's Truth, if we're to break fellowship over someone's disobedience to them. And so we must accept that what writings we have of Paul's, they must be God's will for us to obey.