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 28, 2024, 7:24 AM
Passage Read: Romans 16 - 1 Corinthians 1
Meditation Verses: Romans 16:17-18
Thought
Anyone who argues with sound doctrine, with the teachings that have been entrusted to the church through those who were Apostles of Christ, anyone who believes himself or herself to be wiser than those who knew Christ best, these people need to be watched. And if they're unwilling to submit to the teachings as entrusted to the churches, then they should be avoided. It's OK to have questions and to be teachable. The danger is when someone refuses to submit to the teachings, even if they don't fully understand the why's.
Sep 27, 2024, 7:26 AM
Passage Read: Romans 14-15
Meditation Verses: 15:17-19
Thought
Paul has cause to boast in Christ, and it is what Christ has accomplished through him, in particular resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, and the miraculous signs and wonders through the Holy Spirit, so that he has fully preached the Gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum. So to the degree that we serve Jesus Christ and proclaim His Gospel and disciple people to walk in obedience to Christ, and to the degree that He manifests His power through us, to this degree we can boast in Christ!
Sep 26, 2024, 7:27 AM
Passage Read: Romans 12-13
Meditation Verse: 13:3
Thought
I don't know of many governing authorities who will praise someone for doing good, though they all should desire for their citizens to do good. There are awards and such for those who do good, but it usually requires a nomination, so the average person who does what is right doesn't necessarily receive praise. Not like the police will follow you for a while and see your good driving and pull you over to give a commendation.
Sep 25, 2024, 7:29 AM
Passage Read: Romans 10-11
Meditation Verses: 10:3-5
Thought
There is God's righteousness and there is righteousness through the Law. Most Israelites didn't understand God's righteousness and thought the only way to righteousness was by obeying the Law, which Moses affirms as a way to live. But the Law was really designed to point us to something else, to the righteousness of God and our need for mercy. But some, perhaps many, thought they could actually keep everything written in the Law perfectly.
Sep 24, 2024, 7:30 AM
Passage Read: Romans 8-9
Meditation Verses: 8:23-25
Thought
It is the hope of the resurrection that enables and encourages obedience and endurance in the things of God. It is the promise that we will live forever, that we will receive a new, eternal body, freed from the presence of sin, that encourages and motivates endurance in the ways of God. It is because of this promise that we are willing to learn the ways of God and walk in them, even though it cost us everything, because we know we will rise again, forever free from the effects of sin, inheriting everything God has made.
Sep 23, 2024, 7:32 AM
Passage Read: Romans 6-7
Meditation Verses: 6:12-14
Thought
Sin has reigned in my mortal body, and I once willingly surrendered myself to it, submitting in slavery to it. It deceived me and I sold myself into slavery to it, because that looked right to me, to be master of my own destiny, to decide right and wrong for myself. But what looked liked freedom was just the exchanging of my true Master for a false master, one that has no real power or authority to grant my hopes and wishes, one that's only interested in inciting rebellion against God so as to destroy me!
Sep 22, 2024, 7:33 AM
Passage Read: Romans 4-5
Meditation Verse: 5:12
Thought
Through Adam, sin entered into the world and brought death with it. Death spread to all men because all men also sinned, even without any specific Law having been given. All men weren't condemned in Adam's sin, but through the sin that entered into the world through him. Sin crouches at every man's door, seeking to possess him, and sadly every man gives into it, such that God can say that every inclination of our hearts is only evil from childhood.
Sep 21, 2024, 7:35 AM
Passage Read: Romans 2-3
Meditation Verse: 2:1
Thought
It is so interesting to read that those who pass judgment on others are guilty of doing the very same things. Like there's a heightened sensitivity to the things we feel guilty about doing, and perhaps we want to identify others who are worse than us so that we can feel better about ourselves. But that's never the solution to sin, to find someone worse so that we don't have to deal with our same sin. The solution is to identify our sin so that we can root it out. And here is a way to identify my sin: In what areas am I inclined to judge others? Those areas point to my sin, according to Paul here.
Sep 20, 2024, 7:36 AM
Passage Read: Acts 28 - Romans 1
Meditation Verses: Romans 1:28-32
Thought
Turning away from God results in all kinds of depravity, not just sexual immorality and perversion, but all kinds of unrighteousness and wickedness and greed and murder and strife and gossip and arrogance and rebellion against parents and all kinds of unkindness. God stands for every form of righteousness and goodness, and when men decide they no longer need to listen to Him, they open themselves up to every form of evil.