Tag: bible reading plan

Day 45: Romans 13-15 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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CONGRATULATIONS!!! We are half way through the 90 Day Reading Plan! Keep up the good work! Today’s reading comes from Romans 13-15 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

As the Apostle Paul works from theology to application, he writes that Christians are to be subject to the governing authorities (13:1) and pay taxes (13:7). We are to love our neighbors as ourselves which keeps the last five commandments (13:9-10). [Side note: I find it interesting that the command to honor your father and mother isn’t listed here. It seems that in Paul’s mind that command goes with the first four that deal with God. We will be addressing this command this Sunday at Little Escambia Baptist Church. ]

In chapter fourteen, Paul challenges us on two fronts. On the one hand we have freedom in Christ. Some Christians will do things differently than others and it’s not up to us to judge. We all stand and fall before the Lord (14:10-13). On the other hand we need to be careful in our freedom that we don’t cause others to stumble. We should be mindful of how our actions will effect others and be a source of encouragement not discouragement (14:19-20).

Paul wraps up this section with reminding us that to mature in Christ is to be concerned with the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should not seek to offend in our liberty, but we should seek unity of Spirit.

FATHER, We pray for those who govern us and are in an authority over us. We pray for their salvation. We ask for peace. We pray for the grace to love our neighbors both in thought and practice. We pray that we would make no provision for the flesh, but that we would “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Guard our hearts from sin and draw us near to you. We ask that we would be content to let you judge us and our brothers and that we would seek unity in name of Jesus. Thank you for the grace to pastor your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 43: Romans 7-9 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from Romans 7-9 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online. You can get a copy of the New in 90 reading schedule here.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that we have been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. If we are not careful old thoughts and patterns will creep back into our lives. Paul reminds us that we are not only free from the hold of sin, but that the Holy Spirit of God now has a stronger hold of those who belong to Him (7:4-6).

What a grace, to have the Holy Spirit in our lives. He shows us how to live. His very presence is a guarantee of our salvation in Jesus Christ (8:9, 16). He causes us to look forward to the return of Christ and the fulfillment His word (8:23). He helps us pray by making intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered/heard (8:26). [Side note: This does not explicitly indicate a private prayer language.  The indication is that the Holy Spirit takes our inability to form a proper prayer and intercedes in a way that does not need utterance (sound). This is made clearer in verse 27.]

With Romans 8:28 we begin to move more and more into an understanding of the Sovereignty of God. First with providence, in that God works all things together for good. It is important to notice that Roman’s 8:28 comes in the context of perseverance (8:25) and that “good” ultimately entails salvation (8:29-30).  Romans 9 then becomes one of the most exhaustive passages on the sovereignty of God and salvation, as Paul lays out God’s prerogative to save who He will (9:14-16).

Make sure you don’t miss Romans 9:30-33. It all comes back to faith. Those who would be saved must come to God in faith. We must believe God. The Jews had attempted to find righteousness on their own, but righteousness can’t be achieved, it can only be given and God chooses to give it to those who come to him (both Jew and Gentile) by faith.

FATHER, Thank you for the gift of faith and thank you for salvation. Thank you for the Holy Spirit and how He moves in our lives to confirm our salvation and draw us nearer to you. Thank you that He intercedes when we don’t know how to pray. I pray that we would be submitted to you and led by the Spirit in all of our actions and desires today. I pray for my friends who don’t know you and I pray that they would find the forgiveness of their sins and new life in you. Thank you for the privilege to pastor your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 42: Romans 4-6 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Romans 4-6 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

We are reminded in chapter four that “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness” (4:3). Abraham didn’t just believe in God, he believed God. He took God at His word. Even when it seemed impossible (4:18-22).  This is what it looks like to have saving faith in Jesus (4:23-25).

Chapter five highlights that it is by this faith (response to the gospel) that we are justified before God (5:1). We are justified through faith that Jesus died for our sins and reconciles us to God (5:8-10). Paul affirms how this changes our disposition to sin (6:1-2). The the result of sin leads to death, but the fruit of a life submitted to God through Jesus Christ is eternal life (6:23).

My big takeaway today is to remember that I have been transformed by the power of the gospel and am no longer a slave to sin (6:17-18).

FATHER, Thank you for saving faith! Thank you that I can be made right with you through the work of Jesus Christ! I thank you that sin no longer has a hold over me. I pray that I walk in the freedom provided for me through trusting in Jesus Christ. I pray for my friends who haven’t trusted in you. I pray that you would give me opportunity and boldness to share with them. Thank you for abundant life! Thank you for the grace to lead your church. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 36: Acts 13-15 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Acts 13-15 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Acts 15:20 – To what extent does the gospel shape a culture? Some of the Jews were insisting on circumcising the gentile converts. This forced the question, “is Christianity a sect of Judaism or is it something different?” In other words, do converts to Christianity need to become fully Jewish to be fully converted or do the demands of the gospel stop short of converting to Judaism?

The answer was that the gentiles were to be counted as “sojourners” among the Jews in that they were only asked to fulfill the moral aspect of the law (all of this is found in Leviticus 17-18) and not the ceremonial aspect of the law (circumcision). This is part of the reason it’s okay for believers now to eat bacon, shellfish, etc. because these things were part of the ceremonial or national law and weren’t part of the Moral law.

Christianity is not fulfilled by Judaism, it is the fulfillment of Judaism. Circumcision was the rite of passage into the Jewish faith, but that had been replaced by baptism. The result was that Christianity pressed forward and forged an identity apart from Judaism.

The application is this. When encountering a new culture or embracing new believers from our own culture, what are the demands of the gospel and what are our preferences? If we are not careful we will force our preferences on others rather than just pressing the gospel. Some implications to think through would be how we dress to go to church. The style of music we prefer to sing to. Where there offering belongs in the service. etc. 

FATHER, Thank you that the New Testament church worked through the struggles it faced. We are grateful for the clarity they provided in helping us understand what it looks like to be a fully committed follower of Jesus. We ask for wisdom in navigating the culture and sharing the gospel in our own generation. We look for humbleness to receive your word and apply it. We ask for boldness to proclaim the gospel to others. Thank you for the grace of leading your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 35: Acts 10-12 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Acts 10-12 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Peter had a few preconceived biases that he had adopted from the Jewish culture around him. I’m sure some of those things in the background of Peter’s world-view were helpful in understanding and sharing the gospel. (He would have had an incredible understanding the Old Testament, etc.)  Yet, other parts would cause him an undue bias.  The Holy Spirit had to move in a powerful way for Peter to get the message. First in a dream (10:9-16) and then as a sign gift of tongues in the new gentile converts (10:44-48).

It is sad to admit but there have been times where I have been reluctant to talk with people about the Lord because they were different than me. Indeed, there have been moments where I thought in my heart, “I don’t want to be around people like that.” I’ve come to notice that is usually the Lord rebuking my flesh and leading me to humbleness. How arrogant is it to say that or even think something like that. It becomes a lesson in the gospel all over again, “for God so loved the WORLD,” “while WE were STILL SINNERS Christ DIED for US,” etc.

Practically in this passage, we are seeing the gospel cross the lines that were laid out in ACTS 1:8. It is crossing cultural barriers and will ultimately go to the utter most parts of the Earth. Peter’s encounter with these gentile believers will come into play later when there is more discussion on what does a gentile convert do/ not do to follow the LORD? (Ex. Do they get circumcised or has baptism replaced that? Do they need to keep Jewish festivals? etc.)

FATHER, Thank you for the power of the gospel to transform lives. Thank you that the gospel crosses racial and cultural lines. Prepare our hearts to address cultural biases wherever it may be found. Give us a desire to take the gospel to the nations. Give us boldness in our witness for you today. I pray that we will walk in humbleness. Thank you for the grace to lead your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 34: Acts 7-9 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Acts 7-9 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

I’ve noticed often in our culture that when we meet resistance, we can begin to think that we must not be doing God’s will. We rationalize that, “if this is really where God wanted me, He would have greased the skids and made it so much easier.” Seldom do we expect that our faithfulness would earn us something as serious as death.  Yet that is exactly what happened for Stephen. He was faithful and he suffered because of it.

The righteous facing injustice is at the very heart of the gospel. Jesus faced injustice on the cross. As believers you will face it from an unbelieving world. Do not fall into the falsehood of thinking that just because you face set backs, ship wrecks, and martyrdom that you are on the wrong track. Press forward.

The Apostle Paul was converted from being a persecutor of the church (9:1-2) to one who would be persecuted for the church (9:16). There are seasons where everything seems to flow well and there is a lot of peace (9:31), but we should not be lulled into thinking that this is the only sign of God’s call and direction in our life. We should be ready to follow where the LORD would lead in both adversity and peace.

FATHER, Thank you for the incredible gift of salvation. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives. We pray that we would be faithful to you in all circumstances. We pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world who are facing persecution even in this moment. We delight ourselves in you today. Thank you for the grace of leading your people. Thank you for times of peace and adversity. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 33: Acts 4-6 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Acts 4-6 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

The prayer for boldness was certainly granted (4:29). However, it seems like praying for boldness is much like praying for patience… God just might bring circumstances into your life where you have to be bold. He certainly did this with the Apostles and the others there. I wonder do we pray for boldness today or are our prayers tempered with more requests for security and safety?

Gamaliel offered some wise advice to the council (5:38-39). If it’s of God it will stand, if it’s not it will fall away. I think many churches face a similar kind of conflict today. They argue or dispute over evangelistic initiatives, discipleship processes, etc.  Be careful what you resist. To be sure, we all want to resist the influences of Satan on the church, but we want to be careful not to resist our LORD if he is calling to spread the word in a bold and different direction.  Many great moves of God were begun in opposition to those who thought they had a lock on what God wanted.

Even the first church in Jerusalem had some tension and strife. Annanias and Saphira were jockeying for attention by lying about how much they gave (5:1-11) and widows were feeling neglected (6:1-7).  Sadly the experience is much the same in many churches today. There will always be those who seek to meet a personal need through undue recognition as well as those who haven’t learned to be content in whatever circumstances they find themselves.  There are legitimate needs and concerns that arise in any church and I am thankful for deacons that God has called to serve the church along side of the pastor and free him up for the ministry of the Word.

FATHER, I pray for boldness in sharing our faith today. May you give us great courage in our conversations with others to make sure we discuss matters of eternal significance.  We ask for wisdom and discernment to know what things come from you and what things are “man-made.” We thank you for those you have called to be deacons. We are grateful for their ministry both to the church and to the pastor. Thank you for the grace to lead your people as an under-shepherd. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 26: Luke 7-9 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Luke 7-9 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

In the gospel of Luke we often find faith in unsuspecting places. The faith of the centurion to recognize that Jesus has the authority to heal from afar is one of those places (7:1-10). Jesus had just spoken in his hometown about their apparent lack of belief and that even in Old Testament times that God sometimes chose to do works among those who were outside of the covenant nation of Israel (4:25-27). As we keep reading, we will see a faithful response from those you wouldn’t expect. Today in the same chapter we saw the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50) who interrupts a party to clean Jesus’ feet. While she was probably a Jewish woman, she was certainly out of her social context.

Along the lines of the woman who washes Jesus’ feet, I thought it was profound that Jesus uses this as a teaching moment for Simon (the host) about forgiveness. I think it is always easier to see someone else’s sin.  The human heart is prone to gawk, make fun of and demand repentance for the wrongs that we see others commit.  We seldom ever like to take the time for honest self-evaluation of our own hearts. If I’m not careful I will see the sins of others and in my mind be way too harsh, not thinking or realizing that I have sin that has to be dealt with too. Those who have come to Jesus by grace through faith need to extend the same grace we have received to others.

Forgiveness is one of those things that is easy to do on paper, but hard in real life. Forgiveness for me is often a process and seldom ever is it a single event. I continually need to be reminded to forgive other for offenses big and small in the same way that I have been forgiven.

The big take away for me today was 8:18. We must be careful in how we hear. God’s word wasn’t meant for the purpose of information alone. It was meant for transformation. I know all about how to diet. Believe it or not, I have read books (that’s right plural) on dieting, exercising and losing weight. My problem is I haven’t done anything with what I know and my waste-line shows it. For all of that information to profit me anything I have to DO it. It’s the same with God’s word. Knowing how to forgive and forgiving are two different things. Those who do God’s word, get more from it than those who merely read it… What a challenge that was to read today! Are we hearing God’s word to transform our lives?

Finally, I wonder what it must have been like for the Gaderene demoniac to be healed of his demon possession and sent then home to tell others about what the Lord had done for Him? Here is a man who was ready to leave it all behind and jump in a boat and follow Jesus (8:38). This is the kind of disciple that Jesus was hard pressed to find. Yet here he finds one and his command isn’t to go to the darkest streets of Jerusalem, or even to go to the utter most parts of the earth. Jesus instead says, go home and tell those people what I’ve done for you (8:39).

He was already where God was calling him to go. He needed to be a sign and a witness of God’s faithfulness among his own people.  God had placed him in that area for a purpose.

Have you ever wondered that you might have that goofy brother-in-law for a purpose? That you might have found that family doctor for the sake of the gospel conversations you’ll have in the midst of being sick? Have you contemplated that God might want to use you to reach that child that is always hanging out at your house with your son or daughter?

FATHER, thank you for the grace and forgiveness that I have found in Jesus Christ. Help me to never forget the love and forgiveness that I have received. Help me to see my sins honestly before you and be quick to repent. Give me grace to be quick to forgive others when they sin against me. Help me to look for opportunities to share my faith with those that you have already put in my life. Thank you for the privilege of shepherding your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 24: Luke 1-3 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Luke 1-3 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

John the Baptist’s message in Luke 3 speaks volumes. There is a version of Christianity that is all knowledge and little action, all smoke and no substance. If I am not careful I could be like that… posting thoughts on scripture, preaching sermons, counseling folks, etc. All that can be done and done convincingly with just a little bit of knowledge.  Real repentance has significant action behind it as John demonstrates to those who ask him what they should do (Luke 3:10).

Someone can go through the motions and be “clean”  (like baptism here) but their heart can be “wicked.”  The pharisees lined up with everyone else to be baptized (See Luke 3:7 and Matthew 3:7). Out of everyone there, they had the longest list of deeds that they could point to in order to certify their righteousness. They made a religion out of being “righteous.” They even added extra rules for righteousness. Yet, the one thing that separated their deeds from the fruit of repentance was their heart.

If we are to honor God in our repentance it is important that the followup to the big spiritual highs take place. Repentance may start for a man at an alter at the end of a service, but it will show up in his life long after that in how he deals with his wife, children, computer, driving habits, etc.

Later in Luke we will read the parable of the prodigal son. The older brother has always fascinated me because he is obedient, but we are left with the impression that he misses the party. Real repentance begins in the heart, or it may begin with the action if your heart isn’t there yet… but in the end it encompasses both a right motive and right deeds.

I’m praying that my identity is so swept up in Christ today that I forget what other motives might be out there and live with a heart that beats purely for God.

FATHER, Thank you for the gift of your Word. As I reflect to day on the message of John the Baptist I ask that we would be those who continually live a life of repentance and change. I thank you that we don’t bare this burden alone, but the Holy Spirit guides our steps and helps us all along the way. Thank you for the grace of studying and sharing your word. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 21: Mark 10-12 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Mark 10-12 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Entrance into the kingdom of God is given to those who come simply like children (10:15). You can’t trust in your own riches or own strength to get you in (10:24b). It seems impossible that anyone would humble themselves in this way. It certainly isn’t the natural default of sinful men. But what seems impossible with men is possible with God (10:27).  Indeed, no one comes to God in their own strength or power, but like a blind man calling out for Jesus to have mercy, we receive mercy (10:47).

The way of the Kingdom of God isn’t to jockey for position, but to serve others (10:43-44). We are not to hold personal grudges but are  called to forgive others for the things they have done to wrong us (11:25-26). If you have ever found it difficult to forgive someone for something they have done to you, it is helpful to know that this command comes in the context of faith and prayer that can move mountains (11:22-24). It is helpful to know that our faith isn’t in our ability, but in God (11:22). 

It is interesting to note the dialogue between the Pharisees and Jesus over taxes (12:13-17). In church on Sunday we just talked about not making any images to worship God, because we were made in his image. Here Jesus calls us to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and give to God the things that are God’s. We are to give ourselves back unto the Lord.  

Here is how I am praying through this Passage today:

FATHER, Thank you for continuing to reveal yourself through your word. Thank you for providing the way of humility and trusting Christ to find salvation in you. I pray that we all follow you today and walk in humble obedience. I pray that we are those who forgive others who sin against us. Thank you that the power to forgive and ask for other great things in prayer. I pray that you would have all of my life. Thank you for the great grace that you have blessed me with in being able to shepherd and lead your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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