The Reading Plan Daily Devotions

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3)   When a difficult problem, a crushing weight comes into your life, is joy your first response? Do you even consider the possibility that you could rejoice in the midst of the difficulty? If this were a possibility, it could only be explained as something supernatural. Something initiated by God Himself.   KNOWING Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (vs. 3)   The genuine Christian can rejoice in trials became he knows something. He knows that trails produce something that nothing else can accomplish: endurance . Spiritual endurance is not a “grit your teeth and push through” quality. It is the Divine ability to remain under a trial with peace and joy. It is faith stretched out. Faith that can go all the way to the finish line.   Since the maturing Christian has set his heart to experience God and manifest Him to a watching

There are only two ways to operate in this world. You can try to do things yourself, to the best of your ability. Or you can align yourself with God’s Spirit and let Him lead you, empower you, and flow through you. There are no other options and we need none.   The first means produces merely humanistic results. In fact, Jesus said it produces nothing of value. Nothing that matters or lasts. When explaining how we must abide in Him and He in us he said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).   THE BETTER WAY There is another way, however. It is the way we were designed to operate as God’s creation. It is the pathway designed for us individually and also for the church collectively. This is modeled for us beautifully with some of the first disciples in Acts 13.   While they (the church leaders) were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and

It is said of Martin Luther that he dreamed he was transported to heaven and there noticed thousands of boxes with his name on them. When he asked the angel what they were, the angel replied, “These are answers to prayers that have never been asked.” God has much more for us. He reminds us that “we have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). AN IMPOSSIBLE DELIVERANCE The wicked King Herod had Peter imprisoned and was preparing for his execution. He placed a whole squadron of men to guard him (16 men). Peter had chains on his hands and feet. But God had other plans … plans that were released by a fervent step by a small church. So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. ( Acts 12:5 ) The next verses record the miraculous intervention of God. God dispatched an angel who entered Peter’s cell. Light shone, Peter was awakened, the chains fell off his hands, and the angel led him right out of the prison as the iron gates opened by themselves.

"The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings." ( Acts 11:12 )   How do we know what we are to do? First of all, God has given us His Word. If we will read and follow what God is saying to us every day through this Word, it will be a “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” (Psalm 119:105). But this is not a mere academic exercise. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit (God in Spirit form) who lives in us. God speaks to us, not in audible form although He could, but in the way that God communicates in the spirit with His creation.   PETER’S PROMPTING   Peter is recounting to his fellow Christians how God led him to go to the Gentiles in Acts 11. This step was unheard of because most Jews at this time believed the gospel was just for them. It's hard for us to grasp, but there were reasons for these assumptions.   The Spirit of God came to explode that thought and showed the young Jewish believers in bold relief that the gospel was for everyone. But the first ma

All of us have our ways. “He/she always does this,” someone might say of you. They know your ways. God has His ways. He can do anything He wants in whatever way He desires, but the Bible describes to us some of the predictable means He has of accomplishing His work.   One of the most extraordinary and miraculous ways He uses to rapidly expand His kingdom comes in times of great darkness.   RAVAGING AND PROCLAIMING   Before the Apostle Paul was converted, he was persecuting the fledgling church.   But Saul (later, Paul) began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. (Acts 4:3)   Saul was one of the ringleaders in trying to suppress the voice of the church by imprisoning its members … a practice that has happened in many lands throughout the ages. We can easily see this type of attempt happening soon in our nation.   But a strange phenomenon happened. We see it recorded in the next verse.   Therefore, those who had bee

All across our nation, there are things erupting that I have not seen in my lifetime. They have surfaced before, but not to this degree in the last 70 years. In my opinion, we see what Romans 1:28 describes as a “reprobate (depraved) mind.” This word describes those who, through continual rejection of God, have such a hardened heart that wrong really seems right to them and vice versa.   The word describes one who has lost the ability to make moral judgments. Such thinking can passionately defend the greatest evils and rail against the most obvious goods. Surely the evidences are there of such a condition when we can kill babies by the millions (pause and think of that), celebrate and promote moral perversion of every kind, and seek to silence the voice of anyone who speaks Biblically.   This leads to a growing spirit of anarchy. Such a spirit will war against God and anyone who represents Him faithfully. This spirit has erupted in nations all through history who have walked away from

Dissenters will always be with us. Sometimes they are in our homes, our work, our nation, and even (sadly) in the church.   If we are not careful, the whole ministry of a church can be consumed and hijacked by the sideways energy that dissenters create in the church. It is Satan’s greatest ploy and delight to create such diversions. Notice how dissenters and contention people plagued the first church.   1.They rise up and argue vs. 9 "they rose up and argued with Stephen"    Remember that there are not many men godlier in the New Testament than Stephen. He was a man "full of the Spirit and wisdom," "full of grace and power," who his dissenters were "unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit" with which he was speaking. Yet he was still the object of contention.   2. They moved in secret   "Then they secretly induced men to say" (vs. 11)   3. They stirred up others  "and they stirred up the people" (vs. 12)   4. They were u

The rapid spread of the church in the New Testament can only be attributed to two things: the gracious, miraculous activity of the Holy Spirit and the bold witness of His followers. If God had not moved, nothing would have happened. If believers had not shared the gospel, the movement would have stalled.   OUR NEED We can always count on the power of God. He is moving. Our task is to not “quench” (restrain, resist, stop), the Holy Spirit. The need on our side is to turn from a fear of man and boldly cooperate as the Spirit prompts us to open our mouths and share the gospel every day, everywhere, to everyone.   AN UNDENIABLE WITNESS Peter and John were threatened by unbelieving men. They had been imprisoned for proclaiming their faith. Such persecution regularly happens around the world and is increasingly happening in America. If we do not have a nationwide spiritual awakening, we can expect a rapidly growing persecution of believers in our nation. Satan will see to that.   But when Pe

Other than the coming of Christ, the single greatest historical event of the New Testament is found in Acts, Chapter 2. On this promised day, God sent His Spirit to the disciples who had followed Christ and instituted a new age.   In this next era, every true believer in Jesus would receive the Holy Spirit into their lives upon conversion. Jesus had promised this in John 14 .   “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” ( John 14:16-17 )   God authenticated this moment—just like He did on the night of Jesus’ birth—with great signs and wonders. Forever after in this life, each believer would have God’s Spirit indwelling them. He would provide the power to live the Christ-life. He would give the means to overcome the world, even in the darkest circumstances. He would give co

  These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer. (Acts 1:14)   Prayer is the foundation for all of life. Imagine the emotions and sense of fear and expectancy when Christ had been resurrected, appeared to His disciples, and then ascended. Christ met their fear with an instruction. They were called to wait and pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit who would endue them with power to be witnesses to Christ all across the world.   Notice the pattern and the results of their prayers, which is exactly what we should be doing.   "These all" The entire group recognized the priority of prayer   "with one mind" They were completely united in prayer. There is something about prayer that unifies. Something amazing happens when we all gather in the presence of the Lord. Our agendas are laid at His feet and we discover His agenda.   "were continually" Prayer for them was not a momentary crisis reaction, but an unceasing reality. It was prayer w

And Jesus came up and spoke to them. “All authority has been given to me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 2:18-20)   A man’s final words are often the most important. For the Son of God, His final words on earth outline what His followers are to do. We call it the great co-mission because it was Christ's mission, which we are now invited to join. Every believer should understand this verse fully and follow it faithfully. Notice the 4 "ALLS" of our calling.   ALL AUTHORITY has been given to Christ in heaven and earth (vs. 18). Christ is supreme and absolute in His authority. In that authority, He imparted authority and power to all those who believe and follow Him. He alone could give this commission and when He extends it to us it empowers us.

We make it very complicated. Confused by our own sin, the world's ideas, and the devil's incessant lies, we forget the amazing simplicity of the gospel.    Jesus summarized it often with just two words. In John 21 , with His fiesty, beloved fisherman, he comes to the close of his three years of training with Peter the same way He began. After challenging Him about the most important thing ("Do you love me?) and giving him some practical instructions for his particular ministry to take care of His sheep, He gives Peter the two words that would carry him and direct him till death. A death, by the way, that John said would be Peter’s last means of glorifying God in John 21:19:   "Follow Me.”   It was simple and it was enough. Just keep following me. If you love Him, you will pursue Him and stay close and this affection will be the driving force to obedience. If you love Him enough you will follow Him explicitly, doing all He asks and going wherever He directs. And as you

Some words are spoken or written but are utterly unnecessary. Others are merely to entertain. But there are some words upon which history hinges. Words that change the world. Words that articulate facts. To believe them is to be established and real. To ignore them can be deadly.   There are many words and phrases that are essential to real faith. “In the beginning, God created the world” is vital to know, understand, and believe. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” announced the entrance of Christ. But perhaps no eight words are more important than these:   “He is not here, but He has risen.” (Luke 24:6)   Upon this reality rests of all of Christianity. If Christ, who prophesied of His death, burial, and resurrection, had not accomplished all three, He would have been a pathological liar, or a raving lunatic, as C.S. Lewis says.   No one has ever been raised from the dead, never to die again, except Christ. His resurrection brought multiple, eternity-shaping effects. Here are e

The Lord had been crucified and his disciples were left in stunned disbelief. All of their hopes and dreams had been nailed to a cross. They had left everything to follow Him and now He was dead. Think of the myriad thoughts and questions and fears that were filling their minds!   Now, after the resurrection, an angel appears to three ladies as they came to place spices on Jesus' tomb. He has risen! And they were instructed to go tell the others.    But notice the angels very specific instructions:   "Go tell the disciples AND PETER” (Mark 16:7)   Peter had been clearly marked as a leader among the disciples, along with James and John. And Peter had fallen away the most, denying the Lord three times, just as Christ had prophesied. Can you imagine the defeat and devastation he was feeling?   This is why it is encouraging that God makes a specific, deliberate instruction to tell Peter. He knew the depths of his mourning. Now he comes deliberately to him to announce His resurrect

So he (Pilate) then handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. ( John 19:16-17 )   We forgot God. Consumed by the nearness of this world, we often leave the Unseen Hand out of the equation. But God is always there, moving things to His ultimate purposes and the final consummation of this world.   AN UNWILLING PARTICIPANT   Pilate was the ruler who made the final decision to crucify Jesus. He didn’t want to kill Jesus. Even his wife tried to dissuade him. But he was a crowd-pleaser. The fervor of the crowd frightened him and led to his decision to pander to their wishes.   What Pilate did not realize was that this Jesus was the Promised One. The One who was born to die. He who had come to give His life as a ransom for many. Pilate was simply a pawn in this picture of God’s perfect provision for his sins and ours.   CURRENT REALITIES   We look a

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” and He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” ( Luke 23:43 )   Jesus is the only Savior. No one else can provide forgiveness of sin and a Divine introduction into the presence of God. No one can take a man from hell to heaven and death to life but the Messiah. And no one can do this in an instant.   THE IMMEDIACY OF CHRIST’S SALVATION   He is capable of this work at any moment, with no restrictions or limitations. At the final moments of his death on the cross, the Devil, no doubt, felt he had Jesus completely stripped of any power. There Jesus hung, naked and dying. The end had come and surely Jesus was impotent on the cross. But even in this state, Jesus illustrated His complete mastery—His overwhelming ability—to save a man from an eternal hell.   THE REQUIREMENT OF FAITH   But there is one man-ward requirement for this salvation. We must believe. We must turn in dependence to

God places us purposefully in different environments for our good and His glory. Often, we don't see them as such, and we resist and run from these places. But, if we are to experience all God has, we should embrace each place, even if it’s hard.   A PLACE OF DISTRESS   Then Jesus came with them to a PLACE called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will, but as You will." ( Matthew 26:36-39 )   Jesus knew what lay ahead. The deepest suffering any human would ever experience was His to drink. The man Jesus looked at this cup with dread. He "fell on His face