The Reading Plan Daily Devotions

“I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)  Eight simple words. But on these words hinges our entire future for eternity. What could be more important? And for the believer in Christ, what could be more compelling? More encouraging? “I GO” This promise is not from some fallible human. If a company or a social agency offered it, we would (rightfully) have our doubts. But this is the Son of the Living God who proved His veracity by His death, burial, and resurrection. He has gone to heaven to personally do something for those who know Him. “TO PREPARE” What is ahead for us requires the work of preparation. We do not deserve it. And yet, once again, Christ intervenes for those He loves. He oversees the creation of this new place, just as He did in the beginning. “A PLACE”  When you read the revelation John was given on the Isle of Patmos (the last book of the Bible), you realize the magnitude and beauty being prepared. Our home will be perfect in every way—a new heaven and ne...

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”   John 13:34 Most people are stalled in life because they do not know the answer to one question: “Why am I here?” They flounder because the world provides quick and persistent answers, but even when they turn down those roads, they realize quickly that living for ourselves—our pleasure, our comfort, our recognition—is a dead-end street.   THE COMMANDMENT Christ comes with stunning clarity. “No,” He says, “Here is the purpose for your life. You are to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and then love others.” The word for love He used is “agape.” It is the word that is always used for the love that is only found in one Source. It is the God-quality that always responds in self-sacrifice. Just so we’re not confused, God takes this love and holds it up like a prism to the light and describes what agape is like in 1 Corinthians 13. This love is ev...

Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (John 11:7-10) The loudest voice in your head determines the direction of your life. You are driven by who you listen to most carefully and how you respond to what is said. SELF AND WORLD-DRIVEN For some, their own voice dominates. Their comfort and recognition is the driving force behind every decision. The end of this thinking is a selfish life. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. A man wrapped up in himself is a very small package. For others, the world dictates their movements. Ever careful to be culturally correct, they believe that they must please others at all costs. They...

"With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." ( Mark 10:27 ) The great issues of our lives often center around things we cannot seem to accomplish. We long for healing, but we cannot orchestrate that on our own. We need provision, but there is only so much we can do. We pray for change in ourselves and others in multiple areas, but we discover continual defeat and the limits of our ability to affect others. We even look at our nation and cry out for a national revival and spiritual awakening that would bring a significant course correction. All around us are impossibilities. ENTER… GOD But there are simply no limits with God. There is literally nothing we could ask, think, or even imagine that is beyond His capabilities. This is why God-initiated prayer is so important. Prayer takes us beyond our borders, for through prayer, God is brought into the equation and suddenly nothing is impossible. Healing? Provision? Needs met? The salvati...

God's primary agenda with man is to bring us back to unwavering dependence on Him. We have wandered since the Garden. Everything since then has been designed to bring us to the end of ourselves and change the object of our faith. The singular question is this: Will you trust in God or yourself? A STORY ABOUT US The gospels record multiple stories, each describing us in various ways. One account tells of ten leprous men who came to Jesus. They were standing at a distance, for leprosy is contagious, and those affected in Jesus' day were outcasts. Leprosy was a death sentence, for there was no cure as it gradually destroyed lives, both physically and relationally. The fact that all ten of these men were diseased is telling, for all of us are plagued with spiritual leprosy. No one escapes sin and its killing effects. Like these ten, we cannot cure our condition. We need an outside healer. These men were desperate, and even from a distance, they cried out to Christ to "have mer...

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:17-20) Following Christ always involves repentance. That foundational word means a change of mind that is so profound it produces a change of direction. Anything less is not repentance. This is not only a necessary element in our initial salvation but the continual posture for the maturing Christian. We are to be lifelong repenters. COMING TO YOUR SENSES The prodigal had turned from his Father. It was never the Father who moved, but the son. In the same manner, we have all, like sheep,...