The Reading Plan Daily Devotions

The world is a place of constant warfare for those who follow Christ. God loves people. This love drives Him to “seek and save those who are lost.” He longs to bring people into the glorious Kingdom that He created for us.  But there is another Enemy who is 100% evil and is seeking to block the advancement of God’s kingdom. He “blinds the minds of the unbelieving” and tempts them with every false idea imaginable to keep them from God. Their beliefs can become like strong fortresses raised up against the knowledge of God. Our great task as believers in Christ is to consistently share the liberating news of Christ with those around us to help them into the Kingdom of God. OUR WEAPONS IN THIS BATTLE As Paul defended his work as an apostle before some criticizing Corinthians, he speaks of the power of the tools we have available. He uses military terms. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely p

God is perfectly and continually generous. And, if we are to let Him lead us, we will be increasingly the same. The Macedonia Christians understood this. They were a model of gracious generosity. Paul describes them in  2 Corinthians 8 , and in so doing, gives us a picture for all time of what real generosity looks like. IT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GRACE OF GOD Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia (vs. 1) IT IS NOT DEPENDENT AT ALL ON WHAT YOU HAVE OR THE GOODNESS OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IS FUELED BY THE JOY OF GENEROSITY that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. (vs. 2)   IT TAKES YOU BEYOND YOUR ABILITY INTO THE RESOURCES OF GOD For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord (vs. 3) IT IS SEEN AS A GREAT PRIVILEGE, NOT A DUTY begging us with much urging for the favor o

We are faced in this life with suffering. Our physical bodies are the laboratory for this suffering because they are gradually dying. Each cell in our bodies is coded with a certain number of times that cell will divide and then it stops dividing and dies. God has literally numbered our days on this earth. But this should not alarm us but excite us if we know God through faith in Jesus Christ. This DNA timeline is a ticket to leave this world to something far better. Paul describes this in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 5. 1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal w

Many studies have been taken among men to discover what is our greatest fear. Fear of inadequacy is always at the top of the list. It is an anxiety that we don't have what it takes to do what we need to do. We fear this as young men as we navigate school, sports, relationships, dating. We feel this as we mature in our job, our marriage, in parenting. And the list goes on and on. Paul found a way to overcome this fear. He admitted his need freely (and constantly) and cried out to God. God made him perfectly adequate. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:5-6)   This equipping is found in Christ alone. He has promised to make us fully equipped, adequate for every good work. If we let Him take control of our lives, He will give us everything you need. 

"...who comforts us in all our affliction SO THAT we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."  2 Cor 1:4 "...we had the sentence of death within ourselves SO THAT we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope." 2 Cor: 1:9-10 "So that" indicates cause and effect and purpose. Something happened that created a result in order that something else could happen. Paul in two words puts all of our problems, pressure, and afflictions in perspective. Here is the progression. CRUSHING PRESSURE This is what the word means and is what we experience. We all have pressure and it weighs us down. The things you lay in bed and think about at night are your crushing pressures. The things that put a weight on your soul. That tempt you to worry and fear. That you can't seem to

The Christian life is a battle in many ways. We must not let adversity blindside us but be ready and equipped with the whole armor of God. And ... we must stand firm. A PERSECUTED PAUL The Apostle Paul saw this clearly. He was greatly used by God but constantly beset with problems and enemies. A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:9) He had a great opportunity for the spread of the gospel, for which he rejoiced. But he was realistic about the opposition also. These enemies did not deter him in the least. He did not want to go into this battlefield unaware but equipped. A WISE HYMN WRITER Issac Watts wrote over 600 hymns and shaped much of our worship in the late 1700’s that survive to this day. He was considered rebellious because he departed from merely putting the Psalms to music. He lived during a turbulent time as the church was emerging from the dark ages. It was a glorious time of release and discovery, but not witho