Category Archives: Christian

What are your priorities? (Acts 20:13-38), October 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 20:13-38

Set – Job 13; Acts 20

Go! – Job 12-14; Acts 19-20

Acts 20:13-38
13 Again Paul wanted us to split up. He wanted to go by land by himself while we went by ship to Assos. 14 There he came on board with us, and we sailed on to Mitylene. 15 From there we sailed near Chios, passing by it the next day, docking briefly at Samos the day after that, then arriving at Miletus the following day. 16 This route kept us safely out of Ephesus and didn’t require Paul to spend any time at all in Asia, since he wanted to arrive in Jerusalem quickly—before Pentecost, he hoped.
17 In Miletus he sent word to the church in Ephesus, asking the elders to come down to meet with him. 18 When they arrived, he talked with them.
Paul: We will have many memories of our time together in Ephesus; but of all the memories, most of all I want you to remember my way of life. From the first day I arrived in Asia, 19 I served the Lord with humility and tears, patiently enduring the many trials that came my way through the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 I did everything I could to help you; I held nothing back. I taught you publicly, and I taught you in your homes. 21 I told everyone the same message—Jews and Greeks alike—that we must turn toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus the Anointed. 22 Now I feel that the Holy Spirit has taken me captive. I am being led to Jerusalem. My future is uncertain, 23 but I know—the Holy Spirit has told me—that everywhere I go from now on, I will find imprisonment and persecution waiting for me. 24 But that’s OK. That’s no tragedy for me because I don’t cling to my life for my own sake. The only value I place on my life is that I may finish my race, that I may fulfill the ministry that Jesus our King has given me, that I may gladly tell the good news of God’s grace. 25 I now realize that this is our last good-bye. You have been like family in all my travels to proclaim the kingdom of God, but after today none of you will see my face again. 26 So I want to make this clear: I am not responsible for your destiny from this point on 27 because I have not held back from telling you the purpose of God in all its dimensions.
28 Here are my instructions: diligently guard yourselves, and diligently guard the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has given you oversight. Shepherd the church of God, this precious church which He made His own through the blood of His own Son. 29 I know that after I’ve gone, dangerous wolves will sneak in among you, savaging the flock. 30 Some of you here today will begin twisting the truth, enticing disciples to go your way, to follow you. 31 You must be on guard, and you must remember my way of life among you. For three years, I have kept on, persistently warning everyone, day and night, with tears.
32 So now I put you in God’s hands. I entrust you to the message of God’s grace, a message that has the power to build you up and to give you rich heritage among all who are set apart for God’s holy purposes. 33 Remember my example: I never once coveted a single coin of silver or gold. I never looked twice at someone’s fine clothing. 34 No, you know this: I worked with my own two hands making tents, and I paid my own expenses and my companions’ expenses as well. 35 This is my last gift to you, this example of a way of life: a life of hard work, a life of helping the weak, a life that echoes every day those words of Jesus our King, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
36 Once again, imagine this scene:
As Paul finishes speaking, he kneels down; and we all join him, kneeling. He prays, and we all join him, praying. 37 There’s the sound of weeping, and then more weeping, and then more still. One by one, we embrace Paul and kiss him, 38 our sadness multiplied because of his words about this being our last good-bye. We walk with him to the ship, and he sets sail.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Some would buckle under the strain of knowing they were saying their last goodbyes to friends as they departed. Paul, however, knew his mission wasn’t over. He knew from Me, he still had a message to give to the leaders in Rome. He knew the way to Rome was through Jerusalem and he didn’t hesitate to accept the mission. Paul knew the riches I would give him for following My plan far outweighed the minor suffering he endured for Me that he didn’t even think about whether or not he would go. He just set his eyes toward Jerusalem and Rome.

Are you that sure of My plan for your life? Do you trust Me that much? You can. You can find the faith Paul had in Me if you’ll spend the kind of time Paul spent with Me. You might complain you don’t have the time. Neither did Paul. He had no fast food restaurants to feed him. He had no service organizations to help him. In his day, everyone worked from sunrise to sunset six days a week to survive. Paul was no exception. Then he spent his nights either preaching My message or in prayer. It’s a matter of priority. You do what you want to do with the same 24 hours a day that Paul had. So do you want to know Me? Spend time with me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Find a friend (Acts 18:1-17), October 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 18:1-17

Set – Job 11; Acts 18

Go! – Job 11; Acts 17-18

Acts 18:1-17
1 From Athens, Paul traveled to Corinth alone. 2 He found a Jewish man there named Aquila, originally from Pontus. Aquila and his wife Priscilla had recently come to Corinth from Italy because Claudius had banished all Jews from Rome. Paul visited them in their home 3 and discovered they shared the same trade of tent making. He then became their long-term guest and joined them in their tentmaking business. 4 Each Sabbath he would engage both Jews and Greeks in debate in the synagogue in an attempt to persuade them of his message. 5 Eventually Silas and Timothy left Macedonia and joined him in Corinth. They found him fully occupied by proclaiming the message, testifying to the Jewish people that Jesus was God’s Anointed, the Liberating King. 6 Eventually, though, some of them stopped listening and began insulting him. He shook the dust off his garments in protest.
Paul: OK. I’ve done all I can for you. You are responsible for your own destiny before God. From now on, I will bring the good news to the outsiders!
7 He walked out of the synagogue and went next door to the home of an outsider, Titius Justus, who worshiped God. 8 Paul formed a gathering of believers there that included Crispus (the synagogue leader) and his whole household and many other Corinthians who heard Paul, believed, and were ceremonially washed through baptism. 9 One night Paul had a vision in which he heard the Lord’s voice.
The Lord: Do not be afraid, Paul. Speak! Don’t be silent! 10 I am with you, and no one will lay a finger on you to harm you. I have many in this city who are already My people.
11 After such turmoil in previous cities, these words encouraged Paul to extend his stay in Corinth, teaching the message of God among them for a year and six months.
12 During this time, some Jews organized an attack on Paul and made formal charges against him to Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia.
Jews: 13 This man is convincing people to worship God in ways that contradict our Hebrew Scriptures.
Paul was about to speak, but Gallio spoke first.
Gallio: 14 Look, if this were some serious crime, I would accept your complaint as a legitimate legal case, 15 but this is just more of your typical Jewish squabbling about trivialities in your sacred literature. I have no interest in getting dragged into this kind of thing.
16 So he threw out their case and drove them away from his bench. 17 They were furious and seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official; then they beat him in front of the tribunal. Gallio just ignored them.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I want you to see something special about Paul’s discovery when he visited Corinth. He went to the city alone and began looking for people. The two special people he found were Aquila and Priscilla. Their names will come up again in many of his letters to the churches he founded throughout Asia Minor.

Now here’s what I want you to note about the relationship that grew between Paul and his new friends. Paul was looking for companionship in Corinth. He had been beaten, jailed, stoned, given up for dead, abused in many ways for preaching the good news about Me in the cities he visited along his journey. He just wanted to find a friend.

Note that Aquila and Priscilla were in the same business as Paul’s family. They were tentmakers. Paul came alone to the city and needed to find a quick way to find a friend, make some money for food and lodging or find someone who would provide it. So it was natural for him to go to a tentmaker to see if they could use another hand. They soon became fast friends and accepted Paul’s message of Me with enthusiasm.

Not only did they accept My message, but they took Paul in, became the foundation for the first church in Corinth, gave Paul housing and food so he could concentrate on preaching the message I sent him to preach, encouraged him in his mission journeys, and so much more. They also discipled new Christians in their growing church and gave generously to the Jews going through trials in Jerusalem. Aquila and Priscilla are benchmarks of what Christian laypersons should be in My church.

What about you? Do you look for people in your community with common interests to join them in friendship so you can share the message with them? Do you find common ground so those that need to hear My message will accept it from a friend? Do you recognize that you must first be a friend before you can really be My messenger?

Take after Paul and find a friend to share My message. You’ll be amazed at what I can do in their life and yours.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Prayer changes things (Job 10), October 22, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Job 10

Set – Job 10; Acts 15-16

Go! – Job 9-10; Acts 15-16

Job 10
Job: 1I hate my life, so I will unload the full weight of my grievance against God.
Let me speak and reveal the bitterness I am harboring.
2 I will say to God: Don’t find me guilty;
just explain the charges You have against me.
3 Does it please You to oppress,
and is this why You spurn me, the work of Your hands,
and yet Your smile shines down upon the plots of the wicked?
4 Do You have human eyes so that Your outlook is short?
Do You see as through human frailties?
5 Are Your days like mortals’ limited days?
Are Your years like mortals’ limited years?
6 Is this why You seek out my faults
or You go in search of all my error?
7 You know well that I am not guilty,
yet nothing can free me from Your overwhelming power.
8 Your hands formed and made me whole,
yet now You turn to crush.
9 Recall how You molded me like clay.
Will You now render me back to dust?
10 Didn’t You pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?
11 Didn’t You clothe me in skin and flesh, weave my bone and sinew together?
12 Your care has saved my spirit,
and You have given me life and loyalty;
13 Yet I know what is in You,
what Your heart has always hidden.
14 If I sin, You see it, watching ever so closely,
and You do not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am wicked, woe is me;
even if I am innocent, I cannot take a chance and lift my head
Because I’m gorged with disgrace.
Gaze on my misery!
16 If I do raise my head,
then like a lion, You hunt me;
Like a night sky turned threatening,
You unfold Your power against me so that others marvel;
17 Like a prosecutor, You drag in witnesses against me;
You escalate Your fury against me, coming in waves to pound on me.
18 So then, why did You bother to drag me out of the womb at all?
I should have just died before any eye could see me.
19 It should have been as though I had never been:
plucked from the womb, carried to the tomb.
20 Aren’t my days almost finished anyway?
Stand back, leave me alone, and let me have a scrap of comfort
21 Before I go to the place from which I won’t return,
to the land of utter darkness and still shadows,
22 The land of deep, unending night,
of blackness and shadowy chaos
where the only illumination is more darkness.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You think Job might have been a little discouraged, disillusioned, and depressed as he talked with Me? Those were dark days for Job. He lost everything except his wife who told him to curse Me and die. His three best friends searched his life for his hidden sins and tried their best to get him to confess to something he didn’t do. He grieved until there were no more tears to shed and then Satan afflicted him with boils so that he could find no comfortable position to even find a moments rest from the agony he endured.

Do you think he had a reason to cry out to Me with the prayer penned here? I do. By all appearances, I had abandoned Job for no reason that he could find. Job made and inventory of his life and could find nothing in our relationship that could cause the tremendous pain he endured at this point. I listened to his prayer, but I didn’t answer this one. I listened to his next one, but I didn’t answer that one either.

It’s good to note, though, that I didn’t add to his pain when he prayed to Me. As you go through Job’s prayers in the next several days, I want you see how his prayers change over time. As you know, I never answer his question as to why he suffers. Only Satan and I and those who read his story knew that answer. But Job’s prayers will change as he prays.

Prayer changes things. Sometimes I allow your prayers to change what I do. Sometimes I let your prayers change the circumstances around you. Sometimes I want your prayers to change you. See how Job changes through his prayers as you read them over the next days.

I changed Job through his trials. I can change you, too.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Who gets the credit? (Acts 14:8-28), October 21, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 14: 8-28

Set – Job 8; Acts 14

Go! – Job 8; Acts 13-14

Acts 14: 8-28
8 In Lystra they met a man who had been crippled since birth; his feet were completely useless. 9 He listened to Paul speak, and Paul could see in this man’s face that he had faith to be healed.
Paul (shouting): 10 Stand up on your own two feet, man!
The man jumped up and walked! 11 When the crowds saw this, they started shouting in Lycaonian.
Crowd: The gods have come down to us! They’ve come in human form!
12 They decided that Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes (since he was the main speaker). 13 Before they knew it, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was prominent in that city, came to the city gates with oxen and garlands of flowers so the Lycaonians could offer sacrifices in worship to Paul and Barnabas! 14 When they heard of this, Paul and Barnabas were beside themselves with frustration—they ripped their tunics as an expression of disapproval and rushed out into the crowd.
Paul and Barnabas (shouting): 15 Friends! No! No! Don’t do this! We’re just humans like all of you! We’re not here to be worshiped! We’re here to bring you good news—good news that you should turn from these worthless forms of worship and instead serve the living God, the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that they contain. 16 Through all previous generations, God has allowed all the nations to follow their own customs and religions, 17 but even then God revealed Himself by doing good to you—giving you rain for your crops and fruitful harvests season after season, filling your stomachs with food and your hearts with joy.
18 In spite of these words, they were barely able to keep the crowds from making sacrifices to them.
19 Then unbelieving Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and incited the crowds against the Lord’s emissaries. The crowds turned on Paul, stoned him, dragged him out of the city, and left him there, thinking he was dead. 20 As the disciples gathered around him, he suddenly rose to his feet and returned to the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 21 After they proclaimed the good news there and taught many disciples, they returned to some of the cities they had recently visited—Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia. 22 In each place, they brought strength to the disciples, encouraging them to remain true to the faith.
Paul and Barnabas: We must go through many persecutions as we enter the kingdom of God.
23 In each church, they would appoint leaders, pray and fast together, and entrust them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
24 They then passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 They preached their message in Perga and then went to the port of Attalia. 26 There they set sail for Antioch, where they were first entrusted to the grace of God for the mission they had now completed. 27 They called the church together when they arrived and reported all God had done with and through them, how God had welcomed outsiders through the doorway of faith. 28 They stayed with the disciples in Antioch for quite a while.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Today’s story brings up a couple of questions I want to ask you. What do you do when you see something out of the ordinary happen? Who gets the credit? Do you give it to Me or the people involved? Do you praise Me for the healing that happens around you or does the credit go to the doctors and nurses? Yes, I gave them the knowledge and skills to apply the right treatments, but without the miracle of the human body in the first place, you would never find healing. I put all those things in place. I want you to give thanks to the people who aided and cared for you. They were My instruments, but I also want you to remember I had a part in your healing.

Sometimes I work instantaneously and still I don’t get credit for the work I do. Instead, some of the people standing around are seen as extra special or as those in Lystra saw them, as gods of a sort. I assure you, they are not gods. I use individuals, but without Me, they can do nothing. So be sure to give credit where credit is due.

The other question I have for you today is what do you do with those who are My instruments in working miracles? Do you treat them like the unbelieving Jews treated Paul and try to kill them either with stones or with words? Do you disregard the work I do through some of those that call on Me and lay hands on some for healing and I actually heal? I know some charlatans exist just making money on the emotions of crowds, but there are also those I use as instruments of healing and sometimes the healing is instantaneous because I want to show My power to a disbelieving world. What do you do with those?

Be careful to give Me credit when credit is due. And be careful how you treat those that work miracles in My name. You don’t need to worry about those that dupe the ignorant. I will take care of them in due time. Just keep praying. Keep believing. Keep living for Me. You’ll know the phonies when you see them if you spend time with Me, the real thing. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God answers prayer on His timetable (Acts 12:6-19), October 20, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 12:6-19

Set – Job 7; Acts 12

Go! – Job 6-7; Acts 12

Acts 12:6-19
6 Their prayers were not answered, until the night before Peter’s execution.
Picture this event: Peter is sound asleep between two soldiers, double-chained, with still more guards outside the prison door watching for external intruders. 7 Suddenly the cell fills with light: it is a messenger of the Lord manifesting himself. He taps Peter on the side, awakening him.
Messenger of the Lord: Get up, quickly.
The chains fall off Peter’s wrists.
Messenger of the Lord: 8 Come on! Put on your belt. Put on your sandals.
Peter puts them on and just stands there.
Messenger of the Lord: Pull your cloak over your shoulders. Come on! Follow me!
9 Peter does so, but he is completely dazed. He doesn’t think this is really happening—he assumes he is dreaming or having a vision. 10 They pass the first guard. They pass the second guard. They come to the iron gate that opens to the city. The gate swings open for them on its own, and they walk into a lane. Suddenly the messenger disappears.
11 Peter finally realized all that had really happened.
Peter: Amazing! The Lord has sent His messenger to rescue me from Herod and the public spectacle of my execution which the Jews fully expected.
12 Peter immediately rushed over to the home of a woman named Mary. (Mary’s son, John Mark, would eventually become an important associate of the apostles.) A large group had gathered there to pray for Peter and his safety. 13 He knocked at the outer gate; and a maid, Rhoda, answered. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice, but she was so overcome with excitement that she left him standing on the street and ran inside to tell everyone.
Rhoda: Our prayers were answered! Peter is at the front gate!
Praying Believers: 15 Rhoda, you’re crazy!
Rhoda: No! Peter’s out there! I’m sure of it!
Praying Believers: Well, maybe it’s his guardian angel or something.
16 All this time, Peter was still out in the street, knocking on the gate. Finally they came and let him in. Of course, the disciples were stunned, and everyone was talking at once. 17 Peter motioned for them to quiet down and then told them the amazing story of how the Lord engineered his escape.
Peter: Could you please get word to James, our Lord’s brother, and the other believers that I’m all right?
Then he left to find a safer place to stay.
18 But when morning came and Peter was gone, there was a huge uproar among the soldiers. 19 Herod sent troops to find Peter, but he was missing. Herod interrogated the guards and ordered their executions. Peter headed down toward the coast to Caesarea, and he remained there.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

One thing you’ll notice about this story is that prayer works. My disciples spent time on their knees asking for Peter’s release and it happened. They pleaded with Me and I heard them. I had more for Peter to do and I sent one of My angels to release Peter’s chains and lead him through the prison and into the streets a free man.

Another thing you’ll notice from this story is that I didn’t answer their prayers until the last minute. Peter stayed in jail until the night before his execution. He was ready to die for Me, but shared his faith to those in the cell with him until it was time. I waited until it seemed too late before I rescued Peter. I waited until it seemed hopeless so that all would know that it was ony by My hand that Peter was rescued.

Third, you’ll notice that sometimes I work in extraordinary ways to accomplish My will in the world. Walking by two guards without notice, opening locked gates and allowing Peter to stand in the middle of the lane outside the prison was rather extraordinary. I work that way sometimes. I do the impossible and work in ways that cannot be explained except by the hand of a living God.

Sometimes, though, I work My will in the course of natural time and events. I’ll ask people to intervene for Me. I’ll put in their mind to assist Me in some way, to use their talents and skills for the benefit of others. I’ll put people in each other’s paths so that you can help each other and find solutions to life’s problems. I made you as interdependent people. I made you to build relationships with each other and to need each other. I didn’t make you to be hermits or to continually take from others, but to be interdependent. To give and take. To help each other throughout your lives.

I will answer your prayers the same way. Sometimes I will answer quickly in the way you want. Sometimes I will answer, but not necessarily in the way you want but in the way that is best for you. Sometimes I will wait until the very last minute to answer your prayers. Sometimes I will work in impossible ways to show My power and majesty and demonstrate to you and those around you that I am God. Sometimes I will bring someone into your path that will give just the right help needed at just the right time.

I will listen to your prayers and I will answer them just as I did for those praying for Peter. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The truth behind Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10:9-33), October 19, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 10:9-33

Set – Job 4; Psalms 108; Acts 10

Go! – Job 4-5; Psalms 108; Acts 10-11

Acts 10:9-33
9 Just as these men were nearing Joppa about noon the next day, Peter went up on the flat rooftop of Simon the tanner’s house. He planned to pray, 10 but he soon grew hungry. While his lunch was being prepared, Peter had a vision of his own—a vision that linked his present hunger with what was about to happen: 11 A rift opened in the sky, and a wide container—something like a huge sheet suspended by its four corners—descended through the torn opening toward the ground. 12 This container teemed with four-footed animals, creatures that crawl, and birds—pigs, bats, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and vultures.
A Voice: 13 Get up, Peter! Kill! Eat!
Peter: 14 No way, Lord! These animals are forbidden in the dietary laws of the Hebrew Scriptures! I’ve never eaten nonkosher foods like these before—not once in my life!
A Voice: 15 If God calls something permissible and clean, you must not call it forbidden and dirty!
16 Peter saw this vision three times; but the third time, the container of animals flew up through the rift in the sky, the rift healed, 17 and Peter was confused and unsettled as he tried to make sense of this strange vision.
At that very moment, Peter heard the voices of Cornelius’s delegation, who had asked for directions to Simon’s house, coming from the front gate.
Delegation: 18 Is there a man named Simon, also called Peter, staying at this house?
19-20 Peter’s mind was still racing about the vision when the voice of the Holy Spirit broke through his churning thoughts.
Holy Spirit: The three men who are searching for you have been sent by Me. So get up! Go with them. Don’t hesitate or argue.
21 Peter rushed downstairs to the men.
Peter: I’m the one you’re seeking. Can you tell me why you’ve come?
Delegation: 22 We’ve been sent by our commander and master, Cornelius. He is a Centurion, and he is a good, honest man who worships your God. All the Jewish people speak well of him. A holy messenger told him to send for you, so you would come to his home and he could hear your message.
23 Peter extended hospitality to them and gave them lodging overnight. When they departed together the next morning, Peter brought some believers from Joppa.
24 They arrived in Caesarea the next afternoon just before three o’clock. Cornelius had anticipated their arrival and had assembled his relatives and close friends to welcome them. 25 When Peter and Cornelius met, Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet in worship, 26 but Peter helped him up.
Peter: Stand up, man! I am just a human being!
27 They talked and entered the house to meet the whole crowd inside.
Peter: 28 You know I am a Jew. We Jews consider it a breach of divine law to associate, much less share hospitality, with outsiders. But God has shown me something in recent days: I should no longer consider any human beneath me or unclean. 29 That’s why I made no objection when you invited me; rather, I came willingly. Now let me hear the story of why you invited me here.
Cornelius: 30 It was about this time of day four days ago when I was here, in my house, praying the customary midafternoon prayer. Suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere. His clothes were dazzling white, and he stood directly in front of me 31 and addressed me: “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your kindness to the poor has been noticed by God. 32 God wants you to find a man in Joppa, Simon who is also called Peter, who is staying at the home of a tanner named Simon, near the seaside.” 33 I wasted no time, did just as I was told, and you have generously accepted my invitation. So here we are, in the presence of God, ready to take in all that the Lord has told you to tell us.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The story of Peter and Cornelius is important. First, it tells you that My grace is for everyone. It doesn’t matter what color your skin or how much or how little money you have. I don’t care where you came from or where you live. What I care about is you. I want you to live as part of My kingdom. Second, the story tells you that because I care for everyone, if you belong to Me, you have a responsibility to share My message with everyone. Don’t shy away because of a person’s race or nationality or their socioeconomic status. I died for everyone. I brought Peter and Cornelius together to show you this important truth. Don’t let your prejudices keep you from Me or keep My message from someone around you. I died for all humankind!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Never underestimate the importance of your witness (Acts 8:26-40), October 18, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 8:26-40

Set – Job 3; Acts 8

Go! – Job 3; Acts 8-9

Acts 8:26-40
26 A heavenly messenger brought this short message from the Lord to Philip during his time preaching in Samaria:
Messenger of the Lord: Leave Samaria. Go south to the Jerusalem-Gaza road.
The message was especially unusual because this road runs through the middle of uninhabited desert. 27 But Philip got up, left the excitement of Samaria, and did as he was told to do. Along this road, Philip saw a chariot in the distance. In the chariot was a dignitary from Ethiopia (the treasurer for Queen Candace), an African man who had been castrated. He had gone north to Jerusalem to worship at the Jewish temple, 28 and he was now heading southwest on his way home. He was seated in the chariot and was reading aloud from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
29 Philip received another prompting from the Holy Spirit:
Holy Spirit: Go over to the chariot and climb on board.
30 So he started running until he was even with the chariot. Philip heard the Ethiopian reading aloud and recognized the words from the prophet Isaiah.
Philip: Do you understand the meaning of what you’re reading?
The Ethiopian: 31 How can I understand it unless I have a mentor?
Then he invited Philip to sit in the chariot. 32 Here’s the passage he was reading from the Hebrew Scriptures:
Like a sheep, He was led to be slaughtered.
Like a lamb about to be shorn of its wool,
He was completely silent.
33 He was humiliated, and He received no justice.
Who can describe His peers? Who would treat Him this way?
For they snuffed out His life.
The Ethiopian: 34 Here’s my first question. Is the prophet describing his own situation, or is he describing someone else’s calamity?
35 That began a conversation in which Philip used the passage to explain the good news of Jesus. 36 Eventually the chariot passed a body of water beside the road.
The Ethiopian: Since there is water here, is there anything that might prevent me from being ceremonially washed through baptism and identified as a disciple of Jesus?
Philip: 37 If you believe in your heart that Jesus the Anointed is God’s Son, then nothing can stop you.
The Ethiopian said that he believed.
38 He commanded the charioteer to stop the horses. Then Philip and the Ethiopian official walked together into the water. There Philip baptized him, initiating him as a fellow disciple. 39 When they came out of the water, Philip was immediately caught up by the Holy Spirit and taken from the sight of the Ethiopian, who climbed back into his chariot and continued on his journey, overflowing with joy. 40 Philip found himself at a town called Azotus (formerly the Philistine capital city of Ashdod, on the Mediterranean); and from there he traveled north again, proclaiming the good news in town after town until he came to Caesarea.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Philip may have wondered why I sent him to the desert road to meet an Ethiopian on his way home. You might wonder the same. The mission wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t just to show I could move him around or to test his willingness to go where I wanted him to go. Today you probably don’t understand the importance of that one man in the chariot headed for Ethiopia, but I knew him.

Stop and consider for a moment. He served Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. But he didn’t come to her voluntarily. He served in her court as a eunuch, castrated to ensure he would not harm her. But over time, this Ethiopian servant won the trust of the queen so well that she sent him to Jerusalem to worship his God at Passover and Pentecost alone. She trusted him to return to her service after the journey even though she had wronged him in so many ways.

So her was a man, trusted to enter and serve in the court of the queen, worshiping Me, who heard all that happened in Jerusalem during those days surrounding My death and resurrection. Now he was on his way back home. Who better to influence the nation of Ethiopia than a trusted member of Candace’s court? And who better to share My message with him than Philip?

So I gave Philip the mission. Go along the road from Jerusalem to Gaza and wait. Go meet up with the chariot you see in the distance. Listen to what the Ethiopian is reading. Now tell him what you know. Simple instructions at each point, but never knowing the next step and Philip may have not known in the end the importance of the man in the chariot. But Philip did what I asked him to do. The Ethiopian believed in Me and was baptized. Ethiopia became one of the strongholds of early Christianity.

Maybe I’ll ask you to tell someone My story. That man or woman may seem unimportant to you or it may feel like an inconvenient time or place. But you don’t know how My plans unfold. That person, like the Ethiopian in Candace’s court, might be the key to unleashing a great revival in the land because of your faithful testimony. Philip faithfully shared My message when I asked. You should do the same.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Become extraordinary (Acts 6), October 17, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 6

Set – Job 2; Acts 6

Go! – Job 1-2; Acts 6-7

Acts 6
1 Things were going well, and the number of disciples was growing. But a problem arose. The Greek-speaking believers became frustrated with the Hebrew-speaking believers. The Greeks complained that the Greek-speaking widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2 The twelve convened the entire community of disciples.
The Twelve: We could solve this problem ourselves, but that wouldn’t be right. We need to focus on proclaiming God’s message, not on distributing food. 3 So, friends, find seven respected men from the community of faith. These men should be full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. Whomever you select we will commission to resolve this matter 4 so we can maintain our focus on praying and serving—not meals—but the message.
5 The whole community—Greek-speaking and Hebrew-speaking—was very pleased with this plan, so they chose seven men: Stephen (a man full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (a Greek-speaking convert from Antioch). 6 These men were presented to the apostles, who then prayed for them and commissioned them by laying their hands on them. 7 The message of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples continued to increase significantly there in Jerusalem. Even priests in large numbers became obedient to the faith.
8 Stephen continually overflowed with extraordinary grace and power, and he was able to perform a number of miraculous signs and wonders in public view. 9 But eventually a group arose to oppose Stephen and the message to which his signs and wonders pointed. (These men were from a group called the Free Synagogue and included Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians, and Asians.) 10 The Holy Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom in responding to their arguments that they were humiliated; 11 in retaliation, they spread a vicious rumor: “We heard Stephen speak blasphemies against Moses and God.”
12 Their rumor prompted an uprising that included common people, religious officials, and scholars. They surprised Stephen, grabbed him, and hauled him before the council. 13 They convinced some witnesses to give false testimony.
False Witnesses: This fellow constantly degrades the holy temple and mocks our holy law. 14 With our own ears, we’ve heard him say this Jesus fellow, this Nazarene he’s always talking about, will actually destroy the holy temple and will try to change the sacred customs we received from Moses.
15 The entire council turned its gaze on Stephen to see how he would respond. They were shocked to see his face radiant with peace—as if he were a heavenly messenger.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Everyone can show grace every once in a while. Everyone can be kind to someone else or show mercy to another of their fellow-man. Everyone can give to another on occasion or comfort someone who is hurting or in need. Everyone has some spark of decency within them when some special occasion calls for it. No one is complete and pure evil because I created each person in My image.

However, Stephen continually overflowed with extraordinary grace and power. Did you get that? It came about because Stephen gave himself to Me. He decided he no longer wanted to follow the ways of man and would follow Me. So Stephen emptied himself and let Me fill his life with My Spirit. He let Me direct his life. When he saw someone in need and I nudged him to do something about it, he didn’t hesitate, but instead, went out of his way to do what he could to help that person.

Stephen mimicked My actions when I walked alongside you in the flesh. When he saw someone hungry, he gave them food. When he saw someone sick, he did what he could to minister to their ills. When he saw someone in prison, he cared for them and ministered to them. When he saw widows and orphans who could not care for themselves, he cared for them. Stephen did what I did when he saw others around him that he could help.

So what made Stephen so different from everyone else? The difference was his upper room experience. He was a man full of faith and filled with the Holy Spirit, My Spirit. He prayed through on the morning of Pentecost and found what I asked him to find. He found Me that morning in all My glory as Stephen let Me live in him as his comforter and guide. With Me living in him, Stephen could wear the countenance of an angel. He could be at peace in front of the Sanhedrin who accused him of blasphemy even when innocent of the charges. He could face death at the hands of false accusers and false witness and ask for their forgiveness because his spirit was given over to My Spirit.

You can do the same. Stephen wasn’t special, except he gave himself to Me. Then, Stephen became extraordinary!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Consult with each other (Malachi 3:6-18), October 16, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Malachi 3:6-18

Set – Malachi 3; Acts 5

Go! – Malachi 3-4; Psalms 148; Acts 5

Malachi 3:6-18
6 Because I am the Eternal One, I never change; as a result, you children of Jacob have not been destroyed though your blessing may have been delayed.
7 From the days when your ancestors served Me, you have turned from and ignored My statutes. Return to Me and I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will return to you. But you shameless people ask, “How will we return? 8 Will someone steal from God?” Yet you are always stealing from Me! But you self-centered people still ask, “How have we stolen from You?” In the tithes and the offerings you have not given Me as the law requires! 9 You are cursed with a curse, for as an entire nation you are stealing from Me. 10 To rectify this situation, you must bring the entire tithe into the storage house in the temple so that there may be food for Me and for the Levites in My house. Feel free to test Me now in this. See whether or not I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will open the windows of heaven to you and pour a blessing down upon you until all needs are satisfied. 11 I will rebuke the swarm of locusts devouring your crops, and the devourer will not cause the produce you have grown in the earth to decay or the vines in the field to drop their grapes. 12 And all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight. I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, promise you this.
13 Your words of rebellion against Me have been strong. Yet you ask, “What have we said against You?” 14 You have said, “Serving God is a waste of time,” and, “What benefits have we received by following Him as we mourned on our journey before the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies? 15 Now we believe the bluster of the arrogant and agree they are blessed; we encourage the wicked who also test God and escape.”
16 Then those who fear the Eternal One consulted each other about God’s charges, each one to his neighbor, and the Eternal One paid attention and heard. A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who honored the Eternal One and valued His name and the good reputation.
Eternal One: 17 And they will be Mine on that day when I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, make My unique treasure—which is the kingdom of Israel. I will have pity on them as a man has pity on his son who serves him.
18 And you will return and notice the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those serving God and those not serving Him.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You’ve probably heard a lot of sermons from Malachi chapter three. Most have probably been on tithing and robbing Me of what belongs to Me. But in the verses you heard today, I want to point out something the people did that Malachi spoke to that caused many of them problems. It had to do with their stealing from Me and their rebellion against Me, but those charges were already confirmed by My judgment against them as voiced by My prophet Malachi.

If you listened carefully, you heard that they consulted each other about the charges, each one to his neighbor. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but sometimes not. The caveat that’s important in the description here is that those who feared Me consulted each other. When they did, they found the charges true and they needed to do something about it. The rest, just blew off what Malachi told them as just another preacher spouting off.

The difference will be obvious among those who listened and those who didn’t one day. Those who don’t heed My warnings will find themselves eternally lost. Those who listen to Me and follow My directions will find peace and prosperity in My kingdom. You might not have the riches of this world, but the riches of this world never last. Mine do.

The world can tell the difference between those who heed My warnings and those who do not. There is a difference in your countenance. A difference in the way you approach life. There is a difference in the way you handle the adversity that comes to everyone. A difference in the praise you give and the way you give grace to those around you, even to those who do not deserve it.

So go ahead and discuss the charges you hear from Me, but don’t discuss too long. When you hear from Me, just do something about it. I will extend My grace and forgive when you turn to Me. But do it soon, time is running out.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Have an upper room experience (Acts 4:23-37), October 15, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 4:23-37

Set – Malachi 2; Acts 4

Go! – Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1-2; Acts 4

Acts 4:23-37
23 Peter and John, upon their release, went right to their friends and told the story—including the warning from the council. 24 The whole community responded with this prayer to God:
Community of Believers: God, our King, You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything they contain. 25 You are the One who, by the Holy Spirit, spoke through our ancestor David, Your servant, with these words:
Why did the nations rage?
Why did they imagine useless things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand;
their rulers assembled in opposition
against the Eternal One and His Anointed King.
27 This is exactly what has happened among us, here in this city. The foreign ruler Pontius Pilate and the Jewish ruler Herod, along with their respective peoples, have assembled in opposition to Your holy servant Jesus, the One You chose. 28 They have done whatever Your hand and plan predetermined should happen. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their intimidations intended to silence us. Grant us, Your servants, the courageous confidence we need to go ahead and proclaim Your message 30 while You reach out Your hand to heal people, enabling us to perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.
31 They finished their prayer, and immediately the whole place where they had gathered began to shake. All the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began speaking God’s message with courageous confidence.
32 During those days, the entire community of believers was deeply united in heart and soul to such an extent that they stopped claiming private ownership of their possessions. Instead, they held everything in common. 33 The apostles with great power gave their eyewitness reports of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Everyone was surrounded by an extraordinary grace. 34 Not a single person in the community was in need because those who had been affluent sold their houses or lands and brought the proceeds 35 to the emissaries of the Lord. They then distributed the funds to individuals according to their needs. 36-37 One fellow, a Cyprian Levite named Joseph, earned a nickname because of his generosity in selling a field and bringing the money to the apostles in this way. From that time on, they called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.”

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Something special happens when you really connect with Me. I’m not talking about regurgitating a rote prayer at mealtime or a sleepy prayer of “now I lay me down to sleep…”. I’m talking about doing what My disciples did when they spent time with Me in the upper room. A hundred twenty of them gathered together to get everything out in the open. They prayed until they got through to Me.

What does it take to do that? First, you have to get through to your brothers and sisters. Get the garbage out of the way between you. Forgive and offer grace between your fellow man. Make sure you extend grace to those around you to the extent you can and then come to Me with your petitions. It’s called love. Give grace as you’ve been given grace. Then touch heaven with your prayers. Let go of everything that hinders our relationship. Open yourself to Me.

That takes more than those perfunctory prayers you might be used to. It will take more than a few minutes of your time. It will take focused attention on My word and on Me. It will take getting out of the world and getting into My kingdom. Pray earnestly to receive My Spirit and let Me consume you. That’s what those 120 disciples did to receive My Spirit in the upper room.

What happens when you let go of yourself and let Me fill you with My Spirit? The impossible! You extend My grace to those around you. You’ll find that the grace you extend to your brothers and sisters extends beyond those to your enemies, to those that despise and persecute you. You become surrounded by My grace extended to all men and women so that they experience My love and mercy through you. You do the impossible.

You also become the instrument of the impossible by letting My Spirit work through you. See, you cannot do the impossible, but I can. And My hands can use you as the tool to implement My actions and work the impossible in the lives of those around you. I can do the impossible. I spoke and the worlds came into place. I spoke and created light and darkness. I spoke and life began. I molded you from the dust of the earth. Everything that is, came about because of an impossibility supplied by My hand.

Peter and John experience My impossible work through them. Many since them have experience My power at work through them. The impossible happens when you let My Spirit work through you. But it will only happen when you, like those in the upper room, really let Me take hold of your life and let Me work My plans through you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.