October 1st
I will climb into my watchtower now and wait and see what the Lord will say to me and how He will answer my complaint.
¤ Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to one who knocks it will be opened. What parent is there among you who, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or, if he asks for a fish, will you give him a snake? If you then, being naturally evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! For that very reason, whatever you want others to do for you, do also for them. ¤ For all the law of God is fulfilled in one word, even this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
¤ When you pray, don't use vain repetitions as world religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him! ¤ Make every effort to apply Gods' promises to you life. Add to your faith moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to kindness toward other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, those who fail to develop these virtues are shortsighted or blind... they have forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.
¤ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¤ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people, teaching us to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, and that we should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct and devotion to God, while we look forward to that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. ¤ All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by God, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. ¤ Let us then not grow weary in doing what is good, for in due season we shall reap a harvest of blessing if we do not lose heart.
¤ Then the observer cried, "My Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, I have sat at my post every night." ¤ Come, Lord Jesus!
Habakkuk 2:1 Matthew 7:7-12 Galatians 5:14 Matthew 6:7-9 2nd Peter 1:5-9 1st Thessalonians 5:16
Titus 2:11-13 John 9:4 Galatians 6:9 Isaiah 21:8 Revelation 22:20
October 2nd
Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of Me and what I will show you.
¤ So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to both small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.
At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of you mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment." Agrippa then said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
¤ When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded a ship from Adramyttium, about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea... We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. Passing by it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after September. Then Paul spoke to the crew of the ship...
Acts 26:16, 19-32 Acts 27:1, 2, 7-9
October 3rd
"Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to the ship and cargo, and to our own lives as well."
But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to keep the lifeboat secured to the ship. When the men had hoisted it aboard, they franticly passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.
Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said, "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'
So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." But on the fourteenth night we were still being driven up and down across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they found it to be only ninety feet deep...
Acts 27:10-28
October 4th
Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away. Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.
¤ Once safely ashore, we found that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."
Acts 27:29-44 Acts 28:1-4
October 5th
They will pick up deadly snakes with their hands... It will not hurt them at all. They will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.
¤ Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The island people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publis, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers.
We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him... For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
¤ I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends His love and His faithfulness. I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth. ¤ Where now is the lions' den? The place where they fed their young, where the lion and lioness went, and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
Mark 16:18 Acts 28:5-16, 30, 31 Psalm 57:2-5 Nahum 2:11
October 6th
God shows his anger from heaven against all godless, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness...
Yet the truth of God is known to them instinctively, for God has put it in their hearts. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the creator—who is forever praised, Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things are deserving of death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
¤ You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the very same things. Now we know that God's judgement against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgement on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgement?
Romans 1:18-32 Romans 2:1-3
October 7th
Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgement will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And He will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be the ones' declared right in God's sight. For even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness; their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them. This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares... Circumcision must be of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
¤ I can never stop thanking God for all the generous gifts He has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. He has enriched you in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge. This shows you that what I told you about Christ is true—your actions confirm it. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong right up to the end, and He will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will surely do this for you, for He always does just what He says, and He is the one who invited you into this wonderful relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 2:4-16, 29 1st Corinthians 1:4-9
October 8th
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its widsom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Gentiles look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and He gave Himself to purchase our freedom. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
¤ We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The natural man however does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man has understanding about all things, yet he himself is not understood by anyone. How can anyone understand? For, "Who can know the mind of God? Who can give Him counsel?" But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
1st Corinthians 1:18-31 1st Corinthians 2:12-16
October 9th
Under what circumstances was righteousness credited to Abraham? Was it after he was circumcised, or before?
It was not after, but before! ...It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. Therefore the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were...
Abraham did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. This is why it was "credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. ¤ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
¤ Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you have received, he is to be accursed!
¤ The law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came. But now that faith in Christ has come, we are no longer under a tutor. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Romans 4:10, 13-17, 20-25 Romans 5:1, 2 Galatians 1:8, 9 Galatians 3:24-27
October 10th
While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
¤ This is the point. The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its condemning power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God. When we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law... So then, the law is holy, and the commandments are holy, righteous and good...
We know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold as a slave into sin. I do not understand what I do. I do not practice things I would like to do. No, instead, I do the very things I hate. And if I do what I really do not want to do, I must confess that the law is good! So, I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives within me is what does them; the law has shown me that something within me keeps me from doing what I know is right. With my whole heart I agree with the law of God. But something goes wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's almost predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. It is pretty obvious that parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. What a miserable person I am! I have tried everything and nothing helps. I am at the end of my rope, Is there no one who can do anything for me?
The answer is, thank God, that Jesus Christ can and has rescued me! He acted to set things right in this life of contradiction where I want to serve God with all of my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of the sin within me to do something totally different. ¤ There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has cleared the air, freeing us from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death... The requirements of the law are fully met in us who obey His Spirit instead of our own desires.
Romans 5:6 Romans 7;4-7, 12, 14-25 Romans 8:1, 2, 4
October 11th
People who are ruled by their sinful desires think only of themselves
But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Our sinful desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God's laws. If we follow our sinful desires, we cannot please God. You, however, are no longer ruled by your sinful desires, but by God's Spirit who lives within you. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed the Spirit of God in Christ does not belong to Him. But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies will die because of your sins. Yet, God raised Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and He will also raise you to life by His Spirit.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we have an obligation not to live to satisfy our sinful desires. If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your sinful desires. Only those people led by God's Spirit are His children. And God's Spirit does not make us into slaves who are afraid of Him. Instead, we become His children and call Him our Father. And the Spirit Himself joins with our spirits to say we are God's children. Now if we are His children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. But we must be prepared to suffer as Christ suffered so that we will have glory as Christ has glory. And I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be revealed in us. The whole creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman who is about to give birth. Not only that, but we also, who have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, likewise groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as His children, including the new bodies He has promised us. For in this hope we were saved! But hope that is seen now is not hope at all; for who hopes for what they already have? But as we look forward to something we don't yet have, we learn to wait patiently with perseverance. And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress.
Romans 8:5-26
October 12th
When we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs and aching groans...
All of our thoughts are known to God. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. He has always known who his chosen ones would be. He has predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many children. Those He predestined, He also called; whom He called, He also justified, and whom He justified, He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is with us, no one can defeat us. He who did not spare even His own Son, but gave Him for us all, won't He freely give us everything else we need? If God says His chosen ones are acceptable to Him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life. And now He is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? It is exactly as the Scriptures say, "For You we face death all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor evil spirits, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
¤ You know that many runners enter a race, but only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! Athletes work hard to win a crown that fades away, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. I don't run without certainty. And I don't fight by just beating my fists into the air. What I do is discipline my body and bring it into subjection, so that I myself won't become disqualified after telling the good news to others.
Romans 8:26-39 1st Corinthians 9:24-27
October 13th
Salvation does not depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name shall be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden. One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us, for who can resist His will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why He shaped it the way He did? Doesn't the potter have the right to make some pottery vessels for noble purposes and some for common use, out of the same lump of clay?
What if God wanted to show His anger and reveal His power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed, but instead, He patiently put up with them that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? For as He says in Hosea; "I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. It will happen in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' that they will be called the sons of the living God."
¤ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
¤ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Don't be like the people of this world; conformed to their philosophies and practices, but let God transform you by the renewing of your mind. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him. And with this, be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.
Romans 9:16-26 Romans 11:33-36 Romans 12:1-3
October 14th
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, for your meetings together seem to do more harm than good...
First of all, when you come together as a church, there are divisions and criticism among you, and to some extent I believe it. You are bound to argue with each other, but it is easy to see which of you have God's approval. And when you worship together, you don't really come together to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Instead, you bring a lot of food from the outside and make pigs of yourself, while some are left out and go home hungry. Others come to get drunk. Don't you have homes where you can eat and drink? Do you hate Christ's church? Do you really want to disgrace the church of Christ and bring shame on the people among you who don't have anything? What can I say to you? I certainly cannot praise you.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are to think on the Lord's death each time, and you are to remember the horror of His sacrifice; His broken body and His shed blood, which was done for you! And you are to continue this memorial remembrance until He comes again. Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of this memorial in an irreverent manner, is like that part of the crowd that jeered and spit on Him at His death. Is that the kind of "remembrance" you want to be a part of?
Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe. For if you give no thought or genuine care about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you're running the risk of serious consequences. That is why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If you get this straight now, you won't have to be judged later on. For the Lord is correcting you now to keep you from being condemned with the rest of the world. So, dear brothers and sisters, when you come together in the future, wait until everyone gets to the Lord's Table. Be reverent and courteous with one another. This is a spiritual meal. Treat it as such.
1st Corinthians 11:17-33
October 15th
Don't just pretend that you love others; really love them...
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, no cursing under your breath. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Don't "hit" back; instead, discover the beauty in others. And if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says the Lord. "I'll take care of it." On the contrary, as the Scriptures say, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, they may become ashamed of what they have done to you and repent. Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.
¤ What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not have love for others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would again be nothing unless I loved others. What if I gave away all that I owned to the poor and let myself be burned alive as a martyr? I would still gain nothing, unless I loved others.
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not boast nor is it proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but takes pleasure in the flowering of truth. It always protects, it always trusts, always hopes, and endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will fail; unknown languages will no longer be spoken. Where there is inspired knowledge, it will vanish away. For we now know in part and we prophesy in part, but, when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away; When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. Now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face. I know in part, but then I shall know fully, as God has known me. And now abide these three; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Romans 12:9-21 1st Corinthians 13:1-13
October 16th
Everyone must submit themselves to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.
Insofar as there is peace and order, the authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement upon themselves. Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, and agent of wrath to bring punishment upon the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him; if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The "night" is almost over, and the "day" will soon appear.
¤ Dear friends, you are like foreigners and strangers on this earth... So, for the Lord's sake, yield to the people who have authority in this world; whether to the king as supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free men and women, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up or as an excuse for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the existing authority... For you were constantly straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Romans 13:1-12 1st Peter 2:11, 13-17, 24
October 17th
Accept into your group someone who is weak in faith, and do not argue about opinions.
One person believes it is right to eat all kinds of food. But another, who is weak, believes it is right to eat only vegetables. The one who knows that it is right to eat any kind of food must not reject the one who eats only vegetables. And the person who eats only vegetables must not think that the one who eats all foods is wrong, because God has accepted that person. You cannot judge another person's servant. The Master decides if the servant is doing right or not. And the Lord's servant will do right because the Lord is able to help him do right. Some think that one day is more important than another, and others think that every day is the same. Any believers who count one day more important than another day do it to honor their Lord. And those believers who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord as well, and they give thanks to Him. Others who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord, and they also give thanks to Him.
We do not live or die for ourselves; if we live, we are answerable to the Lord, and if we die, we are answerable to the Lord. So, living or dying, we belong to the Lord. The reason Christ died and rose from the dead to live again was so He would be Lord over both the dead and the living. So why do you judge your brothers and sisters in Christ? And why do you think you are better than they are? We will all stand before God to be judged, as it is written: "As I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So each of us will have to answer to God. For that reason we should stop judging each other... So whatever you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. People are happy if they can do what they think is right without feeling guilty.
¤ If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please Himself. As it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen upon Me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 14:1-13, 22 Romans 15:1-6
October 18th
If we preach that Christ was raised from the dead, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life?
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He riased up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if in fact the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! And those people who died after putting their faith in Him are completely lost. Listen! If we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world. But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. But there is an order to the resurrection: Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all of His people will be raised. Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father; after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. The Scripture says that God put all things under His control. Now when it says "all things" have been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, who put everything under Christ. After everything has been put under the Son, then He will put Himself under God, so that God may be all in all...
But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" ... It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man came from heaven. As was the body of the earthly man, so are all those who are of the earth; and as is the body of the man from heaven, so also are all those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the one who was made out of earth, so shall we bear the likeness of the One who came from heaven.
1st Corinthians 15:12-28, 35, 44-49
October 19th
He 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.
The old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn't we expect far greater glory when the Spirit is giving life? If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts?
Since this new covenant gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Yes, even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
¤ And so, since God in His mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up. We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that. If the good news we preach is veiled to anyone, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel or the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made us to understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. This precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—everyone can see that this glorious power is not our own.
2nd Corinthians 3:6-18 2nd Corinthians 4:1-7
October 20th
We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to Him.
...If we seem to be out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the One who died and was raised to life for us. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the message of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them...
Christ never sinned! But God treated Him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God. ¤ We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of His kindness to you. In the Scriptures God says, "When the time came I heard your prayers. On the day of salvation I helped you." Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation... Don't team up with unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty"
¤ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness He has poured out on us because we belong to His dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven.
2nd Corinthians 5:11, 13-19, 21 2nd Corinthians 6:1, 2, 14-18 Ephesians 1:3-7
October 21st
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you cannot do those things that you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, factions, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, piece, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the leading of the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another. ¤ I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His power for us who believe in Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this present world, or in the world to come.
¤ Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to Him.... For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord and your behavior should show it. For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true... So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¤ I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
Galatians 5:16-26 Ephesians 1:19-21 Ephesians 5:1, 2, 8, 9, 15-17 Philippians 1:6
October 22nd
Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the readiness to defend the good news of peace with God. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¤ Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in the Godhead bodily, and you are complete through your union with Him. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands; It was through Christ's circumcision, that is, His death, that you were made free from the power of your sinful self. When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with Him through your faith in God's power that was shown when He raised Christ from the dead. When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ, and He forgave all your sins.
He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross. God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, He won the victory and showed the world that they were powerless. So do not let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about a religious feast, a New Moon Festival, or a Sabbath day. These things were like a shadow of what was to come. But what is true and real has come and is found in Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you by making you humiliate yourself and worship angels. Such people enter into visions, which fill them with foolish pride because of their human way of thinking. They do not hold tightly to Christ, the head. It is from Him that all parts of the body are cared for and held together, so that it grows in the way God wants it to grow.
Ephesians 6:10-17 Colossians 2:8-19
October 23rd
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power.
Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful deeds. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient, in which you yourself once walked when you lived in them. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander and filthy language. Don't lie to each other, since you have taken off the old self with its sinful practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator.
In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must therefore clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use His words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks to Him through God the Father. ¤ Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other.
Colossians 3:1-17 1st Thessalonians 5:12, 13
October 24th
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing...
He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But you, O man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. ¤ Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded; grieve, mourn and wail for your sins. Change your laughter into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up!
1st Timothy 6:3-19 James 4:7-10
October 25th
The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled and upright lives devoted to God in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. ¤ I remind people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
¤ Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
¤ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. And do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ¤ For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the dear Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Titus 2:11-14 Titus 3:1-8 Galatians 3:23-28 Romans 12:1,2 Colossians 1:13, 14
October 26th
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son...
Therefore we must give more careful attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
¤ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the word of life... This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
¤ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and your mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise—"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Parents, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ... And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is not favoritism with Him.
¤ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but nourishes it and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are all members of His body.
Hebrews 1:1, 2 Hebrews 2:1-4 1st John 1:1, 5-10 Ephesians 6:1-5, 9 Ephesians 5:25-30
October 27th
Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to come to the aid of those who are being tempted.
¤ Therefore, brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of the house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of what we boast. So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.' So I declared an oath in My anger, 'They shall never enter My rest.' " See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. ¤ Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith... Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
Hebrews 2:18 Hebrews 3:1-19 Hebrews 4:1, 2, 11
October 28th
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ¤ For every high priest selected from among men is appointed to represent them in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for their sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he had to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming High Priest. But God said to Him, "You are My Son, today I have become your Father." And He says in another place, "You are a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from premature death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. He was a Son, yet He learned obedience through the things which He suffered and, having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, and was designated by God to be High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are so slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. ¤ As you come to Him; the Living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house; a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4:13-16 Hebrews 5:1-14 1st Peter 2:4, 5
October 29th
The word of God is living and powerful; sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
¤ Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity. Surely we don't need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You shouldn't need any further instructions about water baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were once enlightened—who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age—and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people to repentance again because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting Him, subjecting him to public disgrace. When the ground soaks up the rain that falls on it and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has the blessing of God. But if a field bears thistles and thorns, it is useless. The farmer will condemn that field and burn it.
Dear friends, even though we are talking like this, we really don't believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love for Him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that your hope will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and patience.
For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no greater one to swear by, God took an oath in His own name, saying: "I will certainly bless you richly, and I will multiply your descendants." Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised... So God has given us both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to His promise with confidence.
Hebrews 4:12 Hebrews 6:1-15, 18
October 30th
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen...
It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave His approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith. It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—"suddenly he disappeared because God took him." But before he was taken up, he was approved as pleasing to God. So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that there is a God, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about something that had never happened before. By his faith he condemned the rest of the world and was made right in the sight of God. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed God when God called him to leave his home and go to another land that God would give him as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God had promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
And it was by faith that Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were foreigners and nomads on the earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:1-16
October 31st
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.
He who received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be counted." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, and gave instructions about his bones. By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King's edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? There was Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouth of lions, quenched the fury of flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned into strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins; destitute, persecuted and mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:17-40
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