September 1st
The day of the Lord is near for all nations...
As you have done to others, so it will be done to you. ¤ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and instruction. ¤ Listen as wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! She takes her stand upon the heights and on the crossroads. At the entrance to the city, beside the city gates, she cries aloud, "I call to you, to all of you! I am raising my voice to all people. How naive you are! Let me give you common sense. O foolish ones, let me give you understanding. Listen to me! For I have excellent things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth, and deception is not found on my lips. My advice is wholesome and good. There is nothing crooked or twisted in it. My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those who want to learn.
Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can be compared with her. I, Wisdom, live together with good judgement. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the Lord will hate evil, pride, arrogance, corruption and perverted speech. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom. Insight and strength are mine. Because of me, kings reign and rulers make just laws. Because of me, princes rule, and nobles, and all the judges of the earth. I love those who love me. And those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor, wealth and justice are mine to distribute...
The Lord formed me from the beginning, before He created anything else. I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. I was born before the oceans were created, before any fountains abounded with water... When He prepared the heavens, I was there... I was there when He set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him, one brought up as a master craftsman, and I was His daily delight, rejoicing always in His presence, rejoicing in what He created—His inhabited world, and especially the human family!
Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not arrogantly reject it. Blessed is the person who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death."
Obadiah 1:15 Proverbs 1:7, 8:1-18, 8:22-24, 8:27 & 8:29-36
September 2nd
"You will all desert me," Jesus told them, "for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' "
And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me." He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting Him might pass Him by. "Father," He said, "everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away form Me. Yet I want Your will, not Mine." Then He returned and found the disciples asleep. "Simon!" He said to Peter. "Are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake and watch with Me even one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak."
Then Jesus left them again and prayed, repeating His pleadings. Again He returned to them and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say. When He returned to them the third time, he said, "Still sleeping? Still resting? Enough! The time has come. I, the Son of Man am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. See, my betrayer is here!"
And immediately, as He said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a mob that was armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent out by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders. Judas had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I go over and give Him the kiss of greeting. Then you can take Him away under guard." As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. "Teacher!" he exclaimed, and gave Him the kiss. Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested Him. ¤ When those around Him saw what was happening, they said to Him, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And He touched the place where the man's ear had been and healed him.
¤ Then all His disciples deserted Him and ran away. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he pulled free and fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
Mark 14:27, 32-47 Luke 22:49-51 Mark 14:50-53
September 3rd
This is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns
Having arrested Jesus they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." But he denied it. "Woman, I do not know Him," he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter replied, "I don't know what you are talking about!" Right then, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will have denied three times that you know Me." Then Peter went out and wept bitterly. Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.
¤ Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, the led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. Pilate questioned Him. "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him, "Yes, it is as you say." Then the chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, "Do you not answer? Do you not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?" But Jesus made no further answer, so Pilate was quite surprised.
¤ "Do You refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't You know that I have the authority to release You, and I have the authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me whatsoever, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." From then on Pilate made efforts to set Jesus free.
Luke 22:53-65 Mark 15:1-5, John 19:10, 11
September 4th
They made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on His head.
¤ And they began to call out to Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and spit on Him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on Him, then they led Him out to crucify Him.
¤ As they led Him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then they will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!', and to the hills, 'Cover us!' For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: "Aren't You the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are indeed punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth today, you will be with me in paradise."
Matthew 27:29 Mark 15:18-20 Luke 23:26-43
September 5th
At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three o'clock.
And about that time Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This man is calling for Elijah!" Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him." But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed His last.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely He was the Son of God!" Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out in the rock. He and his servants rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
¤ It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw Him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and found the disciples, who were grieving and weeping. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe her. ¤ "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said, 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore! And I hold the keys of death and Hades'".
Matthew 27:45-61 Mark 16:9-11 Revelation 1:17, 18
September 6th
Peter got up and ran to the tomb...
And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the linen burial clothes. Then he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. Now that same day two disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him. He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" He asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place, and some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but didn't find His body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive! Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see."
He then said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So He went in to stay with them. When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He suddenly disappeared from their sight!
Luke 24:12-31
September 7th
When they realized who He was, they rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the others, but no one believed them.
Still later, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their unbelief—their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He told them, "Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
¤ Then He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
¤ And Jesus said, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about Me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true." Then He opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures. And He said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
And He led them out as far as Bethany, where He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, as He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. ¤ And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was ascending, suddenly two men dressed in white stood there among them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven." ¤ Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually in the temple praising God.
Mark 16:13-16 Matthew 28:18-20 Luke 24:44-51 Acts 1:10, 11 Luke 24:52, 53
September 8th
There are some standing here who will not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.
¤ In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. ¤ Therefore my brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ¤ So let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
¤ On the day of Pentecost, after Jesus' resurrection, the disciples were meeting together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of the twelve. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit was giving them utterance... "This was what was spoken of through the prophet Joel," exclaimed Peter... "God has raised Jesus up from the dead, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both now see and hear... Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
¤ For He has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and He has brought us into the kingdom of His dear Son.
¤ Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who will be raised to life again. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ Jesus. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the second man, will be given new life. And there is an order to the resurrection: Christ was raised first, then when He comes back, all His people will be raised. After that the end will come, when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished all rule, authority and power; enemies of every kind. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
Mark 9:1 Daniel 2:44 2nd Peter 1:10, 11 Hebrews 12:28 Acts 2:1-4, 16, 32, 33, 38
Colossians 1:13 1st Corinthians 15:20-26
September 9th
Those who gladly accepted what Peter said were baptized, adding them to the church.
There were about three thousand that first day. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate meals together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and having the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
¤ The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? Suppose the whole body were an eye—then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?
But God made our bodies with many parts, and He has put each part just where He wants it. What a strange thing a body would be if it only had one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. We take special care to dress up some parts of out bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, but we don't have to be modest about other parts. But God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.
Acts 2:41-47 1st Corinthians 12:12-27
September 10th
Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.
The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord. The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. The high priest Annas was there, as well as Caiaphas, John Alexander, and other members of the high priest's family.
They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle of the assembly while they questioned them. They asked, "By what power and in whose name have you done this?" Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation's leaders and the elders: "You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a crippled man was healed. But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God has raised Him to life. He is the stone that you builders rejected, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus... "What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't happen. But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus." ...Peter and John answered, "Do you think God wants us to obey you, or to obey Him? We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard." The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.
John 20:21 Acts 4:1-13, 16, 17, 19-22
September 11th
All the believers were one in heart and mind. They felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
And the apsotles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was on all the people. There were no needy persons among them, for from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostle's feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. ¤ At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people... And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number...
"Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?" the high priest demanded. "Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about Jesus, and you intend to blame us for His death!" But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by crucifying Him. God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior, that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey Him." ...And so every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. ¤ The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
¤ Do you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised for the dead through the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. And we know that our old self was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin... And thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted. ¤ You were all baptized into Christ, and so you have clothed yourself with Christ.
Acts 4:32-35 Acts 5:12, 14, 28-32, 42 Acts 6:7 Romans 6:3-6, 17 Galatians 3:27
September 12th
Seven men were presented to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
¤ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. Then one day some men from the Synagogue of Freedmen, as it was called, began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. So they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God." And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. They put forward false witnesses who said, "This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us."
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. ¤ Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?" To this he replied, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him. 'Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.' So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of the ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. God spoke to him in this way:
'Your descendants will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship Me in this place.' Then He gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and put him in charge of all the affairs of his palace."
Acts 6:6, 8-15 Acts 7:1-10
September 13th
Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food.
"But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers eventually died. Their bodies were later brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, our people had increased and multiplied in Egypt, until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies, so that our people would not survive.
It was at this time that Moses was born, and he was lovely in the sight of God, and was nurtured three months in his father's home. When at last they had to abandon him, due to Pharaoh's edict, Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him as her own son. Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became mighty in both speech and action. When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. During this visit, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a man of Israel. So Moses came to his defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. Moses assumed his brothers would realize that God had sent him to rescue him, but they didn't.
The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. After forty more years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice; 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look."
Acts 7:11-32
September 14th
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.'
'I have seen the suffering of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now I am sending you back to Egypt.' This was the same Moses that the people rejected by saying, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God Himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty long years in the desert. This is the Moses that told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from among your own people.' He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us. But our fathers refused to obey him.
Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don't know what happened to him!' That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.'
Our ancestors carried the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by men. As the prophet says, 'Heaven in My throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things?' "
Acts 7:33-50
September 15th
"You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth.
Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him—you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels, but have not obeyed it."
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died. And Saul (later called Paul) was there, giving approval to his death.
¤ On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
¤ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking any good thing. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Acts 7:51-60 Acts 8:1-8 James 1:2-5
September 16th
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria.
Simon boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man has divine power known as the Great Power." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip because he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. ¤ Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
¤ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the miraculous portion of the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and held captive by sin." Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
¤ If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise!
Acts 8:9-13 Mark 16:16 Acts 8:14-25 James 3:13
September 17th
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go South to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."
So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candice, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. Philip then asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth." The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. What prevents me from being baptized?" And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no longer, but went on his way rejoicing.
¤ Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?" "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the voice answered. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
Acts 8:26-39 Acts 9:1-6
September 18th
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound of a voice, but saw no one!
Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything during that time. In Damascas there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on the street which is called Straight and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name."
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may regain your sight again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. ¤ Then Ananias said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name."
¤ He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul then spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't this the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on His name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept watch on the city gates in order to put him to death. But some other believers took him by night and lowered him down in a basket through an opening in the city wall.
Acts 9:7-18 Acts 22:14-16 Acts 9:18-25
September 19th
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
¤ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send a man to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
About noon the following day as they were on their journey approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back into heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.
They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them." Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?" The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests...
John 14:6 Acts 10:1-23
September 20th
But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
¤ The next day, Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "for I too am only a man." Talking together with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them, "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"
Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, "Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea. So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us." Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him. We are witnesses of everything He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed Him by hanging Him on a tree, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."
Ephesians 2:13 Acts 10:24-43
September 21st
For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.
¤ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in other languages and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? For they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. ¤ The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God...
"As I began to speak," Peter said, "the holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles, just as He had come upon us at the very beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said; 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as He gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" When they heard this they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
¤ For by grace you have been saved through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast... For Christ Himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us. By His death He ended the whole system of Jewish law that excluded the Gentiles. His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new person from the two groups. Together, as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death...
So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. We are together His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.
¤ He shines on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
Psalm 48:14 Acts 10:44-48 Acts 11:1, 15-18 Ephesians 2:8, 14-16, 19, 20 Luke 1:79
September 22nd
They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them.
¤ Peter was put into prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent His angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." When this dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl name Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the others about this," he said, and then he left for another place. In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
Isaiah 49:10 Acts 12:5-19
September 23rd
Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' "
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. ¤ At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.
¤ Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man's enemies will be the members of his own household... If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of being Mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for Me, you will find it.
Acts 13:41-52 Acts 14:1-4 Matthew 10:34-36, 38, 39
September 24th
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.
¤ In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, He let all nations go their own way. Yet, He has not left Himself without testimony; He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
¤ According to some people, there are many so-called gods and many lords, both in heaven and on earth. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we exist for Him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life. However, not all Christians realize this. ¤ Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. ¤ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods. ¤ For You, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
Exodus 20:2, 3 Acts 14:8-20 1st Corinthians 8:5-7 Galatians 4:8 Exodus 18:11 Psalm 97:9
September 25th
Peter kept on exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his word were baptized.
¤ From there we sailed to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed there several days. On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us into her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord." she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. ¤ If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you; "No servant is greater than his master." If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well. If they obeyed My teaching, they would obey yours as well.
Acts 2:40, 41 Acts 16:12-24 John 15:18-20
September 26th
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had all escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself, for we are all here!" The jailer called for a torch, then rushed into the prison and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they taught the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order; "Release those men." The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."
But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out." The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas had come out of the prison, they went up to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they departed.
¤ We are all baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free... For the body is not one member, but many. ¤ So, like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
Acts 16:25-40 1st Corinthians 12:13, 14 1st Peter 2:2
September 27th
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness of heart, and examined the Scriptures daily to see if the things Paul said were true.
Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men... But while Paul was in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols... Paul stood up in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an alter with this inscription: 'To The Unknown God'. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you...
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead." When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." At that, Paul left the council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. ¤ Many are called, but few are chosen.
Acts 17:11, 12, 16, 22-34 Matthew 22:14
September 28th
Some came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because You pay no attention to who they are; but You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth."
¤ Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more accurately. ¤ For as many of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
¤ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the upper country and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in other languages and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
¤ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called into one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ¤ I write to you so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. ¤ The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons... So have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness... Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching; preserve in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
Mark 12:14 Acts18:24-26 Galatians 3:27 Acts 19:1-7 Ephesians 4:4, 5
1st Timothy 3:15 1st Timothy 4:1, 7, 16
September 29th
As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to the crowd?"
¤ Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers, and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' He replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of Him who was speaking to me. 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all the things appointed for you to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' At that very moment I was able to see him.
Then he said to me, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the words of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, what are you waiting for? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick,' He said to me, 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
...Then He said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "
The crowd listened to Paul until he had said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!"
Acts 21:37 Acts 22:3-22
September 30th
Only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also.
Baptism is not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him. ¤ For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.
Because of that, we have an even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay close attention to what they have written, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture ever came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. ¤ But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.
They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who paid their ransom—bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways, and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction does not slumber.
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgement; If He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; If He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; And if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men there... If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgement, while continuing their punishment.
1st Peter 3:20-22 2nd Peter 1:17-21 2nd Peter 2:1-7, 9
Back to M&V Trailhead
HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH