Category Archives: Daily Reading

Post with each day’s reading.

2015 Day 205 – Ephesians 1

24 Friday Jul 2015

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Our salvation is 100% up to God. It is through His grace that we have been saved and it is His choice to extend grace to us. In Ephesians 1:4 Paul says, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. God’s desire is for us to be holy and blameless at all cost, including at the cost of the death of His son. It is at the feet of Jesus and His sacrifice that we are brought into holiness and blamelessness in His sight.

2015 Day 204 – Philemon

23 Thursday Jul 2015

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In today’s reading we are in the short book of Philemon. This book is a letter Paul wrote while in prison to Philemon, who was probably a wealthy member of the Colossian church. The purpose of the letter was to try to convince Philemon to forgive his runaway slave Onesimus. While Paul does not condemn slavery, which was very common in the Roman empire, he does make a radical statement in the beginning of Philemon 1:16 no longer a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. Paul calls Onesimus Philemon’s dear brother. This is important to all of us. No matter who we are or where we stand in society, as believers we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

2015 Day 203 – Acts 28

22 Wednesday Jul 2015

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Today we come to the end of the book of Acts. This marks the end of Luke’s account of the history of the early church, but in actuality it marks the beginning of the history of our Faith. Without the boldness of Paul to force the hand of the local Roman leaders to appear before Caesar, he would not have been sent to Rome. Though Paul was imprisoned, he was still given freedom to preach the gospel and share his faith with anyone who would listen. Let us learn from Paul’s and other early church leader’s examples of taking every opportunity to share our faith with others. In doing so, we are to remember to follow Paul’s example, which he learned from Christ, to love others and help to provide their needs before expecting them to understand God’s love for them. We are the Hands and Feet of Christ, just as Paul was over 2,000 years ago.

2015 Day 202 – Acts 27

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

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Paul has been through it all; persecution, beatings, imprisonment, and now being shipwrecked. But through it all, he is thankful to God and His provision. In Acts 26:35, Paul urges the other men on the ship to eat something, 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. Even in the midst of a literal storm, Paul finds the ability to thank God. Paul is a great example of what servant leadership looks like.

2015 Day 201 – Acts 26

20 Monday Jul 2015

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Paul knew the sacrifices he was making for the Kingdom of God were worth it. He knew it didn’t matter what was needed, he was willing to do it and he hoped that others would feel the same, though he hoped for a day when the suffering would not be necessary. Acts 26:29says, Paul replied, Short or long – I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Paul wants other believers to experience victory at any cost, but he hopes it does not cost suffering. Paul’s true heart is revealed in this statement.

2015 Day 199 – Acts 25

18 Saturday Jul 2015

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In today’s reading we see Paul is continuing to be held in prison for over two year. He refused to allow the Jews to manipulate the situation against him. In the end, Paul knew the accusations against him were wrong on both the civil and spiritual level. He was not afraid to stand before Caesar for the trumped up charges. Paul also knew all of these situations would be used for God’s glory. As an instrument being used by God, we can be very powerful if we align ourselves with God’s will.

2015 Day 198 – Acts 24

17 Friday Jul 2015

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There is no situation God cannot use for His glory and to reach people. Even when we find ourselves in a bad situation, God can make the most of it. In today’s reading, what looks like a bad situation where Paul is in custody for two years, God used Paul to speak about Him and the “Way” on a regular basis with Governor Felix. When we think we are in a hopeless situation, remember God can use you right where you are. It is all about God and His glory.

2015 Day 197 – Acts 23

16 Thursday Jul 2015

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In today’s reading I had an interesting thought. More than 40 men bound themselves to an oath to kill Paul and not eat until this was accomplished. When they were unable to fulfill their oath, did they end up starving to death? My understanding is that these oaths were taken very serious. I know this is probably a silly thought, but I can’t seem to get over it. It would seem these men were more willing to take an oath to sin against God’s law and commit murder than to seek the truth. When we choose to focus our energy it is best to focus on things that really matter. Choosing to hate instead of love in Jesus’ name is not only against everything Jesus stood for, it is foolish and a waste of time.

2015 Day 196 – Acts 22

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

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There is not a lot I can say about today’s reading in Acts 22. The only real observation I have for today is God’s protection over Paul. While there were times Paul received harsh treatment, on this day Paul’s Roman Citizenship kept him safe from be beaten and interrogated. Sometimes there is something placed in our lives and we don’t even know the significance until we need it. Paul’s citizenship gave him many things, but in this particular case it gave him the right to be found guilty before he could be punished.

2015 Day 195 – Acts 21

14 Tuesday Jul 2015

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As a reminder, this year we are reading the New Testament in Chronological order based on the date of events recorded along with when certain books were written. The book of Acts covers most of the New Testament time period. As we read certain books we come back to the book of Acts to tie the books together. Paul is the main character through most of the letters in the New Testament, but he is not the only one.

In today’s reading we see what happened to Paul when he returned to Jerusalem. While he tried to be respectful of the Jews and maintain the laws of purification, they still falsely accused him of stirring up trouble and even bringing Gentiles into the temple, which would have been a desecration of the temple..

One of the great lessons here is this: While Paul tried to do the right thing, he still suffered. We cannot assume because we do the right things we will be saved from suffering in this life. When we live our lives in such a way that is honoring to God, evil will still be present and most likely very active, but that should not deter us from doing what is right and honoring to God. Our reward is in eternity and in the relationship we are blessed to have with God.