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Heart Preparation:
Speaking about Paul’s letters in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter writes to the church that “his letters contain some things that are hard to understand”. I’m not afraid to admit that I agree wholeheartedly with Peter. So, if you’re like Peter and myself, there are portions of Paul’s writing that can be difficult to fully understand. Therefore, each day this week as you prepare to read through First and Second Corinthians, pray that God will give you understanding and clarity in what He is wanting you to learn and understand through the words of Paul. Reading Plan:
What to Expect: 1 Corinthians 5-6: Paul addresses the Christians in Corinth regarding disorder in the church. Sin had crept into the church. Specifically, sexual immorality and lawsuits amongst the believers. 1 Corinthians 7-16: These chapters contain Paul’s answers/instruction to the questions the Corinthians had been asking. Paul addresses marriage, food sacrificed to idols, rights of an apostle, gifts of the spirit, and the resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians closes with an appeal for the church to take a collection of money to send to the much poorer saints in Jerusalem. 2 Corinthians: While 1 Corinthians is mostly a letter of correction and instruction, 2 Corinthians has a considerably more personal feel. Paul devotes a large part of this letter to defending his authority to teach the gospel, as well as his commitment to spreading the gospel. Personal Insight: At some point in all of our lives we have gone through valleys. Periods of time in our lives that test our resolve, our strength, and even our faith. It’s likely that someone reading this is in one of those valleys right now. They are an inevitable part of our life on this side of heaven. But Paul gives believers great hope, and comfort, in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Speaking of hardships, he says: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This is only true IF we are in Christ, and he is in us. Because without Christ, we do lose heart. And we actually waste away inwardly at a much faster pace than we do outwardly. Without him, we have nothing to renew us day by day. A person going through these times without Jesus will ONLY see what can be seen. It’s all they know. And what can be seen will bring nothing but more pain, worry, and fear. All of this together can put someone in a pretty dark place. To me this is what makes Paul’s metaphor earlier in chapter 4 about treasures in jars of clay so profoundly true. When we go through this life with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, even though our physical bodies and minds are just fragile jars that can be shattered at any time, we are filled with treasure. That treasure is the eternal glory that outweighs all of our trials. It is that unseen, eternal hope that we fix our eyes on when we find ourself in the valley. King David wrote In Psalm 34 17-19 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. If you are in one of those valleys today, or the next time you find yourself in one, no matter the depth, strive to focus on that glorious, unseen thing that is eternal. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comesupon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. -1 Peter 4:12-13 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. -Romans 5:3-5. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. -James 1:12 Prayer: Heavenly father, thank you for loving us so much and being our rock. Thank you for being that outstretched hand when we feel like we’re in a sea of quicksand. May we spend our time in this earthly life honoring, and loving you above all other things. May we lean on your word, and your promises even more when we are at our lowest. In the mighty name of Jesus -Amen This week’s devotion was prepared by Jonathan King
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Heart Preparation:
This week’s reading is pretty well known. It’s the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. As much as you might’ve known it before, make sure you enter with eyes open to see God’s truths. Even though you might read the same event four different ways, look at each of the individual perspectives that the authors write from. And in it all, know that you are reading the fulfillment of prophecy, you are reading the account of what our hope is built on, the sacrifice of Jesus, and that His sacrifice was fully accepted by God, and therefore you are reading how we are able to be in right relationship with God. Through the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Weekly Reading:
What to Expect: This week, you are going to be reading another account of Jesus’ final week, often called Holy Week. This stems from His triumphal entry, to being anointed by Mary at Bethany, to clearing out the temple for the abuse that the religious leaders were having with it, to His final evening with His disciples in the upper room, where He institutes the Lord’s Supper. You will then witness the trial of Jesus, where He stands before the High Priest, Caiaphas (the religious leader), King Herod (the national puppet leader), and Pilate (the governor/political leader). You will read four different accounts of how they treated Jesus, seeing the fulfillment of Isaiah 53, He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed… He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. Though Jesus was innocent, you are going to read about His crucifixion, facing extreme agony physically (Romans were experts at inflicting pain), emotionally (the soldiers and leaders mock Jesus and humiliate Him, and spiritually (Jesus feels complete separation from God, experiencing His wrath and being forsaken by Him on the cross). He went through all of this for us. You will then see the greatest moment in the history of the world. Paul states it this way, If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. BUT IN FACT CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD! I hope you shouted that, because it is the news that needs to be shouted from the mountain tops! Christ is not dead, but instead He has conquered death, and we too therefore have a hope because of this very moment that you are going to be reading this week! Personal Insight: Every year we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every year we hear about what He has done for us. Every year we reflect on the fact that He has risen from the dead. But, have we become numb to it? Just as I typed that last couple of sentences in the prior section, I could feel an intensity increase in my striking the keyboard. Jesus is raised from the dead. He promises that through His resurrection we too can be raised from the dead. We don’t have to fear death. It is not the end for us, but the beginning. The beginning of eternal glory. We live in eternal life right now, knowing Jesus, but as Paul says, now we see in part, soon we will see fully. I just got done reading Revelation in my own study, and when you read Revelation with the resurrection fresh in your mind, you have confidence. You see that as much as the spiritual and political forces may try, Christ is victorious! He wins! He proved that already at the resurrection. The cross could not hold Him. The grave could not hold Him. Our sin could not hold Him. He lived a perfect, completely sinless life, in every way, to be the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, so that He is the only one worthy of all praise and glory and honor, and He did it so that we could enter into perfect relationship with the Father, as adopted sons, because we, though unrighteous, are now righteous before the Father because we have received His righteousness! A righteousness not of works, but of faith in the perfect Son of God! Thank you Jesus! Prayer: Jesus thank you! That’s it, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Amen! This week’s devotion was prepared by Andrew Peterman. Heart Preparation Many of the stories that we read in the Gospels can seem repetitive to us, or just potentially seem like stories we are familiar with. If you grew up in church, you have probably heard of the miracles of Jesus, as well as many of His parables. Therefore, we can grow almost numb to what we are really reading. This week, as you open up God’s Word, pray for Him to give you fresh eyes to what you are reading. When you read about the miracles of Jesus, think of what it would have been like to witness those firsthand. He simply speaks or touches, and the person is healed. When you read about His teachings, think of what it would have been like when hearing what He has to say in a culture that was extremely rules driven. Take what Jesus is saying and look at it as if He were also speaking to you. We often like to see Him make Pharisees mad, because they represent the abuse of religion that seems prevalent today, but don’t miss the potential we all have in us to be just like the Pharisees, hypocrites who hear what God says and think it needs to apply to everyone else. Each day, pray the prayer of Paul over the Ephesians, that you may have the eyes of your hearts enlightened…. Reading Plan
What to Expect This week’s readings consist of the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. You will get one more account of the Triumphal entry, where they proclaim Him to be the coming Messiah. But in just a few days, the rulers will crucify Him. In His final week before His crucifixion, you are going to see the rhetoric of the Pharisees and religious rulers increase, and the tensions between Jesus and the rulers grows as He calls them out for their hypocrisy, for their misuse of the Temple, and for their lack of care for what truly matters, the hearts of the people. What to Look For As mentioned already, the tension between the religious leaders and Jesus is growing. Take note of how Jesus treats those He encounters. The heart of the Gospel is coming for the broken. That’s how Jesus started His ministry, in Mark 2:17, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. The Pharisee’s thought that they were righteous, and Jesus showed them that they were unrighteous. The sinners and tax collectors knew that they were looked down upon, and Jesus gave them grace, compassion, and love. Personal Insight The statement above has really hit me. So often, I can see those Pharisee tendencies in my life. I can see times where I allow pride to sneak in and therefore I believe that I am deserving of God’s grace. I feel that I am righteous by my own efforts. I feel like when Jesus said that He came to save sinners and not the righteous, the Pharisee’s potentially thought they didn’t need His saving. They missed the point. There is no one who does righteous. There is no one who is righteous by our own standard. That’s the beauty of the Gospel. It’s not based on our works, but on His perfect work. The Gospel is that Jesus, God in nature, took on flesh and became like us, so that we all, from the lowest level (sinners and tax collectors of Jesus’ day), to the highest (Pharisees), all have a level playing field. On the days that I feel that I am rocking it, I am still saved by grace through faith in Christ. On the days that I feel like I am failing miserably at everything I do, I am still saved by grace through faith in Christ. For our sake He made Him who knew no sin to become sin, so that in Him WE might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Prayer Heavenly Father, thank you! It is because of Your great love that I am able to pray this prayer to a God who hears me. Even in my darkest moments, Your love comes running after me. You give me grace. Even when I am arrogant in my own works, You are patient with me and gently lead me back to You. Thank you for never giving up on me! May I walk with a heart of humility, seeing the mission of Your Son as the driving force in my life, that He came to seek and save the lost. Thank you for saving a lost like me, and adopting me into your eternal home. This week’s devotion was prepared by Andy Peterman. If you would like to read more about the Dating of the Crucifixion of Christ, click the button below to go to the Blog on our website
Heart Preparation:
As you read this week, God is showing you His character in the person of His Son Jesus. “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation,” as Paul wrote in Colossians 1:15. Hebrews 1:2 tells us that God “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” When Jesus was transfigured on a mountaintop in front of Peter, James and John, “a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’” (Mark 9:7). Ask God to help you learn more and more from Jesus, and to love Him (which means to obey Him) more and more. Week’s Reading Plan:• Sunday, Oct. 26th – Luke 12-13 • Monday, Oct. 27th – Luke 14-15 • Tuesday, Oct. 28th – Luke 16:1-17:10 • Wednesday, Oct. 29th – John 11 • Thursday, Oct. 30th – Luke 17:11-18:14 • Friday, Oct. 31st – Matthew 19, Mark 10 • Saturday, Nov. 1 -- Matthew 20-21 What to Expect: These chapters take place during the last 3 months of Jesus’ earthly life, from early Jan. to early March of 33 A.D. In Luke chapters 12-16, Jesus was still proclaiming Truth to crowds, “passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.” After the Jerusalem temple leaders tried to stone him in John chapter 10, Jesus and His disciples had gone away to Perea, east of the Jordan River. In John chapter 11, the pivotal point in John’s Gospel, Jesus went to Bethany, just 2 miles from Jerusalem, to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead. The outraged Jerusalem temple leaders then sought to kill both Lazarus and Jesus, so Jesus and His disciples went to Ephraim, about 25 miles north of Jerusalem and near the border with Samaria. There he healed 10 lepers, but only the one Samaritan leper came back to thank him (Luke 17:11-19). Jesus then made his final trip south to Jerusalem, met the rich young ruler, healed blind Bartimaeus in Jericho, and called Zaccheus as a disciple in Jericho. He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem from Bethany on the Mount of Olives, while people proclaimed Him as Messiah and King. Things to Look For: In Luke 12:4, Jesus says to not fear those who kill the body, but to fear God. He says this knowing that He will be killed in less than 3 months, and that many of His followers will later be persecuted and killed. He then tells the parable of the rich fool, and tells people not to lay up treasure for themselves, but to be rich toward God. In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son, and concludes each parable with: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance.” Jesus makes his 5th of 7 “I AM” statements in John 11:25, saying “I AM the resurrection and the life” (which equates Jesus with God the Father). In John 11:27, Martha is the5th of 7 witnesses in this Gospel who state that Jesus is God. The last of Jesus’ 7 “signs” in John’s Gospel, that prove that He is God, is raising Lazarus from the deadafter he’s been in the grave for 4 days (something never done before or since then). This final sign is a dividing point among people in Israel, as many more come to believe in Jesus as Messiah and God, but the Jerusalem temple leaders become hardened and dead-set to killJesus. On Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem, the rich young rulerrefuses to repent and give up his privileges to follow Jesus. Soon after that, Zaccheus (a chief tax collector) does repent, makes restitution to those whom he cheated, gives to the poor, and follows Jesus. This echoes the joy in heaven in the parables of Luke chapter 15. The religious rulers’ rage grows as Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey,fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, but the common people proclaim Him as Messiah and King. Personal Insight: Jesus acts out His stated mission (and parables) of seeking and saving the lost by asking the rich young ruler to follow Him, inviting Himself to Zaccheus’ house, healing the injured in synagogues while teaching on the Sabbath, and healing lepers and blind men along the road. Jesus demonstrates the wisdom of God in His teaching, the power of God in His miracles, and the compassion of God in His concern for people. Jesus weeps 3 times: over unrepentant Jerusalem in Luke 13:34-35 and in Luke 19:41-44, and over the curse of death in John 11:35. Jesus has fully dedicated His life to bringing people back to God the Father, and will soon lay down His life to accomplish this. He calls us to follow Him by always listening for the Holy Spirit’s leading in opportunities to share the love of Jesus with others. We cannot do this on our own, as we’re all born with a sinful bent. The model for coming to God is in John chapter 11. We must die to our worldly false self, be buried in baptism, and allow Jesus to call us to our true, eternal life in Him. Prayer: Father God, empower us with your Holy Spirit to be boldly preemptive like Jesus in seeking out those who don’t know You but are searching for meaning or fulfillment in their lives. Help us to not be “rich fools” but to emulate Zaccheus by continuing to repent of any and all sins that You reveal to us, and to give generously to missions that help people and lead them to Christ, both nearby and around the world. Enable us to fully dedicate our lives to following Jesus and bringing people to Him, as we pray this in Jesus’ name. May it be so. This week’s devotion was prepared by Brenda Reid, Missions Team leader at Center Christian Church. |
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