The Call of Salvation…

Read: Acts 1-3
Marked: Acts 2:21, And it shall come to pass [That] whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’

The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and they began to speak in other tongues (V4). And men from every nation under heaven heard them speaking in their own language

The Word of God is for everyone, not just a few, the special, or the chosen. Of the approximately seven thousand five hundred languages in the world today, the Bible has been translated into about five thousand three hundred languages so people can hear about the wonderful works of God.

The Word of God has come to all, so the promise of salvation is for all. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Have you called upon Him?

Am I seeking My Own?…

Read: Philippians 1-4
Marked: Philippians 2:21, For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

In what ways do I seek my own? If I take the things of God and use them to satisfy myself, am I not seeking my own?

There’s a lot going on in the world today affecting people everywhere, including Christians. But how am I responding differently than those who are in the world?

How much discomfort, limitations, or other things, which I take for granted or consider rights, am I willing to endure for the sake of Jesus? Isn’t He my example?

Hebrews 12:2 says I am to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. He is my perfect example. He saw the cross not as a limitation placed on Him, but as a joy set before Him, and endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Should I do less? I am no longer my own, but Christ lives in me.

Walking Worthy…

Read: Colossians 1-4; Philemon 1
Marked: Colossians 1:10, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him,] being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Realizing what it is that Jesus has done for me on the cross compels me to walk worthy of Him, pleasing Him, bearing fruit, and increasing in knowledge.

It was He who delivered me from the kingdom of darkness (V13). I am now a citizen of the kingdom of the Son of His love. Once I was alienated and an enemy in my mind by the wicked things I did.

But Christ redeemed me that I should walk in the fullness of His presence, continuing in the faith, grounded and steadfast, not moving away from the Hope I have in the gospel.

Putting on the New Man…

Read: Ephesians 4-6
Marked: Ephesians 4:22-24, that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Many think this is it. This life and this time and this world, and seek to make the most of it as they see fit. Some try to live good lives however they define good.

Others try to get as much as they can get out of life by any means possible. This only leads, eventually, to death.

Jesus says that if we hear His word and believe in Him who sent Him, we can have everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but pass from death to life.

So, to live means to live as Jesus teaches, putting off my former conduct. In Christ the old man is dead and I now live the new life according to the Word of God having my mind renewed by the Spirit of God.

In Christ I am born again, a new man, recreated and living as God intended, in true righteousness and holiness.

Life Without Christ…

Read: Ephesians 1-3
Marked: Ephesians 2:11-12, Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh–who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands–that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

A dead man doesn’t know he is dead. And so it is with unbelievers. Thinking they are alive, not knowing they are actual dead in sins and trespasses.

Those without God in this world have no real hope. They make do. They look to things, and for things, that make them believe they have hope. But like the dead, they don’t know that they are dead.

About Christ, the Bible says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:4-5).

In Christ is life and He came to bring that life to those who are dead. There is nothing worse than having no hope. My hope is in Jesus and life is better with Him and with God.

Back to the Past…

Read: Luke 23-24
Marked: Luke 24:27, And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Paul’s says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. The Old Testament contains more than two-thirds of what God has given for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness to thoroughly equip us for every good work.

Jesus, as He spoke to the two men on the road to Emmaus, didn’t relate the events of the past three years, but took them into the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is full of the revelation of Jesus. Am I willing to search Him out in its pages? Wisemen still seek the Lord.

Signs of the Times…

Read: Luke 21-22
Marked: Luke 21:17, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.”

The Lord is providing an event timeline leading to the end of all things. It begins with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem followed by wars and commotions.

The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and there has never been an end to wars and commotions.

The 20th Century has seen growing tensions, ethnic divisions, violence, and it seems, more destructive earthquakes than ever before.

More people are in danger of famine than perhaps at any other time in history, and strange and horrible diseases, including the current Covid pandemic, seem to be more prevalent. Now we are seeing a growing hatred of godly things, especially historic Christianity.

What troubles me is that this anger, this hatred of the Bible, and those who hold to its teachings, are coming even from within the church.

This hatred will continue to grow because that’s what Jesus said would happen; along with everything else. There is more coming.

Signs in the heavens, and distress of nations, and then the Lord will return. Are we ready? Are we looking up? The time of which Jesus spoke may very well be upon us.

Will You Let Him Reign?…

Read: Luke 19-20
Marked: Luke 19:27, “But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay [them] before me.”

The enemies of the ruler were the ones who hated him and had sent a delegation to him not wanting to have him rule over them (V14).

One reason people reject Jesus is because they don’t want to be accountable to Him. In fact, they hate the very thought of Him being Lord over them. So, they choose to reject Him, or even deny His existence.

But choices have consequences and sometimes they are severe. The question of Christ’s Lordship over us is one such choice. It really is a life or death decision.

Will You Glorify God?…

Read: Luke 17-18
Marked: Luke 17:15, And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

The Lord had healed ten lepers and sent them off to show the priests. But only one came back to Jesus to give glory to God.

Jesus heals many from death through salvation in His name. Yet, how many return to give glory to God by living according to the commands of the Lord?

Many are called but few are chosen, or perhaps, many are called but few choose to serve the Lord and give Him glory.

Justified Part 2…

Read: Luke 14-16
Marked: Luke 16:15, And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

We can justify ourselves before men, but we can’t justify ourselves before God because only God knows our hearts.

Truthfully, I can know my own heart, but not the heart of others. Sure, I can judge the heart of another, but my judgment may not be accurate. Most likely, not accurate at all.

But God judges our hearts with perfect precision. Our hearts try to justify ourselves and while we might feel righteous in our own justification, compared to God’s righteous standard, our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)