Category: Devotional

Devotional

Daily Devotional-October 1st

October 1, 2020

The book of Exodus tells the story of the birth of the nation of Israel fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.  From the seventy descendants of Jacob, Israel was fruitful and multiplied greatly until they filled the whole land of Egypt.  After four centuries of slavery, God answers the cries of His people for deliverance.  God raises up Moses for this calling, to lead his people out of bondage to a land of promise and deliverance. 

Some of the greatest stories of the Bible are featured in Exodus—from the Ten Plagues, and the Passover, to the crossing of the Red Sea, and the establishment of the covenant at Mount Sinai. The Passover lamb, the exodus from the land of Egypt, the seven feasts, the tabernacle, and even the high priest, are all foreshadows of the ministry of Christ.

Chapters 1-18 contains the events leading up to God’s delivering the Hebrews from their captivity in Egypt, and chapters 19-40 shares the events in the wilderness and the account of God’s instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai to direct the life and worship of the nation.

Exodus 1

Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Pharaoh Oppresses Israel

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Reflection:

  • What do verses 1-7 say to us about small beginnings?
  • What does verse 8 have to say about relying too heavily on past spiritual victories?
  • How do we see God’s presence and work even during suffering and persecution?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to trust and believe you even when difficulties arise in my life.  Even when I don’t understand, help me to have faith that you are at work.  Don’t allow me to be content with past spiritual successes. Every day is a new day with you Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 30th

September 30, 2020

Peter closes out his second letter by encouraging the believers to remember what the prophets had foretold long ago, and what the Lord had promised through the apostles about the last days.  He exhorts them to not grow weary when scoffers call into question the coming of the Lord.  Christians must keep in mind that the Lord is patient and desires for all people to repent.  But Peter also reminds believers that, just as the Lord spoke the world into existence by his word, he will one day bring time to an end in the same way.

2 Peter 3

The Day of the Lord Will Come

3 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Final Words

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Reflection:

  • How does Peter describe when the heavens and earth pass away?
  • How should God’s people live in these last days?
  • Are you grateful for God’s patience?

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your promises and faithfulness.  Thank you for your patience towards us. Keep us faithful in these last days as we patiently await your appearing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 29th

September 29, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

2 Peter 2

False Prophets and Teachers

2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 28th

September 28, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

In the opening chapter to his second epistle Peter gives us some incredible promises: God has already given us absolutely everything we need in order to live a godly life through Jesus! He calls his readers to pursue this kind of godly living by being ever increasing in certain qualities, such as faith, virtue, godliness, knowledge, and love. He says that if you are increasing in these qualities in your life, you will be effective for the Kingdom, assured of your salvation, and kept from falling!

Peter then goes on to recall his experience with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, how he had seen the glory of Jesus revealed and heard the Father’s approval of the Son. He reminds his readers that their testimony about Jesus is the truth, and that it confirms the prophetic witness of the Old Testament prophets. 

This is significant because Peter is about to address the issue of false prophets. He makes the distinction clear: true prophecy never arises from the heart of man, but comes from God as the prophet is carried along by the Holy Spirit. He tells his readers to pay close attention to the prophetic witness because it is like a light shining in the darkness; we would do well to do the same!

2 Peter 1

Greeting

1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirm Your Calling and Election

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Christ’s Glory and the Prophetic Word

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • How can you be intentional to be pursuing the qualities that Peter lists in this chapter? How might paying careful attention to the glory of Jesus and the prophetic witness of the Old Testament aid in this pursuit?
Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 27th

September 27, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

In the closing chapter of his first epistle Peter gives instructions for the elders of the churches as well as those under their care. He tells them all to be clothe themselves with humility towards one another and to cast their cares upon God because He cares for them!

Peter then warns his readers to be vigilant in guarding themselves against the attacks of the devil. He reminds them that they have a great spiritual enemy who is looking to destroy and devour them. Satan sometimes causes our suffering as believers, and other times he will try to use it to destroy us or to crush our faith.

Peter calls his readers to stand firm and know that they are not alone in their suffering! The experience they are going through is one that is universal to the church all over the world; we all suffer in some way for the sake of Christ, and so we are never alone in this spiritual struggle! In the end, after we have suffered temporarily, God will be faithful to restore us and bring us into a place where suffering is abolished forever!

1 Peter 5

Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • How can you heed Peter’s warning to be on guard against spiritual attack from the devil?
Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 26th

September 26, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

In this chapter Peter reminds his readers that the end of all things, along with the final judgment of humanity, is swiftly approaching. In light of this fact, he calls them to live godly lives, to love one another deeply and to steward the spiritual gift which God had given them faithfully for the glory of God!

Peter then urges his readers not to be surprised or caught off guard by the suffering and persecution that they are experiencing. He reminds them that they are actually participating in Christ’s own sufferings when they suffer for their faith, and he implies that suffering and trial are the norm for faithful Christians. Jesus Himself said that His followers would be persecuted: if the world persecuted and murdered our Lord and Savior, how should we expect to be treated any differently?

So we who live without persecution for our faith are the exception, not the norm, for the church of Jesus Christ. Whenever persecution does arise, we ought not to be surprised by it or caught off guard as if it were something strange, but we should understand that this is what we have been called to as believers! Suffering is a necessary and integral part of what Jesus has called His followers to. As we endure suffering and persecution, we set our eyes on a hope that transcends every circumstance, a hope that is found in the faithfulness of our Creator, and we continue to pursue Him in doing good!

1 Peter 4

Stewards of God’s Grace

4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • How does the nearness of the end, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the final judgment, help us to endure our temporary suffering which we experience in this world? How does the example of Jesus and the suffering He endured motivate us to respond to our suffering?
Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 25th

September 25, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

Peter begins this chapter by giving instructions for how husbands and wives should follow the example of Christ in their marriage. He then goes on to explain how the church is to follow the righteous example of Jesus in their suffering, how they are never to repay evil for evil but to bless those who persecute them!

This backwards way of living and loving is a demonstration to the world of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus: Peter commands his readers, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord” (v.15a). It is only in revering Jesus in this way that we can learn to live as He did and have joy and life and peace in the midst of our suffering. 

Peter seemingly assumes that people will ask how we can have such joy and peace in the midst of suffering if we really live this out (v.15b). When we live this way, it gets the attention of the world around us which has no lasting hope to get them through times of suffering and hardship. Our joy, peace, and rest in the midst of suffering is one of the greatest testimonies to the glory and worth of our Lord and Savior, who is our eternal hope, and living this way opens doors to proclaim Him to the people around us!

When God’s people suffer for doing good and remain full of joy, compassion, and abundant life, it demonstrates the reality of our faith to an unbelieving world. 

1 Peter 3

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • How can our conduct and attitude through times of suffering serve as a platform for proclaiming the gospel? How can you walk this out in obedience this week?
Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 24th

September 24, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

Peter opens his second chapter by reminding his audience of the identity they have received in Christ. Unlike the unbelieving world, we have been made “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (v.9a). God has done this work of grace in us for a very specific purpose: “…that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (v.9b)! 

Out of this identity and this purpose, Peter calls his audience to live their lives in such a way that it gets the attention of the unbelieving world around them! Far from giving into the sinful desires which wage war on our souls, we are to conduct ourselves so as to draw people to God through our lives, that they may see the way we live and glorify God! 

This is a call to radically different living in the midst of a pagan society, even to the point of suffering for living this way. To that end, Peter draws our attention to Jesus Himself as the perfect example! As we seek to lead lives of holiness and light, let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who has already gone before us and done it perfectly on our behalf!

1 Peter 2

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • How does the example that Jesus gave us in His own life inform the way that we live in our culture and context? What are some ways that the Way of Jesus differs from the way of the world around us?
Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 23rd

September 23, 2020

Nobody likes to suffer, yet the witness of the Scriptures is uniform in declaring that suffering is one of God’s greatest tools of transformation in the lives of His people. In his letters to the scattered church throughout Asia Minor, Peter addresses this issue and provides encouragement for believers who were under attack through persecution, oppression, and even direct attack by the enemy through false teachers. In the midst of their suffering, Peter reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on their eternal reward: Christ Jesus Himself! As we spend time over the next eight days reading the epistles of Peter, let’s make it out goal to fix our eyes on Jesus and to maintain joy in Him even through the most difficult trials and suffering!

Peter begins his letter by giving praise and glory to God for the incredible grace He has poured out on His people through Jesus Christ! This salvation, according to Peter, is kept in heaven for us and will never, ever fade away. The problem is that his readers are having a hard time seeing it; they are in the midst of great persecution and suffering, and in such times it can become difficult to see the faithfulness and goodness of God.

Peter’s response to their sufferings is to point their attention forward to the final coming of Jesus. He points their attention to what their suffering is producing in them, namely a genuine and tested faith, and reminds them that their faithfulness will end with their being honored and praised on the last day. When our hope is set and our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our eternal reward, we can have a glorious and inexpressible joy through even the most difficult circumstances!

In light of this glorious hope and the joy that comes with it, Peter calls his readers to holiness in t heir conduct. He reminds them that they have been purchased with the precious blood of Christ, that they have been born again of the Spirit and that their hope and faith are now in God. 

God’s call on our lives is clear; in light of the redemption He has accomplished for us in Jesus, the salvation He has graced us with, and the eternal hope He has freely given to us, we are to live lives of faithfulness to Him no matter our circumstances! It can be so easy to justify our sinful choices and actions when life gets hard for us, but God calls us to hold fast and trust that. It will be worth it in the end!

1 Peter 1

Greeting

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Born Again to a Living Hope

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Called to Be Holy

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • Think of a time when you made a sinful choice because life was difficult in that moment. How might you have acted differently if you had remembered the faithfulness of God and the living, eternal hope which you have in Him?
Devotional

Daily Devotional-September 22nd

September 22, 2020

A lot of us might tend to avoid spending time in the prophetic literature of the Bible, mainly because a lot of it is obscure and difficult to understand. But we find in these texts so much about who God is, who we are, what God has done and is doing to save us, and how we are to respond to Him in obedience! As we spend the next 3 days together in the book of Joel, ask the Lord to help you understand what He is trying to communicate through these visions of destruction, judgment, mercy, and restoration. Ask Him to help you to see the bigger picture of His Kingdom that He is trying to paint for us in this book!

In this chapter Joel describes the great Day of the LORD, the ultimate fulfillment of all days of the LORD that have come before. God will pour out his full wrath and judgment against human evil. The imagery here is graphic and dramatic: we usually think of God’s harvest in terms of those who are being saved, but here Joel uses it in terms of God’s judgment. You do not want to be on the receiving end of God’s wrath on that day.

But this chapter, this final Day of the LORD, does not only describe God’s judgment on evil, but also God’s salvation and restoration for His people! God’s judgment against the wicked nations is a vindication for His people, because those nations were the same ones that oppressed and persecuted them. God’s judgment on evil means rescue for His people. 

The picture we see in the book’s ending goes beyond even the salvation of God’s people. It envisions human evil dealt with once and for all, God’s people living in everlasting peace and flourishing, and creation itself restored and renewed. This is God’s Kingdom, this is where all of history is heading! In this short book we see so much about God’s plan for the redemption of His people and the renewal of all that He has made.

We know that this plan has been set in motion in a new way in Christ Jesus and that its final fulfillment is coming soon when Jesus returns! 

Joel 3

The Lord Judges the Nations

3  “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

4 “What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. 5 For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. 6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. 7 Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken.”

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Consecrate for war;
    stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
    let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords,
    and your pruning hooks into spears;
    let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”

11 Hasten and come,
    all you surrounding nations,
    and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
12 Let the nations stir themselves up
    and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
for there I will sit to judge
    all the surrounding nations.

13 Put in the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
    for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
    for their evil is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes,
    in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
    in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.

16 The Lord roars from Zion,
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
    and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is a refuge to his people,
    a stronghold to the people of Israel.

The Glorious Future of Judah

17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
    who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy,
    and strangers shall never again pass through it.

18 “And in that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
    and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the streambeds of Judah
    shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord
    and water the Valley of Shittim.

19 “Egypt shall become a desolation
    and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah,
    because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
    and Jerusalem to all generations.
21 I will avenge their blood,
    blood I have not avenged,
    for the Lord dwells in Zion.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • Why is it significant that God’s final salvation includes all of creation and not just God’s people themselves? What does that indicate for what heaven will be like for us? What is the most significant thing to you that the book of Joel teaches us about God and His work in history?