Chronological Bible Blog

Romans 8:18-10:21
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Tyndale’s One Year Bible Companion has a very interesting Q & A today on Romans 8 verses 24-25: “Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.” Tyndale’s commentary says:  “In Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future.  It is past because we were saved the moment we believed in Jesus Christ as Savior; our new life (eternal life) begins at that moment.  And it is present because we are being saved.  But at the same time, we have not yet fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ’s new kingdom is completely established.  That’s our future salvation.”   This is pretty amazing to consider that our salvation is past, present and future!  Do you appreciate being saved from your past?  Are you living fully for God in the present?  Are you waiting patiently and confidently for the future?

Today in Romans chapter 8 verses 27 through 29 we read these famous words of Paul’s: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Do you believe that we are more than conquerors through our relationship with Jesus? Does it encourage you to know this? Are you living your life in such a way that truly reflects that you know that you are more than a conqueror? Do you believe that there is absolutely nothing in this world that can separate you from the love of God because of your relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

 

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “From Groaning to Glory” is at this link and “Comforting Questions” is at this link.  A fun image for Romans 8:28 from today’s readings is below:

Powerful readings from Paul today in Romans chapter 9!  In verse 5 we read one of the clearest statements in the New Testament about the deity of Jesus!  “Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”  Paul says here that Jesus is God!  So, what say you?  Is Jesus God?

A portion of verse 6 made me think about Christians today: “Not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew!” Do you think that everyone born into a Christian family today is truly a Christian?  I know our various denominations will have various degrees / times / ceremonies that will mark becoming a Christian.  But I think many of us would agree that just because you are born into a Christian family doesn’t mean that you are necessarily Christian.  Meaning, I think there has to come a time in each of our lives where we consciously believe in faith that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  We need to own our faith at some point – not just be a “cultural” Christian because that’s what our family and friends are.  I believe at some point in our life we need to enter into relationship with God through his son Jesus through faith.  Let us pray for our friends and family members who are perhaps currently “cultural” Christians.  Let us pray that they will enter into a loving and growing relationship with God through Jesus.  Side note – I was prayed into the Kingdom by some amazing friends!  (thanks Chad & Becky & Becky & others!)  It is true.  Prayer for your friends and family is powerful.  Please pray for them tonight…

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “Man Opposes; God Disposes” is at this link and “Divine Election is Questioned” is at this link.

 

In Romans chapter 10 verse 1 today, Paul reminded me of the modern-day ministry called Jews for Jesus: “Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved.”  Paul was certainly a Jew for Jesus!  How about you – are you a Gentile for Jesus?  Or perhaps you are also a Jew for Jesus?  Whoever you are – are you for Jesus?

Below is a wonderful image courtesy of heartlight.org of Romans chapter 10 verse 4 from today’s readings:

 

Without a doubt, Romans chapter 10 verses 9 & 10 are the most important verses some of us will read this year and really take to heart: “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. “  Do you believe these verses to be true?  Have you prayed these verses with your heart and your mouth to God?  If not, will you today?

image courtesy of heartlight.org

 

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “Israel’s Failure is the Scripture’s Fulfillment” is at this link and “The Only Road to Righteousness” is at this link.

 

Romans 10 verses 14 & 15 are a powerful call to share the Gospel with a world that so desperately needs it! “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””  Are you bringing good news to people in your life?  Do you realize that you do not necessarily need to go abroad to share the Gospel with people who really have probably never heard it before?  Yeah, sure, maybe in our hometowns people have heard the name Jesus.  But have they really heard about the love and life and forgiveness and healing that Jesus offers?  Do they really know who Jesus truly is?  How will they know unless you tell them? Will you utilize the gift of your beautiful feet?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “Without Excuse” is at this link and “Man’s Failures Do Not Frustrate the Purposes of God” is at this link.

 

Worship Video:  I think this video and song ties in very well with the transformation we’re reading about – and hopefully experiencing – in the book of Romans.  The great thing about this video is that the artist, Brandon Heath, opens and closes the song with some great comments.  Be forewarned – this video just might make you cry…  Beautiful stuff.  Enjoy Brandon Heath’s “I’m Not Who I Was.”  And as you watch this video and listen to the song, take some time to reflect on how God has changed you over time…  Does this song tell the story of who you are today too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrGfA6y9fNI

Are you who you were? Click here to become who you were meant to be!

 

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

 

Prayer Point: Pray in thanksgiving to God that all things in your life are working for your good, because of your love for Him and because you have been called according to his purpose. Pray that you see the good that is happening in your life, even in challenging circumstances.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Romans 5:1-8:17
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Wow.  Romans 5 verses 1 & 2 are so true: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”  It is important to note that these verses are talking about more than just a “sense of peace.”  They are talking about literal “peace with God”!  Peace with God is gifted to us through faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection to redeem us from the depravity and consequences of our sin.  Have you experienced literal peace with God?  I know that we do not always “sense the peace” with God – but I do not think it leaves us once we’ve entered into an eternal right relationship with Jesus.  I think we can certainly distract ourselves enough or make ourselves worried or frantic enough that we might think the peace is gone.  But eternal peace doesn’t ever leave us.  I do think we need to take time to connect with and rediscover Christ’s peace within us each and every day.  Reading, prayer and meditation on Scripture are great ways to do this.  I have also found getting outdoors and taking a walk in nature helps me connect with Christ’s peace again.  What are other ways that you connect with Christ’s peace within you?  Please post up in the Comments section below for others to learn from!  Thanks!

Verses 3 through 5 are incredible today as well: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us–they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”  Note that these verses are not saying to rejoice “because” of problems and trials (that would be morbid), but that we can still rejoice even “when we run into” the problems and trials.  It is often difficult for us to remember to rejoice when problems and trials come our way – but please do remember these words of Paul in Romans about rejoicing during a time of trial.  Remember our readings in Acts?  Paul was ridiculed, beaten, jailed and shipwrecked – and yet, he never gave into a defeatist attitude.  He kept preaching God’s love!  If anyone knows about trials and problems, it is Paul.  And he tells us to rejoice through problems and trials because in this we learn to endure.  I love that Paul says that character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation!  And that this expectation will not disappoint!  Do you believe this?  Do you have a confident expectation of salvation?

Image above courtesy of stonesoupmusic.org.  Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “The Object of Our Faith” is at this link.

Wow… I don’t know what it is about Romans this year, but it is speaking to me like never before.  For those of you that have gone through the One Year Bible multiple times, you probably know how this is.  One year a book will kinda sorta speak to you – God’s Word always does.  And then the next year a book will just blow you away with its wisdom.  Romans is one of those books for me this year…  Paul’s words in Romans 5 verses 6 through 8 today spoke to me right away: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”  This is so powerful to think about.  Jesus died for us sinners.  Think about how selfless this is. Would you die for someone right now?  Perhaps your family or maybe someone who is especially good, as this Psalm says.  But would you die for a liar, a thief, a cheat, or a hopeless addict?  Maybe so…  but probably not.  Jesus came for us.  He died for us.  Us thieves.  Us liars.  Us cheat.  Us addicts.  He came to save us!  Have you been saved by Jesus?

We are now called friends of God as Paul tells us in verse 11: “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God–all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.”  Do you rejoice in knowing that you are a friend of God?  If someone were to look at how you interact with others and how you spend your time and your days, would they know that you are a friend of God?  Do you often spend quality time with God like you would with any other friend?  Do you think spending time with God is more valuable than anything else you could do in this world?

Paul’s contrast of Adam and Jesus in today’s readings is so powerful for us to meditate upon… Verses 18 & 19 stood out to me today: “Yes, Adam’s one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness makes all people right in God’s sight and gives them life. Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God’s sight.”

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “From the Curse to the Cure” is at this link.

Today in Romans chapter 6 verses 17 & 18 we read: “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Do you believe that you were ever a slave to sin? Is it possible that you are still a slave to sin now? How can you be freed from being a slave to sin? Or, better yet, Who do you think can free you from being a slave to sin? Are you wholeheartedly obeying the teaching to which you have been entrusted? Where can you consistently find the teaching to which you have been entrusted? Do you consider yourself a slave to righteousness? Do you like the idea of being a slave to righteousness?

Today we read Romans 6:23! I pray that this is a verse of Scripture that you have truly memorized, meditated upon, and fully understand and agree with:

Bible.org’s fantastic commentaries on today’s Romans readings titled “An End to the Reign of Death” is at this link and “The Stupidity of Sin” is at this link.

Great writings by Paul in Romans 7 today about the Law!  I love how he wraps up today’s readings in verses 12 & 13 by saying: “But still, the law itself is holy and right and good.  But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commandment for its own evil purposes.” Great theology in this chapter today!  Indeed – the law itself is holy and right and good.  But, we couldn’t keep the law and sin tempted us to break the law.  And thanks to Jesus, Paul tells us in verse 6 today: “But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit.”  We now serve God by the Spirit!  We are free indeed!

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s Romans readings titled “The Loveliness of the Law and the Ugliness of Sin” is at this link.

Romans chapter 7 today has some amazing teachings about struggling with sin.  I imagine that all of us at one point or another have concurred with Paul – and remember this is the apostle Paul writing this! – in verses 15 through 17: “I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.” These verses get at Original Sin in a big way.  We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Sin can live inside of us and make us do evil things that we hate doing.  What do you suppose – or Whom do you suppose – frees us from this bondage to sin?  Jesus.  Yes, Jesus frees us.  How?  He paid the penalty on the cross for our sins.  And he gives us the free gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit to free us from the bondage of sin.  Take a look at these verses again above from Paul.  Is sin living inside of you making you do things you hate?  Do you want to be free from this slavery to sin?  Will you pray to accept Jesus as your savior today and allow him to free you from you bondage to sin?  Please do.  It’s the best decision you will ever make.  Please spend a few minutes prayerfully at this website – https://needhim.org/

Bible.org’s fantastic commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “The War Within” is at this link.

Wow… I love Paul’s writings today in Romans 8 verses 12 through 14!  “So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”   How do these verses speak to you?  Can you imagine that these words were written for you and your life today?  Do you believe that you have no obligation whatsoever to do what sin urges you to do?  Are you led in your life today by the Spirit of God?

Bible.org’s fantastic commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “Siding with the Spirit” is at this link and “From Groaning to Glory” is at this link.

Worship Video:  Today’s readings in Romans today reminds me of Jeremy Camp’s song “Healing Hand of God:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRRYCoWOLuI
Have you felt the healing hand of God? Click here for Healing!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you know the full expanse of God’s love for you and the full cost Jesus paid for your sins on the Cross. Pray that you know that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. Pray that you have been saved from your sins through saving faith in Jesus.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Romans 2:1-4:25
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~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

Again… wow..  Paul’s writings in Romans are so convicting and true.  So many verses in today’s readings bring out so much.  One verse that stood out to me was 16 – “The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life. This is my message.”  This is powerful to consider.  Do you have a secret life?  Do you realize that Jesus will judge your secret life?  So, really, is there such a thing as a secret life after all?  It will all surely come out into the Light and be judged.  Do you have skeletons in your closet?  Will you confess those skeletons/sins to God right now and repent of them immediately?

Paul’s writings in Romans 3 verses 7 & 8 today are so powerful for us to remember always: “”But,” some might still argue, “how can God judge and condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” If you follow that kind of thinking, however, you might as well say that the more we sin the better it is! Those who say such things deserve to be condemned, yet some slander me by saying this is what I preach!”  Have you ever thought in any way along the lines of “well, it doesn’t really matter if I sin?”  This is such risky thinking.   Let me highly encourage you to read the Bible to see what it says about sin and in particular these early chapters in Romans.  In reading these chapters in Romans do you see the risk, and really the stupidity, in continuing in unchecked sin?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “No Excuse for the Jews” is at this link.

Today in Romans chapter 3 verses 22 through 24 we read – “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Please take a moment to re-read these verses and meditate upon them. How do they speak to you? Do you believe that humans are righteous on our own? (One way to consider this is to imagine what a city would look like without a police force, for example – think we would just naturally be good and kind and righteous to each other? Or might there be crime and maybe even anarchy and survival of the fittest – ala Lord of the Flies. . . ) Do you believe God is righteous? Do you believe we can be made righteous before God through faith in Jesus? Have you sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? Are you justified freely by God’s grace and through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ?

I want to focus a bit more on verse 24 because I think this is one of the most important concepts for us to understand: we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Justified.  That’s an important word to understand!  Per the NIV Study Bible, Paul uses the Greek verb for justified 27 times, mostly in the letters of Romans and Galatians.  The term describes what happens when people believe in Jesus as their Savior.  God declares them to not be guilty and credits (or imputes) righteousness to them.  Jesus’ righteousness is credited to believers as their own, with a few key characteristics that we read in verse 24 (look at this verse above again):  1. It is freely given as a gift,  2. by God’s grace, 3. through the redemptive act of Jesus on the Cross, where He paid the price for our sins and redeemed us, 4. and through faith.  Got all this?  🙂   Have you been justified with the free gift of grace and faith through Christ’s redemption?  If not, today will you dive into the river of everlasting justification through faith in our Lord Jesus?  Please jump into the river of faith!

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans 3 titled “Some Bad News, And Good News” is at this link.

We have great writings by Paul today in Romans how we are declared righteous before God!  Verse 4 is powerful – “When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.”  Our right relationship with Jesus is a gift.  We do not work to earn it.  It is given to us as a gift.  Our right relationship with God is not because of our work – but because of Jesus’ work on our behalf on the cross.  Have you accepted the gift?  If not, will you accept Jesus’ invitation to receive this free gift today?

Paul’s writings about Abraham’s faith are wonderful in today’s readings.  Verses 9 & 10 stands out: “Well, what about Abraham? We have been saying he was declared righteous by God because of his faith. But how did his faith help him? Was he declared righteous only after he had been circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? The answer is that God accepted him first, and then he was circumcised later!”  These verses are an example of Abraham being accepted into a right relationship with God through faith – not works (circumcision in this case).  I do believe our good works are desired and appreciated by God – he wants us to ultimately live holy & loving lives where we love God and love people.  But, faith in Jesus and acceptance by God comes first, then our good works for the Kingdom come as fruits of our faith.  Abraham was an example of this as we read in verse 3 – “For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.””  Below is an portrait of Abraham being called by God by artist Guy Rowe:

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Romans titled “An Old Testament Illustration of Justification by Faith” is at this link.

Worship Video: Today’s readings in Romans reminds me of Jeremy Camp’s song “Let it Fade:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h843f2GXie0
Will you let your old life fade? Click here for your new life now!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you realize that you have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Pray that you have or will put your faith in Jesus to take the punishment for your sins on the Cross. Pray that you have repented of your sins and are born again through a saving faith in Jesus.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

1 Corinthians 16:1-24; Acts 19:21-20:6; Romans 1:1-32
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

First Corinthians: We wrap up Paul's first letter to the Corinthians today!  What an amazing book!  I have been blessed immensely by it this year.  I hope you have too? I like Paul's instructions to the church in Corinth in chapter 16 verses 1 through 3 today: "Now about the money being collected for the Christians in Jerusalem: You should follow the same procedures I gave to the churches in Galatia. On every Lord's Day, each of you should put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned and save it for this offering. Don't wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once."  I love this last sentence!  It made me smile.  Paul knows how us humans are – back then and now – we like to procrastinate!  We like to do things at the last minute if we can.  Well, I concur with Paul that our giving to our churches should be a regular thing.  With each pay check we should "put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned."  Really, as I think about it, giving of money to our churches with each paycheck is an act of worship.  We are worshiping God with our finances.  Let us not wait to give to our churches.  Let us give faithfully and regularly with each paychttps://www.oneyearoldtestament.com/2022/11/november-23rd-old-testament-readings.htmlheck God blesses us with!

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in First Corinthians titled "Paul's Closing Words" is at this link.  Below is a great image and message from First Corinthians 16:14 –

Romans: Today we begin the book of Romans! What a great book we have coming up! Some commentaries say that the book of Romans is a “Bible within the Bible.” And others: “The most profound book in existence.” Personally, I think we need to obviously consider all 66 books of the Bible to be the Bible and the entirety of the Bible to be the most profound book in existence. But, yes, Romans is a profound book of the Bible no doubt! Martin Luther said this about Romans: “It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with, the more precious it becomes.” Not a bad quote for us to jump into the book of Romans today! Let’s go!

Romans
Author: Paul
Place: Corinth
Date: A.D. 57/58
Content: Paul was in Corinth on his third missionary journey and was planning to go to Rome, but had never been there before. This letter was written to introduce himself to the church and to summarize his theological teachings. For the latter reason, it is the most systematically organized letter of Paul. He begins by showing the universal sin of man. Neither Gentile nor Jew has any legitimate claim upon God because sin has invalidated any appeal. But God in his mercy stepped in, while we were still sinners, and opened the way back to himself (Romans 5:8). From this may come a victorious Christian life. Paul then deals with the place of the Jews in God’s plan (Romans 9-11), concluding with a series of ethical exhortations.
Theme: The righteousness of God, his righteous dealings with the world, and the righteous plan of salvation are the focus of this book. God is seen to be the great and holy God of the universe who cannot relax his laws because they are based upon his nature. But consistent with those laws, he devised a plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike that sent his Son down from heaven to die for the sins of the world. Now anyone who trusts in Jesus will be saved (Romans 10:9) and be given the power of God over sin in his life. From God and his love nothing can separate the believer. (Romans 8:38-39) (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 24)

More commentary on Romans is at these 3 links –
https://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=843
https://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1153 
https://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1165
Bob Deffinbaugh says at this link directly above – “If you can reason your way through Romans, you will have the Gospel under your belt. . . . As you begin this study, I would challenge you to review the Book of Romans often in your mind, seeking to trace its argument from the very first chapter to wherever your study has brought you. It is my hope that you will then seek to apply what you have learned in your own life, and to share the message of the Gospel it contains with those who are lost and without hope, apart from the faith this Epistle describes and defines. May God bless you in your study of this portion of His Word.”

How powerfully strong are Paul’s words in Romans chapter 1 verses 16 & 17 today!  In fact, the NIV Study Bible’s commentary says that these two verses are the theme of the entire book of Romans:  “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes–Jews first and also Gentiles. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””  Do you believe these two verses to be true?  Are you not ashamed of the Good News about Jesus Christ?  Do you believe that God makes us right in his sight by faith?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s Romans Chapter 1 readings is at this link.

Wow… Paul’s writings today in Romans are such a true  and stern warning about the dangers of sin.  I really can’t imagine how sin can be written about much more truthfully.  Verse 21 is a strong warning: “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.” I do believe that this is such an accurate description of what sin does to our minds – it makes our minds dark and confused!  Things can get so fuzzy and hazy in our mind due to unchecked sin that we can even get to the point of where we do not realize we are sinning.  How sad to live life knowing God, but not worshiping him or even giving him thanks.  And then to come up with wacky ideas of what God is like…. ever hear any wacky ideas about God out there?  🙂  The result is that people’s minds become dark and confused because of sin… sad.  Let us live our lives so that we share the Light of the Gospel of Jesus in the dark places in the world. 

Today’s readings in Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 32 consist of Paul describing the sin of the Gentiles, which is probably most of us.  In chapters 2 & 3 Paul will describe the sin of the Jews.  So, these chapters set the stage that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God – Gentile and Jew alike.  Yep, that covers each of us.  An interesting thing to note from today’s readings is that Paul writes about “general” revelation – meaning, God is revealed to all people in all times generally through nature.  In addition to general revelation, there is also “specific” revelation – God is specifically revealed to us through his Word and his son Jesus.  But, as Paul writes today, general revelation is enough for all people to not have any excuse to not believe in God and to continue on in our sin.  And yet, sin we do…  Thank God for sending us the specific revelation each of us knows about – and hopefully we each personally know – God’s own son Jesus!

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s Romans readings titled “No Excuse for the Heathen” is at this link.

Worship Video: Today’s readings in Romans remind me of Matt Maher’s song “Christ is Risen:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptqVzhVSUPE
Do you believe that Christ is risen? Click here to meet the Risen Lord!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are not ashamed of the Gospel in any way, shape or form. Pray that you proclaim the Gospel throughout your life in every way. Pray that you fully know and believe that the Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

First Corinthians chapter 14 is an interesting chapter.  I personally have not spoken in tongues – nor heard it as far as I know.  But, I do know many people that have both spoken in tongues and heard it and have heard interpretations.  I do think Paul makes it clear in this chapter that both speaking in tongues and prophecy are gifts.  I do think we do well to pay attention to Paul’s conclusion to today’s readings in verses 15 through 17: “Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn’t help the other people present.”  Bible.org’s commentary on speaking in tongues is at this link.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “The Measure of a Gift” is at this link.

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard Billy Graham say that he likes to read the newspaper in one hand with the Bible in the other hand?  I will try to provide an example of how we can do this today, thanks to an article a couple of years ago in Newsweek titled “In Search of the Spiritual” at this link.  This is an opportunity to read Paul’s words today in First Corinthians chapter 14 on orderly worship, and then compare to what you read in this Newsweek article.  I’ll let you work out your own conclusions.  Be like Billy Graham – read the news of the day in one hand with the Bible in the other hand.

(On some more Billy Graham / magazine notes, did everyone catch the Newsweek magazine article in 2006 about Billy titled “Pilgrim’s Progress”?  You can read it online here.  Billy is now over 90 years old – below left is a TIME cover from 15 years ago.  And below right is another TIME cover from 2007 with an article about Billy ministering to President’s which you can read at this link.)

The One Year Bible Companion book dives into the question “Does 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 mean that women should not speak in church services today?”  I encourage you to pick up this book, as it is invaluable in going through the One Year Bible and covers great questions like this.  I will share with you a little bit of their answer on this today – “Women have much to contribute and can participate in worship services. In the Corinthian culture, women were not allowed to confront men in public.  Apparently some of the women who had become Christians thought that their Christian freedom gave them the right to question men in public worship.  This was causing division in the church.  Paul was asking the women not to flaunt their Christian freedom during worship.  The purpose of Paul’s words was to promote unity, not to teach about women’s role in the church.”  Thank you Tyndale for this Q & A.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Spiritual Gifts and Self Control” is at this link.

We read beautifully true words from Paul today in First Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3 & 4: “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me–that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.”  And then there are some interesting words from Paul in verses 17 through 19: “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.”  He immediately follows up these verses with this statement in verse 20: “But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.”  This is quite a chapter from Paul about the Resurrection of Jesus and the Resurrection of the dead!  I think the key question we each need to ask ourselves is: do you believe that Jesus was born on this earth 2,000 years ago, is the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for your sins, and on the third day rose from the dead?  This is the question on which all of Christianity – and your personal faith in Jesus – hinges.  So, what say you?

In verses 5 through 8 today six resurrection appearances of Jesus’ are mentioned.  Below is a full list of Jesus’ resurrection appearances from Zondervan’s NIV Study Bible:
1. The empty tomb (not an appearance per se – but no body was in the tomb – the first indication of the resurrection)
2. To Mary Magdalene in the garden
3. To the other women
4. To two people going to Emmaus
5. To Peter
6. To the ten disciples in the upper room
7. To the 11 disciples in the upper room (including Thomas this time – see painting below)
8. To seven disciples fishing on the Sea of Galilee
9. To the 11 disciples on a mountain
10. To more than 500
11. To James
12. To the disciples at His ascension
13. To Paul on the road to Damascus

One of my favorite paintings of a resurrection appearance of Jesus’ is by the Italian artist Caravaggio from the year 1603 titled “Doubting Thomas”:

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians 15 titled “A Refresher Course on the Resurrection of the Dead” is at this link.  Below is a great image for First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 2 from today’s readings:

Today in First Corinthians chapter 15 verses 42 through 44 and 49 we read: “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. . . And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” Have you thought much about heaven? Have you considered life after death? Do you believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead? Do you believe that your body will be raised imperishable? That your body will raised in glory? In power? Do you believe that there is a spiritual body, just like we now know our earthly body? Are you looking forward to bearing the likeness of Jesus in heaven? On a side note, Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven” is a fantastic look at life after death for those whose lives have been surrendered to Jesus. Please please read this book if you haven’t yet! It will change your perspective on heaven!

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians 15 titled “A Refresher Course on the Resurrection of the Dead” is at this link. Below is a great image for First Corinthians 15 verse 54:

Worship Video: Today’s readings in remind me of the Michael W. Smith song “Place in this World” sung here live with for KING + COUNTRY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsR4y22XeEw

Where is your Place in this world?  Click here to find out!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you wholeheartedly believe in the Resurrection of Jesus. Pray that you wholeheartedly believe in your resurrection after death, if you have a saving faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

Okay, so I suppose today’s readings might get some folks a bit upset with Paul…  I think it is important to keep in mind that these writings in First Corinthians 11 were directed to the church in Corinth.  And Paul is basically saying in this chapter that we need to be sensitive to the culture we are in.  Meaning, in 1st century Corinth men with long hair typically were prostitutes in pagan temples, so Paul says in this chapter it’s a disgrace for a man to have long hair.  Which it was in the culture and time of Corinth when this was written.  Same thing with women with short hair at this culture and time in Corinth – it was a sign of prostitution.  So, Paul says keep it long.  I know it can seem a bit tricky to figure out when the Bible should be taken literally word for word and when we need to consider context.  I would say that generally speaking, we need to consider context – context of one verse to the verse before and after.  Context to the chapter.   Context to the book.  Context to the Bible.  And context to the time and place that a particular book was written.  However, don’t let context mislead you into thinking that the Bible is not God’s Holy Word – that the Bible is not Truth.  For it is both.  The Bible is the Word of God.  The Bible is Truth.  And Paul’s words in today’s chapter essentially get at the Truth that believers should look and behave in ways that are honorable within their own culture – so that they (and we) will be believable witnesses for Jesus Christ.

I love verses 11 & 12 in today’s readings – “But in relationships among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, all men have been born from women ever since, and everything comes from God.”  It’s pretty hard to argue with this.  We are all dependent upon each other.  The Body of Christ is a community of believers.  Men and women are not independent.  We are dependent and interdependent on each other.  And things do not come from men or women – everything comes from God.  Great stuff.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Headship and Head Coverings” is at this link.

Wow..  great verses from Paul today!  I think most of us will recognize these words, or slight variations, as to how The Lord’s Supper happens at many churches today.  It is beautiful to come across these words in verses 23 through 26 in the context of Paul’s overall letter to the Corinthians.  It reminds me of how The Lord’s Supper comes upon us at church in the midst of our often busy / distracted lives. We so need to hear these words and so need to receive The Lord’s Supper: “For this is what the Lord himself said, and I pass it on to you just as I received it. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.”  How is The Lord’s Supper experience for you these days?  Do you consciously take The Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus?  Do you consciously realize when you participate in The Lord’s Supper you are announcing Jesus’ death until he comes again?

Paul’s teachings in verses in 27 through 29 are something for us to take note of: “So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.” How do these verses speak to you?  Do you examine yourself before participating in The Lord’s Supper? 

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Corrections for Communion” is at this link.

First Corinthians 12 is once again another amazing chapter in this book!  Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ…  it gets no better!  I love verses 4 through 7: “Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”  If you are a believer in Jesus as your Lord, do you believe that a spiritual gift has been given to you?  Do you know what your spiritual gift is?  Are you using your spiritual gift as a means of helping the entire church?  (I think my spiritual gift is a gift that Paul did not write about in this chapter – the gift of blogging!  🙂

I love Paul’s discourse on the Body of Christ.  Verse 26 stands out: “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”  This makes me wonder about the Body of Christ in our world today.  Do you think that there are Christians in our world today who are suffering?  Who are starving?  Who are being persecuted?  Who are dying of AIDS?  And… if there are Christians – part of the Body of Christ just as we are part of the Body of Christ – who are suffering, are we sharing in the suffering with them in any way, shape, or form?  If we are not, are we ignoring part of our Body?  As Casting Crowns put it in their big hit Christian song – “If we are the Body, why aren’t His hands healing?  Why is His love not showing them there is a Way?”  Why?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Spirituality and Spiritual Gifts” is at this link.

Today in First Corinthians chapter 13 we will read verses that you have likely heard many times at many weddings. It is the “Love” chapter of the Bible. This chapter goes way beyond just romantic or marital love – it gets at how we live our very lives each and every moment in relationship to all of creation. In verses 1 through 3 we read: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” How do these verses speak to you? Do you notice the juxtaposition of the concept of love and the concept of nothingness? Do you see that without love there is nothing? Do you believe that if we live our lives without love, we are nothing? Even if we have amazing spiritual gifts. Even if we have faith that can move mountains. Even if we give away all of our possessions to the poor. If we do not have love, we are nothing. We gain nothing. We give nothing. Do you see how important love is in our lives? Do you see that we must live each and every day from a starting point of love? Why do you suppose Paul spends this entire chapter telling us about the importance of love? Do you think that God is love and wants us to be love as well? I love (pun intended 🙂 how this chapter ends: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Amen and amen.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “What Is This Thing Called Love?” is at this link and “But The Greatest of All These…” is at this link. (this second commentary link focuses in on “agape” love and is phenomenal – please read!)

Worship Video As Paul teaches on The Lord’s Supper today in First Corinthians, it seems an appropriate time to post up this video of Kutless’ “Sea of Faces.”  I have loved this song since I first heard it.  And every time I hear it I immediately think of The Lord’s Supper!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLHE4P-B2FA
Are you lost in a sea of faces? Click here to be Found!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you participate in the Lord’s Supper regularly. Pray that you are proclaiming the Lord’s death whenever you participate in the Lord’s Supper. Pray that you examine yourself before partaking in the Lord’s Supper.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

Paul’s teachings today about food sacrificed to idols in First Corinthians chapter 8 should be considered along with chapter 10 verses 14 through 22.  In particular check out 10:19-21 – “Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?  No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”  Food sacrificed to idols was a major issue for Christians in Corinth to consider, so they wrote Paul asking about this issue.  Paul in chapter 8 hones in on the point that even though it may mean nothing to eat meat sacrificed to idols – which are nothing – it may mean a lot to some and cause some to stumble.  Then in chapter 10 Paul hones in on the point that sacrifices to idols are really sacrifices to demons.  This all makes me think about are world today.  As Christians, in our freedom in Christ many things are permissible.  But not all things are beneficial – to ourselves or to others that see us participating in some activities.  So, are there any areas of your life where perhaps you are participating in worldly activities that really don’t mean anything – they’re okay in our freedom – but that perhaps could cause others to stumble in some way?  Or, perhaps those activities could even cause you to stumble if you’re not careful?  Will you leave these activities by the wayside?  Related to that activity, would you be willing to say as Paul did in First Corinthians chapter 8 verse 13: “So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.”

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “The Great Divorce – Separating Truth From Love” is at this link.

First Corinthians chapter 9 is an amazing look at Paul’s passion for the Gospel!  I think in this chapter Paul makes a very strong case for why we should support our local church.  Verse 10 says – “Just as farm workers who plow fields and thresh the grain expect a share of the harvest, Christian workers should be paid by those they serve.”  Our pastors, priests, ministers deserve our support.  Our local church deserves our support through our tithes.  It is interesting in today’s readings that Paul first lays out the case for “sharing our harvest” with Christian workers.  But – Paul refuses this payment because he says in verse 12 – “Yet we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ.”  That is powerful!  Paul is not asking for nor expecting nor demanding payment or anything from those he serves, simply because he does not want to put up any obstacle in the way of the Gospel.  Incredible.  But again, remember this is the apostle Paul we are reading about here – your local church needs your tithe.  How is your tithing to your church going these days?  Are you consistently tithing to your church?  Will you pray about what God would have you tithe to your church and other ministries and nonprofits?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “When a Right May Be Wrong” is at this link.

These are some of my favorite teachings of Paul’s today in First Corinthians chapter 9 verses 24 through 27! “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”  The amazing thing about these words is that they are timeless.  Paul wrote these words nearly 2,000 years ago and they still ring so true today.  We still run races today.  We still have athletes.  We still win prizes.  We still have boxers.  I think so often in our world today we hear people in business or other fields use sports analogies.  Well, here is Paul using a sports analogy for faith!  🙂  I love it.  Please take a moment to re-read these verses above again.  Meditate for a few moments on the words.  What do they say to you?  Do you believe you are in a race for an eternal prize?  Do you want the eternal prize?  Are you disciplining your very life with purpose in your every step?  How are you running the race today?  Are you running to win?

First Corinthians 10 starts of with a few amazing verses that I haven’t really caught before.  Verses 2-4 – “As followers of Moses, they were all baptized in the cloud and the sea. And all of them ate the same miraculous food, and all of them drank the same miraculous water. For they all drank from the miraculous rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.” I love it!  The Israelites were baptized in the cloud and the Red Sea; ate the miraculous manna; and drank the water from the miraculous rock that Moses struck – and this rock that traveled with them was none other than Jesus!  This is a beautiful testimony that Jesus Christ was, is, and forever shall be.

First Corinthians 10 today ends in verses 12 and 13 with some powerful words of warning and encouragement that each of us should always remember – particularly in our darkest hours – “If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin. But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”  Do you believe that you should always be careful to not fall into sin?  Particularly if you feel you are “standing strong?”  Do you realize that temptations will come into your life?  But, most importantly, do you realize that God will show you a way out of the temptations, so you will not give into them?  Will you pray fervently to God and Jesus to show you the way out when temptation comes your way?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Lessons from the Present and Past” is at this link and “Lessons we must learn from our ‘fathers’” is at this link.

Great great unselfish words from Paul today in First Corinthians 10 verses 31 through 33! “Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved.”  How powerful is that?  Paul states that he doesn’t just do what is best for him – what is most comfortable for him – but he does what is best for others so that they may be saved!  Beautiful.  I am afraid that all too often we get “comfortably numb” in our lives and basically end up looking out for our own needs and desires and wants – even if we love Jesus.  We become a bit lazy in our Christianity.  We need to remember that there is a world out there that is dying.  Literally.  Dying. They need the love, healing, grace, peace, and salvation of Jesus in their lives!  We must accept some level of discomfort in our own lives so that others may be saved.  How about you today?  Are you allowing there to be some discomfort in your life so that others may be saved?  Are you being discomforted by sacrificially giving to your church and to ministries that serve the poor?  Are you being discomforted by volunteering on a very regular basis?  Are you being discomforted by supporting a missionary?  Are you comfortable with being discomforted so that others may be saved?  Will you bend over backwards for others so that they may be saved?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Table Talk” is at this link.  Below is a great image for First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16 –

Worship God:  Today’s readings remind me of Michael W. Smith’s song “Draw Me Close:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0V97WOHAU

Have you drawn close to God?  Click here and He will draw close to you!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” 1 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

Prayer Point: Pray that the exercise of your freedom on Christ does not become a stumbling block to weaker brothers and sisters. Pray that your life and actions grow brothers and sisters to be more godly in character and lifestyle.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

1 Corinthians 4:1-7:40
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

Allright… so Paul has a little bit of scolding for the church in Corinth in our readings today!  Perhaps we would do well to listen to some of this scolding today too?  Verse 5 is powerful for us to consider: “So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, he will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due.”  I think far too often we ourselves try to judge others – saying that someone is wholly righteous or that someone is a doomed sinner.  Neither this excessive praise nor condemnation is ours to give.  It is only for God.  God is the judge.  We are not.  So be careful not to jump to conclusions about someone else…

If you blinked, you just might have missed verse 20 today – “For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God’s power.”  Great stuff!  I am afraid that sometimes we do indeed reduce the Kingdom of God and living out our faith to just fancy talk.  We sometimes talk a lot, but we do not practice what we preach.  Rather than focusing on our fancy talk, how about if we simply live by God’s power?  It’s a revolutionary idea!  🙂

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Follow the Leader” is at this link.

Wow… there is a lot going on in Paul’s words in First Corinthians chapter 5 today.  The first half of verse 6 stands out: “How terrible that you should boast about your spirituality, and yet you let this sort of thing go on.”  This is such a trap I think for many of us – boasting about our spirituality.  It is a very dangerous trap too.  Why do you suppose Paul would say this is a terrible thing to boast about your spirituality?   I think it is because when you boast about your spirituality, you have lost humility and you have in a sense put yourself in the place of God.  You’ve elevated yourself too high.  And Jesus says we are to be humble.  Here comes a tangent – 🙂 – I was listening to talk radio recently and I heard some guy talking about Kabala – the Jewish mysticism religion that is very popular these days – particularly with some Hollywood celebrities.  Well, I won’t say that this guy was boasting about his spirituality… but maybe he was.  🙂  The great thing I thought was then a guy studying to be a rabbi called in and basically went off on this guy.  The caller said that this guy was far too confident and boastful in his discussions of who God is and how God works.  And the caller said that he had studied the Torah for all of his life and he still considered himself only a student.  I wish I could remember his exact words – but he said something along the lines that “one will always be a student of the Torah.  Never it’s master.”  Something like that.  I loved it!  It was so humble and true.  And I think you and I would do well to realize that we will always be students of the Bible – never its master.   And we need to realize how terrible it truly is for us to boast about our spirituality in any way – either publicly or in our own minds.  As this image says below, “Boast only in the cross.”  Amen…

 

The second half of verse 6 is powerful for us to consider as well – “Don’t you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected?”  This is so true.  Sin is an infection that will infect others.  Or, another way to look at this – when we sin we are affecting / infecting others.  Nobody sins in a vacuum.  It affects the whole community.  It affects everyone you know in some way.  Paul goes on later in this chapter to say in verse 12 – “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways.” Paul really has what will appear to our modern ears to be some strong / harsh words for Christians who sin in the ways listed in verse 11 – “What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler.”  I think there is truth in his words – but we need to walk a fine line.  There are people who are Christian who do struggle with sin – sin that indeed will infect / affect others.  And I think we are absolutely called to speak the truth in love into those Christians lives to point out their sin and encourage them to repentance.  But… I think there does come a point where we may have to realize that someone simply will not or does not want to repent of their sin.  And then it may be time to prayerfully follow Paul’s words about avoiding and removing that type of person from your church.  I don’t know – let me know what you think?  How / when do we draw the line of speaking the truth in love to a Christian stuck in sin?  And when do we avoid and/or remove them from our churches?  Is this too harsh?   Are Paul’s word’s too harsh?  Even if they are harsh, are they true? 

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Church Discipline: Taking Sin Seriously” is at this link.

Today in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 we will read: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside their body, but you who sins sexually sins against your own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” These are powerful verses. And verses that seem to fly in the face of much of what we are sold in today’s culture. Reflect on these verses. Do you believe that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? Do you believe that you are not your own? Do you realize that you were bought at a price by Jesus on the cross? If you see sexual immorality heading your way, do you flee from it? Will you flee from it? What are the consequences if you do not flee from sexual immorality? Do you believe that sexual immorality is a sin you commit against your very own body? (self-abuse, if you will – though, I strongly believe others around you suffer from this sin against your own body as well. Nobody sins in a vacuum. It affects everyone we interact with. It affects everyone in our community. Think that sin is a selfish act?) Do you realize that when you sin sexually, you are sinning against a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells? Will you flee from sexual immorality? Please – literally – flee from it.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Courting Sin” is at this link and “The Relationship between Spirituality and Sexual Morality” is at this link.

Today we read 1 Corinthians Chapter 7.  This has been a very powerful chapter of the Bible for much of my spiritual journey.  For a period of about 7 years I felt the call to “singleness” through this chapter through much prayer and reflection.  I think the call to singleness for some of us may be just for a season, or it could be for many seasons.  At the same time, just as valuable is the call to marriage and family life for many of us in this chapter as well.  These are some powerful verses.  Some say it is best just to consider these verses in “context” of the Corinthian church two thousand years ago.  However, I do believe there is value in this chapter’s verses for our lives as well.  How does First Corinthians chapter 7 speak to you and your life today?

First Corinthians chapter 7 verses 32 through 34 are intriguing words from Paul: “An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man can’t do that so well. He has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided.”  I see his logic of these words – and these words have often rung so very true in my own life.  But, I also see the blessing of the family.  Of marriage.  Of being part of a Holy Family.   Obviously each of us came into this world because of the union of a woman and man.  There are a billion reasons of why marriage is important – why the family is important.  It produces people like us!  🙂  Unfortunately in our world today I am afraid the concept of the “Holy Family” is not so strong.  Family can turn into a negative word for many people, instead of the holy word it should be.  All this to say – I believe many of us are called to family life – to marriage and to kids.  But I also believe that many of us are called to singleness.  I really do.  And I do believe being called to singleness is truly a blessing – just as being called to marriage is a blessing as well.  Have you spent much time in your life discerning whether God has called you to singleness or to marriage?  I think it’s worth reflecting upon periodically – but not to stress out about.  It’s better to ultimately remember Paul’s words in verses 29 through 33: “The time that remains is very short, so husbands should not let marriage be their major concern. Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God’s work. Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away. In everything you do, I want you to be free from the concerns of this life.”  Whether you are single or married, do you believe these preceding verses are true for you?  What does it mean to you that “the time that remains is very short”?  How might this affect how you live your life?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Undistracted Devotion” is at this link.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Sex and the Spiritual Christian” is at this link, “The Relationship Between Spirituality and Sexuality” is at this link, and “Spirituality and the Status Quo” is at this link.

Worship God:  Today’s readings reminded me of the MercyMe song “On Our Way:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtmjUrPrdUk

Are you on your way to God?  Click here and be on your way to Him!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: “But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters or slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. With such persons do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:11 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray for those in your church who claim to be believers, but who are sexually immoral, greedy, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. Pray for their repentance and restoration to the fellowship. Pray for church discipline, if necessary. Pray you won’t ever be lead astray by those living in sin.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Acts 18:24-19:20; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3:23
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

Acts – Today in our readings in Acts, we are introduced to Apollos!  Apollos loved God, but initially he didn’t fully understand that Jesus gave believers the gift of the Holy Spirit. Apollos understood repentance of sins very well – that was the “baptism of John (The Baptist)” that he preached.  Repent from sins and be baptized was Apollos’ message, without a strong teaching of the gift of the Holy Spirit after belief in Christ.  Well, Priscilla and Acquila more fully explained the Gospel and then Paul introduced the Holy Spirit to believers who were initially taught by Apollos before he learned the full Gospel.  A commentary I read said: “Apollos was teachable.”  Inferring that you and I should be teachable too when it comes to our faith!  Are you teachable?  Or do you know it all?  🙂

Wow – strong readings today in Acts 19 verses 13 to 16 about the power of Jesus’ name – and how to incorrectly try to “use” his name too – “A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?” And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured.”  Jesus’ name is the name above all other names – but we should never try to “use” Jesus’ name as an incantation or spell.  We can call upon Jesus believing that he and his power will be there with us.  But we should not call upon Jesus’ name as if His name was “magic” in some way.  It is holy.  It is not magic. When is the last time you called on Jesus’ name? How has calling on the holy name of Jesus ever changed a situation in your life?

First Corinthians – Today we begin Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth!

 

First Corinthians
Author: Paul the apostle
Place: Ephesus
Date: A.D. 55
Content: Paul had established a church in the Greek city of Corinth on his second missionary journey (see Acts 18:1-8), but things had gone very badly after his departure. He felt it necessary to write them concerning the many problems that had arisen. They were challenging his apostleship, abusing the Lord’s Supper, wondering about eating meat sacrificed to idols, going to court against one another, condoning immorality, denying the resurrection, arguing about marriage – to name a few of the problems. Paul felt that he had to deal with the situation, lest everything in Corinth fall to pieces. As Paul more or less systematically goes through these problems, he touches upon many of the fundamental teachings of the faith.
Theme: Paul’s major purpose in writing this letter was to correct some glaring abuses in the church at Corinth, showing the importance of how we live. It is not enough to say that we are Christians; we must also act like Christians. Not to do so is to bring dishonor upon the name of Christ. Paul also stresses the all-sufficiency of Christ for the believer. In Christ we are made pure, holy, and acceptable to God. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” pp. 24-25)

 

More commentary on First Corinthians is at these 3 links –
https://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1199
https://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1200
https://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1829

 

Today in First Corinthians 1 verse 18 we read – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” What does this verse say to you? Does it speak to you in any way? What is the message of the cross? What does the message of the cross mean to you personally? Is it foolishness? Or, is it the power of God? I don’t know what it is about this verse, but it really is so powerful for me. I think that it brings the Gospel message back to the central point in time in history – Jesus on the cross. And what Jesus did on the cross changed everything. Jesus changed history. The power of the cross is such that Jesus continues to change things this very moment. He is changing you. He is changing me. To us who are being saved, is the message of the cross literally the power of God? Do you meditate upon the cross regularly and meditate upon what the message of the cross truly is? Are you sharing the message of the cross with others in your life?

Below are two wonderful images for verses 27 and 30 & 31 courtesty of hearlight.org (link on the menu to the left):

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s First Corinthians readings titled “True Wisdom” is at this link and “Substandard Saints” is at this link.  Below is a powerful image for First Corinthians 3:3 from today’s readings:

This may be a somewhat of a controversial reflection here, but I’d like to put it out for discussion.  Please feel free to let me know your thoughts in the Comments section of the blog below.  Today’s readings in First Corinthians made me think about all of our various Christian church denominations that we have in our world today.  In our readings today, some followed Paul.  Some followed Apollos.  Some followed Peter.  And in our churches today, some follow Calvin.  Some follow Wesley.  Some follow Knox.  And so on.  And I guess I just wonder would the church today look any differently today if we simply all followed Jesus?  I don’t mean to knock denominations here per se.  I myself go to a church affiliated with a denomination.  I just pray that each of us could look beyond our denominations and look fully toward Jesus.  And that we come to realize that no matter what our denominations, we are brothers and sisters through faith in our Lord Jesus.  We inherit eternal life through God’s grace and our faith in Jesus.  We all – no matter our denomination – are “the church” through our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  As Paul teaches us in First Corinthians 3:21-23 – “So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “A Different Look at Leadership” is at this link and “A Call to Repentance” is at this link.

Worship Video: Today’s reading about Paul’s life in Acts recently reminds me of the Avalon song “Testify to Love:” (this is an AMAZING live version, by the way…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnlHGz0SPQo

Is Jesus your testimony? Click here and Testify to Love!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that the message of the cross is the power of God in your life through your saving faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for those in your family, your friends, and others you know who feel that the message of the cross is foolishness. Pray that they won’t eternally perish.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3:18; Acts 18:4-23
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with The ESV Bible ~

First Thessalonians – Today we wrap up Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians! There is a lot of good letter-closing advice in these today’s readings. To make sure this advice gets heard throughout the church in Thessalonica Paul commands in chapter 5 verse 27: “I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.” Think this letter got read to everyone? 🙂  Below is a great image for verse 25 from today’s readings –

Verses 12 & 13 stood out to me in today’s readings: “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work.”  This verse ties in perfectly to Clergy Appreciation Month!  Did you know that October is Clergy Appreciation Month? I don’t know who started this trend, but I like it!  We’re in November, but hopefully you can take 15 minutes to write a letter or send a card of encouragement to your pastor or clergy?  I encourage you to encourage your pastor this month! 🙂  More details about how you can participate in clergy appreciation month are on this website link: https://parsonage.org/cam/index.cfm

More verses from today’s readings that stood out –
Verse 16 – “Always be joyful.” How’s joy doing in your life these days?
Verse 17- “Keep on praying.” And prayer?
Verse 11 – “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” I like this. It reminds me that we have the opportunity to encourage people that we come in contact with each day. Spread some love. How are you doing on being encouraging to others each day?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Thessalonians chapter 5 titled “The Conduct of the Assembly” is at this link.  Below is a powerful image for 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 from today’s readings:

Second Thessalonians – Today we begin Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica!

~ Second Thessalonians ~
Author: Paul the apostle
Place: Corinth
Date: A.D. 51
Content: Either Paul’s first letter or a forged letter purporting to be from him had disturbed the Thessalonians concerning the second coming of Jesus. Perhaps adding to the confusion was the continued persecution that they were enduring. Paul writes to assure the believers that Jesus will certainly return to comfort the believers and to punish those who are troubling them. He also tells them that the great Day of Judgment (the Day of the Lord) will not take them by surprise but will be preceded by a series of events. In the light of Jesus’ sure return, Christians are to live above reproach.
Theme: Throughout this short letter the promise of God’s victory over evil is stressed. Believers may suffer now, but God has planned comfort and reward for them. For those who refuse to obey God, however, there will be distress and judgment. Paul also stresses the need for living in such a way that God is honored. Some people at Thessalonica may have stopped working because they believed Christ would return soon. This does not honor God and Paul says concerning it, “He who does not work shall not eat.” (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” pp. 28-29) A wonderful commentary on Second Thessalonians by J. Hampton Keathley, III, titled “The Struggles and Growth of a Church” is at this link.

Paul’s encouragement during times of persecution is powerful in chapter 1 verse 5 today:  “But God will use this persecution to show his justice. For he will make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.”  If there is persecution in your life today, I hope this verse is encouraging to you. It reminds me of the old adage – “it builds character.” I know this is tough to realize in the midst of persecution – that God is working in the midst of it to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom.  Your suffering is for His Kingdom.  You are not suffering alone.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Second Thessalonians chapter 1 titled “Commendation and Comfort in the Face of Persecution” is at this link.  Below is a great image for 2 Thessalonians 1:12 from today’s readings:

Second Thessalonians chapter 2 is a good look at the 2nd coming of Jesus. Verse 7 is interesting – “For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.” Seems that this is alluding to sin and the temptation to sin that pursues people in our world today. The lawlessness is at work – secretly – and will remain secret until it comes out in the open in the form of the anti-christ?  Again, I’m not big into end times stuff.  But, clearly, there will come the day of Jesus’ return.  And the Bible is preparing believers for what to expect and to know that God is bigger than whatever evil comes in those days.   God is bigger!

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Second Thessalonians chapter 2 titled “Challenges to Believers in View of the Day of the Lord” is at this link.

Second Thessalonians chapter 3 is a nice closing chapter to this 2nd letter of Paul’s! The first few verses remind us of the need to pray. Pray for those doing the Lord’s work! How are you doing in praying for your pastors, your church, other ministries you support?

Paul then goes into an exhortation for proper living. These verses remind me of the importance of work in our lives. We are not called to be blissful aesthetics – but called to work. Paul worked hard during his time of ministry. He was at times a “tentmaker” – making a living during the day and preaching and conducting ministry in the evenings and weekends. How are you doing with work these days? Are you giving your all, your 100% for the hours you are at work?  No matter where you are working – are you working as if you were working for God?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Second Thessalonians chapter 3 titled “Final Exhortations Regarding Idleness in the Church” is at this link.

Acts – Today’s readings in Acts 18 are important in that Paul is beginning his work of building the church in Corinth through his ministry!  We of course are very familiar now with Paul’s letters of 1st and 2nd Corinthians – today we get a glimpse of how Paul’s relationship with the city of Corinth began.  Verses 9 through 11 let us clearly know that the Lord was very involved in Paul’s ministry in Corinth: “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me.” So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.” How are you involved in helping to build or support the church today? What are some ways that God has called you to love and serve your local church? How about the global church?

Per Tyndale’s One Year Bible Companion today: “Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance.  It had a reputation for great wickedness and immorality.  A temple to Aphrodite – goddess of love and war – had been built on the large hill behind the city.”

Worship Video: Today’s readings in First Thessalonians reminded me of Matthew West’s song “My Own Little World.” Here’s a great live version of this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoWY1Rlx_Aw

Are you in your own little world? Click here for the true World!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture today: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” First Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Prayer Point: Pray that you are joyful always. Pray that you pray without ceasing. Pray that you give thanks to the Lord in all circumstances. Pray that you are living in the center of God’s will for you through you saving faith and relationship in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!