So I said, “What shall I do, Lord?” And the Lord said to me, “Arise and go….”

Acts 22:10

Recommended Reading

Acts 22:6-16

In his autobiography, Our Incredible Journey, Word of Life co-founder Harry Bollback and his wife, Millie, wrote about their years of missionary service in Brazil, where they lived in very primitive circumstances. “Living under these conditions was truly difficult,” Harry wrote. “But neither of us thought of it as being hard at the time. We had made a decision to serve the Lord, and we were just doing what we thought the Lord would have us do. We were enjoying the good hand of God’s blessings.”

In Acts 22, the apostle Paul recounted his conversion for the Jewish Ruling Counsel. He told them of the light that blinded him on the Damascus Road, and he recounted the two questions he asked God: “Who are You, Lord?” (verse 8) and “What shall I do, Lord?” (verse 10)

When we come to Christ for salvation, we then ask, “What do You want me to do?” We just need to have a submissive spirit to His guidance, and He’ll use us in ways beyond our expectation.

I’m convinced that when you are serving the Lord, there is never a question of sacrifice. It’s just doing what we are supposed to be doing for His glory. You don’t think of the sacrifice—you think of your mission.

Harry Bollback

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Acts 8 – 9

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Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious.

1 Peter 2:7

The word “precious” crops up in unusual places, like in investment portfolios containing precious metals or jewelry stores dealing in precious stones. Or in the Bible—particularly in the writings of Peter, who used this word repeatedly while writing to “those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1).

Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10

According to Peter, our faith is “more precious than gold” (1 Peter 1:7), for we’ve been redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19). Jesus was “chosen by God and precious” (1 Peter 2:4), and He is our precious cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6). To us who believe He is precious (1 Peter 2:7), and when we display a gentle and quiet spirit, it’s “very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:4). On top of it all, the Lord has given us His “exceedingly great and precious promises” through which we may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).

How blessed we are! How precious our faith!

Precious Jesus, that is the name which calms my fears, and bids my sorrows cease.

Charles H. Spurgeon, in his sermon “Christ Precious to Believers”

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Acts 4 – 7

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

Romans 12:11

Recommended Reading

Romans 12:9-13

Last summer, the mayor of the Italian town of Boscotrecase had to close down city hall because 23 of his staff were arrested for absenteeism. Staff members learned to scam the system by swiping one another’s passes when clocking into their jobs. Thirty people were involved in the scheme, and among those arrested was the head of the local traffic police.

We’re living in a world where people cut corners whenever they can. After a while, scamming the system becomes a way of life. That doesn’t work on the spiritual level. There aren’t any shortcuts to spiritual growth. The Bible uses the word “diligent” to describe how we should go about our Christian lives. According to Hebrews 11:6, God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Peter told us to be diligent to make our call and election sure. “Be diligent,” he wrote, “to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 1:10 and 3:14).

As Christians we need to take responsibility for our walk with God, seeking to be more like Him, sharing our faith and serving others. Don’t try to scam the system. Be diligent to serve the Savior.

I could never have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence.

Charles Dickens

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Acts 1 – 3

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

Recommended Reading

Matthew 5:14-16

When hikers are lost in a vast wilderness, completely turned around with no sense of direction, they look for one thing at night: light! If they can climb a tree or get to the top of a mountain, they look far into the distance to search for a glimpse of light—any kind of light. Light means electricity; electricity means people; people means help; help means survival.

Our world today has become a vast, trackless wilderness enveloped in darkness. People are lost; people are wandering through life without a sense of direction and without hope of being found. It is no surprise how frequently the Bible uses “light” as a symbol for spiritual awakening and salvation. Jesus said He was “the light of the world” (John 8:12); and when He left earth, He designated His followers to be that light: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The purpose of the light is to draw mankind out of the wilderness to a place where they can be rescued and saved.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world! Let your life be a source of light—what Jesus called “your good works”—so the lost will be drawn to Christ in you.

The gospel is light but only the Spirit can give sight.

1. W. Tozer

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John 20 – 21

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

Recommended Reading

Acts 1:12-26

Trouble threatens unity. It happens in families and in churches. When the first church in Jerusalem was under intense pressure, immediately after Christ’s ascension to heaven, they let the pressure drive them closer together instead of breaking them apart.

Their first task after Christ’s ascension was to choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot. Peter led the group of 120 in an orderly process of nominating two candidates (Acts 1:15). They prayed that God would guide the casting of lots and Matthias was chosen. (Casting lots was the Old Testament means of finding God’s leading [Proverbs 16:33]. Lots are not mentioned again in the New Testament once the Holy Spirit came as the Church’s Guide and Helper.) What could have been a contentious process, with factions uniting around the two candidates, appears to have been simple, unified, submissive, and united.

From that example of unity has sprung two millennia of debate and division within the Church. In this day of criticism and antagonism against Christians, we need each other more than ever. Be a source of unity and mutual submission (Ephesians 5:21) wherever you worship.

In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.

Richard Baxter

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John 18 – 19

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Recommended Reading

Mark 10:35-45

Entrepreneur Josh Linkner wrote a column for Forbes under the title: “Great Startup CEOs Are Servants, Not Kings.” Over the course of his investing career, he said the duds in his portfolios had been led by grandiose personalities who talked big and acted like kings. The companies that performed best, he said, were led by servants—men and women who kept their heads down, their hands to the work, and who labored for the best interests of their employers and investors.1

Servant leadership originated with Christ. While ministering on earth He provided a clear example of how to treat others. He came to serve rather than to be served.

It’s the little things—returning the shopping cart to its rack, smiling at the clerk behind the counter, picking up the phone to discuss a disagreement rather than sending an email, emptying the dishwasher, letting the other person have the last word, suppressing an exclamation of complaint—that make a difference.

Start filling your day with servant actions, and you’ll fill your life with blessings.

Being coachable and open to new ideas, with a bright outlook toward the future, will make you a servant leader.

Josh Linkner

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John 16 – 17

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If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

1 Peter 4:14

Recommended Reading

1 Peter 4:12-19

A Turning Points reader recently posted an interesting question on social media: “What is it about the Name of Christ? Why does the world so hate it?” Russian history books are stained with the blood of believers, savagely tortured and killed by the thousands in Soviet days. Those days changed with the fall of the Iron Curtain, or so we thought. But earlier this year, Vladimir Putin turned back the clock, passing a new law forbidding Christians from sharing their faith anywhere but within the walls of official church buildings. Even speaking of Christ in private homes is forbidden. Online sharing of the Gospel is forbidden.

In America, secularists seek to restrict freedom of Christian expression in public life, but it’s far worse now in Russia and in many other parts of the world. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron was correct when he called Christians the “most persecuted group in the world today.”

Why do skeptics fear the Name of Jesus? What is it about that Name? As Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote, “Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that Name.”

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; / Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.

Edward Perronet

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John 13 – 15

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Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

Recommended Reading

1 Peter 2:11-12

Last summer, former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow spent time ministering to children in an orphanage in the Philippines. It was a personal mission for Tim because he was born in the Philippines to missionary parents, and the orphanage had been started by his father, Bob Tebow.

Critics may blast Tim Tebow for his vocal faith, but it’s hard for them to criticize him when his Christianity goes to work caring for orphans in the Philippines.

Following Christ isn’t a popular path in today’s culture, and the world is quick to criticize us for being vocal or for our slightest faults or failures. But the world falls silent as we care for orphans, visit widows, feed the poor, rebuild communities after disasters, promote literacy, and provide clean drinking water for impoverished villages. Peter wrote, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12, NIV).

Our authenticity as a follower of Christ is often judged more by our actions than our words.

The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to… His other children.

Henry Drummond

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John 7 – 8

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.

John 14:16

Recommended Reading

John 14:15-17

Why do future pastors and missionaries study New Testament Greek when preparing for ministry? For reasons best illustrated by the Greek word Jesus used to describe the Spirit whom God would send to the disciples after Jesus’ departure from earth.

Four times Jesus referred to the Spirit by the Greek word parakletos (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). Understanding parakletos reveals the role the Spirit would play in the Church. Parakletos is a compound word. Para means along, alongside, among, beside, in the sight of, and more. Kaleo means to call or summon. Put the two together and you have parakletos—someone who is called alongside or among others. For what purpose? To help (NKJV), to counsel (ESV notes), to intercede (NASB notes), to befriend (MSG), to comfort (AMP), to advocate (NLT, second edition), and more. As modern translations reveal, it is hard to choose one English word that captures everything the Holy Spirit came to be and do.

In short, the Holy Spirit came to be to us what Jesus was to His disciples (John 14:26). When we are full of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), we are full of Christ Himself.

The Holy Spirit is the heavenly Lover’s engagement ring given to us.

Michael Green

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John 5 – 6

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Hebrews 5:8

Recommended Reading

Hebrews 12:1-11

Young people are often surprised when they hear an elderly person say, “I learn something new every day.” Even more surprising is when young Christians discover Hebrews 5:8—that Jesus Christ had to learn obedience. We have the impression that because Jesus was God He didn’t need to learn anything. We forget that as Man, He identified with us in learning to trust God in times of difficulty. His learning could be thought of as “perfecting,” as Hebrews 5:9 suggests. In His suffering, Christ didn’t learn something new. Rather, He proved (perfected) His obedience to God the Father.

The same path Christ took has been laid out for all who follow Him. James 1:2 doesn’t say to be joyful “if” we encounter trials but “when.” The apostle Paul wrote that difficulties are part of the road we take to being conformed to the image of Christ, our ultimate glorification in Him (Romans 8:28-30). If Christ had to prove His commitment to the Father by obedience and trust, and if we are on the same path, we must surely do the same.

Don’t resist the trials in your life. Embrace them as opportunities to prove your faithfulness to God in all things.

The Christian is more formed from his trials than from his enjoyments.

William Jay

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John 3 – 4

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And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.

Philippians 1:9

Recommended Reading

Psalm 133:1-3

Phi Beta Kappa, the national scholarship fraternity, is recognized as the first Greek-letter collegiate fraternal organization. One fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, co-founded in 1856 by a committed Christian, incorporates the words of Psalm 133:1 into its guiding principles: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

The values of brotherhood and sisterhood, community, friendship, strong bonds, and caring—at the heart of modern fraternal organizations—are biblically based. Indeed, the New Testament uses the image of body (1 Corinthians 12:27) and family (Romans 8:12-17) to describe the close-knit relationships Christians should have with one another. Nowhere is that better illustrated than in the life of the first church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47). So great was their care for each other that “there [wasn’t] anyone among them who lacked;” for they were “of one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32-35).

Are you participating in that kind of caring Christian community? To care, and be cared for, is what distinguishes the followers of Jesus in this world (John 13:35).

Caring is the ultimate measure of a congregation’s size.

Carl S. Dudley

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John 1 – 2

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Recommended Reading

Philippians 1:3-11

A single blow; the boxer crumples to the ground. The rules dictate that no one can help him get up. He is alone in his struggle—the silence of the crowd is palpable—the referee slowly counts to ten. Although we may not be knocked out in a boxing ring, unexpected situations can give our hearts and souls a beating: work stress, relocation, conflict, loss of a loved one, or unfulfilled and shattered dreams.

Professional athletes know the importance of having a coach or team who help equip them for success. Many of us treat the verse above like a cliché instead of a timely reminder. This is more than simply making a list of people we like. Who are the people who encourage our faith? It’s never too late to ask God for friends and to intentionally become a better friend.

We should recognize rather that such fellowship is a spiritual necessity; for God has made us in such a way that our fellowship with Himself is fed by our fellowship with fellow Christians.

1. I. Packer

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Luke 23 – 24

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Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4:17a

Recommended Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Do you know the actual word “rapture” is not found in most English translations of the Bible? It’s not in the King James Version, the New King James Version, or the New International Version. But that doesn’t diminish its reality or our excitement about it. According to the apostle Paul, one day soon Christ will descend from heaven with a shout and believers who are alive at the time will be “caught up” or “caught away” to be with Him.

When the Bible was translated into Latin in the fourth century, the translators rendered the original Greek phrase with the Latin word raptura, a term used meaning “snatched away.” That’s the source of our English term “rapture.” Later when the Bible was translated into English, the scholars bypassed the Latin term and used the more literal words, “caught up.” The meaning, however, is the same.

In our modern society, the word “rapture” also means being caught up in excitement and joy. When Jesus descends from heaven with a shout, we, His children, will be caught up with Him in the clouds, and we’ll feel rapturous joy in our hearts.

Many people do not seem to think Jesus will come back in their lifetime; if they did it would affect the way they lived.

Tom Blackaby, in Experiencing God at Home Day by Day

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Luke 11 – 12

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And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:13

Recommended Reading

John 17:9-19

Kelly Swisher of Arkansas was driving down Interstate 49 when a large rat snake fell out of her dashboard and slithered across her feet. Somehow she managed to pull off the road and call authorities, who came and captured the snake and sent Kelly on her way without further incident.

In a spiritual sense, that can happen to us anytime. We never know when we’ll have an incident with the old serpent, the devil. He lurks around, drops in out of nowhere, tempts us, tests us, and does his best to rob us of purity and peace.

On two occasions, once at the beginning and the other at the end of His earthly work, Jesus told us to pray about this. In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught us to pray, “Deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). On the night before His death, He said, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

Take these prayers seriously. Today ask God to protect and deliver you and yours from that old serpent, the devil. Our safety is in Christ alone, and a strong daily prayer life is crucial for avoiding wrecks.

When one has faith, one does not retire, one stops the enemy where he finds him.

General Ferdinand Foch, fighting on the Western Front of World War I

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Luke 7 – 8

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 20:7

If you set aside a certain amount of your paycheck to fund an emergency account—not to be used for anything else—you have consecrated that money. Are those dollars more crisp, more pristine, more valuable than the other dollars in your bank account? No. What makes them special is that they have been identified and set aside for a specific purpose.

Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 1:15-16

That is essentially what it means to be holy, or to be consecrated before the Lord. It means an otherwise normal human being steps out of one circle and into another circle. He steps out of the circle of worldliness and into the circle of holiness. Does that person look any different on the outside? Probably not, just as Jesus didn’t (Isaiah 53:2). But on the inside, the person is very different. He has committed himself to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. When the pressures come to be conformed to this world, he does not yield because he has set himself aside as “holy to the Lord.”

If you are a Christian, you have set yourself apart for Christ. Pray today that, come what may in the future, you will remain consecrated unto Him.

The root of all steadfastness is in consecration to God.

Alexander MacLaren

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Luke 3 – 6

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

The devil, who deceived [the nations], was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 20:10

Recommended Reading

1 John 5:19

Two researchers in the University of California, San Diego’s psychology department wanted to know: Do people enjoy reading fiction more or less if they know how the story ends? That is, does it help to read the last chapter before starting the newest crime fiction novel? As it turns out, the subjects in the study reported enjoying the story more when they knew up front how the story would end.

That’s good news for Bible readers! We have been given a lengthy story to read with lots of plot twists and surprises along the way. It’s the story of good versus evil and we want to know who wins in the end (1 John 3:8; 5:19). Fortunately, the final chapters—Revelation 19-22—could not be more clear. Christ returns to earth with the armies of heaven and defeats Satan and his legions. He then rules the earth for 1,000 years, banishes Satan forever, and ushers us into everlasting peace and righteousness in the New Jerusalem.

Go ahead—read those four final chapters! They will shine the light of hopeful certainty when the days are dark.

Let’s keep our chins up and our knees down—we’re on the victory side!

Alan Redpath

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Luke 1–2

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

But we see Jesus…

Hebrews 2:9

Recommended Reading

Hebrews 2:5-9

Randy Alcorn wrote of the first physician to die of AIDS in the United Kingdom. He was a young Christian who contracted the disease conducting medical research in Zimbabwe. “In the last days of his life he struggled to express himself to his wife. Near the end, he couldn’t talk, and had only enough strength to write the letter J. She ran through her mental dictionary, saying various words beginning with J. None was right. Finally she said, ‘Jesus?’ He nodded. Yes, Jesus. Jesus filled his thoughts. That’s all he wanted to say. That’s all his wife needed to hear.”1

We don’t have all the answers to life, but we have Jesus. Jesus, who existed before the creation of the world. Jesus, who entered human history. Jesus, who died for us. Jesus, who rose from the dead. Jesus, who ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus, who is coming again in power and glory.

Even when we don’t understand the world around us, we have the letter J.

We have Jesus.

(God) offers us profound, moving, and surprising insights that can feed our minds, warm our hearts, and give us the strength to face a world that is not what it once was, or what it one day will be.

Randy Alcorn

1Randy Alcorn, If God Is Good (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2009), 2, 5.

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Mark 15 – 16

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/