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We are following a New Testament in a year plan with 5-minute daily readings. Your options for joining us include: 1. Subscribe to our daily readings emails above. 2. Read online using our daily links to Bible Gateway. 3. Read from your own Bible using your preferred translation. You can print out a listing of our entire year's readings in PDF at this link. 4. Email me with any questions at [email protected]
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God bless! Mike
p.s. Keep scrolling down to see our latest daily readings blog post and email content below this welcome post. ⬇️
Wow. It is fun to read about Paul's first missionary journey! A very cool thing to note about today's readings is that Paul started his missionary journey not after an extensive planning session / retreat / etc. (all our modern day stuff of what we have to do before embarking on something...) No! Paul started his missionary journey after a time of worship & fasting and being filled with the Holy Spirit! The Spirit moved and thus Paul moved! It was that simple. Think we can learn something from this in our lives today? Are you listening to the Spirit's prompting in your life today? What is the Spirit prompting you to do? Will you do it? Check out Acts 13 verses 2 and 3 that show all it took for Paul to begin his missionary journey: "One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I have for them." So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way."
I am a huge fan of Paul's epistles, and greatly enjoyed verses 9 through 11, which are Paul's first words that we've read in Acts since his conversion on the road to Damascus - "Then Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked the sorcerer in the eye and said, "You son of the Devil, full of every sort of trickery and villainy, enemy of all that is good, will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? And now the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be stricken awhile with blindness."" Paul was no joke! Below is a map of Paul's first missionary journey:
I love the way today's Acts readings finish up in verses 14 & 15 - "Barnabas and Paul traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services. After the usual readings from the books of Moses and from the Prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for us, come and give it!" Uh-oh! Think the folks in charge of the service are ready for a word from Paul and Barnabas? :) Stay tuned for the word of encouragement from Paul in tomorrow's readings! Below is an image of Barnabas:
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Acts titled "What a Way to Go" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings in Acts about Paul's missionary journey reminds me of the Britt Nicole song "The Lost Get Found:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"But the word of God continued to increase and spread." Acts 12:24 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that the Word of God continues to increase and spread in our world today. Pray that you are part of helping the Word of God increase and spread.
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
There is a lot going on in today's Acts readings as Peter is freed from jail by an angel!
I love verse 5 in this chapter as Peter was put in jail - "But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him." Who are you praying for very earnestly these days? Do you think that prayer changes things? How is your prayer life this very day?
Verses 21 through 23 are a great great reminder to not ever accept anyone calling you a god - nor for you to every think of yourself as a god - "When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It is the voice of a god, not of a man!" Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died." We should never accept worship from others. The glory should always go to God. As the Psalmist so wisely and worshipfully says in Psalm 115:1, "Not to us, not to us, O LORD, but to your name be the glory."
Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Death of James and the Deliverance of Peter" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminds me of Chris Tomlin's song "Praise Him Forever:"
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
I love how Peter answers his "critics" in Acts chapter 11 today. He simply tells them the story of what happened. And through this plain and simple act of telling his story truthfully we get to verse 18 - "When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God. They said, "God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life."" And this makes me wonder about our lives today. How do we answer our "critics" when it comes to our faith? Is it possible that we can answer our critics simply by telling our story? Just like Peter simply answered his critics with his story? Is it possible that our story of how God reached out and changed our lives could be very effective in winning hearts and minds for Jesus? I think sometimes we underestimate the power of simply telling our story. It is our story - and after we tell it, how can anyone really criticize it? Or argue with it? It is our story. Let us tell it. And let us tell our story often and with great love. I believe God can work wonders when we simply tell our stories...
Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Peter is Called on the Carpet" is at this link and "One Step Backward and Two Steps Forward" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings reminded me of Rhett Walker's song "When Mercy Found Me:"
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Acts 10 verses 25 & 26 stood out to me today - "As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in worship. But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being like you!" This reminds me that this type of stuff can still happen today. I am afraid that sometimes we can end up worshiping people today, instead of worshiping God. And I'm afraid that this can oftentimes happen in the context of our churches. I have to say that I have seen what almost looks like worship of Pastors at churches. And that ain't a good thing... Pastors are human beings just like us! Yes, they are called to a very high standard in Paul's letter to Timothy, which we'll read later this year. But Pastors are not God. They are not divine. They should not be worshiped. Yes, they can help lead us in worship of God in great ways and with great messages. But let us make sure we are directing our worship at the true Rock and Light and Author of All who will never fail us and never let us down - God. So, stand up before your pastor. Pastors are humans just like us...
Peter's words in verses 34 - 36 are so powerful and are a huge turning point in the Gospel beginning to be preached to the Gentiles (non-Jews) - "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel--that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all." Do you believe that God does not show partiality? Do you believe that in every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right? Do you believe there is peace with God through Jesus? Do you know this peace?
Worship Video: Today's readings reminded me of the Natalie Grant song "Held:"
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
I love it! Almost every time we see an angel visit someone the visited person is panic stricken by the angel! :) Verse 4 today - "Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel."" Seriously, it's pretty consistent that people in the Bible get freaked out by angelic visitors. Probably because it's a pretty rare thing. Don't you think you'd get freaked out / scared if an angel visited you? I am pretty sure I would. Maybe that's why angels only show up in our human world visuals when something big needs to happen. Something big happens in today's (and tomorrow's) readings with Cornelius and Peter. I'm thinking if you or I were visited by an angel today, we might end up with an expression somewhat like this... :)
Before we get to the big thing that happens today with Peter, check the remainder of verse 4: "And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God!" Hmmm... think God pays attention when we give gifts to the poor? Have you found a consistent way to give gifts to the poor?
Okay, back to today's readings and the big happenings. I think Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion answers the question well of "What was the meaning of the vision Peter saw?" as follows: "According to Jewish law, certain foods were forbidden to be eaten (see Leviticus 11). The food laws made it difficult for Jews to eat with Gentiles without risking defilement. In fact, the Gentiles themselves were often seen as 'unclean.' Peter's vision meant that he should not look upon the Gentiles as inferior people whom God would not redeem. Before having the vision, Peter would have thought that a Roman officer could not accept Christ. Afterward, he understood that it was his responsibility to go with the messengers into a Gentile home and tell Cornelius the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ."
Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Is Cleanliness Next to Godliness?" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings remind me of the song "Lord, I need you" by Matt Maher, sung here by Lauren Daigle:
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
New Testament - Wow. Something about Acts chapter 9 verse 31 really stood out to me as we read about the early church today: "The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit." Read this verse again. Whaddya think? The believers of the early church were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you, but I want to walk like that! I love that dichotomy - that balance - of walking in fear and comfort. No - don't get me wrong - I'm not talking about a fraidy-cat type of fear. But I am talking about a healthy / respectful fear - I mean, just look at the image above again of the lion and the man of God. I don't mean to bag on the man of God by any means, but I think it is safe to say that he was walking in the "fear of the Lord" when he shunned Jeroboam's invite, but then he may have not been walking in the "fear of the Lord" when accepted the old prophet's lie. And, like the old prophet in today's Kings readings, do you think that people will lie to you and me today? Will the Enemy, the Destroyer, seek to lie to us? If so, do you think there is value in walking in the "fear of the Lord" today? While - at the same time walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. There is something about the wisdom of this verse in Acts today that I really really like. This may be one of those verses to really meditate upon. I think there is so much value in this verse for our lives... Today - are you walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit?
Great readings today about Peter healing and raising the dead in Jesus' name! Verse 40 is amazing: "But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!" Below is a fresco of this scene (though Peter is not kneeling and everyone had not left the room... still some great art! :) from the year 1424 by the Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio, which is in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy:
Worship Video: Today's readings in Acts reminds me of the Jason Gray song "More Like Falling in Love:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit." Acts 9:31 NLT1
Prayer Point: Pray that you are walking in the fear of the Lord today. Pray that you are walking with the comfort of the Holy Spirit today. Pray that forevermore you will walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Big readings today! Saul is converted to Christianity by Jesus himself! I think this is the most powerful conversion story in all of the Bible! Below is the phenomenal painting "The Conversion (of Saul) on the Way to Damascus" by the Italian Baroque Era painter Caravaggio, circa 1600:
As I was reading Acts chapter 9 today, I thought more about Ananias than I have before. Can you imagine being Ananias and being asked to go find Saul of Tarsus? Ananias demonstrated amazing faith in today's readings. God's words to Ananias about Saul in verses 15 & 16 are powerful - and as we now know, so very true: "But the Lord said, "Go and do what I say. For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for me."" Great stuff... In your life, who might God be calling you to go visit - like he called Ananias to visit? Is there someone who is waiting for you to visit them, lay hands on them, and open up their hearts to receive the Holy Spirit? Will you be Ananias for that person? Below is an image of Saul/Paul (kneeling) and Ananias from today's readings:
Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Conversion of Saul" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings about Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus reminds me of the Selah song "Unredeemed:"
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: In your life, what was your conversion story? Do you mind sharing your testimony here with others? Perhaps it may not be as dramatic as Saul/Paul's story, but do you think it is just as special in God's eyes? (I do!) Also, 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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Wow. Acts chapter 8 verses 18 & 19 should be a warning to each of us to not lose sight of where spiritual power truly comes from - "When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people's heads, he offered money to buy this power. "Let me have this power, too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!"" Scary stuff... but I have a hunch this type of thing still happens today. People want to "buy" faith or buy spiritual power. God ain't selling it. It's a free gift. Salvation is free. It ain't for sale. I pray that each of us realizes that our faith in Jesus is a free gift. We didn't buy it. We didn't earn it. And we most definitely should not exploit our free gift of faith in any way for $. That is scary to consider. And if we are blessed with what appears to be spiritual power in any way, I pray we realize that this power comes only from God, and not from ourselves. And if we ever happen to think that spiritual power comes from ourselves, then I am sure we will quickly learn the maxim - "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." Spiritual power goes bankrupt quick if we ever try to claim it as our own...
Today in Acts chapter 8 we read about Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In verses 34 and 35, just after the eunuch has finished reading verses in Isaiah 53 about Jesus, we will read – “The eunuch asked Phillip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? Then Phillip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” I wonder about this in our lives today – do you think there are people that you know who are trying to understand who God is and what God is saying, just like this eunuch was trying to understand? Are there people in your life who may be seeking God and Jesus? If so, will you be like Phillip was for this eunuch for these people in your life? Will you begin with wherever these people are (“that very passage”), even if they are very far from God, and begin to share with them the good news about Jesus? Yes, this story about the Ethiopian eunuch is a very quick conversion story. Not all of our stories of having conversations with others seeking God will turn out like this. In fact, I’d venture to say that many will take many months and maybe even several years. But, even if it takes a lifetime of conversations with someone about the good news of Jesus, isn’t it worth it? Who in your life is God calling you to share the good news about Jesus with? Will you begin those conversations now? And, perhaps most importantly, will you begin praying for those that God has placed in your life – praying that they will come to understand who God truly is?
Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Simon and Simon" is at this link and commentary titled "The Ethiopian Eunuch" is at this link.
Worship Video: Philip's evangelism in today's readings in Acts reminded me of the Casting Crowns song "Does Anybody Hear Her" and our call to evangelism of others in our life today:
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today is a sad day of readings as we read about the stoning of Stephen - the first Christian martyr. Verses 59 & 60 are incredible and reminiscent of Jesus on the cross: "And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died." Below is Rembrandt's "The Stoning of Stephen" from the year 1625:
In verse 58 we are ominously introduced to who we now know as Paul, the author of many of the epistles in the Bible: "The official witnesses took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul." This laying of coats at Saul's feet may be signifying that Saul was the highest official at the stoning of Stephen and may be signifying that Saul gave permission for this stoning of Stephen to occur. Saul is Paul's Hebrew name. Paul is his Greek name. (which is a significant distinction, as Paul's ministry reaches out to the Gentiles, including the Greeks - hence going from the Hebrew name Saul to the Greek name Paul is significant) In a few chapters ahead we will learn about Saul's encounter with Jesus and how his persecution of Christians will soon take a dramatic U-turn... Take a look at the cloaked figure in the image below to the left - this looks to me to be Saul watching over the stoning of Stephen with coats laid at his feet. (and I think Saul is in Rembrant's painting above to the left on the horse) God has an amazing conversion for Saul coming up...
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Acts titled "The Stoning of Stephen" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings remind me of the Build 429 song "Where I Belong:"
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Stephen's great sermon to the temple council continues today! Great timing on his sermonizing in verses 46 through 50 related to the Temple Solomon built - ""David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.But it was Solomon who actually built it. However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says, `Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you ever build me a temple as good as that?' asks the Lord. `Could you build a dwelling place for me? Didn't I make everything in heaven and earth?'" The last 2 verses came from Isaiah chapter 66 verses 1 & 2 (as the prophet says..) Indeed it is true! We do not need a temple for God today. God does not live in a temple built by human hands. I have heard it said before - "If you are in relationship with God through his son Jesus, you are God's temple." Do you believe this is true? Do you believe that your body is a temple that God can live in?
A great look at the characteristics of Stephen's sermon today is at Bible.org at this link.
Worship God: Today's readings remind me of Tauren Wells’ terrific song “Hills and Valleys:”
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. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
