July 6 Most of us have never encountered a situation like this. But in Paul’s context, it was not unusual. In modern-day Turkey and throughout that part of the world at the time, many people were polytheists who worshiped many gods. As part of their worship, they would offer sacrifices to one of their gods….
July 5 Paul begins 1 Corinthians 7 talking about sexual intimacy in marriage. While he prohibits sexual immorality (all sexual behavior outside the context of a one-man-one-woman covenant marital relationship), Paul encourages sexual intimacy within a covenant marital relationship. In fact, he says that giving yourself to your spouse is your conjugal duty. And it’s…
May 22 Dr. Luke begins Acts 13 with a little background about the church in Antioch. By this point in time, the church had organized to have prophets and teachers present. God established these positions, and the church recognized God’s gifting for each person’s tasks. (1 Corinthians 12:28) Everyone had his own part to play…
May 14 In our last devotional, we read that the church chose its first deacons. Stephen was one of the men chosen. Note that Dr. Luke told us that Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:5) Stephen was not a “special” person. He was not an apostle, but simply a man…
May 7 Acts Chapter Two marks a radical change in the nature of God’s relationship with His people. The disciples have watched Jesus ascend into heaven, and they gather in an upper room with over one hundred other people on the Day of Pentecost. It’s important to note that Acts 2, the Day of Pentecost,…
February 27 In two verses, Matthew captures the image of Jesus overturning the moneychangers’ tables, as well as evicting all buyers and sellers from the Temple. The Temple was supposed to be a “house of prayer,” He said, but they had turned it into a “den of thieves.” (Matthew 12:12–13) What a rebuke! So, what…
