God is working out a plan to redeem His elect people from all the nations of the earth. It will succeed. Do you know your part in this grand plan? Today’s Reading Jeremiah 3-4; Second Thessalonians 3 Selected Verses And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It sh

What is the relationship of the Christian to the world?  God prohibits marriage to unbelievers, but sends us to evangelize them to the end of the earth. Today’s Reading Ezra 9-10; Acts 1 Selected Verses While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.  And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezr

God included the Gentiles in His plans to redeem His elect people from sin and death.  Here we meet two men who saw the light on this. Today’s reading Joshua 7-8; Luke 2:25-52 Selected Verses And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the s

Jesus echoed the prophets when He rebuked the abuses in the temple during His day.  God shows His grace to all the nations and Jesus made this clear. Today’s reading Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 11:1-19 Selected Verses Turn northward  and command the people, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, n

Missions are about making God’s name known and hallowed in every nation of the world. We must pray, send, give and go till Christ returns. Today’s reading Leviticus 20-21; Matthew 28 Selected Verses They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the Lord’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.  Leviticus 21:6 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go t

Today’s reading Genesis 27-28; Matthew 9:18-38 Selected verses …and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 28:14b The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Matthew 9:37-38 Reflections God’s revealed will for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants was to bless all the families of the earth. That blessing was far greater than e

God’s purposes in human history God is carrying out His purposes in human history.  He decreed to elect a people for Himself and through Abraham to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3).  He called Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6).  But He had much more in mind than just the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He had the Church, the body of Christ, in view as Peter calls the Church a chosen race, a holy nation.  Jesu

Paul teaches us that it is normal to be longing for the glories of our heavenly home.  They stand in contrast to this present earthly one.  The eternal replaces the temporary.  The permanent replaces the destructible.  Clothing replaces nakedness.  Joy replaces groaning.  Meanwhile, we have work to do here proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today’s reading:  2 Corinthians 1:12-6:2 My selection: For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a

Through the preaching of the gospel and the power of His Holy Spirit, God saves unlikely converts everywhere in the world.  He always has and always will. Today’s reading: Acts 10:23-13:3 My selection: And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:42-43 For more

Today’s reading: John 20:24-Acts 2:13 My selection: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 For more reflections on this passage, see the corresponding reading in my book Cover to Cover: Through the Bible in 365 days. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edit

Today’s reading: 1 Kings 7:13-8:61 God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel always had a global focus, an inclusion of the Gentiles (Genesis12:3).  Today’s reading gives another example of how the king of Israel, Solomon, understood this reality.  Clearly this attitude did not carry over during New Testament times and during the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Is your prayer life informed by the Word of God?  Solomon’s was in the case of his prayer at the newly opene

When God is ignored or rejected, the vacuum left is filled with something else, something which usurps the glory due to Him. Today’s reading: Jeremiah 14-16; 1 Timothy 5 20 Can man make for himself gods?  Such are not gods!” 21 “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord.” Jeremiah 16:20-21 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 1 Timothy 5:7 The m