First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Acts 1:12-26

Today’s passage: Acts 1:12-26

Helpful thoughts:

  • According to Jewish tradition, they were only allowed to travel about half a mile on the Sabbath day.  This was believed to be the furthest distance anyone traveled to get to the tabernacle in the wilderness during the Exodus.
  • Only 10 days passed between the ascension and Pentecost.  The first meeting consisted of the disciples, the women who had accompanied them (such as Mary Magdelene, Mary and Martha, and the apostles’ wives), and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers (James, Joses, Jude, and Simon).
    • Within those ten days, other followers of Christ joined them, including Barsabas and Matthias.
  • The casting of lots was used at different times in the Old Testament.  This is the last time the use of lots is recorded in Scripture…the Spirit of God came in the next chapter, followed by the apostolic ministry and the writing of the New Testament.

Questions to consider:

  1. How did David write the Psalms (Verse 16)?  Who is the Author of the Scriptures?
  2. What kinds of things did the disciples of Jesus do while they waited for the promise of Christ to come happen?  In what ways was their waiting a time of preparation for what was to come?  How can this guide us as we await Christ’s return?
  3. How did Peter confirm or give evidence for his assertions? How did he prove that Judas’ betrayal was not an accident or a failure on God’s part?  How did he convince the rest that it was best to have another man take Judas’ place as an Apostle?  What was his source of information?

Devotional: Acts 1:1-11

Today’s passage: Acts 1:1-11

Helpful thoughts:

  • The Gospel of Luke and Acts are both written by Luke.  Both addressed to Theophilus.
  • Jesus’ body didn’t simply come up missing.  He presented Himself alive by many infallible proofs!
  • The Holy Spirit baptized over 3,00 souls (Including the Apostles) into the body of Christ at the day of Pentecost, which we will read about in Acts 2.  Since then, that baptism has occurred in each person at their conversion (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:9, Titus 3:5-6).
  • The timing of the coming kingdom remains a mystery.  However, the power to expand the kingdom is here.
  • Christ is coming again!

Questions to consider:

  1. What are some of the infallible proofs of Jesus’ resurrection? How do they show that our Savior and Lord is alive?  (See John 20:19, Luke 24:39, 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 for examples)
  2. What was the mission which the Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles to do?  Was the power most evidenced in the signs they did or in the spread of the Gospel and converted souls?
  3. How is the Gospel still going forward today?  Who shared Christ with you?  Who can you share the message with today?

Devotional: Isaiah 66

Today’s passage: Isaiah 66

Helpful thoughts:

  • We cannot impress God.  We are not going to wow Him with our accomplishments.  The right response before the holy, omnipotent God is a humble and contrite spirit.
  • Everyone who rejects God and incurs His wrath does so by their own choice (Verse 3).
    • And yet, many of them reject God and sin against His people as if they were obeying Him (Verse 5).
  • There will be resurrection for the redeemed, and it will follow the time of God’s judgment.
    • Believing Jews and Gentiles from around the world will come to Israel and worship the Lord.

Questions to consider:

  1. If I feel like God is lucky to have me on His team and can’t wait to get my trophies and rewards in Heaven because of how awesome I’ve been, which kind of person am I trending toward considering verses 2-3?  Is it possible for someone to think they are a Christian but instead be a person who is doing wrong in the name of Jesus?
  2. How does the culture we live in view people who are humble, contrite (expressing remorse for my guilt), and who tremble at the words of God?  How do those postures compare to the ideas of “following your heart,” “being true to yourself,” and being a “product of your environment?”
  3. Does anyone ever go to Hell/endure God’s wrath because they rejected God against their will (Verse 3)?  What makes a proud sinner become a humble contrite follower of Jesus (John 3:1-8)?

Devotional: Isaiah 65

Today’s passage: Isaiah 65

Helpful thoughts:

  • Paul quotes this passage in Romans 10.
  • Israel walked in continual sin while simultaneously feeling superior and more righteous than everyone else.  (Verse 5)
  • God’s servant is the Messiah.  (52:13)
  • In the millennial kingdom, people dying at 100 years old will be considered to have died prematurely.
    • In our day, godly people and rebels die early and old alike.  In the day of the kingdom, if a sinner dies at 100, we’ll know his premature death was a judgment.

Questions to consider:

  1. For whose sake does God promise to save the remnant of Israel (Verse 8)?  In what way will His honor be defended and upheld?
  2. What changes will there be in the millennial kingdom?  Starting in verse 20, look for the things God will bring about that will not be true until Jesus comes.
  3. Will the kingdom of God be a democracy or a monarchy?  Why is a monarchy better than democracy when Jesus is king?

Devotional: Isaiah 64

Today’s passage: Isaiah 64

Helpful thoughts:

  • By Isaiah’s description, there is no one who “waits for Him” or who “joyfully works righteousness” without God first intervening in grace.
    • God is therefore glorified in creating a people for Himself and then defending them against their adversaries.
  • Asking God to come down is an act of faith.  If a person has not received God’s gift of salvation, the last thing they should desire is to see the coming of the holy and just God.
  • Righteous acts done for selfish gain (Manipulating God) are as filthy rags.  A person who is trying to do enough good deeds to earn entry into God’s family without the grace of God purchased entirely through the blood of Jesus is actively sinning.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is it impossible to earn salvation?  What does the word “salvation” mean?  What chance do any of us have of being “good enough” to go to heaven?
  2. Why is it a sin to try to get into heaven or to earn God’s favor in some different way than He has designed?  In what way could good works be helpful toward other people yet sinful before God?
  3. Are you ready for God to rend the heavens and come down?  Do you know how a person is saved?  Have you been saved?

Devotional: Isaiah 63

Today’s passage: Isaiah 63

Helpful thoughts:

  • Revelation 19:11-21
  • The Messiah is just in His wrath and mighty to save.
  • Isaiah knows that any good that came to Israel came because of God’s gracious choice and so, he asks for God’s action again.  This chapter sounds much like John’s final request in Revelation 22:20, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Questions to consider:

  1. Who was/is worthy to both execute justice and provide righteousness to the redeemed (Verse 5)?
  2. What was the result of God’s apparent lack of applied grace (Verse 17)?  What challenging questions could this cause us to ask?  If left to ourselves, what would we choose?  What is required for us to desire to follow and fear God?
  3. Why is it only right for God’s name to be glorified when we consider the good that comes to mankind, to ourselves, to the church?  What are the reasons you have to praise and glorify the Lord?

Devotional: Isaiah 62

Today’s passage: Isaiah 62

Helpful thoughts:

  • When God initiates the kingdom in Zion, the prophets will only need to prophecy praises to the Lord.
  • Israel (And all of us) have earned the names Desolate and Forsaken…yet God has chosen to delight in her and cause her to become a beautiful crown.  What grace!
  • There will come a day when Jerusalem will never see defeat again.  God has promised it.

Questions to consider:

  1. Who is Zion’s righteousness?  Therefore, who is Zion’s glory?
  2. What are the names that were given to the people of God in this chapter?  What do they teach us about God?  What do they teach us about the basis of our relationship with Him?
  3. What it is like (Or what would it be like) for a young man to purely delight in his new bride?  What emotions and excitement does he feel?  How do those joys and passions translate to a people being excited for the land of Israel and for God to be excited for His people?  How could that joy translate to our love for the church and our eagerness for Christ’s return?

Devotional: Isaiah 61

Today’s passage: Isaiah 61

Helpful thoughts:

  • Jesus read this passage and claimed to be it’s fulfillment, the Messiah, in the synagogue in Luke 4:16-21.
  • Jesus is the preacher of this message and He is the payment for it’s purchase.  The covenant being purchased with His own blood.
  • The marriage imagery is repeated in Ephesians 5:22-33.

Questions to consider:

  1. The Lord’s love of justice (Verse 8) is the reason Jesus had to suffer on the cross and die.  Why was Christ’s death necessary?  What did it accomplish?  If sin was ever paid for twice would that be justice?
  2. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn.” (See Matthew 5:2-12)  What are God’s people mourning?  Is it political issues or is it their sin?  What did Jesus die to redeem, a government or people who were slaves to sin?  How can this right understanding of Isaiah 61 help us when we think about the government in this country today so that we don’t make the same mistake the Pharisees did during Jesus’ earthly ministry?  What is our greatest need?  What is your neighbor’s greatest need?
  3. How will righteousness come to the earth?  Will our efforts bring about perfection on this earth?  Who will cause righteousness to grow? (Verse 11)