“And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

What on earth happened that day in the Garden of Eden? God had told Adam: “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” God then made a wife for Adam to whom Adam communicates God’s instructions.

Why does Satan come to Eve? Apparently God had not spoken directly to her but to Adam concerning the forbidden fruit (2:16). Adam was responsible for relaying God’s instruction to her, which he apparently did because she answers the serpent’s question by quoting God’s prohibition, but with one minor twist. Not once does she turn to Adam and say “Honey, what did God say?” Nor does Adam clarify God’s instructions to his wife.

Eve makes her decision based upon her perception of good, ”When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and appealing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom she took some and ate it”. She chooses good over God. Adam readily receives the fruit from the forbidden tree from her hand (Hello! She was standing there naked!). He chooses to ignore the Word of God as the source of wisdom and guidance. He chooses instead to live by sight instead of by faith in God’s Word. Adam, therefore, chooses girl over God.

Adam and Eve’s choice to make something other than God’s Word as the source of wisdom has replicated itself in everyone since. Well, not everyone (as we shall see in the following chapters of Genesis). God clearly laid out His instructions to Adam and gave him one prohibition and promised him that death would occur (which it did) should he eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Adam quietly, but defiantly, disregards God’s Word.

The Lord Jesus Christ succeeds where Adam fails. In the wilderness temptation Jesus resists Satan’s temptation to meet his own physical needs by turning a stone into bread. Jesus combats Satan’s suggestive words by stating implicitly, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) succeeds where the first Adam fails.

This narrative teaches us a number of truths:

• God’s instructions are clear but man has a real enemy who distorts God’s instructions.
• Man must not rely upon his ability to make a right decision but must refer to God’s Word.
• Men are tempted to choose the girl over God and women are tempted to choose the good over God.
• Women are influential. They are able to influence for good as they submit to God’s Word, but they influence for evil when their decisions are based only upon their senses.
• Man must know and cling to God’s Word.
• Every since the Fall man questions the goodness of God or, entertains suspicions that God isn’t good and that He deliberately withholds good from man.

God is good and had revealed Himself throughout creation as good and interested in good. Therefore the enemy always distorts the image of God by questioning His goodness. Your view of God determines whether you will trust Him. Any thought that questions the goodness of God must be taken captive to the obedience of Christ. The Creation story speaks of God’s power, wisdom, and GOODNESS while the story of the Fall reveals that we have a real enemy who questions the goodness of God.

What is your view of God? Do you entertain thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him? Reflect on God’s attention to detail in everything that He created and His evaluation of all that He created in those six days. “You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 119:68).

Questions for today’s Chronological Bible reading:
Genesis 1:1-3:24

• What does God’s creating plant and animal life with the ability to reproduce tell you about God?
• What do the days of creation teach us about God? (God is systematic . . . is interested in reproduction . . . )
• What does God’s Garden prohibition teach you about God?
• How does Adam realize that he has no one comparable to himself?
• What does God’s making Eve from Adam’s rib instead of forming her from the dust of the ground tell you about God? About woman?
• Describe the serpent’s conversation with the woman.
• What happens immediately after Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit?
• What does this tell you about sin?
• What are fear, shame, and guilt symptoms of?
• How does God respond to their sin?
• What was God’s goal in confronting Adam and Eve?
• How do guiltiy sinners typically respond to sin’s confontation? (See Provers 28:13)
• How does God demonstrate His love and mercy to the guilty couple?
• What does Adam and Eve’s sin cost them? Cost God? Cost creation?

Turning truth into prayer
Thank the Lord for showing mercy to guilty sinners and for promising to send, from the woman’s seed, a coming redeemer. Ask Him to show you where you aren’t walking in faith but in the wisdom of man. Ask Him to show you where you are listening to Satan and believing Satan’s lies.

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each in the Lord.”

• How does Paul or anyone obtain righteousness?
• What do false teachers teach about obtaining righteousness and what is Paul’s view of their teaching?
• How do enemies of the cross live?
• Who does Paul confront in the Philippian church and why?
• What does this tell you about the early church?
• What is the antidote for anxiety?
• What is man’s responsibility in guarding his mind from anxiety?

1 Timothy 1:1-2:15

• Why does Paul instruct Timothy to remain in Ephesus?
• What reason does Paul give for his patience in the spiritual growth of others?
• What caused the “shipwrecking of faith” with Hymenacus and Alexander?
• How are the believers to respond to governing authorities?
• How does Paul describe God?
• Why does Paul admonish the women to dress modestly?
• What attitude should define women who profess to know God?

Turning truth into prayer:
Ask the Lord to help you walk in obedience to Him as you address any broken relationship you may have with a woman or women in your church (or past church).

“I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.”

Prison wasn’t a deterrent to Paul sharing his faith. In fact, he actively shared his faith while in prison and saw many come to Christ. One of those was a runaway slave of Philemon, a fellow worker and friend of Paul’s. “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.” Paul had a captive audience. Soldiers who guarded Paul and the other prisoners heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul saw everyone who crossed his path as a divine appointment from the Lord.



I wonder, had Philemon, even though he was Paul’s fellow worker, ever shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with his slave, Onesimus? Perhaps that’s the reason Paul prays that Philemon may be active in sharing his faith (verse 6). Sadly, many “workers” in the ministry never share their faith with others. They can hide for many years behind ministry “busy work” and even feel good about their ministry because they are so busy. Yet, people don’t just figure out the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ by watching believers. They have to HEAR the Gospel in order to be saved. It has to be both modeled and explained.

Benefits of sharing your faith:

• You have to be more careful about how you live when you become an active witness
• You have to become a better Bible student because people ask difficult questions
• If you share with enough people you will eventually see someone come to Christ

My husband recently came across a startling statistic regarding evangelism in our churches. Of the three and half million churches in the world only 7% are evangelistic. If the only things that last for eternity are the souls of men and the Word of God then we need to pray that God will help us to share our faith boldly with those whose lives intersect ours.


Questions for today’s Chronological Bible reading:
Philemon 1:1-25

• How does Paul package his challenge to Philemon to prepare him for Onesimus’ return?

Philippians 1:1-2:30

• How does Paul view the church leaders in Philippi?
• How does Paul view his imprisonment?
• How does Paul view those who preach the gospel from false motives?
• Why does Paul instruct those in Phillip to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ?
• How are believers to treat one another and what will be the result of doing so?
• What does salvation look like as it is filtered through the lives of believers?
• How does Paul illustrate the right attitude and likemindedness?

Turning truth into prayer
Ask the Lord to give you a greater awareness of the lostness of those around you.

“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”

Before and after pictures. We’ve all seen them. They narrate aesthetic medical procedures, home makeovers, weight loss, etc. Paul often uses such “before and after” pictures in his epistles to narrate the Christian life.

The “before and after” in Colossians:
We have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light (1:12-13)
We were once alienated from God and enemies in thought and in action but now we’ve been reconciled (1:21-22)
We were dead in sins but we’ve been made alive in Christ (2:13)

Paul constantly teaches these parallel truths: Christ operates in us and we cooperate with Him.

Since Christ has effected such change in our lives those who know us ought to be able to observe those changes because we cooperate with Him by being:

• Other worldly - “Set your minds on things above.”
• Disciplined - “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.”
• Compassionate – “Cloth yourself with compassion.”
• A person of peace – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”
• Word saturated – “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Scripture should permeate every aspect of a believer’s life and control every thought, word, and deed- not in cold legalism but in joyful singing and gratitude.
• submissive to authority – “Wives, submit to your own husbands.” Submission should characterize children to parents, employees to bosses, and husbands, fathers, and bosses to the Master in heaven.
• Prayerful – “Devote yourselves to prayer.”

In another letter Paul defines this “before and after” experience of every believer, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). What God has done for us in Christ is scandalous. Sinners made righteous. Spiritually dead people made alive.


It is just as scandalous when those who’ve been made new remain retardant in their growth in Christ-likeness because of personal passivity. Oswald Chambers warns against the lack of cooperation with God in moving toward spiritual maturity: “You must discipline yourself now. If you do not, you will ruin the whole of your personal life with God.”


Questions for today’s Chronological reading:
Colossians 1:1-4:18

• How does Paul describe the Colosse church?
• What does Paul teach the believers about the Christian life through his prayer for them?
• How does Paul describe the person and position of God’s Son?
• Make a list of the “before and after” comments Paul makes about believers.
• How does Paul describe his role in the church in general and to the Colossian believers?
• Make a list of the Paul’s instructions that follow his “so then” statement in 2:6. What does Christ’s death, burial and resurrection demand of the believer.
• Which instruction do you have the most trouble with?
• What place should Scripture and prayer have in a believer’s life?

Turning truth into prayer:
Ask the Lord to help you cooperate with Him so that Christ’s life will be manifest in your mortal flesh.

“And do not give the devil a foothold.”

The devil isn’t looking for a hotel room for an over-nighter (though he will take what he can get). He is looking for somewhere to rent, long term or own.

“Do not give the devil a foothold.” The Greek word topos, translated foothold here is the same word translated as room elsewhere in the New Testament. (See Luke 2:7; 4:31; 4:9; John 14:2-3)

When Paul tells followers of Jesus Christ not to give the devil a foothold, he is actually telling us that we are not to give the devil any habitable space in our lives. Which leads to the question: How does a believer give the devil room to “shack up”?

The immediate context for Paul’s instructions are believer’s interactions with one another. We spend far too much of our time struggling to get along with other followers of Jesus Christ and often see them as the enemy. No, they are not our enemy. In fact, our enemy wins his warfare against followers of Christ when we are offended, bitter, and unforgiving toward other Christ followers. We don’t struggle against flesh and blood (people) but against the powers of this dark world. The enemy loves a good fight, especially between brothers and sisters in Christ.

We spend much of our time foolishly “standing against” one another as enemies instead of standing against THE enemy. Conflict between believers which result in continued anger (which quickly becomes bitterness), fussing and bickering, slander and malice place a “For Rent” sign in front of our house and beg the enemy to come and take up residence there.

Show me a believer whose life isn’t centered upon the Word of God and saturated with prayer and I will show you a person embroiled in diverse interpersonal conflict and therefore vulnerable to the enemy’s attack.

We have to determine that nothing anyone can do to us will make them our enemy.

Questions for today’s Chronological Bible reading:
Ephesians 4:1-6:24

• Why does Paul urge believers to protect “the unity of the Spirit” as we interact with one another?
• What provision has God made to bring believers to full maturity?
• Where does genuine change first take place and how does this change manifest itself in the Christian’s life?
• What is the context for the command “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God”?
• What does this tell you about how relationships affect your spiritual life?
• How does “the filling of the Spirit” affect your relationship with others?
• What is the prerequisite for submission in relationships?
• What does spiritual warfare require of believers?

Turning truth into prayer:
“Lord, I thank you for the spiritual weapons You have given me. I thank You that I don’t have to live in defeat but can stand in victory, not in my own strength but in Your power. I recognize that people are not my problem but that I have real enemy that I cannot see, but one who is seen by You.

Right now I assemble the armor you have given me. I will not be led by my emotions but by Your word which is truth. I submit, therefore, my emotional life to You and to your truth.
I submit my heart to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and refuse to trust in myself for righteousness. All righteousness comes from You.
I confess all known sin that stands between You and me and between others and myself. Show me if there is anything unresolved remaining in my life that will prohibit me from being able a witness today both verbally and by lifestyle. I am Your ambassador as I enter all my activities today.

Faith in You is my protection; I take you as my shield of protection. You are between me and the enemy. Help me to recognize the origin of every thought that comes to me today. I choose to bring all my thoughts captive to Your thoughts.


I place Your helmet of salvation upon my head. I have been redeemed. I have been delivered from this present evil age and transferred into the Kingdom of the Son whom You love.
I take Your written Word and hide it in my heart. I yield my mind and my mouth to the Holy Spirit for Scripture recall and proclamation.


I yield my life to the filling of the Holy Spirit. Help me to walk on “high alert” to Your presence in my life today. In the Powerful Name of Jesus. Amen.”

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins . . . but God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”

The sinful nature is like a pair of handcuffs that keeps people enslaved to sin, not just in deed but in desire and thought.

Paul describes this slavery as one of helplessly “gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature” and following its desires and thoughts”. So, the sinful nature has cravings, cravings that manifest themselves in:

• unrighteous sensual pleasure (impurity, fornication, pornography, adultery, drunkenness and orgies, etc.)
• unhealthy social interaction (hatred, discord, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy)
• unwholesome quest for spiritual power (idolatry, witchcraft, horoscope, physic healers and readers, etc.)

The sin nature, with its desires and thoughts, has a death grip on mankind. Those who’ve heard and believed the good news of Jesus Christ have been liberated. Paul says, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ” We’ve been “raised up with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” A greater power, the power of the resurrected Christ, now inhabits believers so that the believer can experience freedom from the sin nature’s power to control him.

Believers are released from sin and shame; they are shackled no more to sin and bondage. Those with the new nature have power over the cravings of the sinful nature, can find real pleasure in Christ, develop wholesome relationships, and experience the power of the resurrected Christ.


A sin-shackled Christian poorly reflects on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to free man from the penalty of sin and the power of sin. He gives life – abundant life!


Take a few moments and listen to the song in the following link. You will be blessed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkNaW4UT3e4


Questions for today’s Chronological Bible reading:
Acts 28:11-31

• Describe Paul’s jail activity. How does Paul view his internment?

Ephesians 1:1-3:21

• What does Paul’s jail time allow him time to do?
• List the spiritual blessings believers have “in Christ”.
• What are the contents of Paul’s prayer on behalf of the Ephesian believers?
• The same power that raised Christ from the dead raises the believer from the dead. How does Paul describe that death from which we are delivered?
• How does he describe the life we are raised up to experience?
• Why is the gospel such good news for believing Gentiles?
• Why does Paul ask the Lord to give believers power?
• What does this prayer tell us about God’s desire for His people?
• Upon what does he base his confident prayer?

Turning truth into prayer
Ask the glorious Father for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better, that He would enlighten your eyes in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, that you may know the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparable power.

“Saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.”

Paul didn’t have a hope- so faith but a know-so faith. He had a word from God, ‘Do not be afraid. You must stand trial before Caesar.’ God would have to keep him alive in order for that to happen. Dead men don’t testify before kings.

The promises from God distinguishes believers from those around them and holds them steady during life’s storms. Paul rose to a leadership position in the midst of the storm in spite of his being a prisoner. The same thing happened to Joseph. The Lord was with him while he was in prison. The jailer was so impressed by his faith in God that he placed him in charge of the other prisoners. Why? both had promises from God regarding their future.

So, how do you get a word from God? You ask Him to speak to you regarding the concerns of your life. And then you pay close attention to His Word in preaching and in personal reading.

God still speaks today through His word. God knows where you are reading in His Word and He knows what’s ahead of you and He is able to match the two together brilliantly. That’s why it is crucial that believers become highly Biblical literate.

I seriously doubt that God will speak aloud from heaven, but He still speaks through His Word today. Sometimes He highlights a portion of Scripture for you as you read His Word. Sometimes He will highlight His Word for you as you are listening to the Word being preached. He makes promises to His people today that we can pray over and watch Him implement in our lives, our circumstances, and in the lives of people we know and love.

Questions for today’s Chronological reading:
Acts 25:23-28:10

• What does Paul’s arrest allow him to do?
• What had God promised Ananias regarding Paul in Acts 9:15-16?
• What does Isaiah promise about God in Isaiah 46:9-10?
• How does Paul begin his defense?
• What promise has God given Paul regarding his life? his ministry?
• What reason does Paul give for his arrest?
• How does Festus respond to Paul’s “testimony”?
• What promise does God give Paul that lets him know that they would not perish in the storm?
• Why do the centurions and soldiers listen to Paul?
• How does what happens on the island of Malta give Paul credibility?

Turning truth into prayer
Ask the Lord to give you a promise regarding ministry, your life, your kids, etc. Remain on “high alert” as you read the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit will press a particular Scripture upon your heart. This is His promise to you that you can hang onto, pray over and watch Him implement.

“And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.”

Religious freedom in America has, in the passing of one generation, come to mean freedom for everyone to exclude Christianity from the public place and Christ out of Christmas (Make no mistake, it is only Christianity that is being excluded from the public arena). By its very nature Christianity isn’t a private matter. Paul knew that and paid dearly. He and the gospel message faced constant resistance from religious people who conspired to kill him and diminish his message.

As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, Christians in America will pay dearly for their beliefs.

I would be considered an unbearably selfish person if I had the cure to cancer and kept that good news to myself. In the same way, sin is a cancer eating away at the heart of our society, our relationships, and our world; and Christianity is the only religion in the world that offers a genuine solution.

Unlike Islam and all other religions, God in Christ Jesus moves toward man in redemption, offers sin’s forgiveness, and comes in peace. So, why do so many conspire against Christianity and its adherents?

Jesus provides that answer, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is just as powerful today as it was in the first century. Paul wasn’t ashamed of the Gospel, proclaiming in it “the power of God unto salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16) and he suffered for its proclamation.

For most Americans, Christian persecution has been minor. Until now. Even if we suffer for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ we must still share the Gospel. Some that hear will turn from their sin and turn to the Lord Jesus in faith. Though we are shut out, we cannot shut up!

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29).

Questions for today’s Chronological Bible reading:
Acts 23:12-25:22

• What takes place that exposes the plot against Paul’s life?
• What does this tell you about God? circumstances?
• What accusation does Tertullus bring against Paul?
• How does Paul reply to his accusations?
• What does Felix recognize about Paul?
• What, in Paul’s defense, provokes fear in Felix?
• How long does Paul remain in custody?
• What changes take place in the political realm while Paul remains in custody in Caesarea?
• What does this teach you about God’s ways?

Turning truth into prayer
Ask the Lord to help you to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

“For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple” (emphasis added).



At times I have been wrong about a person or situation because I made assumptions based upon limited information. Had I kept my assumption to myself only I would have been affected. Much trouble can be avoided if we’ll wait just a bit longer for more information or ask more intelligent questions before jumping to a conclusion. Making hasty decisions without enough information negatively effects everyone involved.

In Paul’s case, it causes a riot.

Some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the temple and assumed that he had brought a Greek follower of Jesus into the temple. So, they stir up the people which leads to Paul’s arrest.

How do people get caught up in making assumptions?

• They think they stand for a noble cause (Keeping the temple undefiled and protecting the people from false teaching)
• They have a personal agenda so they don’t wait for all of the facts (they see themselves as protectors of their religion)
• They use the situation to bring attention to themselves (they were Jews from Asia visiting Jerusalem)

Making assumptions and then communicating those assumptions to others have far reaching repercussions for ourselves and for others. Making an assumption about others sins against them by causing harm to their person, their family and their reputation. And, making an assumption about someone or a situation sins against the Lord–only God has all the information.


Questions for today’s Chronological Bible reading:
Acts 21:1-23:11

• What could have easily dissuaded Paul from continuing his trip to Jerusalem?
• What does this tell you about the counsel of others? About Paul’s relationship with the Lord?
• Describe Paul’s relationship with the Jerusalem elders.
• What problem does Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem cause?
• What actually caused or stirred up a mob to react violently?
• Why is making an assumption so dangerous?
• Describe Paul’s defense.
• What does Paul say that drives the crowd to shouting?
• What does Paul say that sets the Pharisees and the Sadducees against one another?
• How does the Lord encourage Paul?

Turning truth into prayer
Ask the Lord to reveal to you where you rely more on the counsel of your friends than on the Lord’s leading in your life.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

• Upon what basis do believers accept one another?
• How were the Roman believers involved in Paul’s ministry?
• How does Paul demonstrate his high esteem for women?
• What warning does Paul close his letter with?
• What does Paul communicate about God in the closing paragraph of his letter?

Acts 20:7-38

• What defines Paul’s teaching method as he prepares to depart from the believers at Ephesus for the last time?
• What does Paul understand about his future and how does Paul know what lies ahead for him?
• What does this tell you about the Holy Spirit?
• What warning does Paul give to the believers, especially the leaders in Ephesus?
• Why is Paul so confident in his departure from Ephesus?

Turning truth into prayer
Ask the Lord to encourage you heart as you read the Scriptures this morning. Declare to Him that He only is your rock, stronghold, and fortress.