The Bottom Line!

The Gospel has a way of upsetting the applecart of false religion. On his third missionary journey, Paul is in Ephesus, the home of the Greek goddess Artemis. Today’s reading clearly shows the true nature of false religion. 

In Acts 19:23-24, we see that false religion is the backbone of the Ephesian economy. Demetrius, a silversmith, employs many local craftsmen who manufacture shrines and related trinkets of Artemis. The Gospel is disrupting the false god super-market, and revenue is rapidly declining. Demetrius organizes an emergency meeting of the silversmith’s guild and says in Acts 19:25-26, “…Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.” (NLT) In other words, false religion admittedly traffics in the souls of people. Demetrius gets to the bottom line; the Gospel has exposed that Artemis is a fraud. (Acts 19:27)

It is easy for this account in Acts to seem distant from our current day or for false religion to be relegated to far-flung regions only missionaries visit. But false religion of this nature can be everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ is compromised and commercialized. Even Christianity, in many (not all) contexts, has become compromised into a business, a machine that constantly needs feeding with revenue from the latest “Christian” marketing gimmicks. The Apostles had none of this, yet the Scriptures say it was the testimony of many that the Gospel had turned the world upside down! Imagine doing that with no shiny “anything.”

I am reminded of the simplicity of Jesus’ words—words that get to the bottom line: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16, KJV)


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Acts 18:19-19:41

Busting the Busybodies!

The Thessalonians—Paul’s joy and crown (1 Thessalonians 2:19)! Today’s reading takes us through both of these books, and we see Paul’s great affection for these believers. The Thessalonians have suffered much persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul knows this, and he desires to visit them, but he tells them that Satan hindered him (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

What stands out to me in the reading today is 1 Thessalonians 4:11—Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. (NLT) This is just a mention in Paul’s first epistle, but in his second epistle, Paul expands on this to deal with a problem within the church. In 2 Thessalonians 3:11–13, Paul writes that some believers are living idle lives, refusing to work, and meddling in other people’s business with all the extra time on their hands. He then commands them to settle down, work, and earn a living. He encourages the rest of the church to never tire of doing good. 

What a gracious admonition from the Scriptures to live quiet lives, minding our business and working with our hands. Paul considered that to be “doing good.” It is easy for moments of idleness to release our hands and hearts from the work of a quiet life to shifting our focus on meddling, from which comes nothing good for us, others, or the gospel. What is Paul’s instruction to those living a quiet life? Don’t let their idleness wear off on you! Stay away from the busybodies, that they may be ashamed—yet don’t count them as enemies—but warn them as brothers or sisters (2 Thessalonians 3:14–15).


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

The Gospel Goes to Mars!

The Gospel goes to Mars! Mars’ hill, that is… Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. (Acts 17:22, KJV) Persecution is following Paul everywhere he goes. In our reading today, Paul has been in Thessalonica, Berea, and now is in Athens. Athens is deeply pagan and choked with philosophy, which troubled Paul. How does he communicate the Gospel to pagan philosophers who have set up shrines to every religion, god, and philosophy known to them at the time?

Notice what Paul says as he stands on Mars’ hill amid such a culture. …for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. (Acts 17:23–25, NLT) What stood out to me in these verses is that all their gods and philosophies could not meet their needs. Only the Lord God satisfies needs. At the bottom of philosophy and paganism is vanity.

Believers, let us rejoice that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has made us right with the God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth and gave life to everything that breathes. Let us be unashamed to stand on the Mars hill of our pagan and philosophical culture and proclaim Jesus Christ, for He alone is the only one who can satisfy every need. At the bottom of everything else is vanity. 


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Acts 17-18:18.

Called Unto Freedom!

Paul, writing to the Galatians, asks, You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. (Galatians 5:7–8, NLT) What is Paul referring to? What is holding them back? It was the false teaching that their relationship with God depended not only on the work of Christ, but these Gentiles had to follow the law along with their profession of faith in Christ for an authentic relationship with God.

This is not what Paul had taught them, and he is shocked. I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News (Galatians 1:6, NLT). Paul’s Good News was that salvation was by grace, through faith, in Christ alone, and the subsequent relationship going forward was on that basis—in Christ and free from the law. But Pharisaical tradition-loving Jews had slipped in and polluted this Good News with error.

Notice the impact of this error. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! (Galatians 5:9, NLT) These Gentiles in the Galatian churches were at risk of not receiving true salvation because salvation is by faith in Christ alone. Those who were saved were at risk of becoming legalistic, like the Jews who held to their traditionalism, though all of that had passed away with Jesus’ sacrifice, fulfilling all the law and satisfying God. 

Believers, we have been called to freedom, not unto the bondage of religion or traditions, endless rules and standards, but unto Christ. Our salvation and a meaningful Christian life are in Him, not our efforts, creeds, or the traditions of our stripe of Christianity. Paul leaves us with these words. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. (Galatians 6:15–16, NLT)


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Galatians 4-6.

Christ: Our Joy and Confidence!

Galatians! Today’s reading covers the first three chapters of Galatians. Every time I read this epistle, I marvel at God’s goodness. Salvation is the gift of God, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!

Man, however, is incurably religious. His pride meshes seamlessly with trying to protect his religion, by which he assumes he attains favor with God. Paul describes how this had taken over his life; You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. (Galatians 1:13–14, NLT)

On top of this, man loves to suppose he has some part in salvation. This arrogance is seen in the idea that he must “do” something, even though Christ has “done” all. Paul asked the Galatians a pointed question. I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. (Galatians 3:5, NLT) Justification is not by works; it is by faith.

How, then, is this not the goodness of God? Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:14, NLT) Believers, let us rejoice that our salvation is the gift of God, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone! May the simplicity of His Gospel remain our joy and confidence, for we have been justified by faith, not by works. 


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Galatians 1-3.