I’m enjoying working my way through Paul’s epistles again. I’ll begin this month by finishing Philippians, and then move through Colossians . . . perhaps the one little book in Paul’s writings that has had the most profound effect on my personal life, as it was this little book that arrested me the most, in the spring of 1975, as I was desperately searching God’s Word for direction in my personal journey in pastoral ministry. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I was looking, and the Holy Spirit was absolutely all over leading me into Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, and when I got into Colossians, and worked my way into chapter two, I was ready to hear Paul challenge me that being such a good Sunday school boy, and keeping the church rules, was not getting me to where God wants me to be. And I acknowledged that I certainly wanted a living style that was authentically following Jesus, and that I would not be satisfied with just keeping the church rules and satisfying the rule-makers. It messed me up, to be sure, but it was answering the questions I didn’t know how to ask, and that journey into freedom is continuing today, continually intruding into my life, and forcing me, once again, to examine whether I’m just keeping the look-good rules or authentically following Jesus.
. . . and then Acts became more meaningful to me. And I read the accounts of how the men and women of the early church acted and lived with a new enlightenment.
Perhaps you catch the drift that I experienced an encounter with God, over those few weeks, that has profoundly affected and guided my life over the last several decades? Yep! Welcome to my journey, and it’s really good to have you along as my traveling companions. And I hope you have a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit as we wander along in our devotional reading . . .
Shalom,
D.P.
Devotional Reading Calendar – May 2019
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| April 29th Phil. 1 |
April 30th Phil. 2 |
May 1 Phil. 3-4 |
2 Col. 1-2 |
3 Col. 3-4 |
4 Acts 1 |
|
| 5 Acts 2 |
6 Acts 3 |
7 Acts 4 |
8 Acts 5 |
9 Acts 6 |
10 Acts 7 |
11 Acts 8 |
| 12 Acts 9 |
13 Acts 10 |
14 Acts 11 |
15 Acts 12 |
16 Acts 13 |
17 Acts 14 |
18 Acts 15 |
| 19 Acts 16 |
20 Acts 17 |
21 Acts 18 |
22 Acts 19 |
23 Acts 20 |
24 Acts 21 |
25 Acts 22 |
| 26 Acts 23 |
27 Acts 24 |
28 Acts 25 |
29 Acts 26 |
30 Acts 27 |
31 Acts 28 |
|