Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Readings for the Day Amos 1-3, Psalm 80, 2 Timothy 4 Verses for the Day "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." Thoughts for the Day These are Paul's last words to Timothy. He gives him a charge as he bids him goodbye. His charge is to preach God's Word in season and out of season. Meaning preach when it is going well and people are responding to the Word. And, also preach when it is not going so well. His job was to preach the Word and not worry as much about the results as preaching the pure gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. He also tells him to correct, rebuke and encourage. T...

Readings for the Day 2 Kings 13-14, 2 Chronicles 25, 2 Timothy 3 Verses for the Day 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Thoughts for the Day As Paul closes out his second letter to Timothy, he warns him of the type of people he will encounter during the last days. Remember Paul thought Jesus was going to return in his lifetime. Then Paul offers these words to Timothy as he equips him to be the next spiritual leader in his generation. In these verses we see a pattern for training and discipleship of leaders in the church. The bible is not taught for informat...

Readings for the Day Jonah 1-4, 2 Timothy 2 Verses for the Day From the Lord 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Thoughts for the Day As we read the book of Jonah, it is easy to give Jonah a hard time. But as we read the story, we might upon reflection see ourselves in him. First of all, Jonah is called by God to go to preach to the Ninevites, Israel's enemies. Jonah did not want to see those who he despised shown mercy. He did not think they deserved it. And instead of obeying God's command, he went in the opposite direction as fast as he could. Here is what one commentator says about the distance between the two: The contrast between Ninev...

Readings for the Day 2 Kings 10, 2 Chronicles 22-23, 1 Timothy 5 Verses for the Day 3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. Thoughts for the Day Paul finishes his first letter to Timothy by giving some instructions on how to care for the widows in the church. Apparently there were quite a few of them, because Paul gives quite a bit of specificity on how to determine which widows the church should support. One of the first comments Paul gives is that widows who have children should be financially supported by them. It is a "no brainer" for Paul that the family of the widow should honor the...

Readings for the Day 2 Kings 8-9, 2 Chronicles 21, 1 Timothy 3 Verses for the Day 4 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. Once someone becomes a Christian it is important that they receive good teaching. In the history of the church a common mistake has been to confuse discipleship with legalism. Discipleship is learning to live as Jesus' apprentice in all you say and do. It is studying the life of Christ, and living by the power of the Holy Spirit, the...

Readings for the Day 2 Kings 4-5, Psalms 83, 1 Timothy 2 Verses for the Day I urge then first of all that all petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. As Paul instructs his protege Timothy, he gives these guidelines for worship. At the top of the list is public prayer. And he adds that these prayers should be offered for all people, especially kings and those in authority. The National Day of Prayer is not the first call to praying for our leaders. In fact there are 3 other verses in the bible that specifically teach this. For instance, God told the Israelites in exile to pray for Babylon: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prosper...

Readings for the Day 1 Kings 22, 2 Chroniclea 18,19, Colossians 4 Verses for the Day 1 Kings 22:13-18 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” 15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?” “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.” 16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’” 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me...

Readings for the Day 1 Kings 20-21, 2 Chronicles 17, Colossians 3 Verses for the Day 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Although these verses are specifically written to the slaves in Colossae, it has wider application for all those who work for someone. Sometimes people wonder where God is at in the every day grind of their jobs. Paul tells the slaves in his day to keep working hard for their earthly master, as they would their heavenly master. Notice it says, "whatever you do". You don't have to be a full time minister to serve the Lord. The reality is every day Paul tells us to serve our master. Each day we are to die to ourselves, and put on our new self which has been clothed in Christ. Though God has chosen us and saved us, we still each day make a choice to serve God where...

Readings for the Day 1 Kings 17-19, Colossians 2 Verses for the Day 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Thoughts for the Day Paul wants to encourage the new believers in Colossae that they had everything they needed in Christ, who is the fullness of deity (God). Since they had received him, they needed to stay rooted and built up in him. But the problem in the church was that some were saying that wasn't good enough. The spiritual gurus of the day were teaching that ther...

Readings for the Day 1 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 15-16, Colossians 1 Verses for the Day 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. As Paul closes up his 1st chapter of his letter to the Colossians, he summarizes his calling to the church of Jesus Christ. 1. He proclaims Christ. Early in chapter 1 he says, "He is the image of the invisible God". He makes it unmistakeably clear that Jesus came in the flesh and is fully God. So Paul's first goal is to proclaim who Jesus really is in all his fullnes. Jesus' mission was to reconcile all of mankind to God by his death on the cross. This is what we call evangelism, announcing the Good News of what God has done in Christ for all people. 2. The other major aim of his ministry is to admonish and teach everyone with all wisdom. Once some...

Readings for the Day 1 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 13-14 Verses for the Day Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." As Paul closes his letter to the Philipians, he give them thanks for being one of the few congregations who gave to him when he was in need. He explains that he is able to be content in any and every situation, but he will be eternally grateful for their generosity. It is from this personal experience that he exhorts them not to be anxious about anything, but in every situation to pray with thanksgiving in their hearts. When we are feeling anxious it is good to give thanks, because it takes our mind off of our current situation and reminds us of all that God has already given us. And in light of that attitude of gratitude, we can present our...

Readings for the Day 1 Kings 13-14, 2 Chronicles 12, Philippians 3 Verses for the Day Philippins 3:7-9 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Thoughts for the Day Paul gets at the heart of his personal relationship with Christ. His life changing realization was that everything on his religious pedigree was worthless. He had lots of religious accomplishments, but when he realized he was saved by grace, he saw how futile all of his efforts were. In the last verse he concludes, "I consider them rubbish". Literally "rubbish" means "dung"...

Readings for the Day Song of Solomon 5-8, Philippians 1 Verses for the Day For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Thoughts for the Day Paul begins his letter to the church as Philippi, a church he is very fond of. He is in prison, but he wants to let his situation be an encouragement to them, as they face their own trials. Philippians is a short letter whose focus is on joy in the midst of difficult trials. The word joy or rejoice is used 16 times in this short letter, as they face these trials. The above verse give a short summary of Paul's life and his deep commitment to Christ. Paul wants his life to be a model for them as they grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. This will lead to dee...

Readings For the Day Song of Songs 1-4, Ephesians 6 Ephesians 6 The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, whi...

Readings for the Day Ecclesiastes 10-12, Psalm 94, Ephesians 5 Ephesians 5:18-20 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Chapter 5, Paul turns to how the Ephesians should live their lives after being saved by grace. He warns them not to return to their previous way of life, which consisted of living according to their desires and the sinful nature. He warns them to not mimic the idolaters, swindlers and adulterers in the world, go for no one who is mastered by these things will inherit the things of the kingdom. Then, Paul moves to how they can actually do the things Jesus taught and showed us. He says, "don't get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery (usually means some kind of immorality, but be fill...

Readings for the Day Ecclesiastes 4-6, Psalm 18, Ephesians 3 Verses for the Day 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. The book of Ephesians is one of Paul's most widely praised letters. It's primary focus is on both the unity and diversity of the church. Considering the times we live in, unity and diversity are often seen as mutually exclusive. To be unified it is often thought of as the need to keep outsiders from coming in. On the flip side, diversity is good until we get a diversity of beliefs, contrary to the one, true gospel. As Paul writes his letter to the Ephesians, he writes to a city that had many influences on it, ...

Readings for the Day Ecclesiastes 1-3, Psalm 45, Ephesisans 2 Verses for the Day 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Other than John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8 could be considered one of the most important verses in the bible. This verse sums up the essence of the Good News. Paul says to the church at Ephesus, "by grace you have been saved. Grace is a free gift. God's grace is his unmerited favor. Grace is hard to understand because we did nothing to get it. We are so used to earning everything in life that the concept of grace is elusive. Grace is God's way of giving, because it points to the nature of who He is. God loves to give good gifts to those He created. If we could be saved by works, we would not need grace. We wouldn't really ...

Readings for the Day Proverbs 28-29, Psalms 60, Romans 16 Verses of the Day Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. As Paul closes out his most prodigious letter written to the church at Rome, he gives a laundry list of names who helped him to build the church. When you read through this list, there will be many names you don't recognize and are not mentioned outside of here in the scripture. This reminds us of how many faithful and humble servants there were in the early church, many of them women. Indeed one of the most counter cult...

Readings for the Day Proverbs 25-27, Romans 15 Verses for the Day Romans 15:1 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up." Proverbs 26 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. The verse from Romans 15 and the Proverbs from chapter 26 teach us how and how not relationships should function in the body of Christ. In Romans, we see that those who are strong need to bear the burdens of the weak, and seek to build them up. Paul later says in this way we model how Jesus gave his life for us. Instead of kicking people when they are down, we take special care to lift them up. Then, in the Proverbs, we see how destructive gossip is...

Readings for the Day Proverbs 19-21, Romans 13 Verses for the Day Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 20:24 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? Proverbs 21:2 A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. What is the common theme in all three of these Proverbs. We may think and feel in our hearts that our way is right, but it is only God who knows if it is. We all love making plans, but it is easy to get ahead of the Lord's plan. Even if a way seems right to us, it might not be right for us. God's ways are higher than our ways. So what is God's role? It says The Lord, "weighs our hearts", "directs our steps", and it is his "purpose that prevails"! The scripture says, "our hearts are deceitful above all things." Jeremiah 17:9. So what are we to do? One, don't a...