Schedule for Bible Reading: January

December 31, 2021 0 Comment

Christian Living Thoroughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible

Hey, Friends! I am so excited about reading through the Bible this year. Will you join me? Each month, I will post a reading schedule and I will also post my own study notes at times. Truth be told, I will probably start out strong and stumble along toward the end. No promises as to how often my “notes” will appear on my blog, but I will plan on posting several times a month. So, let’s do it! There is no better New Years Resolution we could make!

As I once again begin this annual challenge, my thoughts are on a special friend, Barb Archer. She was one of the most faithful readers of my blog, and is the one who always reminded me to post the reading schedule. She faithfully followed the reading plan, even though many of her days were difficult. You see, she was battling cancer and enduring treatment and yet, her faith and desire for the Word of God never waivered. She now spends her days where her faith has been made sight. Though technically, she didn’t get to “finish” our year-long challenge when I began this study, she definitely finished the race set before her. As we begin this Bible reading challenge once again, my thoughts are on Barb and her victorious “finishing”. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, says:

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Friends, we don’t know what lies ahead in this year. But we do know Who holds us close, Who holds our future. May He bless you abundantly with great understanding and fresh vision as you faithfully read His Word!

January 1: Genesis 1:1-2:25, Matthew 1:1-2:12, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 1:1-6

January 2: Genesis 3:1-4:26, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 1:7-9

January 3: Genesis 5:1-7:24, Matthew 3:7-4:11, Psalm 3:1-8, Proverbs 1:10-19

January 4: Genesis 8:1-10:32, Matthew 4:12-25, Psalm 4:1-8, Proverbs 1:20-23

January 5: Genesis 11:1-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalm 5:1-12, Proverbs 1:24-28

January 6: Genesis 13:5-15:21, Matthew 5:27-48, Psalm 6:1-10, Proverbs 1:29-33

January 7: Genesis 16:1-18:15, Matthew 6:1-24, Psalm 7:1-17, Proverbs 2:1-5

January 8: Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalm 8:1-9, Proverbs 2:6-15

January 9: Genesis 20:1-22:24, Matthew 7: 15-29, Psalm 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22

January 10: Genesis 23:1-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalm 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

January 11: Genesis 24:52-26:16, Matthew 8:18-34, Psalm 10:1-15, Proverbs 3:7-8

January 12: Genesis 26: 17-27:46, Matthew 9:1-17, Psalm 10:16-18, Proverbs 3:9-10

January 13: Genesis 28:1-29:35, Matthew 9:18-38, Psalm 11:1-7, Proverbs 3:11-12

January 14: Genesis 30:1-31:16, Matthew 10:1-23, Psalm 12:1-8, Proverbs 3:13-15

January 15: Genesis 31:17-32:12, Matthew 10:24-11:6, Psalm 13:1-6, Proverbs 3:16-18

January 16: Genesis 32:13-34:31, Matthew 11:7-30, Psalm 14:1-7, Proverbs 3:19-20

January 17: Genesis 35:1-36:43, Matthew 12:1-21, Psalm 15:1-5, Proverbs 3:21-26

January 18: Genesis 37:1-38:30, Matthew 12:22-45, Psalm 16:1-11, Proverbs 3:27-32

January 19: Genesis 39:1-41:16, Matthew 12:46-13:23, Psalm 17:1-15, Proverbs 3:33-35

January 20: Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13:24-46, Psalm 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6

January 21: Genesis 42:18-43:34, Matthew 13:47-14:12, Psalm 18:16-36, Proverbs 4:7-10

January 22: Genesis 44:1-45:28, Matthew 14:13-36, Psalm 18:37-50, Proverbs 4:11-13

January 23: Genesis 46:1-47:31, Matthew 15:1-28, Psalm 19:1-14, Proverbs 4:14-19

January 24: Genesis 48:1-49:33, Matthew 15:29-16:12, Psalm 20:1-9, Proverbs 4: 20-27

January 25: Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10, Matthew 16:13-17:9, Psalm 21:1-13, Proverbs 5:1-6

January 26: Exodus 2:11-3:22, Matthew 17:10-27, Psalm 22:1-18, Proverbs 5:7-14

January 27: Exodus 4:1-5:21, Matthew 18:1-20, Psalm 22:19-31, Proverbs 5:15-21

January 28: Exodus 5:22-7:25, Matthew 18:21-19:12, Psalm 23:1-6, Proverbs 5:22-23

January 29: Exodus 8:1-9:35, Matthew 19:13-30, Psalm 24:1-10, Proverbs 6:1-5

January 30: Exodus 10:1-12:13, Matthew 20:1-28, Psalm 25:1-15, Proverbs 6:6-11

January 31: Exodus 12:14-13:16, Matthew 20:29-21:22, Psalm 25:16-22, Proverbs 6:12-15

Thoroughly Equipped: The Why

December 31, 2021 0 Comment

2 Timothy 3: 16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

By now, you know of my invitation to read through the Bible this year. I hope you have invited your friends and family! I hope you have your Bible ready! As I have previously said, I use the One Year Bible. I have used the NIV version for many years. This year I will use the NLT version. Any version is fine. Or use your regular Bible and find an online daily guide to get through the whole Bible in a year.

Today I want to prep us for our reading through the Bible. I want us to think about the “why” of this endeavor. Stop for a moment and read the above verse, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 aloud.

Let’s use this verse as our reason. This verse captures the reason we want to do this. The reason we will commit to reading and studying and being inspired by the Author of everything. So let’s break it down.

All scripture. This means the whole Bible, both Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament gets a bad rap sometimes. It is filled with history and laws and customs that can be confusing and sometimes downright boring. However, if we take the time to study it out, we will find that the Old Testament is key to truly understanding the New Testament. The Old Testament is Jesus concealed, the New Testament is Jesus revealed. But both parts of the Bible are vital in discovering the life-changing truths our hearts long to know.

God-breathed. This truth needs to stay in the forefront of minds. I love to hear and quote many wonderful authors from many different backgrounds. C.S. Lewis, Spurgeon, Tim Keller, Francis Frangipane, Oswald Chambers … these are some of my favorites. God does equip and inspire many people to share their experiences and insight. But only the Bible is God-breathed. Only the Bible is the final word.

Is useful. These two words are a comfort and a challenge to me. These two words tell me that The Bible is for me today. It is not just a history book. It will help me day in and day out. It will bring wisdom and comfort and strength and hope. It will give me the mind of Christ. It is useful for me each day, and is not a waste of time.

For teaching. I remember clearly when I was nine or ten my mom telling me to sweep the floor after dinner. I did that, and then went out to play. A little while later, I heard, “Sara Stevens Williams, get back in here!” Of course, I went immediately, because when I heard that tone I knew there was no messing around! When I went in the kitchen, with much fear and trepidation, she said, “I thought I told you to sweep the floor!” I said, “I did, Mama.” And she began to point out all the places that I had missed. I can remember tearfully saying, “But Mama, you never showed me how.” At that point she took the broom, showed me how to hold it, showed me how to get under the cabinets, and pointed out all the spots to look for crumbs. That was instruction. Now I’m sure she thought I was old enough to have understood that all by myself, and maybe I could have, but after that night I never had another excuse not to do a good job, because now I knew how to do a good job. After instruction comes discipline, not before. However, it is our responsibility to discover God’s instruction through reading and studying His Word. He has given us a complete instruction manual but we must read it.

For rebuking. My mother was extremely loving and a pretty strict disciplinarian. She kindly instructed, but then was wise to rebuke or discipline me when I did not follow the instructions. After my instruction of floor sweeping, she expected me to follow through on the instruction. This is rebuke. God has provided the proper rebuke in His Word when we stray from His path. And we all will stray, just as all children disobey at times.

For correcting. Sometimes, we unknowingly disobey. We unknowingly cause harm or hurt. The correction in His Word woos us to realign our hearts in every word and deed. The small things become big things if not dealt with properly and immediately. The Holy Spirit will correct us through the reading of the Word of God. If we correct our course, we will not need the more severe rebuke. We should keep short accounts with the Lord, and pray that our hearts are soft and pliable, quick to discern the course corrections which the Holy Spirit whispers through God’s Word.

For training in righteousness. Now, I am grown and responsible for my own floor sweeping. I am finally a great floor sweeper! And I am responsible for training my children to become great floor sweepers themselves. Martin Luther King’s said: “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” I believe this is an accurate description for being trained in righteousness.

Why? So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Then, we are ready to go out and serve others with our sweeping.

My favorite phrase in this passage is “thoroughly equipped”. This is a promise for all believers. Scripture will provide what we need. We can store it up, hide it in our hearts, and then the Holy Spirit will whisper it to our souls when we need it. We will be thoroughly equipped for every situation, for everything God calls us to, for every trial and temptation. But if we don’t read the Word, study the Word, memorize the word, savor the Word, we will not have the ingredients needed to make us thoroughly equipped. So keep reading, my friends!

Throughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible

December 30, 2021 2 Comments

Christian Living Thoroughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible

Throughly Equipped: Study Notes Through the Bible

Hello, Friends! It is almost a new year, praise the Lord! After two years of uncertainty, fear, and grief, I think we all are rooting for a break from the onslaught of difficulties. But, the truth is, we have no idea what this year holds. It could get better or it could be more of the same. I am convinced that our only hope, our only firm foundation is a relationship with Jesus. He is our rock and our fortress. And so, it makes sense to me that we should glance at the news and gaze at the Savior. We should look up more than we look around us. We should meditate on what it true, good, right–the truth that never changes no matter what is happening in our lives. And this truth is found in the Word of God. About four years ago, I issued a challenge to my friends to read the Bible through. Will you join me again? Read below to find out details!

This is what I wrote in late December of 2016:

I have found myself in several conversations lately. Good conversations. Godly conversations. The conversations stemmed around what we were learning from the latest Christian books. Good stuff, good inspirations, good ideas, good conversations. We were uplifted. We were inspired. We were ready to become just like the authors of these books. I noticed that my friends and I wanted to talk like the authors, dress like the authors, do what the authors did to change the world. But then I realized, the conversations stemmed around the disciples of the One who matters, not about the One who matters. The inspiration stemmed from books written by the disciples of the Living God, not from the Living Word written by the Living God.

Now, I am not knocking Christian authors. I am a Christian author. I love to read many kinds of books, and I am inspired by many different authors. I hope one day you will read one of my books, and I hope you are inspired. But here is the truth: my books can’t change your life the way The Book can. My books should not be used as your daily devotion. That time should be reserved for The Book. The Book is primary, my books—and all other Christian books—are secondary.

So, here’s the deal. Let’s get back to The Book, God’s holy word. Let’s read it all the way through this year—and maybe next year, and the next, and the next.

This is not to be a legalistic thing. You will not be doomed nor judged if you miss a day, or a week, or even more. But if you will make reading His Word a priority, you will tap into many beautiful truths which will transform your life. Wanna join me? I will share bits and pieces of what I am reading and I would love to hear what you are learning, too. I will post my Bible Study notes every week or so and hope you will respond with your thoughts, as well. So, grab your Bible and let’s get started. I use the One Year Bible and have for years. I like it because it gives a section of Old Testament, New Testament, Psalm and Proverbs each day. There are many other wonderful yearly reading plans, but that is what I will be using. So, grab your Bible and let’s get reading!

Friends

August 30, 2021 0 Comment

Christian Living

I had a dream about friendship last night.

Strange, I know, to have a topical dream.

I think it was spurred on by reading news stories of the disastrous things taking place in Afghanistan. One particular resurfaced picture from 2011 that tore at my heart was that of Terri Norris kneeling and weeping at the flag covered casket of her hero son, Pfc. Cody Norris, after it arrived back in the US. I cried when I saw that picture. Even imagining the pain that she must be going through brought real pain to my own heart and tears to my own eyes.

So, in my dream last night I dreamed of a group of women who were friends. In my dream they were showing a slideshow and video clips of fun times over the years. In one particular video clip they were all acting silly, having a blast. They had picked up one woman and were all carrying her into a house laughing hysterically until they all laid down on the floor and had a good belly laugh together. I love those type of deep, uncontrolled laughing fits with close friends!

Next in my dream, the video clip changed to another scene. This time, the same group of women were carrying their friend into a house. This time they were all weeping. They gently laid the woman onto the floor and all laid down together and wept uncontrollably. Somehow, as an observer to this scene, I knew in my dream that the woman had lost her son. And her friends had carried her inside and laid down with her and cried as if it were their own son who had died.

I woke up feeling sad for these imaginary women. And yet, it caused me to think of my own friends. I have been blessed with an abundance of friends, each very special to me. But, as it should be, there are only a very few that I would lay on the floor and belly laugh with and even fewer that I could imagine laying on the floor sobbing with me, if something so tragic happened in my life. Those friends are precious indeed. Those friendships should be tended to, nurtured.

It reminded me of the story in Mark 2:1-5:

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ²They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,⁷“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?⁹Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹²He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

What a beautiful story. A crippled man could not get to Jesus. He didn’t have the strength to fight the crowd, make his way forward. So what happened? His friends stepped up. His friends carried him to Jesus. When they, too, had trouble getting close, they didn’t give up. They climbed up on the roof (can you picture them working together to gently get the paralyzed man up there?) and then they made an opening in the roof just above where Jesus stood, by actually digging through it. And then they gently lowered their friend down and placed him at the feet of Jesus.

And then there is verse 5 which reveals the most important part.

⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Did you catch it? “When Jesus saw their faith…” It was the faith of his friends that led to his healing. Corporately they believed together, which led first to the most important healing of his soul and spirit through the forgiveness of his sin, and then to the healing of his body. Can you imagine the joy of not only the man, but also of his friends? I bet they laid down on the floor and had a good belly laugh together. I bet they repeated that story of their shared experience year after year after year.

Who are your friends that would carry you in good times and bad?

Who would dig their way through to carry you to the feet of Jesus?

For whom would you be that kind of friend?

It doesn’t matter if the list is small. Truly, that is really how it should be. We don’t have the time to be that kind of friend to everyone. But we can be that kind of friend to someone.

And we have the perfect model of friendship in the best friend of all—Jesus. He gave up his life that we could live.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15

Real Hope for our Past, Present, and Future

December 31, 2020 0 Comment

Christian Living Uncategorized

Real Hope for our Past, Present, and Future

Well, friends, we made it!

What a year! As many of you know, I like to read through the Bible each year, following the One Year Bible plan. There are many other great plans out there which accomplish the same thing.

I am not perfect. I skip a day every now and then. But this has been a wonderful way for me to stay steady and sane over the past 30 years, which is when I started.

This morning, I read the last assigned readings for the year from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. Here is a sample of what I read:

From the Old Testament, I read these words in Malachi 4:5-6.

⁵“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. ⁶His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

This is our past hope. As we know now, the “Elijah” that he was talking about was John the Baptist, who prepared the way of the Lord. Yes, the land and all of us were cursed before Jesus came to take our curse away. For it was written in Galatians 3:3,

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

From the New Testament, I read these words in Revelation 22:3.

³No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.

This is our future hope. Even though 2020 has seemed a bit “cursed”, we know the end of the story. Not only did Jesus take away our personal “curse” so that we can have eternal life in heaven and abundant life on earth, He also will one day take away every curse in every situation. One day, there will no longer be a curse upon anything. What beautiful future hope! No wonder the entire Bible ends with these words:

²⁰He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.

The last words in the assigned reading in Proverbs included these words from Proverbs 31:25.

She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.

This is our present hope. We can laugh without fear of the future. We can have dignity and strength going forward, no matter what the past has taken from us.

So, it seems right and good that the last assigned reading of the year for Psalms is from Psalm 150:1-6.

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heaven!
²Praise him for his mighty works;
    praise his unequaled greatness!
³Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!
⁴Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!
⁵Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
⁶Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

So, Happy New Year, my friends! Let’s remember that our only hope for the past, future, or present is found in Christ alone. No matter what comes, let’s praise the Lord. It seems fitting to end the year with the following song: