It is safe to say, that for most of recorded history, bread has played a vital role in providing a form of food sustenance for civilizations. It is so vital that according to the History Magazine, there were even special laws governing bread:
“Bread was so vital to people’s lives that it was subject of special laws almost everywhere. As early as medieval times, bakers were subject to regulations which were supposed to protect the consumer. The price of wheat in England has been recorded continually since about 1200 and even in times of generally stable prices, it could fluctuate dramatically. What made the price of bread so sensitive is that most people had little opportunity to substitute other foods.”
A law from the time of Edward I (1272-1307) states: “If any default shall be found in the bread of a baker in the city, the first time, let him be drawn upon a hurdle from the Guildhall to his own house through the great street where there be most people assembled, and through the streets which are most dirty, with the faulty loaf hanging from his neck; if a second time he shall be found committing the same offence, let him be drawn from the Guildhall through the great street of Cheepe to the pillory, and let him be put upon the pillory, and remain there at least one hour in the day; and the third time that such default shall be found, be shall be drawn, and the oven shall be pulled down, and the baker made to foreswear the trade in the city for ever.”[ref] History Magazine, Bread,history-magazine.com/bread.html
Used as “slang” to mean money, and present in the Lord’s Prayer (“Give us this day our daily bread” to talk about the need for moral sustenance as we make our way throughout the day), bread has played an indelible mark in a good part of our lives.
Go to a restuaraunt and more than likely as you wait for your meal, you would be given either rolls or bread to eat as part of the appetizer and most meals in homes, involves bread of some type.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert by the enemy, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 that went,
” 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3, New King James Version)”
The Matthew Henry Commentary shares the following insight:
” Let none of God’s children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful course for the supply of their necessities. Some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and verily they shall be fed. It may be applied spiritually; the word of God is the food of the soul. Christ is the word of God; by him we live.”
We are all, spiritually hungry.
We search for answers and it is a search that when we have a question, it is like a hunger that leaves us searching the refrigerator or pantry for something that will satisfy that hunger.
Our searches and what we find, can often leave us just feeling empty or hungry, maybe its a craving that no matter what we do, isn’t satisfy, but with God’s word, when we have grasp the core of who and what our Father is and what He has to share with us, is enough to fill that hunger, often more than we realize.
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30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. (John 6:30-39, New King James Version)
When we feed on His word, and not just nibbles, but really, get into the meat of the sustenance of God’s Word, it is from which we breathe in our encouragement, inspiration, and growth in and through Him.
Christ shows that he is the true Bread; he is to the soul what bread is to the body, nourishes and supports the spiritual life. He is the Bread of God. Bread which the Father gives, which he has made to be the food of our souls.
Bread nourishes only by the powers of a living body; but Christ is himself living Bread, and nourishes by his own power. The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as strengthening and comforting to a believer as ever it was. He is the Bread which came down from heaven.
It denotes the Divinity of Christ’s person and his authority; also, the Divine origin of all the good which flows to us through him. May we with understanding and earnestness say, Lord, evermore give us this Bread. (Jn 6:36-46) via the Matthew Henry Commentary
It is a blessing that one of our Father’s gift to all of us, no matter what translations we prefer or are out there, is His word. It’s a blessing that not a select few, but all of us have access to God’s word, in really, many forms and even languages.
We can read it on our e-readers, on our phones, have more than one in our
To find out more about nations that are restricting to the point of completely banning the bible, drop by Voice of the Martyrs
homes if we want, in any language we choose to read it in, and yet, there are places in today’s world, the 21st Century, where owning a bible is illegal.
This is an eternal gift that is everyday, everywhere that we can carry His word with us and particularly in our heart and a gift that is worth being grateful for.
As a little something to share as a reminder of Jesus being the Bread of Life, I’ve created a little gift for you, a bookmark with John 6:35 on it. Please feel free to download to use!
I recommend using card stock to create a more durable bookmark. Prayers it would be a blessing to you!
20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. (Mark 9:20-30, New King James Version)
Observation:
This part of the passage of Mark 9:20-30 (NKJV) really stood out at me, “28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”.
Oswald Chambers shared in today’s devotions, ”We can remain powerless foreverm as the disciplies were in the situation, by trying to do God’s work without concentrating on His power, and by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to sever Him without knowing Him. ~Oswald Chambers, Upmost for His Highest devotional.”
How many times do we jump headlong into a project under the banner we are doing it for Him, when truthfully, it’s more for us or the power that is behind it then for Him?
As I read the passage and the devotional and reflected on the disciple’s dilemna, it was just a powerful reminder of how we must always seek all things in prayer and contemplation with Him, seek Him in His word and knowing our bibles and not just for rote but for heart. It’s so easy to get caught up in doing everything for Him, only to find that maybe things didn’t work out (and not to say things will always work out or be prosperous), but we have forgotten Him in the process.
It’s so easy to say “Yes” to doing things, but if it find we have no time really, to spend with Him and His word, are we really doing this for Him? Because sometimes, doing thing for Him, also means telling the world,”No” so you have the time first to spend with our Father in Heaven and in His word.
“…. by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to seve Him without knowing Him.” (Oswald Chambers, Upmost for His Highest). That is a scary and discouraging thought isn’t it?
We get so caught up with our own nature and ideas and this is the way to do it and hey let’s try doing this as well that in the process it can become a form of ego boosting or self worship and less about looking and lifting up and glorifying our Father.
It’s a thin line…it is a thin line.
Prayer helps because it serves as a mental bumper in our lives to slow us down, focus…what are we really wanting and is it to His glory and then….wait. Let Him answer…try not to guess or assume or think, this is what His answer is.
When He answers, it tends to be pretty clear but if it happens slow, don’t assume He’s not listening, just maybe the timing isn’t right or it’s not meant to be and He is giving us time to think….do we really know what we are praying about or for?
When we are ready in heart, and we know it, He’ll let us know what His answer is and sometimes it maybe on a whole different track that we didn’t expect or want or thought of .
To all give the Glory to God…for He is above all and a loving Father who also knows us better than we know ourselves.
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21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
(Mark 10:21, New King James Version)
What do you feel is holding you back?
Is it material?
Is it emotional?
Is it that person down the street?
Or someone whose friendship has gone up in flames? Or just a complete stranger that rubbed you the wrong way?
“Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple” shared by Oswald Chambers in his book, “Upmost for His Highest”, but how often do we use that against someone we may have a disagreement with or even unconciously in the spirit of wanting to “better up” someone?
And for what?
Gain in this world that is so temporary?
When Jesus met the rich man in Mark, Matthew Henry Commentary (MHC), shares what happens:
This young ruler showed great earnestness. He asked what he should do now, that he might be happy for ever.
Most ask for good to be had in this world; any good, Ps 4:6; he asks for good to be done in this world, in order to enjoy the greatest good in the other world. Christ encouraged this address by assisting his faith, and by directing his practice. But here is a sorrowful parting between Jesus and this young man.
He asks Christ what he shall do more than he has done, to obtain eternal life; and Christ puts it to him, whether he has indeed that firm belief of, and that high value for eternal life which he seems to have. Is he willing to bear a present cross, in expectation of future crown?
The young man was sorry he could not be a follower of Christ upon easier terms; that he could not lay hold on eternal life, and keep hold of his worldly possessions too. He went away grieved. See Mt 6:24, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Mk 10:23-31)
We cannot have the glory and the good of the world if it counters and interferes with that of our journey with our Heavenly Father. If it distracts us from His real purpose we must be open to the sacrifice of giving up this world so we can do His work.
Do we know what it means to truly have unconditional, identification and surrendor to our Father? Are we willing? Or do we hold on to this world and seek our glory here and build our treasures that we know in the end, are just rust and decay while Him and His word is eternity?
Not many of us can.
Oswald Chambers shares, “Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you.”
This is something interesting to look at and to contemplate where in our lives are we soft and pliable that it’s not us that people will see, but our Heavenly Father.
But complete abandonment is not very easy to do is it?
Chambers continues,
“If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be iin the wrong then you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that has never been transformed by His gaze.”
Not a very warm and fuzzy thought, but how we interact not just with non-believers, but with believers can speak volumes about our state of maturity.
Isn’t there a saying that it’s our actions not our words that will define us?
The hardness about Chambers devotional and reading Mark 10:21 about the rich person, is that it is a reminder in today’s materialistic world and yes, even in the blogging world, we tend to over depend too much on what we have, how many friends we have, our statistics, our visits, the praises and it’s not a bad thing, not for anyone else, but ourselves, to pull back and take a blogging/facebook break or just take that much needed step back and step into Him to refocus who, where and what we really are.
What if we were told, give up everything….give up our Facebook, our blogs, our ministries, our careers, our whatever to just serve Him, quietly and without prescence or people knowing…can we really do it?
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10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:10-12, New King James Version)
Observation:
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve worked in my Life Journal or posted here. I woke up early this morning (no alarm clock either) and with a long day ahead, open up my bible, pulled up the current Life Reading and as I read though Jeremiah and then Revelations, my first thought was….what could be so relevant about today’s reading to contemplate.
Drinking my coffee, watching the sun rise up, Revelations 12:10-12, just popped out at me. 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:10-12, New King James Version)
Our Daily Bread shared the following from September 3, 2010′s devotional:
There’s something very appealing about loopholes, and we look for them wherever there’s a command we don’t want to obey.
Jesus addressed this problem with religious leaders who thought they had found a loophole in their religious laws (Mark 7:1-13). Instead of honoring their parents with financial or material support, they dedicated all their possessions to God, thereby limiting their use. Although their disobedience was not blatant, Jesus said their behavior was unacceptable.
Whenever we start looking for loopholes, we stop being obedient.
Lord, help us to submit to You,
To follow and obey,
Instead of finding loopholes to
Defend our sinful way. —Sper
As I read this, it reminded me how we sometimes compromise our faith too much and often not with enough discernment or care for the wants and wills of a fickle world and in the process, without knowing…not only look for loopholes to justify being less godly toward other people, but in our own actions and lives.
I think about people who share observations of people “caught in ungodly acts” when they don’t realize the world is watching and wonder how careful are we really about our own lives or how we interact with others.
Yesterday, I had a less than pleasant experience with someone whom we were friends with but didn’t hesitate to be critical and hurtful in comments about us choosing to homeschool and what floored me is seconds before they shared how they had to work with with troubled children from troubled homes, whose families didn’t provide them with a safe or healthy environment. They then turn around and ask the “So…why are you really homeschooling” and then followed up with, “How are we not preparing them for the real world?”
We just found it surprising and flooring that they would even say that as they then espouse how kids need to learn about how to deal with bullying and “be exposed to the real world” while in the same breath talk about how they didn’t want their kids to watch certain shows and movies because the content wasn’t “Christian” and the vulgarity of the language and the violence and it made me bite my tongue from asking them, “So why the double standard for their (and our kids) and even then, advocating putting kids in unsafe, unhealthy environments while all the while talk about working and developing programs to address trouble kids needs and address issues about bullying and self-esteem.
Reading Revelations 12:10-12; It’s not about the world. Just there is no compromise. No” if’s”" and’”s or “but’s”.
I like how a friend shared about the best way to respond, “,”"Because we prayed about it and find ultimate joy and freedom in being obedient to how God’s led our family. Thanks for asking. So how’s God led your family?”
Ultimately, this is beyond about schooling or anything else; As Sunny Shell shares on “About His Business“,:,”The issue shouldn’t be whether one home schools or public schools. B…ut it should be: “Are we all training up our children in the love and admonition of the Lord through our words and daily lives?” “
I would have to add to…are we in love and admonition of our Father in our own words and daily lives as well or as the “Our Daily Bread” article share, looking for loopholes.
As I end this journal entry, this popped up via “Disciple Life” on my facebook,
“”We spend our time dashing from one place to another, pursuing business and pleasure. We assure ourselves that the most important issue in life is making a living. In the midst of all our hustle we try to forget that we are becoming older every day. Only an occasional man or woman has the good sense to perceive that the day of judgment draws nearer and nearer.” – Tozer
Application:
It’s not about the world. It’s not about the world. We are called to not conform to this world though we have to live in it (ref Romans 12:2). That means, one foot trying to please the world and one foot trying to please our Father (Galatians 1:10). There can not be two masters, but only one whom we have to choose.
This is a reminder that if we are looking for loopholes to indulge in the sinfullness of the world while trying to follow our Father, we need to take time to step back, re-evaluate and ask ourselves, how strong or weak our Christian walk is.
We make the decisions that are good for this and this only household; Our first ministry is here at home, through the nuturing and the growth and guidance of our children. That’s my charge and call from our Heavenly Father first and foremost, then my husband, then the world….not the world, our Father, our spouses and then the kids…it’s our Father, our kids, our spouse and then the world.
I can not please men and our Father because then I will find myself slipping and rather than looking and growing upwards, looking sideways and trying to grow sideways as well and we all know how well that doesn’t work.
We are called not to be world-centered or self-centered but rather, we are called to be God-centered. No way around that.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for You for being a solid rock and foundation and as I seek to humble and commit myself always to You Father, I thank You for the challenges and trials You send my way to humble, to break, to grow and to refine this broken soul. Father, I pray that I look upwards, never sideways and though I hurt, I pray for Your comfort and not the comfort of the world.
In Your Name I pray,
Amen.
****Purpose of this post****
Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here.
That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing.
I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal.
Either way.
Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you.
If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email.
Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate.
Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day.
There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire.
This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him.
It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well.
To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings.
Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.
Even though we make excuses for not obeying God, H still calls it disobedience.
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5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
From the MHC:
Persons of all ranks to persevere in prayer, and Christian prudence.
No duties can be done aright, unless we persevere in fervent prayer, and watch therein with thanksgiving. The people are to pray particularly for their ministers. Believers are exhorted to right conduct towards unbelievers. Be careful in all converse with them, to do them good, and recommend religion by all fit means. Diligence in redeeming time, commends religion to the good opinion of others.
Even what is only carelessness may cause a lasting prejudice against the truth. Let alldiscourse be discreet and seasonable, as becomes Christians. Though it be not always of grace, it must always be with grace. Though our discourse be of that which is common, yet it must be in a Christian manner.
Grace is the salt which seasons our discourse, and keeps it from corrupting. It is not enough to answer what is asked, unless we answer aright also. (Col 4:7-9)
What a powerful reminder of our words and our actions and how it can and does bear either good or bear testimony to others.
How many times have we said we were one thing, but then act in a way or do things in a way that makes us look or sound no different from that of a sin-filled world and then wonder why someone reacted as they did to us.
Or justify our actions not on our Father’s terms but in the world’s term to the point that we meld more with the world and how it deems we should act, less than with our Father and how He calls us to act.
Truth is…there is no place in His word for us to act like the world.
Pride, Jealousy, Lying, Gossipping, partaking of the world as if we are more of an “atheist” than a follower.
Ouch.
But truth is…how are we to stand apart from the world like a lighthouse, shining His Word when we choose to have swinging lanterns that half the time the lights are out?
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1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (Romans 1, New King James Version)
Observation:
Romans 1:20, this just jumped out at me: 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
And made me wonder, have we lost awe of our Father and in the process trying to bring Him down to our level and make Him worldly to justify our own sin.
Hard hitting for the morning, but as we grow in our journey with Him, one thing is for sure and something I hear brought up time and time again around me by fellow believers, we are NOT of this world. We are just visitors, but our time is just passing through and though we are to live IN the world, we are not to be a part OF the world, and yet, it feels sometimes that there is a prevailing sense of a lukewarmness that is falling over everything.
It’s hard not to cringe reading this part, “22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
From MHC:
The sins of the Gentiles set forth.
The apostle begins to show that all mankind need the salvation of the gospel, because none could obtain the favour of God, or escape his wrath by their own works. For no man can plead that he has fulfilled all his obligations to God and to his neighbour; nor can any truly say that he has fully acted up to the light afforded him. The sinfulness of man is described as ungodliness against the laws of the first table, and unrighteousness against those of the second. The cause of thatsinfulness is holding the truth in unrighteousness. All, more or less, do what they know to be wrong, and omit what they know to be right, so that the plea of ignorance cannot be allowed from any. Our Creator’s invisible power and Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he has made, that even idolaters and wicked Gentiles are left without excuse. They foolishly followed idolatry; and rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of brutes, reptiles, and senselessimages. They wandered from God, till all traces of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel prevented it. For whatever may be pretended, as to the sufficiency of man’s reason to discover Divine truth and moral obligation, or to govern the practice aright, facts cannot be denied. And these plainly show that men have dishonoured God by the most absurd idolatries and superstitions; and have degraded themselves by the vilest affections and most abominable deeds.(Ro 1:26-32)In a lot of ways, this passage just speaks volumes for itself, without any additonal, but it is a warning, a reminder and a commentary how we must not get so wrapped up in this world, that we become no more different than the very world we are supposed to stand apart from.
Application:
The world is going to criticize us. We are going to be subjected to peer pressure, no matter how old we are, but that’s not what matters. What matters is our Heavenly Father.
My hubby shared, several verses to be remembered:
Matthew 10:16-18 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. 17″But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:21-23 “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22″And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 23″But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 10:16-18 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. 17″But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:21-23 “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22″And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 23″But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.
Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23″Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.
Luke 6:26-27 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. 27″But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
Luke 17:33 “Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You ARE the King of kings and all that of this world is but rust and dust that will return to the ground, but You and Your Word is forever. Make my heart always hungry for you, Make me always humbled at your feet and not with thoughts I am wiser like or above You. Lord, we live in challenging times where morals and what is right and wrong seems challenged and often times upside down, Help us keep Your Word in our hearts and to seek what Your will is and not that of the world, in Your Name, we pray, Amen.
****Purpose of this post****
Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here.
That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing.
I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal.
Either way.
Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you.
If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email.
Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate.
Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day.
There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire.
This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him.
It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well.
To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings.
Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.
Original content here is published under these license terms:
X
License Type:
Read Only
License Summary:
You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). No other copying or use is permitted without written agreement from the author.
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
Reading Psalm 15 as part of my life journal reading, it was like a reminder of how we as followers of Christ, should, well follow Him.
The things that our Father shares to us through Psalm 15 are things that we should often do as a follower of Christ, but to be truthful, how many times in our lives, do we sometimes succumb to doing just the opposite of what He calls us to do.
That’s where our Father steps in but it’s not a license for us to be complacent in our walk either.No one is perfect nor does our Father call for legalism but He does call for willingness to obey His Word and to follow Him, defined not by what is convenient or culturally acceptted but what He reaches out for us to make it a habit, a goal, a desire in our lives to be and to follow.
From the MHC (Matthew Henry Commentary):
The way to heaven, if we would be happy, we must be holy. We are encouraged to walk in that way.
Here is a very serious question concerning the character of a citizen of Zion. It is the happiness of glorified saints, that they dwell in the holy hill; they are at home there, they shall be for ever there. It concerns us to make it sure to ourselves that we have a place among them. A very plain and particular answer is here given. Those who desire to know their duty, will find the Scripture a very faithful director, and conscience a faithful monitor.
A citizen of Zion is sincere in his religion. He is really what he professes to be, and endeavours to stand complete in all the will of God. He is just both to God and man; and, in speaking to both, speaks the truth in his heart. He scorns and abhors wrong and fraud; he cannot reckon that a good bargain, nor a saving one, which is made with a lie; and knows that he who wrongs his neighbour will prove, in the end, to have most injured himself. He is very careful to do hurt to no man.
How often when we follow our Father, we tend to worry less about what He has to think but probrably more about what the world has to think or maybe in the process of following Him, losing sight of the big picture and get to focus on the smaller pictures.
Maybe it’s legalism, maybe it’s just getting too busy we forget about following Him and that priority starts dropping low on our list, or maybe, it’s in the form of idolism or worse yet, focusing on us too much that we don’t see Him anymore and worry about how it makes US look.
He speaks evil of no man, makes not others’ faults the matter of his common talk; he makes the best of every body, and the worst of nobody. If an ill-natured story be told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it goes no further. He values men by their virtue and piety. Wicked people are vile people, worthless, and good for nothing; so the word signifies. He thinks the worse of no man’s piety for his poverty and mean condition. He reckons that serious piety puts honour upon a man, more than wealth, or a great name. He honours such, desires their conversation and an interest in their prayers, is glad to show them respect, or do them a kindness. By this we may judge of ourselves in some measure. Even wise and good men may swear to their own hurt: but see how strong the obligation is, a man must rather suffer loss to himself and his family, than wrong his neighbour. He will not increase his estate by extortion, or by bribery. He will not, for any gain, or hope of it to himself, do any thing to hurt a righteous cause.
Remember the story of the rich man who asks Jesus how to get into heaven and Jesus told him to give up everything to follow him.
Would you?
Could you?
That’s hard to answer isn’t it and the honest truth that its more than going to Africa or Asia or any foriegn country but starting with our heart first. What are we willing to do without, live without, to follow Him.
It’s not saying, give up your home and live in a tent, but it’s also not saying, covet your home over following Him either. It’s about willing to make the sacrifices that our Father, not society, church or anyone else, but our Father, Himself, lays on your heart to follow Him.
Sometimes it can be as simple as looking at the way with interact with each other, with our fellow believers and with our fellow non-believers. When people look at you, can they see Him, not you, without you even having to say a word, but letting your life, your actions speak for yourself.
Twitter, Facebook, Emails, cellphones, blogs, are great and they are fun and can be a blessing, but when people come to visit, it is a question that I even lay on my heart. Who do they see? Do they see me? Or do they see our Father in Heaven?
I know, I pray and hope with each post, and each time I share or converse with anyone, that it’s not about me, or that I am the one who people see, but it’s our Heavenly Father first and foremost.
Truthfully, we all would love to be noticed, but honestly, this is not about us or to us; It’s all about Him and that’s where the true focus and glory should be.
Every true living member of the church, like the church itself, is built upon a Rock. He that doeth these things shall not be moved for ever. The grace of God shall always be sufficient for him. The union of these tempers and this conduct, can only spring from repentance for sin, faith in the Saviour, and love to him. In these respects let us examine and prove our own selves
When I go to church, I’m pretty self-conscious and not so much about myself but about others. I honestly keep an eye out for an unfamiliar face, or someone who might look lost. Why?
Because, we are not in this alone; We are a body-a family in Christ and we are to help lift up and encourage each other-not to win a popularity contest.
I feel that this is a reminder and a notice that we have to be careful we don’t get so comfortable that we exclude others unwittingly or purposely. Yes, it’s great to have that close group of friends, but our true service and fellowship for our Heavenly Father, is outside our circle, not within. That’s where true service is.
No one may know my name or remember me, but that’s fine. That’s the goal; The real goal is that they remember and look and see always our Heavenly Father and it’s my responsibilty, your responsibilty, all of our responsibilty to each other, to those we know, but especially to those we don’t know.
Application:
Psalm 15 is a challenge to myself, to all of us, to rethink how we are living the Christian faith and what light are we shining to others. When people see us, do they see Him, or do they see us. Do they seek us to know Him better or do they seek us to know us better.
Prayer:
Father, I thank You for being the awesome God that You are and I lift Your name up in praise for all You do and have done in my life and in the others life. I pray and hope that those who do know You and particularly those who don’t know You will seek You and find You and come to know You Heavenly Father and I pray You will continually humble this broken servant of Yours and use me as YOU see willing not as I see willing Lord.
Give me the strength, the courage, the words, to speak for You and about You Lord that eyes will look up to You, not me.
You know me better than I know myself and I am not fit to share Your Glory and Love and just am thankful when You lay what You lay on my heart and pray my heart can just speak out to the four corners of the world, of Your Glory, Your Grace, Your Love.
Lord, Thank You Father, Thank You! Amen.
****Purpose of this post****
Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here.
That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing.
I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal.
Either way.
Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you.
If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email.
Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate.
Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day.
There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire.
This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him.
It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well.
To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings.
Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.
Original content here is published under these license terms:
X
License Type:
Read Only
License Summary:
You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). No other copying or use is permitted without written agreement from the author.
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29, New King James Version)
Observation:
We all want to fit in don’t we? No matter who we are with, where we are: Work, Church, Neighborhood, just the world-We all want to fit in, but look at Peter.
Wow. Look at Peter. When we met him, following Jesus earlier, what did he do? He deny Christ, not one time, but three times and now look at him, chasing and following our Father with a fever that can not be contain.
Looks like he’s worried less now what everyone around him has to think and more worried about what our Father in Heaven has to think.
The truth is that our world, our culture, we as people in general, are like the waves of the ocean-Constantly changing, influence by self, by selfish desires, by changing thoughts, influences and emotions that are not always as controllable as we like to think they are, but our Father-He is a solid foundation whose Truth never changes and is a solid rock that has and always will stand the test of time.
While we and the world we live in changes each day like the weather in the sky and the waves of the ocean-sometimes smooth, sometimes rocky-Not our Father in Heaven.
He is always there.
His word, is always true today as it was yesterday as it is today and will be tomorrow.
That’s whom we should choose to hunger for, to pursue, to crave, to follow,to obey.
He doesn’t come in and out of our lives like the people of our life do; He doesn’t move like our best friend, or our neighbor, or change jobs or homes or towns. God is always there, everywhere, anywhere, with us always when we need Him.
Not just on Sundays, but everyday; Not just during the day, but any time of the day, our Father is there and it is He, who we should seek and obey, not men.
When we get over that hurdle and release our need for the approval and attention of men, but seek instead our Father, we find the Truth and the comfort that we all seek and need.
From the MHC, it is shared:
The apostles testify to Christ before the council.
Many will do an evil thing with daring, yet cannot bear to hear of it afterward, or to have it charged upon them.
We cannot expect to be redeemed and healed by Christ, unless we give up ourselves to be ruled by him. Faith takes the Saviour in all his offices, who came, not to save us in our sins, but to save us from our sins. Had Christ been exalted to give dominion to Israel, the chief priests would have welcomed him.
But repentance and remission of sins are blessings they neither valued nor saw their need of; therefore they, by no means, admitted his doctrine. Wherever repentance is wrought, remission is granted without fail. None are freed from the guilt and punishment of sin, but those who are freed from the power and dominion of sin; who are turned from it, and turned against it.
Christ gives repentance, by his Spirit working with the word, to awaken the conscience, to work sorrow for sin, and an effectual change in the heart and life. The giving of the Holy Ghost, is plain evidence that it is the will of God that Christ should be obeyed. And He will surely destroy those who will not have Him to reign over them. (Ac 5:34-42)
The advice of Gamaliel, The council let the apostles go.
The Lord still has all hearts in his hands, and sometimes directs the prudence of the worldly wise, so as to restrain the persecutors. Common sense tells us to be cautious, while experience and observation show that the success of frauds in matters of religion has been very short. Reproach for Christ is true preferment, as it makes us conformable to his pattern, and serviceable to his interest. They rejoiced in it.
If we suffer ill for doing well, provided we suffer it well, and as we should, we ought to rejoice in that grace which enabled us so to do. The apostles did not preach themselves, but Christ.
This was the preaching that most offended the priests. But it ought to be the constant business of gospel ministers to preach Christ: Christ, and him crucified; Christ, and him glorified; nothing beside this, but what has reference to it. And whatever is our station or rank in life, we should seek to make Him known, and to glorify his name.
Application:
This is a reminder of Acts 17: 10-12
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable woman which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.”
Our Father is the final authority and we should strive in all areas of our lives to be discerning Christians and part of that is to seek for ourselves, His Word and test all and not just rely on what someone says or does.
One of the things that todays scripture really just laid on my heart is being careful to based what our Father has to say on just what someone else has to say, but first and foremost go to His Word, read for myself and particularly follow our Father and not just what is the popular trend or thought that is happening.
Everyone’s walk is personal and more than just that, if we lose sight of Him and based what we believe in Him on what others are doing or thinking, it’s easy to lose sight of the whole picture which is bigger than us.
We should always search the Bible, go to Him in prayer, obey what HE lays on our heart to do and follow that true and true, for the truth is that people will fail us whether intentionally or unintentionally but our Father in Heaven never does.
It’s all about Him and all about for His Glory,not ours.
If there is anyone to follow and who is the Leader, it’s our Heavenly Father:
I Chronicles 29:11: “Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, and the might, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; Yours is the kingdom and You are He Who is exalte…d over everything as the Leader.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Strength, Encouragement and Guidance; Lord, I pray our hearts are forever humbled, hungry always for YOU and YOUR word and that we seek You always and to obey You, Father, for You are the solid rock that we could always depend on.
Thank You Father for the blessings, the lessons and the challenges You lay before us, knowing we are strong enough, in and through You to face each day.
Amen
****Purpose of this post****
Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here.
That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing.
I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal.
Either way.
Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you.
If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email.
Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate.
Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day.
There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire.
This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him.
It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well.
To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings.
Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.
is plain evidence that it is the will of God that Christ should be obeyed. And He will surely destroy those who will not have Him to reign over them. (Ac 5:34-42)
Original content here is published under these license terms:
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License Type:
Read Only
License Summary:
You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). No other copying or use is permitted without written agreement from the author.
“I’m a busy person with a lot to do. Why should I spend time reading the Bible? I don’t have time to do all I need to do as it is.”
“I already believe in Jesus Christ. I’ve already heard the Gospel.”
“Why should I read the Bible?”
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
At one point and time, like you, I felt the same way and even though I tried to, I found myself, hitting Numbers or Leviticus and stopping or just sticking around the familiar books such as Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and occassional, Hebrews, but it was difficult,, or so I thought, to read the entire bible.
“He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God…” – Deut. 17:19
Using the “Bible in 90 Days’ have been a fantastic encourager to get out of my “safety zone” and really read through all the books of the bible and not just the “safe” ones, not just the “popular” books.
Plus it helps you, the believer understand how the OT (Old Testament) and the NT (New Testament) intertwine and the promises and hopes that our Heavenly Father has for each and everyone of you.
The Old Testament lays the foundation for the teachings and events found in the New Testament. The Bible is a progressive revelation. If you skip the first half of any good book and try to finish it, you will have a hard time understanding the characters, the plot, and the ending. In the same way, the New Testament is only completely understood when it is seen as a fulfillment of the events, characters, laws, sacrificial system, covenants, and promises of the Old Testament.
Why should we read the bible?
Well, the Bereans in the Book of Acts, made it a point to study, each day, His word, because they knew that their spiritual growth and understanding of our Heavenly Father depended on it.
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. (Acts 17:11-12, New King James Version)
It was important to read the Old Testament, to know the history and how we came to where we are in the New Testament, for the both ties in completely together.
There are many different ways to take the time to read His word, and for me, I’ve incorporate, daily reading of the Life Journal and using the S.O.A.P. method along with the current “Bible in 90 Days” and they actually both complement each other.
How?
Well, the Life Journal-Bible Reading plan, tends to be more focused and encourages more in depth scriptural studying and we’re not just talking about getting tons of books out and looking up the meaning behind the meaning, but learning to discipline ourselves, to read His word, daily and not only observe, but to learn how to apply His word, maybe it’s relevant for that day, maybe not, because the Bible isn’t a mystical, wish granter, but THE living word of God that applies to all ends of our lives.
With the “Bible in 90 Days”, as I read through it, what I enjoy, is that it helps overcome the barriers, many may have about reading the bible, and show that it’s not something to be discouraged from but as Romans 15:4 (NKJV) shares:
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4, New King James Version)
No one can become a biblical scholar overnight, but no one either, has to feel like you have to go to school to learn; God’s word is meant for everyone; from the highest to the lowest, from one end of the world to the other and not for a specific group.
There was an argument that I read that the “Bible in 90 Days” would not help give spiritual growth and that no one will “get anything from reading the Bible in 90 Days, but the question to that is this, “How is someone NOT getting anything from reading the Bible in 90 days if the fact that by reading the Bible in 90 Days, it has encouraged someone who normally wouldn’t read through the bible or the bible at all, to start reading the bible at all and show that its’ not something to be discouraged about?
Isn’t that an encouragment in itself that just by the mere fact that this can encourage people to see the benefits of starting ANY type of bible reading at all.
A great example of this, is my local church, challenge people to read ANY book of the bible for just one month.
The easy argument could be that no one would get anything out of this in one month, but what is overlook, is that if it gets people started to GO TO HIM and start reading His word, isn’t that the most important encouragement.
It’s not about how much we read, but that we are actually reading and if it takes a challenge to read the bible in 90 days or in fifty years, either way that is a blessing.
Exodus is a particularly favorite because in Exodus there are the memorial stones that are set up after the children of Israel crossed the flooded waters of the Jordan river.
The significance is that it is a reminder of what God does in our lives when we listen to Him and trust Him.
From Joyful Ministry, they wrote about the memorial stones in this way:
This pile of rocks will be a sign for future generations, to remind parents to tell their children about what happened at the Jordan. This is a lesson for us as parents, it is our responsibility to expose our children to the memorials, and when they ask questions, to be ready for an explanation which gives glory to God.
The significance of us picking up our bibles, be it the “Bible in 90 Days” bible or just any bible, goes beyond this, but the fact that our children sees US reading HIS WORD and this is a reminder to them and a visual reminder of what is important and what needs to be the foundation in our lives: God.
For me, reading the Bible in 90 days, and just using any bible reading plan, is a reminder and a cementing of my growth and journey on a solid foundation based on His word and not mine, or a fickle world with a constantly changing and often P.C. based opinion, but on God’s firm foundation.
Completing this week’s reading is just a reminder where and who we should go to and where our first foundation should be on, before we go to anything else.
The above image is from another site, also called, “Why Read the Bible?” and I agree with what they say that we should read His word so our lives aren’t based on half-truths or “sandwich scripture clips” that we only get once a week.
This just reminded me,again, of my pastor, imploring, not to dust off our bibles for 60 minutes a week, but keep our bibles dust free by using it everyday.
A worn bible is actually a case of where it’s a GOOD sign versus a bible that looks as new as the day it was first bought.
As I finished up this weeks worth of reading, I think about Deut.17:19 (NKJV)
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, (Deuteronomy 17:19, New King James Version)
If you have been wanting to read the bible, curious what the bible has to say or just wanting a way to start the year off on a strong foundation, I encourage you to check out the “Bible in 90 Days” that is going over at Mom’s Toolbox, drop by YouVersion and their 20 different bible plans, try using the Life Journal reading plan that you can read along even online at lifejournal.cc or go to biblegateway.org and try out their bible reading plans (they even have the Bible in 90 Days reading plan).
Don’t be discouraged about reading the bible; Even just start with the easiest and shortest books in the bible, “1,2,3 John” (there are three book of Johns in the bible that are short and quick to read if you are just starting out).
Find a plan that works for you and you will be blessed!
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4, New King James Version)
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30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32, New King James Version)
Observation:
I remember hearing this from my pastor and he shared the importance to not keep within our “safe zones” of just ministering to those who know the Word of God, but that we need to widen our circle and go beyond for those who know the Word of God, maybe have accepted Christ as their Saviour, or are just starting their journey or are at whatever point it is in their journey, there is a point that it becomes a matter of God is working on and in and through them, and often, we, as fellow believers, need to remember that He wants us to reach out and share the word among those who don’t know Christ or maybe fleeting but are in need of love and ministering in their lives.
The analogy he just as our Heavenly Father provides is a powerful one.
Doctors are there not really for those who are well and healthy; Yes they guide us but the truth is, they know as well as we know, when we are healthy, we are capable of taking the necessary steps to keep us healthy and do not to be treated as children.
However, the real purposes of doctors are for those who are in real need of them: the sick, the injured, the deeply wounded. It is they who needs to be ministered and guided back to health or to health.
Keeper of the Home shared this great quote,”Remember, brothers and sisters – it’s not our job to save people. It’s just our job to tell them how to be saved. After that, it is between God and them.”
How often do our focus is too much on those who are well or who are well enough to know, by free will, what is good for them, but rather seek to minister those who are not well enough or are lost and seeking for help, we too often focus our attention on the wrong sights, maybe out of good intentions and maybe out of blind intentions.
In Luke 5:30-32, the Pharisess are in an uproar of the company that Jesus keeps and questions why those people, not them and Jesus replies to them that they know who He is and what He is about and yet, they are more focus on keeping appearances then they are concerned about keeping Him in their heart.
Their focus is on everyone else, while they, themselves unwittingly strays and ignores the needs of those of a hurting world around them.
It’s like a doctor who walks through the corridor of those who are crying out in sickness and skips them to help the healthy person who is checking out of the hospital and leaving to rejoin the world outside.
In MHC, it is shared:
Levi called, Christ’s answer to the Pharisees.
It was a wonder of Christ’s grace, that he would call a publican to be his disciple and follower. It was a wonder of his grace, that the call was made so effectual.
It was a wonder of his grace, that he came to call sinners to repentance, and to assure them of pardon. It was a wonder of his grace, that he so patiently bore the contradiction of sinners against himself and his disciples. It was a wonder of his grace, that he fixed the services of his disciples according to their strength and standing.
Reading Luke 5:30-32, this is just a pointedly reminder that there is a time and place for everything and in a broken and hurting world, as we encourage each other, as fellow believers and followers of Christ, we must not forget, either the bigger picture, that there are many who don’t know Christ, who don’t call His name and, we are called to share the Good News with them, but the rest belongs to our Heavenly Father.
He, in His perfect time and way, working in and through us, will soften the hearts, change the hearts and lead the hearts, but that is not our job to do His job. Our job is to be an example, an imitation of Christ, our personal Lord and Savioiur who seeks, in and through each of us, to change us, to liken us to His image, and to use us to be His ambassadors to a world that needs Him.
Application:
Reading the actions of Jesus as He walked among those who dearly needed Him the most and how the Pharisess, rather than seek to heal and deliver, instead judge and condemn and burden with legalism, ignore the most cargo of all,their own hearts, reminds me that we live in a complicated and burden world where people need Him and sometimes we may find them in our own church, but majority of the time, we will find them in our everyday life and walk.
Our greatest missions, isn’t just overseas, but in our own backyards, our neighbors, our community, our town; The people whom we have the most contact with, often are the ones who know Him the least and it is there we need to remember, as we go out and about our day, to share His word, if not directly by Scripture, definetely by actions.
It could be a manager who not by his words but just his mere actions of allowing Christ to work in and through him, and in Service to Him, just be the best he can be and let Christ be reflected in his work, who, without saying a word, can lead and guide others to wonder what it is that leads him, and in turn be lead to Christ without a word being spoken at all.
As a follower of Christ, we lead by love and example, not by force and persuasion. As an anonymous quoter had said,”“Live in such a way that those who know you but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you.””
Just by sheer example can make or break a personal testimony and can encourage or discourage a person to come to know Christ better.
This is a reminder for me, for all of us, to live our lives in a way that when people see us, they see Christ and will know something is there, without us having to speak a word.
God bless you, Gentle Readers!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your Word and Your love and I pray and hope that others continue to be encouraged this new year and just everyday to seek You, to come to know You and to allow You to work in and through their lives without any fear or reservations.
You are an Awesome God and I thank You that You came into my life and You are my Lord and Saviour.
Amen.
****Purpose of this post****
Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here.
That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing.
I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal.
Either way.
Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you.
If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email.
Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate.
Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day.
There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire.
This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him.
It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well.
To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings.
Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.
The Lord trains up his people gradually for the trials allotted them; we should copy his example in dealing with the weak in faith, or the tempted believer.
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It's about a passion for books, devotionals,memes and our Father in Heaven and His Word as it is shared in the Bible. Sometimes silly, sometimes sarcastic, sometime serious way, but always with a love for our Father in Heaven, a love for family and friends and of course, when possible, a love for coffee...come join me and others here on Sunflower Faith.
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There are a lot of people who are not familiar with bible and they should start reading it and make...
Posted May 07, 2012
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