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In pastures green He leadeth me. Join me on the journey.
What's Going on Here?
We are reading our way through the bible one chapter per day. The idea behind my personal reading plan is to read through books chronologically, but not solely one book at a time. Thus on Monday we read from the books of the law, Tuesday the books of kings and judges, Wednesday the books of Jewish History, Thursday Books of Wisdom, Friday the Prophets, Saturday the Gospels and Sunday the Epistles. The next Monday we pick up at the chapter we left off in ancient history. You may think that this would be disjointed and would cause you to "lose your groove" but I have found the contrary to be true, the threads of promise, redemption and grace show up more clearly as I make my way slowly through these books in a parrallel fashion and when I pick up where I left off a week before I am reminded of things that stood out to me from last week's reading. Journaling is a big part of my processing scripture and fixing particular tidbits in my mind for the purpose of life application. I would love to have you join me!
Basic Reading Plan
Mon (Law): Genesis-Joshua
Tues (Rulers): Judges-Chronicles
Wed (History): Ezra-Psalms
Thurs (Wisdom): Prov-Jer
Fri (Prophets): Lam-Malachi
Sat (Gospels): Matthew-Acts
Sun (Epistles) Romans-Revelation.
The theme I have given each section is general. Joshua is not a book of the law and Psalms is not a book of history. The main chunk of reading in each section is, however, suitably classified as the theme it is under. In order to make the sections even out to have the same general number of books/chapters, this was the closest I could come. Otherwise one would be reading through certain sections (like the Law) for instance, much more often than the wisdom books, etc.
Posts
A Place of Fellowship....
(Fellowship is) an expression of both love and humility. [It] springs from a desire to bring benefit to others, coupled with a sense of personal weakness and need. It has a double motive – the wish to help, and to be helped; to edify, and to be edified. It has a double aim – to do, and to receive, good. It is a seeking by Christian people to know God better through sharing with each other what, individually, they have learned of Him already. J.I. Packer.
A few introductory words of encouragement....
Think of your time feeding on God's Word as a vital aspect of your health and wellness. You wouldn't go a week without brushing your teeth, or eating physical food, don't treat the nourishing of your soul by the Word of God with any less care.
Don't cram multiple chapters if you fall behind of plan, but *do* "back-read" if you have the passion and earnest desire to do so. My habit if I miss a chapter is usually to leave it until that book comes up again the next week (based on my own reading plan) and then read two consecutive chapters rather than the one I am scheduled to read.
Don't be legalistic about the when and how. If you don't get a quiet time in the morning, THAT'S OKAY. Find a moment in the afternoon to grab a drink, sit down and put your feet up, and soak up a chapter. And if that doesn't happen, THAT'S OKAY. Take 15-20 minutes at the end of the day to plump some pillows up in your bed and soak it up before you go to sleep. And if that doesn't happen, IT'S OKAY. Tomorrow is a new day. Don't let the enemy discourage you from spending time in the word TODAY because you didn't YESTERDAY. That's just dumb. Did you get that? DUMB.
If you don't have time to read, meditate. Allow God to bring a passage of scripture to mind and allow yourself to listen. Take time to be quiet in your spirit. While you are washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming... cleaning bathrooms.
Spruce things up. Get yourself a PRETTY journal and jot down little things that stand out to you. Use your favourite mug or a pretty glass to pour your favourite drink. Sit in your favourite spot (this could change from day to day and depending on the time of day you read. A sunny spot on the porch in the morning, a wing back chair and a blanket if it's chilly, a garden swing in the shade on a hot afternoon, or plumped up in bed with soft lamplight in the evening. Again, don't be legalistic about the location, pick a happy spot that fits the moment/opportunity.) Oh, and DON'T wait for the pretty journal. Plain lined notepaper or even a crumpled scrap paper will work just FINE until you get one....
Remember while you read, God's word is FOR YOU. yes, it was written to a particular audience in a particular time in history and for a particular reason. But it was also written with YOU in mind, TODAY in mind, and is designed to give you strength and wisdom for the journey.
Claim ONE part of the passage and take it to heart. Read through the chapter without too much introspection at first and see what part most stands out to you. Go back and look at that part more specifically and ask yourself what is in there for YOU?
Ask relevant questions. I usually look at a passage with 2 questions in mind. 1. What does this passage tell me about God's character? 2. What does this passage tell me about humanity (ie, ME, in relation to God? a final and very important question to ask is "What does this passage require of me on a practical level?" Write down one attitude, practice or truth you want you live out TODAY in light of what God has just revealed to you. This is how we take ownership of the Word of God and allow it to relate to us and shape us on a personal level.
Build yourself a monument. As I ponder a passages relevance to me I journal the thoughts that arise. Jotting them down somehow cements my convictions in my mind, almost like laying out stones in a monument so I can go back to that place later and be reminded. I also use those notes to come here and share my thoughts later with others.
Keep your actual quiet time concise. This will help make it more likely the habit will continue to happen on a regular basis. Better to spend 15 minutes in the word daily, than 1 hour once a week.
Don't require absolute "alone" and uninterrupted time (without kids around). If they are around, they can learn to not interrupt you for 15 minutes, just like you spend time with other people when they are around, you can spend time with the Lord with them around too.
Think of God’s Word as a love letter to you. When you read stories of God’s wrath in the Old Testament, think about WHAT love paid the price for all that wrath and how a hand that once smote anyone who dared touch the ark of His covenant now beckons YOU to draw near to the throne of grace. Read everything in light of who God is and how much He loves mankind that in spite of our being so deprived, His love story reaches out, encompasses us, washes us clean, and seeks to draw us near.
May you seek Him, may He be found by you, and may you be blessed on the journey.
Don't cram multiple chapters if you fall behind of plan, but *do* "back-read" if you have the passion and earnest desire to do so. My habit if I miss a chapter is usually to leave it until that book comes up again the next week (based on my own reading plan) and then read two consecutive chapters rather than the one I am scheduled to read.
Don't be legalistic about the when and how. If you don't get a quiet time in the morning, THAT'S OKAY. Find a moment in the afternoon to grab a drink, sit down and put your feet up, and soak up a chapter. And if that doesn't happen, THAT'S OKAY. Take 15-20 minutes at the end of the day to plump some pillows up in your bed and soak it up before you go to sleep. And if that doesn't happen, IT'S OKAY. Tomorrow is a new day. Don't let the enemy discourage you from spending time in the word TODAY because you didn't YESTERDAY. That's just dumb. Did you get that? DUMB.
If you don't have time to read, meditate. Allow God to bring a passage of scripture to mind and allow yourself to listen. Take time to be quiet in your spirit. While you are washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming... cleaning bathrooms.
Spruce things up. Get yourself a PRETTY journal and jot down little things that stand out to you. Use your favourite mug or a pretty glass to pour your favourite drink. Sit in your favourite spot (this could change from day to day and depending on the time of day you read. A sunny spot on the porch in the morning, a wing back chair and a blanket if it's chilly, a garden swing in the shade on a hot afternoon, or plumped up in bed with soft lamplight in the evening. Again, don't be legalistic about the location, pick a happy spot that fits the moment/opportunity.) Oh, and DON'T wait for the pretty journal. Plain lined notepaper or even a crumpled scrap paper will work just FINE until you get one....
Remember while you read, God's word is FOR YOU. yes, it was written to a particular audience in a particular time in history and for a particular reason. But it was also written with YOU in mind, TODAY in mind, and is designed to give you strength and wisdom for the journey.
Claim ONE part of the passage and take it to heart. Read through the chapter without too much introspection at first and see what part most stands out to you. Go back and look at that part more specifically and ask yourself what is in there for YOU?
Ask relevant questions. I usually look at a passage with 2 questions in mind. 1. What does this passage tell me about God's character? 2. What does this passage tell me about humanity (ie, ME, in relation to God? a final and very important question to ask is "What does this passage require of me on a practical level?" Write down one attitude, practice or truth you want you live out TODAY in light of what God has just revealed to you. This is how we take ownership of the Word of God and allow it to relate to us and shape us on a personal level.
Build yourself a monument. As I ponder a passages relevance to me I journal the thoughts that arise. Jotting them down somehow cements my convictions in my mind, almost like laying out stones in a monument so I can go back to that place later and be reminded. I also use those notes to come here and share my thoughts later with others.
Keep your actual quiet time concise. This will help make it more likely the habit will continue to happen on a regular basis. Better to spend 15 minutes in the word daily, than 1 hour once a week.
Don't require absolute "alone" and uninterrupted time (without kids around). If they are around, they can learn to not interrupt you for 15 minutes, just like you spend time with other people when they are around, you can spend time with the Lord with them around too.
Think of God’s Word as a love letter to you. When you read stories of God’s wrath in the Old Testament, think about WHAT love paid the price for all that wrath and how a hand that once smote anyone who dared touch the ark of His covenant now beckons YOU to draw near to the throne of grace. Read everything in light of who God is and how much He loves mankind that in spite of our being so deprived, His love story reaches out, encompasses us, washes us clean, and seeks to draw us near.
May you seek Him, may He be found by you, and may you be blessed on the journey.
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4 comments:
Name your pleasure!
Money? Food? Sex? Fame?
V2 has a pile of terrible attributes listed, then, curiously notes that they have a "form of godliness", ""but denying its power". Have nothing to do with them, says Paul.
This is his final days. Paul is in the worst of prisons he has encountered, and faces Nero at his most demonic time. He is gonna die and he is lonely.
Nero intends to crush the Christ out of his people; Paul intends on the continuance of the Gospels.
Are you lonely? Frustrated? Confused? Broken spiritually or financially? Well, V12 says "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted".
Here, Nero is on the prowl and stamping out Christians.
Today, satan is his own Nero, employing people around the globe and in our own homes, to be the new Nero's of persecution.
"Have nothing to do with them" is still advisable.
I believe the number one error in most people's lives is choosing the wrong mate. Though outward beauty attracts, there is a narcissism in the package, that thwarts the building of a godly home.
You would laugh at me if I told you every word I wrote was God breathed; and you would be right.
However, Paul, as writer, does precisely this! He pens personally:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
~~~2 Timothy 3:16-17
Please note that "all Scripture" had yet to be written, and even Paul wrote more after this line.
(Luke is still floating around with Paul at this point).
But an outward new wave of persecution is underway by Nero.
Paul is saying "have nothing to do with those folks then"; we read this as the "final days before Christ returns. That is error since even Christ did not know the final day; only the Father knows.
But the points made are clear:
1)Teaching
2)Rebuking
3)Correcting
4)Training in Righteousness
all of these are God breathed into Scripture (OT and NT, though Paul is primarily referring to Scripture in existence, unifying the OT and NT as BOTH being God breathed for the stated reasons).
Righteousness is Jesus Christ Himself; we are to be trained in "Christ".
New patterns of living are being established, and if you follow the pattern, the outcome of your life will produce genuine, not imitation.
Your pleasure????
Not sex, money, fame, and the things of satan, but watching your life be used, to learn and live the Gospel.
You join the Lord of the harvest and bring eternally home, those you can.
Reread V6-7
Here is today's paper in Erie:
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090813/NEWS02/308139850
It speaks of a 39 year old woman, arrested for stealing 9 bras at the Dollar General store. They are valued at $54, a curious thing for 9 bras at a Dollar store.
More curious?
This is the 6th time she has been charged with retail theft!
It seems every time she is arrested, she learns. Indeed, she is ALWAYS learning, but never able to acknowledge the TRUTH.
She is caught in the trap of believing her life is meant to be lived, as a petty thief.
I knew another woman, always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth.
I was in a home "Life Group" of prayer and Bible study, and "Jane" was there weekly. Later on, she brought her 23 year old daughter, "Jean".
One of the men, ran for high public office, and defeated the incumbant of 24 years on his first try at politics. The victory came from votes in outlying areas, so it was a late announement on TV.
All of the Life Group was invited to the victory (or loss) celebration at a magnificent hotel.
Food and drink abounded in enormous quantities. I spoke to "Jean" often through the evening, and at age 23, she was the mom of 3 kids, and filing for divorce, as her hubby had many girlfriends.
She had never been in the presence of the opulence of the high class and rich, and was beaming smiles all night at seeing such food, hotel finery, live TV and the like. It was exciting.
It was also a school night and I needed to get my daughter home as it was midnight. Just then, the candidate walked in with TV lights all over him. He was prepared to make a victory speech. We all rushed forward to listen, and I have to read lips so I was way up front. "Jean" was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me to my left, and as she leaned to speak to me, I read her lips, admired the purity of her teeth, and listened to her exquisite joy of the moment.
We were face-to-face, and I could smell her delicate breath, as she spoke of never having so much excitement in her life.
I told her to fill me in on the balance of happenings after the speech, for I needed to get my daughter in bed. We said "goodnight".
In her rush to get home, and avoid an angry hubby forced to be with his 3 kids, instead of a girlfriend, she drove fast. The roads were slippery in November; she missed a curve and plowed into a brick home. The car burst into fire and she was burned to death immediately. I believe I was the last person she spoke to in her life.
The news hinted at blood level and drinking for loss of car control. I will never be convinced (nor is the evidence), for I smelled her breath as she spoke in joy 1/2 hour before.
But her mom "Jane" is an alcoholic, and blames herself for the death of her daughter.
"Jane" had been with the group at least 3 years longer than her daughter, weeped loudly at the trauma of her life each week, had special mentoring from the women, and knew she was amidst truth, for when the need for divorce by daughter came along, she brought her daughter to hear.
"Jean" rarely spoke; she listened, and was in a stage of decision-making with fear. No job; 3 kids alone; end of a dream; betrayal....these were her final days.
"Jane" had me over to her home often, and it was an entire shrine to her daughter, with pictures galore on the wall.
Jane wanted the 3 kids. The husband refused to allow them near gramma, as she drank (true).
Gramma wanted to know the intricacies of custody from me, as I had been there before and got my daughters.
Curiously, when the hubby had a new girl for the night, he needed his kids gone, and dropped them with gramma. I told her to journal each time, each new girlfriend (all in their 20's), the condition of the children, and when enough evidence was known, approach the court for visitation rights (drunk gramma's never get custody).
She was always learning and did as I noted to her; she was unable to acknowledge the truth. She drank still....mostly out of sorrow at the loss of a 23 year old daughter.
She lost in custody court BIG time, thanks to the bottle again.
The 3 grandchildren are no longer allowed to gramma's, even when prince charming needs a baby sitter as he finds a new sexual conquest.
She had a "form of godliness" each Monday night in the Life Group, "but denied its power".
so very sad, this form of Godliness but denying it's power... so very, very sad.
my translation says "they will act like they serve God but will not have his power." SO TRUE. These false teachers, there is nothing that infuriates me more than the men and women who twist scripture into a pro-their-vile-agenda and with their OT and NT "degrees" go about telling people that the bible doesn't really say what it looks like it says.
"The Bible supports female pastors", "the bible does not condemn homosexuality but only homosexuality practiced outside of a covenantal relationship", "the bible does not discourage divorce".
ENOUGH already! Follow your tickled fancies, but don't try to conform God or His word to your image! Being a follower of Christ means dying to self and conforming to Him rather than getting his teachings to conform to the desires of a person's flesh.
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