Reading, Knowing, and Living in the Word of God

Below is a letter I gave to my congregation in January 2019 - I wonder what this year was like for them in terms of reading, knowing, and living the Word of God?

How has it been for you?

Maybe there is something here for you?

Love,

Bob

Dear Bethlehem Family,

I want to encourage us to read the Bible during the coming year. What’s your plan? Are we reading the Bible as if it were a life and death matter? It is. We are surrounded by a culture of death – we are called to be men and women and families of light and life in Jesus Christ.

Take a look at 2 Peter 1:1 – 11; through God’s Word we are partakers of His Divine Nature. As we feed on Jesus Christ (John Chapter 6) we live, and if we live in Christ we can feed others in and through Christ. We ought to be traveling bread trucks, food trucks – dispensing the grace and mercy and life of Christ freely to those around us. Are we feeding others?

Please read all of the New Testament this coming year.

Please read at least one Psalm each day – this is a treasure house.

The Old Testament contains the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy); books of history (Joshua – Esther); Wisdom/Poetical books (Job – Song of Solomon); the three Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), and the Minor Prophets (Daniel – Malachi). This is just one quick way of looking at the OT, there are other ways. This method gives us five sections.

Why not choose a section to get to know really well in the coming year? Or in the first quarter? Then after the first quarter you can decide to move to another section or remain where you are.

In the NT, try to read a Gospel chapter a day – we can never get too much of our Lord Jesus. Begin with a Gospel and then move to another Gospel throughout the year.

The NT has the Gospels, Acts, the letters of Paul, Hebrews, the General Epistles (James – Jude), and of course Revelation. (Hebrews can be placed with Paul or with the General Epistles).

How about choosing a section or book of the NT to get to know really well during the first quarter or during the entire year? If you are thinking of Paul, rather than start with all of his letters you could choose the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon); or the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus); or 1 & 2 Thessalonians, or Romans and Galatians, or 1 & 2 Corinthians.

Let’s get to know the Bible so that God’s Word owns us and we own God’s Word. If we can get up in the middle of the night and find our way to the bathroom in the dark, surely we ought to know the Bible so well that we can come to the place where we can find our way from Genesis to Revelation without a flashlight or lamp on a nightstand.

People need us to know God’s Word and to allow His Word to live and flow through us. God’s Word is where we can enjoy intimate relationship with our Father and with one another.

Take a look at Joshua Chapter One – if we don’t walk on the land we will not possess the land – the land is the Word of God.

Have a plan – work the plan; gain ground, don’t circle round and round for 40 years…or 60…or 70…or 80.

Much love,

Bob