River of Life Church

2014 Bible Reading

Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Welcome to River of Life, First Baptist Lake Monroe and Ridge Crest Bible Church’s Chronological Bible Reading Plan. Over the next several years, the members of these sister churches will be reading through their Bibles together in a chronological way, following the events of the Bible in the order in which they occurred rather than in the order in which they were recorded. In addition the pastor and adult Bible study teachers will be teaching from the same passages we read each week. At times, additional passages from the Psalms will be provided along with the chronological reading portion.

I hope that you will prayerfully consider making a commitment to reading through the Bible with us. As you approach each days’ passage and questions let me encourage you to:

Pray – Pray before you read. Ask God to make the scripture real to you and show you how it applies to your life.

Read – Read the scripture passage(s).

Ask – Ask yourself, “in what I just read is there a lesson to learn, a truth to embrace, an example to follow, a sin to avoid, a mistake to dodge, a change to make or a promise to claim?”

Meditate – Think about what you have read. We are to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22).

Remember God’s promise and condition in Jeremiah 29:13

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

If you miss a lesson and would like it emailed to you,

send me an email at rolwebperson@yahoo.com

Want a link to read the Scriptures?

http://www.biblegateway.com/

Saturday, February 22- Read for today: Psalms 27

Sunday, February 23- Read for today: Psalms 28

Monday, February 24- Read for today: Deuteronomy 30

Blessings are a Choice

The patience and longsuffering of the Lord are amazing. His people had been disobedient on many occasions, but God was always there and ready to forgive and restore if they would only come. The choice belonged to them and it was within their reach if they wanted it. The message for us today as believers is the importance of the choice as well as the availability of the blessings in obedience. The question was given to the people stating please choose life over death for your and your children’s sake. We know our salvation is secure in Christ but our submission to Him daily is in question. The choices we make today will bring the life and full expressions of God’s love or they will bring sorrow and consequences for our sins. God pleads with us to choose a life of joy and purpose by following Him in obedience.

We have a very short fuse compared to God. When people cross us many times, we can be quick to retaliate; somehow, we believe we have that right to get even or pass judgment. Remember how long God waited for us to come to Him for salvation? Man would never have waited like this we would have written them off long ago. Therefore, we are surely indebted to God’s love and must extend ourselves to others especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe for all eternity we will wonder at this love, but we will never get to the bottom of it in our understanding. We can only believe in it and appreciate it. This will affect how we live each day and will guide us in our patience and forgiveness of those around us. A life of death for a believer is not loss of salvation but a lower quality of life than God wants for us. Sins that remain in our lives and are not confessed drag us down, rob us of joy and damage our testimony. Let us choose life instead, which is the highest quality of the Christian’s life. A life of joy and purpose that will be a light in the dark places of this world.

Thoughts to Consider:

Exodus 23:25—What daily blessing do you see God sending to His people?

Psalms 81:16 & Isaiah 30:23—What quality of gifts does God give to His children? What kind of gifts do we bring to Him?

For Further Study:

Malachi 3:10—What is our responsibility here in order to be blessed?

Matthew 6:23—How important are our priorities in serving God and to be blessed by God?

Tuesday, February 25- Read for today: Deuteronomy 31

Don’t Worry; I’ve Got This

I’ve been trying to make some decisions about a few things recently, have a few too many irons in the fire I guess, and have allowed it to get me a bit anxious. Let me tell you, however, what the Lord did today.

I was working on a lady’s roof and decided that in order to fix the valley, I needed to cement the edge where it met the wall, place a sealer along the edge, and then seal the stucco wall as well, since it appears that the wall is also leaking. I went to Lowes to pick up the materials I needed, and was told that they didn’t have the stucco sealer I needed. I hemmed and hawed, and then the salesman said, “Come look at this”. It turns out that the sealer I needed was carried by the store in Deland, but not the one in Orange City, where I was; however, a man had bought a gallon of the sealer in Deland, returned it to the store in Orange City, and since the store in Orange City didn’t normally carry it, they had marked it down by 50%!

Did you see that? I needed some materials. The Lord had it delivered to the store I needed it at, and then arranged for me to get it at ½ price! Just when I was getting anxious, trying to prioritize some stuff, the Lord said, “Look Gene. I know where you are. I know what you’re doing, and I’m going before you. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’ve got this.”

In verses 6-8 of this passage, the Lord through Moses, told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Moses then summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land the Lord swore to give to their fathers. You will enable them to take possession of it. The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

Wouldn’t it be great if we learned to resist fear and refuse to be discouraged? Listen, the same God Who made those promises to Joshua is still alive and well today! He is still watching over you, and if you are a Christ-follower, He is still leading you. When you face difficulties, obstacles, or trials today, remember, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. God’s got this!”

Questions for thought:

1. Think for a moment. What did the Lord last do to encourage you?

2. Why do you think we see so clearly, the difficulties and obstacles, and forget so quickly the Lord’s promises and blessings?

3. What can one do to help remember the Lord’s promises and blessings?

For further study:

1. Read Isaiah 54:17, 1 John 4:4, Matthew 10:29-31, and Proverbs 3:6. Listen closely. Can’t you almost hear Him saying, “Don’t worry. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’ve got this”?

Wednesday, February 26 - Read for today: Deuteronomy 32

They’re gonna pay

It seems that almost daily we read or hear about innocent people being hurt. There are beheadings, rapes, and other cruelties taking place in the Middle East. There are adults in this country, preying on children; creditors preying on the foolish, the ignorant, and the desperate. We have leaders, politicians and others, lying to us daily. There are others that are enslaving immigrants, here within our borders; others are paying them less than the minimum wage, because they are afraid to complain. The list of injustices we suffer or see seems endless.

If you are on the receiving end of these injustices, I want you to understand that though it may appear that people are getting away with stuff for a season, there will come a day of reckoning. The Lord says in verse 35, “Vengeance belongs to Me. I will repay.” In other verses in this passage He lays out ways that He repays. Those folks lying to you daily, they’re gonna pay. Those folks trying to take advantage of you, they’re gonna pay. Those folks that have hurt those closest to you, they’re gonna pay. Those people accusing you of junk to cover up their own sins, they’re gonna pay. They cannot escape the long arm of the Lord.

And by the way, the Lord loves His people and He loves His children. I once heard Dr. Adrian Rogers comment on a man talking about his wife. Dr. Rogers said, “Man, if you mess with my wife I will stomp a puddle in you and walk it dry!” The Lord doesn’t take kindly to folks messing with His family either. In verse 36 we read, “The Lord will vindicate His people.”

They’re gonna pay, but let me warn you; if you’re the one messing with some of God’s children, you had better nip that in the bud. He does not take such things lightly. Make it right, or, you’re gonna pay.

Questions for thought:

1. Is there something you’ve messed up, someone you’ve hurt that you need to make right? What are you waiting for?

For further study:

1. Read Romans 12:18-20. What do these verses say about your vengeance and the Lord’s. According to verse 20, what is the best way to get back at an enemy?

Thursday, February 27 - Read for today: Deuteronomy 33

Where to turn in hard times

In verse 27 we read, “The God of old is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you and commands, “Destroy!”

“Amalekite terrorists raided David's camp at Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30:1-6. The terrorists overthrew their camp at "Ziklag and burned it with fire, and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way" (v. 1). David and his men arrived at camp and "behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive" (v. 3).

What did David and the men do? "Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep" (v. 4). They cried. They acknowledged and deeply felt their emotions. The shock, fear, anger was acknowledged and felt. The feelings were there and they were real. The emotionally healthy person can acknowledge and deeply experience whatever emotions are there at any given moment if he so chooses.

David also "was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. . ." (v. 6). Where do you turn when you are in total helplessness? It is a humbling experience to realize you do not have the inner resources, all human help has turned against you, and only God can be turned to for help.” (Where is God When I Need Him Most? AbideinChrist.com).

David turned to the Lord, because he realized that Only the Lord can always be counted on, even in the darkest hours.

No wonder he was able to write later, “Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”

The Lord is always there, whether your feelings say He is or not. The Lord is always there, whether others have abandoned you or not. The Lord is always there, even if you have messed up and He has to send a whale to get you back on track. God is always there.

Questions for thought:

1. What do you do first when difficult times come? Do you ask others what you should do? Do you try to get things figured out for yourself? Why would you not turn first, to the One Who can do anything; Who loves you more than others do, and Who knows how things work best?

For further study:

1. Read Matthew 11:28, and Jeremiah 29:13. How do these verses relate?

Friday, February 28 - Read for today: Deuteronomy 34

Planning Your Obituary

Have you ever wondered what people would say about you after your death? Moses was not a perfect man. He certainly made mistakes; that’s why he wasn’t being allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, but the Lord remembered him as a good man. He remembered the things Moses accomplished and how He had used the man to make a difference in the lives of his family, the community, and ultimately, the world.

Moses loved the Lord. He loved the Lord’s people, and in the end he wasn’t counted as merely “present”. He was counted and praised, by the Lord, as a man who made a difference. Not only did he make his life count, but one would imagine that other than entering the Promised Land, that he had fulfilled his “Bucket List”. Both of these would be great things to have listed in your obituary.

Questions for thought:

1. Will those preparing your obituary be able to say that you made a difference with your life and that you fulfilled your bucket list?

2. What are you doing with your life, in what way are you investing your life, that will make an eternal difference?

For further study:

1. Read Deuteronomy 30:19. What choice does this verse present you with?

2. Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-19. Of what do these verses warn us?

Saturday, February 29- Read for today: Psalms 29
Sunday, March 1- Read for today: Psalms 30

Monday, March 2 – Read for today: Psalms 91

A Present Protection

Protection for God’s children is always available but there is a choice involved. “He who dwells” describes a positioning of ourselves in that special place which is “under the shadow of the Almighty”. He truly is our refuge from the onslaught of the world with its temptations and dangers. The truth of God can withstand any force in the universe. Satan will flee from His presence so that is the place to be for protection and peace. So, what place does God’s truth have in our lives? What importance do we place upon it in our day by day lives? Satan waits for the chance to not only hinder us but render us ineffective in our service to our Lord. Why would we choose any other course for life, yet sometimes we do. We rush into our day without prayer and consultation. We run with our plans and neglect to seek His will and direction. The choice then is ours as well as the consequences. The consequences without God’s direction are fear, confusion and discontentment.

The power is there to defeat every foe before us if we will only use it. It is in the relationship we have with our Lord. Any relationship must be worked at and so this must be a priority if we are to have a fruitful and blessed life. We must make the Lord our dwelling place for this quality of life. This is the kind of life that our Father wants us to experience. So, where are we today? The choice again is seen in verse 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me,…” The word here for “love” is a different word than in other places; the thought is hugging or holding close. It is an intimate love; a relationship bond that produces a response from our Lord as well as from us. Will we allow God to bless us by drawing close to Him? This is the place where He can use us the most in service to Him. Is our love set somewhere else today? Self-examination is required to see ourselves and what changes are needed. Why waste another day by being distant from Him in our relationship?

Thoughts to Consider:

Deuteronomy 6:5- Let’s examine ourselves and see how much of us God really has.

Psalms 119:2-What do you think is meant here by “all their heart”?

For Further Study:

Joel 2:12- Do we see how important our choices are here in repairing a relationship with our Lord? God has not moved but we can by wrong choices. True repentance involves what kind of response from us in this verse?

Psalms 4:8- What is the quality of your sleep and peace? Where can we dwell in safety?

Tuesday, March 3 – Read for today: Joshua 1

Courage for God’s People

Fear is a crippling emotion. The Lord never intended for His followers to dread the future. Although we may feel afraid at times, we should never let fear control us. (Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries). God said: “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh. 1:9). As a matter-of-fact, the Lord told Joshua to not be afraid several times.

Think of the things Joshua had to fear. He had been the number 2, or 3 man for a long time; with Moses or Moses and Aaron leading. Now he was going to be leading. In spite of all Moses had done for the people, and the track record he had with them, Joshua had seen them rebel against him many times. Joshua had no such track record and would still have to lead the Israelites. They were about to enter a new land with walled cities, and large and numerous soldiers. The Lord had provided manna for the Israelites the whole time they were in the wilderness, now they would be forced to plant and harvest crops, which none of them had done in 40 years.

There were challenging days ahead for Israel and for Joshua as their leader. In the face of all of this the Lord said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you.” The promise that God gave Joshua that day is no less true for us now. There is no need for fear when we lean on the powerful presence of the Lord. The Lord made a number of promises to Joshua. He promised that if Joshua obeyed the Lord’s laws he would have success. Second, He promised to be, to go with, Joshua wherever he went. The Lord has promised the same to us. Just before He left to rejoin His Father, Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

If Jesus makes that promise to us, and He does, how can we be afraid? This is the Creator of the universe (John 1). If He made it, and He did: and if He can defeat the Devil and death, as He’s proven He can: and if He will never leave us, and He’s promised He won’t: then you can face today with confidence and courage. After all, you are a child of the King, a soldier in the winning army, and the citizen in the Lord’s kingdom!

Questions for thought:

1. Why do you think we become fearful so quickly? Why do we get worried so frequently?

2. What do you do to get your mind right when the Devil causes fears or worries to come your way?

For further study:

1. Read John 14:16-20; Hebrews 13:5. What promises does the Lord make us?

2. Read Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 4:12; and Proverbs 3:5-6. What do each of these verses promise to those who meditate on Scripture?

Wednesday, March 4 – Read for today: Joshua 2

While you still have breath, it’s never too late!

There are some who believe that they have done too much bad stuff for God to ever love them. They believe they’ve either sinned too much, or too long, or too many times, or the sins they’ve committed are too bad for God to ever love them. There are others who, when looking at this person or that, believe that they’re too far gone, or, with what they’re doing, they can never be reached. I hope today’s reading helps put the lie to both of those ideas. There is no one beyond God’s love. There is no one who has gone so far, or sinned so much that God cannot love and forgive them, and that includes you.

Notice if you will, the heroine of our passage for today. Rahab had a number of things against her. She was from a people that God was about to order the Israelites to completely destroy. She was a female, at a time when in many societies and cultures women were considered property; and, she was a prostitute. If there were ever a more self-esteem destroying, sadder profession, I’m not sure what it is (except perhaps an abortionist). However, in God’s eyes, Rahab was sooo much more.

Rahab was an encourager to God’s people. She is the one who told the spies Joshua had sent, that all of the people in the land had heard about their God and the miracles He had performed for them. She told the spies that all the land was in fear of them and their God. What an encouragement that must have been for the spies checking out the place.

Rahab was an encourager to God’s people, but she was also a defender of God’s people. When the king of Jericho heard that spies were Rahab’s place of business, he sent to have them killed. Rahab, however, had hidden them on her roof. She later helped them escape from the city, and even told them when and where to hide while the search continued. Jericho was Joshua’s first test of leadership. Can you imagine how discouraged the Israelites would have been if their spies had been killed and never returned, but Rahab was a defender of God’s people.

Rahab was also a believer. Sometime, around this time, Rahab became a believer. Hebrews 11, a chapter often referred to as “Faith’s Hall of Fame”, we read in verse 31, “By faith Rahab the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.” Rahab’s faith and ensuing actions were so well known, even centuries later, that James used her as an example of how one is saved, “And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route?” (James 2:25).

Rahab was all of these things, but she was more. She was also the great-great-great-grandmother of King David and the great-great-great-great. . . (I’m not about to count how many greats) grandmother of Jesus. In Matthew 1:5 we read, “Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse”. Talk about a life turn-around and an accolade! It reminds me of the old Virginia Slim commercial (can you use a cigarette commercial in a devotion?) that used to say, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

It doesn’t matter where you are in life right now. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you are, God still knows where you are and He still loves you. It’s not too late, and that goes for those you’ve given up on as well. While one still has breath, it’s never too late.

Questions for thought:

1. If one were to say that another had sinned too much for God to love or reach, where would one draw the line? Is adultery or murder too great for God to forgive? Then what shall we say about Moses, who was a murderer, or David, who was both? Is attacking and persecuting Christians too great a sin to forgive? Then what about Paul? How could one ever draw a line and say that “any sin more than these are too many”?

For further study:

1. God told Abraham that he and Sarah were going to have a son in their old age. Abraham questioned the possibility of such a thing happening. Read the Lord’s reply in Genesis 18:14. Read also, God’s question to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 32:27.

2. What promise does God give in 1 John 1:9? Do you see any qualifiers in that passage? Then let God forgive you and let it go.

Thursday, March 5 – Read for today: Joshua 3

Our Part and God’s

As you know, Joshua was about to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Before leading them, this is the command he gave in Joshua 3:5, “Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow.” Neat verse. I like it because it lays out our part and the Lord’s part in the endeavors ahead of us. Our part is to “consecrate ourselves”.

To “consecrate” (NIV, HCSB, & others; or “sanctify” KJV), in a ceremonial sense, meant by washing their bodies and their clothes, and abstaining from their wives; and in a moral sense, by acts of religion and devotion, by prayer and meditation, and the exercise of repentance and, good works (Gill’s Exposition of the While Bible). In other words, our part is to walk close to the Lord. To live in obedience and strive to make sure that our sins are confessed. We are to live lives pleasing to God and ones that represent Him well. We are to be clean vessels, usable by Him. That’s out part. The Lord’s part is to handle the wonders and miracles part. It is He Who can accomplish more in an instant than we can in our entire lives. It is only He that can change lives, and bring revival to nations, and cast demons out of folks, and draw people unto salvation. In this case He caused the flooded river to stop flowing and allowed the Israelites to cross on dry land.

The key? 1. We are to do our part, and allow the Lord to do His. If we are faithfully addressing our part, I assure you, He will take care of His. 2. Never confuse the two. Never confuse what part we play in this arrangement and what part He plays. It’s not your job, nor mine, to do amazingly miraculous things. 3. Remember, it is for His glory. He’s the One Who does the miraculous part, plus, He’s the One Who gives us the desire to do our part.

Questions for thought:

1. Are you doing your part?

For further study:

1. Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-7. What does this passage say about the roles we each play?

Friday, March 6 - Read for today: Joshua 4

Remember!

God performed a great miracle, stopping the waters of the Jordan River, at flood stage, and allowing the Israelites to walk through on dry ground. This again gave evidence of the Lord’s presence, and His power, and His watch-care over His people. Most of this happened in chapter 3. What does He then record in this chapter? This entire chapter is devoted to the Lord giving instructions to the Israelites on how to build a memorial.

I believe if I had experienced something like that I’d remember it. I don’t think I’d ever forget the day the Lord did something like that before my very eyes. I like to think that-but that is not the case. For heaven’s sake, I have seen the Lord do miraculous things many times. I have seen Him answer prayers where there was no doubt that He was working. There was no way it could have occurred in any other way. In spite of this, I still forget and question His direction sometimes.

We sure are prone to forget things, aren’t we? A hard time comes and we act like it’s never happened before. A bill comes up, a sickness strikes us and we act like we’ve never had those before; or, we act like those things have never happened to God’s people before and He pulls them through it successfully.

Because we are prone to forget, the Lord gives us things to help us remember. He gave us the rainbow, to help us remember. Jesus used stories about flowers and birds to remind us of God’s provision.

Never forget, God is faithful.

Questions for thought:

1. What do you use as memorials to help you remember when discouraging days, or trying times come?

2. Do you have friends that help remind you? What might you do to help develop those types of friends?

3. Are you an encouraging friend?

For further study:

1. Read Hebrews 10:24-25. Might remembering be a part of the instruction given in these verses?