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, October 14 - Read for today: Psalms 85

Sunday, October 15 - Read for today: Psalms 86

Monday, October 16 - Read for today: Lamentations 3:1-36

God is faithful

      In verses 22-23 we read, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!:

     Jeremiah had been writing about how difficult and depressing his circumstances were in captivity. But then suddenly, in the middle of this bleak account, his thoughts take a startling positive turn toward the character of God. The Hebrew word translated here faithful love is used 250 times in the Old Testament. It is a sweeping, all-inclusive term for God’s love, goodness, forgiveness, compassion, and faithfulness. Even in the bleakness of God’s discipline, there was hope. Judah would not be permanently destroyed, but ultimately restored.

     Throughout the history of mankind in Scripture, God’s unmistakable pattern is seen over and over again: disobedience brings consequences, but confession always brings forgiveness and renewal. When Jeremiah meditated on this, he remembered that God had many mercies available all over again, every single day. This section ends with a powerful statement: “Great is Your faithfulness.”

     This line about God’s faithfulness makes me stop and think of the people I know, who, no matter what the circumstances and how they personally are doing, always do exactly what they say they will do, without excuse. The more I think about it, the more I realize how few people I know like that. We live in a world filled with broken promises and disappointment, a world filled with people who are unfaithful, including ourselves. So, what do we do?

     Jeremiah was struggling with discouragement, but he chose to focus on this particular characteristic of the Heavenly Father—Faithfulness. When we become discouraged, we should do what Jeremiah did, stop and remember God’s faithfulness. We need to memorize this verse and get into the habit of quoting it to ourselves when we are discouraged. We need to remember how God has answered our prayers. How He has provided for us, given us courage when we were afraid, loved us when everyone else disappointed us, and been faithful to us when no one else was. When storms are overwhelming us, we need to get alone and reflect on this amazing truth: God is faithful! Our Heavenly Father is faithful and full of mercy (not giving us what we deserve), when we humbly approach Him.

Questions for thought:

  1. Do you ever get discouraged? What do you do when you are discouraged?

  2. How faithful are you at keeping your promises or your word?  How does that compare to God?

For further study:

  1. Read Psalm 86:15. How does this verse describe God’s faithfulness? What other characteristics does he lump in with faithfulness?



Tuesday, October 17 - Read for today: Lamentations 3:37-66

A life of discipline

     In verse 40 we read, “Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord.”

     We have tried to plant a garden, many times over the years. Several times, it has gotten away from me. One thing or another seems to come up.

     When Solomon was walking by a vineyard, he noticed that it was overgrown with thorns and its wall was broken down. “I looked on it,” he wrote, “and received instruction” (Prov. 24:32). He learned the necessity of constant attention, ambition, and discipline to keep the garden clean and fruitful.

     It’s the same with our spiritual lives. There are so many aspects that require our attention and discipline. If because of busyness or laziness we’re not careful, we’ll see some relationships crumble. The walls of moral standards will develop holes. Little sins will creep in and become big ones. The fruit of righteousness will be choked out by the nettles of iniquity.

     Have you been neglecting the Lord lately? His Word? Your church? Fellowship with other believers? Take steps now to get back at it! Learn the lesson of the neglected garden.

In all the little things of life,

Yourself, Lord, may I see;

In little and in great alike

I'll serve you faithfully! —Anon.

A life, like a garden, requires cultivation.

Questions for thought:

  1. How is your spiritual life doing? Are there areas in it that need attention?

  2. What are you doing about those areas?

 For further study:

  1. Read Revelation 2:1-7. What complaint did the Lord have about the folks in this church?

  2. What did He tell them to do to address the situation?



Wednesday, October 18 - Read for today: Lamentations 4

Justice  . . . eventually

     For years it seemed like the Communists had gotten away with their deception. Official statistics boasted complete employment and high productivity. But beginning in 1989, the floodgates of freedom opened and country after country broke from oppressive regimes. Deceitful communist-era statistics and officially perpetrated crimes were exposed. Many people in Communist regimes could hardly believe that this day had finally come.

     God’s justice is never mocked. Eventually--and not according to human timetables--God’s judgment falls upon those who commit flagrant evil (Lam 4:21). When Jeremiah considered neighboring Edom perversely delighting in Judah’s destruction, he chided it not to “rejoice and be glad,” knowing that no sin escapes punishment.

     Edom, land of the descendants from Esau, was located in Uz, southeast of Jerusalem. Because of its relationship to Judah, Edom should have been an ally; but Psalm 137:7 records the bitter antagonism between the two countries: “Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. 'Tear it down,’ they cried, 'tear it down to its foundations.’ ” Ancient documents also reveal that Nebuchadnezzar gave allotments of rural Judah to Edomites as a reward for neutrality.

     Edom’s gloating would be short-lived--it too would drink the cup of God’s wrath and suffer humiliation (Lam 4:21–22). This cup anticipates the One who ultimately drank the cup of divine wrath--Jesus. He revealed that His willingness to do this inaugurated the promised new covenant (Luke 22:20). Yet drinking this cup was more terrifying than any judgment ever experienced in all of history, for this alone fulfilled God’s righteous judgment on sin. Only Jesus’ sacrificial submission to the Father (Luke 22:42) enabled Him to consume this awful cup when He poured out His blood on the cross.

Questions for thought:

  1. Do you ever look for God’s justice and wonder when it will come?

  2. We only had to wait a few years during World War 2, and an even shorter time for ISIS (they’ve been defeated but aren’t totally gone yet). How long and in what situation have you been waiting for God’s justice?

For further study:

  1. Read Amos 1:11. Do you see this fulfilled in this passage? What does that tell us about God keeping His promises?

Thursday, October 19 - Read for today: Lamentations 5

How Does a Godly Person Respond to Suffering?

     It is interesting, and I think important, to see what a Godly man thinks and feels in a situation that is brought about by the sin of a group that he is a part of. I think it draws parallels with the repentant heart – the heart that has turned back to God from evil – because both show what thought processes occur in a (now) God-centered mind in an ‘ungodly’ situation (or one brought about by ungodly behavior). This is the case for Jeremiah, who as a prophet of the LORD, is still a part of the sinful Israelites who have brought about cataclysmic destruction upon themselves. And in the midst of this punishment, we see Jeremiah’s thoughts and feelings, as a Godly man’s response.

‘You, O LORD, remain forever;
  Your throne from generation to generation.
  Why do You forget us forever,
  And forsake us for so long a time?
  Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored;
  Renew our days as of old...’ (Lamentations 5:19-21)

     Jeremiah is extremely distressed. This is obvious from the rest of the chapter, and other parts of Lamentations. That’s the first thing we notice (or rather, already have in our minds). The Christian response to suffering resulting from sin is not indifference. It is not to ignore it.

     Next, we see that Jeremiah makes an observation: the LORD remains forever, and rules forever. He doesn’t change. He is in complete control. Nothing happens without His knowledge and consent. This sets the tone for the rest of the small passage we consider.

     Jeremiah then asks a question, a perfectly ‘human’ question, based on his previous observation: If God is forever, and is in complete control, then why is Israel still in so much suffering? Why has it taken so long for God to act in favor of them? This, rather than a question of God, is merely a rhetoric used by Jeremiah to show that he was wearying from the suffering. He ‘answers’ his own rhetorical question next:

     Jeremiah realizes that it is the sin of the people that has led them to this place, and it is the continuing sin of the people that keeps them there. He realizes that only by turning back to the LORD will they be restored. However, it is interesting to note that he specifically asks God to turn them back to Himself. That is, he admits that of their own hearts, the Israelites will never turn back to God, but only by the grace of God initiating repentance. He admits that it all comes back to God. And thus, his strong faith that ‘we will be restored’ is justified, given that all the conditions are based on God, and we remember his previous statement ‘You, O LORD, remain forever...’.

     What does this say for us? Well, as Christians, we all know we sin. Sometimes that sin leads to suffering in this world. Our response to this suffering should be as Jeremiah responded. We are not to be indifferent, but instead to have Godly sorrow over our sin, but our thoughts should always lead back to the sovereignty and unchangeability of our God, at which point we should sincerely ask God to change our hearts, to point us back in the right direction, which we can have complete faith that He is able to do!

     *As a side note, again we see the practicality of a seemingly ‘academic’ view of the characteristics of God. If we continually come back to who God is, then I believe many practical problems become no problems!

  Questions for thought:

    1. What suffering do you see in the world that is a result of sin?

    2. What have you suffered as a result of your sin?

    3. Have you shared that with your children/grandchildren, hoping to help them avoid similar mistakes?

  For further study:

    1. Read Psalm 62:8. What does this verse say our response should be to the Lord in difficult times?



Friday, October 20 – Read for today: Ezekiel 1

Standing in Awe of God

     What will God reveal to His children?  What does God want to show us of Himself? Ezekiel was amazed at all that he saw and humbled that God had chosen him to see these things.  A storm was coming which was surely Babylon’s army and all that would entail. The fire that shone as polished brass was awesome and was quiet the picture of God in all His power and holiness.  This event was on the outset of Ezekiel’s ministry as a priest and truly set the tone for his work. The four living beings and the four wheels were powerful picture of judgement yet the rainbow over the throne was a picture of the faithfulness of God to his people.  Ezekiel was surely changed forever after seeing these things and was prepared for a life of service to God.  Perhaps we will not see the same things that Ezekiel saw but we can see much today as we gaze upon the Word of God. We can learn of His character and in doing so stand in awe of who He is. This will have a great effect on our lives and service to him. Ezekiel fell on his face before God and was stunned to be in His presence. He said that he heard the voice of someone speaking to Him.  When was the last time you heard the voice of God in your heart and how was your life changed from that point?  The longer we stay in God’s Word the more we see our Lord and the more we are changed. What will we see when we enter heaven as God’s children?  How much of our life today is impacted by this exciting future and present walk with our Lord?  I think that if we truly spent the right amount of time before our Lord the people around us would notice a big difference.  Spend some time reading and thinking about the vision that Ezekiel saw and ask God to speak to you.

Thoughts to consider:

Exodus 24:17-Try and place yourself in the Israelites circumstances and learn that fear and respect for God.

Exodus 40:34-Imagine the thrill of seeing the cloud over the tent of meeting in Moses’ day and all that it represented.

For further study:

I Kings 8:11, Psalm 8:1—Consider people in the Bible that were amazed or overcome by the power of the presence of God.

Luke 2:9-Try to imagine the experience of these shepherds on that hillside that night. Can you understand the terror they felt at first? When do you think this terror turned to joy?



Saturday, October 21 - Read for today: Psalms 87

Sunday, October 22 - Read for today: Psalms 88