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, March 21- Read for today: Psalms 35

Sunday, March 22- Read for today: Psalms 36

Monday, March 23 – Read for today: Joshua 15

Taking Possession

     Owning something and possessing it are two different things. In this chapter we see the inheritance of the children of Israel concerning the land and how it was divided up. Life in the Promised Land was good but it was not easy.  Many battles had to be fought to gain what had been given them.  Jericho was the first and many more followed.  Caleb in the previous chapter fought for his land at age 80 and gained his inheritance. God gives us the strength to do what we need to gain our possessions. He was an inspiration to all who were around him. He didn’t doubt God at the first opportunity to possess the land and 40 years later nothing had changed.  How is our faith in God?  He has promised us peace in storms and victories over our enemies if we will walk in obedience and just claim it. Do we shrink in fear of Satan’s attacks or do we stand upon the promises of our God?  This honors God when we believe in him and step out on faith to become conquerors in Him.

     Who is watching us in our daily battles? Our children and fellow believers for sure.  What do they see in our lives and how will they follow us?  Othneil, Caleb’s brother, was challenged to trust God as his brother did and possess some land.  This possession required a battle by attacking Kirath Sepher and taking the land from them.  He could have withdrawn in fear but he arose to the task. Caleb promised to give his daughter Achdah to the one who would accomplish this work.  Othneil arose to the challenge and won his bride. The example he had was of course Caleb as he too went to battle to gain his inheritance.  Further blessings and land were given to Othneil and his wife as they asked for them. Are we living a life today that is far from what God would have for us?  Is our relationship to God so weak that fear and dread rule our lives?  If this is so then we are missing all the victories God wants us to enjoy and the quality of life we should be experiencing.  Who is watching us?  Our family members and others are watching to see what kind of life we are living.  We are to display a life of hope and joy regardless of our circumstances as Israel continued in the promise land from battle to battle but always in victory when they honored God by being obedient to Him. Let’s take possession of the blessings that God wants us to have and pass these on to our family, fellow believers and the lost as they witness the living Christ is us!

Thoughts to consider:

Romans 6:4-We are promised a new life in Christ in this verse. Resurrection is key to this life. We are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection so we can live as victorious believers daily!II

Corinthians 5:7-What do you think strengthens our faith so that we may follow our Lord in confidence? Why do we not have to see but just believe our God for victory?

For further study:

John 15:16-How do you think bearing fruit for our Lord opens the doors to answered prayers?

Colossians 1:10-What are the four things in this verse that a believer can take possession of in this life as we follow our Lord?

Tuesday, March 24 – Read for today: Joshua 16

The cost of compromise

     In 15:63 we read, “But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the descendants of Judah to this day.”  There’s a world of difference between that and what we read in verse 10 of this chapter where it says, “But, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites live in Ephraim to this day, but they are forced laborers.”

     This is the first case we read of the Israelites new policy of incomplete obedience in the new land.  It is the first instance where the Israelites are deliberately choosing not to completely drive out the folks in the land that God had told them to destroy.  The Ephraimites decided that the battle was too great and the advantages of forced slave labor too many to completely do what the Lord told them.  It was a mistake, a deliberate disobedience that was going to come back and bite them.

     We only have to think for a moment to realize the high price that’s been paid for deliberate disobedience.  The world is not in the shape God created it, because of Adam and Eve’s deliberate disobedience.  Our jails are full of people suffering the consequences of deliberate disobedience.  Families are destroyed, and lives ruined because of deliberate disobedience.  Oh, and think of the blessings missed out on, and the joy lost because of deliberate disobedience.

     ‘C.S. Lewis said, “Obedience is the key that opens every door.” But how do we obey without falling into legalism? Through love. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Just as Jesus’ love for the Father was expressed in his obedience, so our love for Jesus is expressed in our obedience (John 14:31; 15:9-10). Ours is not the obedience of one who seeks to justify himself before God but the obedience of one who, in grateful love, seeks to please him “who loved us and gave himself up for us” (Eph. 5:2; Gal. 2:20)’.  (“Obedience, the Key that Opens Every Door”, Thomas A. Tarrants, III,)Partial obedience is disobedience and disobedience has a cost.

Questions for thought:

  1. Are there areas of compromise or partial obedience in your life?

  2. What’s it costing you?

For further study:

  1. Read again John 14:15 What then, does disobedience say about how we feel about Jesus?



Wednesday, March 25 - Read for today: Joshua 17

Partners in the Labor

     “The expression 'blood, sweat and tears' is usually said to have been coined by Sir Winston Churchill in his famous "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech in 1940, when he warned the British people of the hardships to come in fighting WWII.  That phrase predates Churchill though and had been used several times during the 19th century with allusion to the trials and tribulations of Jesus Christ; for example, this poem, called Christ in the Garden, reprinted in The Huron Reflector in 1845:

So deep was his sorrow, so fervent his prayers,

That down o'er his bosom rolled blood, sweat and tears;

I wept to behold him and asked him his name;

He answered, 'tis Jesus, from heaven I came”

(Quoted by Rod Shimabukuro in, “His Provision: Through Blood, Sweat and Tears.”).

     In this chapter, some of Joseph’s descendants, those from Ephraim, complained that the land they were given was too small for the large number of people they had.  They complained that the valleys were occupied by people with iron chariots.  Joshua’s response? “If you want more land, then clear the mountains and hill country of its forests so that you will have more room and fight and defeat the folks in the valleys that have the iron chariots (after all, the Lord had already given then victory over folks with iron chariots at the Red Sea, and in earlier battles in the Promised Land).

     Isn’t that the way it often is with God’s people?  We want instant maturity.  We want all of the spiritual gifts, and we want to make a great impact for Christ.  This is not a magic act.  We do not wave a magic wand and receive instant maturity.  We do not say a few prayers and have a great ministry or a great impact.  These things take labor, and sacrifice, and wise decisions.  They take blood, sweat and tears.

       The battle is the Lord’s, but we must engage the enemy in battle and do our part.  St. Augustine of Hippo said it this way, “Pray as though everything depended on God and work as though everything depends on you.”  We are partners in the labor.  If you don’t see fruit, if you don’t see growth and maturing in your life, check and make sure you are doing your part.

Questions for thought:

  1. What is the Lord saying to you about this subject?  Is the ministry you’re involved in too small, and the challenges too limited?  What are you doing to expand the impact and the borders?

  2. Are you growing and maturing and when someone asks you a question, does scripture and a biblical response first coming to your mind?  Are you spending the time necessary to saturate your mind with the Word, so that you will grow and be able to give Godly, biblical counsel?

For further study:

  1. Read Colossians 4:12.  How does Paul describe Epaphras’s praying?  Would you say that’s the way yours would be described?

  2. Read Romans 15:30.  How does Paul describe his work?  Would that describe yours?



Thursday, March 26 - Read for today: Joshua 18

Why Not Finish Well?

     Let’s think for a moment about all that has happened to these folks.  While Moses was here they defeated the major kingdoms east of the Jordan.  After Moses passed away, Joshua led them across the Jordan River.  There they defeated all the major kingdoms in the Promised Land.  After that, Israel began to spread out across the land, each tribe supposedly moving into their assigned areas.

     After all the Lord had done for them, after all of the miracles He had performed and battles He had fought for them, they still had not taken possession of all of the land so Joshua called a meeting for all of the people, at Shiloh.  The enemy had been driven out of this area.  The Tent of Meeting was set up there.  It was the perfect place for Joshua to encourage the people. This location and this setting communicated two things to the people gathering there:

  1. It reminded the folks that God had already destroyed the inhabitants at Shiloh when they had courage, were obedient, and fought … and He’ll do the same for you.

  2. The instructions you receive today are from the Lord, straight from His tent of meeting.Joshua’s message was basically, “God has led you this far, why not finish well?”  (Steve Wiggins).

     This is a message we can all relate to today.  Lets’ consider all the Lord has done for us, and all He has promised to do for us, and let’s not settle for less than God intends for us.  It may seem that the enemy is too great and the obstacles too many, but we remember that “Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world”  (1 John 4:4).God has led you this far, why not finish well?
Questions for thought:

  1. Is there territory, areas in your life still waiting to be defeated?  What are you waiting for?

For further study:

  1. Read Revelation chapters 2-3.  What areas still needed to be defeated in the lives of these churches?



Friday, March 27 – Read for today: Joshua 19

Putting others before yourself

     “Ernest “Bud” Miller was the president and chief executive officer of Arvida, which is a real-estate company. Mr. Miller closed regional offices, reorganized departments, and laid off half of his work force of 2600, which meant 1300 people lost their jobs. By doing this he turned a money-losing company into a money-making one. If the company had remained in the red, all the people would have been fired. By Mr. Miller’s downsizing, he saved 1300 jobs from being lost.

     Despite all the cuts, Mr. Miller believed there was one more layer of fat that needed to be trimmed, so, he resigned. He gave up his job. This is what he said: ‘I couldn’t justify me to me. I couldn’t look at the people I let go and say that I applied a different standard to me. Every fiber of my person wanted to stay. But professionally this was the decision that had to be made.’

     His resignation eliminated one of the 2 senior jobs at the company. The chief operating officer became the chief executive. Bud Miller, age 53, gave up an “upper six figure salary package” – that is, over ½ a million dollars a year salary, because he wanted what was best for the team.” (Emory Thomas Jr., The Wall Street Journal, quoted in ‘750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers’ edited by Craig Brian Larson).

     That’s what we find Joshua doing in this chapter.  After, note, “after” everyone else got their portion of land and the nation had peace, Joshua asked for and rebuilt the place where he would live.  He put every other person in the nation ahead of himself.

     It’s not often that we find such integrity these days, even among God-fearers, even among Christians.  How different we often are from the One we claim to be following and attempting to imitate.  Jesus often served people all day long, asking nothing in return but that His Father be glorified.

Questions for thought:

  1. Do your priorities and the way you treat others indicate that you are a follower of Jesus Christ?

For further study:

  1. Read Philippians 2:1-4.  How does this passage apply here?  How well are you applying this passage?

Saturday, March 28- Read for today: Psalms 37
Sunday, March 29- Read for today: Psalms 38

Monday, March 30 – Read for today: Joshua 20

The Place of Refuge

     Six cities were appointed as places of refuge for any individual who may have killed a person accidentally. The avengers would seek this person to execute him and the only recourse were these cities of protection until judgment could be determined.  This kept vigilantes from killing accused people before any trial could be held. Who is our refuge from sin today?  Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the one in whom we hide.  He protects us from the wrath of a holy God despite our sins because He has satisfied the wrath of God by His death upon the cross for our sins.  Oh what a refuge we have in Him provided by His mercy and grace!  Satan accuses us daily before the throne and the flesh within us bears an all too plain a record of our transgressions.  We know what we deserve and it is not grace but judgment. We have run to Him for protection and forgiveness of sins and He is gracious and loving to us!  A place of refuge has been provided for us and anyone who desires deliverance from sins and a place in the family of God. If this place is ignored or we seek to go it on our own judgment will fall.  The one who fled the avengers was not protected outside the city walls and neither are we protected outside of Christ! Are you in Jesus Christ today?  Have you seen your own sins and know that it is impossible to deliver yourself?  We must turn from our sins forsaking them and then turn and receive Jesus as our Savior.  He shed His blood for our sins and He alone can save us!  He is that place of refuge to which all can come for salvation.

      It is wise to remember that there are false places of refuge in our world today.  Many try to save themselves by good works of some church membership. The “heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” Jeremiah. 17:9. Many have run to theses false places of refuge only to still be lost in their sins. Repentance is required in turning from our sins to that person of refuge which is Jesus Christ. He is the only place of protection from ourselves. In Joshua 20 the person could stay in the city until the high priest had died, then he was allowed to go freely back to his home. What a type this is of our Savior who died for us bringing a complete sacrifice for sins.  Have you come to Him for refuge and the salvation He provides?

Thoughts to consider:

Psalms 27:1 & Psalms 37:39—How is the Lord a stronghold for our lives?  How does the protection of God remove fear from our lives?

Isaiah 12:2-How is God the song of a believer’s life?  How is security in our relationship with God a source of joy for us?

For Further Study:

Zephaniah 3:17-What do you learn in this verse about God’s love for you and interest in your life?

Isaiah 50:9-What will become of those you seek to condemn us as God’s children?What is your definition of the “Sovereign LORD” in this verse?



 Tuesday, March 31- Read for today: Joshua 21

What’s the Difference Between Old Testament Priests and New Testament Preachers?

     There are a number of similarities between Old Testament priests and New Testament preachers, and those similarities and differences impact Christians and churches to this day.  For instance:

  1. Ultimately, both depend on the Lord for their provision.  Here, the Levites come to Joshua and ask for the cities the Lord had promised them.  They needed homes to live in, cities to live in and places to graze their flocks, just like everyone else did. They believed the Lord and held Him to His promise.  Preachers, and prayerfully All Christians, look to the Lord to provide their needs in the same way.  The Lord kept His promise and provided those needs.

  2. Second, the Lord used His people to provide the needs of His priests and His preachers.  The cities and pasture lands that were given to the priests came from the other tribes.  In the same way, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14, “Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.”

  3. Both priests and preachers are called to share the Word of God with the people.  They are called to read and expound the Word.  “The Bible has many examples of this kind of preaching and teaching: Levitical priests taught the law (Deuteronomy 33:10), Ezra and the Levites read from the law and gave the sense of it (Nehemiah 8:8), and Peter and the apostles expounded Scripture and urged their hearers to respond with repentance and faith (Acts 2:14-41, 13:16-47).  On the other hand, God condemns those who “speak of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:16, 18, 21-22)” (“9 Marks of a Healthy New Testament Church”, Harvest Church, adapted from Mark Dever).

     Here, contrary to what many teach today, most of the similarities end.  For instance:

  1. Old Testament priests had no biblical mandate to evangelize.  They were to be a nation of priests, representing the Lord to the world, but they were not specifically commanded to evangelize.  New Testament preachers and all other Christians are.  (Mt. 28:19).

  2. Old Testament priests were priests because of birth, because of the family into which they were born.  New Testament preachers are such because they are called by God to preach.  They come from families of fishermen, tax collectors, salesmen, law enforcement officers, and every other walk of life.

  3. Most importantly, New Testament preachers (the biblical priesthood ended at the ascension of Christ), do not represent the people to God.  They are not the people’s ambassador to God and folks don’t have to go through a preacher to hear from God.  The Bible makes it very clear that, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, (1Timothy 2:5).Aren’t you glad you don’t have to go through a preacher to talk to or hear from God?

Questions for thought:

  1. How often do you talk to God?

  2. In what ways can you hear/listen to Him?

For further study:

  1. Read Matthew 23:8-12.  What lessons are here, regarding preachers?



 Wednesday, April 1 - Read for today: Joshua 22

Jumping to Conclusions

     Did you notice verse 12?  “When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them.”  When they heard what?  When they heard that the tribes on the other side of the river had built an altar.  The Israelites were concerned about the honor of their Lord and were concerned that they didn’t want to incur His wrath again, so they were prepared to go to war and even went so far as to assemble themselves in order to prevent part of their group from rebelling against the Lord.

      We must commend them for their love for the Lord.  We must commend them for having learned the lesson that the Lord would not tolerate sin and rebellion within their community to go unpunished; however, don’t you think they could have sent a delegation to find out what was going on before they gathered the troops?  Don’t you think someone could have asked a question or two before they jumped to conclusions?

      Instead, one person sees them building an altar.  He tells another person.  He tells someone else, adding his interpretation that they were rebelling and the story snowballed with no one checking the validity of the report until after the whole community was up in arms.  What a waste of time and energy.  It could have all been avoided if the person who first saw the construction had made an inquiry instead of jumping to conclusions and judging his brothers in the worst light possible.

      I read something a number of years ago that I once quoted in a sermon and a friend and I have made reference to it a number of times since then.  “If I say something (or in this case, do something) and it can be taken two ways, one way that angers you and the other that does not, I meant it the second way.”  Give people the benefit of the doubt until you know for CERTAIN they were attempting to be ugly.  Extend to others the grace you would like extended to you.

Questions for thought:

  1. Is grace or anger your default position/response?  Why?

  2. What might you do to be able to more frequently respond with grace?

For further study:

  1. Read Luke 6:31.  Might this verse apply here?  Have you often considered this verse when in this situation?

  2. Read Matthew 6:14-15.  What warning do these verses hold for us?  How might they apply here?



Thursday, April 2- Read for today: Joshua 23

Completely devoted

     In chapter 23, Joshua is presenting a picture of life in the Promised Land as a life that needs to be lived in complete dedication to God.  Many people get hung up on the specific instructions that Joshua gives about staying separate or not intermarrying and then argue for an engagement with the world in order to share the gospel.  But that is to miss the entire point of Joshua’s message to the people of Israel.  Joshua wants the people of God to be completely devoted to the Lord.You are to hold fast to the Lord your God…(Joshua 23:8)

      Everything that follows and everything that precedes this instruction is merely a statement of how to stay devoted to God, namely, don’t get mixed up in their ways of living.  The Kingdom of God has a unique set of rules that are foreign to every other way of life.  In the kingdom, we serve one another to be great, in the world we oppress others to be great.  In the Kingdom we share our blessings to care for the needy, in the world we hoard our blessings to care for ourselves.  In the kingdom, God is worshipped, in the world, mammon is worshipped. (A Pastor’s Blog.  Pastor Scott).  God-fearers are different than the world.

      Joshua is urging the nation to stay devoted to the Lord or else suffer the consequences of failing to serve God whole heartedly, namely the bringing on of the curses of Deuteronomy 27-28.  In the New Testament, Jesus gave the instructions this way.  He said, “…“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and most important  command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37b-40).

Questions for thought:

  1. Isn’t it convenient having all the laws and rules of the Bible summed up by, or rolled into two?

  2. How are you doing with those two?

For further study:

  1. Read Matthew 6:33.  How is this an instruction for carrying out the commands of this chapter?  Would you consider it a summary verse for this chapter? 

Friday, April 3 – Read for today: Joshua 24

Decisions

     We make decisions every day. Some are everyday decisions.  What will I have for breakfast?  What will I wear today?   Take a sack lunch or eat out?  Stick to a diet, or ignore it? Go to bed at a reasonable time, or stay up late and pay the price tomorrow?  These decisions have very little long-term consequences.

     There are other decisions that have a greater impact on our lives. Should I go to college or skip it and go to work? If I go to school, which one should I attend? What car should I buy?  Should I save up and pay cash or should I finance it?  What house should I buy and in what neighborhood?

     There are also decisions which impact us for a looong time.  For instance, whether or not you marry is a decision that has long term consequences.  If you marry, the person you marry is a decision which will impact you for life.  Should you have the surgery, and if so, when?

     Then there are life-changing decisions which are made once but then must be made again daily.  That is the decision we find Joshua asking the Israelites to make here.  He says “Choose this day whom you will serve.”  That is a decision you make once.  On who’s team will you be?  Whom will you serve? What will be the priority in your life? Will you be a God-man, or will you be a world-man?     This is also a decision you make every day.  Every day you decide whom you will serve.  You make that decision when you choose to spend time with the Lord or to use the time watching another episode on TV.  You make that decision when you decide whether or not you will turn the other cheek, seek first the kingdom of God, and in many other little ways every day.

     The thing is, you must make the BIG decision, “Yes, I will be God’s Man, or God’s Woman,” and then you must follow it up by continuing to make that decision every day.  This isn’t a decide and forget.  This is a, “Yes Lord, you are my Lord today.  I will trust You.  I will serve You.  I will obey You.  I meant it then and I mean it now.”

Questions for thought:

   1.  Have you made the Big decision?  Who is the Lord in your life?

   2.  Have you decided that He will be Lord in your life today?

   3.  Almost all decisions have short-term consequences, and some have long-term consequences.  What consequences/benefits go with being a Christ-follower?

For further study:

   1.  Read Luke 9:23.  With what frequency does this passage suggest a decision must be made for Christ?



Saturday, April 4- Read for today: Psalms 39

Sunday, April 5- Read for today: Psalms 40