Read the Bible in a Year

So, it's been a while since I've posted. Alot has happened since my last post, but I'll save that for another time. The end of 2017 is upon us, and a new year begins on Monday. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about a Bible reading plan. Does reading through the Bible seem intimidating? Overwhelming? Daunting? Have no fear...there is a Bible reading plan for you. I've compiled a small list of Bible reading resources. Personally, I use a book - The Daily Walk Bible. I love it! If you prefer to download a reading plan and keep it in your Bible, you can do that, too. Do you use an app? There's a plan for you. Whichever method you choose, don't delay. Begin reading through the Bible. You will be blessed! Happy New Year!

Bible Reading Plans

Online

Bible study Tools
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/

Ligonier Ministries
https://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/

BibleGateway.com
https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/?version=NIV

ESV.org
https://www.esv.org/resources/reading-plans/

Biblica
https://www.biblica.com/resources/reading-plans/?plan=1&translation=nasb&start=2017-01-01&date=2017-12-27

Crossway
https://www.crossway.org/articles/download-a-free-bible-reading-plan-for-2017/

(Audio) http://listenersbible.com/devotionals/biy/

One Year Bible
http://oneyearbibleonline.com/

Apps

YouVersion
https://help.youversion.com/customer/portal/articles/1240859-how-to-search-for-and-start-a-plan-on-bible-com?b_id=206

Reading Plan (iOS)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/readingplan/id336984707?mt=8

Read Scripture (Android)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.youmeforever.readscripture&hl=en

Books

Christianbook.com (Various titles)

https://www.christianbook.com/page/bibles/devotional-bibles/one-year-devotional-bibles 

 

The Daily Walk Bible

http://dailywalkbible.com/

Many of these books can also be found on Amazon.

Meat, Bones, and Mushrooms

I have heard more than once that when it comes to subpar, confusing, or false teaching that we should "chew on the meat and spit out the bones." In other words, we should take what's good and helpful and throw out the rest. That sounds like good advice, but is it biblical? What does the Bible say? In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote a stern rebuke to them for falling under the influence of false teachers and their teachings:

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!" Galatians 1:6-9 NIV

Notice that Paul doesn't say, "Take the best and throw out the rest." No, he rebukes the Galatians for "turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all." He says that these teachers are perverting the gospel of Christ and they are to be under God's curse (condemned). False teaching mixed with truth is dangerous.

My youngest son has special needs: he is legally blind, nonverbal, and cognitively delayed (among other things). I NEVER give him meat with bones. If we're having chicken, I give him slices of chicken breast. If we're having pork chops, I always use boneless pork chops. Why? Because he is incapable of discerning that he should not eat the bones. He may bite on the bone and throw it aside, or he may bite on the bone and break a tooth, or he might swallow a bone and choke. Because I am concerned for his well-being and I'm charged with protecting him, I do not give my youngest son meat with bones. A good preacher or teacher will not feed false doctrine to you or mix truth with error because they care about your spiritual well-being.

My problem with the meat/bones metaphor is that it assumes that false teaching is always obvious. Friends, instead of using meat and bones, I'd like to offer a different metaphor to describe the mixing of false teaching with correct teaching: mushrooms. Imagine a bowl of mushrooms on the kitchen counter. Some of the mushrooms are familiar to you because you have probably eaten them, such as: the button mushroom, the oyster mushroom, or the exotic chanterelle mushroom. Other mushrooms in the bowl are not familiar to you. One of them - the jack o'lantern mushroom - looks like the chanterelle, but not quite. The aptly-named destroying angel looks harmless. Still another mushroom, Amanita phalloides or death cap, looks as though it could be just another button mushroom, but it is absolutely deadly. With this bowl of mushrooms in mind, what should you do? Do you:

1. Grab a handful of mushrooms from the bowl and start cooking?
2. Recall that some mushrooms are poisonous and since you can't tell which one is which, you leave the entire bowl alone?
3. Sift through the bowl of mushrooms to find the good ones, confident that you can tell the difference between edible and deadly mushrooms?

The correct answer is #2. You may be able to recognize the edible mushrooms, but if you mistakenly choose a jack o'lantern mushroom thinking it's a chanterelle, you could become ill. If you mistakenly choose a death cap mushroom, you could die. Friends, we should never assume that we can't fall prey to false teaching. False teaching can be way more subtle than meat and bones. False teaching can pose as a harmless edible mushroom, but in fact is a deadly poison. A little bit of error mixed with truth makes the entire teaching false.

So what is the remedy? Read your Bible. Every day. Know what the Bible says about Jesus and about the plan of salvation. Read the Bible's warnings about false teaching and false teachers. (Note: I have linked to OpenBible.info which is a topical Bible search engine. Type in a topic and it will return relevant Bible verses. Use these as a starting point for further Bible reading.) Compare every sermon, every devotional, and every Bible study with God's Word. Also, you should pray and ask God for discernment and wisdom:

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 NIV

For further reading on how to recognize a false teacher or false teaching, GotQuestions.org has some helpful articles, such as the one below. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Further Reading: "How can I recognize a false teacher/false prophet?"

Know the Words of Jesus

In an earlier post about devotionals, I recommended that you do not read Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. In that blog post, I linked to an article by Pastor Tim Challies entitled "10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling". If you are currently reading Jesus Calling or thinking about reading it, I highly encourage you to read "10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling".

If you are currently reading Jesus Calling, I am asking you to test it against the Bible. Search the Scriptures. I challenge you to compare the words of "Jesus" in that devotional with the words of Jesus in the Bible. An easy way to do this is to read just the words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Revelation. If your Bible has the words of Jesus in red, it will be that much easier. If your Bible does not have the words of Jesus in red, go to BibleGateway.com. Type in "Matthew 1" without the quotation marks, select your preferred Bible version and click the search icon. When Matthew 1 appears, click on the gear icon and select Red Letter (see image below). Ask yourself if the words of "Jesus" in Jesus Calling match the words and the tone of Jesus in the Bible. If they don't match up, which are you going to trust? The correct answer is to trust the Bible.

(Note: I am not a Red-Letter Christian. I believe that all of the Bible is the inerrant word of God. However, for the purpose of comparing the supposed Jesus in Jesus Calling to Jesus in the Bible, I am asking you to specifically focus on the words of Jesus in the Bible because Sarah Young claims that Jesus spoke to her and she simply wrote down what he supposedly said to her.)

Friends, the Bible is God's word and it is all that you really need. If you choose to read a devotional, then keep this in mind: a good devotional will always point you to God's word. A good devotional can be a helpful tool, but it is no substitute for the Bible. Remember the words of the apostle John:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:30-31

Jesus did many other things, but everything that you need to know about him and what he said - so that you may believe that he is the Savior so that you can have eternal life - is written in the Bible. Friends, you do not need extra messages from Jesus. You do not need more. You have all that you need in the Bible. Get to know what Jesus has already said. Read the Bible today and every day.

What Does the Bible Say?

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." - Colossians 2:8

Christians should get into the habit of asking themselves this question: "What does the Bible say?" Every time you hear a teacher, a preacher, or read a religious or spiritually-sounding meme on Facebook, ask yourself, "What does the Bible have to say about that?" What does the Bible say about joy and happiness? What does the Bible say about pain and suffering? What does the Bible say about who Jesus is? What does the Bible say about there being only one way to God? Why does it matter what the Bible says? Because the Bible is God's word and it is truth. In my opinion, the more of God's truth that we know, the better we will become at filtering out and distinguishing worldly wisdom from Biblical wisdom.

One of my favorite tools is OpenBible.info. Type in a topic that you want to learn more about (like 'false teachers'), and OpenBible.info will retrieve Bible verses related to that topic. Read through each of the verses; better yet, read the verse that comes before and after that verse; better still, read the entire chapter from which that verse is taken; even better, read the entire book in which that verse is found.

I know I'm repeating myself, but take the time to get to know God's word and start reading the Bible today. Absorb God's word like a sponge so that you can squeeze out false teaching and worldly wisdom. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Word and Deed

I saw this meme on Facebook the other day. Like so much of what we see and hear, it takes seemingly moral truth (often based on Biblical truth) and tries to boil it down into an attention-grabbing slogan. In this case, this meme is expressing the idea that it doesn't matter how many Bible verses you know; the only important thing is how you treat other people. That's all that Jesus really cares about. But is it?

Christians should make it a habit to compare what we see and hear with Scripture, especially when what we see and hear seems to be expressing a Biblical truth. We should be asking ourselves, "What does the Bible say?"

Friends, this meme is another subtle attempt to undermine the word of God. It is another attempt to diminish the first and greatest commandment by overemphasizing the second greatest commandment. What are those, you ask?  

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:36-40

Was Jesus giving brand new commandments? No. These statements are a summary of the Ten Commandments given to the prophet, Moses. The first four commandments deal with how we are to love God; they come first, by the way. The last six commandments deal with how we are to love our neighbor.

We are commanded to love the Lord our God, first. This is the first and greatest commandment. If we love the Lord our God - we acknowledge Him as our Creator, Redeemer, King, and Lord - then we will love His word. Why? What does the Bible say about how we are to regard God's word? Let's find out.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:11

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” - John 6:68-69

Friends, I don't want you to be discouraged if you don't have many Bible verses memorized. The point is not about how many Bible verses you have memorized; the point is, your attitude toward the word of God is what really matters. Like so many things, this is a heart issue. What is your attitude toward the word of God? Is it casual? Sincere? Is the Bible merely good advice? Is the Bible the inerrant word of God? If you agree with the apostle Peter that Jesus is the Holy One of God and that he has the words of eternal life, then why wouldn't you be eager to hear what he has to say? If you haven't given much thought about Bible reading, I encourage you to start by reading Psalm 119. It is a beautiful Psalm that lifts up God's word.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't make another point. Earlier I mentioned that memes like these often present seemingly moral truths. Friends, it is true that Jesus does care about how you treat others. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. This means that we should put into practice what we read in God's word:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. - James 1:22

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. - James 215-17

This point in the Book of James agrees with Paul's second letter to Timothy when he said, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) God's word equips us to do good works. Once we read God's word, we should take it to heart and do what it says. Our good works do not save us. Our good works are evidence of our faith designed to bring glory to God, not to ourselves:

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:15-16

Further reading from GotQuestions.org: "Is salvation by faith alone, or by faith plus works?"

Begin to store the word of God in your heart, not so you can earn merit badges from God or so that you can impress your friends with how much Bible you know. Store the word of God in your heart so that you can be thoroughly equipped for every good work, and more importantly, so that you will begin to learn and to know more about your Savior. In a previous post, I encouraged you to read through the Bible. There are many ways to begin doing this: start with a verse a day, read through the four Gospels in 40 days, read through the New Testament in one year, or read through the Bible in one year. All of these reading plans and more are available on BibleGateway.com. God has revealed much about Himself in the Bible and we would be wise to read and to study what He has said so that we will be thoroughly equipped.

ESV Online - Another Bible Resource

Way back in the Introduction, I mentioned that my preferred Bible version is the NIV 1984 (New International Version 1984), and that occasionally, I use the ESV and the NASB. Well, I totally forgot that Crossway (the publisher for the ESV) has it's own web site for the ESV online:

ESV Bible

There you will find Bible reading plans, apps, and the ability to listen to the Bible instead of reading it. Crossway recommends that you create a free account to access all of the features. I will add the ESV website to the Resources section of this blog for future reference.

Daily Devotional - Another Way to Read a Verse a Day

Reading a daily devotional is another way to read a Bible verse each day. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when reading a devotional:

1. A devotional is not a substitute for Bible reading.
It can be a great supplement to your daily Bible reading. It can also be a great way to ease into Bible reading if you are new to this, but don't neglect the Bible in favor of the devotional. In fact, while reading the devotional, grab your Bible and look up the verse that it references so you can see it in context. Read the verse that goes before and comes after it, or better yet, read the entire chapter. Even better, read the entire book. For example, if the verse of the day is John 3:16, open your Bible and look at John 3:15-17, or read all of John 3, or read the Gospel of John.

2. Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and test the devotional using the Bible as the standard. 
This takes prayer, practice, and patience. One way to do this is to read the verse in context. (See #1.) While you're reading your Bible, look up the cross references verses in the margins. Another helpful tool is to use an online topical Bible search such as the one at OpenBible.info. Type in a topic such as "love" or "patience" to see what other Bible verses reference those topics. As always, don't read the stand alone verse; read it in context. (See #1.) Devotional writers are men and women, which means they are fallible. If you encounter a devotional that seems to contradict the Bible, always go with what the Bible says. Also, just because it's popular doesn't mean it's Biblically-sound.

3.  Look for a devotional that explains the Bible verse(s) with Scripture, not opinion.
In other words, it should read almost like a Bible commentary or a sermon with the intent of pointing you to Christ and helping you to understand God's word, not the author's opinion. A good devotional gives analytical insight into some aspect of God's character using the Bible, not the author's opinion, to back it up. Some devotional writers try to appeal to the reader's emotions by using their own opinion and experience to validate the Bible verse or concept. It is the difference between exegesis and eisegesis. For further reading, I strongly encourage you to read about the difference between exegesis and eisegesis at GotQuestions.org: "What is the Difference Between Exegesis and Eisegesis?"

With this in mind, I am recommending the following two devotionals:

Day by Day by Grace - Bob Hoekstra
Morning and Evening - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Why these two? First, both of these are available online (in more than one location), which means they are free! Second, these were written by preachers who were more concerned with pleasing God rather than man. How do I know this? While I didn't know either of these men personally, when I read their devotionals I see that they are willing to preach the whole counsel of God: that which encourages and edifies and that which rebukes and warns. Reading these daily devotionals is like reading a mini sermon - a sermonette if you will. I have been reading Day by Day by Grace for going on 3 years, and every year I learn something new. I have haphazardly read Morning and Evening in the past, but this year I decided to read it along with DBDBG and my Bible reading plan. Both of these devotionals continually point me to Christ, and both challenge me to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18) This is my opinion and my experience, by the way. Don't take my word for it; test it for yourself using the Bible as the standard.

One final thought: No devotional is perfect, but some are definitely better than others. Earlier I encouraged you to test each devotional you encounter by comparing it to the Bible. There is a certain popular devotional called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Friends, I have to encourage you not to use it. I read it for a full year when I was a new Christian and figuratively speaking, it left a bad taste in my mouth. It seemed reminiscent of my New Age - seeker days yet, I couldn't figure out why until I Googled some reviews. It turns out that I wasn't the only one who had issues with it. For a recent review, I recommend reading 10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling by Pastor Tim Challies. Remember: just because a book or a teacher/preacher is popular does not mean you should stop being like the Bereans, searching the Scriptures to see if it's true. Always pray and ask God for discernment and wisdom. The goal is for you to get to know your Lord and Savior who is the Jesus in the Bible, not the Jesus of someone's imagination. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

A Bible Verse A Day

In a previous post I encouraged you to read through the entire Bible in one year. If reading through the entire Bible seems overwhelming, you can read through the New Testament in a year. If that still seems like a daunting task, don't despair! You can begin to read the Bible by reading a Bible verse each day. At the end of 365 days you will have read 365 Bible verses.

Bible Gateway Verse of the Day

Let me issue a caveat to this plan: it is rarely if ever a good idea to read a Bible verse alone. The danger is that you can easily take a verse out of context. It is better to read the preceding and following verses; better still, read the entire chapter. The whole point of reading a Bible verse each day is to help you to develop the habit of daily Bible reading and to eventually inspire you to read the Bible - the entire Bible. Make a commitment to begin daily Bible reading. This year, start with a verse a day. Next year, choose a Bible reading plan so that you will "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)

Read Through the Bible

Does reading through the Bible seem overwhelming? I love to read and I have a degree in English, but reading through the Bible seemed like a daunting task. I first read through the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - back in 2008 starting in January and ending in December. In 2012, I did the same thing. The good news is that there is more than one reading plan to choose from. This year, I am following a different plan from Biblica: I started on December 3, 2015 and I'm reading a passage from the Old Testament, a passage from the New Testament, and a Psalm or a Proverb each day. Reading through the Bible will be one of the best things you do. You will see God's plan of redemption unfold as you "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)

My purpose is to direct you to some online resources to help you read through the Bible. Why online resources? The short answer is convenience. The long answer is that I want to make sure that people who don't have their own Bible will have immediate access to the daily Bible passages, and the easiest way to do that is online. (I am not going to discuss Bible apps for your phone, because quite honestly, I don't use Bible apps because I don't like reading on my phone.)

Many of the plans you will see are one year reading plans where you read through the entire Bible in one year. You absolutely do NOT need to start a reading plan on January 1st. You can start anytime. This means that you can start TODAY! Hooray! If you are feeling more ambitious, there are plans to read through the entire Bible in 90 days here and here. If you want to take it slower, there are reading plans where you can read through the Gospels in 45 days, or read through the New Testament in one year. The plan you choose is up to you. Make a commitment to read God's word for yourself and begin today.

Bible Gateway Reading Plans 

Bible Study Tools Reading Plans

Biblica Reading Plan

(These online resources recommend that you create a free account on their site so that you can track your progress. I am using the Biblica reading plan, and I did not create an account. In my opinion, creating an account is recommended but not necessary.)