Wednesday, October 17th: Jeremiah 16-18, John 3

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 16-18, John 3

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus’ first coming was a rescue mission, but his second coming will mean that the time for judgement has arrived. Unfortunately, many mistake the lack of current judgement to mean that judgement is never coming, instead of recognizing it as God’s patience and waiting for as many to come to repentance as possible.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 19-21, John 4

Tuesday, October 16: Jeremiah 13-15, John 2 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 13-15, John 2

John 2-

13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” 

Jesus shows his anger at how the temple was treated; at the disrespect & dishonesty, the evil acts & injustices. The temple was the house of God & needed to be treated with the utmost respect & reverence. 

When we accept Jesus into our hearts, he literally indwells us through the Holy Spirit & so we become a temple of God. 

How do we treat this temple? Do we take this privilege seriously or do we wave it off, not recognizing the awesomeness of it?

What do we allow into this temple, how do we treat it? 

I believe what we physically put into it/do to it is important. We need to keep ourselves healthy through food, exercise, not harming ourselves (smoking, drugs), etc. We also need to consider who we are representing; do we dress with modesty.  

We also need to know what we’re putting into our hearts & minds. Are we filling ourselves with the “trash of the world” or all things good & holy? Do we realize the things we do are essentially being done right inside God’s temple?

How are we using his temple? For dishonest gain or with love to help & encourage others? Do we show respect & consideration to others or are we unaccepting?

Jesus was angered by the way his temple was used. He intended to represent his glory & to bring people to him. Is our temple being used in a way to glorify Him?

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 16-18, John 3

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Jeremiah 10-12, John 1:19-51

John 1:29-51 is all about how ready Jesus' disciples were to give their lives for him, I find that nowadays people need to proof in order to believe in something, but here as soon and Jesus was seen by these men, they gave away everything they had, and followed. This is what Jesus tells us to do, but we are more unwilling to submit everything to Jesus because our society has become so fixated on the treasures of Earth, rather than our Heavenly treasure, but we, as Christians need to be willing to give everything up for Jesus and follow him whole heartedly.





Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 13-15, John 2

Saturday, October 13th: Jeremiah 7-9, John 1:1-18 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 7-9, John 1:1-18

John 1:1 The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it. 4 Life began by Him. His Life was the Light for men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.
I love the beginning (pun!) of the book of John. 

One thing I think is important it to note is that Jesus has also existed.  He was not created when He was born as a baby to Mary and Joseph.  No, Jesus was there in the beginning.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - all in the beginning.  They created all things.

And I love how this passage ends.....
The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.

And it never will!

Friday, October 12th: Jeremiah 4-6; 2 Peter 3 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 4-6; 2 Peter 3

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This, to me, was a reminder that God really does love everyone. Even those who don’t love Him. And if God loves, and is patient with everyone (even those who curse His name, who try to prove that He doesn’t exist, who claim that He isn’t good, and who hate Him), then who am I to say I can’t love, and be patient with others just because they annoy me?

My challenge today is for us all to be patient with those we usually have no patience for, and to show them the love of Christ Jesus. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 7-9; John 1:1-18

Thursday, October 11th: Jeremiah 1-3, 2 Peter 2 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 1-3, 2 Peter 2

2 Peter 2: 20-22
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. [21] It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. [22] 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit ,” g and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

A good reminder for us as Christians to keep on battling to live for God and obey Him. Satan is working hard to pull us away, and works at it slowly. Only God can help us stay strong and with Him.

Is our commitment to God strong? Do we want Him to be first in our lives?

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 4-6, 2 Peter 3

Wednesday, October 10th: Zephaniah 1-3, 2 Peter 1 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zephaniah 1-3, 2 Peter 1

Normally, I write about a verse or passage that jumps out at me, but today this passage spoke so clearly, that I just want to repeat them and have them resonate with you the way they did with me.

2 Peter 1:3-9 Growing in Faith

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
I don't want to forget!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 1-3, 2 Peter 2

Tuesday, October 9: Habakkuk 1-3, 1 Peter 5 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Habakkuk 1-3, 1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5:2a-
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care

We are all placed in a role of leadership at some point, in one way or another. We have to take that responsibility seriously, without going on a power trip but humbling ourselves so that God can use us.

We need to remember-
-it’s about God, not us; it’s God’s flock (vs 2)
-not because you must but because you’re willing (vs 2)
-not because of what you can get but because of what you can give (vs 2)
-leading by example not by force (vs 3)

We also need to remember that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Vs 5)

Sometimes, even in leadership, we need to swallow our pride & recognize good advice when given to us. We need to acknowledge that others may have valuable insight & be ready to accept it (maybe even seek it out) in order to grow as a leader (servant) of God.



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Zephaniah 1-3, 2 Peter 1

Monday, Octoeber 8: Isaiah 64-66, 1 Peter 4~by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 64-66, 1 Peter 4

Yesterday in Sunday School we talked about sin and the guilt we often feel as Christians when our sins separate us from God. This stood out for me:

We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
    and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

We are born sinful and we spend so much time trying to justify our sin or cover it up. Like David, trying to cover up his indiscretion with Bathsheba, covers up his sin by killing Uriah. With all of David's "righteous deeds" the sin of lust makes them just "filthy rags". The teacher today compared it to seeing a bride walk down the aisle with a big dirty stain on her dress. This would be what everyone would focus on. When we have sin, we have our own stain on display.

There will be punishment for sin:

15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,
    and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind.
He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger
    and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.
16 The Lord will punish the world by fire
    and by his sword.
He will judge the earth,
    and many will be killed by him.

One day all our stains will be revealed and will need to be accounted for. Only when Jesus covers the stain and it is seen no more will be escape the wrath of God.

This repeated in the NT passage:

4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead[b]—so although they were destined to die like all people,[c] they now live forever with God in the Spirit.[d]

Our society prefers to gloss over sin. Everything is grey instead of black and white. Truth has become relative. However, there will come a time when we need to account for our words and our actions. We will be judged. It is not easy to live for Christ. But scripture promises that we don't journey this path alone and that it will worth it:

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Habakkuk 1-3, 1 Peter 5

Saturday, October 6th: Isaiah 61-63; 1 Peter 3 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 61-63; 1 Peter 3

1 Peter 3:3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
These verses are not saying that we shouldn't care at all about our appearance or that it is wrong to want to look nice.  It's saying that our priority should be our inner beauty instead of our outer beauty.

A few tips on how to do that follow....
all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.[a] Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing.
Be of one mind
Be sympathetic
Love each other
Be tenderhearted
Be humble
Don't exact revenge
Don't insult back, rather bless back.

May we focus on our character and integrity in our walk with God.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Isaiah 64-66, 1 Peter 4