Thursday, October 3rd: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 4:1-23, Psalm 75:1-10, Proverbs 24:17-20 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 4:1-23, Psalm 75:1-10, Proverbs 24:17-20

Jeremiah 1:8
"... And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken! "

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Good reminders today not to worry or be anxious. This is easy to say, and hard to do... at least for me.

Lately I've had a few work issues that I have no control over but that need to be dealt with. This reminds me that God is in charge, and I can trust in Him, and then not worry. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18, Colossians 1:1-17, Psalm 76:1-12, Proverbs 24:21-22

Wednesday, October 2nd: Isaiah 66:1-24, Philippians 3:4-21, Psalm 74:1-23, Proverbs 24:15-16 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 66:1-24 Philippians 3:4-21, Psalm 74:1-23, Proverbs 24:15-16

Philippians 3:¹² I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

We cannot attain perfection in this life.  We know this.  But that doesn't mean we throw our hands up in the air in despair and don't bother trying.  We need to be purposeful about eradicating the sin in our lives, about becoming more like Jesus, about deepening our relationship with Him, and about sharing the gospel with others - all under the power of the Holy Spirit, and not our own strength.

But it IS work.  We press on.  We focus.  We race.  We reach for the prize.  And in the end - we will receive it! Because He who promised is faithful.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:   Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 4:1-23, Psalm 75:1-10, Proverbs 24:17-20

Monday, September 30: Isaiah 60:1-62:5, Philippians 1:27-2:18, Psalm 72:1-20, Proverbs 24:11-1 by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 60:1-62:5, Philippians 1:27-2:18, Psalm 72:1-20, Proverbs 24:11-1

Scripture:
Though he was God,[a]
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];
    he took the humble position of a slave[c]
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,[d]
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Observation: If we are to become like Jesus, it means choosing the hard way.

Application: No one likes to do things the hard way. We look for the fast easy solution. This isn't always the best one and often it doesn't last. Think about a home renovation like painting: the quick and easy way means that it might look good for awhile but it won't last and will often look worse in time then when it started if you don't take the time to patch the holes, tape off the baseboards, or prime the surface properly. It's much harder to look at the root cause than to just fix the exterior. Jesus did things the hard way. He came to earth to endure life in an imperfect world and then suffered and died to pay the price of our sin. He looked at the root cause. We sinned. We wrecked our relationship with God. We needed a Saviour. God could have just wiped out humanity as a just punishment. He could have also created us without free will. We were bought with a price and have the chance to choose it or deny it.

Prayer: Creator God, You have always done things the hard way, the right way. We fail You often as we search for quick fixes and easy solutions. It was no easy solution when You sent Your son in our place to die and accept the punishment we deserved. Thank you for Your divine plan of redemption. Amen.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Isaiah 62:6-65:25, Philippians 2:19-3:3, Psalm 73:1-28, Proverbs 24:13-14 

Thursday, February 15th: Leviticus 25 - 27, Philippians 4 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 25-27, Philippians 4

Leviticus 25:18
“ 'Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land.

A simple yet difficult verse to follow in our lives, and difficult for the Israelites as well. What makes it difficult is our own stubbornness in thinking that we know what's best for ourselves and will then do anything to achieve this. This verse is simple - it says to follow God and obey Him.

In our new testament reading we also see this,

Philippians 4: 6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A good reminder for me to leave things with God and not worry, to trust in Him fully.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Numbers 1-3, Hebrews 1

Wednesday, February 14th: Leviticus 22-24, Philippians 3 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 22-24, Philippians 3

Philippians 3:10a that I may know him
Five words that say a lot!

This was Paul's purpose, to know Jesus Christ, and it should be ours too.

Grant Richison says.....(emphasis mine)
The word “that” introduces a purpose clause. This was Paul’s life purpose. The life ambition of Paul was to know Jesus Christ better. He had known Him for a quarter of a century. Yet he wanted to know Him better. He could aim no higher. In verse 8 Paul referred to knowing Christ as “the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” There is no end to knowing about the greatness of Christ.

It is interesting how many people feel that coming to Christ initially in salvation is all there is to know of Him. Initial salvation only introduces us to Him. It does not exhaust the wonder of His person. As we grow in grace, we understand Him better:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Through the study of the Word of God, we will know Him better. The Bible is even called “the mind of Christ” (I Cor. 2:16). The Word of God is God’s thinking about Christ. We will become more intimate with Him as we grow in grace. Salvation is only the beginning, the commencement of knowing Him. His person is many splendored. It takes time to know Him.

The word “know” means to know by experience. It is not enough to know Jesus Christ academically. We must know Him personally by the experience of fellowship with Him. That experience comes primarily from the study of Scripture....

The more we center on the person of Christ, the more our spiritual life grows. If we lessen our relationship with Him, our spiritual life weakens. Are you daily studying the Word to know more of Christ? Is this your life ambition?
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Leviticus 25-27, Philippians 4

Tuesday, February 13th: Leviticus 19-21, Philippians 2 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 19-21, Philippians 2

Philippians 2:3&4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Here is yet another verse that convicts me. All too often my focus is on me, whether it be a prideful attitude or wanting things my way rather than putting others first.

Unfortunately, I fail so often (in so many areas). I read verses in the bible that speak to me & want to do better, decide to do better, but too often nothing really changes.

Verse 13 says
For it is God who works in you to will & to act according to his good purpose

I don’t have to achieve this on my own, in fact, I can’t. It is God who has to do the work in me.

This is something that has been sticking out at me lately .  God is not expecting us to be able to change, he knows that we can’t do it on our own but wants the opportunity to do it for us.

God only really has the opportunity to do this, though, if we continually give ourselves to him & seek him. Reading the bible, praying, focusing our thoughts on him daily is the only way. We need to let go of ourselves & seek him in order for him to do his work in shaping us.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Leviticus 22-24, Philippians 3

Monday, February 12: Leviticus 16-18, Philippians 1 ~ by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 16-18, Philippians 1

Scripture: 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Observation: We are a (continual) work in progress.

Application: We live in a society of instant gratification. We have fast food. We have speed dialling. We have rapid transit. We have texting and instant messaging. We have instagram. We have google. We have drive thru banking. We have online banking. We have electronic money transfers. We have tap credit cards. We have click and connect grocery shopping. Got a problem? We've got an app for that. Got an illness? We've got a pill for that. Instant gratification.

As a grade 1 teacher, in my 9th year of teaching, I have already seen the effect of this instant gratification world in my students. They are less patient. They are irritable when things take time. It's so hard to get them to slow down and understand that things don't always happen instantly.

Paul says that he is confident that God is not finished with us. He also adds that God may only be finished when Christ returns. We may wait our whole lives to feel that we are completed or finished. That is a long wait and can be discouraging in a society that demands instant gratification.

However, there is encouragement in that too. Until we die, or until Christ returns, we have the opportunity to get better. Each day we are a work in progress and God is faithful during the whole journey. This is a comfort to me as I deal with a new diagnosis for Multiple Sclerosis. God is not done with me and He will be with me along the journey wherever it may lead. I may not experience the healing the way that I would like but I know that God is faithful.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Your love never fails. Help us to realize that You have the future in your hands and that we have the confidence that You are working to finish what You started. Thank you for being forever faithful. Grant us patience to remember that You are not finished with us yet. Amen.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Leviticus 19-21, Philippians 2

Sunday, October 8th: Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

“And the Lord will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm. It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones.” - Isaiah‬ ‭30:30‬

What a powerful God our Lord is! I think we often forget how big and how strong and how majestic our God is. But without Him, there would be no such thing as strength and majesty, because He created it! It makes me take a step back and think about it. The same God who, with one word, can create or destroy this whole universe, lives inside of me and died for me. Knowing I would let Him down countless times, He still did this for me. Wow, what an amazing God we serve. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1

Saturday, October 7th: Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
Humbly admitting we have not nearly reached the goal, but willing to soldier on in the power of Christ!

May this be our attitude today and every day.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

Friday, October 6th: Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2 ~ Conrad

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4

God is often referred to as a rock, implying that He is the way to stability and safety.  He is a secure place of refuge and is also our protection during the difficult times in our lives.  Because He is our Rock, we can have confidence that we can look to Him for strength and reliability.  He is worthy of all our trust and in Him we will never be shaken.

"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.  Do everything without grumbling or arguing,"  Philippians 2:13-14

Fulfilling His good purpose without grumbling........not that easy.  To be discontent with God's will is an expression of unbelief that prevents one from doing what pleases God.  We need to be intentional in our obedience to God; it cannot be separated from our faith in Him. 

My prayer is that I would be intentional in being obedient to God, and that I would remember that He is our source of security, and that He should be the unshakable foundation in my life.  
 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3

Thursday, October 5th: Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1

Philippians 1:6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
I am so thankful for this!  He's not done His work in our lives.

God has saved us from the penalty of sin, and He continues to save us from the power and presence of sin.  That work will continue throughout this life and will only be brought to perfection in eternity.

But we can be sure of this, we can be confident of this, we can be certain of this - His work in us is ongoing, He started it and He will finish it.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2

Tuesday, December 6th: Philippians 1-4 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Philippians 1-4

Are we happy or are we joyful?

Happiness is dependent on our circumstances but joy is based on the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love & work in our lives.

Reading through the book of Philippians, it is evident the joy that Paul had in his life. If we consider his circumstances (the time he spent in prison, beaten, starving, shipwrecked & the list goes on) we would wonder how anyone could go through that & still be happy. I can't imagine that he really was at those times, but he found joy in every situation knowing that he was where God needed him to be & that God was with him. He learned to be content, focusing his energy on Christ & obeying him.

Verses like “For me, to live is Christ & to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) & “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20) speak of his focus. He had a single purpose here (to spread the word of God), but he had an eternal goal (heaven) which he longed for with all his heart. He couldn't be affected by what happened to him on earth because he was so confident in Christ.

To be so in tune with God, that no matter what is going on around us, we have peace, contentment & even joy.

Philippians 4:12-13
I know what it is to be in need, & I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any & every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

We can face every situation in life & know peace & even joy during those times.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.

In everything, with thanksgiving, go to God. God is in control.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  1 Timothy 1-3

Friday 26 June Joel 1-3; Philippians 4 ~ Elizabeth

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joel 1-3; Philippians 4

The assigned scripture reading for today is misleading. Yes, it’s Joel 1-3 but it also happens to be the whole book of Joel! Not only is it rather daunting it would also probably be an entire book of a post for today. Therefore I will gladly defer to Dr. Martin Luther words from Lectures on Joel:

Joel was a kindly and gentle man. He does not denounce and rebuke as do the other prophets, but pleads and laments; he tried with kind and friendly words to make the people righteous and to protect them from harm and misfortune. But it happened to him as to the other prophets: the people did not believe his words and held him to be a fool.

Nevertheless Joel is highly praised in the New Testament, for in Acts 2 St. Peter quotes him. Thus Joel had to provide the first sermon ever preached in the Christian Church, the one glorious use of the saying, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” [Rom. 10:13], which is also in Joel 2[:32].

In the first chapter he prophesies the punishment which is to come upon the people of Israel. They are to be destroyed and carried away by the Assyrians; and he calls the Assyrians cutting, swarming, hopping, and destroying locusts [1:4]. For the Assyrians devoured the kingdom of Israel bit by bit until they had completely destroyed it. In the end, however, King Sennacherib had to suffer defeat before Jerusalem; Joel touches on that in chapter 2[:20] when he says, “I will remove the northerner far from you.”

In the second place, at the end of the second chapter and from that point on [2:28-3:21] he prophesies of the kingdom of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, and speaks of the everlasting Jerusalem.

He speaks of the valley of Jehoshaphat [3:12] and says that the Lord will summon all the nations thither for judgment. The ancient fathers understand that to refer to the Last Judgment. I do not condemn this interpretation, but hold, nevertheless, that this is really Joe’s meaning: even as he calls the Christian Church the everlasting Jerusalem, so he calls it also the valley of Jehoshaphat. He does so because through the word all the world is summoned to the Christian church and is there judged, and by the preaching is reproved as being all together sinners in the sight of God, as Christ says, “The Spirit of truth will reprove the world of sin” [John 16:8]. For valley of Jehoshaphat means valley of judgment. Thus also does Hosea call the Christian Church the valley of Achor. (AE 35:318-19)

In our New Testament reading today, as Paul concludes this Letter, he uses imperative language to urge the reader to adopt practices of living that are in harmony with the Creator’s will. The strength and clarity of this exhortation reminds us that we often set our minds on those things that are contrary to God’s will. Paul’s exhortations are always followed by promises of God’s blessing on our behalf. Paul cannot end this Letter without a vibrant expression of gratitude toward God and the service of the Philippians. Paul’s outpouring of appreciation contrasts sharply with feelings of neglect, resentfulness, and even anger that can arise when we lack the privileges and comforts we expect. Paul invites us to see the blessings and fullness of God that are present in every situation. Christ multiplies those blessings by His grace. Paul’s last words in the Letter are greetings and blessings. Contrast Paul’s concern for greeting all and extending grace with our unwillingness to greet people in our own church communities. The grace of the Lord Jesus is so abundant that it flows over from Paul to us through this very Word and has the power to overflow from our lives into the lives of others, so that we genuinely greet and then extend God’s grace.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage:Deuteronomy 1-3; Acts 1

Thursday, June 25th: Jeremiah 51-52, Philippians 3 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 51-52; Philippians 3

I love this portion of our OT passage.....
15 “It is he who made the earth by his power,
    who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
16 When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
    and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
    and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

We had some severe (for us) weather here yesterday, including 2 tornadoes in our province (but a few hours away from us).  Nothing compared to what they see in tornado alley, but still a powerful reminder that we really have no control over so many things in our lives, and that ultimately God alone is sovereign over everything from the weather to the nation in power.

The OT concludes with the foretold destruction of Jerusalem, after years of prophetic warnings that went unheeded by the people.  So often God's patience in delaying judgment is mistaken as leniency or that no judgment is coming - that is far from the case!  Don't delay today in turning to Him!

Our NT passage reminds us that our righteousness does not and cannot come from anything we have done, but only comes through faith in the work of Christ Jesus on our behalf.



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Joel 1-3; Philippians 4

Wednesday, June 24th: Jeremiah 50, Philippians 2 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Jeremiah 50; Philippians 2

In our OT passage we see again see God's sovereignty on display.  He chose to use the ungodly nation of Babylon to exact judgment on both Judah - but He also executed judgment on Babylon for their evil deeds.  God is just.  God is sovereign.


In our NT passage there were so many verses that challenged and convicted me.  Here are just a few of them.....



v3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing

15 be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world
So hard!

Thankfully, we also see this.....
13 for it is God who works in you
We can't do those things on our own strength, we need to rely on Him.


 Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Jeremiah 51-52; Philippians 3

Tuesday, June 23rd: Jeremiah 48-49, Philippians 1 ~ Nathan

Chapter 48 is about the judgement of Moab. This was a city that also didn't obey God.

7." Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive..."

Moab was proud of itself,

29. “We have heard of Moab’s pride — how great is her arrogance!— of her insolence, her pride, her conceit and the haughtiness of her heart."

Pride and arrogance can bring any of us down. It's so easy to gain, but gets a hold of us and  hurts us before we know it. Thankfully God is a forgiving God.

47. " “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come,” declares the Lord. Here ends the judgment on Moab."

In chapter 49 it talks first about the wrongs of Ammon and again this section ends with verse 6 " “Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,” declares the Lord"

Later on we read again about how God restores Elam, 

39. " “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the Lord"

Even though God is angry and carries out terror on His people for the wrongs they've continually done,  He forgives and restores. I want to forgive easier.

We've had an incident happen in my extended family that has made some of us angry,  but I have to remind myself that this anger can't last forever and I need to look for restoration and reconciliation.  At this stage I don't feel ready for this,  but I know I need to get there with God's help. I'm thankful for the examples He's shown about forgiveness. 

Monday, July 25 - Jody

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is: Psalm 93-95, Philippians 4

Happy Monday Y'all! I don't have a lot to say today, I was just touched by the encouragement God offers us in His Word. Let's face it, life here on earth is hard. Today, I don't have an opinion to offer on the readings, I just wanted to share some of the passages that really encouraged my today.

Psalm 94:18-19
¹⁸ When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
   your love, O LORD, supported me.
¹⁹ When anxiety was great within me,
   your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 95:1-2
 ¹ Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
   let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before him with thanksgiving
   and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 95:6-7
 ⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
   let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
   and we are the people of his pasture,
   the flock under his care.

Philippians 4:4-9
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

How often we forget that the Lord God who made us, longs for us to find our joy and peace in Him. He has give us His Word, as tangible evidence of this. Today God reminded me where to go first when I am discouraged, lonely and lost.
Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 96-98, Acts 17:1-15

Sunday, July 24th

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 89 - Psalm 92 - Philippians 3

Sorry this is so late today.

Scripture
Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Philippians 3:16

Observation
We need to live out what we know to be right.

Application
Works do not save us, we know that. It would be impossible for us to work our way to heaven because perfection is what is required, and we are all far from perfect.

No, we are saved by God's grace alone. We are saved by faith that He enables us to have. We are saved by our belief that God sent His only Son, the only Perfect One who ever walked this earth, to die in our place, who rose again victorious over death, and by our decision to invite Him into our lives as our Saviour and as our Lord. None of that is works. None of that is done by our power, only His.

So what are works? Works are evidence of our faith. Works are our faith in action. What we do and how we act reveal what we really believe.

From my Life Application Bible....
Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance that you have already received. We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. The instruction for us is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned. We do not have to be sidetracked by an unending search for truth.

We don't have to know everything before we start changing our lifestyle or behaviour. We must continually change as we continue to grow in knowledge and truth. As God reveals our sinful attitudes, thoughts or behaviours we must be willing to confess them to Him, and to truly repent which involves a turning away from those things which have been revealed to be sinful.

It is a continual process. We have never "arrived" as Christians. There is always more to learn and deeper ways to grow.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14

God does not reveal things to us in order to have us wallow in guilt, fear or shame. He reveals things to us in order to restore our relationship with Him that He may be glorified. If we have been convicted of a sin that has been revealed to us, and we have confessed and repented of this sin - we need to do as the apostle Paul did - forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.

Paul spoke from experience here. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen and gave approval of his death. He persecuted Christians with zeal. He was deceived. But when he became a Christian he did not give up one form of slavery only to become enslaved by shame. No, he focused instead on what God could do through him now as he pressed on toward the goal.

As long as we live on this earth we live in the tension of who we have been (or what we have done) and who we want to become. But our salvation did not depend on us, it depended on God. And the perfecting of our faith depends on God as well - and He will be faithful to complete it!

So press on, in light of what has been revealed to you, in pursuit of further truth, under the power of the Holy Spirit and see what God will do!

Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 93-95, Philippians 4

Saturday, July 23-guest post by Pamela

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 67 and 71; Philippians 2.

Scripture: Philippians 2: 14-16

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (NIV)

^14-16Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing. (The Message)

Observation: We can choose to not take the easy way.

Application: It is so easy to complain. So easy. We can complain about the weather (it's too hot/it's too cold), we can complain about our homes (Why can't you clean up your socks?!/ How many times have I told you not to leave dirty dishes on the counter?!/ If only I had ____ in my house, then I'd be happy), we can complain about our spouse, our children, our job, our vehicle, our figures, our income, our lacks and our dislikes. It's so easy to compare, to want, to be unsatisfied. I think to be unsatisfied is the root of complaining.

Media feeds our desire to be unhappy with what we have and it is easy to conform to the ways of the world and to grumble and argue about what we don't have or how life is not fair. It's so easy to get sucked into conversations that are negative and bitter. We, as Christians, are called to rise above this. It is our example to be content and cheerful that draws others to God. When we act in a way that rejoices in the blessings that we have through Christ, it is so cross cultural and it makes people question what it is that you have that produces such a positive and attractive glow. It reminds me of this song by the Newsboys:

The course goes like this:

Shine
Make 'em wonder what you've got
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored
Shine
Let it shine before all men
Let'em see good works, and then
Let 'em glorify the Lord

When need to act in a way that makes people wonder what we have in our life that makes us act so different. When we go against what is easy (complaining!) and instead choose to "do everything without grumbling or complaining" we will shine and stand out. Let our "mouth tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge." (Psalm 71:15)

Prayer: Lord, You are sovereign over all things. Thank you for giving us the ability to choose to be lights in a dark world. We often struggle with contentment and it is so easy to complain. Remind us about the bountiful blessings that You pour out on us each day. Let our example shine for others to draw them to You. Amen.

Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 89 - Psalm 92 - Philippians 3

Friday, July 22 ~ tammi

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 33, 43, and 66; Philippians 1.

I love how today's readings totally have a theme:  JOY!

I need to figure out a way to keep track of the Psalms and for what circumstances or needs they would be appropriate.  I've said that for a long time (to myself, anyway!), but never done anything about it, yet again today I found myself thinking, "I need to remember this one when I'm frustrated and feeling hopeless that things will ever change."  I probably won't remember it next time I need it, but what great words of encouragement and comfort!  He is in control, HE delivers us, HE loves us without fail, HE provides and protects us... He is holy.  Tough not to feel uplifted after reading something like that!!

Psalm 43 carries on in a similar vein, only coming from a slightly different angle ~ the author here resolves to rejoice in God despite feeling discouraged and foresaken.  Apparently, in some Hebrew manuscripts, Psalm 42 and 43 are one Psalm ~ not sure how or why they necessarily got seperated, since it certainly makes sense that 43 is the continuation and conclusion of 42.

And then Psalm 66 is a call for corporate praise and rejoicing in God's might, provision, protection, and love.

In both Psalm 33 and 66, we see pretty clearly that believers are to offer praise to God individually, but also make a practice of doing it corporately.  "It is fitting for the upright to praise [God]," 33:1 opens with, and vv. 20-22 end in a word of corporate prayer and request for blessing.  Psalm 66 opens up with a resounding "Shout with joy to God, all the earth!" and continues to instruct "Come and see what God has done" (v. 5), "Praise our God, O peoples" (v. 8), Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me." (v. 16)

When is the last time you excitedly proclaimed what God has done for you in the presence of friends? In my experience, this almost NEVER happens. The people with whom I associate most are the ones I talk about this kind of thing the LEAST with. In my church experience, testimonies tend to bore us, missionary reports are uninteresting, and talk of spiritual things and experiencing God is downright foreign, except maybe in the context of Sunday school class or Bible study...  You know, situations and places where it's expected.

According to these Psalms, it's something we should ALWAYS expect, something we're excited about when others do it ~ something WE find ourselves continuously compelled to do!!  We should crave hearing how God is working in the lives of others so that we can praise Him TOGETHER.  I don't really want to know why this isn't the case.  I'm afraid the answer has to do with how little we really care about true Christianity and what it's supposed to look like in our daily lives.  Oh, how I hope I am working to be more open with my praise, even though it's tough to get over the discomfort of essentially giving a mini-testimony and the awkwardness with which it's received.  I hope my enthusiasm for God and His praiseworthiness will be catchy!

And then we begin Paul's JOY letter to the Philippians.  There is SO much to tackle even in just the first chapter, but I thought I'd share rather a few of the statements my Bible makes in the introduction to the book:

In contrast to happiness stands joy.  Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God's love and work in our lives ~ that he will be there no matter what!  Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ. (bold colour emphasis mine)

Philippians is a joyful book because it emphasizes the real joy of the Christian life.  The concept of rejoicing or joy appears 16 times in four chapters, and the pages radiate this positive message, culminating in the exhortation to "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"  (4:4)

In a life dedicated to serving Christ, Paul had faced excruciating poverty, abundant wealth, and everything in between.  He even wrote this joyful letter from prison.  Whatever the circumstances, Paul had learned to be content, finding real joy as he focused all of his attention and energy on knowing Christ and obeying him.

The secret of Paul's joy is grounded in his relationship with Christ.  People today desperately want to be happy but are tossed and turned by daily successes, failures, and inconveniences.  Christians are to be joyful in every circumstance, even when things are ggoing badly, even when we feel like complaining, even when no one else is joyful.  Christ still reigns, and we still know him, so we can rejoice at all times. (all emphasis in original except where noted)

And by rejoicing in the presence of others and together with others, we will continue to fuel each other's enthusiasm for serving our wonderful Savior and Lord!




Tomorrow's passages: Psalm 67 and 71; Philippians 2