Bible In 90 Days: We Did It!!!

Yes folks, we finished! I am proud of our little family. We read the Bible OUT LOUD from Genesis to Revelation in 90 days: September 9, 2012 through December 18, 2012!

It required much discipline, changed attitudes at times, redirection, an act of our will some times, and an online person reading it out loud to us some times, but we accomplished what we set out to do. And, oh, the learning that happened and the loving Jesus that happened and the Word of God read OUT LOUD in our home for an hour to an hour and a half every.single.day that happened! Well-worth the effort!

We learned, again, that God's Word IS living and active. There are things in stories we've heard that we didn't remember or never recalled learning. There are things in the Bible we didn't remember reading before, ever. God whispered sometimes and roared others. And, we prayed together every day. What an incredible gift and blessing!

Would I recommend it to you? ABSOLUTELY! It is well-worth the commitment and the time and the discipline to do it.

What next you ask? Glad you did. After prayerful consideration, we have decided that January 1, we will read the Bible together as a family over the year using the One Year Bible (a little Old Testament, a little New Testament, a little Psalms and a little Proverbs every day) and memorize 10 Bible verses a month as a family. Fun! Excited! Love it! Thank you, Lord!

Bible in 90 Days: Always There

A few days ago, we read this and it read to me like never before ...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.    John 1: 1-6, 9-14

Last night we read in Ephesians:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  

Ephesians 1: 4-6

Isn't that a-ma-zing? His plan all along, even before creation, was we would choose Him and love Him, just as He chose us and loved us.

The Bible is the story of His amazing love for us and His desire for us to love Him back. He foretold He would send a Savior to us in the Old Testament.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.   Isaiah 9:6

And, then Jesus was born ...

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.    Luke 2:9-11

Because God always does what He says. And, He has always been, is and will always be with us. In fact, His name, Emmanuel, means "God with us."

He is before all things, and in hm all things hold together.  Colossians 1:17

How can you not love, adore, worship and celebrate our God who is always there, never let's us go, always working on our behalf, but most importantly wants a love relationship with us. To walk and talk and hang and laugh and cry and teach and ... with us! Yes!

Bible In 90 Days: What is love?

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.'    Matthew 22:37-39

What does that look like?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.     I Cor. 13:4-8

The Holy Spirit has been speaking to me a lot about love. Loving myself, which I don't do consistently or well. (So, if I'm not loving me, how can I be equipped to love others? And, how do I love them well, if I'm not loving myself well? And, by the way, loving myself does not imply a selfish love.) Loving my husband. Loving my children. Loving my family. Loving those around me. And, God gave us explicit instructions, that are simple actually, on what love is. Love is a choice. It is a choice we make every.single.day and with every.single.opportunity that is presented to us. It is an act of my will.

Many times, days I have felt/still feel like this ...

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.   Romans 7:15

However, I am choosing, by an act of my will, to stand in this ...

Brothers and sisters, 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.  Philippians 3:13-14

I am empowered by the Holy Spirit, who lives in me. The old (my unloving, unlovable self) is gone and the new (love) has come. Love, not judge. And, love without expecting anything in return. This means myself, family, friends, people I don't know, people different from me and enemies.

 

I have understood love to deep degree's. I am learning it even deeper. Thank you Lord.

Bible in 90 Days: The Holy Spirit and Love

We have been in Acts and Romans the last several days and oh.my.gracious! I would like to share that if you don't have a clear picture of the power, promise and every minute presence, direction and work of the HOLY SPIRIT, then Acts is the book to read. I was completely blown away ... again ... at the amazingness of the gift of the Holy Spirit while reading Acts. Over and over again, His presence, power and speaking and moving are recorded. Here are only a few examples:

• Acts 2:1-4 records the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples at Pentecost.
• "but they could not stand up against his (Stephen's) wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke." Acts 6:10
• "When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit" Acts9:15
• "... and encouraged by the Holy Spirit ... " Acts 9:31
• "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles." Acts10: 45 ... To which I would like to say, as a Gentile, an adopted Daughter of the King, praise the Lord!
• "... full of the Holy Spirit ..." Acts11:24
• "... the Holy Spirit said ... " Acts 13:2
• "... sent on their way by the Holy Spirit ..." Acts 13:4
• "... filled with the Holy Spirit ..." Acts 13:9
• "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts. 13:52
• "... having been kept by the Holy Spirit ..." Acts16:6
• "... but the Spirt of Jesus would not allow them to do so." Acts 16:7
• "... the Holy Spirit came upon them ..." Acts 19:6

And, I could go on, but I won't. Dive in yourself and get fired up. I know I am.

Then, we started into Romans and, reading Romans in a large chunk, it so beautifully describes grace and faith and love. Especially, love. Why we love? Because God first loved us. Why are we who believe on Him called righteous? Because Jesus loved us and sacrificed Himself for us to atone our sin, which we could never do on our own. Why we must love one another and others? Because God commanded it and by His Spirit, He enables us to do so. And, what is more important than this, but to love?

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fullfilled the law .... whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Romans 13: 9,10

I've thought alot about this in the last several days. One of my dear friends is dying of stage 4 brain cancer. Her time on earth is limited yet Jesus' life shines so brightly in her. Another, one of my best friend's mother, died recently of pancreatic cancer. She is sitting with Jesus, having run an awesome race on this earth. And, now, my uncle has been given an earthly prognosis that is less than favorable with his stage 4 very rare form of cancer. And, I have been reminded and convicted so clearly of love. Sadly, I have many times chosen quarrels or to be right or to try to be in control or to blame or to judge at the expense of choosing love and forgiveness over issues that are meaningless in the face of God's love and grace and mercy and tenderness. I want to emulate that grace and mercy and tenderness. I want to choose love and humility, to be a servant, empowered every moment by the Holy Spirit. Humbled and grateful for God's kindness leading me to repentance (Romans 2:4). Thankful that by His grace tomorrow is a new day where His mercies are new (Lamentation 3:22-24), and where, because of His grace and forgiveness and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I can choose the new and be done, again, with the old (2 Corinthians 5:17). People, God is good! And, there is no other like Him. Grateful.

Bible in 90 Days: No Longer Orphans!

We were in John a couple days ago and these words just blew me away ...

12. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - 13. children born not of natural descent, nor human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.  John 1:13-14

We are not orphan's. Nope. Not when we choose Christ. We become children of God, children of the King, Sons and Daughters! Absolutely. And, what an amazing breath of fresh air. God is our Father and He is perfect and He loves us perfect and He ONLY does what is good on our behalf and He delights in His children's success. He can not be compared with any earthly Fathers, those who are less than great and those who are, by earthly measure, awesome Dads. Why? We all fall short, but NOT God. Never God.

I am not an orphan, I am a Daughter of the King! Selah!

* And, in case you are looking to read up some more on this amazing truth, I would recommend "Sons and Daughters" by Brady Boyd.

Bible in 90 Days: The Word is Life!

So, today we completed Day 64. There is much I could write about since my last post and will at some point, but tonight what struck me was this verse in Daniel:

"...I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet ...."  Daniel 9:2

Why? Because Daniel studied the Word to see what God had planned, in store, what He said, what He wanted, to know how He loved, what is God's character and how He was faithful. Exactly the reasons we need to read the scripture and pursue a love relationship with the Lord. Because He loves us with a fierce and everlasting love when we are His. Selah!

Bible in 90 Days: Halfway

We are a bit over the halfway mark reading through the Word. And, what an amazing journey! (Day 51, midway through Isaiah) There is much I could write and share, however, we are in the midst of moving and settling, so I'll write a few highlights ...

• One of the things I am loving about this is reading 12 pages at a time. It makes the Old Testament "story-like," for lack of a better way to describe it, which means, there is more noticing what the whole picture is. And, my what an amazing picture!
• When reading Psalms, it is consistent that the writer and the people knew how BIG and MIRACULOUS and STRONG and MIGHTY and what a RESCUER and FORGIVER and LOVER that the Lord is. That really struck me. And, the other thing that really struck me is you can read that TRUTH and not eternalize it. You can hear it and know it and not really, really believe it and live in it. It is the truth. God is all those things and more and it motivated me to call out for those things, those rescues, that love and have a greater expectation as a Daughter of the King. Amen!
• It is clear, man cannot save you, only God can. Why even bother to look anywhere else? 

More observations and revelation to come when I get a minute to write it out. Love reading His Word. Love Him!

Bible in 90 Days: Redeeming Love

There is a truth that unbelievers and probably believers, too, don’t want to grasp and that is that God is a loving, redeeming God … no matter how “bad” you are, no matter what “bad” things you’ve done, no matter your past, no matter what anyone else on this earth has said or thought about you. No matter what. You cannot out-bad God’s love.

There are many who would use the story of Saul, whose name was changed to Paul later, as an example of this crazy redemption. And, people, it is a great example. You can find it in the New Testament. However, I discovered another one as we read through the Kings and Chronicles. And, his name is Manasseh, King of Judah.

The story of Manasseh is found in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 . 

I would like to say, Manasseh was beyond what I would call an unsavory character. He was someone you would not want to meet anywhere, much less in a dark alley. Seriously, this fellow put the “b” in bad and even the “w” in worse! He worshipped everything but God and even went so far as to sacrifice “his own son on the fire, practice sorcery and divination and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger.” 2 Kings 21:5. During Manasseh’s rule, he and the people did not listen to God and Manasseh led the people "astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.” 2 Kings 21:9 and 2 Chron. 33:9b. You know the things, all those evil things God spoke against in Leviticus, and then some. Oh.my.disgusting! To put it mildly. And, to make matters worse, “Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end – besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” 2 Kings 21:18. I won't even go there.

The Lord even sent prophets to speak to the people and Manasseh “but they paid no attention.” 2 Chron. 33:10b. Heart. Breaking. So, the Lord sent an army against them and hauled them all off. Manasseh was taken prisoner. The Assyrians “put a hook in his nose, bound him with shackles and took him to Babylon.” 2 Chron. 33:11b.

And here is what I love …

"12. In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. THEN MANASSEH KNEW THAT THE LORD IS GOD."

Redeeming love.

The rest of the story of Manasseh’s life can be read in 2 Chronicles 33:14-20. The short version is he got rid of all the foreign gods (idols) and foreign altars he had built and rebuilt the outer wall of Jerusalem.

He humbled himself and God had mercy and Manasseh lived the rest of his life a changed man who followed God.

And, guess what? That amazing, grace-filled, completely undeserved redeeming love is available to all who are willing to receive it and give their life over to Christ. Isn’t He just amazing!!

Talk About Him DAILY

Yes, this is a picture of rocks. I took this picture because it reminded me of a project I undertook, long abandoned. I had decided I was going to write things God had done for us on rocks and keep them in a jar(s) as visual reminders of God's goodness. Just FYI, that was at least 7 years ago and I would have a "rock garden" in my backyard by now if I had continued. Actually, and more accurately, we live about 6 blocks from the beach and if I could write on sand crystals, I'd have a beachfront property. Such are the blessings of the Lord. Really. I'm thinking you would, too, if we all just stopped to look and count.

We read through Deuteronomy a bit ago in our 90 Day journey and then I saw these rocks and it reminded me of this ...

4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7.Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.             Deut. 6:4-9

Think how life-changing that is! I rehearse. In fact, we wrote a thousand gifts on this blog, but I do know that I don't do this every.every.every.day. Oh the blessings and oh the joy and oh the peace that comes from this command and the command to be thankful in everything. Wouldn't all our lives just shine Jesus ALL.THE.TIME if we were doing this? Wouldn't this change everything? Imagine the fruit for the Kingdom is we were rehearsing His commands and promises and gifts as a family every day! Wow! I know people whose lives do. I am planning to be one of them more consistently, with God's help. How about you?

Bible in 90 Days: Covenant

We read the book of Leviticus in 2 ½ days. Every. Word. Our pastor jokes that you can find coffee in Leviticus. "Look for yourself," he says. This because NO ONE wants to randomly read Leviticus, therefore, you wouldn’t know if coffee was in there or not. I’m here to tell you, no coffee in Leviticus. Sorry. However, I had a revelation in Leviticus that blew me away!

Leviticus isn’t about rules, and some ridiculous and boring at that. At least in my mind. Leviticus is about COVENANT. It’s beautiful. It’s about God making a covenant with His people. And, in doing this, in making covenant with them, in promising them good, land, provision, milk and honey, He is giving them a structure to protect that LOVE He has for them, with them. It’s all there and I realized it in Chapter 20 when God says to the Isrealites, His people, His love, in verse 23 –

“You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did ALL these things, I abhorred them. 24- But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord you God, WHO HAS SET YOU APART from the nations ... 26- You are to be holy TO me because I, the Lord, am holy, and have SET YOU APART from the nations TO BE MY OWN."

There it is. Love. He has set us apart. Those rules and regulations weren’t written in Leviticus because the Isrealites were living this way, they were a warning of how the people of the land they were headed to were living and how that was not honoring to the Lord. God was warning His people. The ones He called to be His own, to live differently. Because He knew, and knows, we are a stiff-necked people and that we chase after false Gods and follow the ways of the world and He wanted us to be forwarned that we might love Him and Him only. God is so good.

Bible in 90 Days: Week 1.5

We completed Day 11 today (which brings us to Numbers 21:7) and I would like to say this is one of the most awesome things that God has called our family to to date! We sit together EVERY DAY and read the Bible. We share anything that stood out to us individually, discuss it and end our time together in prayer. It is a.ma.zing!!

I would love to share everything God is showing me/us, but I'd be writing a ton. So, I'll just share a few nuggets ...

• Abraham and Jacob (Abraham's grandson) both slept with their wives maids, at their wives requests, when they appeared barren. Isaac (Abraham's son) prayed to God for Rebekah to become pregnant when she was barren and the Lord answered his prayer. It made me wonder if Abraham taught Isaac NOT to take that particular matter into his own hands, having done it unsuccessfully himself, however that lesson wasn't passed on to Jacob?
• Obedience ... "the midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the King of Egypt had told them to do" (Ex. 1:17) ... equals blessing! "God was kind to the midwives ... and because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own ..." (Ex. 1: 20,21).
• And, the best revelation I've had so far is that Leviticus is not about rules at all, but about God's covenant and His great love for us. He has "set you apart from the nations TO BE MY OWN" (Lev. 20: 26). And, even then, "I am the Lord WHO MAKES YOU HOLY" (Lev. 22: 32b) ... it was His job and His plan all along and even then He knew and planned that it would be Jesus' sacrifice for us that would achieve our righteousness before Him. Wow!

Bible in 90 Days!

Yes, folks, we are doing this! And, by we, I mean Brian and the girls and I. Yep! We started last night. Our first day of reading twelve pages a day. Why, you say? I'm glad you asked ...

• Because it is a spiritual discipline we want to foster in our lives and in our children's.
• Because I was in my 40's before I read the Bible cover to cover for the first time and I was IN LOVE with His Word by the end of it!
• Because God's Word is life, breathes life, guides, guards, directs, corrects, talks. You see, that is because it is LIVING and infallible. It is the Book of Life!
• And, lastly, because we are anticipating a change in the season of our life. And, while we don't know all the details, we want to have it all bathed in prayer and the Word ... as a family, hearing His voice and following His direction.
• Oh, and, I'm sure there are plans God has for our accomplishing this together that I don't even know. Can't wait for Him to reveal those!

If you are interested, there is more information at BibleIn90Days.org. We purchased the program they have available and a new Bible for each of us to use on this journey. And, we started yesterday! My goal is to post weekly updates on our progress and what God is saying. So, here we go!

Bible in 90 Days: September 9, 2012 through December 15, 2012