A guide to reading the Bible in a year

For the month of February.

01        Leviticus          14-16

02        -do-                  17-19

03        -do-                  20-23

04        -do-                  24-27

05        Numbers         1-3

06        -do-                  4-6

07        -do-                  7-10

08        -do-                  11-14

09        -do-                  15-17

10        -do-                  18-20

11        -do-                  21-24

12        -do-                  25-27

13        -do-                  28-30

14        -do-                  31-33

15        -do-                  34-36

16        Deuteronomy 1-3

17        -do-                    4-6

18        -do-                  7-9

19        -do-                  10-12

20        -do-                  13-16

21        -do-                  17-19

22        -do-                  20-22

23        -do-                  23-25

24        -do-                  26-28

25        -do-                  29-31

26        -do-                  32-34

27        Joshua             1-3

28        -do-                  4-6

           

Kinds of hearts in the Bible

Evil

Jeremiah 3:17  

At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

Jeremiah 7:24

 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Jeremiah 11:8  

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’”

Jeremiah 16:12

But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me.

Hebrews 3:12  

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

True

Matthew 22:16  

They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.

Hebrews 10:22  

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

There Is a River

By John Walker

Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds. Psalm 1:3.

There is a river that flows from the throne of God, down the celestial main street and into the hearts of those who believe in the Lamb (Revelation 22); the river then flows like streams of living water through those who are one with Jesus.

We hear the river whisper, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). We feel its moisture hanging cool in the air, and we stretch and then we stretch again to reach the river’s edge.

It woos us to dwell within it, to dig deep with determined roots, gnarled fingers inching, bit by bit, toward the source of life.

Rooted at the river, we stand firm against the storms and we sip sweetly in times of drought, even as others burn up or blow away when faced with the dry and dusty, now-and-now of life.

Nourished by the river of life, the fruit we produce is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Faith Is Active

By Rick Warren

When will you ever learn that “believing” is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith. James 2:20 (LB)

Is faith simply a frame of mind? Some see it that way … a passive attribute of a Christian waiting to see what God has in store for you: a promotion, cancer, depression, betrayal, blessing, wealth, or injustice. They might say, “I’ll just wait to see what God is going to do for me and go with the flow.” That’s crazy talk.

Faith is active. It’s not passive. It’s a commitment. Look at your lifestyle and see what kinds of actions follow as a result of it. If you’ve got the real stuff, faith can be demonstrated.

When you were baptized you made a statement to God and the people around you. You said, “I’m in!” But it doesn’t stop at baptism – not by a long shot! What else do you do? You start following the pattern of Jesus. Faith is proven by how we live. Don’t misinterpret this. What you do – your walking around, everyday life – doesn’t get you into heaven. It doesn’t make you saved. It doesn’t mean you’re a Christian; it shows you are a Christian. The next steps:

Celebrate the lavish gift of grace. You were saved because Jesus is crazy about you and wants you to be with him in heaven. Revel in it!

• Show your faith. Wedding rings don’t make you married, but they say yes in a visible way. In the same way, baptism isn’t the thing that will get you into heaven but it’s an act of obedience. (Jesus commanded us to baptize and be baptized.)

• Share your faith with the people around you. If you are excited about what God has done in your life, then why not share it? There are lots of ways to do that. Get plugged into serving God. There are literally millions of possibilities. Point people to Jesus and love them like Jesus did. It’ll be something you will relish for eternity.

Who will condemn us?

Who then will condemn us? Will Christ? No! For he is the one who died for us and came back to life again for us and is sitting at the place of higher honor next to God, pleading for us there in heaven.

Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because he doesn’t love us anymore? And if we are hungry or penniless or in danger or threatened with death, has God deserted us?

Overwhelming victory is our through Christ who loved us enough to die for us. For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us Jesus Christ when he died for us. (Romans 8:34, 35, 37-39).

God says, “Not only do I want to bring you a miracle, I also want to build your character.” When you totally rely on the integrity of God’s Word and trust Him in a trial, you will acquire maturity in your Christian walk. You must be patient, never diverting your eyes from what God has promised. Then you will become “perfect” or “mature”, and lack for nothing.

Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4).

A moment with Scripture:

Joseph’s brothers return to Egypt. - Genesis 43:1-34

A promise and a warning - Exodus 23:20-33

Fruit Grows From Spiritual Seeds.

By Rick Warren

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24.

When you think about your walk with Jesus, some days you may wonder, “Why is this so hard? I’m still struggling with so many problems. When will I finally get it right?”

In my journey as a pastor, I’ve learned that spiritual growth is often like the growth we see in nature – the best fruit ripens slowly. In John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds”.

The problem is we tend to get impatient, so we dig up the seed to check the progress of its growth, and that slows down our growth! If you’re not seeing as much fruit as you’d like, don’t despair. Growth takes time.

In the meantime, try these steps for spiritual growth:

•          Nurture growth with God’s Word. I know you’re already doing this, but when you read the promises of God, again and again, it helps you remember that he is at work, even when you can’t see him at work: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

•          Cooperate with God as he prunes. Praise God for the work he’s doing in your life, remembering “he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (John 15:2).

•          Pray through the “fruit list.” Pray through the “fruit list” (the fruit of the Spirit) from Galatians 5:22-23. The NIV Bible lists the fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Ask God to help you grow this fruit in your life.

A Blessing for Sharing the Message

A Blessing for Sharing the Message

Because the Father never closes out his passion for reaching people, I pray that today you will pray for those in your world who have yet to meet him. As you offer up the names of family members, friends, co-workers, may God see your heart for sharing the message with them. He will hear your earnest plea.

“God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people.” Hebrews 6:10

Broken things in Scripture

Bodies –

2 Chronicles 25:12 

The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

Altar

2 Chronicles 25:12

 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

Good Things for Man

Rest

Genesis 49:15

When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.

Psalms 69:16 

Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

Evangelism

"How is it that the soul being of such value, and God so great, eternity so near and yet we are so little moved?" - William Bramwell

Satan’s methods to lead us astray

Mark 13:22

For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible.

2 Corinthians 2:11

 In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

2 Corinthians 11:14  

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

1 Peter 5:8  

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Strength

Deuteronomy 33:25  

The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.

Colossians 1:29  

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

God’s Promises

John 12:46

 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness

.

John 6:35  

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Romans 6:8  

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Surrender: let go and let God work

By Rick Warren

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GW)

Surrendering your life means -

•          Following God's lead without knowing where he's sending you;

•          Waiting for God's timing without knowing when it will come;

•          Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;

•          Trusting God's purpose without understanding the circumstances.

You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to always be "in charge." Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships.

You are not self-serving, you don't edge others out, and you don't demand your rights.

The most difficult thing to surrender for many people is their money. Many have thought, "I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday."

Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life -- Because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money," and "Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also."

The supreme example of self-surrender is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion Jesus surrendered himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."

Jesus didn't pray, "God, if you're able to take away this pain, please do so." He began by affirming that God can do anything! He prayed, "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too."

Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my, life or in another's life, please don't take it away!"

This level of maturity doesn't come easy. In Jesus' case, he agonized so much over God's plan that he sweats drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Love listens.

When we love others, we listen to them. Sure, it takes time and effort to focus on them and hear what they are saying. But when we do, it shows genuine concern and respect.

Author Wayne Alderson tells of a young minister who spent a lot of time listening to the problems of his church members. One day he came home and said to his wife, “How did your day go?” for a half-hour she told him about a problem with the car, their son’s earache, and the difficulties she had getting an appliance repaired. The pastor immediately began to problem-solve, citing a list of things she should do.

But she just looked at him and sighed. “I have already done all of that,” she said. “I don’t need you to solve my problems. I just need you to be interested in what I’ve been through.”

When David pleaded, “Hear my voice according to your loving-kindness” (Psalm 119:149), he was expressing the truth that the God who loves us also listens to us. Listening is a part of loving.

Listening to a wife, a husband, a fellow worker, or a Christian friend may be just what that person needs to be encouraged or to see a problem more clearly. Go ahead and listen. God Himself shows that love listens.

Evangelism.

 "Revival will call for much love and humility, because it may please God to use one man more extensively than another.  The fleece of one denomination may appear to be wet with the dews of heaven while another is only damp with it.  In some cases God may use the least gifted of men - at least some would so judge them - and in the least likely of churches find a channel for His grace.  May God preserve us from a spirit which would prefer to see no revival at all if it did not come in our form, after our pattern, and through our instrumentality." - John T. Carson

Church:

The church, rooted by God, can never be uprooted by man.

A church helps the lost to find their way home when its light shines brightly.

It is contagious

It is contagious

When you win people to Jesus Christ, it’s the greatest joy. Your graduation is exciting, your wedding day is exciting, your first baby is exciting, but the most thrilling thing you can ever do is win someone to Christ. And it’s contagious. Once you do it, you don’t want to stop.

Persuading others to follow Christ—that is our calling. May God grant us today a vision for the lost and the power to be effective communicators of the precious gospel of Jesus Chriist.

Why am I doubting?

There are several reason to doubt. One is lack of understanding that God is with you always. Anytime you are concerned about whether God is with you, please read the following passages of the Bible as often as you need to read it until you truly believe  it:

Philippians 4:13  

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:19  

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 13:5  

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

John 16:24  

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Matthew 7:7  

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

How to be thankful in tough times

By Rick Warren

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

Don't worry about anything.

Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There's no such thing as born worriers; worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned. Jesus says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34, NLT)

Pray about everything.

Next use the time you've been worrying for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

Thank God in all things.

Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love -- but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities; it makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied; it's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

Think about the right things.

If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think; the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act. So if you want to change your life, you need to change what you're thinking about.

This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things: focus on the positive and on God's word.

Why? Because the root cause of stress is the way I choose to think.

When we no longer worry, when we pray about everything, when we give thanks, when we focus on the right things, the Apostle Paul tells us the result is, "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind.

Things Men Can Do Again

Be revived again

Psalm 85:6

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

Return to God again

Jeremiah 3:1

"If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers— would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 33:14

And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right-

Turn from sin again

Jeremiah 25:5

They said, "Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you and your fathers for ever and ever.

Ezekiel 18:27

But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.

Be taught again

Hebrew 5:12

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

Biblical Marriage - Part of God's Family

By Rick Warren

For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them. Matthew 18:20 (TEV)

Any successful marriage is built upon the biblical truth that God designed each of us with five purposes in mind: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and missions.

Until you realize you and your mate were placed together for God's purposes, then your marriage will be difficult, complicated, and exhausting. But once you understand God's plan, your marriage takes on new meaning.

You and your spouse were formed for God's family. God made an incredible promise about the gathering of even just two believers: "For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them." (Matthew 18:20, TEV)

So if both you and your spouse are believers, God is already in your marriage working to transform the two of you into a purpose driven family!

Your marriage is a lab for learning how to love like Jesus loves. Within marriage, God has created an opportunity for us to develop a true intimacy and authenticity with another human being.

To go this deep requires genuine, heart-to-heart, gut-level sharing, where you and your spouse get honest about who you are and what's happening in your lives. This happens when you both share your hurts, reveal your feelings, confess your failures, disclose your doubts, admit your fears, acknowledge your weaknesses, and ask each other for help and prayer.

Steps to Reigning in life

You take your seat with Christ in heavenly places

Ephesians 2:5-7 

5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

You became a world overcomer

1 John 4:4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

You receive your victory in faith

1 John 5:4 

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Strength

Romans 4:20 

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

Ephesians 3:16 

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Empowered For Rebuilding Lives

By Jon Walker

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other.” Zechariah 7:9-10 (NLT)

You have the power, by God’s Spirit within you, to help people rebuild their lives, to give hope to people in despair, to offer others a fresh start when it seems they have nothing left.

God empowers us to:

· Judge with an even-hand – We show compassion when we act as a voice for those who have no voice. Our compassion can help the powerless, the ignored, the forgotten, the defeated, and the falsely accused.

· Show mercy – When we show mercy to those in the wrong, it doesn’t mean we’re letting someone “off the hook”; rather, it means we recognize he/she is a flawed human, just like us, in need of salvation.

· Be kind – In the graceless age, we can show kindness, even to those with whom we disagree. We can model civility and respect.

· Use your advantages to help – Instead of focusing on getting the advantage, we can use what advantages and privileges we do have to help others. We can willingly put ourselves at a disadvantage in order to serve someone else, such as when Jesus, the leader and the Messiah, washed the feet of his disciples.

· Protect others – Our compassion compels us to look out for the interests of others, in particular, those in volatile or vulnerable situations.

God says when we do this, our light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around us will be as bright as day: “The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.” (Isaiah 58:11-12 NLT)

Here we see the cycle of compassion: God gives compassion to us; we give compassion to others; then we receive compassion from God and others in our time of need. “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” (Proverbs 11:25 MSG)

This is the essence of a Christ-community – living together, serving together, and loving together.

What does this mean?

· What would biblical compassion look like if you judged with an even hand in your home? At work? In the community? What can you do to be a voice for those who have no voice?

· What would biblical compassion look like if you showed mercy in your home? At work? In the community? What are ways you can express compassion and mercy to those who’ve failed, done things wrong, or simply disappointed you?

· What would biblical compassion look like if you exhibited civility and respect, even for those who show little civility or respect for you?

· What would biblical compassion look like if you used your advantages and privileges to help those who are disadvantaged or those who have no privileges?

· What would biblical compassion look like if you placed the interests of others above your own interests?