Reading The Bible

“Reading the Bible”  –  Question:  Why Read the Bible?

Taken from the site address:
 http://www.intouch.org/you/article-archive/content?topic=the_importance_of_scripture

The Importance of Scripture – By Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The truth of God’s Word applies to all men and women in every culture, in every age, in every walk of life. It is His supernatural manual that alone reveals His mind and ways so that humankind may know and experience His presence and eternal love.

The Bible is God’s written record of His works through the ages.It provides substantial evidence of His nature, plan, and purposes so that we can confidently place our faith in Him. Because we have His Word, we are not left to archaeological, historical, or theological guesswork. We can know how to live, make decisions, and worship the Lord, for “it is written” in His Word.

Scripture is divinely inspired. This means that He was involved in every detail that was recorded and written. It is God-breathed, and it is life’s final and ultimate authority. The Bible is the “last word” on issues pertaining to God and His will. No individual, institution, or organization can supersede the authority of Scripture. Likewise, the Bible is God’s guide to salvation and wise living. The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (119:105).

That is exactly why we are admonished not to add to or take away from Scripture (Rev. 22:18-19). It perfectly expresses the decrees and judgments of almighty God. The Bible is authoritative because it is the truth: “The sum of Your word is truth” (Ps. 119:160).

Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Bible enlightens each individual to recognize personal sin, the need for salvation, and the best possible life course. Without the Bible informing and illumining us, we would be hopelessly unable to know and follow the true and living God. When we say, “Oh, I just wish I could hear God speak to me!” we overlook the fact that He has spoken and is still speaking to us through His Word. He is never silent but is actively involved in every aspect of our lives (Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12).

The Bible is also profitable and nourishing.It provides us with an advantage in every department of life—family, business, and personal relationships. It is profitable because it reflects the wisdom of God; and when we abide by its teachings, we learn to live in His peace. As we meditate and consider its truth, our spirits and souls find nourishment. We become established and enriched in every experience of life by living according to God’s perspective. The Bible is the Book for everyone. It is revelation, inspiration, and communication of the Person and plan of the eternal, living, and powerful God.

Adapted from “The Charles F. Stanley’s Life Principles Bible,” 2008.

There are several methods of reading the Bible each year.  Which one works for you?

From the site:  http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/

Beginning to End:  Read the Bible from start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.

Chronological:  Read the Bible as its events occurred in real time. For example, Job lived sometime after the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) but before Abraham was born (Genesis 12). As a result, the Book of Job is integrated into the Book of Genesis.

Historical:  Read the books of the Bible as they were written historically, according to the estimated date of their writing.

New then Old:  A BibleYear.com exclusive! Read through the New Testament first, then read through the Old Testament.

Old and New:  Each day includes a passage from both the Old Testament and New Testament.

Other sites – just type in “Read Bible in Year” – will get lots of optional methods.

Here are some:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/

http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/

http://www.fbcj.org/Documents/BibleReading-1Year-Chronologically.pdf  (a schedule)

http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2008/12/read-through-the-bible-in-a-year-with-new-bible-gateway-reading-plans/

http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/

I was introduced to this by “Captain Steve Brown” of http://www.agcchaplaincy.com/   Chaplaincy – Endorsing Independent Fundamental Chaplains Since 1939.

“For the Love of God” Vol. 1 and 2 – D. A. Carson

The plan is that he provides a set of scriptures to read each day.  (Doing so will complete reading the Bible in one year.  You will read it with a collection of Bible readings for that day.  After or before reading the scripture references he provides a ‘daily devotional’  with key ideas from a part of the scripture you just read.   Note sample below:

Using Vol. 1 – today – May 29, 2013

Deuteronomy 2; Psalms 83–84;Isaiah 30; Jude

“for the lord god is a sun and a shield: the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you” (Ps. 84:11–12).

Much of this psalm exults in the sheer privilege and delight of abiding in the presence of God, which for the children of the old covenant meant living in the shadow of the temple. “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (84:2). To have a place “near your altar” is to have a home, in exactly the same way that a sparrow finds a home or a swallow builds a nest (84:3). “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” (84:4; see also the meditation for April 17).

But what about the last two verses of this psalm? Don’t they go over the top, promising too much? The psalmist insists that God withholds “no good thing” from those whose walk is blameless. Well, since we all sin, I suppose there is an escape clause: who is blameless? Isn’t it obvious that God withholds lots of good things from lots of people whose walk is about as blameless as walks can get, this side of the new heaven and the new earth?

Consider Eric Liddell, the famous Scottish Olympian celebrated in the film Chariots of Fire. Liddell became a missionary in China. For ten years he taught in a school, and then went farther inland to do frontline evangelism. The work was not only challenging but dangerous, not the least because the Japanese were making increasing inroads. Eventually he was interned with many other Westerners. In the squalid camp, Liddell was a shining light of service and good cheer, a lodestar for the many children there who had not seen their parents for years, a self-sacrificing leader. But a few months before they were released, Liddell died of a brain tumor. He was forty-three. In this life he never saw the youngest of his three daughters: his wife and children had returned to Canada before the Japanese sweep that rounded up the foreigners. Didn’t the Lord withhold from him a long life, years of fruitful service, the joy of rearing his own children?

Perhaps the best response lies in Liddell’s favorite hymn:

Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heav’nly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.^[1]