One Chapter a Day

The size of the bible can seem overwhelming to us. We think, “There are 66 books here! Should I just pick it up and start reading anywhere?” This may be the reason many people opt to read devotionals instead.

Here is a little system for getting started. We call it, “Just One Chapter a Day.”

Go to the New Testament Table of Contents and find the books with the least number of chapters. These books (one chapter) are:

Philemon, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude

Read one chapter each day beginning with Philemon.

Day 2 read 2nd John
Day three read 3rd John
Day four read Jude

Go on to the books that have three chapters (there aren’t any with only two) and read one chapter each day until all of the books with three chapters are read.

Proceed with the books that have four chapters and do the same and so on...

You Will Grow

As you can see, we are reading the books according to the number of chapters they have, from the least to the greatest. You will move quickly through the small books and this will encourage you to continue.

By the time you get to the larger books, you will have developed the daily habit. You will be amazed at how much you will grow through this simple practice.

If for some reason you miss reading one day, don’t try to make up for it by reading two chapters the next day. Doing so will frustrate you.

Just continue to read one chapter each day.

Just Start

You can do this! There are 260 chapters in the New Testament. Reading “Just One Chapter a Day” will take you through the entire New Testament in less than a year!

Start now!

As newborn babes, desire the sincere

milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby

1 Peter 2:2


JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

Guilt-ridden, we continuously resolve, “I’ll start tomorrow” or “I’ll start next week.” We do it for a day or two and then it’s over.

We can’t understand why this is such a battle. Let’s take a look at what most of us believe is the number one obstacle…

Time! Time! Time!

We may truly believe there are not enough hours in the day. For many, time with God is three minutes. That’s how long it takes to read a page from a devotional while gulping a cup of coffee or eating lunch; prayer is on the fly.

Dedicated time alone with God to read scripture and pray is vital. It must be the one nonnegotiable time slot in our day. Without it we will not grow in the faith nor be a fruit-bearing disciple, wife, mother or employee.

Morning – The Time Solution

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3

Since our relationship with God is more important than any other person, thing or pursuit, we must not allow anyone or anything to hinder communion with Him.

Morning is the perfect time to meet with the LORD. Why morning?

Frankly, if we don’t do it before we get involved in the activities of the day, we probably won’t do it later. The goal is to make our time alone with God a natural part of our morning.

Garnering Success

Our success may be depend on getting up earlier than the rest of the family. Some of the things we normally do in the morning like making lunches or ironing may need to be done in the evening.

The temptation to hit the snooze button, cuddle into the pillow and sleepily say, “I’ll do it before I go to bed tonight” or “I’ll do it during my lunch hour” must be resisted. We know it is not likely to happen, or if it does, it will lack quality.

Let’s Ask Ourselves

• Would we get up an hour earlier to catch a plane?

• If the kids’ school schedule changed and required getting up an hour earlier for the entire school year, would we do it?

• At the request of our employer, would we report to work an hour early for a meeting?

The answer to all of these questions is “Yes.” So, we see that is a matter of perception.
We do with time those things we believe are important.

Each of us must give an honest answer to the question, “Why, isn’t daily time alone with God important enough to make sure I don’t miss it?”

Persevere!!

Perseverance is the key to victory in this struggle. We must do whatever it takes! It may be hard at first and may take a week or so to get a workable plan.

Get up early enough tomorrow morning to read one chapter in your bible and pray. Psalms may be a good place to begin. Notice the difference in your day. Do it again the following day. If you miss a day, don’t throw in the towel. Persevere!

Dedicated time alone with God to read scripture and pray must be the one nonnegotiable time slot in the day.

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

Tools That Free Us

Today, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers and disposable diapers are commonplace for many women in the western world. A flip of a switch ignites stove tops and ovens.

Our predecessors would have loved to possess these precious luxuries that save us hours of time and energy.

What are we doing with the hours and energy that our foregone sisters used for routine chores? Many women these days say they do not have time to read the bible on a daily basis.

Time — Not Enough?

A concept has engulfed our culture called “not enough time.” It has become a belief system, and is affecting the behavior of the masses. Prioritized planning helps to accomplish the things that are most important.

Reading the Word of God daily is a priority for all disciples of Jesus Christ. It must be done in order to grow spiritually and live in a way that pleases God.

If you struggle in this area, please consider…

• How much time do I spend each day utilizing technology — social media, internet surfing, text messaging?

• Do I direct my day or does my day direct me?

• Am I buying into the concept that I do not have enough time?

  
  
  Next time…
  Daily Time In the Word
  
  

Our husbands are precious gifts from God. We should be thankful and cherish them.

We naturally give precious things the utmost care. We do not use grandmother's hand sewn quilt for a picnic or Mom’s fine china for our toddler's birthday party. Our husbands are far greater treasures; we should joyfully “do good” toward them and “not harm” all of our days.

What Is Good?
Good is keeping their welfare at the forefront of our hearts, and doing those things that would benefit them most.

What Is Evil/Harm?
Creating distress, misery or calamity for our husbands does them harm. Because we are one, when we are good to our husbands, we are actually good to ourselves. Likewise, when we cause them harm, we harm ourselves. The bible gives us a great example of a wife that does well by her husband and one that causes misery. Let's first take a look at the “good wife,” Priscilla.

Priscilla – Wife of Aquila
Acts Chapter 18; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19
No doubt about it, every man would love to have a wife like Priscilla. Her devotion to her husband's welfare is clearly seen as she:
*works by his side making tents to support their household Acts 18:1-3
*serves with him in ministry, yet does not try to rise above him Acts 18:24- 26 17
*joyfully makes her home available for church meetings Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19

Whew! What a woman! She held down a job, worked in ministry, was submissive to her husband and hospitable to the saints. Priscilla truly worked in concert with Aquila. Interestingly, the bible does not mention Priscilla or Aquila separately. They were extremely effective in ministry because they functioned as one. Priscilla is a striking example of a wife who “did good.”

In contrast, let's take a look at Eve. Unfortunately, she harmed her husband immensely.

Eve – Wife of Adam
Genesis 2:7 through Genesis 3:24
Eve offered her husband the fruit that God had forbidden them to eat. Adam decided to take her up on the offer. It was not Eve's fault that Adam ate. Obviously, he had been obedient to God's command until this point. Is it possible that the fruit was more appealing to him when presented by her hand than when merely hanging on the tree? Eve's action was a disservice to her husband, herself, her children, and all mankind. Why? Because, when Adam ate, sin and death entered the world.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12

How was Adam harmed by accepting his wife's offer?
*He experienced shame before God Genesis 3:10
*He was expelled from the garden Genesis 3:23-24
*He had to work hard to survive Genesis 3:17-19
*His name is tarnished (forever tied to the fall of man) Romans 5:14; Proverbs 22:1
*His seed produces fallen sinners Romans 5:12
*He died Genesis 5:5
Because Eve was deceived, she caused her husband great harm. I believe the lesson to us here is to endeavor to know the Word of God well. If Eve had known with certainty what God had commanded, would she have been so easily deceived? We do not know. (This question exists because her response to the serpent was not exactly what God had said.) However, we see here that lacking clarity pertaining to God's commandment can cause us (or anyone) to fall into sin. In this example, we also see, we can easily take our husbands down with us.

Priscilla is not the only good wife in the bible nor is Eve the only wife in scripture to harm her husband, but let's take a look at ourselves. The question begs to be asked, “Which wife am I?”

Something to think about...
*What are some ways that I can be good to my husband?
*How can I support my husband in ministry or business?
*Am I doing anything that could be harmful to my husband?
*Is there anything I am not doing that could eventually cause my husband harm?
*Do I try to influence my husband's decisions for selfish reasons?
*Do I intentionally deceive my husband?
*Do I buy things and hide them from him?
*Do I undermine his discipline of the children?
*Do I encourage the children to respect my husband?
*Do I frustrate him through disrespect and disobedience?
*Do I do anything behind my husband's back?
*Am I open and honest with him in everything?
*Do I respect his God given authority in our home?

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

REPENTANCE
Luke 13:3,5
Jesus said, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
(perish In the lake of fire)
So we see that repentance is necessary.

FAITH
Ephesians 2:8
“For by grace are ye saved through faith are saved”
We see that faith is necessary.

Repentance and faith are like two sides of a coin. You must have both to have the coin. So if repentant faith is necessary for salvation, how do you know that you have attained it? Let’s look to God’s word to see what it teaches.

FOUR POINTS REGARDING BIBLICAL REPENTANCE

Point 1

Repentance involves godly or Godward sorrow over the guilt and shame of your sins against God and a willingness to humble yourself in the sight of God in response.

We read in Psalm 51:4 of the king of Israel, David, who wrote these words of repentance, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” Here we see David admitting his guilt to God and humbling himself before Him.

In Psalm 51:9, David goes on to say, “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.”

These words are evidence of David’s shame.

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Have you sorrowed in such a way?

Point 2

You will turn from all your sin to faith or trust in Jesus Christ.

Consider 1 Thessalonians 1:9, which says of the Thessalonians, “how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God”

Have you turned away from your sin to serve God?

Think carefully.


Point 3

You will hate your sinful life.

Jesus taught in John 12:25, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

Is it true that you still love your sinful life? Or have you abandoned your sinful life?


Point 4

You will have a great desire for God’s mercy.

Consider David’s appeal for God’s mercy in Psalm 51:1. He cried out, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.”

In Psalm 130:4 David says to God, “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”

Do you believe God is able and willing to be merciful to you?

SUMMARY OF REPENTANCE

Godly or Godward Sorrow

Turning Away from all your sin to God

A Holy Hatred for your sinful life

A Great Desire for God’s mercy

Now let’s consider three points of biblical faith…


THREE POINTS REGARDING BIBLICAL SAVING FAITH

Point 1

If you have exercised saving faith, you will trust in, and rely upon the person and finished work of Jesus Christ alone (only) for salvation.

Galatians 2:16 teaches. “a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ”

Your own works cannot save you. This means that no amount of personal reformation, improvement, or change will save you. For example…

• walking down the aisle at church

• shaking hands with the pastor

• asking Jesus into your heart

• praying a special prayer

• getting baptized

• joining a church

• working in the church

Salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

Point 2

A person of genuine faith will love Christ supremely and commit himself to follow Him.

Jesus Himself taught in Luke Chapter 14...

“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Verse 26

Faith in Christ produces the fruit of a supreme love for Christ above all other relationships and above love for yourself.

“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Verse 27

Faith produces a willingness to give up your life for Jesus Christ.

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Verse 28

Faith involves committing yourself to Christ until the very end of life.

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Verse 33

”Everyone who exercises saving faith becomes Christ’s disciple; a follower and learner of Jesus Christ.

Point 3

People of genuine faith, as a lifestyle, love God and keep His commandments.

1 John 5:3 states, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

Genuine faith is characterized by delight in obeying God’s law. A Christian loves the law of God. No longer does he despise it. However, we are not saved by keeping God’s law, but those who are saved keep God’s law because they are saved. The Spirit of God produces this love for God’s law and produces obedience to the law in all those who are saved through repentant faith.

SUMMARY OF BIBLICAL FAITH

Trust in and Reliance upon only the person and finished work of Jesus Christ for salvation

Supreme Love for Jesus Christ - produced by the Spirit of God

Commitment to Jesus Christ until the very end of life

Genuine Love for God’s law and obedience to it - produced y the Spirit of God


Have you responded to the good news (the gospel) of God’s mercy and grace in Jesus Christ?

If not, God commands you, Repent and Believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15).

Repent (turn from your sin) put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you from sin and from the wrath of God.

”Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1


Next time…
Do Your Husband No Harm

Jesus Christ is God's acceptable “blood-sacrifice” for sin.

Falsely accused and convicted of blasphemy by the Jewish leaders, Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross by the Roman government. He bled and died on this cross. This was no accident, God sent Jesus Christ into the world for this reason.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Speaking of Jesus, Colossians 1:14 says,

“in whom we have redemption²through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus' sacrificial death is acceptable to God because He is holy. He is God's Son, not fathered by a man, therefore, He is not a sinner. No one fathered by a descendant of Adam could be an acceptable sacrifice. God chose a virgin by the name of Mary to give birth to Jesus; He was conceived by the power of God's Spirit — the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:26-35…
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

It is important to understand that Jesus died and was buried. God, however, raised Him from the dead on the third day after His death. How do we know? The scriptures tell us He was seen alive by His disciples and over 500 other people.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once...

Furthermore, the scriptures tell us that His apostles (chosen witnesses) saw His ascension into heaven.

Acts 1:1-11
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Based on these scriptures, we know that Jesus did not stay in the grave, but was raised from death to life and then ascended bodily into heaven.

His death would not be of any help to us if He had remained in the grave. Jesus Christ has conquered death for us.

Jesus' resurrection³ matters because it proves that His sacrifice was acceptable to God — God raised Him from the dead.

Acts 3:26
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.⁴

Revelation 1:18
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

John 11:25
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

¹Remission - forgiveness or pardon of sins, remission of the penalty
²Redemption – liberation procured by the payment of a ransom
³Resurrection – raised from the dead
⁴Iniquities – injustice, unrighteousness

Next time…
The Biblical Response to what Jesus Christ has done

God’s Judgment

The bible explicitly states that each of us will die and face God’s judgment…
…and they were judged every man according to their works (Revelation 20:13)

We have sinned against God and bear the guilt of our sin. Our works (doing good deeds) will not save us from the lake of fire. We must be reconciled¹ to God. Why? Because...

 God is holy. God is the only holy being. This means He is moral, pure and just (righteous).

 We have offended God with our sin.

 Being just, God cannot and will not ignore our sin.

 God’s Law demands punishment for what we have done.

 Eternity in the lake of fire is the price that must be paid for our sin against God.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God’s Compassion

In addition to being holy, God is also...

Gracious

Merciful

Compassionate

Forgiving

Loving

Kind

Patient

“As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).

In grace and mercy, God determined to reconcile us to Himself by providing a substitute for us. He Himself would bear our punishment through the sacrifice of Himself. In love, He would come to earth and die in our place in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ would live a sinless life and then die on a cross, a perfect sacrifice for sin. In this way, He paid for our sin so we will not have to pay in the lake of fire.
Jesus Christ is God incarnate (in human flesh).

And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)


Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is God, the only-begotten Son.

Jesus Christ is God incarnate (in human flesh).

Jesus Christ is the One God sent to reconcile us to Himself.

”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

¹ Reconciled – brought into friendship from a state of hostility, enmity, or hatred

Next time…
How the death of Jesus Christ paid for our sin

Death is one of the many consequences of sin. We will list four...

1. Severed relationship with God

   By sinning against God, Adam severed the relationship that he had with God. Our relationship to God is broken because of our sin.
   “But your iniquities¹ have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).
   

2. Banishment Adam was banished from the garden where God had placed him. Even the ground was cursed because of Adam’s sin, consequently, only by his toil and labor would the ground produce food for him.
   Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken (Genesis 3:22 23).

3. Physical death for Adam and all of his offspring

   Adam is the natural (physical) father of us all and representative of the human race. His corrupt nature is passed on from generation to generation through our fathers. We inherit his sinful nature, and due to our own sin against God, we will die physically as well.
   “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

4. Eternity in the lake of fire Adam did not merely die physically. In the day that Adam sinned against God, he died spiritually. As descendants of Adam, we are born spiritually dead in sin, separated from God. Upon physical death, eternal torment in the lake of fire awaits all who have not been reconciled¹ to God.

   “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
   
   

   ¹ Reconciled – brought into friendship from a state of hostility, enmity, or hatred
   
   Next time…
   God’s Judgment and Compassion

God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, mankind, and all that exists.

The bible tells us in detail how He created everything and everyone in Genesis Chapters 1 and 2...

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

Who Are We?

We are God’s creation. God made the first man, Adam. He was not immoral or evil-hearted by nature.

God made him upright,¹ but he did not remain this way. He was commanded by God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which was in the garden where God had placed him to live. Death was the penalty for disobedience.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Adam did not obey the commandment. He ate from the tree. This willful act of disobedience corrupted his nature.² As a result, the thoughts and desires of his heart became evil. Having broken God’s law, Adam was now a sinner in God’s sight and a slave to his corrupted nature.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:34)

It became natural for Adam to sin,³ and he passed his corrupted nature on to his children. Now, all the descendants of Adam live in rebellion to God; they live according to their own desires rather than living according to God’s law. We have broken the commandments of God and enjoy doing so because we are descendants of Adam.

¹ Upright – moral; just; righteous; good

² Nature – the fundamental or essential characteristics of a person including their mind, emotions, and will

³ Sin – to break or violate the law of God; lawlessness


God’s Law
The 10 Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy God in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor they father and thy mother.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet.


Next...
Why Do We Die?

We were born empty-handed, possessing nothing material; yet invisible within us—more precious than any worldly possession—dwells an ever-living soul.

The soul is who we are — the immaterial, thinking, reasoning part of us. It will be separated from the body upon death. We know the body will be buried or cremated, but since the soul doesn’t die, where does it go?

The soul goes to one of two very real places where it will consciously exist and live forever – either...
1. Heaven - the place where God dwells -or-
2. the lake of fire

It is important to understand what the Bible teaches on this because...
1. it is certain that we will die
2. heaven is eternal joy and peace
3. the lake of fire is eternal torment

We need assurance that heaven will be our eternal home.

So we will begin at the beginning of the bible, focusing on Genesis chapters 1 through 3. This may be a review for some, but we want to cover this for those who may not be acquainted with these passages.

These chapters are foundational to understanding...
1. who God is
2. who we are
3. why we die

Next time...
~Who is God?
~Who are we?

May your engagement here greatly enrich your relationship with Christ our LORD.

Christ Our Anchor

Assurance · Growth · Life