I am resending this out today…because I believe spending time in God’s Word is the key to living a life for the Lord, that will provide His richest blessings !!
bruce
“Audio Bible in a Year, with audio commentary by teacher/preacher Nicky Gumbel !!”
Written by bruce r. mills for “God’s group” @ www.Godsmanforever.com
Revised from 12/29/2016
2 Timothy 3:16-17… All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NKJV)
This post is about an amazing app for reading the Bible in a year, that I have been using for the past 2 years… BiOY, has several improvements from the first year !! What better time than today…to make a New Year’s resolution, to spend more time reading (or listening to) the Bible… More about this valuable tool, and the addition of audio for scripture listening, and reading in different languages, a little later… (See 1. below for a link to this app)
Why should we read the Bible anyway ?? The opening scripture penned by the apostle Paul, gives us an excellent list of reasons for why we as Christians should spend time (hopefully daily), reading God’s inerrant Word, the Bible… You say the Bible is just a bunch of stories, written by mere men ?? I urge you to open link 2. below, for mathematical proof that every word in the Bible is truth, that is God breathed…inspired by God, and penned by men, with the help of the Holy Spirit…2 Peter 1:21…
The Bible is where God presents the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ…God’s means of saving sinners… (See link 3. below for a presentation of the Gospel of Christ…if you have not yet obeyed the Gospel of Christ, to be graced by God with salvation)
Spending time reading God’s Word, is where our spiritual wisdom is nourished… Jesus tells us how important it is to spend time in God’s Word, in…
Matthew 4:4… But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (NKJV)
Just as we need food and water to be able to live and to grow…we need to feed our soul with God’s Word, in order to grow and mature in our spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God… The apostle Paul pens this, about the Christian’s calling to be conformed into the image of Christ, in…
Romans 8:29-30… And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (NKJV)
How can we as Christians be sanctified (set apart), and do our best to be imitators of Christ…if we don’t spend time in God’s Word, to learn what God wants us to know, in order to be being conformed in to the image of Christ ?? We can’t !! Just going to church, and maybe even a Bible study once a week, just isn’t enough… This lifelong process of being conformed into the image of Christ, is called “Progressive Sanctification”, and is described in detail, in link 4. below…
We read the Bible to allow God to speak to us through His Word… I can’t tell you how many times I have read a piece of scripture, that God has used to mold me, and to help transform my mind into thinking and acting more like Christ… The apostle Paul penned this…
Romans 12:1-2… I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)
Do you know what keeps the Christian from living a “Christ centered” life, with God in control of their lives ?? Not being protected from our fleshly desires to sin…and Satan’s attacks to keep us from spiritually maturing… When the Lord in control of our lives, through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit (that God has indwelt every true Christian with)…we will be Walking in the Spirit…Galatians 5:16… I am here to tell you, that God has provided us with 6 pieces of spiritual armor to keep Satan in check; which if worn in its entirety, promises to keep Satan’s formidable assaults from bring us down… You can read about God’s WHOLE set of spiritual armor, in Ephesians 6:10-20… (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph6%3A10-20&version=NKJV)
But even with God’s 6 pieces of armor worn to keep Satan at bay…we must still submit our lives to God, to all but defeat Satan’s attacks… The apostle James, gives us the 2nd part of what I call “God’s Duo”, to keep Satan in check, in…
James 4:7-8… Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NKJV)
I can personally testify to God’s promises to help us defeat Satan…and to help keep our flesh under control… I wrote about this in a day’s writing with my testimony, sharing how God’s spiritual armor and my submission to God, has helped me personally to Walk in the Spirit on a more consistent basis… Do I still sin ?? Of course I do… But with the help of the Holy Spirit, protecting me from Satan…I find my sins to be smaller, and less frequent… May God receive all the glory and the praise for my His amazing work in my life, through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit… (See link 5. below, for my personal testimony)
Now a little bit about the app (BiOY), for reading the Bible in a year…with new additions of audio for listening to the Bible (English only)…and the availability of Spanish, and I believe a few other languages, for the 3 written sections of the Bible… While I don’t advocate trying to listen to the Bible while driving to work…I believe there will be some people, that just don’t have the time, any other way…to spend time daily in the Word…
This amazing version of reading the Bible in a year, was started by Vicar Nicky Gumbel of HTB in London… Nicky was the originator of Alpha, back in 1990…(www.Alpha.org) It takes maybe 25 – 35 minutes per day to be able to read through the Bible in a year… This version includes 3 sections for each day… One from either Psalms or Proverbs… One from the New Testament… And one from the Old Testament…
A great use of this BiOY, would be for families with children at home…to use as a time the family can spend together, learning about the Lord… I know of two families doing just that, and one has told me their child is excited about spending this time together reading and studying the Bible…
My friends, there should be absolutely no reason you cannot find the time EVERY day to read (or listen to) God’s Word… Don’t neglect this valuable time in the Word, to grow in your spiritual knowledge, and thereby your spiritual maturity in your walk with the Lord… You will be blessed for your diligence !! (Hebrews 11:6)
Heavenly Father, I pray You work on the hearts and minds of ALL of Your redeemed children…urging them to feed their souls each and every day, by spending valuable time in Your Word… I pray that ALL of your children would do their best, to place You first in their lives…as they Walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), under total control by Your Helper, the Holy Spirit… I pray for this fullness of Christ and His love for each and every one of us…in Jesus’ most precious name, and for His sake…
Blessings in Christ, bruce
Extra reading:
-
-
-
-
-
*****************************************************************
P.S. (from bruce) If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth for this most important days writing, about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com/2014/10/26/the-truth-about-sin-10262014-by-bruce-reposted-from-7112013/
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…
Picture credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=Picture+reading+the+Bible&rlz=1C1VFKB_enUS610US619&espv=2&biw=1189&bih=833&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjDme3RipzRAhWFNiYKHQLDBCwQsAQIGg#imgdii=tiKWzsG_BmXmNM:&imgrc=bV7FsKVqMno-_M:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
About Godsmanforever
I present posts about God's Word, with a personal focus on how God's grace is received through saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ... Sinners must understand and obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ... See this link for more...
https://godsmanforever.com/2014/10/26/the-truth-about-sin-10262014-by-bruce-reposted-from-7112013/
God's group 