New Year’s Day 2009

To follow up the post on New Year’s Resolution, I want to look at a short passage of Scripture.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

We’ve got a whole new year ahead of us. As believers though, we’ve got eternity ahead of us. That never changes, no matter the date on the calendar. That means our goals, or resolutions, should never change, no matter what we do, it is to be done to glorify God. (I Cor 10:31)

The year ahead is always something we cannot predict. Things often take turns we didn’t expect. Our passage points out that the days are evil. We know, from Scripture, that the days will get worse as we draw closer to the end. We don’t know when that day will actually be (Matthew 24:36) but we know that they will be similar to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-38). Genesis 6:5 says “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The days that we live in are truly no different. People are focused on the temporal, the past, the here and now.

We are to be different “not as unwise, but as wise.” Pay attention to your walk. Place one foot in front of the other, steady as you go. Carpe Diem, as the saying goes. The Greek word for time here means opportunity. Make the most of the opportunity that is the life you have been given. Worship and serve! God is to be our focus, our passion, our life!!

David Brainard, missionary to the Native Americans in the early your of America, said, “When I really enjoy God, I feel my desires of Him the more insatiable, and my thirstings after holiness the more unquenchable…Oh, for holiness! Oh, for more of God in my soul! Oh, this pleasing pain! It makes my soul press after God…Oh, that I might no loiter on my heavenly journey!!!

New Years Resolutions

Every year people make New Year's Resolutions. Sometimes they are a repeat of the resolutions of last year that never got done, sometimes they are new resolutions that won't get done. There is just something about the changing of the calendar that makes people want to change, be better, improve one's self.

That being said, here are mine!!

First of all, I want to improve things here at A&S. I want to post with some kind of regularity, at least once a week. It would help if I had a focus, like I did with the Proverbs, so I may try to find something like that. I also have to finish my post on the Great Commission!!

Second, I want to be better read. I am planning on setting aside $25-30 a month to buy books, hopefully getting at least two books a month. I don't plan on doing book reviews, although I may attempt one or two. Mainly, I just need to feed my mind more (which meand less television).

Third, I want to finally complete a "through the Bible in a year" plan. Every study bible I have has one in the back but I never seem to complete it. I worked on a couple of plans the other day that I think will work quite well though, with a big emphasis on the New Testament. I'll lay it out below.

Plan 1
This plan takes you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament 13 times, reading 10-11 chapters a day of NT. Wow, I know!

1. Read 3 chapters from the OT, 6 days a week, starting January 1st.
2. Week 1 (starting the first Sunday of January)
Sun: MT: 1-10
Mon: MT: 11-19
Tue: MT: 20-28
Wed: 1 Cor. 1-10
Thu: 1 Cor 11-16, 2 Cor 1-3
Fri: 2 Cor 4-13
Sat: 1&2 Thessalonians

Week 2
Sun: Mark 1-8
Mon: Mark 9-16
Tue: 1&2 Peter
Wed: Galatians, Colossians, & Philemon
Thu: Ephesians & Philippians
Fri: Hebrews 1-10
Sat: Hebrews 11-13 & Titus

Week 3
Sun: Luke 1-10
Mon: Luke 11-20
Tue: Luke 21-24 & Acts 1-6
Wed: Acts 7-16
Thu: Acts 17-25
Fri: Acts 26-28 & James
Sat: 1 & 2 Timothy

Week 4
Sun: John 1-10
Mon: John 11-20
Tue: Romans 1-8
Wed: Romans 9-16
Thu: 1-3 John & Jude
Fri: Revelation 1-11
Sat: Revelation 12-22


Plan 2
This plan takes you through the OT once and the NT 6 times(actually 6.5), reading 4-5 chapters a day of NT.

1. Read 3 chapters from the OT,6 days a week, starting January 1st.
2. Week 1 (starting the first Sunday of January)
Sun: Mt 1-5
Mon: Mt 6-10
Tue: Mt 11-15
Wed: Mt 16-20
Thu: Mt 21-24
Fri: Mt 25-28
Sat: James

Week 2
Sun: Mark 1-5
Mon: Mark 6-10
Tue: Mark 11-16
Wed: Romans 1-5
Thu: Romans 6-10
Fri: Romans 11-16
Sat: Jude

Week 3
Sun: John 1-5
Mon: John 6-10
Tue: John 11-15
Wed: John 16-20
Thu: 1 John
Fri: 2-3 John
Sat: Galatians

Week 4
Sun: Luke 1-4
Mon: Luke 5-9
Tue: Luke 1-14
Wed: Luke 15-19
Thu: Luke 2-24
Fri: 1 Thessalonians
Sat: 2 Thessalonians

Week 5
Sun: Acts 1-5
Mon: Acts 6-10
Tue: Acts 11-15
Wed: Acts 16-20
Thu: Acts 21-24
Fri: Acts 25-28
Sat: Philippians

Week 6
Sun: Colossians
Mon: 1 Cor 1-5
Tue: 1 Cor 6-10
Wed: 1 Cor 11-16
Thu: 2 Cor 1-5
Fri: 2 Cor 6-9
Sat: 2 Cor 10-13

Week 7
Sun: Hebrews 1-4
Mon: Hebrews 5-8
Tue: Hebrews 9-13
Wed: Ephesians
Thu: 1 Timothy
Fri: 2 Timothy
Sat: Titus

Week 8
Sun: 1 Peter
Mon: 2 Peter & Philemon
Tue: Revelation 1-5
Wed: Revelation 6-9
Thu: Revelation 10-13
Fri: Revelation 14-17
Sat: Revelation 18-22