Spiritual Fast Food Isn't Enough!
|
Dr. Selwyn R. Stevens
© Copyright 2004 Intl. President - Jubilee Resources International Apostolic Overseer - Alliance of African
Christian Churches & Ministries
One of the signs of the End Times - prior to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ - is recorded in Amos 8:11-12. "...A famine of hearing the Word of the Lord..." This is a serious problem today. Over recent years
there have been a well-meaning proliferation of daily study notes. These
usually consist of one or two verses of the Bible, followed by several paragraphs
of a man's thoughts. It may be nice prose, even occasionally a word in season
of comfort, or some life issue. But like all fast food, it cannot sustain
us over the longer period because it isn't a balanced spiritual diet. Countless
thousands of Christians have become spiritually malnourished by depending
on such daily notes as their primary source of spiritual sustenance. Increasingly
we are hearing from pastors despairing that so many of their people are
attempting to sustain their spiritual walk with God on a daily diet of one
or two verses - if any at all - preferring man's word to God's Word.
Amos was right.
We are to measure
things by their fruit - it says so in the Bible. So what are the fruits
of Fast-Food scripture notes? On the plus side they should and do help new
Christians into the habit of opening their Bible every day, to feed on God's
Word and to discern and obey His will for their lives. Unfortunately the
book they usually open isn't the Bible, but the daily study notes.
But it is God's
word which "...is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword...
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart," (Hebrews 4:12).
No matter how well written, the prose of man can never come close to the
power and effects of God's Word.
On the other hand,
there is bad fruit from these daily study notes. Because there isn't enough
of God's Word in their daily spiritual diet, too many people are picking
up and adopting humanistic and even occultic doctrines and beliefs. A local
university did a research project which showed that over one-third of those
calling themselves "Christian" actually had a New Age world-view, including
the belief that God is some sort of impersonal force - the Buddhist/Taoist/Star
Wars doctrine. Any individual or church congregation which does serious study
of God's Word in an on-going and planned way is much less likely to be deceived
by false doctrines or false prophets and teachers. As Dr. Derek Prince says,
"A text out of context is a pretext - a lie". By grasping a verse here and
there, as both the cults and the daily study notes do, the incidence of
deception rapidly rises because of the failure to read God's Word in its
context. Major cult groups (such as the Mormons/Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, the Jehovah's Witnesses/Watchtower, Christadelphians,
Spiritualists, Unitarians, Christian Science, Moonies and many others) attempt
to support their unique and anti-Biblical doctrines frequently by picking
verses out of context. When placed back into context, such verses usually
mean the opposite to those false doctrines.
It seems to me there
is one major solution to many of these spiritual problems. Individual Christians
and congregations need to be encouraged - and shown how - to study God's
Word. A consistent and balanced diet of God's Word brings spiritual maturity.
The proportion of
Churchgoers who have never read the whole Bible through, perhaps in 12 months,
is actually quite small. How can we be expected to be "Strong in the Lord"
- which we need to be in these difficult and increasingly perilous times
- if we starve ourselves on only a single verse of God's Word?
We sing about Revival,
we hear sermons about revival. But true Revival comes when God's Word cuts
us to the quick - revealing our real spiritual state and our desperate need
for God's grace, mercy and love. God-inspired Revival has never been a party,
at least not until later. Serious intercessory prayer has been shown to
be one of the main preconditions for Revival. That prayer must be based
on the firm foundation of correctly understanding, believing and acting
on God's Word, the Bible. It is time for God's life-changing Word to be
restored to its proper place in the lives of Christians. This is the year
to invest in God's Word.
We trust this outline
for daily Bible reading will bless you, and your family and friends as you
apply what God speaks to you about.
|
| Daily Bible
Reading Program |
|
"All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness."
(2 Timothy 3:16)
|
|
A table of daily Bible readings, with every Old Testament verse
read once and every New Testament verse read twice during each year. You
can begin at any point of the year.
|
| "Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21) |
| Guide to Daily Bible Reading: 1. Pray before reading. 2. Read the Bible
passage. Expect God to speak to you through His Word. The Author is always
available!
3.Meditate on what you have read, asking yourself and God: a. What is the passage about?
4. Pray after reading, using the thoughts and insights given
by the Holy Spirit for prayer, followed by action.
|
| Jesus
said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God," (Matthew 4:4) |
| Select
Desired Month |
|||||
| January |
February |
March |
April |
May | June |
| July |
August |
September |
October |
November |
December |
| January |
|||
| 1 |
Genesis
1,2 |
Psalms
1,2 |
Matthew
1,2 |
| 2 |
3,4 |
3,4,5 |
3,4 |
| 3 |
5,6 |
6,7,8 |
5 |
| 4 |
7,8 |
9,10 |
6 |
| 5 |
9,10 |
11,12,13 |
7 |
| 6 |
11,12 |
14,15,16 |
8 |
| 7 |
13,14 |
17 |
9 |
| 8 |
15,16 |
18 |
10 |
| 9 |
17,18 |
19,20,21 |
11 |
| 10 |
19 |
22 |
12 |
| 11 |
20,21 |
23,24,25 |
13 |
| 12 |
22,23 |
26,27,28 |
14 |
| 13 |
24 |
29,30 |
15 |
| 14 |
25,26 |
31 |
16 |
| 15 |
27 |
32 |
17 |
| 16 |
28,29 |
33 |
18 |
| 17 |
30 |
34 |
19 |
| 18 |
31 |
35 |
20 |
| 19 |
32,33 |
36 |
21 |
| 20 |
34,35 |
37 |
22 |
| 21 |
36 |
38 |
23 |
| 22 |
37 |
39,40 |
24 |
| 23 |
38 |
41,42,43 |
25 |
| 24 |
39,40 |
44 |
26 |
| 25 |
41 |
45 |
27 |
| 26 |
42,43 |
46,47,48 |
28 |
| 27 |
44,45 |
49 |
Romans
1,2 |
| 28 |
46,47 |
50 |
3,4 |
| 29 |
48,49,50 |
51,52 |
5,6 |
| 30 |
Exodus
1,2 |
53,54,55 |
7,8 |
| 31 |
3,4 | 56,57 | 9 |