This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
15:1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.1 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant2 of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers3 who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you4 with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.5 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
[1] 15:3
[2] 15:17
[3] 15:23
[4] 15:24
[5] 15:33
(ESV)
United for a Cause - or Not...
Sometimes it seems easy to get people together for a cause. This weekend I saw a picture of the crowds of cyclists at Levi's Grand Fondo in Santa Rosa, California. It reminded me of the scene in Honolulu in September 2007 when I rode the Honolulu Century to raise funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Bikes and helmets and jerseys as far as the eye could see. Of course, it's never hard to get a group of cyclists together for something like the Grand Fondo. Just throw a big enough challenge at them, like 103 miles of riding with 8500 feet of climbing and they're in!
You would think that the easiest group to bring together would be a group of Christians. After all, they share the loftiest goal, to save souls, and the biggest challenge, to win the world for Christ. So getting Christians together should be a breeze. Or not.
In Acts 15 we see two examples that illlustrate both success and failure at bringing Christains together. The first example involved a dispute over whether Gentiles had to be circumcised and observe the law of Moses in order to be saved. The apostles and other church leaders convened in Jerusalem and "after much discussion" reached an agreement that faith alone saves and thay "should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God." Now something tells me it was not as easy as a cursory reading of Acts 15 might make it seem. My guess is that some of that "much discussion" was pretty heated. Nevertheless, an agreement was reached and the Gospel continued to spread.
In the same chapter however, we hear of Paul and Barnabas planning a trip to visit and encourage the churches that were founded on their first missionary journey. Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark. Paul, however, remembered how he had deserted them in Pamphylia and would hear nothing of it. Their disagreement became so sharp that the two men when their separate ways. In this case, getting Christians together was not so easy.
If you are a member of a Christian congregation, you may have some experience with how easy it is to get Christians together, or not. Most churches have had their disagreements along the way. Some of those may have even resulted in divisions. If you've had this kind of experience, you may be a little discouraged with the Body of Christ. But Acts 15 demonstrates that Christians have always had these kinds of problems. That's because Christians are sinners. Sometimes they manage to settle their differences and get together, and sometimes they don't. But that shouldn't cause us to give up on the church. Paul and Barnabas' disagreement led to two missionary journeys instead of one, so God brought good out of their disagreement, even though the disagreement itself was not good.
So please, don't quit your church just because there are some disagreements. There is no perfect church. There wasn't one in the days of the apostles. As much as possible, seek peace on your part and continue to work together with fellow believers for the sake of Gospel. In the end, God will be glorified.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside1 the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
4:1 2 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 3 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods4—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
[1] 3:28
[2] 4:1
[3] 4:4
[4] 4:8
(ESV)
King Nebuchadnezzar immediately recognized that the hand of the Most High God was upon Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to protect them from all harm, so he summoned them out of the furnace. Not only were the three Jewish men uninjured by the fire, even their clothes did not smell of the smoke and fire! Nebuchadnezzar recognized the extraordinary faith of these young men, stating that they "were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." Nebuchadnezzar ordered severe punishment for anyone who would speak against their God, and promoted them to a higher position as governors in the province. By now, Nebuchadnezzar had more than enough reason to put his faith in the Most High God, but it would take much more for the king to turn from his own gods, or to humble his sinful pride. Nebuchadnezzar himself told the next part of his story. He issued a decree to "the peoples, nations and men of every language" glorifying God for the great things He had done for him. He then went on to tell about another dream that troubled him greatly. Once again he asked his wise men to interpret the dream for him, but they could not. Then he summoned Daniel and told him his dream, believing that "the spirit of the holy gods is in him" to enable him to interpret the king's dream. Nebuchadnezzar described a great tree whose top reached the heavens and was visible over the whole earth. The tree provided shelter for the beasts and the birds, and all flesh fed from that tree. Then Nebuchadnezzar saw a "watcher, a holy one" come down from heaven, clearly an angel of the LORD, who ordered the tree be cut down and its branches stripped. Its fruit was scattered, along with the animals that sheltered and fed from it. The tree, representing Nebuchadnezzar, was nothing but a stump, and was bound with iron and bronze. In the final aspect of the dream, it was made clear that Nebuchadnezzar was the subject of the dream, and that a season of seven periods of time would come in which he would lose his mind and become like a beast. The purpose of the sentence was to demonstrate the sovereignty of the Most High God, and His power over even the greatest ruler. With that much already being clear to Nebuchadnezzar, he then asked Daniel to interpret the dream for him.
10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
(ESV)