“All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
January
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The despicable act of his envious brothers and the false accusation which landed Joseph in prison were all sovereign acts of God. It was a powerful Joseph, in the land of Egypt, who saved his family from famine and destruction.
Keys to Covenant
- God is in charge.
- God delegates certain authority to man.
- God sets the rules.
- God blesses the obedient and curses the disobedient.
- God’s kingdom is eternal.
Only through the inner working of the Holy Spirit, who searches “the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10) can man understand and accept Scripture. Sin causes man to resist the force of Scripture. But, by God’s grace, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unright-eousness” (1 John 1:9).
Creation
The very first verse of Scripture contains the cornerstone of Biblical revelation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” All things owe their existence to the creative Word of God. “God said” and life began. If man rejects God’s creative Word, man rejects the Creator.
True science conforms to the veracity of Scripture. The “facts of science” do not determine the Truth. When a scientist accepts the Biblical account of Creation (six, 24 hour days) his scientific search for truth starts with the correct presupposition.
When man rejects the Doctrine of Creation, the very first proposition of Scripture, no wonder man rejects other infallible teachings of Scripture on such issues as: sovereignty of God, idolatry, vulgarity, honoring the Sabbath, dishonoring parents and author-ity, abortion, divorce and sexuality, fraud, lying and covetousness.
Covenant
The doctrine of covenant may well be the most pervasive principle of all Scripture. In theology, covenant refers to the promises of God to man coupled with conditions imposed by God on man.
Genesis and Exodus refer to certain, specific covenants God made: with Noah, with Abraham, with Israel, with Moses. In general, however, the Bible speaks of only two covenants: 1) the Old Covenant and 2) the New Covenant.
Each covenant becomes more glorious than the previous, each building and moving to the New (and last) Covenant with Jesus Christ.
God deals with man and manages history (or His story) through covenants with His people. All covenants have one thing in common: God is sovereign. God does delegate authority to man, but God is in charge. The King of Kings administers the blessings and cursings of His covenant through three human institutions: the family, the Church and the state. Those that comply with the conditions of His covenant, receive His rewards (blessings). Those that violate those terms, receive His punishment (cursings).
The Law
In the Book of Exodus, God gives Moses His 10 Words (more commonly referred to as the Ten Commandments). However you say it, these 10 profound rules of conduct contain foundational principles which should guide the thought, word and gesture of man.
God did not repeal the 10 Commandments when He superseded the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. “Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?” (Romans 7:1)
Christ’s atoning death saved all of His elect. Man can do nothing to earn God’s acceptance. However, a merciful God has provided a propitiation for man’s sin. God’s Spirit leads His people into and through a sanctified, set-apart, life. In other words, God has given us His rules for life and has equipped us with an enabling grace to abide by those rules.
Unfortunately, many deny that God’s law in Scripture should directly control their life. Some argue that the only requirement that God now imposes on man is to love -- although the 10 commandments may still serve as guidelines for a Christian, God’s command to love overrules any other requirements of Scripture. BUT, Romans 13:8-10 tells man how God defines love: “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “you shall not commit adultery,” “you shall not murder,” “you shall not steal”,” “you shall not bear false witness,” “you shall not covet” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
What would the world be like, if man obeyed God’s law? What would the world be like if “just” Christians obeyed God’s law? Three keys to an overcoming life are: 1) read God’s Word, 2) pray God’s Word and 3) obey God’s Word.
Memorize the abridged version of Exodus 20 which follows. Love God and your neighbor accordingly. You will be eternally happy you did.
God’s 10 Words
- Thou shalt not have any other gods before me.
- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
- Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
- Honor thy father and thy mother.
- Thou shalt not murder.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal.
- Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
- Thou shalt not covet.
Click the image below and download this daily reading guide to keep track.
Some use Sunday to catch up on Bible reading missed during the week. Others prefer to double up on their reading on Saturday in order to set aside the Sabbath for church and fellowship. Either way, if you consistently read Scripture in the 15 or 20 minute increments shown above for an entire year, you will read all of Scripture in just one year.
The Story of Joseph
Having a bad day, a bad month or how about a bad life? Read about Joseph’s life in Genesis and you may decide to trust God after all.
Israel loved Joseph more than any of his sons. Joseph knew this. So did his brothers. The brothers grew to hate Joseph so much that they sold him as a slave to Ishmaelites, who in turn sold him to the Egyptians.
Only through the inner working of the Holy Spirit, who searches “the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10) can man understand and accept Scripture. Sin causes man to resist the force of Scripture. But, by God’s grace, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unright-eousness” (1 John 1:9).
In Egypt, God blessed Joseph with favor and “he was a successful man” (Genesis 39:2). After being wrongfully accused of a crime against his owner’s wife, Joseph went to prison. Even as a slave in prison, Joseph succeeded: “because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (Genesis 39:23).
While in prison, the Pharaoh eventually took notice of Joseph (after Joseph accurately interpreted some dreams, including that of the Pharaoh). Joseph was freed from prison and continued to prosper, ultimately rising to become the second most powerful man in all of Egypt.