Understanding the M'Cheyenne's Calendar

Before you get started reading this year I wanted you to know how the calendar is arranged. As you know it has four columns of reading. If you read all four columns you will have read through the whole Old Testament one time, the New Testament two times, and the Psalms two times. The fourth column actually adds the second reading of the New Testament and the Psalms. I was told that M'Cheyenne added that column so that the reading would seem more balanced between the Old and New Testament. That might be helpful for some. If, however, you are pressed for time, you could still accomplish your goal by reading just the first three columns. You would cover the whole Bible! I hope you are looking forward to the adventure, and I am most prayerful that God will use your diligent effort to draw you closer to Him. May you know Christ and make Him known more fully in 2011!

Preparing for Success

As we consider getting started on our Bible Reading Challenge 2011, I thought it would be good to offer some counsel that might help us all succeed in our goal of reading through the Bible this year. I am sure many have begun such a goal in the past, only to drop it after a short time. I am hopeful some of the following will help you succeed.

1. It is very important to set an appointment with God. Determine a time and place each day where you can get alone with God to read and meditate on His Word. Don't leave this to chance. If you do you will find other things crowding out the reading of the Word. Decline other invitations to steal you away from this appointment (as you would with other appointments on your calendar).

2. If you can, rise early and read. I find that as the day moves on my mind gets racing and thinking about so many other things. Sometimes later in the day its harder to settle down and concentrate and tiredness can quickly set in. This may not be true for all of us, so try to determine your own best time.

3. As you read you might find it helpful to journal. When something strikes you in your reading write about it. Putting things in words will help clarify them in your mind. As you read through each chapter you may find yourself writing several entries. After your done reading I encourage you to review what you wrote and then share (on this blog) the best teaching you learned that day.

4. Let your reading lead you to prayer. If a verse moves you, talk to God about it. If a verse speaks about God's great love, thank Him for that love, or tell Him you want to know it more, or whatever. Remember, your goal is not to just get through the reading, but to fellowship and learn from God. You can fight the temptation to "just get my reading done" by making this a time of communion with God.

5. It helps to be looking for certain things as you read. An acrostic "SPECK" was introduced to me many years ago which I found helpful. "S" stands for sins to confess; "P" stands for promises to claim; "E" stands for example to follow; "C" stands for command to obey; "K" stands for knowledge about God, Christ or yourself (in light of who God and Christ are). So....as you read look for sins to confess, promises to claim (according to Peter claiming these leads to godliness), examples to follow, commands to obey, and knowledge about your God and Savior.

6. Of all things to look for in your reading, look for God. After all the Bible is His book and through it He reveals Himself to us. And when you learn something about God from His book remember that "every attribute of God informs your living". If you learn that God is powerful let that knowledge encourage you in your weakness. If you learn that He is wise, let that encourage you to ask of Him for guidance when the path is not clear.

7. If you find you are struggling to get all the reading done, consider cutting the assignment in half. Read through the Bible in two years. Take the first two columns of M'Cheyenne's and read them this year, and read the last two next year. If you miss a day or two don't worry about it. Read what's assigned for today so that you can benefit from the insights of others as they are shared day by day. But before you decide to "downsize" your goal, consider how you are using your other time. If you are spending a lot of time playing video games, or surfing the net, or watching the tube....that may be the best place to begin your downsizing.

These are my thoughts. What things have helped you in the past?

Yours for your success this year,

Ron

Why Read the Bible This Year

The focus of Psalm 119 is God’s Word and as you read this psalm you get the strong sense that the psalmist loved God’s Word. In verse 97 he shouts out, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Have you ever done that?

We may wonder why the psalmist so loved the Word. You don’t have to read far in chapter 119 before you begin to see why it was so precious to Him. His reasons include:

· It makes us blessed of the Lord (vs. 1)

· It insures we will not be put to shame (vs. 6)

· It keeps us from sin (vs. 9,11,36)

· It is our counselor giving us great guidance (vs. 24,105,130,133)

· It strengthens us when we are grief stricken (vs. 28,50)

· It helps produce reverence for God (vs. 38,63)

· It provides for us the way of salvation (vs.41,155)

· It gives us an answer for those who reproach us (vs. 42)

· It gives us much comfort (vs. 52,76,92)

· It gives us wisdom, discernment and knowledge (vs. 66,98-100,104)

· It helps us stay on the right path (vs. 110)

· It keeps us single-minded (vs. 113)

· It gives us the only security for life (vs. 152,160)

· It offers great peace as it keeps us from stumbling (vs. 165)

Centuries later the Apostle Paul penned similar words to the young Timothy. In 2 Timothy 3:15-17 he writes, “…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” Paul found in the Scriptures a treasure of incomparable worth!

Since it is true that the Scriptures are such a value to us, why is it that they are so easy to neglect? William Wilberforce, member of the British Parliament in the last 18^th and early 19^th centuries who was instrumental in abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire admitted his neglect. He wrote on his birthday one year, “I fear that my devotions are too much hurried, that I do not read Scripture enough. I must grow in grace; I must love God more; I must feel the power of Divine things more. Whether I am more or less learned signifies not. Whether even I execute the work which I deem useful is comparatively unimportant. But beware my soul of lukewarmness.”

That same year, as his New Year began with Holy Communion he entered into new vows. He said, “I will press forward and labor to know God better and love Him more.”

As our New Year is upon us, I want to encourage us all to make a similar vow. Take the Bible Reading challenge and commit to reading through the Bible this year. Use the M’Cheyne’s Calendar or a calendar of your own. Avail yourself to the devotional guides (Bryce Morgan and Don Carson both have devotionals that follow the calendar.) Do so in the hopes that you will, as Wilberforce put it, “grow in grace,…love God more,…feel the power of Divine things more”.

I’ll be praying that God does a great work in you and through you as you avail yourself to diligent reading and studying of His Word.

Welcome to the New Year

I want to commend to you the use of the M’Cheyne’s Calendar of Bible Readings, mostly because it will get you into the Scriptures on a consistent basis, or rather “it will get the Scriptures into you”. Anyone familiar with the Bible knows how important God’s Word is, for it is God’s ordained means to bring salvation to us, and then to grow us up in our most holy faith. The Spirit of God always uses the Word of God to do Its miraculous work.

I also want to commend our doing this together and learning from one another. I want to encourage each of you who are taking the challenge to read through the Bible this year to post your insights. Share how God used the passages in your life to teach you, encourage you, even convict you. As we learn from each other I believe our Bible reading experience will be enriched.

Happy Reading! I look forward to our journey together. If you need a copy of the calendar follow this link: http://hippocampusextensions.com/mcheyneplan/