Congratulations!

My prayer is that everyone will complete reading or listening through the entire New Testament.  Remember, if you miss a few days, pick up where you left off, and don’t give up.  If you have finished, keep up the good habit of reading your Bible everyday.  I will offer some resources in the comment section that I find helpful in reading the scriptures on a regular basis. 

We will keep the 40 Day Challenge catagory on the blog, so that you are able to continue making comments.  For general comments on the adventure as a whole feel free to comment on this post.”

Click on the day you want to go to…

Day 1 – 2 - 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25 – 26 – 27 – 28 – 29 – 30 -  31 – 32 – 33 – 34 – 35 – 36 – 37 – 38 – 39 – 40

DAY 40 – Revelation 16-22

We did it!  We have read through the New Testament in 40 days (or as long as it took).  Thank you for going on this wonderful journey.  It has been a blessing to me and to many others.  Find ways to continue reading the Word of God every day.  Maybe start reading through the Old Testament on a daily basis.

It seems that the main message of the Revelation of John is encouraging the seven churches to say “no” to the evil empire (in his day it was the Roman Empire) and “yes” to the Kingdom of God, which is righteous, holy, and will reign for ever and ever.  Amen!  It’s too bad that we have missed this message and the implications it has for living out our lives today.  There are evil empires all around us that are forcefully requiring our allegiance that we must stand up to and say, “no, we will live our lives under the rule of Christ.”  Empires such as consumerism, lust, violence, and apathy which will lead us to our destruction if we choose to align ourselves with them.  May we live our lives following the lamb that was slain and put our trust in the Kingdom of God.

Day 39 – Revelation 8-15

“The kingdom of the world has become the kindom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” (11:15).  That’s good news!  What else can we live for where we know the outcome?  The stock market?  Our good looks?  Worldly success?  Our own strength?  May we live for the one who will reign for ever and ever.

Day 38 – Revelation 1-7

Three more days!  Can you believe it?  As you complete the 40 day challenge by reading or listening to the Revelation try to do so in the context of the scriptures of the New Testament.  Our tendancy will be to read it in the context of popular myths, great movies, and in particular the left behind series.  As good as the left behind series may be, they are a work of FICTION!  We are called to live by God’s Word not Tim LaHaye’s (author of Left Behind).

Day 37 – 1 John 2 – Jude

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love.”  This would be a great way of gaging my love for another.  If I have to ask, “What will they think, or what will they say,” it may be a sign that there is fear involved in that relationship.  Even more so if that person is wondering that about me.  May I treat people in ways that fear is cast out of our relationships.

Day 36 – 1 Peter 1 – 1 John 1

Peter’s opening greeting is concluded with “grace and peace be yours in abundance.”  The definition of grace itself is about abundance.  It is a gift to us based on God’s goodness and not our deserving it.  When Jesus was on the cross he said, “forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”  Who are the they?  They are the ones who are casting lots for his clothing.  They are the ones who pounded the nails in his wrists, they are the ones who spit on him, they are the ones crucifying him, they are the ones who deserted him.  They are you and me.  Grace. 

Have you noticed that whenever peace is used in the Bible it is alwasy describing something to have today.  The scriptures talk about having peace now, not way off in the future soemtime.  Peace is something that is available to us today, here on this earth.  Grace and peace to you…today.

Day 35 – Hebrews 11 – James 5

The message of Hebrews seems to be “Don’t Give Up!”  There are some hard teachings in Hebrews, but I love the last line, “Grace be with you all.”

James is an interesting book.  There is a lot of controversy over who actually wrote James.  Brother of Jesus?  Another James?  Hmmm.

Day 34 – Hebrews 2-10

“The throne of grace” (Heb. 5:16).  It is not the throne of…anger, condemnation, fear, hypocracy, judgment, remorse, ridicule, or shame.  It is not the throne of …belittlement, deceit, despair, hopelessness, loneliness, perversion, timidity, or weakness.  Even though we have probably all come to God at one time or another deserving something other than grace we get grace because of Jesus.  May we all approach the throne of grace with confidence in our time of need.

 Painting entitled “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt ,1668.  This story told by Jesus is a beautiful picture of someone approaching the throne of grace.  Did the son deserve the treatment received by the loving father?  No, but Jesus says this is what the kingdom of God is like.  At the core of God’s kingdom is grace.

Day 33 – 1 Timothy 6 – Hebrews 1

The Bible is so in!  So many times I have approached the Bible as irrelevant or needing to have truth squeezed out if it to fit my world today.  On the contrary, it screams relevant.  Paul identifies our culture and times perfectly when he writes about contentment in the context of a culture seeking riches (1 Timothy 6:6-10).  We live in a society where consumerism is rampant, get rich schemes are all over the place, and a prosperity gospel is broadcast through the airwaves and from pulpits.  (See 1 Timothy 6:20 for what I think of most religious broadcasting).  I think we have to ask ourselves some questions as followers of Christ.  What does it mean to live a life of contentment in America?  What does it mean to be generous?  To share?  Paul’s charge to Timothy to “command those who are rich” applies to me.  I am rich.  I have brothers and sisters around the world who are starving, homeless, naked, oppressed, and dying while I get impatient about finding a parking spot at Wal-Mart.

Quickly, in 2 Timothy 4:17, “But the Lord stood at my side” are words that have huge implications.  When I need him he is with me.  Of course it is also true that when I don’t want him to see what I am doing he is with me.  For example, in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, acting like I am poor when really I am rich!

Day 32 – 1 Thessalonians 3 – 1 Timothy 5

The words that Paul speaks in 1 Timothy 1:12 jumped out at me.  “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”  He goes on to say how amazing that is in light of what his life was like earlier.  In verse 16 he talks of Jesus’ unlimited patience.  Oh that we would have such patience, first of all with ourselves, and then with others.  May I be one who offers up thanksgiving to God for his patience with me.

On a different note…can you believe that there are only eight more days and we will have read through the entire New Testament?  I have found it to be very good for me.  In case you are not yet on day 32, keep going.  Pick up where you left off and don’t give up.