Serious Intake

A friend and I going to try it:

• read a significant portion of Scripture in a week's time, asking God to speak to us; if one of us (in a group of 2-3 men or 2-3 women) doesn't finish the reading, we do read it again until each has completed the reading and each hears God speak.


• we get together and discuss what God has said and confess our sins to one another.


• we pray strategically for 2-3 people who need Christ.

The reasoning behind a heavier intake of Scripture -- in part -- to develop your appetite for God's Word. Doesn't happen with a verse or short passage every day or two or less often. This week, Steve and I agreed we'd read John's gospel. My dear wife was gone Tuesday evening, so I sat down with John. He held my attention for a solid hour and five minutes. I saw such good things, ones I've not put together before, like: Jesus' clear call to the curious and the crowds and then the committed to -- "believe" (John is the "gospel of faith"), then to "come to Me", then "love Me" and finally "obey Me." But with the religious leaders -- the terms are often the same, but sort of in reverse. "You don't believe in Me because you don't believe, or know My Father." "You will not come to Me." Then, the final description, speaking to His men, "they will hate you because they hated Me."

It was astounding, and deeply encouraging to read through a longer book. I remember someone saying once: when you're reading the Bible "don't get too far from Jesus" -- don't stray too far from the gospels. Think I'm going to have to get through John again, before Monday.