M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 13
Abijah and Jeroboam Go to War. 1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
When war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam,[a] 3 Abijah prepared to engage in battle with an army of valiant warriors composed of four hundred thousand picked men, while Jeroboam took the field against him with eight hundred thousand chosen mighty warriors.
4 Then Abijah stood up on the slopes of Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and cried out: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Do you not know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David and his sons forever by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon, the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain worthless scoundrels gathered around him and proved to be too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, since at that time Rehoboam was far too young and inexperienced and was unable to withstand them.
8 “And now you believe that you can withstand the kingdom of the Lord that is in the hands of David’s descendants, you with your multitude of supporters and the golden calves that Jeroboam made as gods for you. 9 Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and made priests of your own like the peoples of foreign countries? Anyone who comes with an offering of a young bull and seven rams is automatically accepted as a priest of these gods that are no gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who are ministering to the Lord are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. 11 Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord, display the rows of bread on the table of pure gold, and light the lamps on the golden lampstand every evening. For we indeed observe our responsibilities toward the Lord, our God, but you have abandoned him. 12 God is with us. He is our leader. His priests with their trumpets are prepared to sound the call to battle against you. O Israelites, do not engage in conflict against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”
13 Meanwhile Jeroboam had sent a detachment of troops to attack them from behind. His main force was stationed in front of the forces of Judah, while the ambush lay behind them. 14 When the men of Judah turned around, they realized that they were surrounded and that they had to engage in battle on both fronts. Then they cried out to the Lord while the priests blew the trumpets. 15 After that, the men of Judah sounded their battle cry, and when they shouted, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The Israelites fled before the Judahites, and God delivered them into the Judahites’ hands.
17 Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses upon the Israelites. Five hundred thousand picked men of Israel fell during the battle. 18 The Israelites were thoroughly defeated at that time by the forces of Judah, because the Judahites relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured three cities from him: Bethel with its dependencies, Jeshanah with its dependencies, and Ephron with its dependencies. 20 Jeroboam did not regain his power during the reign of Abijah. Finally the Lord struck him down, and he died. 21 However, Abijah continued to grow ever stronger. He married fourteen wives and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 The Death of Abijah. The rest of the acts of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are recorded in the midrash of the prophet Iddo. 23 Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him, and during his reign the country was at peace for ten years.
Chapter 3
To Sardis.[a] 1 “To the angel of the Church in Sardis,[b] write:
“ ‘These are the words of the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
“ ‘ “I know your deeds. You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Be on guard and strengthen what remains and is at the point of death. For I have not found any of your deeds perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Therefore, remember the teaching that you have received and heard. Hold on to it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.
4 “ ‘ “However, there are still a few in Sardis who have not soiled their robes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 Anyone who is victorious will be dressed like these in white robes, and I shall not blot his name from the book of life.[c] Rather, I shall acknowledge it in the presence of my Father and his angels.
6 “ ‘ “Whoever has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches.” ’
To Philadelphia.[d] 7 “To the angel of the Church in Philadelphia,[e] write:
“ ‘These are the words of the holy one,
the true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens the door,
and no one can shut it;
who closes the door,
and no one can open it:
8 “ ‘ “I know your deeds. I have set before you an open door[f] that no one will be able to close. I know that your strength is limited, yet you have kept my word and have not disowned my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews but are not, for they are lying—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and recognize that I have loved you.
10 “ ‘ “Because you have kept my word to endure patiently, I will keep you safe during the time of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to put the inhabitants of the earth to the test. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you already have so that no one may rob you of your crown.
12 “ ‘ “Anyone who is victorious I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and never again will he depart from it. I will inscribe on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, as well as my own new name.[g]
13 “ ‘ “Whoever has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches.” ’
14 To Laodicea.[h]“To the angel of the Church in Laodicea,[i] write:
“ ‘These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God’s creation:
15 “ ‘ “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either hot or cold. 16 As it is, since you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot,[j] I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I am rich; I have prospered; I have everything I want,’ never realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.[k]
18 “ ‘ “I advise you to buy from me gold that has been refined by fire so that you will be truly rich, and white robes to clothe you so that you may keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. 19 I reprove and discipline all those whom I love.[l] Therefore, be sincere in your desire to repent.
20 “ ‘ “Behold, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with that person and that person with me. 21 To anyone who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself overcame and sat with my Father on his throne.
22 “ ‘ “Whoever has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches.” ’ ”
Consider Your Situation[a]
Chapter 1
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was communicated by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘This people says that the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’ ” 3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is this a time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?”
5 Now the Lord of hosts has this to say:
Reflect on your way of life.
6 You have sown much but harvested little;
you have eaten, but never enough to satisfy you.
You drink, but never enough to cheer you;
you are clothed, but never experience warmth.
And the one who earns wages
puts them into a bag with a hole in it.
7 Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts:
Consider carefully how you have fared.
8 Go up into the hill country,
collect timber, and build the house
so that I may take pleasure in it
and manifest my glory,
says the Lord.
9 You expected much,
but it proved to be little.
When you brought in the harvest,
I blew it away.
And why did I do this?
asks the Lord of hosts.
Because my house lies in ruins,
while each of you is concerned
only about your own house.
10 Therefore, the heavens have withheld their rain
and the earth has withheld its crops.
11 And I have called for a drought
to afflict the land and the mountains,
the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
and everything that the soil produces,
and to afflict, as well, men and animals,
and all the products of their labor.
12 Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people listened to the voice of the Lord, their God, and to the words of the prophet Haggai that the Lord, their God, had sent him to deliver. As a result, the people were filled with fear because of the Lord.
13 Thereupon Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, proclaimed to the people the Lord’s message: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 Then the Lord stirred up the spirit of the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the spirit of the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
Courage, I Am with You[b]
Chapter 2
In the second year of King Darius,
The First Sign Worked by Jesus
Chapter 2
The Wedding Feast at Cana.[a] 1 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana[b] in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. 3 When the wine was exhausted, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus responded, “Woman,[c] what concern is this to us? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now standing nearby there were six stone water jars, of the type used for Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus instructed the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When they had filled them to the brim, 8 he ordered them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief steward,” and they did so.
9 When the chief steward tasted the water that had become wine, he did not know where it came from, although the servants who had drawn the water knew. The chief steward called over the bridegroom 10 and said, “Everyone serves the choice wine first, and then an inferior vintage when the guests have been drinking for a while. However, you have saved the best wine until now.”[d]
11 Jesus performed this, the first of his signs,[e] at Cana in Galilee, thereby revealing his glory, and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this, he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brethren,[f] and his disciples, and they remained there for a few days.
Worship of the Father in Spirit and Truth[g]
The Mystery of the New Temple
Jesus Casts the Merchants Out of the Temple.[h]13 When the time of the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, including the sheep and the cattle. He also overturned the tables of the money changers, scattering their coins, 16 and to those who were selling the doves he ordered, “Take them out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” 17 His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 The Jews then challenged him, “What sign can you show us to justify your doing this?” 19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews responded, “This temple has taken forty-six years to build, and you are going to raise it up in three days!” 21 But the temple he was talking about was the temple of his body. 22 After he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
The Mystery of the New Covenant
23 Jesus in Jerusalem.[i]While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many people saw the signs he was performing and came to believe in his name. 24 However, Jesus would not entrust himself to them because he fully understood them all. 25 He did not need evidence from others about man, for he clearly understood men.
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