Reading the Bible more

The Acts Challenge –

I have been reading a lot more of the Bible this year. I started using a new app on my phone and, I have to say, it really is brilliant. I have made a commitment to work through the whole Bible in a year and that seems to be going well. I have it timed for my morning bus ride.

I have found, though, that it isn't enough. I need to read more. There is a craving in me to read more and more of it. So, in acceptance of this fact, I have added a couple of other plans as well. A dear friend of ours is reading through Acts this month and that inspired me. I was talking to her the other say about Acts and I realised it had been a while since I had read much of the book. This was a shame. I used to love reading Acts.

Luke’s style is amazing. I find that he is a great historian and he has the skill of getting the message across without making it boring. So far, I have read the first five chapters of the book. I am trying to keep it at one chapter a day. This makes it easier for me to remember where I am. I am taking a photograph of my bible each day to show that I am doing it and to help keep me inspired.

So, what have I learned so far? Well, I have a lot more bibles than I thought. Today was the first time I used the same bible for a reading. I could have gone a lot further into it without repeating my bible but I think that would be too much. What a privilege. I have my old one from University which has seen me through some tough times. It is delightful finding old notes in there. It is even more delightful making new notes! Then there is the one I bought to take to Israel. The NIV study Bible. That one too is full of notes (not as full as I would like by the way but you get the point) and is such a great tool for my devotions and my preaching. There’s a CEV Bible on my desk at work, the Poverty and Justice Bible. I have on-line Bibles and apps to use as well. There are Good News, KJV, Study Bibles, the Message and others at home too. Wow. Some people die trying to get their hands on one and I have lots. Thank you lord.

Some verses have jumped out at me but none more so than the one in today’s reading. It came in chapter 5. Peter and the others have been preaching in the Temple. They have been arrested and thrown in prison and then they are set free by God. What does he command them to do? What would I do? Well, I would run away no doubt. God says, in verse 20

‘Go, stand in the temple courts’ … ‘and tell the people all about this new life.’

What a command. That right there is the mission statement of the church. Never mind the pithy little things we see on websites. They’re good but this is better. Is there anything more that a church should be doing? We need to be able to stand in the temple courts showing and telling people what is so great about this new life.

We don’t need a loud hailer, we don’t need to be shouting about gay people going to hell. We don’t need to be pushing people into the kingdom. People need to be shown the love that flows from us. Jesus never told us that we needed to do anything other than come to him. He is there, with open arms and we need to realise that. More importantly, we need to be demonstrating a new life. People may not have known us before we were a Christian (although some will of course) but we need them to see that what we are telling them about is a life that is different.

I am so pleased with what I am learning from Acts. I hope that the challenge is completed. I want to get reacquainted with my old friend.