My Favorite Bible Reading Plan

Please come visit my new writing site: https://tracishinnick.com 

Please come visit my new writing site: https://tracishinnick.com 

As we enter into a New Year, I have an offer that I believe will be helpful for you.

And if you are reading this after the start of 2018, I extend the offer to you as well.

I would like to share my favorite bible reading plan: click here for page 1 and here for the other sideto print your own copy. It is a chronological reading plan that leads you through the Bible in a year.

What I love about it is that you can easily read ahead if you have time and the Psalms are peppered throughout and can be used as easy catch up days if you get behind.

It is one that has been the easiest for me to keep up with over the years, and I love that it can be used as a bookmark and can be checked off day by day as I read.

Would you print it off, fold it, place it as a bookmark in your bible, and start? If you are reading this after January 1, join in and start on today’s date. It is best to start where you are. We have all experienced the failure of “I’ll wait until the conditions are perfect to….”, and it just never happens.

If a year reading plan/goal feels too daunting, make it a ‘90 day trial’ and fall in love with the power of His truth and His presence.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17

As we seek the Lord’s direction for goals and for the best plan to organize our time and days this coming year so that we may make the most of the days we have been given (Eph. 5:16), here is a little reminder.

We all want ‘more’ and to be more productive and effective. This is good. We never want to become complacent.

And ‘wanting more’ will eventually lead to ‘doing’ more, but may we not allow the drive to ‘do’ (and our to-do lists) steal from the receiving. (See this post from the 2017 new year)

This is more important than all the goal setting and the seeking to fulfill our calling and the answer to the ‘what to do next’ questions.

The secret to our success is the ‘being’.

If we don’t take the time to ‘be’ (to sit with the Lord, to partake of the Living Water, to abide in Him) then we won’t have the power to DO more of anything that will truly last.

(check out more on this idea here)

So, may daily time with the Lord and His Word be at the top of our list of goals for this year and in our daily schedule: time with the Creator of the Universe, our All-Knowing, All-Sufficient Creator and Lord, in His Word and prayer, listening and obeying.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” James 4:7,8a. Why would we neglect such an invitation and opportunity?

Pray about joining me this year. And let me know. I would love to hear from you!

Please come visit my new writing site: https://tracishinnick.com 

Harbingers for Home Eternal

(Enjoy this guest post from my good friend Marie Bixby as I set up a new site for my blog. Have a very Merry Christmas.) 

 As I was ‘catching up’ the two advent calendars we have hanging in our home, I was reminded that our traditions are changing.  We no longer have little ones to fight over whose turn it is to flip over the next picture tile or pull the tiny handmade ornament out of its pocket and hang it on the quilted tree.  As I stood there turning over the tiles for the days already past, I was taken back to a different place in time.  Not only was I reminded of the days when our own children were small…. Ty as a shepherd in a Christmas production, Sam sliding down an icy hill in Idaho, Abby and Sarah sitting on Santa’s lap and Bekah hanging an ornament on the tree…..but this particular handmade calendar has small, black and white images of my own childhood as well as Jon’s.

 One image that stirred my senses was of my great-aunt Ardie and me down on the floor in front of our Christmas tree peering into my brand new metal doll house!!  I know, I know, the metal doll house dates me, but I’m ok with that. That particular image could easily sum up Christmases in the Southern house….lots of family, new toys, beautiful tree, a warm house full of traditions.  And for us, it was the one time of the year we took Jesus out of His box and we celebrated His birth.  

 Nonetheless, my family was steeped in tradition.  My mom was the consummate hostess and fabulous cook.  She made our house inviting to all generations of my family. I hold dear those memories, and I am grateful for the traditions, some of which we have passed on to our own family.  But the difference is this: since surrendering our lives to Jesus some 21 years ago, our house has been filled with not only the holiday's traditions of our past but also with our attempts to shine Jesus’ light throughout the year, punctuated by our efforts to keep the meaning of Christmas accurate and relevant for our children during the holidays.

The traditions we cherish, the memories we have, the triggers that take us back by way of our senses…taste, smell, sound, touch and sight… I believe, are all harbingers to what lies ahead for us in eternity.  They are calling us to a place we haven’t yet seen.  I like the way songwriter Terry Taylor said it in a book called “City on a Hill; Reflections on Our Spiritual Journeys.” He said this:

“Our longing for home is more than likely a desire for Home Eternal.  The soul may indeed sigh for a thing lost…but only the spirit of God can fully know the true object of our deepest desire, and though these may come in the guise of Old Spice or fresh baked bread, they are nevertheless longings for God Himself.”

 As Christians, we should be challenged to look for ways to show Christ to a hurting world, to become more outwardly focused, to be emptied, perhaps even humiliated, to a world that thinks Christmas is about a black Friday tied to the economy instead of about a birth that made way for the ultimate Black Friday: a day when your sins, my sins, the sins of the world were all at once on the shoulders of our beloved Savior.  As we continue sojourning through yet another Christmas Season, let us be ever mindful of the work of Christ….remembering His humility, His sacrifice and the reason He was born while at the same time being grateful for the ways He cleverly and continually draws us to Himself and to our Home Eternal. 
 
Until next time…Forever in Christ, Marie

Ask

Week 6-Day 7

        I Am yours.  I am your God, your Father.  Ask and it shall be given to you.  Believe it.  I offer you mountain moving faith.

        Take up the authority that has been given to you by My Spirit, with Whom NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE (and nothing will be impossible to you, Matt. 17:20).  My Word says, 'Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find,'

                AND that 'you do not have because you do not ask'...(James 4:2)

....so what should you be doing?  PRAYING

Ask your Father.. for your needs/wants/desires....

Why would you lament?.....  ASK.....

Why would you worry?.....ASK....

Why lose sleep?.... ASK and TRUST ME.... 

This is the confidence you have in approaching God, dear friend: that if you ask anything according to His will, He hears you. (1 John 5:14)  "On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul."  Psalm 138:3

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You.... with whom all things are possible... limitless!!"

Matthew 7:7, 17:20, 21:21-22, Psalm 56:3, Matt 19:26

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'Watch the Ramparts' Wrap-up

I hope this has been a blessing to you and that you have renewed some spiritual disciplines or 'fallen into' some brand new ones that you will continue because you have realized the depths of the benefits of intimacy with Jesus.

I pray that this has sparked a deep hunger in you, one in which you will continue to turn to Jesus and His Word to fill.  

I dream that God will use what He has placed on my heart here to change lives, drawing many closer to His heart and to obedience, and that it will be passed along and spread so that we cover more and more areas in prayer, as we each pray for 'our sphere' and areas that He has placed on our heart. 

I ask that you take two weeks away from this commitment and then pray about starting it again and asking others to join you.

Let's join together and cover our world in effective prayer, as we also love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and ACT, loving our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

Ask and Act.

Blessings to you all.  Thank you for joining me.  Don't neglect reviewing all that God has spoken to your heart and taught you these 6 weeks.  Thank you for your commitment.  I know that God has surely met your commitment with His Presence.  

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth offered praises with joyful lips." 

Psalm 63:1-5

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

War

Week 6- Day 6

War is happening in the heavenlies.  Will we close our eyes and ears and refuse to stand against it? 

Stand for truth! 

There is a spiritual war going on, and many of His people are at lazy, gluttonous rest, following idols of greed and debauchery that He never intended for them. 

Who will stand up?  Who will go?  Who will stand on the wall and pray? Sound the alarm: 'War is coming, war is coming.  Learn to stand! Train yourself for battle.  Discipline yourself to fight.' 

Most are inadvertently training themselves to give in and give up, believing the LIE that there is no hope and nothing they can do.  

He has given you weapons of warfare that are divinely powerful to demolish strongholds.  Where did this attitude that nothing can be done come from? It comes from the pit of hell.

Rise up army!  Rise up and take your stand on your ramparts.  Keep your eyes on the horizon and watch, for the battle is breaking through and coming to you, but you are not defenseless or unarmed.  You are instead uniquely equipped and prepared.  Look up.  Eyes on Him.  He will lead you into truth and will magnify His Name with exploits through you.

Do not grow weary or grow faint.  Do not let your hands fall limp (Zeph.3:16-17) or tremble in fear. Face it headlong. Eyes set.  And fight.  He is for you and promises to be with you and fight for you.  Faith and trust in Him makes you strong, as He will strongly support those whose hearts are completely His.

So here before the battle, give Him your whole heart.  He will scrub it clean and make it ready and fit for warfare.

  Call hearts to purity of devotion.

Col 2:15 "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him."

Do not give up.   Do not just lay down.  You are not helpless and hopeless.  Why just give the enemy ground and room to swallow up?  Why?  Why are we buying into Satan's lie?  There is a remnant, and there is power in even one. He is not restrained to save by many or few (2 Sam. 14:6).  

Let us, each one, take our place. And start by asking, 'What is MY place?'  For sure it is a time of prayer and fasting for all.  

There are walls that need to be rebuilt!  ('Watch the ramparts!')  Let us, each one, say, 'Oh Lord, use me.  Let me be the one to start the building.'

  Show us your blueprint, Lord.

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

Do Your Part

Week 6- Day 5

"When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 

'Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." 

Psalm 27:8

Beloved, you are Mine, called out from among.

               (Have you answered that call, opened that free gift?)

You are each uniquely different FOR My purpose.

                (Give yourself and others grace to be different.)

Keep seeking My face, and it will be My face you will find.

Care only what I think, My Child.  I am FOR you (not against you), and the praise and acceptance of this world cannot even begin to compare to 'My pleasure in you'.  

Do not live for today.  

Deny these worldly desires (of not being looked at, criticized, talked about, OR of being praised and lauded by men) and look for and live for the age to come (2 Peter 3).

There are many examples of men afraid and ‘unable’ in their own eyes: just consider Moses or Gideon. Who you ‘think’ you are, with your limitations, is NOT the issue--it is all about Who I am and what I have planned to do with you. 

Don't forget that I am what people are longing for, what people are hungry for (even My people). GIVE ME AND MY WORD.  LEAD THEM TO THE RIVER OF LIVING WATER TO DRINK FOR THEMSELVES.  Make their hearts long for the PURE word: living and powerful and active and judging even the intentions of hearts.  Give it out.

As you pray for revival, obey and do your part as I use you to answer that prayer.

Allow Me to use the gifts I have given you for their purpose.

Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

Obey

Week 6- Day 4

Do you claim Him as your own and yet live in opposition to what He has set forth as truth?

     We need to be built up in FAITH for these days ahead.  Faith in a big God, but also faith in TRUTH, faith that His truth will prevail.  His truth is true regardless of who chooses to believe it or not.  We cannot go forward believing lies.  We cannot just believe 'peace, peace' with God where there is no peace (Jer. 6:14,8:11). 

There is no pretending.  We cannot 'think' that we're okay and be okay.  We must obey, to be okay.

      His heart is clearly spoken and revealed.  Where can we flee from His Spirit (Ps. 139:7)?  Nowhere.  So the only good choice is to embrace truth, even if we are persecuted for it (2 Tim. 3:12), even if it flies in the face of today's view of tolerance and love.  How is it loving to condone sin that God must judge?  

The enemy has duped us by making biblical issues seem like political issues, in an attempt to gag our mouths. Take back the ground given over.  Shout, 'Enough!' and watch the walls fall down, only to BE rebuilt on firm foundation (the truth of His Word spoken). Who will shout!?  Who will go? 

Say yes to the Lord and take your place

-to loosen the chains of those harassed by the enemy,

-to open eyes to SEE the FIGHT- to see the war in the heavenlies,

-to acknowledge that we are at war,

-and to fight for victory.

I am God, and there is no other.  So bow to Me alone. 

I am serious, and you cannot be TOO serious about Me.

      Are you bowing to what the world says is right, or what My Word says?  Are you taking your cues from the world, or My Spirit?  Keep your eyes "fixed" on Me -that you will not be swayed by the propaganda* of this world's system (led by the enemy himself, even posing as an angel of light 2 Cor. 11:14).  Beware and be shrewd (Matt. 10:16) and know truth like the back of your hand -have it always before you -that you may be more familiar with My truth than you are with the deceitfulness of this world.  Stop being led astray by this world system, which lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19) .  Open your eyes and behold the ways of your God.  You can either live for Me or against Me.  There is no neutral ground.  PRAY- for strength.

Take courage.  

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." 

     The victory is yours, but you must fight for it.  It will not come as you 'rest on your laurels' (definition= to be satisfied with one's past success and to consider further effort unnecessary).  Fight in word and deed and in prayer and fasting.  Loosen the chains and loosen My people to speak forth My word in power and truth.  

My word is true, and My light WILL dispel darkness!  Darkness CANNOT withstand My light.

       So go light up the world with My love and My power: Christ exalted, high and lifted up, with praise going before you.  You will slay them with your presence as you go forth in My anointing.  Darkness cannot hide, and darkness cannot withstand!  It is just the 'natural quality' of light. 

 So be a light unto the world and SHINE for My glory and fame.  Don't hide it. 

 Shout it from the rooftops.

* definition of propaganda-information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation,etc.

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

Contend Earnestly For The Faith

Week 6- day 3

"..be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:17,18

Have the courage to stand up and be resolute, steadfast, and firm in purpose and belief.

"..the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action" Daniel 11:32b. 

Knowing your God and what He says in His Word, make up your mind now concerning what you believe and how you will obey. Resolve this ahead of time, with the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than the leading of the world. Being convinced of the promises that you may cling to as you obey His Word, be faithful to stand with Him and not against Him. 

Many, who would call themselves Christ-followers today, are standing up against the truth that is clearly set forth in His word. 

They need to KNOW the truth; the truth will set them free. May we know and be fully convinced of the truth we believe, so that we can rise up and proclaim freedom to the captives. 

Freedom has come and been made available, but many, not realizing the bondage of spirit that accompanies it, prefer being 'fed' by Egypt (their captors) because it is 'easier' (Ex. 16:3, Num. 11:5).

  "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude 1:4....

..."But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, 'In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.' These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.  

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.  And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.  

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."....Jude 1:17-25

Today may we heed God's instruction in the book of Jude.  It is concerning the faith that was once for all handed down to the saints. Truth does not change with the changing times or changing worldviews. He created it all and knows how it runs best.  Let's listen to His instructions and not to our own 'opinions' and 'ideas'. (Matt. 17:4,5) Do not just skim over the familiar words, but allow the Word of God to transform your mind more and more every time you come in contact with it (Romans 12:2).

Contend earnestly for the faith and proclaim freedom to the captives. 

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)