Benefits of B120

You learn most when reading!

Simple Bible reading is the most important and basic way of studying God's Word. All other fors of engaging with Scripture build on it. And those who don't miss their daily time with their Lord, read His Word and take it in their hearts through prayer and meditation, will agree, that they learned most about God in their quiet times. But if you only ever read short passages and meditate deeply on them, even when done daily, you might still be missing out. It is like trying to tie together two short pieces of string with a knot. It is very flimsy and frustrating. Your fingers will appear too clumsy to get the job done. Eventually you will succeed but it was still quite an effort. At the end you might actually unravel the fibres that the pieces of string are made of.

So when you only ever read the Bible in short bits and pieces, you will find it harder making connections between the various books. Sermons that are building on such connections will be harder to follow and appreciate. And when you meditate on a passage, you will be more inclined to read your own experiences, cultural backgrounds and definitions of words into it. The intended meaning unravels and you might end up with less truth than at the beginning when you contended yourself with the surface meaning.

So lets say you cut longer pieces of string and tie them together. It will be much easier and quicker, cause less frustration and require less patience. Once the knot is in it, the two strings hold together and the knot will protect the fibres from unravelling. That is the advantage of reading longer passages at a time. It becomes easier to make connections within the Scriptures and you pick up the context and definitions of words over time. When you come to mediate on a few verses now, those insights will protect you from reading something into it that wasn't intended. And because you know the flow of the whole of God's Word, you can appreciate those parts of sermons, where the preacher jumps around a lot to point out some connections.

In addition to that you will grow in confidence that you might actually have found the true and definite meaning of a particular text, which will strengthen your faith and confidence in studying further. With longer pieces of string it is also possible to make more knots in one and in a short time and with more string, you get a whole net. This net of connections within the Scriptures that will enlarge your vision of Christ and the gospel.

Learning through Repetition

Apparently the average person remembers only about 10-15% of what their read either straight after the reading or the next day. Especially when you learn vocabs, repetition is a must. So why not repeating the whole of the counsel of God in order to remember it better? Through it you will get a better overall pictures of God's dealings with his people throughout history and his character will make his marks on your character. The objection "you've got to read the Bible slowly or you won't take everything in" doesn't quite work out. It even contains a hidden arrogance that assumes that you can understand the biblical text accurately the first time round which is just not true.

Flexibility

John Piper once had to remind his church in a sermon (44:10), that in a Bible-in-a-year reading plan, you don't necessarily need to start on the 1st of January. That's how deep the 'Bible365' mentality sits in us! Some people basically conclude, "Oh well, it's already the 15th of January! I guess I have to wait till next year then." Such excuses don't exist with B90/B120. Firstly, there are no imaginary starting dates (e.g. 01.01.2012) and even if they do exist, (e.g. 01.Jan/April/July/Oct. 2012), they can be repeated three or four times a year. That is particularly important for those who really don't want to read on their own, but share a reading plan with friends or family and so have a need to organise each other. Secondly it doesn't really matter that much when you finish the reading plan. Especially since it is more demanding, falling back with the schedule will happen eventually to most people and whether you finish after 90, 110, 120, 150 or 200 days - who cares! You read the Bible through and that with a good pace. There are no failures! On top you could have a month of 'sweet shop reading' - whatever you want. Or you take a particular book that stood out and go over it again in more detail. After that you do another B120 and so on. In this way you get the best of both worlds, the big picture and the depth of the details in their appropriate context. And wherever you have gone wrong in your in-depth study can be corrected in the next read through.

Reading in Community

In Matthew 6 Jesus talks about giving, praying and fasting, which happen primarily in private. But even with those three starting off in community is very helpful to form them into habits. Prayer partners, scheduled fasts with friends to keep each other from food and to support each other or sharing your bank statements to keep accountable that you are not spending too much on yourself are all good ideas, when they don't become a platform for spiritual showing off. How much more than, should we read the Bible together which Jesus does not mention in Mt 6! Dt 6:6-9 encourages us in this way "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." and it mustn't stop with the kids. Through reading the Scripture in community God's word will regularly and naturally become the centre of the conversation which cultivates a heavenly frame of mind and it’s transforming. The things that you did not notice in your reading might be pointed out by someone else. The questions that your friend didn't think of, will be ask by you and vice verse - for your mutual benefit and sharpening.

On top of that you can keep each other on target or meet up together for simple Bible reading out loud to cover lost ground, should you have fallen behind a bit.

Overview of the Whole Bible

Alec Moyter said the following; "The more you know the whole, the easier it is to understand the part." There are topics in the Bible which are big issues but don't really feature any more today. One example is the dynamic between the nations and Israel. How many verses get quoted out of context, because this subject is lost sight of although it is one of the big challenges in the New Testament church. Broad and wide Bible reading helps, to become more aware of those things because you read bigger chunks and the frequency of certain topics will be more apparent. The big picture protects the Bible student from straying from the strait and narrow and wonder off into myths. At the pace of B90/B120 you just don't have the time to get caught up with all the details (which can be an advantage). Instead you follow the flow of the story and develop and instinct for the themes and teachings that the Bible contains and which it doesn't, which are of first importance and which are secondary.

How many Christians have turned a theological midget into an elephant, yes - even split churches apart, because they imaged to have found the sum total of the Christian faith in one single phrase, passage or verse, as if it was the glue that hold it all together. And how often have we read the argument "nowhere does it say in the Bible…"? In order to put together the jigsaw puzzle of sound teaching, you first collect all the pieces of the borders and put them together. And after that you will find the right place for the other pieces in the middle. B90 and B120 can protect the Christian because it captures the big picture. Here the detail finds it's right place much more securely.
Charles Bridges summaries in his book "The Christian Ministry": 'Perhaps the most effectual discipline for this case is the inculcation of an accurate comprehension of the whole compass of Scripture, as the grand means of arriving at Christian maturity. Favouritism in Scripture is the grand parent both of heresy and instability of profession.'

"Boring passages" aren't stretched unnecessarily

The reality is that there is no such things as a boring Bible passage. There are only passage that I either understand, think I understand and don't understand. Countless Christians fail at the attempt to read through the Bible either in Leviticus, Numbers or the first 10 chapters of Chronicles. And in a B365 reading plan those passages are stretched even more. But especially with texts that you don't understand at first, it really helps to read with raised speed. First gain yourself an overview and you might see where it is all going. And one or the other will find themselves starting to like Leviticus at last through disciplined and repeated reading. And the rest of the Bible regularly draws on it. Each and every one of the 66 books of the Bible deserves our attention. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope.” Ro 15:4

Concordance in the brain, instead of the shelf

The Bible is an extraordinary book not least because it explains itself. You just need to know how. That's why the best study tool outside the Scriptures themselves is a concordance. But why would you keep pulling your concordance from the shelf when you could build up a good reference library in the RAM of your brain? It's always with you and often quicker than biblegateway.com. Besides the Holy Spirit will make use of it at any time during the day, during sermons, seminars and conversations. And it functions more reliably, if you choose a literal Bible translation for your daily reading even though it might be more wooden because it translates more consistently. An audio Bible alongside can help with clumsy sentence structures until got used to it. The only things you need to do is simply read or listen to your Bible. Time and consistency will do the rest.

The Spirit is our teacher

1 Jn 2:27 "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him." This anointing is the Holy Spirit, who is our teacher. Of course I'm not saying that we stop using Bible commentaries, cease listening to sermons etc. Theology is and should be done in community. The Spirit speaks through those and the more they agree with Scripture, the more He speaks. All of Scripture is God-breathed (1 Tim 3:16) and for that reason we give the Spirit more room to work in us, teach us and transform us into the likeness of Christ, when we spend more time in the Word. Is that not our hearts desire? And Bible commentaries and sermons will become more meaningful to us, when we are full of the Word, as long as we don't stray outside the Scriptures to find answers. Rather let the Bible explain the Bible, because then the Spirit will teach through the Spirit. Sola Scripture! Tota Scriptura!

Biblical Instinct

How do I know if a Bible commentary's interpretation is actually right? Just because someone is called a scholar doesn't mean they are infallible in their study. Especially in our day it has become very easy to publish your own book so authors don't need to stand the test of time as they used to. Well, over the years of reading through your Bible, you will develop a kind of exegetical instinct. Verses which either agree or contradict what you are reading in commentaries and sermons come to mind much more quickly. However that doesn't give us the right to become ungraciously critical.

Strength for your faith

In opposition to a common idea today, that faith naturally includes vagueness, uncertainty and doubt, the Bible advocates faith as a knowledge of truth, full of certainty and assurance (Heb 11:1). You don't have faith, unless you have a content of faith (which is biblical knowledge) to hold on to. Romans 10:14-17 "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." That's why simple Bible reading will strengthen your faith. Reading the Scriptures more will strengthen your faith more, if you accept it in humility through the enlightening of the Spirit.

Man shall not live by bread alone,

"…, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Frequently the Bible compares eating with taking in the words of God - not just in this verse. How much time, then, do you spend every day, eating food and how much time do you spend eating the honey-flavoured scroll of Scripture? What if you started counting the minutes of your eating and brought your Bible reading on the same level? Then you are easily in the realm of B90/B120.

Understand Jesus correctly

You might have realised over the years, that Jesus is quite difficult to understand. He is often not as straightforward, as it might appear at first. It might even be that the gospels are both the best places to start with the Bible but also the hardest to get to the bottom of. That might be because Jesus so consistently draws on the imagery and symbols of the Old Testament, that we are not familiar with anymore - and actually not even the people of his own day. In fact he explains his parables only to the disciples but the rest is left without exposition. They perish for their lack of knowledge. And a few times Jesus actually says it clearly "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?" (Mark 12:24)

Repetition of the whole Counsel of God

An important advantage of B90/B120 should be obvious. Image you would start reading the Bible like George Müller, once through every 90 days, four times a year. At any given time you would know that you have read any given verse the last time 90 days ago. That protects you from focusing on your theological hobby horses, just as expository preaching protects the congregation from only hearing the favourite topics of the preacher.

Psychological Barriers

The Bible is a very thick book and that alone hinders many to start reading it from cover to cover. But there is also another psychological barrier in the length of a year! 365 days is an awfully long time if you are not a person with iron discipline, because the moment of success, the rewarding event of actually having read through God's Word is at a distance for a long time. Many lose steam halfway through. To read the Bible in a shorter span of time increases the daily commitment but the goal is closer.

Here are some times for orientation from an audio Bible, which is slow reading (150-200 words a minute) as you hear it from the pulpit.

1x/year = 12 Minutes

3x/year = 40 Minutes

4x/year = almost 60 Minutes (to be precise, it's 48min but 60 mins is really safe)

The Majority of the Bible is Story

Who has ever read Lord of the Rings, Narnia or Harry Potter with a reading plan that stops after 12-15 minutes reading a day? The story would constantly be interrupted and not be enjoyable. But the Bible reading plans are useful because it's a spiritual book and the flesh hates to be exposed to it. Grace-inspired discipline is necessary. But on the flipside we must not over-spiritualise the Bible either. Just as it is wrong to only focus on Jesus’ divinity at the expense of his humanity, so neither should we read the Bible exclusively contemplative. It is also a book written by human authors and therefore can and ought to be read like a human book. Not either/or but both/and! Read it like a story, and read it contemplative. And also the letters were read out aloud as a whole to the congregation they reached.

The Experience Itself

You don't know what you don't know until you know it. It sounds confusing at first but after thinking about it a little, it makes perfect sense. How can someone persist that B90/B120 would not be beneficial, if they have never tried it for themselves. Try it out and see yourself! It’s worth the reading experience.

Sanctification

Admittedly, up to 60 Minutes a day are not without effort. But how many more hours does our culture, media and surroundings bombard us with thoughts, ideas and impressions that distract us from Jesus? How can we make headway in our sanctification, when we are not continually engaging in this battle of our minds? Some might object that this is nothing but religious brain washing. So what? Yes it is, as any kind of teaching but the big difference is that Christians use the clean water of God's word and not the sewage of the world (which produces so many sins, that keep us from serving other) to wash our brains.

Is it not through the beholding of and gazing on our Lord Jesus Christ, that we are conformed into his image? Is it not assimilation through association? "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:17-18

And when we shall see him no longer in part, but face to face (1 Cor 13:12), then we will be like him for we shall see him as he is (1 Jn 3:2). Let us therefore look much at Christ as he walks of the pages of Scripture, so that we become like him. Jesus is the blueprint and the template, the Scriptures are the hammer and chisel and the Holy Spirit the sculptor, who uses our raw material and brings it into it's right shape. May the church make herself ready for her bridegroom (Rev 19:7), without spot or wrinkle.

Jesus is the Focus of the Bible

The Bible is neither a book full of morals (though they are there), nor a Christian version of a horoscope that tells me which decisions I should make today. Generally the Bible doesn't revolve around me at all and who reads in such egocentric ways, will soon be disappointed with God's Word. The Bible is about Jesus: Jn 5:39 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," (so also Lk 24:27, 44b, Acts 26:22-23)… and only after that in a derivative sense about the church (which is us), the future wife of Jesus. So if anything the Bible is a cosmic marriage manual for the Bride to get ready for the big day. Tim Keller is right, that you will only really see Jesus in the Old Testament, when you know the rest of the Bible well. So B90/B120 is primarily a tool for each Christian to see more Him, who sees us, so that we love Him more, who chose us and loves us completely.

Thanksgiving and glory be to 

God the Father, 

God the Son and 

God the Holy Spirit!