Morning Devotions 2022 – A Public Reading of the Legacy Standard Bible

Morning Devotions: For Those Unfamiliar

I have been reading the Bible aloud, almost every day, Monday through Saturday, since January 1, 2017. But I haven’t done it alone. Friends, some old and some new, from around the world have joined me in the effort. We call it Morning Devotions.

“Morning Devotions” is a live YouTube gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ, from around the world. We meet at 7:00 AM (CT), Monday through Saturday (Tuesdays at 8:00 AM, Central). Occasionally I will read later in the day due to ministry and/or family commitments.

The format each morning is simple enough. If you are subscribed to my YouTube channel, you will receive a notification each morning to let you know that I’ve started the livestream. Those of us in the chatroom will spend a little time in fellowship. I might give a ministry update or share a testimony of a recent gospel conversation. After fellowship, we “quiet our hearts and our minds and our fingertips,” and turn to the Lord in prayer. And then it’s time to open the Bible. I read aloud three or more chapters of the Bible each day. From Genesis 1, through Revelation 22, we read every word of God’s Word.

Each year since 2017 we’ve read a different translation of God’s Word.

• 2017 – ESV
• 2018 – NASB95
• 2019 – CSB
• 2020 – NKJV
• 2021 – NASB77

The Legacy Standard Bible in 2022

In 2022, we will read a new translation of God’s Word — the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB). If you’re unfamiliar with this translation, you can read interesting details of its origin, HERE. According to the website:

“The Legacy Standard Bible was completed by a team of scholars from The Master’s Seminary and University. Working directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to update the text of the NASB ’95, the goal for the LSB to preserve and honor its predecessors was accomplished. The first edition LSB New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs is currently available and complete Bible editions are due to release by the end of 2021.”

Here are just two reasons why I’m excited to read the LSB in the coming year.

First:

“Traditionally, the translation ‘God’ renders the Hebrew word Elohim. Likewise, the word ‘Lord’ is a translation of Adonai. In the LSB, God’s covenant name is rendered as Yahweh, as opposed to LORD. The meaning and implication of this name is God’s self-deriving, ongoing, and never-ending existence. Exodus 3:14–15 shows that God Himself considered it important for His people to know His name. The effect of revealing God’s name is His distinction from other gods and His expression of intimacy with the nation of Israel. Such a dynamic is a prevalent characteristic of the Scriptures as Yahweh appears in the OT over 6,800 times. In addition to Yahweh, the full name of God, the OT also includes references to God by a shorter version of His name, Yah. By itself, God’s name ‘Yah’ may not be as familiar, but the appearance of it is recognizable in Hebrew names and words (e.g. Zechar-iah, meaning Yah remembers, and Hallelu-jah, meaning praise Yah!). God’s shortened name ‘Yah’ is predominantly found in poetry and praise.”

And:

“The NT has a variety of terms that refer to the individuals who serve under the authority of another. Doulos denotes a very specific form of servitude: slavery. The NT uses doulos to describe an individual who is totally subordinate to a master (cf. Matt 8:9; 24:46; 2 Pet 2:19) and even owned by that master (Philem 16-19), in contrast to one who is freed (Gal 3:28). For this reason, the NASB already translated the vast majority of this term as slave. The LSB made this consistent, which brings out how believers are to relate to Christ. He is our Lord and master (2 Cor 4:5), and we are His slaves (Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1). This underscores His great redemption in buying believers from slavery to sin (Rom 6:16). This also underscores the believer’s absolute surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 6:16-17). A consistent translation of doulos, in effect, sharpens the very nature of the Christian life.”

Read the LSB Online

Since the LSB is a brand new translation, the print version of this Bible is not yet readily available. Supply chain issues have made the distribution of this Bible somewhat slow. However, the entirety of the LSB translation is available online. You can read it, HERE. So, even if you don’t have the Bible in your hand you can still following along as I read the text.

Morning Devotion Testimonies

Over the years, I have been blessed to read the Bible to and with Christian brethren from around the United States and around the world, including places like: Canada, China, Scotland, Ireland, England, Brazil, Nigeria, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Here are some of their Morning Devotions testimonies. I hope you are as encouraged as I was when I read them.

Jeff from Canada

For five full years the Lord has molded me and disciplined me in the area of regular bible reading, with the added enjoyment of fellowship with the saints. Morning devotions, hosted six days a week with Tony Miano, has been my go to each morning to journey through God’s Word faithfully. I have been exposed to four different translations and have spent the past five years meeting and fashioning wonderful relationships with believers all over the world. Not only have I faithfully spent time in the Word, but the prayer opportunities for my brothers and sisters, via this platform, has been such a joy and has strengthened my faith in the one, true living God. If you are ‘hit and miss’ with your daily bible reading, may I commend Morning Devotions to you. With each daily reading being recorded and posted, you can find time each and every day to spend in God’s Word with followers of Christ who are, themselves, growing in the grace of God’s sanctification.

Leanne from Pennsylvania

There have been innumerable blessings from becoming a part of Tony Miano’s Morning Devotions and far too many to list in their entirety here. First, consistency. As I continued to participate with this group, and I don’t regret it for a second. Lord willing, I believe I will finally achieve that personal goal of the entire Bible in a year – this year.

Second, evangelism. Tony and my brethren  in the chatroom have helped me in working through some of my issues surrounding my attempts to share God’s word. While I have been driven to keep trying to do so, I have long felt incredibly incapable and insufficient about each and every one of my attempts to draw people to Him and encourage them to get into His word. In a few ways, being a part of Morning Devotions has addressed various issues in this arena in my life.

And third, fellowship. God knew, that he would be calling my dear friend and sister-in-Christ, Rosemary home to be with the Lord this year, when I did not. Morning Devotions, in general and specifically walked beside me in my grief. In daily devotions, it helped to keep my eyes focussed on Jesus and less on my grief. God’s timing was just amazing. Tony had facilitated me getting to know two sisters-in-Christ (Maria and Nora) outside of the chat as well. With tears in my eyes, I am so thankful to Jesus who knew this time was coming. I’m thankful for  Tony who, with a willing heart, served the Lord,  – for Maria who joyfully began communicating with me, and for Nora who called me at the right moment, and daily, kindly and lovingly invaded my life with her calls and wrapped her loving arms around me in my grief.

Carmen from Tennessee

For the last two years, I’ve been blessed to join you in the Morning Devotions. I had never read the Bible from beginning to end and now doing this has become part of my daily devotions. These readings not only give me understanding but also great encouragement as I grow in my Christian faith. I thank God for the fellowship, explanations, guidance and friendship we share each day. And I love Tony’s sense of humor, too.

James from Ireland

I wanted to say thank you for Morning Devotions (although for me it is afternoon devotions). I really enjoy the chat that is had and the questions that are asked by different people from around the world. And of course I enjoy the reading of God’s Word. I am a fellow evangelist and I love to see Tony’s heart for the lost so I also watch his evangelism videos when I get a chance.

Matt from Tennessee

Morning Devotions is a way to read the Bible with fellow Christians, and sometimes even others! It’s a way to read or sometimes just listen to God’s Word. Playtime with Roxy (Tony’s dog) is heartwarming! It’s just a relaxed start to the day. And it’s a welcome part of my morning. It needs to be said that Tony is kind and patient with strangers. Tony’s stories are always a treat–always casual, sometimes humorous, and God-glorifying. He tells them well. I’m glad I found his stream.

Charles from Canada

Brother Tony’s Morning Devotions are a blessing because it allows me to have fellowship with other Christ followers and strengthen my faith (Romans 10:17). It’s a great way to start the day in prayer and hearing God’s Word and meeting new believers that participate online in the chat room.

Patrick from New York

As part of my friend and brother-in-Christ Tony’s Morning Devotions for almost one year now, a verse from Scripture that comes to mind is Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

The explosion of the computer and digital revolution, combined with social media on a global scale, has profoundly caused sinfulness to affect many people across the world. From internet gambling to pornography, from addictions to a near-obsession with exchanging cruel insults via the safety of anonymous YouTube names with those of differing political opinions, technology has undoubtedly brought upon mankind new opportunities for sinfulness, in a format never even imagined just a few generations ago. While the same sins have been in the hearts of sinful man since Adam’s fall, what’s changed is the increased opportunities to practice it.

The fact that God has, by His grace, allowed this small group of Christ-followers from diverse countries to gather on a daily basis, in real time, to hear His Word read aloud, exchange prayer requests, and hear each other’s backstories is a blessing. No waiting on postcards or letters through the Postal Service. No pen pals. Instant availability, through various time zones, to read what 2 Timothy 3:16 describes as that which is “breathed out by God”.

Maria from Georgia

By God’s divine Providence I came across this chat room in the end of March 2018, while I was in a very bad place, having just had knee surgery and falling into a depression.

In the past I’ve always started out on my own reading the Bible through my you version app. I wasn’t very faithful at reading everyday. Since I have been in this chat room I’ve hardly missed any days.

It’s said after a certain amount of days of repetition becomes a habit. I see how that is true. And this is a good habit to have. Along with the reading of the Word in one year, I enjoy the times that Tony shares his encounters as he crosswalks. And it’s fun to pick his brain with some biblical questions.

Through meeting Tony as an evangelist, I watch his videos and they encourage me so much on sharing the gospel. I’ve learned how to engage in conversation and sharing which is a big help in sharing the gospel. Another good thing that came out of being in the chat room is meeting a couple of sisters that I now have a close, long distance relationship with. Being in the chat room has also helped me understand reformed theology much better. Although I’ve always listened to John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul, I’ve learned through being in the chat room about other reformed teachers that I now listen to. I am blessed. I am grateful to Tony for opening this up and he is a blessing and I pray for more people to join us so they can be blessed as well.

Robyn from the Netherlands

I don’t know how or remember exactly when I first noticed your channel coming up in my feed. But I had taken a look at it before the lockdown here in Holland started. I believe I started to watch in March 2020. It soon became something of a habit, as in, I started to make this a real “timeslot” in my daily routine. The daily devotions have given me a quiet time, smack dab in the middle of my day. I didn’t realize how much I looked forward to it.

The daily reading of God’s word has gone many places with me. Sometimes I am at home at my craft table. Other times I’m in the car or walking in the forest. Only God can bring a little group like this together to Magnify His name. How blessed we truly are.

I’m thankful for our group. The devotion time is when I can be a part of the reading of God’s word and know that at that exact same time in other parts of the world they are hearing it as well.