BR-52 Chronological Bible Read (December 24-31)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Chronos! Well, this is it. The last note of the year. 

I have a comment, below, about Revelation. But in case you don’t read those, I can sum up the book with a quote from Rev 19:10 and 21:9: “Worship only God!”

 

The last KEY VERSE: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:6‬)  

Wow. Just ... wow.

I hope you’ve had a good year and that you were blessed by spending some time in God’s word, albeit a bit differently that the usual. Even though we’re finishing, please let me know if you have a question I can address about scripture. I would love to hear from you at any time, and I would love to help.

Many Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

John’s three letters: the first to “my dear children”; the second to “the chosen lady”; the third to “my dear friend.” Jude’s letter (“to all who are called by God the Father”). The book of God’s Revelation to the Apostle John (the fifth Bible piece penned by John the Apostle).

Comments: 

December 24th  —1st John 1:5—  says “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” This connects perfectly to Revelation which declares that in Heaven, because God is present: “there is no night there!”

December 24th  —1st John 4:5&6—  Better than any other verses I’ve read, these make clear the difficulty we face in this life getting others to understand.

 

December 25th  —1st John 5:21—  “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” That sounds like a tall order ... maybe even impossible on our own ... but it is achievable with the help of the Spirit.

December 26th  —Jude 1:24-25—  referred to as the Jude Doxology or the Jude Benediction, this has served as the source of many a hymn ... worth a re-read.

 

December 26th  —Revelation—  This is the last “book,” both in the Bible and in the chronology of the Bible story. The notes of mine that follow are just a scratch on the surface of the meaning(s) of this scripture. If it interests you, I recommend you consult some commentaries: there are many excellent ones out there. The central problem with understanding it is this: despite that fact that no one really knows, for a fact, the full meanings of this book, there are plenty of people who claim to. My advice: proceed with caution when anyone purports to, conclusively, know the meaning of the book.

December 26th  —Revelation 1:4, 11—  Revelation is a book of mysteries. Here is just one of them: who is the revelation for? The book/letter is addressed to the “Seven Churches of Asia” (They are all located in what is modern-day Turkey, on or not too far from a stretch of coastline shared by the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas. Patmos, where the author lives in exile, is an island just off this coast.). Since there are no other specific addressees, it could be argued that this revelation given to John by God’s angel was for those churches, only. 

December 26th through 31st  —  Other mysteries of the book of Revelation include: what the symbols mean, when the predicted events will take place (or if they already have, or if some of them already have), whether it is an accurate description of the heavenly realm, who are the people described, how much of this can we take at face value, etc.? While plenty of people have reached conclusions about these things, there remains zero consensus.

A FINAL NOTE ABOUT REVELATION

If you want to pursue Revelation, further, let me know and we can carry on a side discussion. I can recommend some books to read if you want.

Blessings to you all,

Steve

BR-51 Chronological Bible Read (December 17-23)

Almost there, Chronos!

Regarding the future: If you (or someone you know) want to do this in the new year, I will continue to post at www.steveorr.blogspot.com for anyone to access throughout the year. 

KEY VERSE: “So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.” (Hebrews‬ ‭6:1‬)

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Letter to the Hebrews (author unknown ... but much evidence suggests Paul or someone who had been discipled by Paul). The end of the Timothy letters. The roll call of faith (Hebrews 11). The great cloud of witnesses. The two letters from Peter to the church at large. 

Why we care about Hebrews, a letter written to Jewish believers: Many of the “issues” raised, today, against Christianity are addressed in this letter. Interesting, isn’t it, how a letter that purports to serve one group ends up centuries later being useful to a completely different group of believers? These are questions raised, not only by our friends, acquaintances, and debaters, but also by us. Definitely worth a read.

Something that helps us understand: when the word “holy” appears (as it does often in scripture, and especially in the Peter letters), it likely doesn’t mean what you think it does. In the Bible, it actually means “separate, utter otherness, set apart.” Try reading those passages while holding that in your mind. It’s the idea that God is so utterly different from what we humans tend to be. Add to that, when we are called upon to be holy, we need to try to be so distinct from our environment that we approach this ideal. That may be a tall order which we can never fully achieve, but we are to try.

Comments: 

December 17th  —Hebrews Chapters 1&2—  The author makes the case for Jesus being superior to Angels, that he created everything, and is now in charge of everything.  Why do we care?  Like today, there was a problem with Angel-worship during the first century. Plus there was a lot of confusion, fostered by false teachers, about which beings were of highest authority. Finally, there was a false teaching, still in play today, that God was just the most powerful angel, and that Jesus was just one of many angels (an important one, but not necessarily the most important one).

December 18th  —Hebrews 5:8—  Jesus “learned obedience from the things He suffered.” That’s thought-provoking ... 

 

December 19th  —Hebrews 9:27—  “...each person is destined to die once and after that comes the judgment....” 

December 19th  —Hebrews 10:24—  “let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” That means we spend some time thinking up just exactly how we could motivate ourselves and other believers to take action in love. That’s not passive ...

 

December 20th (and my birthday)  —Hebrews Chapter 11—  The “Roll Call of Faith” opens with a statement that has been much misunderstood ... mostly because they keep re-translating it to try to convey its meaning. NLT says: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - http://bible.com/116/heb.11.1.nlt).

King James is the best known translation: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ - http://bible.com/114/heb.11.1.nkjv).

I find it most understandable to think of it this way: “Of the things we have hoped for, faith is the confidence we have that God can make them come true; that they already have substance in God’s consideration. Of matters not currently perceivable by us, but which we are supposed to believe anyway, faith actually is the evidence they currently exist.”

December 20th  —Hebrews Chapter 11 is one of those Bible chapters, along with verse 12:1 (“the great cloud of witnesses”), that should be read every week by every christian. It’s that important to our understanding of our place in God’s plan. [The other Bible chapters that should be read each week are: Acts 7, 1st Corinthians 13, Romans 12, Hebrews 11, Romans 13, Isaiah 40]

December 21st  —Hebrews Chapter 13—  There are so many phrases, here, that we have often heard from the pulpit and from the hymnal.

A. Show hospitality to strangers for some have entertained angels unaware (verse 2)

B. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Verse 5)

C. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Verse 8)

D. This world is not my home (verse 14)

December 22nd  —1st Peter 3:15—  I think the verse is a bit stronger if rendered this way: “In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord.” It calls on us to regard Jesus as higher than any authority we encounter in this life, but not requiring us to be confrontational about it. What is important is that we keep reminding ourselves just who it is that we serve.

December 22nd  —1st Peter 4:8—  “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” This is active love, transformational love ... 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?  —>There are some who suggest this is a process by which we not only get our sins covered (forgiven), but also those to whom we ”show deep love.” 

December 23rd  —2nd Peter 1:5-9—  Sometimes referred to as the “Learning to Love,” pyramid, this seems to some to be steps in a process; that accomplishing or achieving mastery of one level (such as faith) is needed before one can fully achieve the next level (“moral excellence”, “virtue”). Others have suggested that we should be attempting all of these activities, continuously, but recognizing that they do build on one another. These actions do seem to provide a pathway to being able to truly love ourselves and others as per the greatest and second greatest commandments. Consider especially the word “develop” in verse nine (9). I’m more in the second camp; working on all of them at once. How can you go wrong with that approach? 

Next week: 

John’s three letters: the first to “my dear children”; the second to “the chosen lady”; the third to “my dear friend.” Jude’s letter to the churches. The book of God’s Revelation to the Apostle John (the fifth Bible piece penned by John).

BR-50 Chronological Bible Read (December 10-16)

Only two weeks to go! 

Key Scripture: “... true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:6‬)

Blessings, 

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

The Letter to Philemon (neither a church nor an evangelist ... a person in Colossae, possibly an Elder of the church there). The letter to the church at Philippi. Letter from James to the Jewish believers who are living away from Israel. Letters to two evangelists: Timothy and Titus. 

Comments: 

December 10th  —The letter to Philemon is all about saving his former slave (Onesimus) from the punishment he is actually due. Paul, masterfully, reasons Philemon into a corner, arguing that Philemon should welcome Onesimus back as a brother in Christ. He forces Philemon to view this (probably) runaway slave in a more favorable light. 

December 10th  —Philippians 1:3-6—  These verses were what Pattie spoke to me at our wedding, and they are inscribed inside my wedding band.

 

December 11th  —Philippians 4:22b—  “especially those in Caesar’s household.” God’s people are everywhere: even in government positions (or married to those associated with the government). 

NOTE: The book of James (the brother of Jesus) is SO RICH. It only covers 1.5 days of reading, but it contains a lifetime of guidance. I have only mentioned three of the many, many wisdoms nestled here. In five brief chapters, he comments on and connects with almost every other book of the Bible! Amazing. 

December 12th  —James 1:5-6—  First, God wants us to ask for wisdom. Second, there is a caveat: don’t ask unless you really believe in God.

 

December 12th  —James 1:27—  If you’ve ever wondered what God is looking for in religion, here it is.

December 13th  —James 5:4-6— It boils down to this: it is OK to be rich. But it is not OK to become rich (or stay that way) by cheating, harming, or killing those who are less fortunate. Secondly, don’t depend on your riches to save you if you have behaved in these horrible ways. God knows, and God’s message is, “You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.” Turkeys don’t even do that! 

(Also Dec 15th, 1st Timothy 6:17-19)

December 13th  —1st Timothy2:1-2—  Here is how to pray for kings and others in authority over us: Ask God to help them, intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Well, that is unexpected! Some of them are horrible people! And yet ...

December 15th  —Titus 2:7, 14 and 3:14—  We are to do “good deeds” while in this life. What do you suppose those might be?

December 16th  —2nd Timothy 2:21— This scripture is the basis for Max Lucado’s book, On the Anvil. I highly recommend it to you for clear explanation on how to be of productive use to God.

Next week: 

Letter to the Hebrews (author unknown) and the roll call of faith (Hebrews 11). The great cloud of witnesses. The end of the Timothy letters. The two letters from Peter to the church at large. 

BR-49 Chronological Bible Read (December 3-9)

Well, Chronos, that went fast. 

When I sat down to read Sunday’s scriptures, I was startled to suddenly find I had read all the way through Wednesday! What a stirring tale of false accusations, assassins, royal encounters, a two-week typhoon(!), and a shipwreck. 

I like alternating between the history and the letters to the churches ... certainly provides perspective. 

Key scripture, from December 7th: “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” 

(‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:2‬, 21-32).

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Continuing: Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem (and his defense). Assassins! Paul brought before successive levels of government and Royalty ... and starts his Journey to Rome. Shipwreck! Malta! Rome! Paul writes to the Ephesians from Rome. The armor of God. Letter from Paul in Rome to the christians at Colosse (Colossians).   

Comments: 

December 3rd  —Acts 23:16 —  “Paul’s nephew, his sister’s son ....”

December 4th  —Acts 24—  Governor Felix (“who was quite familiar with the Way”) and his Jewish wife kept Paul with them for two years! ... Two years of listening to him preach the Gospel to them. We can only speculate about the impact of that, but the possibilities boggle the mind!

 

December 4th  —Acts 25:19—  Here’s some illuminating insight into how people think of the Gospel when not enabled by the Spirit to understand it: “... it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive.”

December 5th & 6th  —Acts 27:14 and 27, 28:1-7—  I never knew this: a fourteen-day typhoon (Wowzer!) preceded Paul’s shipwreck on the island of Malta (a place I hope to visit one day; there’s a lot of Christian history associated with it).

 

December 6th  —Acts 28:11ff—  The order matters, here: 

Firstly, the church at Rome comes to meet Paul way out on the highway, well before he actually arrives in Rome. Secondly, Paul arranges for the local Jewish leaders to come to him (in his captivity) so he can explain how he came to be in that state (i.e., he preached the Gospel to them in the context of their Jewish heritage). Thirdly, Paul spent two full years preaching to all who came to visit him ... “And no one tried to stop him.”

December 6th —Ephesians 2:9— “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done ....”

December 8th —Ephesians 5:21 through 6:9— Nothing you read in this passage overrides the very first instruction: “...submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” If you can practice this first one every day, the others —which are examples of how it would work at that time in Ephesus— will present no problem for you.

December 8th —Ephesians 6:10-20— Recall that we encountered this phrase (‘the armor of God) way back in Isaiah; it is an actual thing, not just a convenient illustration for Paul to use in this letter. If you want to read a bit more about this, I wrote a piece: http://steveorr.blogspot.com/2015/08/fighting-in-borrowed-armor-lectionary.html

Here’s a great song that speaks to us armor-wearers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRNFf3ykQvM

December 9th  —Colossians 4:9—  The letters of Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon could easily be renamed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Onesimus. He is the one person, aside from Paul, connecting the three books. He’s an interesting person. Watch for those connections as we move forward. 

Next week: 

The Letter to Philemon (a person; not a church, nor an evangelist). The letter to the church at Philippi. Letter from James to the Jewish believers who are living away from Israel. The letters to Timothy and Titus (evangelists). 

BR-48 Chronological Bible Read (November 26 - December 2)

Only five more weeks, Chronos!

Our key verse sums up the letter to the christians at Rome: “... [the Israelites] were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him ... For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself.” (Romans‬ ‭9:32‬a)

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Continuing in the letter to the Christians in Rome. Salvation is for everyone. Second letter to the church at Corinth. We get new bodies! Back on the road, again. Paul gets arrested. 

Comments: 

November 27th —Romans 12:2— Note who does what in this verse: what you are to do, and what God is to do.

November 27th —Romans 12:9-31 is often called “the other love chapter.”  Compare it to 1st Corinthians 13. How is it similar? How is it different? If interested, here is a blog I wrote that addresses these two love chapters: 

https://steveorr.blogspot.com/2020/08/when-dad-was-brickie-steve-orr.html?m=0

November 28th —Romans 15:4b— A couple of the important reasons we should read the Bible. 

November 28th —Romans 16— This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. There is so much to love, here. After putting forth this amazing theological argument for 15 chapters, Paul gets newsy ... just like you would expect in a letter between friends. Paul knows so many people in Rome! He sends his letter to them via Phoebe, a church deacon. Priscilla and Aquila (early missionary couple) are in Rome, and a church meets in their home. He sends greeting to Junia, a woman apostle(?) who was in prison with him! And then, finally, he warns them of supposed church members who use “smooth talk and glowing words to deceive innocent people.”

November 28th, 29th, 30th, and December 1st — Paul writes his second letter to the folks at Corinth. Keep in mind: he has already visited them, twice, and time has elapsed since they received his first letter. This one reflects what he learned from Timothy’s more recent visit to Corinth. Paul is addressing (A) how they have fared in the wake of his first letter, and (B) some new problems that Timothy has brought to his attention.

December 1st —Acts 20:7-12— Remember, Acts is Luke’s account of what happened in the early years of the church. So, Luke is our witness in Troas. Nice to see that, even then, and even when a luminary like Paul was preaching, people still fell asleep in church!

December 2nd —Acts 20:35— What I read in this scripture is that it is OK for us to earn our way in this life and accumulate resources so that we, too, might be blessed by giving to those in need. Does anyone read it differently?

December 2nd —Acts 21:8-9— One of those moments we get from time to time where we get to circle back, so to speak, and encounter someone from earlier in the story. In this case, it’s Philip, one of the original Deacons who is now living and preaching in Caesarea (Note: his four daughters were prophets).

Next week: 

Continuing: Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem (and his defense). Assassins! Paul is brought before successive levels of government and Royalty ... and starts his Journey to Rome. Shipwreck! Malta! Rome! Paul writes to the Ephesians from Rome. The armor of God. Letter from Paul in Rome to the christians at Colosse (Colossians).   

BR-47 Chronological Bible Read (November 19-25)

Home stretch, Chronos!

Key scripture: “...while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭8:1‬b)

Hard to believe we’re homing in on the last few weeks of our reading. Soon, very soon, we will complete our year of reading the Bible chronologically. How has it been for you? Was it good enough to recommend to your friends? Does having these notes in advance improve the experience? 

Write and share your thoughts with me.

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Paul addresses the problems in Corinth. One body, many parts. THE Love Chapter?? How we got the tithe. A riot in Ephesus. A letter to the Christ-followers in Rome. More about why faith works where the Law does not. What it’s like to live in the Spirit.

Comments: 

November 19 —1st Corinthians 4:5— What do you think about this instruction from Paul to the christians at Corinth? “Don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns.”

November 19 —1st Corinthians 6:7— What do you think about this one?

November 20 —1st Corinthians 9:5— Pater and James had wives.

November 21 —1st Corinthians 11:11-12— Among followers of Jesus, men and women are interdependent.

November 21 —1st Corinthians 12:31— This is the verse connecting the discussion in Chapter 12 with the answer in Chapter 13. Love is greater than all those matters discussed in Chapter 12. Look back and consider.

November 22 —1st Corinthians 15:54-56— Give a listen to Petra singing about these verses in their song, Grave Robber (skip the ad): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3pQdCPlxP50

November 23 —Acts 19:23-41 (One riot, one ranger Apostle**) —Here is a case of entrepreneurs being negatively impacted by the preaching of the Gospel— What do you think of the way the official handled the matter? What are some other similar, situations you can think of?

** A legend of the Texas Rangers: people were rioting in a west Texas town. The local leaders sent a message requesting the help of the Texas Rangers. But, when the train arrived, only one Ranger stepped out and onto the platform. When questioned about where the other Rangers were, the Ranger supposedly replied, “One riot, one Ranger.”

Next week: 

Continuing in the letter to the Christians in Rome. Salvation is for everyone. Second letter to the church at Corinth. We get new bodies! Back on the road, again. Paul gets arrested. 

BR-46 Chronological Bible Read (November 12-18)

Six weeks and counting, Chronos!

The church continues to grow and spread ... but not without some problems. 

Reminder: These passages are very rich. I can’t possibly anticipate your questions; so send them to me. 

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Peter escapes from prison. Herod (finally) dies. Barnabas vouches for Saul (Paul) and then has to become his missionary partner. Lots of journeying by Paul and company. A bit of a dust-up between Paul and Peter. Jerusalem Church sets some church-planting rules. Woman founds first church in Philippi (yeah, those Philippians)! Paul teaches the Greeks a thing or two. First husband-wife missionary team. What do you do with a problem like the Corinthians?

Comments: 

November 12, 2017  —Acts 13:1—  Seems the church at Antioch (the first place we were called christians) had a little seminary going: prophets, teachers, and preachers. It included at least one man of color, a childhood friend of Herod(!), Saul (Paul), and Barnabas ... quite a collection of people!

November 12, 2017 —Acts 13:10— the Holy Spirit in Paul is speaking to the demon in the false prophet Elymas (called Bar-Jesus; it means “son of Jesus,” so there may have been an attempt to make others think he was actually the son of Jesus. Note how Paul calls him “son of the devil,” as if to underscore that Elymas Bar-Jesus was no son of Jesus of Nazareth).

November 13, 2017 —Galatians 12:19— James, the brother of Jesus, was an apostle. That means at least two members of His earthly family became followers. Can you name the other?

November 13, 2017 —Galatians 3:13— In writing to the Galatians about salvation, Paul makes it clear (“for our wrongdoings”) that when Jesus went to the cross it was not just for those who were then presently impacted by His ministry (e.g., had heard Jesus preach), but for future generations as well. The Galatians were included in “our” even though none had been physically present with Jesus.

November 14, 2017 —Galatians 4:16— another of my favorite scriptures. Paul asks this question of a people who at one time had welcomed him with open arms: “Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?”

November 14, 2017 —Galatians 5:22-23—  “There is no law against these things!” Its a pretty interesting list!

November 15, 2017 —Acts 16:11-15— The founding member of the Philippian church was Lydia, a business woman. She went on to lead her entire household to Christ. 

November 16, 2017 —Acts 17:16-34— Paul not only “preaches” to the leading philosophers of the day (at Athens, Greece), but leads some to Christ (including at least one woman philosopher).

November 17, 2017 —Acts 18:4-17— Remember all this trouble Paul experiences in Corinth (circa AD 51) when we read his letters to them later this week and next week. Bookmark this part of the Book of Acts; you’re going to want  to look back. 

November 18, 2017 —Acts 19:20— Paul is winding up his time in Ephesus when he writes his first letter to the Corinthians. It has been about two years since he was physically with them in Corinth. Even though the first letter starts this week, I will address all of the Corinthian matters together, next week.

Next week: 

More Corinthian problems addressed by Paul. One body, many parts. The Love Chapter. How we got the tithe. A riot in Ephesus (One Apostle, one riot). A letter to the Christ-followers in Rome. More about why faith works where the Law does not. What it’s like to live in the Spirit.

BR-45 Chronological Bible Read (November 5-11)

Wow, what a week, Chronos! 

Key to keeping up: we wrap up the pre-crucifixion ministry of Jesus, start an entirely new dispensation, start the post-resurrection ministries of Jesus (bet you didn’t realize there was such a thing), and see the launch of the Church. That’s a lot!

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

The Burial of Jesus. The resurrection (You had one jobs tomb guards!). Road to Emmaus. Jesus reveals his resurrected person to His disciples. The Great Commission. The Ascension. Replacing Judas. The Holy Spirit and preaching on Pentecost. Peter and John start their ministries. Early opposition to the apostles. Choosing the first Deacons. The arrest and stoning of Stephen. Philip starts his ministry. Saul’s conversion. Peter baptizes Gentiles! 😱  Barnabas sorts everything out. King Herod kills James (the brother of John) and imprisons Peter. 

Comments: 

November 5 —Mark 15:42-47, Matthew 27:57-61, Luke 23:50-56— Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were two members of the Jewish High Council who disagreed with the actions of their peers. They show up after Jesus dies to claim the body. They wrap Jesus in “a long linen cloth” and place His body in Joseph’s tomb. The tomb is hewn from rock and has “a great stone” sealing it. 

Side note 1: interesting that Pilate “couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead.” Makes me wonder what Pilate expected.

Side note 2: (Matt 27:62) the leading priests and the Pharisees violate the Sabbath by “working” on it. What, not a problem if they do it?

Side note 3: (John 20:7) Jesus’ head was covered in a separate cloth, different from the one which covered His body ... raises questions about the Shroud of Turin. 

November 6 —Luke 24:41-43— Jesus eats some fish to prove to them that He is not a ghost, that he is a physical being. 

November 6 —John 21:3— “I’m going fishing!”

November 6 —John 21:9— ”When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them.” 

November 7 —Acts 2:7— The disdain of the crowd for people from Galilee is something we can compare to ... Hobbits?! If interested, read my reflection “Hobbits at Pentecost?”  https://steveorr.blogspot.com/search/label/1Spiritual%20Reflection%20-%20Hobbits%20at%20Pentecost?m=0

November 8 —Acts 5:1-11— Worth noting: Ananias and Sapphira did not die because they held back some of their money ... they died because they led others to believe they had donated all of it (lied, in other words). There is a real difference. 

November 9 —Acts 6:1-7— The first servants of the church were appointed because of a disagreement between the people “who worked all day” and the people who got paid the same even though they “only worked the last hour.” Do you see the what Jesus’ parable had anticipated?

NOTE: We often call these folk “deacons” because they serve or minister to (or on behalf of) the church. It comes from the Greek word meaning “a servant, minister, waiter, anyone who performs any service, administrator.” —Strong’s Concordance

November 9 —Acts 7— Stephen’s instruction to the High Priest (which was a pretty ironic switcheroo) is one of these Bible chapters which should be read weekly (like Hebrews Chapter 11, 1st Corinthians 13, Romans 12, Isaiah 40, and Romans 13). Great anchors for our understanding of the comprehensive integration and spiritual sweep of scripture. 

November 10 —Acts 8:26-40— the founder of the church in Africa was a person of color ... not a missionary from Europe or America. 

November 11 —Acts 10:1 through 11:18— Not only did Peter break all sorts of Jewish laws and rules to preach the Gospel to Gentiles (entered their home, ate with them, touched them), he was then tasked with helping the church leaders in Jerusalem understand what happened. I’m pretty sure our missionaries are faced with similar difficulties in explaining their behaviors on the mission field. We need to let the Spirit run the show. 

Next week: 

Peter escapes from prison. Herod (finally) dies. Barnabas vouches for Saul (Paul) and then has to become his missionary partner. Lots of journeying by Paul and company. A bit of a dust up between Paul and Peter. Jerusalem Church sets some church-planting rules. Woman founds first church in Philippi (yeah, those Philippians). Paul teaches the Greeks a thing or two. First husband-wife missionary team. What do you do with a problem like the Corinthians?

BR-44 Chronological Bible Read (October 29 - November 4)

Eight weeks to go, Chronos! 

We’ve been getting a picture of Judas and Satan that is worth exploring a bit. John refers to Judas as “the one headed for destruction” (John 17:12). The sense of the language is that Judas had long been on a path leading him away from God. This helps explain how Satan “entered into Judas” as he made his way to the point of betrayal. We know that he had been a thief all throughout his association with Jesus. It’s no stretch to believe that his thievery preceded his first encounter with Jesus. The picture that emerges is of a man who sought to take advantage of some very trusting souls, someone willing to pretend to be good for the sole purpose of stealing what was never his. Is it any wonder he finally wore himself down to such a thin being that Satan could slip in and steer? He never belonged to God in the first place. That’s why Judas was so easily led astray by “the ruler of this world.”

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

The plot to kill Jesus. Judas takes a bribe. The last supper. The Holy Spirit is promised. Garden of Gethsemane. Betrayal, arrest, and “trial.” Encounter with Pilate. Encounter with Herod. Back to Pilate. The crucifixion and death of Jesus.  

Comments: 

October 29 —Mark 14:24, Matthew 26:28, Luke 22:20— At this special time, Jesus references two important OT scriptures those present would have known; Isaiah chapter 53 (I think you will recognize this one) and Jeremiah 31:31-34.

October 30 —John 13:34-35, John 15:12, 17— Sometimes called the Eleventh Commandment, it is (1) issued by Jesus, (2) a command given directly to His followers, and (3) it is limited in its objects: “each other.” In other words, outside of all the other commands and directives to love people (e.g., your neighbor”), Jesus wants His followers to love each other, specifically.

October 31 —John 15:19— “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it.”

November 1 —Matthew 26:51-52, John 18:10, Luke 22:49-51— I find myself wondering about Malchus, the slave of the High Priest whose ear was slashed off by Peter. In my mind’s eye, I see him remaining behind when all the others drag Jesus off to His “trial.” I see him standing there, staring at the ground, one hand lifted to feel his new ear, and yet also feeling the blood that had no doubt run down the side of his face after that sword slash. Though he was likely no longer feeling it, he could well recall the horrible pain that followed his ear being slashed away by Peter’s sword ... and he could clearly see before him on the ground that severed ear. Did he then look over his shoulder after the departing crowd, having second thoughts about the “man” they had been sent to arrest? I wonder what his life was like from that night forward. Did the miracle of his healed ear lead him to become a follower of Jesus?

November 2 —John 18:26— Awkward! Peter is caught out by someone who was actually in the Garden of Gethsemane earlier that night when he slashed off that man’s ear! And she’s a relative of the Malchus! All of this drama just before the rooster crowed. 

November 2 —Matthew 27:6— These “leading” priests think its the money that is tainted! They are the ones who used Judas (and, later, Pilate) as a proxy to murder Jesus ... talk about the blind leading the blind! 

November 3 —Today is all about Pilate— He finds Jesus not guilty ... but quickly sends Him to Herod once he understands that Jesus is a Galilean. Interestingly, Herod and Pilate hated each other, but then became friends over their mutual handling of Jesus. Apparently, Herod saw the sending of Jesus to him as a gesture of goodwill(!) To mollify the Jewish leaders (leading priests, teachers of the law, Pharisees, and other leaders of the people), and even though he knew they were just envious of Jesus, Pilate releases a known murderer rather than Jesus. Then, just before he takes any final actions, Pilate ignores a note from his wife warning him she dreamt that he should release Jesus ... God gave even Pilate a chance to have nothing to do with Jesus’ death. Finally, he has the-man-he-declared-innocent flogged with a lead-tipped whip! Then, after all that, he sentences Jesus to death by crucifixion. 

November 4 —Matthew 27:50-53— DAY OF THE [walking] DEAD! 

I wrote a blog about these folks who got up out of their graves and walked into Jerusalem following Jesus’ death. If interested: https://steveorr.blogspot.com/search/label/1Spiritual%20Reflection%20-%20DAY%20OF%20THE%20%5Bwalking%5D%20DEAD?m=0

 

Next week: 

The Burial of Jesus. The resurrection (You had one jobs tomb guards!). Road to Emmaus. Jesus reveals his resurrected person to His disciples. The Great Commission. The Ascension. Replacing Judas. The Holy Spirit and preaching on Pentecost. Peter and John start their ministries. Early opposition to the apostles. Choosing the first Deacons. The arrest and stoning of Stephen. Philip starts his ministry. Saul’s conversion. Peter baptizes Gentiles! Barnabas sorts everything out. King Herod kills James (the brother of John) and imprisons Peter. 

BR-43 Chronological Bible Read (October 22-28)

It’s nice, bite-size chunks, Chronos, for the rest of the year. Looks like we will be averaging three to four pages a day from now on! How great to be entering these final two months with such easy daily reads.

LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD:

I would appreciate any feedback and recommendations you are willing to share with me over the next couple of months. In 2021, I will look to you for any recommended changes to these study notes. 

Blessings,

Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Zacchaeus, that wee little man. Anointing at Bethany. Triumphal entry to Jerusalem. Pay taxes to Caesar? Moneychangers in the Temple. The greatest commandment. The widow’s mite. Jesus prophecies about the future. The final judgment. 

Comments: 

October 22, 2017 —Matthew 20:1-16—  “The kingdom of heaven is like...” Don’t miss that this entire parable is about revealing the Kingdom to us. God asks, rhetorically, “Can’t I do whatever I want with my own resources?” Sovereignty can be scary to us; we’re not used to that. But that’s the situation. 

October 23, 2017 —Mark 14:3-9, Matthew 26:5-13, John 12:1-11—  Jesus is anointed prior to His crucifixion. John 11:2 confirms this woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Interesting revelation about Judas. Yes, he was likely frustrated that Jesus didn’t plan to be an Earthly king. But that’s just part of the picture. Judas was a thief ... and worse. However we wish to parse his personality and his motivations, his choices (betraying for money) still led to a person’s false arrest, harsh treatment, imprisonment, and painful death. 

October 24, 2017 —Luke 19:47— Never doubt which people were proximately responsible for the death of Jesus: the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people.

October 25, 2-17 —Mark 12:1-12, Matthew 21:33-46, Luke 20:9-19— The religious leaders (leading priests, teachers of the law, Pharisees) recognized themselves in the parable! They were the wicked farmers!

October 25, 2017  —Mark 12:13-17, Matthew :15-22, Luke 20-22-26— We bear the imprint and inscription of God ... We are what God wants rendered unto Him. NOTE: the word we translate as “give” is better understood as “restore, return to.” The coin they produced was already the property of Caesar. The tax only caused them to return it to Caesar. 

October 26, 2017 —Mark 12:28-34, Matthew 34-40— These two commandments are the greatest and they equal all the law and the prophets. Think on that a bit.

October 27, 2017 — The whole day is worth a re-read because of this one verse: “So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”” (Luke‬ ‭21:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ — http://bible.com/116/luk.21.28.nlt)

October 28, 2017 —Matthew 25_14-30— “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by ...” We often over look the actual purpose of this parable in trying to find a modern applications for the distribution of “talents” and trying to decide which of these servants is us. Don’t miss those opening words: that’s the real purpose of the parable. 

Next week: 

The plot to kill Jesus. Judas takes a bribe. The last supper. The Holy Spirit promised. The garden of Gethsemane. Betrayal and arrest. The “trial.” Encounter with Pilate. The crucifixion and death of Jesus.  

BR-42 Chronological Bible Read (October 15-21)

This week’s Key verse, Chronos, is: “You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.” (October 16th - Luke‬ ‭11:42‬b)

This week’s readings are chock full of those “more important things.” Can you list some of them?

Blessings, Steve

_________________________

We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf

 _________________________

This week's highlights: 

Jesus has more conflicts with the religious leaders. Sending out the 72 disciples. Satan’s fall from Heaven. The greatest commandment. The Good Samaritan. Mary, Martha, & Lazarus.  Money, possessions, inheritance. Another mustard seed reference. The Good Shepherd. The Prodigal Son. The rich man and Lazarus. Divorce and Marriage. The Rich Young Ruler. Eye of the Needle. 

Comments: 

October 15th — John 8:44 — we have a little primer on Satan this week, and from an unimpeachable source! Satan loves “to do evil things,” is “a murderer,” is a liar who “always hated the truth,” and is “the father of lies.” Later on the same reading day in Luke 10:18, Jesus states “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” His disciples would know He was referencing Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:11-19. 

October 16th — Luke 11:29-30 — People are sometimes confused by this passage. The “sign of Jonah” just means that the people of Nineveh knew all about what God did to Jonah before he finally came and preached to them. Jonah’s travails were a sign to them that he was sent by God. The people of Nineveh repented when they (finally) heard Jonah’s message from God. Jesus is telling the crowd that what will happen to Him will be a sign to the Israelites that God sent Jesus to them ... also, Jesus compares his upcoming death/resurrection to Jonah spending three days inside the great fish.

October 17th — Luke 13:18-21 — The Kingdom of Heaven explained in two illustrations. Both are about starting small and then expanding. Mostly, though, we miss the point: we think there is something we are going to do that establishes the Kingdom. A careful reading reveals that it is in the nature of the mustard seed and in the yeast to expand ... all on their own. The Kingdom will start small and keep on expanding because that is how the Kingdom works. By the way: the mustard seed illustration is meant to be shocking (and possibly humorous). No one would plant a mustard seed in their garden! It would push out every other plant until only the mustard plant remained.

October 18th — John 10:16 — Other sheep: most scholars believe this refers to all the non-Jews who have elected to follow Jesus over the millennia. Xr Luke 13:29-30 for more.

October 19th — Luke 15:20 — “While he was a long way off....” One of the best parts of the Prodigal Son Parable is that the father was watching for the son’s return, that he loved his lost son so much he had positioned himself in such a way (perhaps in a tower or on a hillside) that he could see “a long way off” in hope that his son might someday come to his senses and return. If that happened, he didn’t want to miss it! Call this “leaning in” to forgiveness. It’s how God acts when we are wayward. 

October 20th — John 11:47-48 — Their faith in God had fallen so low, to the point that they no longer believed God could protect them as a nation. They concluded that, if “everyone will believe” in Jesus, such an event would lead to the destruction of Israel. If only they could have seen just who it was they were planning to kill “for the good of the nation.”

October 21st — Mark 10:23, Luke 18:24-28 — His disciples, like most people those days, equated wealth with God’s pleasure. In other words, if you were wealthy, it was because God looked upon you with favor (i.e., you couldn’t possibly be a sinner). It was a nifty bit of circular reasoning that had been around since the days of Job (at least!). But, as we know from the book of Job, and from these teachings of Jesus, wealth is no insulation from hard times and it can be even harder for a wealthy person to get into heaven. They can fall prey to their “things” or their social position slipping into first place in front of God, turning their wealth into an idol. This is not a foregone conclusion, as some would have us believe. But, like anything in our lives, the potential is there for idolatry ... just a bit more so with wealth. Eye of the needle, you know. 

Next week: 

Zacchaeus (that wee little man). An anointing at Bethany, Triumphal entry to Jerusalem, Pay taxes to Caesar (the government)? Moneychangers in the Temple. The greatest commandment. The widow’s mite. Jesus prophecies about the future. The final judgment.