52 Weeks in the Word

   It's Week 44!  Last week we finished reading Mark and began the book of Luke .  A few highlights from last week's reading: Luke 6:45b: "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   We also read the traditional Christmas reading from Luke this week. In Mark 14, Peter denies Jesus 3 three times after declaring he would die for Him.  It is another reminder that these 12 men Jesus selected to be his apostles were average, ordinary men.  They were not perfect and did not fully understand everything Jesus was teaching them.  They were a work in progress.  Not only did they not stand with Him at that moment, but after the crucifixion, they forgot about the resurrection.  When others came and told them they saw Christ after His death, many did not believe until they had that personal encounter with Christ afterwards.   In Mark 14:51, it talks about a "certain young man" how fled naked during the betrayal of Jesus ...

  Welcome to Week 43!  Look at that; less than 10 weeks of not only the year, but also until we finish reading through the Bible! The New Testament is going by quickly.  After talking to several of you this week, it is easy to see there was quite a bit in last week's reading.  Feel free to share your thoughts along the way.   This week we will finish the book of Mark and begin Luke.   Looking ahead to Week 43: The reading for Week 42 includes: Mark 8 - Luke 7. Just a few more facts about Mark for this week.  The Gospel of Mark is the shortest gospel, but is action-packed.  It's primary purpose is to present Jesus as the One who came to the world to serve, suffer, and give His life as a ransom for many.  The book's emphasis is on the acts of Jesus, showing that Jesus is both the Servant of God and Servant of mankind.   Looking at the geography of Mark, we have two different locations.  The Galilee region is where Jesus...

  !  Welcome to Week 42!  This week we will finish the book of Matthew and begin the book of Mark.  Did last week's reading seem to go by much quicker for you?  Compared to our reading in the Old Testament recently, The book of Matthew has gone by quickly, packed with an abundance of events!  Did you see all the references from the Old Testament already?  Reading the Old Testament can give us a greater appreciation for the New Testament, and what the people endured while they waited for the promised Messiah.  Looking ahead to Week 42: The reading for Week 42 includes: Matthew 16 - Mark 7. From last week's reading of Matthew, you may have noticed that the Gospel of Matthew bridges the Old Testament with the New Testament.  The main audience of Matthew was Jewish believers, familiar with history of Israel, their laws, customs, and promises.  Matthew was an eye witness to the events he recorded.  It is helpful if the reader of Matthew ...

Week 41!   This week we finish the Old Testament and begin the New Testament reading.  While reflecting on the Old Testament over the past 40 weeks, I can honestly say I've learned to appreciate and admire the prophets who stepped out and spoke when it really wasn't the popular or safest option to do so!  I now recognize several more instances where the Messiah was prophesized or referenced as well.  Understanding the lifestyle during the Old Testament helps when studying these Scriptures.  Even in the first chapter of Matthew, the author takes us through the genealogy of Christ, starting with the beginning of time, proving Scripture points back to Christ. Looking ahead to Week 41: The reading for Week 40 includes: Zechariah 11 - Matthew 15. The book of Malachi has 4 chapters and was written around 430 B.C.  We will read that God's people must serve Him carefully.  The Messiah, in the Old Testament time, was a promise of God. The book of Matthew i...

    Welcome to Week 40!   This is our last full week of reading from the Old Testament!  That is a huge accomplishment! Looking ahead to Week 40: The reading for Week 40 includes: Nahum 1 - Zechariah 10. The book of Nahum only consists of 3 chapters.  Its author is Nahum himself, written around 650 B.C.  A little background information to help with understanding: Nahum had a heavy or important message to deliver to the capital of Assyria, which was Nineveh.  Assyria was known as basically the bully of the Middle East.  They concurred many nations, including Israel.  You may remember from last week's reading that Jonah went to Nineveh with another message from the Lord, talking about their destruction if they did not repent.  The nation as a whole did, in fact, repent and turn from their ways.  HOWEVER, it must not have lasted long because 100 years later, Nahum is delivering a similar message from the Lord to the same nation....

   Welcome to Week 39!   The next two weeks we will be reading the last of the Old Testament, which is made up of several smaller books.  Also, in week 41, we begin the New Testament! Looking ahead to Week 39: The reading for Week 39 includes: Amos 1 - Micah 7. The book of Amos is the only place we read about the prophet Amos in the Old Testament.  His name means burden or burden bearer .  This probably was in reference to the burden he had to carry to prophesy about the judgment to God's people.  It is important to also remember that Amos was a simple man.  He was a sheep breeder, his choice of words.  Most would probably have said shepherd, but Amos could have been trying to make a difference between the career choice of shepherding and the type we know as shepherding people.  He was not educated in prophesying, and they did have schools for that in his time.  He was also a farmer, a simple man.  We know God often used ...