December 30, 2018

Readings for this week:

30 December             Malachi 1-2/Psalms 149-150                     

31 December             Malachi 3-4/Revelation 22            

           

Things to look for as you read this week:

• Which prophet tells us that a messenger will be sent to prepare the way before the appearance of the Lord?

Last week's answers:

• The Gospel of John quotes the words, "They look on the one whom they have pierced," at the crucifixion of Jesus. From which prophet does John take the quotation? (Zechariah 12:10)
• Why will there be no temple in the New Jerusalem? (Because the Lord God and the Lamb will themselves function as the temple, the place where God and human beings meet—Revelation 21-22)

December 23, 2018

Readings for this week:

23 December             Zechariah 1-2/Psalms 146-147                  

24 December             Zechariah 3-4/Revelation 17                    

25 December             Zechariah 5-6/Revelation 18                    

26 December             Zechariah 7-8 /Revelation 19                   

27 December             Zechariah 9-10/Psalm 148 

28 December             Zechariah 11-12/Revelation 20    

29 December             Zechariah 13-14/Revelation 21    

Things to look for as you read this week:

• The Gospel of John quotes the words, "They look on the one whom they have pierced," at the crucifixion of Jesus. From which prophet does John take the quotation?
• Why will there be no temple in the New Jerusalem?

Last week's answers:

• In what chapter of which book is the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem foretold? (Micah 5)
• In Micah we read that what God considers good—what the Lord requires of us—is essentially three things. What are they? (To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God—Micah 6:8)
• According to Revelation, the "mark of the beast" is a name, represented as a number, which people will be forced to bear if they hope to participate in trade and commerce. What is the number? (666—Revelation13:18)

December 16, 2018

Readings for this week:

16 December             Micah 1-3/Psalm 144                      

17 December             Micah 4-5/Revelation 12               

18 December             Micah 6-7/Revelation 13               

19 December             Nahum 1-3 /Revelation 14            

20 December             Habakkuk 1-3/Psalm 145   

21 December             Zephaniah 1-3/Revelation 15       

22 December             Haggai 1-2/Revelation 16

  

Things to look for as you read this week:

• In what chapter of which book is the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem foretold?
• In Micah we read that what God considers good—what the Lord requires of us—is essentially three things. What are they?
• According to Revelation, the "mark of the beast" is a name, represented as a number, which people will be forced to bear if they hope to participate in trade and commerce. What is the number?

Last week's answers:

• In Amos, God says that He wants nothing to do with Israel's festivals, assemblies, offerings, and worship because the people are lacking two highly important things. What are they? (Justice and righteousness—Amos 5:21-24)

• What does John see when the Lamb opens the seventh seal? (Seven angels with seven trumpets standing before God—Revelation 8:1-2)

December 9, 2018

Readings for this week:

09 December             Amos 3-4/Psalms 140-141              

10 December             Amos 5-6/Revelation 7                  

11 December             Amos 7-8/Revelation 8                  

12 December             Amos 9 /Revelation 9                     

13 December             Obadiah 1/Psalms 142-143           

14 December             Jonah 1-2/Revelation 10    

15 December             Jonah 3-4/Revelation 11    

Things to look for as you read this week:

• In Amos, God says that He wants nothing to do with Israel's festivals, assemblies, offerings, and worship because the people are lacking two highly important things. What are they?
• What does John see when the Lamb opens the seventh seal?

Last week's answers:

• Which psalm affirms that the Lord knows all about us, wherever we are?

(Psalm 139)

• When John weeps because no one is worthy to open the scroll sealed with seven seals, what is he told? (He is told not to weep, because Jesus Christ can open the scroll.—Revelation 5:5)
  
  

December 2, 2018

Readings for this week:

02 December             Hosea 7-8/Psalms 137-138            

03 December             Hosea 9-10/Revelation 2               

04 December             Hosea 11-12/Revelation 3             

05 December             Hosea 13-14 /Revelation 4            

06 December             Joel 1-2/Psalm 139  

07 December             Joel 3/Revelation 5

08 December             Amos 1-2/Revelation 6      

Things to look for as you read this week:

• Which psalm affirms that the Lord knows all about us, wherever we are?

• When John weeps because no one is worthy to open the scroll sealed with seven seals, what is he told?
  
  

Last week's answers:

• Why does Nebuchadnezzar have Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace? (They refuse to worship an idolatrous image.—Daniel 3:13-23)
• Whose brother is Jude? (Jude calls himself the "brother of James," which is probably a reference to the James who was the brother of Jesus.—Jude 1:1; see also Matthew 13:55)
• Where was John when he received the message of Revelation? (On the island of Patmos—Revelation 1:9)

November 25, 2018

Readings for this week:

25 November             Daniel 1-3/Psalms 132-134                       

26 November             Daniel 4-5/I John 5             

27 November             Daniel 6-7/2 John 1            

28 November             Daniel 8-9 /3 John 1                       

29 November             Daniel 10-12/Psalms 135-136       

30 November             Hosea 1-2/Jude       

01 December             Hosea 3-6/Revelation 1     

Things to look for as you read this week:

• Why does Nebuchadnezzar have Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace?
• Whose brother is Jude?
• Where was John when he received the message of Revelation?

Last week's answers:

• According to I John, anyone who hates his brother can be compared to what Old Testament character? (Cain, whose hatred led to murder—I John 3:11-15)
• In Ezekiel's vision of a new temple and new city of Jerusalem, what does he say the city will be called? ("The Lord is There"—Ezekiel 48:35)

November 18, 2018

Readings for this week:

18 November             Ezekiel 36-37/Psalms 126-128                   

19 November             Ezekiel 38-39/2 Peter 3                   

20 November             Ezekiel 40-41/I John 1                    

21 November             Ezekiel 42-43 /I John 2                   

22 November             Ezekiel 44-45/Psalms 129-131       

23 November             Ezekiel 46-47/I John 3        

24 November             Ezekiel 48/I John 4  

Things to look for as you read this week:

• According to I John, anyone who hates his brother can be compared to what Old Testament character?
• In Ezekiel's vision of a new temple and new city of Jerusalem, what does he say the city will be called?

Last week's answers:

• To what does Peter compare the elders in the church? (Shepherds—

I Peter 5:1-5)

• Through Ezekiel, God promises to rescue Israel from the "false shepherds" (kings, prophets, priests) who have not cared for the flock. How will this rescue be accomplished? ("I will bring them out…"—Ezekiel 34:14; "I will tend them…" Ezekiel 34:14; "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them…"—Ezekiel 34:23)

November 11, 2018

Readings for this week:

11 November             Ezekiel 22-23/Psalms 120-122                   

12 November             Ezekiel 24-25/I Peter 3                   

13 November             Ezekiel 26-27/I Peter 4                   

14 November             Ezekiel 28-29 /I Peter 5                  

15 November             Ezekiel 30-31/Psalms 123-125       

16 November             Ezekiel 32-33/2 Peter 1       

17 November             Ezekiel 34-35/2 Peter 2       

 

Things to look for as you read this week:

• To what does Peter compare the elders in the church?
• Through Ezekiel, God promises to rescue Israel from the "false shepherds" (kings, prophets, priests) who have not cared for the flock. How will this rescue be accomplished?
  
   
  
  Last week's answers:

• Which writer recommends that our long-range planning should keep in mind the saying, "If the Lord wishes"? (James—James 4:15)
• Which two Old Testament people does James mention as examples of patient endurance and effective prayer? (Job and Elijah—James 5:11, 17)

November 4, 2018

Readings for this week:

04 November             Ezekiel 8-9/Psalm 119:121-144                  

05 November             Ezekiel 10-11/James 3                    

06 November             Ezekiel 12-13/James 4                    

07 November             Ezekiel 14-15 /James 5                   

08 November             Ezekiel 16-17/Psalm 119:145-176  

09 November             Ezekiel 18-19/I Peter 1       

10 November             Ezekiel 20-21/I Peter 2       

 

Things to look for as you read this week:

• Which writer recommends that our long-range planning should keep in mind the saying, "If the Lord wishes"?
• Which two Old Testament people does James mention as examples of patient endurance and effective prayer?
  
   
  
  Last week's answers:

• One of the Scriptures cited in Handel's Messiah is "Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow." What is the Scripture reference? (Lamentations 1:12)
• Who helps Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus? (Nicodemus—John 19:39)
• What does "doubting Thomas" call Jesus when he sees Him after the resurrection? ("My Lord and my God!"—John 20:28)
• What two Old Testament figures does James point to as he insists that works must accompany faith? (Abraham and Rahab—James 2:21-25)

October 28, 2018

Readings for this week:

28 October                 Jeremiah 51-52/Psalm 119:73-96              

29 October                 Lamentations 1-2/John 19             

30 October                 Lamentations 3-5/John 20             

31 October                 Ezekiel 1 /John 21               

01 November             Ezekiel 2-3/Psalm 119:97-120        

02 November             Ezekiel 4-5/James 1

03 November             Ezekiel 6-7/James 2

 

Things to look for as you read this week:

• One of the Scriptures cited in Handel's Messiah is "Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow." What is the Scripture reference?
• Who helps Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus?
• What does "doubting Thomas" call Jesus when he sees Him after the resurrection?
• What two Old Testament figures does James point to as he insists that works must accompany faith?
  
   
  
  Last week's answers:

• When Jeremiah sent God's message to King Jehoiakim, what did the king do? (He cut the words from the scroll, bit by bit, and threw them into the fire.—
  
  Jeremiah 36:22-23)
• After Judah is taken into captivity in Babylon, Jeremiah preaches to the remnant who plans to flee to Egypt. What is their response? (They refuse to listen.—Jeremiah 43:4)
• In the book of John, Jesus makes seven "I AM" statements. Which one is most meaningful to you? (Personal response)
  
  The seven statements are:

• I AM the Bread of Life—John 6:35
• I AM the Light of the World—John 8:12
• I AM the Door—John 10:9
• I AM the Good Shepherd—John 10:11
• I AM the Resurrection and the Life—John 11:25-26
• I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life—John 14:6
• I AM the Vine—John 15:5
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   

October 21, 2018

Readings for this week:

21 October                 Jeremiah 36-37/Psalm 119:25-48              

22 October                 Jeremiah 38-39/John 14                 

23 October                 Jeremiah 40-41/John 15                 

24 October                 Jeremiah 42-43 /John 16                

25 October                 Jeremiah 44-46/Psalm 119:49-72  

26 October                 Jeremiah 47-48/John 17     

27 October                 Jeremiah 49-50/John 18     

 

Things to look for as you read this week:

• When Jeremiah sent God's message to King Jehoiakim, what did the king do?
• After Judah is taken into captivity in Babylon, Jeremiah preaches to the remnant who plans to flee to Egypt. What is their response?
• In the book of John, Jesus makes seven "I AM" statements. Which one is most meaningful to you?
  
   Last week's answers:

• A major problem in Israel was discerning which "prophets" were truly bringing God's word. Which prophet disagrees with Jeremiah's prophecies about Nebuchadnezzar? (Hananiah, the prophet from Gibeon—Jeremiah 28)
• To whom does Jesus say," I am the resurrection and the life"?
  (Martha—John 11:25)
• Who comes to Philip saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus"?
  (Some Greeks—John 12:21)
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   

October 14, 2018

Readings for this week:

14 October                 Jeremiah21-22/Psalms 117-118                

15 October                 Jeremiah 23-24/John 9                   

16 October                 Jeremiah 25-26/John 10                 

17 October                 Jeremiah 27-28 /John 11                

18 October                 Jeremiah 29-31/Psalm 119:1-24    

19 October                 Jeremiah 32-33/John 12     

20 October                 Jeremiah 34-35/John 13     

 

Things to look for as you read this week:

• A major problem in Israel was discerning which "prophets" were truly bringing God's word. Which prophet disagrees with Jeremiah's prophecies about Nebuchadnezzar?
• To whom does Jesus say," I am the resurrection and the life"?
• Who comes to Philip saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus"?
  
   
  
  Last week's answers:

• When Jesus says that the temple has become a den of thieves, what prophet is He quoting? (Jeremiah—Jeremiah 7:11)
• In connection with what miracle performed before a multitude does Jesus say, "I am the bread of life"? (The feeding of the five thousand—John 6:35, 48)
• Who seeks to protect Jesus by pointing out that a person should not be judged without a hearing? (Nicodemus—John 7:51)
• Angered by Jeremiah's prophecies, what does the priest Pashhur do to him? (Pashhur beats Jeremiah and puts him in stocks.—Jeremiah 20:2)