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Read Through the Bible

I have created a RSS Read Through the Bible in a Year feed at the top of the column on the right. This comes by way of the ESV Bible and Crossway Publishing. They actually have several plans and delivery methods available; you can even have them emailed it to you each day if you prefer. Or, if you want to keep it simple, you can simply check in here each day and the reading for the day will be available by clicking on the link.

Here are the Crossway options:

The ESV Bible Reading Plans can be accessed in multiple ways:

web (a new reading each day appears online at the same link)
RSS (subscribe to receive by RSS)
email (subscribe to receive by email)
iCal (download an iCalendar file)
mobile (view a new reading each day on your mobile device)
print (download a PDF of the whole plan)
listen (download mp3s, or listen online)

There are about 10 plans available. Go to that link to access each plan in any of the options above.

I have committed to doing it this year, anyone want to join me? I would love to hvae you - if so, leave a note and we can encourage each other along the way.

Blessings
Bill H

Merry Christmas

I want to extend to each of you very sincere "Merry Christmas" greeting. In doing so, I offer as a gift to you the very first Christmas sermon ever preached, by St. John "The Golden Throat" Chrysostom in 386. The Antiochian Christans were the first to celebrate the Incarnation with its own special day, December 25, and here's how Chrysostom addressed those assembled on the morning of the Christ Mass:

I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the Shepherd's song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn.

The Angels sing!
The Archangels blend their voices in harmony!
The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise!
The Seraphim exalt His glory!

All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side the Sun of Justice.

And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed, he had the power, He
descended, He redeemed; all things move in obedience to God.

This day He Who Is, is Born; and He Who Is becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He
became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became he God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassibility, remaining unchanged.

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Yet He has not forsaken His angels, nor left them deprived of His care, nor because of
His Incarnation has he departed from the Godhead.

And behold,

Kings have come, that they might adore the heavenly King of glory;
Soldiers, that they might serve the Leader of the Hosts of Heaven; Women, that they might adore Him Who was born of a woman so that He might change the pains of child- birth into joy;
Virgins, to the Son of the Virgin, beholding with joy, that He Who is the Giver of milk, Who has decreed that the fountains of the breast pour forth in ready streams, receives from a Virgin Mother the food of infancy;
Infants, that they may adore Him Who became a little child, so that out of the mouth of infants and sucklings, He might perfect praise;
Children, to the Child Who raised up martyrs through the rage of Herod;
Men, to Him Who became man, that He might heal the miseries of His servants;
Shepherds, to the Good Shepherd Who has laid down His life for His sheep; Priests, to Him Who has become a High Priest according to the order of Melchisedech;
Servants, to Him Who took upon Himself the form of a servant that He might bless our
servitude with the reward of freedom;
Fishermen, to Him Who from amongst fishermen chose catchers of men;
Publicans, to Him Who from amongst them named a chosen Evangelist;
Sinful women, to Him Who exposed His feet to the tears of the repentant;

And that I may embrace them all together, all sinners have come, that they may look upon the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world.

Since therefore all rejoice, I too desire to rejoice. I too wish to share the choral dance, to celebrate the festival. But I take my part, not plucking the harp, not shaking the Thyrsian staff, not with the music of pipes, nor holding a torch, but holding in my arms the cradle of Christ. For this is all my hope, this my life, this my salvation, this my pipe, my harp. And bearing it I come, and having from its power received the gift of speech, I too, with the angels, sing: Glory to God in the Highest;and with the shepherds: and on earth peace to men of good will.

To that I can only add: thank God for all of you, and Merry Christmas. To close, I offer this musical gift to you . . .



Blessings
Bill H

Luke 20:9-19 ~ Bad Tenants

The Parable of the Tenants

Jesus tells this parable as a direct answer to the questions the Jewish religious leaders are asking themselves at the end of the last scene (Luke 20:5-8); specifically, the question of Jesus’ authority? If they had any doubts that he was calling himself God, those doubts were all erased with this tale. It is quite clear by their reaction at the end of the scene that Jesus would not have to explain this one; yeah, they “got it!” (Luke 20:19).

In the parable, the land owner is God, the tenants farmers represent Israel (specifically, the religious leaders of Israel) and the messengers were the prophets of the Old Testament. Moreover, the most important figure in the story is the vineyard owner’s son: symbolic of Jesus himself.

In the OT God is often portrayed as the vineyard owner of Israel (e.g., Psalm 80:8-13; Hosea 10:1), and the prophets were rejected and even killed in many ways by the Jewish people (e.g., Jeremiah 26:7-11; 2 Chronicles 24:21). But what is new, is the Vineyard owner’s son. And the implication was not lost on the hearers, the answer to their question of Jesus’ authority (Luke 20:1-2) is the “son figure” in the parable, he was Jesus. Jesus is clearly making the assertion that he is God. And they didn’t miss the connection, or the point.

He (Jesus) was sent by God and was acting on the Father’s authority, and their rejection of him is a rejection of God.

Unfortunately we will not have the time to finish our blogging journey through Luke’s gospel. This parable is a fitting conclusion to our collaborative study in the Theophilus blog. This poignant parable is a vivid reminder of Luke’s consistent message to Theophilus: that Jesus is God and he has come into the world to “seek and to save” (Luke 19:10).

There are so many application directions this could go, but I’ll finish with this one for all of us: don’t be like these religious leaders, don’t reject the work of God, get on board with what God is doing and figure out where you can contribute. Theophilus needed to hear this, as do we.

Thus, we should heed the reminder that Wright gives us in “Luke for Everyone”: we must declare by our life and words, that this way “has already triumphed in Jesus, that the renewed vineyard is bearing fruit, that the new Temple is being built, with the cornerstone already in place” (239).

You picked up the idea that I like videos (I love using YouTube), well this video by my friend Andrew Peterson is an excellent reminder of the awesome message Theophilus, and we, are entrusted with, "believe it and proclaim it":



(Andrew is an incredibly gifted singer and song writer; I encourage you to check out his work at: Andrew Peterson.)

Blessings
Bill H

Luke 19:41-48 ~ Peace & Good Will

Peace on Earth, Good Will To Men

As we go into the Christmas season, we will hear many voices raised in song to the peace and joy God desired for people, his special creation. The reality was that few recognized the Savior who brought that peace. (Luke 19:42) Coming to His special city Jerusalem at the end of His earthly life, Jesus broke down and wept. Instead of peace, judgment would come. Jesus could see the city in ruins because they had rejected the payment of the Holy God for their sins…. “you didn’t know the moment when God was visiting you.” (Luke 19:44)

In the Old Testament, the prophet Elisha looked intently at Hazael and wept. (II Kings 8:12) Elisha could see that Hazael would become the king of Aram and butcher many Israelites. As we look into the faces we pass, can we see the pain that sin is causing in their lives? The horror of an eternity without Christ? Does what we read in the newspaper and see on the news break our hearts, and move us to prayer? I remember weeping bitterly as I read about the life of a man who organized the abortion clinic in State College because I was moved by his pain.

Our God is a Holy God, who hates what sin does to His creation. In the next scene Jesus is driving out the money changers in His fury. (Luke 19:45-46) Perversion of what was to be the house of prayer violated God’s house and separated Gentiles from the opportunity to worship as the Gentile court was taken over as a robber’s den. Do people who peddle sin in our communities make us angry? What will we do about it? Will we pray for them this Christmas season, and offer them the peace that God so graciously has given us? (John 1:12)

Carol

Prodigal Sons ~ Modern Parables

And concerning our most recent project . . .




Looks like some great resources.

Blessings
BIll H

Social Gospel ?

I just came across this on the Christian Post website and blog and thought you might find it of interest in light of our Redemptive Presence assignment. I read it with curiosity and satisfaction, as the work that you did fully agrees with and supports Warren's accurate (at least I think so) opinion on this issue:

Social Gospel is 'Marxism in Christian Clothing,' Says Warren
By Jennifer Riley
Christian Post Reporter
Tue, Dec. 16 2008 03:35 PM EST

Best-selling author, social activist and megachurch pastor Rick Warren described the social gospel supported by many of the mainline churches as “Marxism in Christian clothing.”

“[W]e don’t need to care about redemption, the cross, repentance. All we need to do is redeem the social structures of society and if we make those social structures better the world will become a better place,” explained Warren as he described the beliefs behind those who support the "social gospel," in his interview with Beliefnet.com, which was posted Monday.

“Really in many ways it was just Marxism in Christian clothing,” he criticized. “[I]t was in vogue at that time that if we redeem society then man will automatically get better. It didn’t deal with the heart.”

Warren, recognized as one of the most socially active Christians in the world, did not hold back his criticism of those who call themselves Christians but seek to make the world a better place by focusing on the body – issues of poverty, disease, social justice and racial justice – and not the soul.

But he also disagreed with their counterpart – Christians who disregard the body altogether while caring only for the soul and personal morality.

“Who’s right? . . . Read the rest of the article here.

Blessings
Bill H