Bible reading for weekend April 2 -- 4
Apr 2 -- Proverbs 20 and Colossians 3
Apr 3 -- Proverbs 21 and Colossians 4
Apr 4 -- Proverbs 22 and 1 Thessalonians 1
"A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes." (Proverbs 20:8)
AUTHORITY AND JUSTICE. As you read the next several chapters in Proverbs keep your eyes peeled for proverbs relating to rulers, kings, and responding to authority. Most of us, at one time or another, have had difficulty submitting to authority. And most of us don't know how to use authority without harming others. Solomon is speaking directly to his sons, and their descendants, who will rule in Israel. They are to forsake drunkenness, quarrelling, rash decisions, deception, and indolence, among other vices. And they are to be men of understanding, faithful to the Lord, speaking truth, caring for the poor, seeking good counsel, and walking with integrity and justice. The only perfect Ruler is our Lord Jesus (Isa 9:6-7), who embodies all the wisdom of Proverbs in himself (Col 2:3). But we should study these proverbs, for we will one day rule with Christ in glory (Luke 19:17-19; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 3:21; 20:6). We cannot know how to use authority until we have first learned to be submitted to authority. The cross comes before the crown, and we must learn to serve before we can reign. Meanwhile, we have talents to invest and a commission to fulfill (Matt 28:18-20). The Proverbs were written "...to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you" (Prov 22:21).
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"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
READING ON. The last two chapters of Colossians are similar in application to the last three chapters of Ephesians. Paul wrote those two epistles about the same time. This weekend we will also begin reading 1 Thessalonians, a letter written earlier, around AD 51, during Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 17). Enjoy your reading! Remember, as you are reading Scripture (God's words) that you are having fellowship with the Father, through his Son, illumined by the Holy Spirit. David Wells wrote, "It would be quite mistaken, then, for us to think of the Bible as being simply a manual, or a set of instructions, or a textbook. It is so much more than this. It is the way in which God makes himself personally present to us." (From God in the Whirlwind)
HE IS RISEN! This weekend is Easter, or better, Resurrection Sunday. Actually, we celebrate Jesus' resurrection every Lord's day, since Sunday is the day he arose. I thought I'd share a couple of my past posts. Considering the empty tomb, I wrote about the folded face cloth, and why Jesus did that (John 20:7). Read "A Small Detail" here. And on Jesus' words, "Come and have breakfast." (John 21:12), I ask, where did the bread for that meal come from?
GATHERING AGAIN. We are looking forward to gathering with the Lord's people this Easter Sunday. I wrote this a year ago... "Good Friday, 2020. How I wish we could be (actually, rather than virtually) with family and friends in celebration this weekend of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter). The current pandemic has forced most of us into quarantine, and even introverts like me get tired of the isolation! For Christians, this is not merely a social event on our part. Christians did not invent Easter as a way to have cantatas and chocolate eggs. The church did not create Good Friday and Easter, but on the contrary, Good Friday and Easter created the church. What Christ did upon the cross, sealed by his resurrection, birthed a new community called the church. As imperfect as it is (as we are), yet the family of God is not a natural phenomenon, but a supernatural one. At the center of this community is not race, social class, ethnicity, wealth, culture, education, or any natural affinity, but rather it is Christ our King who draws us together. Crucified for our sins, risen for our justification, ascended and ruling, and soon-coming King...he is at the center of our community. And I miss being with his people at times like this." And so we rejoice that things are opening back up!
A FINAL NOTE. I've noticed that the emails going out from my Google-hosted website are sometimes delayed or not sent at all. You may want to unsubscribe there and subscribe to my email list here. Buttondown has been excellent on sending the emails in the time I specify. It's the same material, just a different platform.
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About this newsletter: I post three times a week on my Bible reading, following the Robert Murray M'Cheyne (RMM) two-year reading schedule, as arranged by D. A. Carson. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Another resource I recommend is the NET Bible with its excellent notes at netbible.org.
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