The Bible in a Year: Dr. Seuss

Read the Bible in a Year

Each day, we'll post passages so that you can read the Bible in one year. This is part of The Colossians 13:16 Project, sponsored by Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia. You're invited to worship with us Sundays, at 11:00 a.m. or Saturdays, at 6:30 p.m. You may also want to consider joining one our adult Bible Studies: Thursdays at 12:00 noon and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We also have a full range of programs for children. If you want more information about the church, check out the other blogs. And please feel free to leave any comments.

The Bible in a Year is a ministry of Cove Presbyterian Church. We need your support to keep posting. If you find it helpful, you can support this blog by your contributions. They may be sent to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, WV 26062. You can also use the PayPal link below:

Showing posts with label Dr. Seuss. Show all posts

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Bible Readings for December 20, 2018

Today our passages are Haggai 1:1–2:23; Revelation 11:1-9; Psalm 139:1-24; and Proverbs 30:15-16. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

Haggai 1-2:23 (The Message)

Haggai 1

Caught Up with Taking Care of Your Own Houses

¹ On the first day of the sixth month of the second year in the reign of King Darius of Persia, God's Message was delivered by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak:  ²A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: "The people procrastinate. They say this isn't the right time to rebuild my Temple, the Temple of God."
^3-4Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: "How is it that it's the 'right time' for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God's Temple, is in ruins?"
^5-6And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again:
   "Take a good, hard look at your life.
   Think it over.
You have spent a lot of money,
   but you haven't much to show for it.
You keep filling your plates,
   but you never get filled up.
You keep drinking and drinking and drinking,
   but you're always thirsty.
You put on layer after layer of clothes,
   but you can't get warm.
And the people who work for you,
   what are they getting out of it?
Not much—
   a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that's what.
⁷That's why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said:
   "Take a good, hard look at your life.
   Think it over."
^8-9Then God said:
   "Here's what I want you to do:
   Climb into the hills and cut some timber.
Bring it down and rebuild the Temple.
   Do it just for me. Honor me.
You've had great ambitions for yourselves,
   but nothing has come of it.
The little you have brought to my Temple
   I've blown away—there was nothing to it.
^9-11"And why?" (This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) "Because while you've run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. That's why. Because of your stinginess. And so I've given you a dry summer and a skimpy crop. I've matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive."
¹²Then the governor, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their God. When God sent the prophet Haggai to them, they paid attention to him. In listening to Haggai, they honored God.
¹³Then Haggai, God's messenger, preached God's Message to the people: "I am with you!" God's Word.
^14-15This is how God got Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people moving— got them working on the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.

Haggai 2

This Temple Will End Up Better Than It Started Out

^1-3 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: "Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people:
         'Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?  ^4-5"'So get to work, Zerubbabel!'—God is speaking.
   "'Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!'
   "'Get to work, all you people!'—God is speaking.
   "'Yes, get to work! For I am with you.' The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! 'Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I'm living and breathing among you right now. Don't be timid. Don't hold back.'
^6-7"This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: 'Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I'll shake down all the godless nations. They'll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.' God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

⁸'I own the silver,
   I own the gold.'
      Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
⁹"'This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.' Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies."
^10-12On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (again, this was in the second year of Darius), God's Message came to Haggai: "God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: Consult the priests for a ruling. If someone carries a piece of sacred meat in his pocket, meat that is set apart for sacrifice on the altar, and the pocket touches a loaf of bread, a dish of stew, a bottle of wine or oil, or any other food, will these foods be made holy by such contact?"
   The priests said, "No."
¹³Then Haggai said, "How about someone who is contaminated by touching a corpse—if that person touches one of these foods, will it be contaminated?"
   The priests said, "Yes, it will be contaminated."
¹⁴Then Haggai said, "'So, this people is contaminated. Their nation is contaminated. Everything they do is contaminated. Whatever they do for me is contaminated.' God says so.
^15-17"'Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, how did it go with you? Isn't it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return on your crops—half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine? I hit you with drought and blight and hail. Everything you were doing got hit. But it didn't seem to faze you. You continued to ignore me.' God's Decree.
^18-19"'Now think ahead from this same date—this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Think ahead from when the Temple rebuilding was launched. Has anything in your fields—vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree—failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing.'"
^20-21God's Message came a second time to Haggai on that most memorable day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month: "Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:
^21-23"'I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom—overthrow governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion, so that they end up killing one another. And on that day'"—this is God's Message—"'I will take you, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority. I've looked over the field and chosen you for this work.'" The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Revelation 11:1-9 (The Message)

Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

^1-2I was given a stick for a measuring rod and told, "Get up and measure God's Temple and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. Exclude the outside court; don't measure it. It's been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They'll desecrate the Holy City for forty-two months. ^3-6"Meanwhile, I'll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they'll prophesy for 1,260. These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at attention before God on earth. If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire from their mouths will incinerate them—burn them to a crisp just like that. They'll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn't rain for the time of their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit earth with any and every disaster as often as they want.
^7-10"When they've completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. For three and a half days they'll be there—exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting 'Good riddance!' and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins.

Psalm 139:1-24 (The Message)

Psalm 139

A David Psalm

^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
   I'm an open book to you;
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
   You know when I leave and when I get back;
      I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
      before I start the first sentence.
   I look behind me and you're there,
      then up ahead and you're there, too—
      your reassuring presence, coming and going.
   This is too much, too wonderful—
      I can't take it all in!

^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
      to be out of your sight?
   If I climb to the sky, you're there!
      If I go underground, you're there!
   If I flew on morning's wings
      to the far western horizon,
   You'd find me in a minute—
      you're already there waiting!
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

^13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day.

^17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
      God, I'll never comprehend them!
   I couldn't even begin to count them—
      any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
   Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
      And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
   And you murderers—out of here!—
      all the men and women who belittle you, God,
      infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
   See how I hate those who hate you, God,
      see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
   I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
      Your enemies are my enemies!

^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
      find out everything about me;
   Cross-examine and test me,
      get a clear picture of what I'm about;
   See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
      then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Proverbs 30:15-16 (The Message)

^15-16 A leech has twin daughters
named "Gimme" and "Gimme more."

Four Insatiables

Three things are never satisfied,
   no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"—
      hell,
      a barren womb,
      a parched land,
      a forest fire.

Verse of the Day

“[The Birth of Jesus][(Matthew 1.18-25)]About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family. Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby,” - Luke 2:1, 4-5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American children's author, political cartoonist, and animator, Theodor Seuss Geisel/Dr. Seuss wrote, “Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.”

A Joke for Today

One-Liners

Middle age is when you are warned to slow down by a doctor instead of a policeman.

A clean desk is a sign of a cluttered desk drawer.

Anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of.

Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.

To sit alone with my conscience will be judgment enough for me.

An escalator never breaks... it only becomes stairs.

When you get older, lack of pep is often mistaken for patience.

The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows.

What will today's younger generation tell their children they had to do "without"?

If you're doing the speed limit, you're in the way.

18 out of 10 schizophrenics agree.

It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.

Bumper Sticker: Excuse me for driving so closely in front of you.

Today is the last day of your life, so far.

No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.

People never grow up; they just learn how to act in public.

One half of the world will never understand the other half and it doesn't matter which half you're in.

I've discovered the whole problem with the National Debt. Most of us work 5 days a week and the government spends 7.

You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

No matter how bad it gets, I'm rich at the dollar store.

The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can't hold it.

The minute a man is convinced that he is interesting, he isn't.

If you want to know more about paranoids, follow them around.

Anything not nailed down is a cat toy.

The reason Las Vegas is so crowded is that no one has the plane fare to leave.

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Bible Readings for October 19, 2018

Today our passages are Jeremiah 33:1–34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; and Proverbs 25:23-24. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

Jeremiah 33-34:22 (The Message)

Jeremiah 33

Things You Could Never Figure Out on Your Own

¹ While Jeremiah was still locked up in jail, a second Message from God was given to him: ^2-3"This is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.' ^4-5"This is what God, the God of Israel, has to say about what's going on in this city, about the homes of both people and kings that have been demolished, about all the ravages of war and the killing by the Chaldeans, and about the streets littered with the dead bodies of those killed because of my raging anger—about all that's happened because the evil actions in this city have turned my stomach in disgust. ^6-9"But now take another look. I'm going to give this city a thorough renovation, working a true healing inside and out. I'm going to show them life whole, life brimming with blessings. I'll restore everything that was lost to Judah and Jerusalem. I'll build everything back as good as new. I'll scrub them clean from the dirt they've done against me. I'll forgive everything they've done wrong, forgive all their rebellions. And Jerusalem will be a center of joy and praise and glory for all the countries on earth. They'll get reports on all the good I'm doing for her. They'll be in awe of the blessings I am pouring on her.
^10-11"Yes, God's Message: 'You're going to look at this place, these empty and desolate towns of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, and say, "A wasteland. Unlivable. Not even a dog could live here." But the time is coming when you're going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people exclaiming, "Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He's so good! His love never quits," as they bring thank offerings into God's Temple. I'll restore everything that was lost in this land. I'll make everything as good as new.' I, God, say so.
^12-13"God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: 'This coming desolation, unfit for even a stray dog, is once again going to become a pasture for shepherds who care for their flocks. You'll see flocks everywhere—in the mountains around the towns of the Shephelah and Negev, all over the territory of Benjamin, around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah—flocks under the care of shepherds who keep track of each sheep.' God says so.

A Fresh and True Shoot from the David-Tree

^14-18"'Watch for this: The time is coming'—God's Decree—'when I will keep the promise I made to the families of Israel and Judah. When that time comes, I will make a fresh and true shoot sprout from the David-Tree. He will run this country honestly and fairly. He will set things right. That's when Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety. The motto for the city will be, "God Has Set Things Right for Us." God has made it clear that there will always be a descendant of David ruling the people of Israel and that there will always be Levitical priests on hand to offer burnt offerings, present grain offerings, and carry on the sacrificial worship in my honor.'" ^19-22God's Message to Jeremiah: "God says, 'If my covenant with day and my covenant with night ever fell apart so that day and night became haphazard and you never knew which was coming and when, then and only then would my covenant with my servant David fall apart and his descendants no longer rule. The same goes for the Levitical priests who serve me. Just as you can't number the stars in the sky nor measure the sand on the seashore, neither will you be able to account for the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who serve me.'"
^23-24God's Message to Jeremiah: "Have you heard the saying that's making the rounds: 'The two families God chose, Israel and Judah, he disowned'? And have you noticed that my people are treated with contempt, with rumors afoot that there's nothing to them anymore?
^25-26"Well, here's God's response: 'If my covenant with day and night wasn't in working order, if sky and earth weren't functioning the way I set them going, then, but only then, you might think I had disowned the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, and that I wouldn't set up any of David's descendants over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But as it is, I will give them back everything they've lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on them.'"

Jeremiah 34

Freedom to the Slaves

¹ God's Message to Jeremiah at the time King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon mounted an all-out attack on Jerusalem and all the towns around it with his armies and allies and everyone he could muster: ^2-3"I, God, the God of Israel, direct you to go and tell Zedekiah king of Judah: 'This is God's Message. Listen to me. I am going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it to the ground. And don't think you'll get away. You'll be captured and be his prisoner. You will have a personal confrontation with the king of Babylon and be taken off with him, captive, to Babylon.
^4-5"'But listen, O Zedekiah king of Judah, to the rest of the Message of God. You won't be killed. You'll die a peaceful death. They will honor you with funeral rites as they honored your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will properly mourn your death, weeping, "Master, master!" This is a solemn promise. God's Decree.'"
^6-7The prophet Jeremiah gave this Message to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, gave it to him word for word. It was at the very time that the king of Babylon was mounting his all-out attack on Jerusalem and whatever cities in Judah that were still standing—only Lachish and Azekah, as it turned out (they were the only fortified cities left in Judah).
^8-10God delivered a Message to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people of Jerusalem to decree freedom to the slaves who were Hebrews, both men and women. The covenant stipulated that no one in Judah would own a fellow Jew as a slave. All the leaders and people who had signed the covenant set free the slaves, men and women alike.
¹¹But a little while later, they reneged on the covenant, broke their promise and forced their former slaves to become slaves again.
^12-14Then Jeremiah received this Message from God: "God, the God of Israel, says, 'I made a covenant with your ancestors when I delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt. At the time I made it clear: "At the end of seven years, each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has had to sell himself to you. After he has served six years, set him free." But your ancestors totally ignored me.
^15-16"'And now, you—what have you done? First you turned back to the right way and did the right thing, decreeing freedom for your brothers and sisters—and you made it official in a solemn covenant in my Temple. And then you turned right around and broke your word, making a mockery of both me and the covenant, and made them all slaves again, these men and women you'd just set free. You forced them back into slavery.
^17-20"'So here is what I, God, have to say: You have not obeyed me and set your brothers and sisters free. Here is what I'm going to do: I'm going to set you free—God's Decree—free to get killed in war or by disease or by starvation. I'll make you a spectacle of horror. People all over the world will take one look at you and shudder. Everyone who violated my covenant, who didn't do what was solemnly promised in the covenant ceremony when they split the young bull into two halves and walked between them, all those people that day who walked between the two halves of the bull—leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, palace officials, priests, and all the rest of the people—I'm handing the lot of them over to their enemies who are out to kill them. Their dead bodies will be carrion food for vultures and stray dogs.
^21-22"'As for Zedekiah king of Judah and his palace staff, I'll also hand them over to their enemies, who are out to kill them. The army of the king of Babylon has pulled back for a time, but not for long, for I'm going to issue orders that will bring them back to this city. They'll attack and take it and burn it to the ground. The surrounding cities of Judah will fare no better. I'll turn them into ghost towns, unlivable and unlived in.'" God's Decree.

1 Timothy 4:1-16 (The Message)

1 Timothy 4

Teach with Your Life

^1-5The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They'll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy. ^6-10You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.
^11-14Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
^15-16Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.

Psalm 89:1-13 (The Message)

Psalm 89

An Ethan Prayer

^1-4 Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
   I'll never quit telling the story of your love—
      how you built the cosmos
      and guaranteed everything in it.
   Your love has always been our lives' foundation,
      your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
   You once said, "I joined forces with my chosen leader,
      I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
   'Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
      I'll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.'"

^5-18 God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
      the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
   Search high and low, scan skies and land,
      you'll find nothing and no one quite like God.
   The holy angels are in awe before him;
      he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
   God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
      powerful and faithful from every angle?
   You put the arrogant ocean in its place
      and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
   You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
      you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
   You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
      everything from atom to archangel.
   You positioned the North and South Poles;
      the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
   With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
      nobody trifles with you!
   The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
      Love and Truth are its fruits.
   Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
      who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
   Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
      who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
   Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
      you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
   All we are and have we owe to God,
      Holy God of Israel, our King!

Proverbs 25:23-24 (The Message)

²³ A north wind brings stormy weather,
and a gossipy tongue stormy looks.

²⁴ Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack
than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.

Verse of the Day

“Do what the LORD wants, and he will give you your heart's desire.” - Psalm 37:4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American writer, cartoonist, animator, book publisher, and artist best known for authoring popular children's books, Theodor Seuss Geisel/Dr. Seusswrote, “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Bible Readings for December 24, 2016

Today, our passages is Zechariah 6:1–7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; and Proverbs 30:24-28. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

Zechariah 6-7:14 (The Message)

Zechariah 6

Eighth Vision: Four Chariots

¹ Once again I looked up—another strange sight! Four chariots charging out from between two mountains. The mountains were bronze. ^2-3The first chariot was drawn by red horses, the second chariot by black horses, the third chariot by white horses, and the fourth chariot by dappled horses. All the horses were powerful. ⁴I asked the Messenger-Angel, "Sir, what's the meaning here?"
^5-7The angel answered, "These are the four winds of heaven, which originate with the Master of the whole earth. The black horses are headed north with the white ones right after them. The dappled horses are headed south." The powerful horses galloped out, bursting with energy, eager to patrol through the earth. The Messenger-Angel commanded: "On your way! Survey the earth!" and they were off in every direction.
⁸Then he called to me and said, "Look at them go! The ones going north are conveying a sense of my Spirit, serene and secure. No more trouble from that direction."

A Man Named Branch

^9-12Then this Message from God came to me: "Take up a collection from the exiles. Target Heldai, Tobiah, and Jedaiah. They've just arrived from Babylon. You'll find them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah. Collect silver and gold from them and fashion crowns. Place one on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and give him this message: ^12-13"'A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies. Be alert. We have a man here whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of God. Yes, he's the one. He'll build the Temple of God. Then he'll assume the role of royalty, take his place on the throne and rule—a priest sitting on the throne!—showing that king and priest can coexist in harmony.'
¹⁴"The other crown will be in the Temple of God as a symbol of royalty, under the custodial care of Helem, Tobiah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah.
¹⁵"People will come from faraway places to pitch in and rebuild the Temple of God. This will confirm that God-of-the-Angel-Armies did, in fact, send me to you. All this follows as you put your minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of your God."

Zechariah 7

"You're Interested in Religion, I'm Interested in People"

¹ On the fourth day of the ninth month, in the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, God's Message again came to Zechariah. ^2-3The town of Bethel had sent a delegation headed by Sarezer and Regem-Melech to pray for God's blessing and to confer with the priests of the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, and also with the prophets. They posed this question: "Should we plan for a day of mourning and abstinence next August, the seventieth anniversary of Jerusalem's fall, as we have been doing all these years?" ^4-6God-of-the-Angel-Armies gave me this Message for them, for all the people and for the priests: "When you held days of fasting every fifth and seventh month all these seventy years, were you doing it for me? And when you held feasts, was that for me? Hardly. You're interested in religion, I'm interested in people.
^7-10"There's nothing new to say on the subject. Don't you still have the message of the earlier prophets from the time when Jerusalem was still a thriving, bustling city and the outlying countryside, the Negev and Shephelah, was populated? [This is the message that God gave Zechariah.] Well, the message hasn't changed. God-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now:

   "'Treat one another justly.
   Love your neighbors.
   Be compassionate with each other.
   Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.
   Don't plot and scheme against one another—that's evil.'
^11-13"But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. They steeled themselves against God's revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. And God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn't listen to a word he said.
^13-14"So [this is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said] if they won't listen to me, I won't listen to them. I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were. Their 'promised land' became a vacant lot—weeds and tin cans and thistles. Not a sign of life. They turned a dreamland into a wasteland."

Revelation 15:1-8 (The Message)

Revelation 15

The Song of Moses, the Song of the Lamb

¹ I saw another Sign in Heaven, huge and breathtaking: seven Angels with seven disasters. These are the final disasters, the wrap-up of God's wrath. ^2-4I saw something like a sea made of glass, the glass all shot through with fire. Carrying harps of God, triumphant over the Beast, its image, and the number of its name, the saved ones stood on the sea of glass. They sang the Song of Moses, servant of God; they sang the Song of the Lamb:

   Mighty your acts and marvelous,
      O God, the Sovereign-Strong!
   Righteous your ways and true,
      King of the nations!
   Who can fail to fear you, God,
      give glory to your Name?
   Because you and you only are holy,
      all nations will come and worship you,
      because they see your judgments are right. ^5-8Then I saw the doors of the Temple, the Tent of Witness in Heaven, open wide. The Seven Angels carrying the seven disasters came out of the Temple. They were dressed in clean, bright linen and wore gold vests. One of the Four Animals handed the Seven Angels seven gold bowls, brimming with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. Smoke from God's glory and power poured out of the Temple. No one was permitted to enter the Temple until the seven disasters of the Seven Angels were finished.

Psalm 143:1-12 (The Message)

Psalm 143

A David Psalm

^1-2 Listen to this prayer of mine, God; pay attention to what I'm asking.
   Answer me—you're famous for your answers!
      Do what's right for me.
   But don't, please don't, haul me into court;
      not a person alive would be acquitted there.

^3-6 The enemy hunted me down;
      he kicked me and stomped me within an inch of my life.
   He put me in a black hole,
      buried me like a corpse in that dungeon.
   I sat there in despair, my spirit draining away,
      my heart heavy, like lead.
   I remembered the old days,
      went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked,
   Stretched out my hands to you,
      as thirsty for you as a desert thirsty for rain.

^7-10 Hurry with your answer, God!
      I'm nearly at the end of my rope.
   Don't turn away; don't ignore me!
      That would be certain death.
   If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice,
      I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you.
   Point out the road I must travel;
      I'm all ears, all eyes before you.
   Save me from my enemies, God—
      you're my only hope!
   Teach me how to live to please you,
      because you're my God.
   Lead me by your blessed Spirit
      into cleared and level pastureland.

^11-12 Keep up your reputation, God—give me life!
      In your justice, get me out of this trouble!
   In your great love, vanquish my enemies;
      make a clean sweep of those who harass me.
   And why? Because I'm your servant.

Proverbs 30:24-28 (The Message)

Four Small Wonders

^24-28 There are four small creatures,
   wisest of the wise they are—
      ants—frail as they are,
   get plenty of food in for the winter;
      marmots—vulnerable as they are,
         manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
      locusts—leaderless insects,
         yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
      lizards—easy enough to catch,
         but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.

Verse of the Day

“They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. Everyone listened and was surprised. But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant. As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.” - Luke 2:16-20

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American writer, cartoonist, animator, book publisher, and artist best known for authoring children's books, Theodor Seuss Geisel/Dr. Seuss wrote, “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Bible Readings for October 19, 2016

Jeremiah 33-34:22 (The Message)

Jeremiah 33

Things You Could Never Figure Out on Your Own

A Fresh and True Shoot from the David-Tree

Jeremiah 34

Freedom to the Slaves

1 Timothy 4:1-16 (The Message)

1 Timothy 4

Teach with Your Life

Psalm 89:1-13 (The Message)

Psalm 89

An Ethan Prayer

Proverbs 25:23-24 (The Message)

²³ A north wind brings stormy weather,
and a gossipy tongue stormy looks.

²⁴ Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack
than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.

Verse of the Day

“Do what the LORD wants, and he will give you your heart's desire.” - Psalm 37:4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American writer, cartoonist, animator, book publisher, and artist best known for authoring popular children's books, Theodor Seuss Geisel/Dr. Seuss wrote, “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Bible Readings for August 21, 2016

Today our passages are Job 1:1–3:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1-17; Psalm 37:12-29; and Proverbs 21:25-26. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.

Job 1-3:26 (The Message)

Job 1

^1-3 Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was also very wealthy—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East! ^4-5 His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, thinking, "Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly." Job made a habit of this sacrificial atonement, just in case they'd sinned.

The First Test: Family and Fortune

^6-7 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, "What have you been up to?"    Satan answered God, "Going here and there, checking things out on earth."
⁸ God said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil."
^9-10 Satan retorted, "So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can't lose!
¹¹ "But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He'd curse you right to your face, that's what."
¹² God replied, "We'll see. Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. Just don't hurt him." Then Satan left the presence of God.
^13-15 Sometime later, while Job's children were having one of their parties at the home of the oldest son, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing in the field next to us when Sabeans attacked. They stole the animals and killed the field hands. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened."
¹⁶ While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, "Bolts of lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and fried them—burned them to a crisp. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened."
¹⁷ While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, "Chaldeans coming from three directions raided the camels and massacred the camel drivers. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened."
^18-19 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, "Your children were having a party at the home of the oldest brother when a tornado swept in off the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they died. I'm the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened."
²⁰ Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped:

²¹ Naked I came from my mother's womb,
   naked I'll return to the womb of the earth.
God gives, God takes.
   God's name be ever blessed.
²² Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.

Job 2

The Second Test: Health

^1-3 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan also showed up. God singled out Satan, saying, "And what have you been up to?" Satan answered God, "Oh, going here and there, checking things out." Then God said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him, is there—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn't work." ^4-5 Satan answered, "A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He'd curse you to your face, that's what."
⁶ God said, "All right. Go ahead—you can do what you like with him. But mind you, don't kill him."
^7-8 Satan left God and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes.
⁹ His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"
¹⁰ He told her, "You're talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?"
Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God.

Job's Three Friends

^11-13 Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.

Job 3

Job Cries Out

What's the Point of Life?

^1-2Then Job broke the silence. He spoke up and cursed his fate:
^3-10 "Obliterate the day I was born. Blank out the night I was conceived!
Let it be a black hole in space.
   May God above forget it ever happened.
   Erase it from the books!
May the day of my birth be buried in deep darkness,
   shrouded by the fog,
   swallowed by the night.
And the night of my conception—the devil take it!
   Rip the date off the calendar,
   delete it from the almanac.
Oh, turn that night into pure nothingness—
   no sounds of pleasure from that night, ever!
May those who are good at cursing curse that day.
   Unleash the sea beast, Leviathan, on it.
May its morning stars turn to black cinders,
   waiting for a daylight that never comes,
   never once seeing the first light of dawn.
And why? Because it released me from my mother's womb
   into a life with so much trouble.

^11-19 "Why didn't I die at birth,
   my first breath out of the womb my last?
Why were there arms to rock me,
   and breasts for me to drink from?
I could be resting in peace right now,
   asleep forever, feeling no pain,
In the company of kings and statesmen
   in their royal ruins,
Or with princes resplendent
   in their gold and silver tombs.
Why wasn't I stillborn and buried
   with all the babies who never saw light,
Where the wicked no longer trouble anyone
   and bone-weary people get a long-deserved rest?
Prisoners sleep undisturbed,
   never again to wake up to the bark of the guards.
The small and the great are equals in that place,
   and slaves are free from their masters.

^20-23 "Why does God bother giving light to the miserable,
   why bother keeping bitter people alive,
Those who want in the worst way to die, and can't,
   who can't imagine anything better than death,
Who count the day of their death and burial
   the happiest day of their life?
What's the point of life when it doesn't make sense,
   when God blocks all the roads to meaning?

^24-26 "Instead of bread I get groans for my supper,
   then leave the table and vomit my anguish.
The worst of my fears has come true,
   what I've dreaded most has happened.
My repose is shattered, my peace destroyed.
   No rest for me, ever—death has invaded life."

1 Corinthians 14:1-17 (The Message)

1 Corinthians 14

Prayer Language

^1-3Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you. ^4-5The one who prays using a private "prayer language" certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God's truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength. I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don't stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It's more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and cultivate God's presence in a mysterious prayer language—unless, of course, there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all.
^6-8Think, friends: If I come to you and all I do is pray privately to God in a way only he can understand, what are you going to get out of that? If I don't address you plainly with some insight or truth or proclamation or teaching, what help am I to you? If musical instruments—flutes, say, or harps—aren't played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music? If the trumpet call can't be distinguished, will anyone show up for the battle?
^9-12So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what's the point of opening your mouth? There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. But if I don't understand the language, it's not going to do me much good. It's no different with you. Since you're so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don't you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?
^13-17So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don't hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy. If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind lies fallow, and all that intelligence is wasted. So what's the solution? The answer is simple enough. Do both. I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit, and sing with my mind. If you give a blessing using your private prayer language, which no one else understands, how can some outsider who has just shown up and has no idea what's going on know when to say "Amen"? Your blessing might be beautiful, but you have very effectively cut that person out of it.

Psalm 37:12-29 (The Message)

^12-13 Bad guys have it in for the good guys,
      obsessed with doing them in.
   But God isn't losing any sleep; to him
      they're a joke with no punch line.

^14-15 Bullies brandish their swords,
      pull back on their bows with a flourish.
   They're out to beat up on the harmless,
      or mug that nice man out walking his dog.
   A banana peel lands them flat on their faces—
      slapstick figures in a moral circus.

^16-17 Less is more and more is less.
      One righteous will outclass fifty wicked,
   For the wicked are moral weaklings
      but the righteous are God-strong.

^18-19 God keeps track of the decent folk;
      what they do won't soon be forgotten.
   In hard times, they'll hold their heads high;
      when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.

²⁰ God-despisers have had it;
      God's enemies are finished—
   Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time,
      vanished like smoke in thin air.

^21-22 Wicked borrows and never returns;
      Righteous gives and gives.
   Generous gets it all in the end;
      Stingy is cut off at the pass.

^23-24 Stalwart walks in step with God;
      his path blazed by God, he's happy.
   If he stumbles, he's not down for long;
      God has a grip on his hand.

^25-26 I once was young, now I'm a graybeard—
      not once have I seen an abandoned believer,
      or his kids out roaming the streets.
   Every day he's out giving and lending,
      his children making him proud.

^27-28 Turn your back on evil,
      work for the good and don't quit.
   God loves this kind of thing,
      never turns away from his friends.

^28-29 Live this way and you've got it made,
      but bad eggs will be tossed out.
   The good get planted on good land
      and put down healthy roots.

Proverbs 21:25-26 (The Message)

²⁵ Lazy people finally die of hunger
because they won't get up and go to work.

²⁶ Sinners are always wanting what they don't have;
the God-loyal are always giving what they do have.

Verse of the Day
“Every day, you are kind, and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the living LORD God.” - Psalm 42:8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American writer and illustrator best known for authoring popular children's books under the pen name Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote, “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”