Weekly Bible Reading

My weekly

letter to our congregation for reading through the Bible.

Good Evening Family,

Here are our weekly chapters from the Bible. This week we begin reading the Minor Prophets. A group of books in the Bible that unfortunately are skipped over. The Minor Prophets remind us of the love and justice of God. As you read them you will notice that God is sovereignly ruling over not just Israel but all the nations of the world and history.

Last week, someone asked me, “Pastor, do you see the United States in Biblical prophecy.” I don’t see our nation identified in the Scriptures but the Scripture addresses all the nations, including the United States. Prophecy had a specific meaning to the people it was addressed to and sometimes prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel addressed events far into the future. However, it is a mistake to read the prophets just for end time events or limit its message to a specific nation. God’s Word is for all people at all times.

These prophets remind us that our contemporary sins are nothing new and God says unless they are repented of, judgment is certain. We can choose nationally, and as a community and individually to repent and be blessed or rebel against God and be judged. Repentance is sorrow that leads us to action. To give justice to the weak and oppressed, to liberate captives, feed the hungry and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Throughout the small books you see the love of God. Look for it and underline the passages that speak of His love.

Hosea, is an amazing book. God calls Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her. Hosea loves her, starts a family with her and she abandons him for her lovers. In Hosea 3:1, God says to the brokenhearted prophet, “Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”” (Hosea 3:1, NLT)

God illustrates his passionate love for us in the life and ministry of Hosea. He loved and pursued us when we were lost in our sins. He didn’t give up on us. We who knew nothing of this kind of love met it in Jesus Christ. “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:8–10, NLT)

Take your time, pray, journal and enjoy these books of the Bible.