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Professor Horner’s Reading Plan
Luke 17; Exodus 11; Philippians 4; Revelation 18; Song of Solomon 7; Psalms 61; Proverbs 30; 1 Samuel 12; Isaiah 61; Acts 5
Luke 17
1One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!
2It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin.
3So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.
4Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
5The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”
6The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!
7“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’?
8No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’
9And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not.
10In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”
11As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.
12As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance,
13crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
15One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”
16He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?
18Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
19And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you. ”
20One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs.
21You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. ”
22Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it.
23People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them.
24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes.
25But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.
26“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.
27In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business — eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building —
29until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home.
32Remember what happened to Lot’s wife!
33If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.
34That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.
35Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. ”
36
37“Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”
Exodus 11
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave.
2Tell all the Israelite men and women to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”
3(Now the LORD had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel. And Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh’s officials and the Egyptian people alike.)
4Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt.
5All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die.
6Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again.
7But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
8All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all your followers with you.’ Only then will I go!” Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.
9Now the LORD had told Moses earlier, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.”
10Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country.
Philippians 4
1Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
2Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.
3And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice!
5Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
9Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me — everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
10How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.
11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
13For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
14Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
15As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.
16Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.
17I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
18At the moment I have all I need — and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
19And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
20Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.
21Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people — all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings.
22And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.
23May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Revelation 18
1After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.
2He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen — that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.
3For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”
4Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.
5For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.
6Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.
7She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’
8Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day — death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
9And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.
10They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”
11The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.
12She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble.
13She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies — that is, human slaves.
14“The fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again.”
15The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,
16“How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!” And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance.
18They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?”
19And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.”
20Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.
21Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, “Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.
22The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.
23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
Song of Solomon 7
1How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O queenly maiden. Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a skilled craftsman.
2Your navel is perfectly formed like a goblet filled with mixed wine. Between your thighs lies a mound of wheat bordered with lilies.
3Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle.
4Your neck is as beautiful as an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus.
5Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel, and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. The king is held captive by its tresses.
6Oh, how beautiful you are! How pleasing, my love, how full of delights!
7You are slender like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters of fruit.
8I said, “I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like grape clusters, and the fragrance of your breath like apples.
9May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine — Young Woman Yes, wine that goes down smoothly for my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth.
10I am my lover’s, and he claims me as his own.
11Come, my love, let us go out to the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers.
12Let us get up early and go to the vineyards to see if the grapevines have budded, if the blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love.
13There the mandrakes give off their fragrance, and the finest fruits are at our door, new delights as well as old, which I have saved for you, my lover.
Psalms 61
1O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!
2From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude
5For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
6Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!
7May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
8Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.
Proverbs 30
1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.
2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.
3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.
4Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name — and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!
5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.
12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.
13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.
14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied — no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.
17The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures.
18There are three things that amaze me — no, four things that I don’t understand:
19how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.
20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21There are three things that make the earth tremble — no, four it cannot endure:
22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25Ants — they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
26Hyraxes — they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27Locusts — they have no king, but they march in formation.
28Lizards — they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things that walk with stately stride — no, four that strut about:
30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
1 Samuel 12
1Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king.
2Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you — an old, gray-haired man — and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day.
3Now testify against me in the presence of the LORD and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”
4“No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”
5“The LORD and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.” “Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.
6“It was the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.
7Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.
8“When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the LORD, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land.
9But the people soon forgot about the LORD their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.
10“Then they cried to the LORD again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the LORD and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’
11Then the LORD sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.
12“But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the LORD your God was already your king.
13All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the LORD has granted your request.
14“Now if you fear and worship the LORD and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the LORD’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the LORD as your God.
15But if you rebel against the LORD’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.
16“Now stand here and see the great thing the LORD is about to do.
17You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the LORD to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the LORD for a king!”
18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the LORD and of Samuel.
19“Pray to the LORD your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”
20“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the LORD with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him.
21Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you — they are totally useless!
22The LORD will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the LORD to make you his very own people.
23“As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.
24But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.
25But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”
Isaiah 61
1The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
2He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.
4They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.
5Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards.
6You will be called priests of the LORD, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.
7Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
8“For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed.”
10I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.
11The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.
Acts 5
1But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.
2He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.
4The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.
6Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
12The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.
13But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.
14Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord — crowds of both men and women.
15As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.
16Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
17The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them,
20“Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council — the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial.
22But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported,
23“The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end.
25Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them.
27Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them.
28“We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.
30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.
31Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.
32We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
33When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.
34But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while.
35Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men!
36Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing.
37After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38“So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.
39But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
40The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
42And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”