Matthew 4 Dear RTB’ers, Today’s reading covers Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, His “settling” in Capernaum, and His calling His first disciples. But what struck me was the few verses after these incidents: And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching … and proclaiming the gospel … and healing every disease and every affliction … and …
Author Archives: Fred
January 7 / Matthew 3
Matthew 3 Dear RTB’ers, John and I posted comments and readers added their own comments when we read through the gospels in 2019, 2021, and 2023. I don’t look at those comments in advance, so anything that I post now could very well duplicate what John or I said in years past. There’s no problem …
January 6 / Matthew 2
Matthew 2 Dear RTB’ers, “…in a dream…” We see this phrase five times in Matthew’s first two chapters (Mt. 1:20; 2:12,13,19,22). Dreams appear to be God’s choice in speaking to Joseph; recall that He had sent an angel to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds (Mt. 1:11-20,26-38; 2:9-15). Have any of you had God speak directly …
January 5 / Matthew 1
Matthew 1 Dear RTB’ers, I have often encouraged all of us to own a study Bible to read along the STS notes and my posts in our daily reading. One particular advantage of a study Bible is that each book in the Bible is given an introduction to the book itself, typically explaining its authorship, …
January 4 / Isaiah 66
Isaiah 66 Dear RTB’ers, Isaiah. Beginning on November 17 we have read Isaiah for 42 days out of the next 49 – only one week in that seven-week span reading the apostle John’s three letters. So we’ve been on a long journey, ending today on a happy note as we read more about the New …
January 3 / Isaiah 65
Isaiah 65 Dear RTB’ers, Tomorrow, Sunday, January 4, our first RTB gathering of the new year – in Nathan Hall after coffee hour (and bus duty and cleanup). Come join us! Today, two distinct threads between verses 1-16 and 17-25. In the former God is distinguishing between Israelites who are faithful (My servants, Isaiah 65:8,9, …
January 2 / Isaiah 63:7-64:12
Isaiah 63:7-64:12 Dear RTB’ers, Today’s reading sounds much like a lament that we may have read from one of the Psalms. A few years back I noted (from one of my Study Bibles) the elements of a lament: a cry for help; the author’s situation; an expression of confidence; a protestation of innocence or a …
January 2026 Readings
Date Readings Verses 01-Jan Isaiah 61:1-63:6 29 02-Jan Isaiah 63:7-64:12 25 03-Jan Isaiah 65 25 04-Jan Isaiah 66 24 05-Jan Matthew 1 25 06-Jan Matthew 2 23 07-Jan Matthew 3 17 08-Jan Matthew 4 25 09-Jan Matthew 5:1-16 16 10-Jan Matthew 5:17-48 32 11-Jan Matthew 6:1-18 18 12-Jan Matthew 6:19-32 14 13-Jan Matthew 7:1-12 12 …
January 1 / Isaiah 61:1-63:6
Isaiah 61:1-63:6 Dear RTB’ers, The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the Lord has anointed meto bring good news to the poor;he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor… Isaiah 61:1-2a You may be saying to yourself, …
December 31 / Isaiah 60
Isaiah 60 Dear RTB’ers, New Year’s Eve. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the …