Please see below the Daily Bible Readings for this week:

Monday

Morning: Joshua 16 & 17
Evening: Joshua 18 & 19

Prayer Focus: The Apostolic Church UK and Missionaries

Tuesday

Morning: Joshua 20 & 21
Evening: Joshua 22

Prayer Focus: Youth and Children

Wednesday

Morning: Joshua 23
Evening:  Joshua 24

Prayer Focus: The Body of Christ

Thursday

Morning: Mark 1
Evening:  Mark 2

Prayer Focus: The United Kingdom

Friday

Morning: Mark 3
Evening:  Mark 4

Prayer Focus: People with Diverse Problems, Parents and Pregnant Women

Saturday

Morning: Mark 5
Evening:  Mark 6

Prayer Focus: The All Nations’ Center, yourself and your family

Sunday

Morning: Mark 7
Evening:  Mark 8

Prayer Focus: Praise, Thanksgiving and Worship

Introduction to the Books of the Bible

The Book of Joshua

From “Encyclopedia of the Bible“:

The sixth book of the OT, and the first book of the Prophets, the second great division of the Hebrew canon. It is named after Joshua, the leader of the Israelites during their invasion and settlement by tribes in the Promised Land.

The Book of Joshua was written to continue the sacred history of Israel begun in the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy set forth the historical basis of God’s election of Israel and fully stated the covenant (or theocratic constitution), which Moses revised and mediated to Israel afresh before his death. The Book of Joshua shows how these chosen people under the covenant became established in its Promised Land. Herein is the record of The Lord’s faithfulness to His covenants with the patriarchs and the nation first given to it at Sinai. This Scripture inspires and guides God’s people to corresponding covenant loyalty, unity, and high morale in future generations.

The fundamental purpose of all of the prophetical books of the Heb. canon is to exhort and warn Israel to return and adhere to the Mosaic covenant (Neh 9:30; Zech 7:8-12). This book teaches that He can fully perform all of His good promises to His people (Josh 21:45), and that He is ever guiding them and overruling in the dangers that beset them. By comparing the lengthy record of Achan’s sin and punishment (7:1, 18, 19, 20, 24) with the brief report of the northern campaign (11:1-15) with all of its military features, for instance, it becomes apparent that there is a selection of materials in the account of the conquest—much interesting factual data is omitted. The precise aim is to set forth moral and religious lessons and demonstrate that Israel is God’s chosen agent for carrying forward His purposes on earth.

The Gospel of Mark

Practically all of Mark’s gospel relates to the public ministry of Jesus. During this period, Galilee and Perea were ruled by Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Judea, Samaria and Idumea were governed by the Roman procurator (or prefect) Pontius Pilate, who had been directly commissioned by Emperor Tiberius.

There is general agreement among the Early Church Fathers that Mark’s gospel reproduces the preaching of Peter. When one turns to the gospel, one can find Peter’s personality on almost every page. Peter was impulsive, aggressive, and active. That is the character of the gospel.

Undoubtedly, the main characteristic of Mark’s gospel is action. If one examines carefully a harmony of the synoptic gospels, he will soon discover that Mark has most of the miracles but few of the parables. Long sections of the harmony have parallel columns of material from Matthew and Luke, with nothing from Mark. In such cases, the material almost always consists of the sayings of Jesus. Matthew and Luke devote much of their gospels to Jesus’ teachings; Mark majors on action. This is what one would expect if Mark reproduces Peter’s preaching.