Well, good morning. It is December the 17th, 2024, and welcome once again to our daily Bible reading. Today is a pre-record because I have a lot going on today. So, but that's not going to stop us from being in the Word today. Continuing on in our daily Bible reading in the homestretch here, we have what? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, including today, 15 more days. And then we are done with 2024. It's hard to believe, but December 17th, we're going to finish the book of 2 Timothy. We're going to read 2 Timothy 4, 19 to 22, which is why they cut it off there. I don't know, but then we are going to pick up in Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 1, and we're going to read to chapter 4, verse 13. So let's get into the word. December 17th, 2024, 2 Timothy chapter 4, verses 19 to 22, Paul's final greeting. Greet Prisca and Aquila in the house of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in my lead is sick. I do your utmost to come before winter. Ubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. Then there's a notation in our Bible that says the letter to the Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians. The author is unknown, although Paul, Barnabas, and Apollos are candidates. The date of the letter is unknown, although it was probably written before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, since the letter presupposes the sacrifices were still being performed there. And there's some references, but we'll begin. Jesus Christ is God's Son, Hebrews 1. one to four. God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world, who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, Christ is greater than the angels, Hebrews 1, 5-14. For to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my son? Today I have begotten you, and again I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, he says, who makes his angels spirits? And his minister is a flame of fire. But to the sun, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, and therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness, more than your companions. And you, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain, and they will all grow old like a garment, like a cloak. You will fold them up and they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will not fail. But to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? a warning against drifting away, Hebrews 2, 1-4, and therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proves steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will." Jesus the man, Hebrews 2, 5-18. For he has not put the world to come of which we speak in subjection to angels, but one testified in a certain place saying, what is man that you are mindful of him or the son of man that you care? that you take care of him, you made him a little lower than the angels, you have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. for it was fitting for him, for whom all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, here am I and the children whom God has given me. And as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifelong subject to bondage. For indeed he does not give aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham, and therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are being tempted." Jesus is greater than Moses, Hebrews 3, 1-19. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who is faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all of his house. For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house. for every house is built by someone but he who built all things is gone and Moses indeed was faithful in all of his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterwards but Christ as a son over his own house whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. And therefore, as the Holy Spirit says today, if you will hear my voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness where your fathers tested me and tried me and saw my works for 40 years. And therefore I was angry with that generation and said, they always go astray in their heart and they have not known my ways. And so I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. but exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast at the end. While it is said today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who having heard rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses? Now with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? And so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Promised rest for God's people, Hebrews 4, 1-13. And therefore, since a promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear, lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter the rest, as he said, so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way, and God rested on the seventh day from his works. And again, in this place they shall not enter my rest. And since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience. Again, he designates a certain day, saying in David, Today, after such a long time as it has been said, Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your heart. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterwards have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God, for he who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. and there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Amen. That was our reading today for December the 17th, 2024. Thank you all so much for joining me. Be sure to leave a comment or a reaction to that video, and I'll be sure to mark that down. If you have not already done so, Be sure to shoot me a text and let me know that you are up to date on your Bible reading, 860-593-5735. And I would really appreciate that. And so make sure you do that again, 860-593-5735. Just a real quick text. Pastor, I'm up to date. Thank you. That's all you gotta do. And so, appreciate it, just to help me out a lot. But anyway, thank you all so much. Let's go to the Lord in a word of prayer. Father, we thank you so much for another day that you granted to us. Pray for your blessing upon our day today, Lord. Pray, God, that you would just be glorified as we go about your business, and Lord, that we would live. the Christian life in a serious way, Lord, as we just read in Hebrews, God, that we wouldn't take our salvation for granted, but instead, Lord, that we would live out our faith, understanding who it is that we serve, and that is our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Bye, everybody.