Bible Readings & Hymns by David R. Kenney

 

BIBLE READINGS & HYMNS

by David R. Kenney

Beginning January 2, 2017, there will be new programming available in both audio and video format.  The name of the program is “Bible Readings & Hymns” with David R. Kenney reading the New Testament in the King James Version.  The program is designed to encourage everyone to read the entire New Testament in a year’s time by watching or listening less than 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week.  If someone cannot follow the daily format, then they could watch all five episodes at one time too.  The New Testament can be read through in a year's time by reading 5 chapters each week, and this program is designed to assist those in accomplishing that worthwhile goal.

Some may view reading plans as old fashioned.  Reading Plans are certainly not a recent invention.  There were reading plans to read the first five books of the Old Testament (Pentateuch or Torah) prior to Jesus' coming.  In fact, these first five books were marked for weekly reading sections going back to the Babylonian Captivity in the 6th century BC.  So, reading plans have been around for a long time which testifies to the effectiveness of such a plan. 

David R. Kenney reading the New Testament
at WCTV Studio in Wadsworth, Ohio

Before I went into full time ministry, I had a few people comment on how much they appreciated the quality of my voice.  Some of these were strangers, and some were Bible Class teachers who wanted me to read passages into a tape recorder.  This was quite a surprise to me having to go through speech therapy in grade school.  Churches of Christ have rightfully pled for people to read their Bibles.  We believe there is power in God’s Word; cf. Hebrews 4:12.  Much of the religious confusion could be eliminated if people truly read their Bibles with discernment; 2 Timothy 2:15-16.  Biblical illiteracy is rampant.  People have no problem telling you what they think the Bible says, but they sometimes reveal their Biblical illiteracy in the discussion.  All of us could use continuous improvement in this area.    

T

My mother, Kay E. Kenney, with her
Mother's Day corsage.  She is one brave lady!

he motivation for the program goes to my mother.  She has battled MS for several years. She has been in and out of wheelchairs, and even close to blindness at one point.  I wanted her to be able to listen to the Bible read in a voice she recognized in case the day came when her eyes failed.  I have a special compassion for those who are unable to see or hear whether from birth, illness, or due to advanced years.  So, to have audio and video readings of the New Testament available for those unable to see or hear really appealed to me.  It truly was a labor of love for those who want to know more about the Bible, but their senses have limited their ability to do so.

My mother's KJV Bible.  My father served the Lord as a preacher of the
gospel for  over 45 years, and my mother served by his side for nearly
50 years until his departure, January 8, 2015.

My mother has always respected the King James Version (KJV).  Even literary critics, the reputable ones, acknowledge the literary quality, elegance, and beauty of the King James Version.  Some think the vocabulary is too difficult in today’s society, but do not try to tell that to my mother!  I caution people before criticizing the KJV as “too hard” that the reading level has been estimated to be the 12^th grade.  So, the vocabulary ought not to be out of our reach!  The history of the King James Version is fascinating, being over 400 years old; although there have been revisions since 1611.  Besides the KJV being in the public domain, the primary reason is a tribute to my mother who refused to allow her children to let this marvelous translation slide away from their intellectual grasp!  She is not a “King James Only” advocate as she has no objections to reputable modern translations.  My wife has wisely pursued this same tradition with our children too.

This is not an easy project, and I certainly could not have done this alone!  My first assistance was from John Madding at WCTV who favored the idea of “Bible Readings & Hymns” produced and aired on WCTV.  John Madding patiently recorded all my text readings.  The hymns were another copyright challenge, but Andy Robison, Director of the West Virginia School of Preaching, graciously granted me permission to use hymns he composed and recorded.  The video was a special challenge.  Iris Griffin (now Iris Petty) at Gospel Broadcasting Network has done an excellent job of supplementing the show with attractive video during the singing, plus she incorporated the text scroll so people could visually follow along with the reading too.  Gospel Broadcasting Network is making plans to air the video, plus they support GBN radio stations overseen by Aaron Cozort who will be broadcasting the audio programming.  This really is a team effort!  I am thankful to Don Blackwell and Mark Teske at Gospel Broadcasting Network for their support of this project.  By the time this is completed, we will have the New Testament on both audio and video for broadcast, Internet, and available on various devices.

Bible Readings & Hymns will air both locally on WCTV and nationally on the Gospel Broadcasting Network.  (These times are subject to change, so check listings.)

WCTV, Wadsworth, Ohio, Channel 15:  Daily Format: Mon, Wed, Thu at 4:00pm; Tue & Fri at 4:30pm (EST)
Weekly Format: Sat at 9:00am & Sun at 1:30pm (EST)
WCTV is available on Roku and programs will available on their portal site.

Gospel Broadcasting Network TV:
GBN TV Daily Format: Mon – Fri at 7:30am (EST)
GBN TV Weekly Format: Sun at 7:00am (EST)
GBN is also available on Roku, YouTube Channel, and is streamed line on their website.

Gospel Broadcasting Network Radio:
GBN Radio Daily Format: Mon – Fri at 7:00am (All Time Zones)
GBN Radio is also available online at their website.

There is also a Facebook Page for Bible Readings & Hymns here.

 

Happy Mother's Day Mom

Determination

Remarks by drkenney in Cleveland, Ohio, November 12, 2007

A vacuum can be a dangerous thing, and a moral vacuum is extremely dangerous to the financial stability of our country. The Character First! program is the company’s way to communicate to us that the company recognizes and values employees with sound morals and ethics.

Too many companies have not addressed the topic of morals & ethics in business and the effects can be seen in the newspaper regularly. In times past, businesses have assumed that employees came to work with sound morals and ethics instilled. They have failed to recognize that the decline of the moral fabric of the family has a direct impact on its operation. Universities have recognized the symptoms of this challenge and responded with courses in business ethics. Michael D. Michalisin, Associate Professor of Management, at SIU Carbondale reported in July 2007: "Right now, 40 percent of the top 50 business schools require a course in business ethics or social responsibility. You can see how important it is."[1] Also, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) requires business ethics as a core component of accredited business curricula.[2] In spite of such efforts to regulate against the lack of business ethics, such as Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the costs for those who commit unethical acts in business is nearly impossible to regulate. Regulation can attempt to minimize the symptoms but the problem is far deeper than we have time to discuss here. So I applaud the company’s effort to promote the importance of sound ethical business practices rather than remaining silent and a vacuum remain to be filled by some other force.

We all struggle with various character attributes from time to time including "Determination". How do we keep going when it is easier to quit? How do we keep give our best effort when those around us are not giving it their all? We need to realize that the way we conduct ourselves “on the job” is just as a reflection about who we are as “off the job”. A Senior Vice President in a Fortune 500 company with over 50,000 employee once told a department I worked in: "Do not think you are only one in 50,000 employees and do not have an impact. The way you conduct yourself on the job follows you. Your name & reputation is one thing that is always yours. If a person acts act unethically for the company, then he or she will be viewed as unethical regardless of where they later work in the future." This is true. Some think the way they conduct themselves on the job is not the way they really are. The truth of the matter is—the way we conduct ourselves on & off the job is the way we really are.

We often think about role models when discussing character. On this Veteran’s Day, there are countless examples that could be given to inspire us to determination. However, many of us will never be called upon to fight in a war. We need to realize that determination is an important characteristic we need to strive for whether we manage a department, business, or home. Who is your role model that inspires you for determination?

I’ll share with you one of mine, my mother. My mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the winter of 1983. She has worked full-time for the Department of the Interior until her retirement this past September. She would have to get up, get dressed, and drive 17 miles to work, work full time there, and then come home to housework. This is formable for anyone to do but add the challenges of multiple sclerosis on top of that. Plus, she is the wife of a preacher; which requires additional demands on her life. She is working more for the church now in order to remain active. Throughout the past 25 years, she been paralyzed (even confined to a wheelchair at times), lost her eyesight at one point to have it slowly return, and she cannot do a lot of the things we regularly take for granted such as running. How does she continue to "Keep on keeping on"? Sheer determination!

I realize that I am speaking to a group of people who all ready manifest the characteristic of determination and probably do so better than I. For those times when we struggle, maybe these words will come to your remembrance and help:

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith[3]

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

In closing, I would like to read you a quote in the Character Bulletin, “The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won’t.”—Henry Ward Beecher.[4]

Thank you.

-----------------------------------------
Work Cited:

[1] http://news.siu.edu/news/July06/072806sm6057.jsp
[2] Ibid.
[3] http://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com/index.html
[4] As quoted in “Determination—Purposing to Accomplish Right Goals At The Right Time, Regardless of the Opposition,” Character First! Bulletin, Oklahoma, OK: Character First!, Series 3, No. 43, 2007.