Staying in the word

As we begin this new year perhaps now is the time to recommit to reading, studying, and meditating on God's Word. This year I will provide a chronological reading plan for the Bible. If you follow this plan you will read the whole Bible in a year. Below is the first 10 days. If this is a bit ambitious for you I have a devised a smaller plan to go over some key stories in the Bible in a year. That is below 

Jan 1  Gen 1‐3 

Jan 2  Gen 4‐7 

Jan 3  Gen 8‐11 

Jan 4  Job 1‐5 

Jan 5  Job 6‐9 

Jan 6  Job 10‐13 

Jan 7  Job 14‐16 

Jan 8  Job 17‐20 

Jan 9  Job 21‐23 

Jan 10  Job 24‐28

If you want to do the smaller plan:

Jan 1 Gen 1-2 (creation)

Jan 2 Gen 3 (The Fall)

Jan 3 Gen 4 (Cain and Able)
Jan 4 Gen 6 (The Reason for the Flood)
Jan 5 Gen 7 (The Flood)
Jan 5 Gen 8-9 (The Results of the Flood)
Jan 6 Gen 11:1-9 (The Tower of Babel)
Jan 7 Gen 12 (Call of Abraham)
Jan 8 Gen 15 (Abraham promised a son)
Jan 9 Gen 17 (Covenant of circumcision)
Jan 10 Gen 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah)

Pondering the nativity scene from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

     Last Saturday Crystal and I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is undoubtedly one of the most impressive collections I have ever seen. One of the many displays that stood out was an impressive nativity scene. As we walked in to the grand hall of the museum there is a huge Christmas tree and under it is a beautiful 18th century Neapolitan nativity scene. 

      We did not spend much time looking at it because there was so much to see, but something seemed interesting to me. As I looked at the scene is it very familiar. The expected characters are there: shepherds and sheep, wise men from the East, Joseph, Mary and of course baby Jesus. It is one of the most beautiful nativities scenes I have ever seen, it is a work of art.
      It was not till later when reflecting upon the scene that something unexpected came to mind. The stable scene is not where I would expect it. It does not seem to be set in Bethlehem in a stable at all, but among the ruins of Roman columns. At first this annoyed me, I do not like when artist change the story of the Gospel. However, after some reflection I believe I understand what the artists were trying to convey. 

     The birth of this child changed the world. It was the beginning of a new age and the death of the old. While the power of Rome will crumble, His Kingdom will never die or decay. Though the Herod’s and Caesar Augustus’ have long since died, He lives. There have been many earthly kingdoms that have risen to power and died. Yet through this Christ child a Kingdom like none other was brought into the light. 

     As we read the news of the day there is war, evil, and greed all around us. However, we must never forget that what was said by the angel to Mary about who Jesus would be, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32-33)

The Joy Of Giving

      I love giving gifts to those I love, don’t you? There is something special about bringing joy to others at Christmas as they open the presents we give them. However, as I have said to many, it is easy to love those we love. It is much more challenging to love those we don’t much like. Real generosity of our time, money, and energy is to give to those in need, not just those that are easy to love.  

This time of year our hearts seem to be more open to giving to the needs of others than other times of year. Perhaps, it the understanding of the great gift God has given to us (2 Cor. 9:15)? Or perhaps it is all the movies and books and such we watch and read this time of year. Whatever the reason it is a good thing.

When the translators of the King James translation of the Bible sought the most powerful word in their culture for love they chose “charity” in 1 Corinthians 13. Today we often see this word as negative. We say things like, “I don’t want your charity;” or “I am not a charity case.” The concept of genuine love expressed in charity is biblical.

Consider the chilling words of Christ in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus in verses 35-40 said, “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’^”

In this passage Jesus says on the Day of Judgment we will give an account for how we have given to and cared for others. There are few things in this world that reveals our hearts and attitudes than our practice of generosity. Through generosity we demonstrate in a concrete form what we love most, we love others more than we do our own comfort. 2 Corinthians 8:9 and 9:15 gives us the example of Christ for how we should give. With that in mind, are you showing grace and generosity to others not only during the Christmas season, but year round?

Merry Christmas my friends