January 6, 2019
Dear Bethlehem Family,
These are some brief thoughts for us to ponder:
I want to encourage us to read
the Bible during the coming year. What’s your plan? Are we reading the Bible as
if it were a life and death matter? It is. We are surrounded by a culture of
death – we are called to be men and women and families of light and life in
Jesus Christ.
Take a look at 2 Peter 1:1 – 11;
through God’s Word we are partakers of His Divine Nature. As we feed on Jesus
Christ (John Chapter 6) we live, and if we live in Christ we can feed others in
and through Christ. We ought to be traveling bread trucks, food trucks –
dispensing the grace and mercy and life of Christ freely to those around us.
Are we feeding others?
Please read all of the New
Testament this coming year.
Please read at least one Psalm each
day – this is a treasure house.
The Old Testament contains the
Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy); books of history (Joshua – Esther);
Wisdom/Poetical books (Job – Song of Solomon); the three Major Prophets
(Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), and the Minor Prophets (Daniel – Malachi). This is
just one quick way of looking at the OT, there are other ways. This method
gives us five sections.
Why not choose a section to get
to know really well in the coming year? Or in the first quarter? Then after the
first quarter you can decide to move to another section or remain where you
are.
In the NT, try to read a Gospel
chapter a day – we can never get too much of our Lord Jesus. Begin with a
Gospel and then move to another Gospel throughout the year.
The NT has the Gospels, Acts, the
letters of Paul, Hebrews, the General Epistles (James – Jude), and of course
Revelation. (Hebrews can be placed with Paul or with the General Epistles).
How about choosing a section or
book of the NT to get to know really well during the first quarter or during
the entire year? If you are thinking of Paul, rather than start with all of his
letters you could choose the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, Philemon); or the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus);
or 1 & 2 Thessalonians, or Romans and Galatians, or 1 & 2 Corinthians.
Let’s get to know the Bible so
that God’s Word owns us and we own God’s Word. If we can get up in the middle
of the night and find our way to the bathroom in the dark, surely we ought to
know the Bible so well that we can come to the place where we can find our way
from Genesis to Revelation without a flashlight or lamp on a nightstand.
People need us to know God’s Word and to allow His Word to live and flow
through us. God’s Word is where we can enjoy intimate relationship with our
Father and with one another.
Take a look at Joshua Chapter One
– if we don’t walk on the land we will not possess the land – the land is the
Word of God.
Have a plan – work the plan; gain
ground, don’t circle round and round for 40 years…or 60…or 70…or 80.
Much love,
Bob
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