Merry (belated) Christmas!

I trust you have all been enjoying the time spent with your families this Christmas season. As usual, we have been running the gauntlet of going from one family to another to another. I happened to marry a girl with a large family in our area, which gives cause for multiple gatherings this time of year. But isn't that what we are to do on Christmas?

It started out with Mary and Joseph in a stable, joined by Immanuel, Jesus Christ. When the child was born, angels appeared to nearby shepherds and told them to gather in Bethlehem to see the Christ child. And what did they do after seeing Jesus? They went out and excitedly told others around town, who likely went also, to see what was going on.

Christmas is a time that has promoted gatherings from the very first advent. Let us look to the gatherings we have had up to now as well as any gatherings to come with fondness. And as we attend our churches, let us not forget the gathering that our Lord and Savior teaches us. It is by a gathering that we have a sense of community, and it is in the community that is the church of Christ where we can combine our efforts toward the goals of bringing glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

You have blessed me more than I could ever bless you, and for all you have done I thank you.

Yours in Christ,

Today's Reading is found in 1 John 1:1-4:6.

For too long, the church has been perceived as an organization of exclusionists. People may not attend because they think they are going to be judged by sinners as sinners, while those who attend church are often regarded as an uppity bunch that would never accept them into their little clique.

There is a minority of believers out there that behaves in this way, and the loudest of the bunch is usually the most likely to be noticed. That is a shame, for God seeks humility in His church, people that are willing to be His tools. The reasons we should be praising God are to worship Him and to draw more people into His flock. After all, if we were not all sinners, there would be no need for a redeemer. A legalistic person sins in their absence of love and can cause others to stumble under an unfair weight.

Today's Reading is found in 1 John 4:7-5:21, 2 John 1:1-13 and 3 John 1:1-15.

Loving God begins by showing love to others. I love my family and I care about those around me. I am blessed to have several close co-workers who believe as I do and I can see love from God coming from all of them, at least all of them that have opened up their beliefs to me. And why did they open up? I shared my faith with them. That's a frightening thing to do in today's world. Since opening up around the workplace, though, I am occasionally approached with questions that someone being drawn by the Lord may ask. Just ask Peter, you can't walk on water unless you first get out of the boat!

I am constantly reminded that I am a representative of God to others. As I act in ways that are pleasing to the Lord, I am glad that the image I portray is one that others can appreciate. That image, in a word, is love. Likewise, if I just don't feel like being polite to others, they will perceive Christianity by this as well. Your fruits of the Spirit are there to be displayed. Haven't you wondered why fruit is so colorful?

Today's Reading is found in Jude and Revelation 1-2.

We open today with a warning from Jude to all Christians. God revealed the presence of people who would abuse the mercy of the Lord in the form of unhealthy license toward sin. While all sin can be forgiven through the blood of Jesus, a cavalier attitude toward sin is not a good example of being conformed to the image of Christ. Note also that these people claimed their authority from extra-biblical means. That pops a red flag for me as well. A complete lack of spiritual fruit is evidence to a person that the subject's conversion may not be true, but remember that while man can know a Christian by their fruits, God knows them by their faith and will judge them according to their status with His Son.

Looking at the next passages, it is very apparent that these people will be dealt with most harshly by God. What are we, as Christians, to do? Love them, but don't fall into the same sins. Make sure you continue your walk with the Lord and don't take matters into your own hands unless these people are disrupting the church. God is the final judge, not man. But make no mistake. There are times when the church is commanded to expel people.

The book of Revelation is filled with symbolism, and I am painfully unable to decipher but a minute fraction of it. Do note that the churches were represented by lamp stands and Jesus was dressed as a priest. One job of the priesthood is to trim the wick of a candle so it will burn brighter. In a sense, this is what he calls upon the churches to do. They are called to trim some people who are causing trouble that the church may fulfill its role more effectively. Finally, note how Jesus describes Himself for each church and you will see a correlation between the description and what He has to say to that church.

Today's Reading is found in Today's reading is found in Revelation 3-6.

I would like to point out a line from this letter to the church in Laodicea. I am inclined to use context to help me decipher the meaning of any verse or passage, rather than take verses and parts of verses individually and misread them. In this verse, Jesus is saying that he stands at the door and knocks. First, who is the recipient of the letter? The church that is lukewarm. Jesus is not in their church services because they don't truly believe they need Him. They are told to lose their indifference and then told that Jesus wants to be the focus of their worship once again. That is this what this passage says when read in proper context.

As we read the book of Revelation, remember that the number seven is used to denote completeness or perfection. This is shown from Genesis to Revelation. God rested on the seventh day to complete the week and the seven seals show the completion of God's wrath on a world that has rejected Him ever since the fall. There is more than one set of judgments, so I ask that you forgive me for not knowing the significance of each.

Today's Reading is found in Revelation 7-10.

There will be people in the end times who will turn to God. The Bible suggests that the people will not turn from their evil ways, but these people are examples of the grace of God that will continue, even in this time of evil. A great example of this grace is the Lord's command that the worst of the judgments couldn't begin until they are sealed, that is, protected. Even in the wrath of God, He knows who is truly His and comforts those that call Him Lord.

I'm not sure what to make of the book that will taste sweet, but would turn the stomach sour. One opinion I've read is that the word of God will be sweet to those that take the time to read it. The sour would then be the feeling one gets when they realize that not everybody will accept the truths within it and be with God in glory. The other thought is that God's people would have to suffer the Tribulation just like everybody else, even though they are sealed. This is the sort of thing that I enjoy studying, but I don't know which answer is correct at this time.

Today's Reading is found in Revelation 11-14.

One of the most vivid events to me is the two witnesses in sackcloth. At such a time that the Word of God is despised beyond how it is hated today, these men will witness and preach unhindered for three and a half years - half of the time of the Tribulation! Men of all standings will oppose them to no avail. They have the power to defend themselves, but this power wouldn't even be needed, as they will have a command from God to witness for 1,260 days and during that time, they will be impossible for others to harm. There will be people who do repent and follow God, many at the cost of their lives. In fact, the ending of our reading today describes this as a harvest of the earth.

I find that to be remarkable, as this occurs shortly after the mark of the beast is introduced. Here we have a way for everybody to be marked and become a part of the community of the world, with the full right to buy and sell the scarce resources available at the time. And then there are others that choose the hard path of following Christ. These people will be put to death whenever they are found and will have no legal right to buy or sell, so they will be forced into hiding, fending for themselves. The torment of those who accept the beast's mark is not only a punishment on them, but also a protection to the Tribulation faithful, allowing moments of safety as their would-be killers are in agony.

Today's Reading is found in Revelation 15-18.

The commentary for this day is given to us by Ron McHone. Thanks Dad!

Here we see the last of the plagues. These are the last, because with them, God's wrath is complete. Throughout history, Satan has fought God and led sinful men down his destructive path. God is holy and just. His holiness cannot allow this kind of rebellion to continue forever. In fact, it is only by God's mercy that He has held off His wrath and judgment to the day that I write this.

Throughout history, God has declared that we are to worship God and God alone. The people continued to worship the beast and refused to repent. Keep in mind just how terrible sin is to a holy God and just how complete His judgment must be on that sin and on those who reject Him. [Editor's note: I think of a beautiful wedding gown, stunningly white. If one drop of coffee was spilled on this dress, would this upset you?]

Here we see a powerful false religion system referred to as Babylon in this description. For as long as Satan has been active on this earth, he has been counterfeiting all that is good. He tricked Eve in the Garden of Eden. He told the Israelites that they really didn't have it so bad in Egypt. He convinced the Pharisees that they were righteous. Today, he leads people to believe that we can get to Heaven by our good works rather than by the Blood of Jesus Christ.

God is holy and just and sin must be judged. I invite you to thank God today that He is in control and He will win the final battle.

Today's Reading is found in Revelation 19-22.

There is little more to be said. After this earth has passed away, God will create for us a new earth. There He will reign forever and Satan and all who worship him will be cast out for eternal punishment. God has already won the fight! There is no reason for Satan to continue undermining the will of God other than his hatred of Him and of us. He knows he is beaten, but will not go to eternal doom alone. For this reason, guard the word of God in your heart and stay on the path that God has prepared for you.

These are questions about just what it will be like with God and being a part of the eternal kingdom. I know that the elation of this blessing will eternally be in our hearts as we forever praise His name! At times we may dance. We may be still as we take it all in from time to time, also. We will stand in the presence of Jesus and will see him face to face! Every knee will bow to His majesty as well. We will break out into song very often as we celebrate the love we have for Him! The song "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe comes quickly to mind here.

We are heirs to this kingdom and need to remember that our lives are a living testament to that simple fact. When I stand before Him, I will see the face of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the one who created me, the one who maintains my being, the one who accomplished my salvation and the only one worthy of our praise. Since there is nothing I could do on my own, I want to be known as one who leans on Him constantly.

Oh, by the way, we have just read the Bible in its entirety. Praise be to God!

Weekly Link For those who want to continue on a reading plan that will have them reading through the Bible, I thought I'd share some resources with you. Back To the Bible has several options. These include a Chronological version, which we have just completed, a Historical version, where you read the books of the Bible as they occurred in the Hebrew and Greek traditions (the order in which they were written), a passage of the Old and New Testaments together in a side-by-side format, a straight through plan, from Genesis to Revelation, and also a blended format that has you reading from both testaments in a way that highlights each text with the other. This is a web-only plan with no e-mail or RSS options. Today's Bible helps you read through the Bible each year alternating Old and New Testament books with daily commentary. You can visit the site or receive an RSS feed of each day's reading. The M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan will take you through the Old Testament once and New Testament twice. Here's the schedule Here's the reading in the ESV translation Here's a link where you can get an RSS feed in the translation of your choosing

I hope you enjoyed this e-zine. If you know anyone else who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this e-mail to them or direct them to http://www.coffeeswirls.com/weeklybible/
Thanks for sharing my goal of reading the Bible in its entirety this year!