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The scripture for today, December 22, is 1st Samuel 12:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.”
Amazing love of God. It pleases him to make us his own. It pleases him! We the lowly. We the weak. We the inconsistent. We the sinners.
Let us reply, “My soul is overwhelmed with joy.”
The scripture for today, December 21, is Matthew 12:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Revelation 21:2, 9, & 26 says something similar regarding the New Jerusalem which is the Bride of Christ which is the Church: “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.”
The nation you live in may not be in good hands right now, or it may be thriving with high morals, or it may be diving into poverty.
But your nation can hope ~ hope in Jesus. Never lose hope. You are just one person, but there is great power in one. Jesus came to provide that hope. In your own way, in your own life, use your power of one. Show your nation how it can hope, how it can have glory, how it can have honor.
The scripture for today, December 20, is 2nd Corinthians 12:20b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“….I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”
It can happen among well-meaning people trying to accomplish the same good work but from a different angle. Do we insist our way is the best way, and people will be lost if the committee/congregation doesn’t do things our way? Do we then get hurt and think (or say) everyone else doesn’t love the lost like we do? Then are we tempted to just drop out?
A good test when personalities clash is to ask ourselves, “Would this congregation survive without me?” Of course it would. It did before we came and would after.
A good solution: If our heart is set on a certain good work, but no one else’s heart is, do what we can alone. We don’t need a committee to follow our heart.
Let us prefer one another, honor one another, and love one another. We are family ~ God’s family.
The Scripture for today, December 19, is Romans 12:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
Thank God he took away the old Law of Moses and gave us the new Law of Jesus Christ instead. Under the Law of Moses, they often had to take revenge themselves. They had to stone adulterers and children who were disrespectful to their parents. If someone killed a relative, they were obligated to go out and kill that person. If someone knocked the eye or tooth out of a relative, they were obligated to go out and take that person’s eye or tooth.
Now God says forgive and do good to your enemy (verse 20-21). That’s what God did to us ~ we who once were his enemies as sinners. As we are merciful to others, he is merciful to us.
Forgiveness is not condoning evil, but wishing the best for whoever did something bad to you. Hard to do? Indeed! But, with God, anything is possible. So, let go of it. Let go of them. Let God take care of it. He has released you of that burden. Released you to “overcome evil with good”.
The scripture for today, December 18, is Hebrews 12:18ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“You have not come to a mountain [Sinai] that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storms; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ “
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a NEW COVENANT….”
The first paragraph refers to the mountain on which Moses received what was called the Law of Moses ~ not just 10 commandments, but over 600 ~ over a 40-day period. The second paragraph refers to a different mountain where the Temple was later built in Jerusalem.
Then it shows that Jesus took it beyond the physical so that the Christian Jerusalem has come out of heaven where angels and the living God dwell (Revelation 21).
Why would anyone want to dip into the old Law of Moses to get justification to do showy things in worship? And why would anyone want to rebuild the old Temple in Jerusalem when the new Jerusalem is in heaven? Let us not think of what pleases us, but what pleases God.
The scripture for today, December 17, is Revelation 12:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring ~ those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
Verse 9 says the dragon is also the serpent which is also Satan.
There are some people who seem to be enraged all the time. We may never be able to change that person. But we can direct their anger. If they want to be enraged at someone, let them be angry at Satan. Let them go to war with Satan. Let them rage at everything he is doing. Let them lash out at everything he stands for.
So think about the people you know who are extremely angry at the church or at God. Tell them that Christians must be spiritual warriors and they could become a Christian soldier of the Lord.
Some people just cannot get rid of anger in their life. They may mellow in their old age, but that mellowness is a long way off. Show them how much Satan is enraged at them and how much God loves them. Show them how to get on God’s side, enroll in the army of the Lord, and use their anger against Satan.
Does it work? Paul said in 1st Timothy 1:13, “I was a violent man.” Yet, he converted people all over southern Europe, as he “fought the good fight”.
The scripture for today, December 16, is Romans 12:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
Who do we associate with? Just people who are like us?
Do we consider people richer than us as greedy, uncaring and uppity? And people poorer than us as lazy, users and lowlifes?
Do we consider people smarter than us as having their heads in the clouds? And people duller than us as incapable of understanding anything important?
Do we consider people stronger than us as egotistical show-offs? And people weaker than us as not worthy of notice?
How this hurts our Savior who died for everyone. We are all sinners. We all need the same saving grace.
Let us live in harmony with all. Let us make everyone ~ both those “above” us and “below” us ~ feel the love of God through us. And equal.
The scripture for today, December 15, is Hebrews 12:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Bitterness can cause us to miss the grace of God. Bitterness only causes trouble for ourselves and others, and defiles us. Bitterness comes from our thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3), and forgetting that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Bitterness also leads to either bullying or shunning, and ends in broken relationships. It all causes us to miss the grace of God.
The opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean we condone what someone else has done. It means we let go of it and let God handle it. It means we wish the best for the offending person or situation. We can wish even the most hardened criminal will some turn to God and turn his life around. God forgives us as we forgive others.
Forgiveness lifts weights off of us until we feel as though we could soar. Forgiveness takes the clouds away and brings back the sunshine. Forgiveness makes sure we do not miss the grace of God.
When people talk about Christmas, the thing they most discuss is “the busy season” with all the rushing around to buy presents, and putting up decorations and going to dinners and parties and celebrations.
Think a minute. What if we got rid of all the Christmas gifts? What if, on Christmas morning, we got up and there were no presents under the tree? Would people continue to keep Christmas?
Madolyn Murray O’Hare, the most famous atheist of my generation, kept Christmas. Agnostics and atheists everywhere love Christmas as much as the next person.
People say, “Well, we’re actually giving the presents to baby Jesus vicariously through our friends and family.” Really?
Think about it. Really think about it. What would Christmas day (or all of December) be like for you without all the spending and going into debt and satisfying our desire for more things?
If there were no gifts on Christmas, what would you do that day?
The scripture for today, December 14, is 1st Samuel 12:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God ~ good!”
The Jews had just insisted on having a king rule over them instead of a supreme judge. Samuel replied and said IF. IF they serve and obey the Lord, and IF they both (people and king) follow the Lord, then it is good.
Today as then, some people live in a nation where the king/government does not follow the Lord. What to do? Galatians 5:22 tells us to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled, for “against such things there is no law”.
Is it hard to do this when crooked officials are getting all the advantages and you are being cheated? Indeed it is. It may seem they are on top of things. In reality, they are at the bottom. Never ever let others drag you down to their level. It is not worth it. Keep your eyes on God!
Hold fast!
Stand firm!
Do the right thing!
In the end, they will lose. You and God will win. And that is good!
