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 Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:33 pm
December 15 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus is God's message. It wasn't a message contained in a book or given in a vision, or revealed on a mountain to only a watchful few. No, God's message was human flesh, bone, and blood. God's message came and lived among us. He faced our hardship, got our dirt between his toes, felt our disappointments, struggled with our temptations, suffered our treachery, and bled our blood. Yet living in our world, God's message brought us more than truth; he delivered us from death by God's grace. My Prayer...Almighty God, thank you for speaking in the past through your people. Thank you for inspiring godly people to give us your Scripture. Thank you for making the proclamation of your Word powerful today through the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. May I hear your truth in each of these areas. Most of all, Father, I praise you for speaking your clearest, most profound, and most accessible message in Jesus. Because of Jesus, I know you love me, I know you have cleansed me, and I know I will share heaven with you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may my gratitude be seen in the quality and character displayed in my life. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:15 pm
December 16 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. — 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...So many sleepwalk through life. They never are awake enough to really live. But we are not going to do that with our lives! We are alive because we know Jesus has come and not only brought us life, but he has also showed us how to live. So we are going to be alert. We are going to be self-controlled. We are going to be fully alive, because we know Jesus' return is imminent and our day of salvation and deliverance is near. My Prayer...Forgive me, Heavenly Father, for the times that I have lost my sense of urgency to live for Jesus. Use the Holy Spirit within me to arouse my passions to serve him with my eyes wide open and my heart set on great and heavenly things. I know you can, and will, do more than I can ask or imagine, but please, awaken me to dream great dreams and imagine great things for your glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:06 pm
december 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Life can be very tough. Eventually, our bodies are going to die. In the process of living, we're going to face some very difficult circumstances and going to experience some awful pain. But, as bad as life's hard realities can be, we are headed for an eternal glory beyond our imagining. Life's difficulties simply can't compare to this glory that awaits us. Our pain is temporary. The things that cause our pain are temporary. The treatments, the prescriptions, the therapies, the surgeries, the setbacks are all temporary. All these things that we have seen and experienced are passing. But our eternal glory, our indescribable bliss, that wonderful future that we cannot yet see, is eternal ... forever ... incorruptible ... and reserved for us, God's precious children! My Prayer...Dear God, my Abba Father, please be with me during the painful and difficult passages of my life. Help me keep my heart fixed on what is unseen. In addition, dear Father, I want to pray that you please be present in the lives of the following people I love ... Please grant them healing. If not healing, dear Father, please pour your love into their hearts through the Holy Spirit and give them rugged perseverance and indestructible hope. Help them see your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:40 pm
Sorry I didn't post yesterday, we got 7 in. of snow, and I was at my church. December 19 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. — Psalm 80:19 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...In the days of Jesus' birth, there was a group of devout and lowly people who still looked for God's redemption. They knew that salvation could not, and would not, come without great cost -- not just to themselves, but also to God. Isaiah had hinted about this in his Servant Songs (see Isaiah 53). They had experienced it in their own history. So with honest hearts, they confessed that they didn't have the power to bring salvation and deliverance. This power had to come from God and had to be released to people who were seeking God's transformation in their lives. They needed to ask God for it! They needed to seek his face, his presence, in their daily lives. So must we! My Prayer...O LORD, God of heaven and earth, Ruler of all creation, I praise you. I praise you for your power and glory. I praise you for your wisdom and creativity. I praise you for your mercy and righteousness. I praise you because you alone are worthy of my praise. O LORD, you alone can bring me full salvation. Please, shine your face upon me. Please, make your presence known in my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:32 am
December 20 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. — Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Law couldn't do it. Animal sacrifices couldn't do it. Piety couldn't do it. Religious practices couldn't do it. Only Jesus can bring full forgiveness of sins. Only Jesus can make us fully righteous and holy. Forgiveness and righteousness come through him. My Prayer...Holy and Righteous Father, God Almighty, I confess that your Son is my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. I thank you Jesus for being my Lord and paying the price for my sins. I ask, blessed Holy Spirit, that you help me fashion Jesus' character and compassion in my life. In Jesus' name I ask for this blessing. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:36 pm
December 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ... With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. — Acts 2:21, 40-41 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Call on the name of the Lord! Proclaim him as your risen Lord! Share with him in baptism as the first Christians did. Have God add you to his holy people. Know that Jesus will save you from the corruption that plagues our world and so many of our lives. You see, God sent Jesus to save, redeem, restore, and bless. Share in the joy of that salvation. Don't wait! Today is the day of salvation! Share in it. Rejoice in it. Pass it on to others. Christ our King has come to bring his salvation to all! My Prayer...Father, thank you for sending Jesus the first time to die for my sins! Thank you for sending Jesus into my heart to comfort and to strengthen me and to work on my life! Thank you most of all for my salvation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:32 pm
December 22 So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. — Luke 2:4-5 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...For the next few days, let's journey with Joseph and Mary as they experience the incredible grace of God. These verses give us the basics: they took a trip south from their home town, they went to Bethlehem which was King David's city, they were "betrothed" or pledged in marriage but not yet fully married, Mary was pregnant, and they were going there to register with the Roman government. Intrigue and scandal ripple between the lines of this straightforward account. Promise and fulfillment are strongly suggested with the connection. Faithfulness through the midst of storm is demonstrated. A real historical context for everyday people is made with the presence of a Roman census. Scandal, promise, faithfulness, and history collide. Jesus enters our world very much in a place where we find ourselves -- a place of hope and dreams marred by scandal, disappointment, travel, and bureaucracy. He will be a people's Messiah. We know it even before the story of his birth is told. It makes us love him and appreciate him more. God has chosen to enter our world as one of us, not as some pristine and untouched alien from beyond. This is a Messiah we can reach and follow. This Jesus is one of us. My Prayer...Holy and loving God, thank you for the gift of Jesus. Thank you that he entered our messy world with all its contradictions, ironies, and conflicts. Thank you for not being aloof or immune to our struggles. Thank you for Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:41 am
December 13 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. — Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus entered our world in the most normal of ways for a child: the time came, his mother gave birth, he was wrapped in soft cloth, and he was placed in a crib. Only this was the Son of God who was born. His crib was a corncrib where animals ate, not a baby’s crib. His room was a stable because there was no room for him. It wasn’t just normal; it was common, even below average conditions for his birth. Can you imagine? The Holy God who created everything enters our world as a baby to share our way of life as one of us. Why? He loves us and wants us to come home to him. Incredible! Incredible story. Incredible love. Incredible God! My Prayer...O LORD God Almighty, how can I ever show you how much the gift of your Son means to me? I am struck with wonder and joy that you should love me in this incredible way. Please accept my praise and adoration for both you and your Son. Praise to you, loving Father, for your indescribable gift! In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:56 am
Christmas Eve But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." — Luke 2:10 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Don't be afraid! What can cast away all fear in the presence of God's glorious messengers? The joy of knowing that God has come to earth to bring an end to sin and Satan's curse and to bring salvation to all people! Fear must not master our hearts when we know that God has broken through every barrier to reach us with his overwhelming grace. My Prayer...I praise you, Almighty God, for the gift of joy that chases away all fear. Fill my heart with that joy and fill my mind with wonder as I try to comprehend your love for me. Stir me to greater concern for those who have not heard, or who have not yet accepted, your offer of grace in your Son Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 11:12 pm
Christmas "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." — Luke 2:11 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Look at all this verse tells us. Jesus is a descendant of David, the eternal king of promise. He is Savior of all peoples. He is Christ, the Messiah, the promised hope of Israel. He is Lord, the Savior of all people. The real question is whether we have decided that Jesus means all those things to us today. If he is not your Savior today, why not let him be? And if he is, then with whom do you need to share his grace? My Prayer...Father, I praise you for sending Jesus to me as my Lord and Savior. Help me as I seek to share your grace and his story with those I love. Please bless the following people with whom I want to share the story of Jesus .... In the precious name of the Savior, I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:57 pm
December 26 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” — Luke 2:14 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...There is only one proper response for God's gift of Jesus -- our praise and adoration. God's love, grace, favor, blessing, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation come to us through the incredible gift of Jesus. How can we not praise him? How can our hearts remain still and voices remain silent before such an incredible God? They can't and won't! Let's see any present-day refusal of hearts and voices to respond as a reminder that we need to reach as many as possible before every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father! My Prayer...Father, you are glorious. Your grace is marvelous. Your gift of Jesus is magnificent. All praise to you for sharing your glory and grace with us by sending Jesus, in whose name I offer you my praise. Amen.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 2:29 pm
December 27 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. — Luke 2:20 (NIV)Thoughts on Today's Verse...Can you imagine the shepherds returning to their flocks after the night they had? They had seen God's glory. They had experienced the presence of angels. They had seen the newborn King, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. Even more amazing, it was just as they had been told. As amazing as the angel's words of announcement had been, they were gloriously fulfilled. In addition to all that Jesus was at the moment of his birth, he is also the absolute answer to God's greatest promises and the greatest assurance that God keeps his word. Incredibly, God had chosen shepherds, unnamed to us and unimportant to their peers, to be the witnesses and participants in God's glorious story of salvation. It is our Father's way of reminding us that no matter who we are, Jesus came for us because we are important to him! My Prayer...Lord God Almighty, I can only imagine what it was like for those shepherds who experienced your glory. However, dear Father, I do know how much Jesus means to me. I praise you for loving me and reaching my heart with your grace. Sanctify me and make me righteous through the work of your Holy Spirit as I seek to live my life in appreciation for all that you have done for me. In Jesus' glorious name. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:13 am
December 28 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. — John 1:18 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus is God's greatest message. He not only proclaims and declares God's love, mercy, and grace; he has made it known. Only Jesus can display God to us fully, for he is one with the Father. Yet when we "see" Jesus ministering in the Gospels, we see God. If we want to know how God feels about us, all we have to do is look at how Jesus ministers to others. If we want to know what God would do for us, we can notice what Jesus does to bless others. Jesus is our window to the Father's heart. So as this year winds down, and as you stand in the afterglow of Christmas, why not make a commitment to get to know Jesus better in this coming year by spending more time with him in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)? If you do, you will better know God! My Prayer...Thank you, Father, for giving me a window to your heart through the life and ministry of Jesus. Please bless me as I seek to know you better by knowing, understanding, and following Jesus more passionately. I pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:40 pm
December 29 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. — John 1:11 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus came to his own things -- the world he had created and the land he had promised his people -- and his very own people didn't receive him. Sometimes we are blinded by our desires and dreams for Jesus and we really miss what he wants for us and from us. Let's not let the following be true in our lives. "Jesus came to me, but I wasn't ready to receive him. I had other things I wanted to do and other things I wanted to experience before I fully surrendered my heart to him." Each time we put off surrendering our will to Jesus, each time we push him away as Lord, we allow our hearts to harden and it becomes easier and easier to push him away. Now, while our hearts are still attentive to his grace, let's renew our commitment to him afresh and completely offer him our hearts and lives for his glory and grace. My Prayer...Holy God, I surrender my heart to your will. Precious Jesus, now more than ever in my life, I recognize you as my Lord and want to serve you with my life. Please forgive me for the times that I have resisted your leading or turned away from your demands. I know you left everything, and gave up everything, to save me. So now, please mold me into the person you want me to be and use me in ways that bless others and bring you glory. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:51 pm
December 30 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God... — John 1:12 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Isn't it incredible that we are called children of God!? But that is exactly what we are! (cf. 1 John 3:1-3.) We are God's children. Our Father created the universe with its billions and billions of heavenly bodies. Our Father paints a new sunset every day and chases away the darkness every morning. Our Father not only loves us, but he also claims us as his own and will bring us to his eternal home. Why? Because we heard his message in Jesus. Because we received his grace offered in his Son. Incredible! Glorious! Grace! My Prayer...Abba Father, thank you for claiming me as your child through Jesus, in whose name I praise and thank you. Amen.
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