DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 22:
WORD OF WISDOM
Jesus isn't just the reason for the season. He's the reason for every day of
our life.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Light Has Come into the World
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
John 3:18-20
One of the best known classic Christmas movies is It's a Wonderful Life. It
tells the story of a man named George Bailey who reaches the point where he
wishes he had never been born. An angel named Clarence (second class-no
wings) shows him what the world would be like without his influence. George
comes to realize the impact his life has had on so many others, and finally
tells Clarence, "I want to live!" In the end, the townspeople George has
helped so much come to his aid and everyone gets a happy ending, even
Clarence who finally gets wings. Of course that's fiction, and things don't
work like that in the real world.
But Christmas is a powerful reminder of the impact Jesus Christ made when He
was born in Bethlehem so long ago. Every part of human life, even down to
our calendar, is touched by His arrival to bring light into a world of
darkness. This is just as true for those who do not believe in Jesus as it
is for those of us who are saved. The darkness may hate the light, but it
cannot defeat it. "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not" (John 1:5), Those of us who have come to His light have
a great responsibility to be faithful reflectors of the light to those
around us. This is the way to truly celebrate the birth of Christ.
Christmas is a celebration of the light of God's love that has come into the
darkness of a world filled with sin.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
1 John 1-3New King James Version (NKJV)
What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen
with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,
concerning the Word of life- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen,
and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the
Father and was manifested to us- 3 that which we have seen and heard we
declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our
fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these
things we write to you that your[a] joy may be full.
Fellowship with Him and One Another
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have
fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the
truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses
us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have
not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only but also for the whole world.
The Test of Knowing Him
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He
who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and
the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of
God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says
he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
7 Brethren,[b] I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment
which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which
you heard from the beginning.[c] 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you,
which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining.
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness
until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no
cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness
and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the
darkness has blinded his eyes.
Their Spiritual State
12
I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.
13
I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14
I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the
world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is
not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away,
and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Deceptions of the Last Hour
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the[d]
Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know
that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of
us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they
went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.[e]
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because
you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son
does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father
also.
Let Truth Abide in You
24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If
what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the
Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised
us-eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive
you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you,
and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches
you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has
taught you, you will[f] abide in Him.
The Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when[g] He appears, we may
have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know
that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is
born of Him.
3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should
be called children of God![h] Therefore the world does not know us,[i]
because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it
has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is
revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And
everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Sin and the Child of God
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5
And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there
is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither
seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is
righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the
devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has
been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot
sin, because he has been born of God.
The Imperative of Love
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:
Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does
not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the
beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the
wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his
works were evil and his brother's righteous.
13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we
have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does
not love his brother[j] abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
The Outworking of Love
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this
world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from
him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and
in truth. 19 And by this we know[k] that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is
greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does
not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we
receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that
are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should
believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave
us[l] commandment.
The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error
24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by
this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Footnotes:
a.1 John 1:4 NU-Text and M-Text read our.
b.1 John 2:7 NU-Text reads Beloved.
c.1 John 2:7 NU-Text omits from the beginning.
d.1 John 2:18 NU-Text omits the.
e.1 John 2:20 NU-Text reads you all know.
f.1 John 2:27 NU-Text reads you abide.
g.1 John 2:28 NU-Text reads if.
h.1 John 3:1 NU-Text adds And we are.
i.1 John 3:1 M-Text reads you.
j.1 John 3:14 NU-Text omits his brother.
k.1 John 3:19 NU-Text reads we shall know.
l.1 John 3:23 M-Text omits us.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James VersionR. Copyright C 1982 by Thomas
Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
