DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 29:
WORD OF WISDOM
Hell has NO exit. Heaven has ONE door.
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DAILY DEVOTION
A Gift in Person
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He
that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of
his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given
by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
John 1:14-17
There are times when circumstances force us to only be able to send presents
to people we wish we could be with on Christmas. But there is nothing that
can compare to being there in person when the wrapping paper comes off and
the gift is revealed. There is a connection that is made when we are
together with family and loved ones that cannot be experienced any other
way.
In every human heart, there is a longing for something deeper and more
meaningful than what this world can provide. Moses expressed his longing for
a deep and real connection with God when he was leading the Children of
Israel. The tasks which he faced required more than an abstract knowledge of
God-Moses needed God with him day after day. "And he said unto him, If thy
presence go not with me, carry us not up hence" (Exodus 33:15).
Many try to fill the void with other things, but only Jesus can satisfy the
longing of the heart. And to meet that need, He came in person. The Lord did
not send a present-He came into the world and took on human form because of
our great need of a Saviour. Christmas is not an impersonal story. It is the
story of God's love being manifest in a personal way. It is the story of our
value in His eyes.
Jesus came into this world as a visible expression of the amazing love God
has for those who do not love Him.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Revelation 13-15New King James Version (NKJV)
The Beast from the Sea
13 Then I[a] stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out
of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns,[b] and on his horns ten
crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw
was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and
great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally
wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and
followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to
the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who
is able to make war with him?"
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was
given authority to continue[c] for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and
those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the
saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every
tribe,[d] tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship
him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall
go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the
sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns
like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority
of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell
in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He
performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those[e] who dwell on the
earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast,
telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was
wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to
the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and
cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to
receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no
one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f] the name of the beast,
or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the
beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and behold, a[g] Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him
one hundred and forty-four thousand, having[h] His Father's name written on
their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many
waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of
harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the
throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could
learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed
from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for
they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
These were redeemed[i] from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the
Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit,[j] for they are without
fault before the throne of God.[k]
The Proclamations of Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every
nation, tribe, tongue, and people- 7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God
and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship
Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
8 And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon[l] is fallen, is fallen, that
great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath
of her fornication."
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone
worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or
on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of
God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment
ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship
the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those[m] who keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,[n] "Write: 'Blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'"
"Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their
works follow them."
Reaping the Earth's Harvest
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like
the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp
sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud
voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the
time has come for You[o] to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16
So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth
was reaped.
Reaping the Grapes of Wrath
17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also
having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and
he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in
your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her
grapes are fully ripe." 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth
and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of
the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and
blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand
six hundred furlongs.
Prelude to the Bowl Judgments
15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels
having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who
have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark[p] and
over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of
God. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the
Lamb, saying:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints![q]
4
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested."
5 After these things I looked, and behold,[r] the temple of the tabernacle
of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6 And out of the temple came the
seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and
having their chests girded with golden bands. 7 Then one of the four living
creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of
God who lives forever and ever. 8 The temple was filled with smoke from the
glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple
till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Footnotes:
a.Revelation 13:1 NU-Text reads he.
b.Revelation 13:1 NU-Text and M-Text read ten horns and seven heads.
c.Revelation 13:5 M-Text reads make war.
d.Revelation 13:7 NU-Text and M-Text add and people.
e.Revelation 13:14 M-Text reads my own people.
f.Revelation 13:17 NU-Text and M-Text omit or.
g.Revelation 14:1 NU-Text and M-Text read the.
h.Revelation 14:1 NU-Text and M-Text add His name and.
i.Revelation 14:4 M-Text adds by Jesus.
j.Revelation 14:5 NU-Text and M-Text read falsehood.
k.Revelation 14:5 NU-Text and M-Text omit before the throne of God.
l.Revelation 14:8 NU-Text reads Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,
which has made; M-Text reads Babylon the great is fallen. She has made.
m.Revelation 14:12 NU-Text and M-Text omit here are those.
n.Revelation 14:13 NU-Text and M-Text omit to me.
o.Revelation 14:15 NU-Text and M-Text omit for You.
p.Revelation 15:2 NU-Text and M-Text omit over his mark.
q.Revelation 15:3 NU-Text and M-Text read nations.
r.Revelation 15:5 NU-Text and M-Text omit behold.
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.
