DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 28:
WORD OF WISDOM
A high average is still average.
___
DAILY DEVOTION
The Sacrifice of Christmas
"Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and
knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound
in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the
forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
2 Corinthians 8:7-9
It is impossible for our limited understanding to fully grasp the glory and
riches of Heaven. We read about the wonders of our eternal home in
Scripture, but they at best paint a dim picture of what we will one day see.
That perfect place was home to Jesus before the world was created. When He
left everything behind to come to Earth as our Saviour, He gave up wealth
and power beyond our imagination. Though anything in our world would have
been a massive step down, Jesus could still have chosen to be born into what
passes for wealth and luxury. He could have been born in a palace surrounded
by all the comforts available.
Instead He chose an ordinary poor family. We know that Mary and Joseph had
very little, for the offering that they brought to the Temple was the
substitute offering Moses provided for those who could not afford the full
sacrifice commanded in the law. "And if she be not able to bring a lamb,
then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the
burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make
an atonement for her, and she shall be clean" (Leviticus 12:8). The love of
God for us is measured by the cost of our salvation. It was not just on the
cross but in every part of His life that Jesus sacrificed.
The story of Christmas cannot be appreciated without understanding the
sacrifice Christ made for us.
___
DAILY BIBLE READING
Revelation 10-12New King James Version (NKJV)
The Mighty Angel with the Little Book
10 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a
cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his
feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he
set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried
with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders
uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their
voices,[a] I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to
me,[b] "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not
write them."
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his
hand[c] to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who
created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that
are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be
delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel,
when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He
declared to His servants the prophets.
John Eats the Little Book
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go,
take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on
the sea and on the earth."
9 So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book."
And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter,
but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth."
10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it
was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach
became bitter. 11 And he[d] said to me, "You must prophesy again about many
peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood,[e]
saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who
worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and
do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will
tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power
to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and
sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the
God[f] of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from
their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he
must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that
no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters
to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as
they desire.
The Witnesses Killed
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the
bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8
And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our[g] Lord was crucified.
9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their
dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow[h] their dead bodies to be
put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over
them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets
tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered
them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw
them. 12 And they[i] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come
up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw
them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the
city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest
were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven,
saying, "The kingdoms[j] of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord
and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 16 And the
twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces
and worshiped God, 17 saying:
"We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,[k]
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth."
19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His
covenant[l] was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises,
thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
12 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with
the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then
being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His
tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And
the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her
Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His
throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place
prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred
and sixty days.
Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the
dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail,
nor was a place found for them[m] in heaven any longer. 9 So the great
dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who
deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast
out with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the
accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has
been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by
the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you,
having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
The Woman Persecuted
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted
the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two
wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place,
where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the
presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth
like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by
the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its
mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his
mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make
war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and
have the testimony of Jesus Christ.[n]
Footnotes:
a.Revelation 10:4 NU-Text and M-Text read sounded.
b.Revelation 10:4 NU-Text and M-Text omit to me.
c.Revelation 10:5 NU-Text and M-Text read right hand.
d.Revelation 10:11 NU-Text and M-Text read they.
e.Revelation 11:1 NU-Text and M-Text omit And the angel stood.
f.Revelation 11:4 NU-Text and M-Text read Lord.
g.Revelation 11:8 NU-Text and M-Text read their.
h.Revelation 11:9 NU-Text and M-Text read nations see . . . and will not
allow.
i.Revelation 11:12 M-Text reads I.
j.Revelation 11:15 NU-Text and M-Text read kingdom . . . has become.
k.Revelation 11:17 NU-Text and M-Text omit and who is to come.
l.Revelation 11:19 M-Text reads the covenant of the Lord.
m.Revelation 12:8 M-Text reads him.
n.Revelation 12:17 NU-Text and M-Text omit Christ.
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.
