DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 9
WORD OF WISDOM
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
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DAILY DEVOTION
The Reason
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved. 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.
John 3:17-19
Gerard Moultrie grew up in a pastor's home in England in the early 1800s.
He followed his father into the ministry, spending years as a chaplain and
pastor himself. He also followed his father in writing a number of poems and
hymns. Moultrie is best remembered not for one of his original works, but
for his translation into English of an ancient Greek song of worship that
dates back to the fourth century AD.
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav'nly food.
Jesus did not come to the world to be an example or a teacher, though He was
both of those things. He came to be the only Savior and Lord. He has the
right to command everything because He is the Maker of everything. Jesus has
the qualifications to be the sacrifice for sin because He was both sinless
man and perfect God. The voices around us that proclaim another path to God
and Heaven are false and lead people astray. This Christmas we should
resolve to be a voice of truth and clarity, pointing others to the Christ
who came to save a sinful world and is their hope of salvation.
The purpose for Christ's coming cannot be found at a manger but at a cross
and an empty tomb.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Peter
Acts 3:1-26 Easy-to-Read Version
Peter Heals a Crippled Man
1 One day Peter and John went to the Temple area. It was three o'clock in
the afternoon, which was the time for the daily Temple prayer service. 2 As
they were entering the Temple area, a man was there who had been crippled
all his life. He was being carried by some friends who brought him to the
Temple every day. They put him by one of the gates outside the Temple. It
was called Beautiful Gate. There he begged for money from the people going
to the Temple. 3 That day he saw Peter and John going into the Temple area.
He asked them for money.
4 Peter and John looked at the crippled man and said, "Look at us!" 5 He
looked at them; he thought they would give him some money. 6 But Peter said,
"I don't have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give
you. By the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth-stand up and walk!"
7 Then Peter took the man's right hand and lifted him up. Immediately his
feet and legs became strong. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to
walk. He went into the Temple area with them. He was walking and jumping and
praising God. 9-10 All the people recognized him. They knew he was the
crippled man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate to beg for money. Now they
saw this same man walking and praising God. They were amazed. They did not
understand how this could happen.
Peter Speaks to the People
11 The man was holding on to Peter and John. All the people were amazed.
They ran to Peter and John at Solomon's Porch.
12 When Peter saw this, he said to the people, "My Jewish brothers, why are
you surprised at this? You are looking at us as if it was our power that
made this man walk. Do you think this was done because we are good? 13 No,
God did it! He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob. He is the God of all our fathers. He gave glory to Jesus, his special
servant. But you handed him over to be killed. Pilate decided to let him go
free. But you told Pilate you did not want him. 14 Jesus was holy and good,
but you said you did not want him. You told Pilate to give you a murderer[a]
instead of Jesus. 15 And so you killed the one who gives life! But God
raised him from death. We are witnesses of this-we saw it with our own eyes.
16 "This crippled man was healed because we trusted in Jesus. It was Jesus'
power that made him well. You can see this man, and you know him. He was
made completely well because of faith in Jesus. You all saw it happen!
17 "My brothers, I know that what you did to Jesus was done because you did
not understand what you were doing. And your leaders did not understand any
more than you did. 18 But God said these things would happen. Through the
prophets he said that his Messiah would suffer and die. I have told you how
God made this happen. 19 So you must change your hearts and lives. Come back
to God, and he will forgive your sins. 20 Then the Lord will give you times
of spiritual rest. He will send you Jesus, the one he chose to be the
Messiah.
21 "But Jesus must stay in heaven until the time when all things will be
made right again. God told about this time when he spoke long ago through
his holy prophets. 22 Moses said, 'The Lord your God will give you a
prophet. That prophet will come from among your own people. He will be like
me. You must obey everything he tells you. 23 And anyone who refuses to obey
that prophet will die, separated from God's people.'[b]
24 "Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, said
that this time would come. 25 And what those prophets talked about is for
you, their descendants. You have received the agreement that God made with
your fathers. God said to your father Abraham, 'Every nation on earth will
be blessed through your descendants.'[c] 26 God has sent his special servant
Jesus. He sent him to you first. He sent him to bless you by causing each of
you to turn away from your evil ways."
Footnotes
Acts 3:14 murderer Barabbas, the man the Jews chose to let go free instead
of Jesus. See Lk. 23:18.
Acts 3:23 Quote from Deut. 18:15, 19.
Acts 3:25 Quote from Gen. 22:18; 26:24.
