DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 17:
WORD OF WISDOM
Mary's Little Lamb is the Christ of Christmas.
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DAILY DEVOTION
The Mercy of Christmas
"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou
shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge
of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the
tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to
guide our feet into the way of peace."
Luke 1:76-79
Before Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would give birth to the
Messiah, he had told the aged priest Zacharias that he and his equally aged
wife Elisabeth would have a son-John the Baptist. Because Zacharias would
not believe the promise without a sign, he was rendered unable to speak
until after John was born. When his tongue was loosed, Zacharias worshiped
God in gratitude, and spoke of the role his son would play in introducing
Jesus to the world.
Zacharias also highlighted the motivation behind the soon coming Messiah's
birth-the mercy of God. There is no salvation apart from mercy. It was once
said that while grace is getting what we do not deserve, mercy is not
getting what we do deserve. And what every person deserves is eternal
separation from God in Hell because of our sin. God does not desire that
outcome, but His perfect justice would not permit Him to overlook our sin.
That is where mercy came in. In the person of Jesus Christ, both completely
God and also completely human, who lived a sinless life, the sacrifice that
would satisfy God's justice was found. "Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10). It is only
because of God's mercy that we have hope of salvation and eternity in
Heaven. It is only because of God's mercy that we have the birth of Jesus in
Bethlehem to celebrate.
God's mercy never fails, and the birth of Jesus is a wonderful reminder of
His love for us.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Hebrews 10-13 New King James Version (NKJV)
Animal Sacrifices Insufficient
10 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very
image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer
continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would
they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once [a]purified,
would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices
there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Christ's Death Fulfills God's Will
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7
Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-
In the volume of the book it is written of Me-
To do Your will, O God.' "
8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings
for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered
according to the law), 9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your
will, [b]O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10 By that will we have been [c]sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all.
Christ's Death Perfects the Sanctified
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He
had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of
God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being
[d]sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says
the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will
write them," 17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will
remember no more." 18 Now where there is [e]remission of these, there is no
longer an offering for sin.
Hold Fast Your Confession
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness[f] to enter the Holiest by the blood
of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through
the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of
God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting
one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
The Just Live by Faith
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain
fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment,
do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God
underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a
common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who
said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," [g]says the Lord. And again, "The
Lord will judge His people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God.
32 But recall the former days in which, after you were [h]illuminated, you
endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a
spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became
companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on [i]me
in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your [j]goods, knowing
that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves [k]in
heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great
reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
will of God, you may receive the promise:
37
"For yet a little while,
And He[l] who is coming will come and will not [m]tarry.
38
Now the[n] just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
39 But we are not of those who draw back to [o]perdition, but of those who
believe to the saving of the soul.
By Faith We Understand
11 Now faith is the [p]substance of things hoped for, the [q]evidence of
things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the [r]worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Faith at the Dawn of History
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through
which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his
gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not
found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this
testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is
a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with
godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he
condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according
to faith.
Faithful Abraham
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he
would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was
going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and
she[s] bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him
faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as
dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude-innumerable as
the sand which is by the seashore.
The Heavenly Hope
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off [t]were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that
they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such
things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had
called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have
had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a
heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for
He has prepared a city for them.
The Faith of the Patriarchs
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had
received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 [u]of whom it
was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," 19 concluding that God was
able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in
a figurative sense.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph,
and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the
children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
The Faith of Moses
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents,
because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the
king's command.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God than to enjoy the [v]passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the
[w]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures [x]in Egypt; for he
looked to the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he
endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover
and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should
touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the
Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
By Faith They Overcame
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for
seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who
[y]did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon
and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the
prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of
fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong,
became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35
Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a
better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings,
yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in
two, [z]were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in
sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented- 38 of whom
the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens
and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not
receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that
they should not be made perfect apart from us.
The Race of Faith
12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the [aa]author and [ab]finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Discipline of God
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,
lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet
resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the
exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the [ac]chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
7 If[ad] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what
son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without
chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate
and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us,
and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to
the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened
us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers
of His holiness. 11 Now no [ae]chastening seems to be joyful for the
present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit
of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Renew Your Spiritual Vitality
12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be
dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see
the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God;
lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many
become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or [af]profane person like
Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that
afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he
found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
The Glorious Company
18 For you have not come [ag]to the mountain that may be touched and that
burned with fire, and to blackness and [ah]darkness and tempest, 19 and the
sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged
that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not
endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain,
it shall be stoned [ai]or shot with an arrow." 21 And so terrifying was the
sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the
[aj]general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in
heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Hear the Heavenly Voice
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who
refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn
away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth;
but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I [ak]shake not only the
earth, but also heaven." 27 Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the
removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made,
that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let
us have grace, by which we [al]may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Concluding Moral Directions
13 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for
by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the
prisoners as if chained with them-those who are mistreated-since you
yourselves are in the body also.
4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators
and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as
you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
6 So we may boldly say:
"The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?"
Concluding Religious Directions
7 Remember those who [am]rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to
you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried
[an]about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart
be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who
have been occupied with them.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right
to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the
sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12
Therefore Jesus also, that He might [ao]sanctify the people with His own
blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him,
outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing
city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually
offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips,
[ap]giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to
share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey those who [aq]rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out
for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and
not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Prayer Requested
18 Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all
things desiring to live honorably. 19 But I especially urge you to do this,
that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell
20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead,
that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, 21 make you [ar]complete in every good work to do His will,
working in [as]you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
22 And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I
have written to you in few words. 23 Know that our brother Timothy has been
set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.
24 Greet all those who [at]rule over you, and all the saints. Those from
Italy greet you.
25 Grace be with you all. Amen.
