DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 22:
WORD OF WISDOM
When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat chewing on
an aluminum can stuffed with celery?
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DAILY DEVOTION
Obedience to God
"But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the
Holy Ghost. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord
had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had
brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."
Matthew 1:20, 24-25
When Joseph found out that Mary was going to have a baby, he did not know
exactly what to do. He did not want to publicly humiliate her, but he was
contemplating a private "putting away" because of what appeared to be her
unfaithfulness to him. Yet when the angel came to him and explained that
what was happening was part of God's plan, Joseph immediately submitted to
God's role for him and did as God instructed.
Obedience is not based on understanding or rationalizing but on faith. We
don't have to be able to figure out how things will work out. We simply have
to choose to obey and follow His plan.
As you celebrate the season, remember that you can trust and obey the God
who planned Christmas.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Hebrews 7-10 New King James Version (NKJV)
The King of Righteousness
7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom
also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of
righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," 3
without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning
of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest
continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham
gave a tenth of the [a]spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of
Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from
the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they
have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived
from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here
mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is
witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes
through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father
when Melchizedek met him.
Need for a New Priesthood
11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under
it the people received the law), what further need was there that another
priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called
according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of
necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things
are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has [b]officiated at
the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses
spoke nothing concerning [c]priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident
if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has
come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to
the power of an endless life. 17 For [d]He testifies:
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek."
18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment
because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing
[e]perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope,
through which we draw near to God.
Greatness of the New Priest
20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have
become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:
"The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
'You are a priest [f]forever
According to the order of Melchizedek' "),
22 by so much more Jesus has become a [g]surety of a better covenant.
23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from
continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable
priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save [h]to the uttermost those
who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for
them.
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, [i]harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27
who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices,
first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for
all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men
who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law,
appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
The New Priestly Service
8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a
High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
the heavens, 2 a Minister of the [j]sanctuary and of the true tabernacle
which the Lord erected, and not man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices.
Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For
if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who
offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the
heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make
the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the
pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But now He has obtained a more
excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant,
which was established on better promises.
A New Covenant
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have
been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says:
"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- 9 not according to the
covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the
hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in
My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall
teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all
shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will
be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins [k]and their lawless
deeds I will remember no more."
13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now
what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
The Earthly Sanctuary
9 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and
the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in
which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the
[l]sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which
is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of
the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot
that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the
covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy
seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
Limitations of the Earthly Service
6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into
the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the
second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which
he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; 8
the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was
not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It
was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are
offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to
the conscience- 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various
[m]washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
The Heavenly Sanctuary
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things [n]to come, with the
greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of
this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own
blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal
redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a
heifer, sprinkling the unclean, [o]sanctifies for the [p]purifying of the
flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without [q]spot to God, cleanse your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the
Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the
transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may
receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
The Mediator's Death Necessary
16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death
of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it
has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the
first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken
every [r]precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood
of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled
both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This is the blood of
the covenant which God has commanded you." 21 Then likewise he sprinkled
with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And
according to the law almost all things are [s]purified with blood, and
without shedding of blood there is no [t]remission.
Greatness of Christ's Sacrifice
23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens
should be [u]purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with
better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places
made with hands, which are [v]copies of the true, but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer
Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with
blood of another- 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the
foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is
appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was
offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He
will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
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 [w]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,
[x]O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By
that will we have been [y]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
[z]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 [aa]remission of these, there is no
longer an offering for sin.
Hold Fast Your Confession
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness[ab] 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," [ac]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 [ad]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 [ae]me
in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your [af]goods,
knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves
[ag]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[ah] who is coming will come and will not [ai]tarry.
38 Now the[aj] 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 [ak]perdition, but of those who
believe to the saving of the soul.
