DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 24:
WORD OF WISDOM
It is foolish for us to try to make God conform to our ideas and
expectations when He is the perfect standard.
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___DAILY DEVOTION
Choose The Right Gifts
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary
His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their
treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
Can you imagine how the wise men felt as they first looked upon our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ? As part of their worship, they gave Him gifts. They
gave valuable presents to symbolize the love, honor and appreciation in
their hearts. In the same way, you show your love and appreciation to God
with gifts of worship, and you can show your love and appreciation to others
by the gifts you bring. As you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during
this Christmas season, don't just focus on the gifts you bring in the
natural; focus on gifts of love, kindness and encouragement. Go out of your
way to show honor to others just as the wise men went out of their way to
show honor to Jesus. When you walk in love and peace, that is the place of
blessing.
A Prayer for Today
Father, today I set my mind and heart on You. Help me to choose the right
gifts this Christmas season-gifts of love, kindness and peace. Have Your way
in my heart and let Your goodness shine through me in Jesus' name! Amen.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
2 John New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting the Elect Lady
1 The Elder,
To the [a]elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I,
but also all those who have known the truth, 2 because of the truth which
abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with [b]you from God the Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Walk in Christ's Commandments
4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in
truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with
you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we
have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that
we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you
have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
Beware of Antichrist Deceivers
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus
Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look
to yourselves, that [c]we do not lose those things we worked for, but that
we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever [d]transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does
not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father
and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do
not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him
shares in his evil deeds.
John's Farewell Greeting
12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper
and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may
be full.
13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
3 John New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting to Gaius
1 The Elder,
To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just
as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and
testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I
have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in [a]truth.
Gaius Commended for Generosity
5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren [b]and for
strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you
send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do
well, 7 because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from
the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive[c] such, that we may become
fellow workers for the truth.
Diotrephes and Demetrius
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence
among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to
mind his deeds which he does, prating[d] against us with malicious words.
And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and
forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good
is of God, [e]but he who does evil has not seen God.
12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And
we also [f]bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.
Farewell Greeting
13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen
and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.
Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
Jude New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting to the Called
1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are called, [a]sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in
Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
Contend for the Faith
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common
salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4
For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for
this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness
and deny the only Lord [b]God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Old and New Apostates
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having
saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did
not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their [c]proper domain, but
left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness
for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities
around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to
sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example,
suffering the [d]vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak
evil of [e]dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in [f]contending with
the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against
him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these
speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally,
like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them!
For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of
Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Apostates Depraved and Doomed
12 These are [g]spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without
fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried
[h]about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled
up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame;
wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also,
saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to
execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all
their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all
the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Apostates Predicted
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts;
and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be
mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly
lusts. 19 These are [i]sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the
Spirit.
Maintain Your Life with God
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, [j]making a distinction; 23 but others save
[k]with fear, pulling them out of the [l]fire, hating even the garment
defiled by the flesh.
Glory to God
24
Now to Him who is able to keep [m]you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25
To [n]God our Savior,
[o]Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and [p]power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
