DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 26:
WORD OF WISDOM
Words aren't meant to be poked into the ears of others, but to be laid out
and sampled.
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DAILY DEVOTION
A Message to Share
"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and
see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto
us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying
in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying
which was told them concerning this child."
Luke 2:15-17
John Wesley Work, Jr. led the Fisk Jubilee Singers from 1898 to 1904. During
that time they traveled across the country bringing their music, including
many of the spirituals from the days of slavery to those who had never heard
them before. Work was responsible for writing down the melodies for many of
these songs which had only existed orally before. A number of them were
published in hymnals, including what was originally called the "Plantation
Christmas Song." Work's son recalled how early Christmas morning, before the
sun came up, the students would go from building to building on campus
singing what we know now as "Go Tell it on the Mountain."
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
The shepherds were the first to share the message of the birth of Jesus with
the world, but the task that they started is still vitally important in our
day. The world is in darkness, and they will only know that the Light has
come if someone shares the Good News with them. "How then shall they call on
him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"
(Romans 10:14). Every believer has the privilege and responsibility of
telling others about Jesus.
The message and hope of Christmas is too powerful and important not to share
with others.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Revelation 4-6New King James Version (NKJV)
The Throne Room of Heaven
4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.
And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me,
saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place
after this."
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and
One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was[a] like a jasper and a
sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in
appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones,
and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes;
and they had crowns[b] of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne
proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.[c] Seven lamps of fire were
burning before the throne, which are the[d] seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne there was[e] a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the
midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full
of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion,
the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face
like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The
four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and
within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
"Holy, holy, holy,[f]
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who
sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders
fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives
forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11
"You are worthy, O Lord,[g]
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist[h] and were created."
The Lamb Takes the Scroll
5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written
inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong
angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and
to loose its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the
earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read[i] the
scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to
open the scroll and to loose[j] its seven seals."
6 And I looked, and behold,[k] in the midst of the throne and of the four
living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it
had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the
scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Worthy Is the Lamb
8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden
bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang
a new song, saying:
"You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10
And have made us[l] kings[m] and priests to our God;
And we[n] shall reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne,
the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a
loud voice:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the
earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"[o]
14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four[p]
elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.[q]
First Seal: The Conqueror
6 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals;[r] and I heard one of the
four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." 2
And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a
crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Second Seal: Conflict on Earth
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying,
"Come and see."[s] 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted
to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people
should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.
Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say,
"Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it
had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the
four living creatures saying, "A quart[t] of wheat for a denarius,[u] and
three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the
wine."
Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living
creature saying, "Come and see." 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse.
And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him.
And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword,
with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those
who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they
held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy
and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the
earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to
them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of
their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were,
was completed.
Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances
12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold,[v] there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon[w]
became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig
tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the
sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island
was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men,
the rich men, the commanders,[x] the mighty men, every slave and every free
man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and
said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of
Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great
day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Footnotes:
a.Revelation 4:3 M-Text omits And He who sat there was (which makes the
description in verse 3 modify the throne rather than God).
b.Revelation 4:4 NU-Text and M-Text read robes, with crowns.
c.Revelation 4:5 NU-Text and M-Text read voices, and thunderings.
d.Revelation 4:5 M-Text omits the.
e.Revelation 4:6 NU-Text and M-Text add something like.
f.Revelation 4:8 M-Text has holy nine times.
g.Revelation 4:11 NU-Text and M-Text read our Lord and God.
h.Revelation 4:11 NU-Text and M-Text read existed.
i.Revelation 5:4 NU-Text and M-Text omit and read.
j.Revelation 5:5 NU-Text and M-Text omit to loose.
k.Revelation 5:6 NU-Text and M-Text read I saw in the midst . . . a Lamb
standing.
l.Revelation 5:10 NU-Text and M-Text read them.
m.Revelation 5:10 NU-Text reads a kingdom.
n.Revelation 5:10 NU-Text and M-Text read they.
o.Revelation 5:13 M-Text adds Amen.
p.Revelation 5:14 NU-Text and M-Text omit twenty-four.
q.Revelation 5:14 NU-Text and M-Text omit Him who lives forever and ever.
r.Revelation 6:1 NU-Text and M-Text read seven seals.
s.Revelation 6:3 NU-Text and M-Text omit and see.
t.Revelation 6:6 Greek choinix; that is, approximately one quart
u.Revelation 6:6 This was approximately one day's wage for a worker.
v.Revelation 6:12 NU-Text and M-Text omit behold.
w.Revelation 6:12 NU-Text and M-Text read the whole moon.
x.Revelation 6:15 NU-Text and M-Text read the commanders, the rich men.
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.
