DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 15
WORD OF WISDOM
Your internal attitude is far more important than your external
circumstance.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Receiving and Giving
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What
fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of
those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants
to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:20-23
Gift giving has become a major part of the Christmas celebration in our
day. Recent studies have shown that whereas most people used to give and
receive small and simple things in gift exchanges, the trend in recent years
has been to more gifts and more expensive gifts. In fact, economists
estimate that in the United States alone, nearly $800 billion is spent on
Christmas presents each year. The gifts that we give to friends and family
members are a way for us to express our love. In the larger sense, they are
a symbolic reminder of the reason for Christmas and the gift God has for us.
Vance Havner said, "Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of
God to man-His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God-when
we present our bodies a living sacrifice."
When we accept the gift of salvation, freely offered and given through God's
grace, we receive all the benefits without doing anything to deserve them.
It is an extravagantly generous gift of God's grace. Those who have received
it desire to respond to God in grateful love. Because He has given so freely
to us, it is our joy to give ourselves freely to Him. When Jesus sent His
twelve disciples out to minister on their own, He told them, "Heal the sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have
received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). Everything that we have is because of
God's goodness and grace, and from the bounty we have received from Him, we
are to be a blessing to others.
From what we have received from God, we are to give to others.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Saul (Paul)
Acts 8:1-3Easy-to-Read Version
1-3 Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing. Some godly men
buried Stephen and cried loudly for him.
On that day the Jews began to persecute the church in Jerusalem, making them
suffer very much. Saul was also trying to destroy the group. He went into
their houses, dragged out men and women, and put them in jail. All the
believers left Jerusalem. Only the apostles stayed. The believers went to
different places in Judea and Samaria.
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Acts 9:1-31 Easy-to-Read Version
Saul Becomes a Follower of Jesus
1 In Jerusalem Saul was still trying to scare the followers of the Lord,
even saying he would kill them. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him
to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted the
high priest to give him the authority to find people in Damascus who were
followers of the Way. If he found any believers there, men or women, he
would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 So Saul went to Damascus. When he came near the city, a very bright light
from heaven suddenly shined around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a
voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"
5 Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?"
The voice answered, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 6 Get up now
and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do."
7 The men traveling with Saul just stood there, unable to speak. They heard
the voice, but they saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground and opened his
eyes, but he could not see. So the men with him held his hand and led him
into Damascus. 9 For three days, Saul could not see; he did not eat or
drink.
10 There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias. In a vision the
Lord said to him, "Ananias!"
Ananias answered, "Here I am, Lord."
11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight
Street. Find the house of Judas and ask for a man named Saul from the city
of Tarsus. He is there now, praying. 12 He has seen a vision in which a man
named Ananias came and laid his hands on him so that he could see again."
13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, many people have told me about this man.
They told me about the many bad things he did to your holy people in
Jerusalem. 14 Now he has come here to Damascus. The leading priests have
given him the power to arrest all people who trust in you."
15 But the Lord Jesus said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen Saul for an
important work. I want him to tell other nations, their rulers, and the
people of Israel about me. 16 I will show him all that he must suffer for
me."
17 So Ananias left and went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul
and said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw
on the road when you came here. He sent me so that you can see again and
also be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately, something that looked
like fish scales fell off Saul's eyes. He was able to see! Then he got up
and was baptized. 19 After he ate, he began to feel strong again.
Saul Begins to Tell About Jesus
Saul stayed with the followers of Jesus in Damascus for a few days. 20 Soon
he began to go to the synagogues and tell people about Jesus. He told the
people, "Jesus is the Son of God!"
21 All the people who heard Saul were amazed. They said, "This is the same
man who was in Jerusalem trying to destroy the people who trust in Jesus!
And that's why he has come here-to arrest the followers of Jesus and take
them back to the leading priests."
22 But Saul became more and more powerful in proving that Jesus is the
Messiah. His proofs were so strong that the Jews who lived in Damascus could
not argue with him.
Saul Escapes From Some Jews
23 After many days, some Jews made plans to kill Saul. 24 They were watching
the city gates day and night. They wanted to kill Saul, but he learned about
their plan. 25 One night some followers that Saul had taught helped him
leave the city. They put him in a basket and lowered it down through a hole
in the city wall.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 Then Saul went to Jerusalem. He tried to join the group of followers, but
they were all afraid of him. They did not believe that he was really a
follower of Jesus. 27 But Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the
apostles. He told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and how the
Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he told them how boldly Saul had spoken for
the Lord in Damascus.
28 And so Saul stayed with the followers and went all around Jerusalem
speaking boldly for the Lord. 29 He often had arguments with the
Greek-speaking Jews, who began making plans to kill him. 30 When the
believers learned about this, they took Saul to Caesarea, and from there
they sent him to the city of Tarsus.
31 The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. And with
the help of the Holy Spirit, these groups of believers became stronger in
faith and showed their respect for the Lord by the way they lived. So the
church everywhere grew in numbers.
