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Walk in the Light

  • December 30, 2024

    December 30th, 2024

    Reading – Deuteronomy 33-34

    Highlight Verse:

    “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”
    ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭34‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    Moses had an incredibly close relationship with the Lord.

    The people of Israel knew God through Moses and the priests.

    Now we are offered that same closeness through the sacrifice of Jesus. We don’t have to wait until heaven to experience that relationship.

    Instead of going through priests, we can approach God through our prayers and hear from Him through His Word and His Holy Spirit.

    How close is your relationship with God?
    Are you ready to get even closer in 2025?


    That is the end of the Pentateuch and the end of our two-year reading plan.

    Congratulations to those who have been with us since January of 2023.

    We start again on January 1.

    If you are wondering why we have no regular reading tomorrow, it is because 2024 is a leap year with one extra day (and I didn’t anticipate that when I divided up the daily readings).

    I will still have a short scripture reading tomorrow along with a detailed description of the plan for all newcomers.

    I may mix things up a little with the way I present the daily devotions so stay tuned!

  • December 29, 2024

    December 29th, 2024

    Sunday – Poetry

    Reading – Job 41-42

    Highlight Verse:

    “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!”
    ‭‭Job‬ ‭42‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    Did you notice that?

    It was when Job prayed for his friends that the Lord restored his fortunes.

    Would he have done it if Job hadn’t prayed for his friends?

    That’s an impossible question as it was in Job’s very nature to care about others so it was unthinkable that he wouldn’t have prayed for them.

    The more relevant question to us today is,

    would you or I have prayed for those same people if we were in Job’s position?

    Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. How much more should we pray for our friends after they repent from acting like enemies?

    We are commanded to not just forgive but lift up and support those who need it regardless of how they have treated us.

    What are your thoughts on this?
    Do you think God will bless you according to how you treat others?

  • December 28, 2024

    December 28th, 2024

    Saturday – Open Topic

    Reading – Hebrews 12:1-13

    Highlight Verse:

    “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
    ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    This Wednesday is New Year’s Day.

    Many use this time of year to start new good habits.

    This Friday is known as quitter’s day.

    Many will throw those new habits out the window.

    I’ve been one of those quitters in multiple years.

    So how do we keep our New Year’s resolutions?

    I searched and found everything from setting “SMART” goals to not making resolutions.

    I’ve often heard that a new habit requires three weeks to establish.

    Most say, to get through those three weeks, it must be doable step.

    In the words of Dr. Leo Marvin (“What About Bob?” – 1991 Touchstone Pictures), take “baby steps.”

    All that is true, but sometimes bad habits build on each other and we need to kick them all out.

    The only way we can achieve that is if we take the advice of Hebrews 12 and keep our eyes on Jesus.

    Just as Jesus surrounded Himself with friends and disciples, who supported Him and each other, so we also need to surround ourselves with those who can support us and whom we can support.

    That can be a simple as a few close friends or as deep as a Celebrate Recovery Group depending on the habits or hang ups we are trying to deal with.

    All this is to say, make those resolutions.
    Make them God pleasing.
    Make them achievable.

    And turn to Jesus and the right friends to follow through with them.

    How have you succeeded with resolutions in the past?
    What resolutions are you making this year?

  • December 27, 2024

    December 27th, 2024

    Friday – Prophets

    Reading – Malachi 3-4

    Highlight Verse:

    ““But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”
    ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    Do you remember the first day of summer vacation?

    Three months with no homework or having to get to school on time.

    The walk or ride home from school had a feeling of freedom that we had waited for all year.

    The end of the Old Testament has that kind of anticipation of a time of freedom.

    Freedom from the bonds of sin by the grace of God through the work of Jesus came with the Gospels on the very next pages in the Bible.

    When you remember the grace God has shown you, celebrate like calves set free in a pasture, or like children set free from the old of school.

    Only remember your celebration is forever.

    How do you celebrate your freedom from sin?
    Can you celebrate it with the heart of a child?

  • December 26, 2024

    December 26th, 2024

    Thursday – Letters

    Reading – Revelation 22

    Highlight Verses:

    “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.”
    ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    These are the closing words of the Bible.

    Yes, we have a few more days of reading as the topics for each day didn’t line up perfectly to the end of the year.

    As we look at the end of the Bible, it’s important to note that, while the confirmed inspired Word of God ends here, the work of His grace continues to the end of time.

    The Holy Spirit brings the work of God’s grace to us right until the return of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

    That grace brings us abundant life that we may walk in his presence.

    May that grace be with you as you seek to walk with Him.

    How have you seen God speak to your heart this past year?
    Do you know that unsurpassed grace of God?

  • Christmas Day 2024

    December 25th, 2024

    Wednesday – History

    Reading – Esther 9-10

    Highlight Verse:

    “He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.”
    ‭‭Esther‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    Jesus was born at a time when there was great sorrow in the land.

    Israel was occupied by Rome.

    Poverty and oppression were the norm.

    To make things worse, Caesar declared a census that required people to move to their ancestral lands during the taking of the census.

    In the midst of all that stress and hardship, Jesus was born.

    The festival of Purim celebrates how God saved Israel from her enemies.

    Jesus, would save far more than just Israel.

    I just spent three Christmas Eve services explaining the gift of Jesus coming as a baby to 4- and 5-year-old kids.

    For the most part they didn’t really get it.

    But they understood that Jesus coming as a baby was the reason behind the biggest celebration of the year.

    That’s a great reason to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

    Simply put, Jesus came to rescue any who would reach out to Him for rescue.

    It is the best cause for celebration ever.

    In what ways do you bring the real reason for the season into your Christmas celebrations?
    Are there more ways you can think about to highlight the Gospel aspects of Christmas?

  • Christmas Eve, 2024

    December 24th, 2024

    Tuesday – Pentateuch

    Reading – Deuteronomy 32

    Highlight Verse:

    “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”
    ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    Why on earth did I schedule Deuteronomy 32 on Christmas Eve?

    It’s a tough chapter that’s all about how bad people have become.

    Which, by the way, ties right into the reason for Christmas.

    You see, Christmas isn’t just another time for religious people to practice religious rituals or for party people to have another excuse to party.

    It’s not even about feeding kids’ imaginations and giving them reasons to behave.

    Christmas happened because humans are messed up.

    God had to come rescue us.

    He had to come as a baby so He could live a blameless life. That way, He satisfied the requirement of a perfect sacrifice to satisfy justice for the sin filled lives that all humans have lived.

    Christmas is the beginning of the outpouring of God’s love for each and every person.

    It is God with us!

    Emmanuel!

    May your Christmas be blessed as you enjoy the gift of God with us!

  • December 23, 2024

    December 23rd, 2024

    Monday – Gospels and Acts

    Reading – Acts 28

    Highlight Verses:

    “For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.”
    ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭28‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    Acts seems to come to a very abrupt end here. We don’t get to find out what happened in Caesar’s court. It doesn’t let us know about the end of his life not many years later.

    Why?

    The most obvious answer is that Luke wrote this book in Rome and finished it before Paul had a chance to appear before Nero.

    We know from history that Paul was first acquitted and later arrested and executed for preaching the Gospel.

    The other answer to why there is no conclusive ending to Acts is, in a sense,

    Acts is a book that never ends.

    Paul’s ministry continues today in every local church and missionary group.

    You and I are Paul to the world today.

    Let’s continue boldly proclaiming the Word of God to today’s generations.

    What do you imagine it was like for Paul to live, work, and preach in Rome?
    How can you continue his work?

  • December 22, 2024

    December 22nd, 2024

    Sunday – Poetry

    Reading – Job 39-40

    Highlight Verse:

    ““Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.”
    ‭‭Job‬ ‭40‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    At the beginning of the Book of Job, God was bragging on Job and how awesome he was.

    Now God is in Job’s face, putting him in his place.

    What happened?

    Job complained. Not just a little but continuously throughout the book.

    So,

    God reminded Job who he was when compared to God.

    And Job listened.

    Stay tuned for the conclusion next week.

    Have you ever complained so much that you forgot who God was?
    Has God ever had to humble you?

  • December 21, 2024

    December 21st, 2024

    Saturday – Open Topic

    Reading – Luke 2:1-7

    Highlight Verse:

    “And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.”
    ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    You think you have a lot of people coming over for Christmas Dinner?

    Bethlehem was hosting all of the clan of David.

    They stuffed people everywhere – guest bedrooms, the inn down the street, sofas and dining room floors (or whatever the equivalent was back then).

    And where did Mary and Joseph rank among the relatives?

    “Let ‘em sleep in the barn,” was the likely phrase heard there.

    But they made what they had work.

    As your family gets together this week, I pray that all the family members may feel welcomed and will love each other as they should.

    And if you are one of those who either has no family or has been rejected by their family, know that when you turn to God,

    He’ll be right there to comfort you, and he is a God who places orphans into families (Psalm 68:6).

    Do your holiday plans include extended family this year?
    How do you plan to make them feel loved?

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