12/21 Hebrews 10:1-10
1 The old system in the law of Moses was only a shadow of the things to come, not the reality of the good things Christ has done for us. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. 3 But just the opposite happened. Those yearly sacrifices reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 That is why Christ, when he came into the world, said, “You did not want animal sacrifices and grain offerings. But you have given me a body so that I may obey you. 6 No, you were not pleased with animals burned on the altar or with other offerings for sin. 7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God — just as it is written about me in the Scriptures.'” 8 Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or grain offerings or animals burned on the altar or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he added, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to establish the second. 10 And what God wants is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
CLEANSED
The blood of Christ cleanses us-we are cleansed by His blood. He gives us His righteousness. Without Christ there is no relationship. In Jesus we are given the holiness we need in our relationship with God the Father.
Author - Clay Corvin
12/20 Psalm 80:11-19
We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea, our limbs east to the Euphrates River. 12 But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass may steal our fruit? 13 The boar from the forest devours us, and the wild animals feed on us. 14 Come back, we beg you, O God Almighty. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Watch over and care for this vine 15 that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself. 16 For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown. 17 Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice. 18 Then we will never forsake you again. Revive us so we can call on your name once more. 19 Turn us again to yourself, O LORD God Almighty. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.
REVIVE
Revive us Lord so that we may not perish. Revive us Lord so that we can face the day. Revive us Lord so that we might know your presence and fellowship with you.
12/19 Psalm 80:1-10
1 For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune “Lilies of the Covenant.” Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Israel like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your radiant glory 2 to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Show us your mighty power. Come to rescue us! 3 Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. 4 O LORD God Almighty, how long will you be angry and reject our prayers? 5 You have fed us with sorrow and made us drink tears by the bucketful. 6 You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations. Our enemies treat us as a joke. 7 Turn us again to yourself, O God Almighty. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. 8 You brought us from Egypt as though we were a tender vine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. 9 You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with our shade; the mighty cedars were covered with our branches.
BE READY
Cling to Jesus and spend time with Him. Know the Lord and let Him have control of you.
12/18 Isaiah 7:10-16 (Advent Week 4)
10 Not long after this, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will crush your enemies as I have promised. Ask for anything you like, and make it as difficult as you want.” 12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I wouldn’t test the LORD like that.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! You aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience. You exhaust the patience of God as well! 14 All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel — ‘God is with us.’ 15 By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong. 16 But before he knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much — the kings of Israel and Aram — will both be dead.
TROUBLED
Don’t let your heart be troubled. Trust in Jesus. He changes us. He makes us children of God. We belong to Him and He belongs to us. Don’t let your heart be troubled. Trust in Jesus.
12/17 Romans 8:18-25
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. 21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.
COMING
Jesus is coming back. He is coming back soon. Don’t wait. Be ready.
12/16 John 16:5-15
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you has asked me where I am going. 6 Instead, you are very sad. 7 But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Counselor won’t come. If I do go away, he will come because I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is unbelief in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the prince of this world has already been judged. 12 “Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me.
TRUTH
Jesus brings us truth. The world deceives but the Lord reveals truth. Take your situation to Jesus and He will guide you in the correct way.
12/15 Mark 3:14-20
14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money, and don’t accuse people of things you know they didn’t do. And be content with your pay.” 15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He is ready to separate the chaff from the grain with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” 18 John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people. 19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.
EXPECT
If we live our life so that we expect Jesus to come back any day we will change the way we live. Do not be caught up with the world that you miss service. People are important and they count with the Lord therefore we need to make sure that people count with us. When we live with expectation it will cut down on the fear and anxiety that seeks to sidetrack us.
12/14 Luke 3:7-13
7 Here is a sample of John’s preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming judgment? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say, ‘We’re safe — we’re the descendants of Abraham.’ That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” 10 The crowd asked, “What should we do?” 11 John replied, “If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” 12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 “Show your honesty,” he replied. “Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to.”
CARE
We are to care for the poor. When we see need we are to help. People need people and we are to be the Lord’s people to the world. See a need be a help.
12/13 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
16 Always be joyful. 17 Keep on praying. 18 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Keep away from every kind of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.
JOYFUL
Life can get us down but the Lord restores our joy. He gives us the right to live our life in victory. We belong to Him and He will never let us down.
12/12 Psalm 126:1-6
1 A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! 2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.” 3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy! 4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert. 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.
AMAZING
Our Lord is amazing. He is active in our life helping us. He knows what we will face each day and He goes ahead of us so that when we meet that next challenge He has already been there and declared victory in our life. Sing for joy today for we have an amazing Lord.