December 1 John 1: 1-5
In the beginning, the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
You exist because God made you. The creative Christ was at work before the foundations of the world exercising His sovereignty by creating you. You are a work of the master. Your life is of great value to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. You are not alone. You do not have to stumble through the darkness of life. Jesus offers you the light you need for a meaningful, abundant life. Choose Christ.
December 2 John 1:10-13
But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all, who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Our spiritual rebirth comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a new birth from within. We are given a new heart that changes the way we act. It also puts us in the Family of God. We are now His children and as such are under his constant care. God cares for you.
December 3 John 1:14
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Jesus is one of a kind. In Christ we see God. Jesus acts like the Father. Jesus did what the Father instructed Him to do. When we pattern our lives after Jesus, we will act like God acts.
December 4 John 1:16-17
We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us—one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Moses delivered cold stone tablets, the law. Fully human, fully divine, Christ was the fulfillment of the law in the flesh. The presence and nature of God was revealed in the humanity of Jesus. His divine love was expressed in the divinity of Jesus. Christ is God’s everything.
December 5 John 1:18
No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who himself is God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
In Christ, we could see and touch the Father. No one else could do this for us. The hidden is revealed. No longer do myths or fables bind us, but now we can see God as He is. Jesus is Lord.
December 6 Hebrews 1:1-2
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
God has spoken to us through Christ. No longer does He use visions, prophecies, dreams or other means. He reveals Himself in Jesus and speaks to us through the risen Lord Jesus Christ. God loves you. He died for you. He lives for you. You are safe in His care. He will not forget you.
December 7 Hebrews 1:3
The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Jesus is God. That is why folks get upset when we talk about the Christ. He is the God who spoke in the Old Testament. He is the God who instituted the Church, which is His bride. Jesus is the full revelation of God. He is the only way to the Father. Christ is the complete expression of God in human form.
December 8 Colossians 1: 15-17
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Christ is the glue that makes it all work. Those that ignore Him benefit from Him. Those that serve Him benefit because of Him. Then, one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord of all. Praise the Lord.
December 9 John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one can come to the Father except through Me.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
The eternal has offered direction to the creation. This is not a cafeteria type question with a multitude of options. It is a serious, significant directive offered to you and me by the Creator. Are we interested?
December 10 Deuteronomy 18:15
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like [Moses] from among you, and you must listen to that prophet. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Jesus Christ came to earth as a part of the eternal plan of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Jesus has always been the way that the Lord God planned to provide for you and me. Maybe sometimes we forget that the Lord has always known who we are and where we will be. This is Mike Clay reminding you that Jesus loves you.
December 11 Isaiah 7:14
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 call him name “Immanuel”—”God is with us.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
A virgin named Mary conceived and bore a son, Immanuel, the Christ. Isaiah foretold his coming. He came.
December 12 Galatians 4:4-5
But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
We have all the rights of a biological child in the family of God. We share with Jesus all of the resources made available by the Father to His children. You can ask the Father for anything you need and be confident that He will hear and He will provide.
December 13 Matthew 2:3-6
Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” he asked them.
“In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you, who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
In Bethlehem Christ came as one with no power and yet He had all the power of God. He willingly surrendered the visible to the invisible. We have the same access to the Father. We can have all the power we need for daily living. Don’t be mislead by appearances. The things you see are passing away.
December 14 Luke 1:26-28
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
The Lord is with you. Live your life so that your light might shine. You have not been forgotten.
December 15 Luke 1:30-33
“Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
December 16 Luke 1:46-49
And Mary responded: “Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call be blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy and he has done great things for me.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
The Lord is a champion of the poor, the despised and the oppressed. The Father is concerned about the plight of the down and out. He charges us to care for those that are in need. Next time you see a poor person, remember that you are looking at someone that the Lord is thinking about at that very moment.
December 17 Matthew 1:18-21
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiance’, being a just man, decided to break off the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said,” do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
What would your response have been? Right. Faith believes that God is active in our lives. We have a Father that cares for our best good. We have a sovereign that is not surprised at any event that happens in our lives. He knows the depth of our sin and has forgiven all of it. Our response should be, yes Lord I believe, help my unbelief.
December 18 Luke 1:68-70
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited his people and redeemed them. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Before a watching world the promises of God came to life. He did it then and He will do it now. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it will be opened unto you.
December 19 Luke 1:76-79
And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
God chooses to work through frail humans. Never underestimate what God can do. He made us and He can work through us. Be about the Father’s work.
December 20 Luke 2:1-5
NOW in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
The pagan world thinks it is in charge. God’s activity is always in charge. When you become a part of the family of God, you become a part of God’s activity in the world. He knows what you can and cannot do. God will use you.
December 21 Luke2:1-7
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All returned to their own towns to register for the census. 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. He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was obviously pregnant by this time.
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
God stepped into our world like the poorest among us. He lived a perfect life and died for us so that we would no longer be poor. In Christ we are rich. In Christ we are victorious. Have a joyous time celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ brings courage to fearful lives. We can trust Him and put our complete dependence upon Him
December 22 Luke 2:8-11
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside of the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the City of David!” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Too often we think of happiness as an emotion. Emotions are easily changed. The coming of the Messiah assures our happiness. It is no longer an emotion. In Christ our happiness is a guarantee. You can bet your life on it.
December 23 Luke 2:11-14
“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the City of David. And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Peace is here. Christ is our peace. When we go to others, we are emissaries of peace. Be a peacemaker. When you serve Christ you will be.
December 24 Luke 2:16-19
The shepherds ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in a manger. Then the shepherd told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
We serve an astonishing God. The Lord has annointed us to serve Him. He didn’t choose angels, or super-humans, He choose us. Just so that we would know we could do it, He came in the form of a human. He came as a commoner in a family of common folk. He demonstrated the power of God by His daily surrender. He lived a perfect life by using the same resources that we have available to us. We matter to God. His plan to use us to share the Gospel doesn’t have a backup plan.
December 25 Isaiah 9:6
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this! Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
He is our hope. He delivers us from darkness to light. No longer slaves to sin, we are free in Christ. Jesus is God’s everything.
December 26 Luke 2:28-32
Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying: ” Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Can you see what I see? Christ is born, crucified and risen. He is alive. His life changes my life. No longer enslaved to sin. Now I am free to be what He created me to be. Bless the name of the Lord.
December 27 Isaiah 11: 1-5
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new branch bearing the fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth. He will be clothed with fairness and truth. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
We cry for justice but do we give it? We want our needs met but are we concerned about meeting the needs of the poor and exploited? Jesus meets needs. When we come to Christ we learn to care for others. Growing in Christ-likeness results in being concerned about the needs of those around us. God loves people most of all.
December 28 Matthew 11:28
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Are you loaded down with sin? Is depression or oppression taking over your life? Jesus forgives sin. Jesus frees us from bondage. Start where you are. Ask Christ to make you whole. The journey begins and lasts for an eternity. You will never be an outsider again.
December 29 John 16:33
(Jesus said), “I have told you all of this so that you might have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
You will face many problems but never alone. You will lose many battles but the war is already won. Jesus brings victory to every life. Jesus makes each one of us count.
December 30 Matthew 24:4-6, 13-14
Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Messiah.” They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately…. Those who endure to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come.” Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News.
Jesus is coming back. If you are here when He does He will not forget you. Put away your worry, you can trust the Lord.
December 31 Matthew 24: 45-47
Who is a faithful, sensible servant, to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family? If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I assure you, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. Hi, I’m Mike Clay with Today’s Good News. Take care of the Lord’s people. Do the work that Christ has assigned you. None of us know what Y2K will do. But, we know what God can do.
