DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

Evening, December 31          “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”           — Jeremiah 8:20 Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the Bible , you hear it from the pulpit, it is explained to you by friends, and yet you neglect it, and therefore you are not saved. You will be without excuse when the Lord shall judge the quick and dead . The Holy Spirit has given more or less of blessing upon the word which has been preached in your hearing, and times of refreshing have come from the divine presence, and yet you are without Christ . All these hopeful seasons have come and gone—your summer and your harvest have past—and yet you are not saved . Years have followed one another into eternity, and your last year will soon be here: youth has ...

Almighty Father , as we prayerfully come to the end of  2012 , if it is Your Will , and hopefully, if it is  Your Will  to see the dawning of  2013 , I as well as others want to thank  You  this moment for  Your blessings , Your love ,  Your protection  and  Your  Son  for my and their salvation, King and Lord .  Hallelujah ! We can't remember all of  Your love ,  Your protection  of unseen danger's, thank  You .  Thank  You  for the food on our tables, shelter, jobs, families and churches; I [We] just want to say, " thank  You !   thank You !  thank  You ! " Lord , some of us that have infirmities that are with us unto death can say, " Thank  You  for my [our] infirmities:  " 8  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the  Lord  ... that it might depart from me.  9   And  He  said to me,   “My grace is su...

December 31: From Beginning to End Lamentations 4:1–5:22 ; Romans 16:1–27 Endings are always difficult. But when they’re new beginnings, they’re revitalizing. At the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we not only see Paul the apostle, but Paul the empathetic and concerned pastor. Paul knows that if dissension or temptation rules over the Roman church, they will fail in their ministry, so he warns them ( Rom 16:17–19 ) and offers them a word of hope: “And in a short time the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” ( Rom 16:20 ) . Here, Paul is echoing God’s words to Adam, Eve, and the serpent after the fall, when, instead of carrying out God’s request to bring order to creation ( as He had done in the beginning ), humanity turned from Him , defacing His image ( Gen 1:1–2 , 27–28 ; 3:14–20 ). But while Gen 3:15 merely depicts Satan biting the heel of humanity and being struck on the head in return ( Gen 3:15 ) , Paul ...

December 30: The Proverbs 31 Woman Proverbs 31:1–9 A Proverbs 31 woman is hard to find, but it isn’t for lack of effort. She’s been the topic of more than a few Bible studies. She can be recognized by her many positive traits— strong , courageous , and trustworthy . She is hardworking , discerning , giving , dignified , business savvy , wise , and kind . If we’re looking for a vice or an Achilles heel, we’ll have to turn to another passage in the OT (we’re sure to find more failures than achievers within its pages). As we look through the list of qualities, though, it’s hard to check them all off, even for Type-A personalities. But the key to understanding the list of characteristics isn’t found [it's] what we can attain. It’s found in the last verse—the crux of the poem. The crown of the woman’s wisdom isn’t her charm or her beauty or even her ability to “get things done.” It is her fear of Yahweh . This relationship with God guides all of her actions . If we’re try...

December 29: The Grace of God Shines Through Lamentations 1:1–2:22 I was once asked why the Bible is so brutal—why it depicts things like babies being killed and war. It’s true, the Bible has many moments of darkness and violence. But these depictions of the rawness of humanity—in all its ungratefulness and depravity—demonstrate how much people need God . And more than that, through these moments, the Bible shows how much people need a savior. The book of Lamentations is brimming with sorrow and gnashing of teeth. Little hope can be found in this book. The prophet weeps and moans over his fallen nation, over watching Jerusalem crumble. In this poetic work, we see people who don’t follow the God who loves them dearly and so badly yearns to see them return to Him . “How desolate the city sits that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations! Like a woman of nobility in the provinces, she has become a forced laborer. She weeps bitterly in th...

WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT GOD - Day of Discovery

December 28: Unity Romans 14:13–15:7 Paul calls us to refrain from judging others ( Rom 14:3 ) . That’s easy enough to do when the people in our communities are the people we’d want to have over for dinner. What happens when those in our community don’t value (or [dis-value]) the things we value (or [dis-value])? “Now may the God of patient endurance and of encouragement grant you to be in agreement with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus , so that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, to the glory of God ” ( Rom 15:5–7 ) . In this portion of his letter, Paul asks the Roman believers to stretch themselves. For the Roman believers, judgment might have centered on the issue of eating the meat of unclean animals or the observance of Jewish holidays. Paul asks them to withhold judgment of one another because only God has that right ( Rom 14:10 ...

What Jesus Said About Following Him - Day of Discovery

December 27: Love Is Good News Jeremiah 51:1–64 ; Romans 13:8–14:12 Love is good news for those seeking guidance. Love is the guide we need. Many first-century Jewish Christ ians faced the question of what to do with the Law (the first five books of the Bible ) , by which they had lived previously. Now that they had Jesus , what would they do with their traditions? Paul’s answer is based on love: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for the one who loves someone else has fulfilled the law” ( Rom 13:8 ) . He goes on: “For the commandments , ‘ You shall not commit adultery , y ou shall not commit murder , you shall not steal , you shall not covet ,’ and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this statement: ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does not commit evil against a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” ( Rom 13:9–10 ) . These are beautiful words, and I’m not saying that because they let me off the hook for keep...

The Jewish Foundation of Christianity, Part I: From Sacrifice to the Cross - Day of Discovery

December 26: Community Romans 12:9–13:7 She might be the one we tend to avoid—the member of small group who always states the obvious or brings up topics unrelated to the discussion at hand. I’m always a bit impatient for her to finish speaking so that others can offer more insightful comments, but generally her comments are followed by only awkward pauses. Or, he’s the person we’re tempting to avoid after church and small group because he always repeats the story about his grand-kids that we’ve heard more than just a few times. I hope someone else will be there for him. If I’m feeling extra congenial, I might chat with him—always good to earn some kindness points. I might approach community this way, but reading Romans 12:9–16 convicts me. The list of instructions on building up the community quickly reveals the selfish bent of my motives. Paul, who has just finished explaining that each member has specific spiritual gifts, shows what living in loving community is supposed ...

Tuesday, December 25 THREE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS  "Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous , just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil ; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil ." — 1 John 3:7–8 Ponder this remarkable situation with me. If the Son of God came to help you stop sinning—to destroy the works of the devil —and if he also came to die so that, when you do sin , there is a propitiation, a removal of God’s wrath, then what does this imply for living your life? Three things. And they are wonderful to have. I give them to you briefly as Christmas presents. 1. A Clear Purpose for Living It implies that you have a clear purpose for living. Negatively, it is simply this: don’t sin . “I write these things to you so that you may not sin” ( 1 John 2:1 ) . “The Son of God appeared to destro...

December 25: Laziness and Lions Proverbs 26:12–28 When we consider ourselves wise, we’re in danger of losing perspective on the truth and making others feel small. The Proverbs often discuss this problem, remarking, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” ( Prov 26:12 ) . This foolishness doesn’t just appear when we elevate ourselves or fail to consider others; it also shows up when we fail to consider our own needs. When we’re lazy or do less than we can, we’re actually sinning—we’re ignoring what God meant us to be and thus holding back His plan , not just our own productivity. One of the Proverbs says, “A lazy person says ‘A lion is in the road! A lion among the streets!’ … A lazy person buries his hands in the dish; he is too tired to return it to his mouth. A lazy person is wiser in his eyes than seven who answer discreetly” ( Prov 26:13 , 15–16 ) . The Bible’s condemnation of laziness makes sense for hyperbolic situations li...

Monday, December 24 THE SON OF GOD APPEARED  "Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous , just as He is righteous ; the one who practices sin is of the devil ; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil . " — 1 John 3:7–8 When verse 8 says, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil ,” what are the “works of the devil ” that he has in mind? The answer is clear from the context. First, verse 5 is a clear parallel: “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins.” The phrase “ he appeared to…” occurs in verse 5 and verse 8 . So probably the “works of the devil ” that Jesus came to destroy are sins . The first part of verse 8 makes this virtually certain: “The one who practices sin is of the devil ; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” The issue in this context is sinning, n...

December 24: You Should Do This, but Maybe You Shouldn’t Proverbs 26:1–11 We all know the feeling. When someone belittles us in front of others, we want to rail against them or make their lives miserable by filtering our rage through our best passive-aggressive behavior. When a friend continuously doles out inflammatory remarks, it’s easy to snap and say (or tweet) something inspired by the white-hot rage sweeping through us. We’d be better off turning to the book of Proverbs , which can offer wisdom for dealing with these situations. The book seems to deliver hard-and-fast rules for life we can easily apply—do this; don’t do that. Do this and you’ll prosper; do that and you’ll suffer for your foolishness. However, Proverbs 26 delivers statements that confuse those who live by the rules: “ Do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you become like him—even you. Answer a fool according to his folly, or else he will be wise in his own eyes” ( Prov 26:4–5 ) . Do we answ...

Seach For The Real Jesus, Part I - Day of Discovery

December 23 Lesson 4 ALIVE IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 97 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE : John 1:1–14 ; Ephesians 4:17–5:14 KEY VERSE "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." — John 1:14 LESSON OUTLINE Introduction       A.      Grotesque Creatures of Darkness       B.      Lesson Background           I.      Life-giving Light ( JOHN 1:1–5, 14 )       A.      At the Beginning ( vv. 1 , 2 )       B.      In Creation ( v. 3 )       C.      In Contrast ( vv. 4 , 5 )       D.      Among Us ( v. 14 )           II.      Light-walking Life ( EPHESIANS 5:1 , 2 , 6–14 ) ...

SUNDAY , DECEMBER 16, 2012 | ADVENT THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT              Old Testament       Isaiah 35:1–6              Psalm       Psalm 111              New Testament       1 Corinthians 1:26–31 Christian Worship One Year Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009).

Sunday, December 23 GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT "If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son , much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life . More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ , through whom we have now received reconciliation."  — Romans 5:10–11 How do we practically receive reconciliation and exult in God ? One answer is: do it through Jesus Christ . Which means, at least in part, make the portrait of Jesus in the Bible —the work and the words of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament —the essential content of your exultation over God . Exultation without the content of Christ does not honor Christ . In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul describes conversion two ways. In verse 4 , he says it is seeing “the glory of Christ , who is the image of God .” And in verse 6 , he says it is seeing “the glory of God in the f ace of Jesus Christ .” In either case you see the point. We have C...

December 23: The Rise to Power Proverbs 25:1–28 If you’re driven, you’ve probably worked very hard to get to where you are. Being driven is a good thing, but being driven at a cost to others or by elevating yourself by your own accord is detrimental. Proverbs 25 offers this warning from the perspective of King Solomon: “Do not promote yourself before the king, and in the place of the great ones do not stand. For it is better that he say to you, ‘Ascend here,’ than he humble you before a noble” ( Prov 25:6–7 ). People tend to get nasty when power or money is involved. It’s uncomfortable to wait for that promotion, but God asks us to remain patient. At the end of the day, attaining leadership because you’re worthy is a much great honor than obtaining it because you were louder than someone else or placed yourself in front of them. We should always take initiative and strive to succeed, but we need to remember that it’s not our place to decide our fates. We must place that in...

Saturday, December 22 THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE  "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book ; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ , the Son of God , and that by believing you may have life in his name ."— John 20:30–31 I feel so strongly that among those of us who have grown up in church and who can recite the great doctrines of our faith in our sleep and who yawn through the Apostles Creed —that among us something must be done to help us once more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God , begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God , being the very image of his person , through whom all things were created, upholding the universe by the word of his power. You can read every fairy tale that was ever written, every mystery thriller, every ghost story, and you will never find anything so shocking, so strange, so weird ...

December 22: A False Form of Righteousness Romans 9:30–10:21 Zeal can be treacherous if it’s misplaced. It may lead us to set and strictly follow standards that have nothing to do with God’s work —standards that make us feel like good people but that can devastate our lives and the lives of others. Paul addresses the misplaced zeal of many Jewish people in his letter to the Roman church: “Brothers, the desire of my heart and my prayer to God on behalf of them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God , but not according to knowledge. For ignoring the righteousness of God , and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God . For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” ( Rom 10:1–4 ) . Many Jewish people who had rejected the Messiah were attempting to make themselves right with God by keeping the OT law. In doing so, they missed God by seeking their own righte...

Friday, December 21 THE BIRTH OF THE ANCIENT OF DAYS  Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” — John 18:37 This is a great Christmas text even though it comes from the end of Jesus’s life on earth, not the beginning. The uniqueness of his birth is that he did not originate at his birth . He existed before he was born in a manger. The person-hood, the character, the personality of Jesus of Nazareth existed before the man Jesus of Nazareth was born. The theological word to describe this mystery is not creation, but incarnation. The person—not the body, but the essential person-hood of Jesus —existed before he was born as man . His birth was not a coming into being of a new person, but a coming into the world of an infinitely old person. Micah 5:2 puts it like ...

December 21: Expenses Jeremiah 39:1–41:18 It’s important to pause occasionally to reflect on the cost of sin . If we don’t, we can find ourselves living in it without thought of the ramifications. Few passages illustrate the cost of sin more vividly than the fall of Jerusalem recorded in Jer 39 . The fall of Jerusalem is brutal, depressing, and sadistic, but we can learn from Jeremiah’s account of the event. We could view Jeremiah’s depictions as merely historical, or we could recognize the theological lessons they offer: Sin is expensive . Sin will destroy you . Sin will bring a nation to its knees . Sin will leave you begging for mercy . Sin is death . That’s what God’s people learned from this event: Disobeying Yahweh is a costly action. It’s not that God wants His people to endure this pain, but pain is a natural consequence of their decisions. He cannot defend people who refuse to live as beacons of light — of goodness , beauty , and blessing —to the world. If they...

More Than A Miracle - Day of Discovery

Thursday, December 20 CHRISTMAS SOLIDARITY "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." — 1 John 3:8 The assembly line of Satan turns out millions of sins every day. He packs them into huge cargo planes and flies them to heaven and spreads them out before God and laughs and laughs and laughs. Some people work full-time on the assembly line. Others have quit their jobs there and only now and then return. Every minute of work on the assembly line makes God the laughing stock of Satan . Sin is Satan’s business because he hates the light and beauty and purity and glory of God . Nothing pleases him more than when creatures distrust and disobey their Maker . Therefore, Christmas is good news for man and good news for God . “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). That’s good news for us. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the wo...

December 20: Looking to God and Others Romans 9:1–12 We have a natural tendency to be concerned with our own condition. As redeemed people, God is transforming us from being self-centered people—concerned with our own ambitions—to other-centered people who want to see God’s work done in and around us. Sometimes even our spiritual concerns point us inward. But God’s work in us shouldn't be just about us. Paul sets a startling example in his concern for those who hadn't come to know Christ: “I am telling the truth in Christ —I am not lying; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit —that my grief is great and there is constant distress in my heart. For I could wish myself to be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my fellow countrymen according to the flesh” ( Rom 9:1–3 ) . Although he was called especially to be an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul was deeply concerned about the spiritual state of the Jewish people—his own people. ...

Prayer & The Silence of God - Day of Discovery

Wednesday, December 19 CHRISTMAS IS FOR FREEDOM "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil , and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." — Hebrews 2:14–15 Jesus became man because what was needed was the death of a man who was more than man . The incarnation was God’s locking himself into death row. Christ did not risk death. He embraced it. That is precisely why he came: " not to be served , but to serve , and to give his life a ransom for many" ( Mark 10:45 ). No wonder Satan tried to turn Jesus from the cross! The cross was Satan’s destruction . How did Jesus destroy him ? The “power of death” is the ability to make death fearful. The “power of death” is the power that holds men in bondage through fear of death. It is the power to keep men in sin, so t...