WE MADE IT!!  This has been an awesome experience and I appreciate the bond that I’ve made with Dino and the others who have participated this year.  Be sure to join us starting tomorrow as we read through the NT and Psalm and Proverbs at www.dailid.com Happy New Year!

Completely agree Dino. When we read this next year, I will definitely take the time to read and research the meaning behind John’s visions. This is a lot to swallow in one sitting. I can only imagine what John thought after he had these visions.

I completely agree Dino! I have no idea what to add. The only thing that I can think about is that I’m glad I’m on God’s side. When the end comes and Heaven opens up to Earth, there are some mind blowing things that will go on and I’m glad I’m on the winning team!

Revelation here we come!!

Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, worship the One who lives forever and ever, cast their crowns before the throne, and say: Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created. (Revelation 4:8-11 HCSB)

It gives me chills to think about what Heaven will be like. When I read passages like this and I think about worshiping God with saints and the angels in Heaven it’s mind blowing and breath taking. Sometimes I just think about what it will be like and I know my pea brain can’t begin to grasp it, I just know how amazing it will be.

I have two things from today’s short reading. First, 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth.” I’m sure that he was talking about new believers here, but it’s also great to think about our own kids growing in their relationship with God through Jesus. Regardless of specifically who John is referring to, we should find our greatest joy in watching other believers mature in their faith.
I also found it interesting how he ended both of these books, “I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name. (3 John 1:13, 14 HCSB) It wasn’t enough for him to write, be he wanted to go be with them in the flesh. I think this is a good lesson that no amount of phone calls, emails, texting or social media can beat meeting together with fellow believers.

While John’s letters are little repetitive, the message is strong. Two things stuck out to me today. First, in Ch 2 Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15 HCSB) I battle the desire for the things of this world. It’s easy to get caught up in what the world promises will make us happy. We have to keep our focus on Him. The second point for me was one of the major points of the book, We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 HCSB) Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is to love God and love others. John points out that this isn’t really possible without Christ. We can’t really love until we realize that God ‘s love reigns and that we’re able to love others because of Him.

Merry Christmas!

I enjoy reading these letter by the apostles because of their concern for the spiritual development of fellow believers. They didn’t just convert them and leave them to figure things out on their own. They wrote to encourage them and instruct them as they continued in life.

The passage that stood out to me was a common passage read concerning Christian living, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 HCSB)

Peter’s goal in writing these words was to help the followers reading the letter was to help them get the most out of their new life in Christ. I love how the attributes build one on another. These are great instructions for living.

I felt like this passage was pretty appropriate today, He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:9, 10 HCSB)

I love chapter 11.  It’s so encouraging to think about what God can do with humble servants.  But the first verse of 12 really gives me comfort,  Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

To think that all of those who have come before us are in heaven, cheering for us and rooting us on as work to further God’s kingdom until we join them is simply awesome.

There were two passages for me today. First, in Ch 7 we receive more assurance and encouragement, “Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25 HCSB)”
Then in Ch 10, we receive instruction for Christian living, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our [worship] meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24, 25 HCSB) I really appreciate these two verses because it gets to the heart of true community. Community that our churches should be building. We should be concered about other believers and encourage each other in order to first promote love which will in turn produce good works. These are great words to remember as we build our faith families.