Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Jan. 3, 2012

Did anyone make a New Year's Resolution? If so...why? Instead of making a resolution why not instead choose to make a renewal. In my message yesterday I listed twelve very achievable ways our lives can be renewed this year: Twelve in '12. Here they are: Reignite a Passion for Jesus!! (This has to be #1) Reconnect with the Word! (Read Your Bible EVERY DAY!!) Restore a Broken Relationship! (Relationships are our bread and butter...strengthen them) Reunite Yourself with Your Christian Beginnings! (Throw a spiritual "birthday party!" Celebrate being a child of the King!) Reinforce Your Strengths! (Don't spend time worrying about what you can't do--improve what you can do! Revive your Prayer Life!! (Enough said there!) Remember Your Failures! (Not to discourage you but to remind you where our strength truly comes from. We will fail from time to time and we need Jesus to get us back up.) Re-Establish Priorities!! (Keep the Main thing...the Main thing!! Serving God!!) Release Unnecessary Burdens! (We were not meant to carry the things we cannot alter.) Renew a Purpose to Serve!! (Make service to others and to Christ a priority!) Return God's Love by Helping Others! (We strengthen ourselves when helping others.) and lastly...Resolve to be a Better Christian in 2012!!
,br /> Daily Ornament!
Day Nine of the “Twelve Days of Christmas”
At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.
In the song, The “Twelve Days of Christmas,” what do the “Nine Ladies Dancing’” represent? As with the past couple of days, the answer will be in tomorrow’s message. Here is today’s message.
John’s Gospel, even to the casual observer, is vastly different than the other three, meaning Matthew, Mark, and Luke. According to Bible scholars, John’s Gospel was the last of the four to be written and distributed, which could explain why he chose a different approach to the life and teaching of Jesus. Had he read the other three? A question we cannot answer but ask nonetheless. Or did the Holy Spirit prompt him to take this approach? To emphasize not simply the nature of His deity, which the other three gospels do, but more the power of His deity? For example, in John chapter two—we see Jesus attending a wedding (one in which the author was in attendance) and during the course of the wedding celebration the happy couple’s family runs short of a very important item—wine. Wine represented joy to the Hebrew people and without it the celebration would have to come an end—possibly prematurely which prompted Jesus’ mother to approach Him about the dilemma. Mary then instructed the servants, “…do whatever He tells you…” and that started the ball rolling! Look at what follows:
“…the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” – John 2:9-11

Notice the last part of that verse: “…His disciples believed in Him.” Regardless of whether or not anyone else at the party knew what Jesus had done—His disciples did and it solidified their decision to follow Him!
Do you need a reason to follow to Jesus or is it enough just to know that He is Lord and that He has saved you from your sin? Do you need some miraculous act to solidify your faith or is your faith strong enough without it to help you weather any storm that may come your way?
As we draw the Christmas season to a close, do not forget why we celebrated it in the first place. Christmas is intended to bring joy but in truth it is now that joy should be at its peak—the fact that the life Jesus gives is far more important than what one day can do.