Today's Good News

December 1998

December 1 .. John 1: 1,2,& 14
Jesus is fully man and fully God. What Jesus did and what Jesus taught are a part of who He is. Jesus is the Creator of all things and in Him all things exist. He is the source of eternal life and without Him nothing exists. Jesus is the truth and the foundation of all truth. He came into this world in the flesh so that you would know that He loves you and that you are not alone. You can have a relationship with Him simply by recognizing that you are a sinner and asking Him to come into your heart and save you. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

December 2 Hebrews 1:1-2
The disciples said they walked with Him, worked with Him, listened to Him, and were taught by Him. They were part of the work He did on earth. Then, the third day after His crucifixion they saw Him alive. He conquered death. Jesus had provided for us beyond death. More importantly, Jesus wants us to know that He has provided for us in life. We count. We are loved.

December 3 John 6:35
Life is tough, unfair, and disappointing. We live for ourselves and wind up in the desert. Tired, hungry and disillusioned we try to build our own lives. Jesus is the master builder. He provides the food we need for life. He refreshes us at just the right time. Never late or short on supply, Jesus meets our need when the hour of testing arrives. We each must choose whether it will be our way or His way. Jesus will meet your need.

December 4 John 8:12
Everything was just fine and then suddenly kapow, the rug was pulled out from under me. Ever find yourself feeling that way? That’s because we walk in darkness. We don’t know what the next minute will bring.  When we focus on Jesus and trust in Him we walk in the light. Surprises will come but we will always be equipped to stand in the moment of surprise. Jesus shines into the darkness of the future. We are safe in His hands.

December 5 John 10: 7-10
Jesus is our Guarantor in life and in death. He assures us that in Him we will find eternal life. The Word of God declares that once we have Jesus in our hearts, we will always be His and that nothing can ever separate us from Him.  That my dear friend is abundant life.

December 6 John 10:14-15
For me He died. He knew the depth of my sin. He knew the failures I would commit. He knew that many times the only thing that would connect with me would be His love. Therefore, He resolutely walked to the cross for me. This was 2,000 years ago but is just as powerful and fresh as though it happened today. My sin put Him on the cross. Yours did too. He loves you.

December 7 John 11:25-26
Jesus has power over life and death. He forgives our sin. He provides access to the Father. There is no other way to the Father. When you believe that in Christ you have spiritual life death cannot conquer. Jesus said that we would live again. What a promise. What a savior.

December 8 John 14:6
Jesus provides direct access to the Father if we place our faith in Him. This is too simple for many to believe. Some create complex and foolish fairy tales to bet their life and eternity on. We can know and trust that our faith in Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Without Christ, we are dead in our trespasses and sin. This is a simple, direct and eternal truth. Christ is God’s everything.

December 9 John 15:5
The fruit that Jesus speaks of includes soul winning. But, in this same chapter, the Lord also mentions answered prayer, joy and love as fruit. The truth is that the fruit that Jesus speaks of is a full and growing relationship with a Holy God. You and I have access to the Lord in Christ. Indeed, Jesus is God. What a wonderful savior we have.

December 10 Deuteronomy 18:15
The coming of Jesus Christ to the earth to save us from our sin was not an after thought by God. It was always a part of God’s original plan. You are not an afterthought. Where you are and what you do is important to God. You are His representative. Be sure that as you face today’s challenges God included them and you in His original plan.

December 11 Isaiah 7:14
Blessed be the heart that hears this message from the very heart of God. A plan birthed before time began is revealed to a prophet. A message heard and shared by faith. For each one of us the Lord has a similar faith message. He loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. Blessed be the heart that by faith receives the love of God and by faith lives as the beloved of God. Love one another as he has loved you.

December 12 Galatians 4:4-5
God is in control of all things. His timing is accurate and perfect. Because of Christ we have the privilege of having an intimate relationship with this perfect and Holy God. He will respond to our prayers because He loves us. He will meet our need because we belong to Him. Trust His judgement and timing. Remember that He has our best interests in His heart.

December 13 Matthew 2:4-6
God has birthed in you His plan for your life. It is a grand plan of magnificent proportions because it includes the privilege of leading people dead in their trespasses and sins to eternal life. You are God’s only plan for some or many that you come into contact with. Someone you know will only be sensitive to the message that you can share. Share the message of God’s saving grace every chance you get. This message is simply telling someone else what the Lord has done for you. God is love.

December 14 Luke 1:26-28
Mary was young, poor and female. She had no formal theological training. God spoke to her. Gabriel, who had spoken to Daniel 500 years before, delivered a message from God to Mary. God valued Mary.

Do you feel unusable? What do you see as the reason for your alienation from God? Are you aware that our sin is the only thing that separates us from God? Jesus forgives our sin. Ask Him to forgive you. When He does, you are valued by God.

December 15 Luke 1:30-33
God sure is different than we are. He knows the future. We have a most difficult time dealing with the present. The Lord’s plan for our salvation was always His plan. He never had another plan. Jesus is God’s only way for us to come to Him. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and there is no other way to the Father but through Him.

December 16 Luke 1:46-49
The Lord is the champion of the poor, the oppressed and the despised. He is in love with all of His creation. He is seeking for each one of us to become more than simply His creation. God would that each one of us comes to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This makes us God’s children. And such we are in Christ. In Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Come to Jesus today.

December 17 Matthew 1:68-70
God speaks to us when He decides to speak to us. Most of the time it will be when we least expect it. His attention to our lives is discussed many times in the Bible.

Big things get our attention. The Father notices everything that happens in our lives. We get tripped up when we aren’t paying attention. God is always paying attention. When you get tripped up, we can turn to Jesus. Ask Him for the help you need. He is faithful in our time of need. Bless the name of the Lord.

December 18 Luke 1:68-70
Zechariah proclaims his great joy at the Lord’s activity. Prophecy is being fulfilled in Zechariah’s lifetime.

Zechariah proclaimed the glory of the Lord’s salvation. We are also called to proclaim the salvation of the Lord. We announce to others what Jesus has done in us. We tell others about the saving activity of God. They hear what we proclaim. We are a part of God’s prophecy. We are co-workers together with Christ. We feel defeated and are victorious. Our lives look little but they are a part of the saving activity of the Lord. God would that no one be lost. Our life and our proclamation is a part of that wonderful commitment of the Lord God to His creation. What a savior.

December 19 Luke 1:76-79
It is no secret what God can do. He has used others and He can use you. It takes surrender and willingness to serve. When you are faithful and trustworthy you are exactly what God thought of when He made you. Fearfully and wonderfully made, worthy and useful, full of the value that only God can make, that’s you, child of God. Jesus Christ is alive.

December 20 Luke 2:1-5
A virgin and a carpenter carrying the future of the world with them. Who would you have chosen to be involved with bringing salvation to the world? What would it cost? What would they give up? What would the world think of them?

God chooses you. He would that no one be lost. His will is that each one of us take the proclamation of the Gospel message to those that we come into contact with. Tell them the Good News… Messiah has come and he has come so that we might have forgiveness of sin and a relationship with God.

December 21 Luke2:6-7
This is the event that divides all of mankind. There is history before the birth of Christ and then history after the birth of Christ. This event is as powerful and fresh as if it was happening this very day. God can do anything. The Lord God has chosen to do everything for us in Christ. Bless the name of the Lord.

December 22 Luke 2:8-11
What do you do when there is no way out? Good news, God has made a way for you. The shepherds were elated by the news the angels brought. Life would no longer be an impossible journey. God had intervened. Now, the Lord Himself would be with them. The Savior of mankind had come.

This news is so wonderful that we can’t help but share it with others. Forgiveness for our sin is at hand. We are called to turn from our godless ways and discover the way in Jesus. Jesus is Lord.

December 23 Luke 2:11-14
The Jews were looking for deliverance from the Romans. Some were looking for deliverance from physical ailments. Jesus, the Messiah, delivers us from our sin. He makes that which is Godless, full of God. When we recognize our sin, ask for forgiveness and for Him to take control of our lives, He gives us a new heart, and we become new creatures in Christ. We are full of God. We are now on the Lord’s side.

December 24 Luke 2:16-20
Every time we seek to bless we find that we are blessed. Out of our concern for others comes real benefit for our souls. We need assurances about the value of our lives. God delivers those assurances in the midst of our following Him. We hear the promise and act upon it. In the process of our action, the Lord acts upon us. We seek the truth and it is with us. Blessing upon blessing covers the lives of those that strive to follow Jesus.

December 25 Isaiah 9:6
Praise the Lord. Praise Him with every breath that you take. Praise Him in your weakness. Shout joyfully in your defeat. Stand and sing His praise in your victory. Let every thought that you think praise the Lord. In all that you do praise Him.

The Lord has come. He is worthy of all your praise. It is good to praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

December 26 Luke 2:28-32
I am overwhelmed when I am confronted by my sin. I am stung by the fact that He died for me. He died that I might be released from the bondage of my sin. Now, I can choose to conquer sin. Before, I was dead in my sin. What a great blessing to be freed from the darkness and slavery of sin. Praise God I am free.

God’s Grace saves you. Focusing on works causes you to stumble. When you look at a person that is different than you, remember that Christ also died for him or her. Jesus came for all mankind. He would that every person might be saved. Not just people like us, but for people that love Him.

December 27 Psalm 103:1-2
Real blessing comes to those who see themselves in the truth. Without Jesus we are dead in our trespasses and sins. With Christ we have direct access to the Father. In Jesus we can grow in a personal relationship with the Lord of the Universe. Bless the name of the Lord for in Him we have everything that we need to live a victorious life. Bless the Lord O my soul.

December 28 Matthew 11:28
Now, our Christmas season comes to a grinding halt. After all of the excitement and family and revelry, there is a tendency to get depressed. This is natural and human and is caused by many different reasons but can be cured in our relationship with Jesus.

Find a quiet place and get before the Lord. Start this very day to map out a growth plan for you in the Lord. This should include daily Bible reading, a regular quiet time and an organized approach to prayer. Spend some time praying for others. Relax in the Lord. He will give you real peace and rest.

December 29 John 14:1-3
Be blessed today. You are free in Christ. Whatever bondage you were under now you are free.

In your quiet time, praise the Lord for the privilege of your relationship with Him and your freedom in Christ. This will infuse joy into your soul. Bless His Holy name. Jesus is Lord.

December 30 John 16:33
The world is full of worry and woe. Everyone is in search of peace. In spite of our struggles Jesus offers to us peace. We are charged with the responsibility of choosing His peace. It comes by obedience. The Lord is interested in our obedience. Jesus wants us to have what we need for an abundant life. Peace is a part of that and is the result of our obedience to the Word of God and the activity of God in our lives.

December 31 Isaiah 43:18-19
What was your year like? Did anything happen that you would like to change or get a chance to redo? In Jesus we get a redo. In Jesus we have the opportunity to fix the things we broke. We get a chance to change the things that should be changed and develop things that we have just started. When we cry out to the Lord He hears us. When we look for the new and better way he helps us. Jesus is in the survival business. In Him we have eternal life. Jesus is Lord.

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Clay Corvin

Clay Corvin is currently a Bible Teacher and occasional preacher at Bethel Community Baptist Church in New Orleans. He is the retired VP Business and Professor of Admin at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary after completing 38 years as their Business Administrator. He was the pastor at the Brantley Baptist Center for twenty-five years. He is married to Carol Corvin and the father of three children and has three grandchildren. He ministers today as Co-pastor of the Bethel Community Baptist Church and seeks to share the Gospel with everyone. Jesus is Lord!