Tomorrow we begin our year of reading through the New Testament together, so I wanted to pray a blessing over you this morning! I love you all and I was so blessed by your friendship, love, and the life and moments we shared together in 2024. However, I am EXCITED at the sense I have of what God has in store for us this coming year. I also sense it may be the most trying season of our life, but I know it will be one we will never forget and we will proclaim and recount to all 2025 as a time God made himself known to us.
Lord Jesus, as I begin tomorrow the first of many mornings in 2025, let my soul awaken as I speak out Your name and lift up my heart in the communion of prayer with You, Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
… Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19)
"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in a manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about the Child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them" (Luke 2:15-18).
The shepherds couldn't wait to go and see what God had done! They "went with haste" to see what was said to them by the angels. The word of the Lord, spoken through the angel of the Lord, who broke into their loneliness of life, "living in the fields," changed their fear to faith and they said, "Let's go now" and see! (v. 8) And when they had seen the Child who brought such "good news of great joy for all the people," they couldn't wait to go spread the the great news that had recieved! (v. 10). "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen" (v. 20).
Holy Spirit, as I read through the words of the Christmas story this morning again; my prayer, my desire, my "New Year's Resolution" for the coming year is that you awaken my soul again with the excitement of faith! Return to me a longing for my first love! (Rev.2:4) Stir up in my spirit the desire, like that of the shepherds, to go, see, and encounter you by reading the Bible and time in prayer! Stir up my spirit to go share all You've done for me! Empower me and compel me to not withhold from sharing in every opportunity of 2025 the good news of great joy that turns fear to faith and loneness to praise! Let me truly be amazed at all You have done in and around me and be excited to go and see this God at work in my Community. This God who longs to bring that same good news and great joy into the lives of my neighbors through me! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My brother and sisters, I pray the Holy Spirit will awaken your soul 2025 with an excitement of faith and a passion to “go and see” and then to ”go and tell” all what the God of good news and great joy has done for you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
End 2024 by resolving to partner in 2025!
I want to ask you to resolve this year in partnering with my wife, myself, and One Direction Community by supporting our ministries! We begin a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this. If you click on the link below you can easily set up a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly auto donations in the amount you desire. . We would be so grateful for your help. You can also give a one-time donation on the same link. Thank you!
You can mail your donation to One Direction Community P.O. Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758
Would you like to receive my morning devotion blog in 2024?
Email your name and email address to garyl@onedirection.community and I will add you to my ODC Daily Message distribution list to receive an email of these reflection every weekday morning.
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025 STARTS TOMORROW! JOIN US!
There are 260 chapters of the Bible in the New Testament (NT).
There are also 260 weekdays, Mon-Fri in a Year.
So if you read just one chapter of the NT, just 5 days a week. , Mon-Fri, you will read through the whole NT in a year. So I would like for us to join together in reading through the NT in 2025. And in 2025 I am going to use the daily NT reading for my weekday morning ODC Daily Message devotion blog so we can reflect on the readings together..
Select the time you want to receive a daily email stating the days chapter reading
Enter the email you want the daily email sent to
Click on subscribe!
You will be sent an email tyou need to click on to confirm subsciption Then, starting Jan 1st every weekday morning you will get an email with the days NT chapter reading.
You can invite others, family members, friends to join in. It does not matter where they live. When my father was alive in Cleveland I had him subscribe so he could read through the Bible with us as well. Let me know if you have any questions!
