Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 21

Devotion for Monday after the Second Sunday in Advent

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

~ Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel—”with us is God.” Jesus was called Immanuel because He WAS God with us. Although He was fully man, He was also fully God. God Himself—the omnipotent, omniscient, almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe set aside His majesty and glory and humbled Himself to come to earth as a tiny child, the son of a virgin. We humans don’t like to give up any power or acclaim that we might have, but God gave it all up for our sakes. Jesus, though, is now seated at the right hand of the Father in all His glory, and when He returns, He will come in glory.

Almighty and everlasting God, it amazes me that You want to be with me. Jesus came to earth to be with us, and the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of those who love You. God with us, and God in us. I have known You my entire life, and yet I cannot comprehend how much You love me. Give me a grateful heart, and let me never take You—Father, Son, Holy Spirit—for granted. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for the Second Sunday in Advent

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
~ Psalm 2:7

Muslims—and probably many other people—believe Jesus was a great prophet but not the Son of God. Today’s passage tells us that God is the Father, and He has a Son. We now know that Son to be Jesus Christ, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, the One for whom we wait during Advent.

Father God, it’s hard for me to understand the Trinity—how You, the Son, and the Holy Spirits are three persons in one being. But as far back as the Psalms, You were telling us about Jesus—that You had begotten Him. And Jesus told us about the Holy Spirit. You sent the Son to earth before, and I know You will send Him again—this time in glory. I thank You and praise You for sending Jesus to restore my relationship with You by paying for my sins and for the Holy Spirit to guide me. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for Saturday after the First Sunday in Advent

The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between
you and the woman,
and between your offspring
and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
~ Genesis 3:14-15

This is the first Messianic prophecy in the Bible. Immediately after the Fall, as soon as man sinned, God offered salvation. The ESV says “he shall bruise your head;” the NIV says “he will crush your head.” Jesus will crush, destroy, demolish, obliterate, eradicate that ancient serpent, called the devil, Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. Jesus was promised from the moment the world needed a Savior. He came to earth, died for our sins, and rose to glory. He will come again—we know not when, so we must be ready all the time.

Lord God, Your time is not our time. Your plan has played out over millennia, but it is being carried out on Your schedule, not ours. Yet we know that Your promises are true and will be fulfilled. Just as promised by Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Jesus came to earth to take on our sins and our punishment. And just as promised in the New Testament, Jesus will come again in glory to judge the world. Help me to see past this short life on earth to look forward to eternity in Heaven with You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for Friday after the First Sunday in Advent

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
~ Psalm 104:1-4

God is clothed in glory, in splendor and majesty beyond our imagination. Such beautiful imagery—riding on the wings of the wind, the clouds his chariot. He deserves our reverence, awe, blessing, and honor. He is our Father. He loves us and wants a personal relationship with us. But sometimes we focus so much on His love and mercy that we overlook He sheer power and might and majesty.

Almighty, all powerful God, I praise You and worship You and give You glory. You alone are the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and Your majesty is beyond my comprehension. Hallelujah! Glory to God! Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for Thursday after the First Sunday in Advent

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear.
~ Isaiah 11:2-3

What a beautiful description of Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit as our ruler and judge! He is wise and understanding, mighty, and knowledgeable. But above all, He delights in the fear of the Lord and He judges us fairly. We humans tend to judge by what we see and hear. Appearances lead us to believe that the well-dressed man living in a beautiful home is somehow better than the homeless man digging in the dumpster. We hear gossip about a woman and assume she is the immoral person we heard about. But Jesus judges our hearts. He knows us as we really are—not as the image we show to the world or as the words from an unkind person.

Lord God, I am awe of Jesus Who judges me fairly and loves me beyond measure. This passage reminds me of the wonder of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You judge me on my heart, not on externals. So often I fall short and don’t live the way Your children should live, the way I want to live. But You know my heart is surrendered to You and judge me accordingly. My heart is filled with gratitude and love for You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for Wednesday after the First Sunday in Advent

You have said, “I have made a covenant
with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’”
~ Psalm 89:3-4

Centuries before He put His plan into action, God promised to David that His offspring would sit on the throne forever. The people of that day expected a monarchy over their people that would never end, but God had something even more wonderful in mind. He sent His own Son into the world as a tiny baby born in the human line of David to die for our sins to give us eternal life with Him. Jesus, fully man and fully God, human descendant of King David, will rule all the people for eternity. The ones who love and trust in Him will live in glory, love, and peace, and those who reject Him will suffer eternal punishment.

Lord God Almighty, thank You for extending the rule of King David’s offspring from just the Jews to everyone, everywhere, always. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In His name I pray. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for Tuesday after the First Sunday in Advent

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”;
as he says also in another place,
 
“You are a priest forever,
    after the order of Melchizedek.”

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. ~ Hebrews 5:1–14

Ouch! The author of Hebrews writes that, though his readers should be able to teach God’s Word by now, they still need to be taught the “again the basic principles of the oracles of God.” Some long-time Christians today are in the same situation. They may have attended church for years, but they have not studied the Word, so they’re spiritual children. None of us will ever learn or totally understand everything in God’s Word. But are we growing and learning all the time? Do we know more than we did last year or even last month? That’s why discipleship is so important; we can’t rely on one church service a week to teach us all we need to know. We need to include other group learning opportunities and private study to become mature Christians. May we never be spiritual babies!

Lord God, it’s not always easy to read the Bible for myself and to join with others for classes and studies. But Your Word tells me that if I don’t train myself “by constant practice” to distinguish good from evil, I won’t mature in the faith. I want to be a mature Christian, Father. Guide me from infancy in the faith to maturity. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for Monday after the First Sunday in Advent

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
    and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
    and your years will have no end.”
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

~ Hebrews 1:1-14

Jesus is divine; He is the Son of God; He is above the angels, who are ministering spirits who serve those who are saved. This entire passage is so powerful, but this sentence may be the most awe-inspiring: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” He radiates the glory of God and His nature is exactly the same as that of the Father—there is no question about His deity. Amazingly, there is so much power in His Word that He upholds the world (“sustains everything” in other translations), by it.

Lord God, I know that Jesus is Your Son, equal with You as part of the Godhead along with the Holy Spirit. I know He is divine, and I know He is powerful. But I am simply in awe that He sustains everything by His Word. He doesn’t have to do anything but speak, and everything holds together. Help me to appreciate how powerful and amazing that is. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/audioscience

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Monday after the First Sunday in Advent

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
    and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
    and your years will have no end.”
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

~ Hebrews 1:1-14

Jesus is divine; He is the Son of God; He is above the angels, who are ministering spirits who serve those who are saved. This entire passage is so powerful, but this sentence may be the most awe-inspiring: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” He radiates the glory of God and His nature is exactly the same as that of the Father—there is no question about His deity. Amazingly, there is so much power in His Word that He upholds the world (“sustains everything” in other translations), by it.

Lord God, I know that Jesus is Your Son, equal with You as part of the Godhead along with the Holy Spirit. I know He is divine, and I know He is powerful. But I am simply in awe that He sustains everything by His Word. He doesn’t have to do anything but speak, and everything holds together. Help me to appreciate how powerful and amazing that is. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/audioscience

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.

Devotion for the First Sunday in Advent

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

~ John 1:1-18

This is one of my favorite Scriptures, beautifully describing the divinity of Jesus Christ. He has always existed, long before He came to earth as a tiny baby to redeem the world. He created everything, and He became man to show us the Father. He came into a world of darkness shining with life and light, yet the world did not recognize Him. Hallelujah! To those who do recognize Him as Lord and Savior, those who believe in Him and give our lives to Him, He gives us grace upon grace and the right to become children of God. As unimaginable as this truth is, it is truth.

Thank You, Lord God, for the unbelievable riches You give to those who love Jesus and do His will. You make us Your beloved children, and You give us abundant life now and forever. Empower me by the Holy Spirit to live my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Note: These devotions are also available in print and e-reader formats.

All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.