FRIENDS OF GOD

The Sixth Day of Christmas

EXODUS 33:17 (ABP)
GOD said to Moses, “Consider it done. I know you well and am pleased with you.”

2 TIMOTHY 2:19 (ABP)
God’s solid foundation remains, the cornerstone bearing a plaque which reads, "The Lord knows his people..."

THE ESSENCE
The Lord knows you as a good friend. 

DAILY FODDER
How does knowing that God reconizes you as a friend affect your relationship with him? How is that different from thinking of God as some kind of impersonal force or even a cosmic goods supplier? The way you think of God affects the way you relate to him.

PRAYER
Dear God, I'm grateful that I'm among your friends. You know me and are keenly aware of my sin and shortcomings, yet, because of my relationship with Christ, you're pleased with me. That is a mindboggling joy. Help me to live into who I am in your mind. I want to act like your good friend. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

POWER AND PRESENCE

The Fifth Day of Christmas

PSALM 22:19 (ABP)
O GOD, don't be a stranger. Hurry up! I need your help.

LUKE 5:17 (CEB)
The power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal.

THE ESSENCE
The healing power of God moves through Jesus.  

DAILY FODDER
The healing power of God moves through Jesus (and us as we are connected to him [John 14:12-14; 15:7-8]). Stay close to him.

PRAYER
Gracious God, I'm grateful that I can turn to you during times of special need. You aren't ever far away, even though because I'm caught up in my own world, you sometimes feel distant. Nurture our relationship so that leaning into your presence is second nature—whether I'm the one in need of help or you want to help someone else through me. I want to be operating in the power and presence of the Lord. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

COPACETIC

The Fourth Day of Christmas

PSALM 133:1, 3 (ABP)
Things are wonderful and copacetic when God's people live together in harmony! That's when God's promised blessing, unending life, flows.

LUKE 2:14 (CEB)
“Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”

THE ESSENCE
Jesus came to deliver the kind of peace that, once it gets going, never ends. 

DAILY FODDER
I used a slightly outdated American English slang word in my paraphrase of Psalm 133:1. "Copacetic" means that things are in such a perfect state that no one can complain. In a sense, Jesus came to deliver a copacetic state to the world. When we align ourselves with him and allow his Spirit to flow through us, that's the beginning of eternal life—the "peace" announced by the angel at Jesus' birth.

PRAYER
Glory to you, the Prince of Peace. I become unsettled by all the turbulence in the world. Fill my heart with your peace. Help me, and believers everywhere, to live in unity and peace. How good and pleasant it is to be members of your forever family. Together we can promote peace as we share the gospel message.  Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

THE MESSAGE

The Third Day of Christmas 

PSALM 71:16 (NCB)
I will speak of your mighty deeds, O Lord God,
and declare your righteousness, yours alone.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:23-24 (MSG)
While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one.

THE ESSENCE
Whatever the situation, our core message is the same—the crucified Christ.  

DAILY FODDER
We're all wired differently. Practically speaking, how do you speak about the Lord?  

PRAYER
You, God, are the epitome of righteousness. And I'm grateful that through Christ alone you share your righteousness with us. Forgive us for getting sidetracked with our elaborate thinking or by chasing after miracles. Help me to fully recognize how it is that life revolves around Christ Jesus—what he's said and what he's done. I'm going to declare your goodness, known exclusively through Chrst. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.