Lord of Lords, King of Kings, I come before your throne seeking your mercy, grace and protection over my family and my life this morning…
“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” (Matthew 9:35)
As we read Matthew chapter 9 this morning, it is a chapter full of examples of Jesus going out into his community with love and the outpouring of power and miracles: because he had compassion for them (v.36). Jesus wiped away a mans sins, (v.2), healed a paralytic man, (v.6), you had dinner with sinners (v.10), healed a woman from a hemorrhage (v.20), raised a young girl from the dead (v.25), gave sight back to two blind men (v.30), cast out demons (v.32), and healed people of every kind of sickness and disease (v.35). Jesus, you loved people and wanted to meet their physical needs, but your main purpose was not meeting their physical needs, but their spiritual needs. The main words you desired people to hear were not that they were physically healed, but the Gospel, the “Good News” that they could be saved.
Jesus you know I am a decent person. That I have a desire to meet people’s physical needs for food, clothing, shelter, safety and healing. Yet people do not need simply my decency, they need you. They do not need to hear that I am a “nice man” but the Gospel of your saving grace.
Over this weekend Friday and Saturday I went out into the cold, drove my truck out in the snow and ice and picked up backed goods from several Publix stores. I then took them and handed them out to Waffle House employees, neighbors in need and the Downtown Rescue Mission. If I simply meet these peoples physical needs out of my decency it would have been a good thing. I will be liked and my popularity will increase. However, if I never mentioned Jesus and directed them to him as the source of my decency, my ministry will decrease. As my “decency” can not save anyone. Like you Jesus, help me keep the first thing first when I meet someone, which is sharing the Gospel and that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Help me push past nice, safe, conversations with my friends, neighbors and co-workers, that reflect my decency and enter into kingdom conversations that reflect your saving works of the cross and resurrection.
My family, I pray today and this week you intentionally go beyond the “nice” ”comfortable” level of conversations you have with those in which whom you work, play, hang-out with and serve. I pray you enter your calling not to simply be a nice person to the them out of your decency, but a harvester of their souls out the Gospel. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
.As we read through the New Testament, I can not post a reflection on an entire chapter, but what verses stood out to me. I would love for you to post what stood out to you or your thoughts/reflections from the days chapter reading with myself or others using the comment box below. Thank you!
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
It’s not to late! , JOIN IN!!
We started January 1st the journey of reading through the New Testament in a year. This plan has only one chapter to read each weekday. There are no assigned readings on the weekend. The plan we will use is from Bibleplan.org. Click the button below to go to the site, enter the starting date January 1, 2025, enter your email, and a time you want to receive an email reminder, then click subscribe. Then you will receive an email confirmation to click on. Every weekday then you will receive an email reminder of the chapter reading for that day.
“After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. And a leper approached, and bowed low before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:1-4)
In Matthew Chapters 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares how his kingdom will be a reversal of many of the cultural norms, teachings and religious traditions of Judaism the people held and followed. He taught them many of the reversals: Mourn-Comforted, meek-inherit, hunger-satisfied, blessed-persecuted, do not break you oath-do not make an oath, eye for an eye-turn your cheek, hate your enemy- pray for your enemy…ect.
Immediately in the first verse of chapter 8, he does not just declare the reversal his kingdom requires, he demonstrates it. Jesus has an encounter with a leper. Those with leprosy in that time were outcasts of society. They were labeled “unclean” and had to walk around shouting “Unclean!” wherever they went. Uncleanliness was a huge issue in Judaism. It is at the core of many of the teachings in Leviticus and controlled much of the daily life and rituals of the Jews. The Jewish religion and the people held the deep belief that if something clean touched something unclean, the clean became unclean. If someone or something that was clean, touched or contacted something that was unclean, some sort of ritual purification was required to make the clean person or thing that was now unclean because of contact with something unclean, clean again. And until the ritual was performed to make you clean again, your were shunned and isolated from your community.
In Matthew 8: 1-4 we find Jesus followed by and in the middle of a large crowd. An unclean leper, shouting “unclean!, unclean!” somehow makes it through the crowd and approached Jesus. Jesus finds himself face to face with this leper in the middle of the large crowd. The leper asks Jesus to heal him. This story is also told in Mark 1:40-42. In Mark it states Jesus was“Moved with compassion.” In most translations of this story in Matthew the Greek word ἰδού (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here. It means something like a deep sigh or a gasp. The leper knelt before Jesus and as he looks around at the crowds and how this poor person has been shunned, he sighs deeply as this is not how his people were supposed to have acted. Then Jesus does something un-thinkable. He touches the leper. Jesus was the only one who sighed or gasped when the leper kneeled in front of him, but I guarantee you everyone in the large crowd, sighed, gasped, and shrieked when they watched Jesus touch the leper.
And here was the great reversal; In Jesus touching the leper, something clean touched something unclean and the clean did not become unclean, the unclean became clean! This was huge! It struck at this foundation understanding in Judaism. Jesus forever changed that paradigm to something clean touching something unclean makes it clean!
Jesus came to the earth, was incarnated in human flesh and became Immanuel, God with us, so he could intimately embrace that which was unclean and make it clean. And praise God he included me in that embrace and he includes you! And we who have been embraced by Jesus and made clean, were not made clean to be set aside, and congregate with the clean in sanctuaries, but embrace the unclean in mangers.
R-read again Matthew chapters 5-7 and look at the reversals Jesus’ sermon was declaring his kingdom required. Read Matthew 8:1-4 and see the reversal Jesus demonstrated. Then pray and reflect on how Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out his hand and touched you when you knelt before him in an unclean, broken state and spoke over you, “I am willing. Be clean!” (Mark 1:40). You are called to carry Christ into your community and embrace those that are unclean and make them clean. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what traditions, cultural norms, religious practices you are clinging to that are keeping you from embracing the unclean and need to be reversed. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you those in your community you are called to embrace.
My family, I pray you come to the deep understanding that Jesus came to the earth, was incarnated in human flesh and became Immanuel, God with us, so he could intimately embrace that which was unclean and make it clean. That is the message of Christmas. That is a message we all need to hear then fall on our knees and be so grateful, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!.
As we read through the New Testament, I can not post a reflection on an entire chapter, but what verses stood out to me. I would love for you to post what stood out to you or your thoughts/reflections from the days chapter reading with myself or others using the comment box below. Thank you!
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good Shepherd of my soul, lead me step by step along the journey of my day. ...
"'Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell -- and great was its fall!' Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes" (Matthew 7:24-29).
Lord, give me discernment to hear Your words and wisdom to act on them in faith. Give me humility to embrace Your authority and courage to stand firm and follow through in trusting obedience.
It's wisdom to build my house before the storm. And it's wisdom to build my house on rock. What is the "rock"? ...
As I wait and listen, it seems I hear in my heart: "Your relationship with Me is your rock. You build your relationship with Me when you seek Me in prayer, when you honor Me in worship, when you obey Me in faith." ...
Yes, Lord. And what is the "sand"? ...
I believe You're saying in my heart: "The sand is depending on your own strength, your own wisdom, your own ways apart from My ways. It may seem fine at first, but it will not withstand the storms. Only what's built on the rock can withstand the storms. And there will always be storms -- some more severe than others. But you can withstand any storm as you hold fast to your relationship with Me. Those who are wise will build thier relationship with Me before the storms. Those who are foolish will not. And they will not withstand the storms."
Yes, Lord. Draw me near. Hold me close. Help me hear. Teach me to learn to discern Your voice and trust Your ways. When I look back and see all the storms we've weathered together, I know I'd be foolish to waste a day of not seeking to draw closer in relationship with You.
You draw near to those who seek to draw near to You (John 15:4; James 4:8). By the power of Your grace, may I draw nearer to You every day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you may draw nearer to Jesus, steadily building your relationship with Him every day, that you may withstand every storm that comes your way, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
As we read through the New Testament, I can not post a reflection on an entire chapter, but what verses stood out to me. I would love for you to post what stood out to you or your thoughts/reflections from the days chapter reading with myself or others using the comment box below. Thank you!
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to guide my steps along my journey of faith in You today.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also" (Matthew 6:29-21).
As I read chapter 6 this morning I am still thinking about Steve’s comment to yesterday’s post on the “pure in Heart” and the ones who really want to see God. Everyone lives for some kind of treasure. What Your treasure is will control the one thing that controls everything else and every part of you, your heart. What controls your heart controls your words and your life.
My heart will be “pure in heart,” my heart will be in the right place when my treasure is in the right place. What I treasure most is what get's the most of me -- my time, my attention, my resources, my passion. And You said my treasures should be in heaven.
Things on earth should never be your treasure.
As things on earth will never be your savior.
Lord, what are "treasures in heaven?" "Treasures in heaven are the things that are treasured most in the kingdom of heaven. They are not treasures of silver or gold or diamonds or rubies. They are treasures of humility and faith, obedience and love, kindness and joy. They are the treasures that Jesus treasure’s most in your heart as he allows you to form his heart in you. For the kingdom of heaven is within you, and Jesus’ desire is to see the treasures in heaven become his treasures in you."
Lord. Grow these treasures in me. Store them up in me. Give me the grace to grow and embrace humility and faith, obedience and love, kindness and joy, and everything else that You long to see maturing in me. Let this be my treasure and let this be my heart. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My Family, I pray you may treasure what Jesus treasures, and may His treasure grow in you every day, as you keep growing in Him. May “treasures from heaven” be what controls your heart and controls your words and your life today, in Jesus' name! PLEASE pray the same of me. God bless you, my friends!
As we read through the New Testament I would love for you to post what stood out to you or your thoughts/reflections from the days chapter reading with myself or others using the comment box below. Thank you!
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Matthew 5
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift my eyes and open my heart to welcome Your Word and Your Spirit into me and every moment of my day.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6).
Jesus said this to all who would choose to humble themselves and follow that were sitting listening to your speak. God said the same thing to those who would listen hundreds of years earlier.
"Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).
And Jesus says this same thing to all who would choose to humble themselves and follow Him today. Give me a holy hunger. One that is never satisfied. Give me a hunger for Your Word and for Your Spirit, for Your promises and for Your presence. Rather than filling myself up every moment with the food I can provide with my own hands, food that will never satisfy me, give me the grace to wait for the "manna" that only You can provide. Let the delays of "the long way" you lead me into make me hungrier still for the only One who can ever satisfy the longing of my soul.
With this holy hunger may You humble my heart to keep and obey your commandments as You guide my steps along the long and narrow way that leads to life in You. Give me a faith to persevere and believe You're using the journey you have me on to make me more like You each day and to conform me into the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). Help me understand the journey will be worth it.
Just as You led Israel on her journey, so You're leading me to on my journey to the place You've prepared for me all along. "For the Lord (my) God is bringing (me) into a good land ... where (I) will lack nothing.... (I) shall eat (my) fill and bless the Lord (my) God for the good land that He has given (me)!" (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)
In the power of Your grace, give me that holy hunger and righteous thirst for You today so that I may be filled with your righteousness. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you'll begin your day seeking to hunger and thirst for the One who longs to fill you with His Word and His Spirit to make you more like Him each day, including today, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of me. God bless you, my friends!
As we read through the New Testament I would love for you to post what stood out to you or your thoughts/reflections from the days chapter reading with myself or others using the comment box below. Thank you!
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Matt 4
Good morning Lord Jesus. Help me begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.... Then the devil took Him to the holy city.... Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain.... Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'' Then the devil left Him, and suddenly angels came and waited on Him" (Matthew 4:1-11)
Lord,. Even You, holy and without sin, were both led by the Spirit to places at times and taken by the devil to places at times, according to the Word of God. You were "in all ways tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). You always knew how to respond. You always embraced all the Spirit had for You and always rejected all the devil had for You. By the power of Your grace, may I learn to do the same.
Thank You for the promise of Your Word, "All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). And for Your promise, "When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide (me) into all the truth" (John 16:13). I am Your child and You are my Father. Come lead me by Your Spirit into Your truth. Empower me to discern and resist every temptation of the devil. "No temptation has overtaken (me) except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow (me) to be tempted beyond what (I) am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that (I) may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Let Your Word be hidden in my heart so that I can declare what is written; and let Your Spirit guide my spirit so that I'm certain where I am and who led me there or took me there. Then -- no matter whether it was You or the devil -- You'll cause it all to work together for good in the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes (Romans 8:28). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you will spend time in prayer and reading God’s Word this morning to help you learn to discern when your in a place where the Spirit has led you or where the devil has taken you. I pray this so you will be led by the Spirit through every temptation with God's Word hidden in your heart and God's Spirit guiding your spirit, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
As we read through the New Testament I would love for you to post what stood out to you or your thoughts/reflections from the days chapter reading with myself or others using the comment box below. Thank you!
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025 WE JUST STATRTED LAST WEEK! YOU CAN STILL 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of all, lead me into all You have for me today. ...
“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’”
(He declared,) “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable Fire’” (Matthew 3:1-12).
We are commanded by Jesus and need to forgive. Forgiveness flows out of our requirement to repent. Why, because I want a revival of the Holy Spirit in me, in you and in our churches. However, before the Holy Spirit can be the “Holy Comforter” He first has to be the “Holy Convictor” Before we can receive the baptism of power and Holy Fire, we must first choose the baptism of repentance. That is why John the Baptizer performed a baptism of repentance, to prepare those to receive Jesus’ baptism of Fire.
Thank You, Lord, for the baptism of “water for repentance.” We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without repentance; it’s when we “repent” that the “kingdom of heaven has come near” (v. 2). That’s our salvation, when we repent and turn to You, when we “confess with (our) mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in (our) heart that God raised Him from the dead, (we) will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
But there is more. When we repent and turn to You, we’ll go to heaven when we die, but You also want heaven in us now. You desire to have a people on this earth who are called by Your name, but also display Your nature in their hearts and move in the power of Your Spirit in their lives. You desire that we not only be baptized “with water for repentance,” but that we also be baptized “with the Holy Spirit and Fire” (Matthew 3:11).
This is the Promise of the Father, what our Father has promised to all who wait upon the Lord until we “have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). What You desired for Your first disciples just before You ascended to heaven after Your resurrection, You continue to desire for every disciple, as recorded in the first words of the Book of Acts at the beginning of Your Church in the earth:
“In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. After His suffering He presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the Promise of the Father. ‘This,’ He said, ‘is what you have heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”
“So when they had come together, they asked Him, ‘Lord, is this the time when You will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:1-8).
Lord, send Your Fire! Send the Fire that baptizes us with Your Holy Spirit. Send the Fire that fulfills the Promise of our Father for all Your sons and daughters. Your Fire fell on the day of Pentecost for the beginning of Your Church (Acts 2:1). And Your Fire stills falls on all who wait upon You to “be clothed with power from on high,” to “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon (us)” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
The Apostle Peter declared the need to repent of sin to receive Holy Spirit fire. On the Day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. For the Promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Him” (Acts 2:38-29).
That same Holy Fire that empowers us is the same Holy Fire that sanctifies us -- that burns out of us everything in us that is not yet like Jesus. “For this is the will of God, (our) sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). That “the God of peace Himself sanctify (us) entirely, and (that our) spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
We can’t do that ourselves; You have to do that in us, by Your Holy Fire burning within us, both empowering us and sanctifying us, to be like You as Your witnesses in our world. “The One who calls (us) is faithful, and He will do this” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Do this in me, Lord. Today and every day. Baptize me afresh with Your Holy Spirit. Consume me with Your Holy Fire. “For indeed our God is a Consuming Fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Come set me ablaze this day and every day to be one of Your burning ones, empowered with the authority of Your Spirit and sanctified with the character of Your nature. Let me continually “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Shine through me, with Your Holy Fire burning in me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My Family, may you be baptized with the Holy Spirit and enter the baptism of repentance, so you can be set ablaze with the Consuming Fire of God to be His witness in your world, with His authority in your words and His character in your heart, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
I would love for you to please share your reflections with myself or others using the comment box below.
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
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.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025 We Just STARTED! YOU CAN STILL 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, I worship You and welcome You here in my heart and every moment of this new year. I am excited for what you will reveal to us as we begin today reading and soaking the Your words found in the New Testament.
"she will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
Jesus was given the name chosen by God the Father. His name expressed His nature, His identity, His destiny. Jesus, the Son of God -- Yeshua in Hebrew, jesous in Greek -- means the Salvation of God.
Through Jesus, God saves us, heals us, and delivers us into the forgiveness and freedom and future we have in Christ. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is not other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The name of Jesus is "that name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
Lord Jesus, As I begin this new year, I bow my knees and open my heart to speak Your name and confess You as Lord. In every way and everything I do in 2022, may you be the Lord of my thoughts and desires, Lord of my identity and destiny, Lord of my hopes and dreams, Lord of my relationships and fellowships, Lord of my provision and protection, Lord of my ministry and vocation, Lord of my gifts and calling, Lord of every dimension of my spirit and soul and body, Lord of every aspect of my life. All that I am and all that I have, I entrust to Your Lordship of my life. "(My) help is in the name of the Lord" (Psalm 124:8). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you begin 2025 on bowed knees and with an open heart desiring Jesus to be the Lord of every area of your life, as you call on His name and trust in Him as the Salvation of God, 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.
Begin 2025 by resolving to partner with us!
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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
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.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025 STARTS TODAY! 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In Your abiding Presence, I want to start my day embraced by my heavenly Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
"And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before Him -- provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven" (Colossians 1:21-23).
"Continue securely established and steadfast in the faith." ... As I read these words and let them settle into my spirit this morning, I hear Your Spirit emphasizing the word "Continue." ...
As I ponder this word, I believe I hear You saying, "Ask Me Gary what is to continue on and what is to remain behind. As you leave behind the past year and enter into the new, ask Me what you are to carry with you and what you are to let go of."
So I am asking you Lord. And You're bringing to mind Your Word proclaimed through the Apostle Paul in his spiritual journey: "Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).
As I prepare for the new year that is two days away, I want to take time to let Your Spirit search my heart and show me what is to continue and what is to remain behind, what I am to hold on to and what I am to let go of. Show me the habits that need to be broken, the hurts that need to be healed, the heart condition that needs to be changed. Uproot and remove everything in me and lift up and break off everything from me that would keep me from fully embracing You and Your plan for my life this coming year. Reveal and remove all that's less than Your best so You can replace it with all that truly is Your best, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart to show you what is to continue into 2025 and what is to remain behind in 2024. What you're to hold on to and what you're to let go of as you prepare to move into the new year and continuing your journey into spiritual maturity in Christ, 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.
Partner with us Before the year ends!
As we close out the year, if you have the ability to be generous, I invite you tp partner with me, my wife, and One Direction Community to support our ministries 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 our ministries and outreaches into our community. We would be so grateful for your one time gift or monthly support. 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?
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.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025. 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. "Lord at Thy Birth" and still Lord of All -- Be Lord of my heart, my life, and every moment of my day. ...
"And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a Ruler
who is to shepherd My people Israel" (Matthew 2:6).
We celebrated Your birth at Christmas, but do we yield to what You've birthed in us every day? We gave and received gifts at Christmas, but do we embrace the great Gift of Life You've given us and share that Gift of the Hope within us every day?
You were born to be our Ruler and Shepherd, to be Lord of All for all time. You were born to die and rise again, so that we could die to ourselves and be born again to live our lives for You -- "so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8)
Are we living for You? Do we worship with our hearts and our lives the One we've celebrated in our homes? Do we allow the One who was "Lord at Thy birth" to be Lord of our lives, of our choices, of our nation, of our world, to acknowledge Him as Lord of All?
Your Words come to mind as I ponder these questions in my heart this morning: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many deeds of power in Your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from Me, you evildoers'" (Matthew 7:21-23).
I want to be one who "knows" You, Lord Jesus. I want to be one who does the will of Your Father and mine, by Your Spirit who's been birthed in my heart. I want to be one who both celebrates You and serves You, who adores You and also lives for You. I want to be one believes You were born "Lord at Thy birth" and also embraces You as Lord of every area of my life -- on Christmas day and every day.
The One who was born "Lord at Thy birth" is still Lord of All -- "He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). And "(I) know (and seek to live) the Message He sent to the people of Israel (and all people of all time), preaching peace by Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of All!" (Acts 10:36) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you may know and worship and live your life for the One who was born Lord at His birth and who is still Lord of all, 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!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
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?
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.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11
Yesterday we celebrated the birth of Christ and the coming of Emmanuel, God with us! For God to take on flesh and the birth of Jesus to take place, it required everything that was impossible to be made possible. With the birth of Jesus, everything and anything that was and is impossible in your life is now possible! In the birth of Christ, all that humanity hoped for became a reality. Today all that you may have settled for as the reality in your life can now be changed by the hope of Christ. In the Christmas story, we see a few small things, done by a few small people, in a few small places that launched the kingdom of God. In Christ’s story for us, he has a few small people, doing a few small things, in a few small places that continue his movement of God.
If your plans and dreams that you are hoping to achieve are not overwhelming and intimidating to you, and will be impossible for you in your own capacity and capabilities to achieve if God does not show up to help in a big and mighty way, then they are probably insulting to God. For you are rejecting the the possibilities of of Christmas and the ability of Jesus to help you. And you are settling on hopes and dreams limited by those of this fallen world.
My family, I pray this morning as you remember and celebrate Christ coming into the world, you will be reminded of all the hope joy, love and unlimited possibilities in Christ the are now available to you, I pray you will ask God to stretch, re-shape, guide and encourage you to dream and seek the impossible for your life, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Much love and Merry Christmas,
Gary
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below as swe pend time in this devotion.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025. 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. All that I am and all that I have, I give to You in trusting surrender--as best as I can and all by Your grace. ...
"The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, He said to them, 'What are you looking for?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which translated means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' He said to them 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day" (John 1:35-39)
Lord Jesus, I want to know where You're staying, so I can come be with You. I want to know where You're going, so I can go there with You. Where You are is where I want to be. You're the One I'm looking for.
So I accept Your invitation to 'Come and see,' so I can "Come and be"--come and be with You. To me, that's one of Your greatest promises in all of Scripture: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
Holy Spirit, take away my wordly blinders, interrupt my schedule, break through my business of shopping and activities of Christmas and open up my eyes and my heart to see Jesus in the people around me today. Guide and lead me to the places and encounters where I will walk away from them blown away by the “God thing” that just happened! Remind me that Christmas was a “Come and see” day. Wise men, shepherds and others all had to leave their place of comfort to come and see Jesus. And Jesus left the comfort and safety of heaven, took on a human body, the same as yours and mine, and went into a world that was dangerous, so he could be with and encounter the gift of humanity, people like you and me.
My family, I pray the Holy Spirit will take away your wordly blinders, interrupt your holiday schedule, and open up your eyes and heart to “Come and see” Jesus in the people around you today. I pray that you come and be with Him and allow Him to come and be with you in all you are and all you do, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below as spend time in this devotion.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025. 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm listening for Your leading and resting in Your Presence to begin my day in the communion of prayer with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
"At the time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah" (Luke 2:25-26).
A couple days ago I reflected on the expectant faith of the wise men. This morning I reflect on the expectant faith of Simeon. Simeon was full of expectant faith. He was "eagerly waiting for the Messiah." He knew the Written Word of the Scriptures that spoke of the One who would come as God's anointed Son to be the Salvation of Israel and a Light to the nations (Isaiah 9:6; 42:1; 61:1-3 and many more). But he also knew the prophetic word that had been spoken into his spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.
Simeon held on in expectant faith and pressed through in persistent prayer all through the years, by the Word and by the Spirit. And then the day finally came when his prayers were answered and the prophetic promises were fulfilled. The goodness of God was worth the wait!
Before Simeon died, he not only saw the Messiah with his eyes but embraced the Messiah in his arms. "That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the Child in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Sovereign Lord, now let Your servant die in peace, as You have promised. I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people. He is a Light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the Glory of your people Israel!'" (Luke 2:27-32)
As we "eagerly wait for the Messiah" in this season of preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ, remind us of Your written Word and every one of Your prophetic words to each one of us, to our nation, and to our world. Give us the grace of expectant faith and persevering prayer to see Your promises and purposes fulfilled! Give us the grace to wait -- not wavering in faith, not giving up in despair, but eagerly awaiting our Savior, our Messiah, our Fulfillment of Every Promise of God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray today you will eagerly seek out the embrace of God with expectant faith and persistent prayer for the fulfillment of the prophetic promises of God for your life, for your family, for our churches, for our nation, and for our world, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I join with you and so many in prayer for our nation through this challenging time. God bless you, my friend!
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below as you “ponder” this devotion.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 2025. 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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of my morning, I want to give You first priority in my day. ...
"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).
You are the One who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. You are the One who is fully God and fully Man, Son of God and Son of Man, the One who set aside the glory of Heaven to humble Yourself in the likeness of human flesh and blood to live and to love among us as Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). “You are Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” -- all from Your mercy and love for us (Philippians 2:6-8).
I can't truly conceive and all it means that You willingly humbled Yourself to be conceived in the womb of woman for me. "The sufferings of Christ" began in the womb, not only at the cross or the tomb (1 Peter 1:10). You had it all, yet You chose to sacrifice it all for me and for all who would embrace Your sacrifice of love and grace -- "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 2:9).
In Your humanity, You showed us the way to the Father -- how to live a life by the leading of the Holy Spirit, only doing what the Father was doing and saying what the Father was speaking, as You lived a life in the fellowship of the Father and in the communion of the Holy Spirit (John 5:19 and 12:49).
And as Immanuel, you were both born to live for us, and willing to die for us, that in Your death as a sinless sacrifice for us, we might live forever with You in the power and glory of Your resurrection. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His suffering by becoming like Him in His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection form the dead.... I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own" (Philippians 3:10-12).
Son of God, Son of Man -- One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit -- come be One within me. Immanuel, God with us, come live in me, that I can live for You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray, you will completely open up your heart up this morning to the One who is Immanuel, and allow Him to live within you, as you live for Him today in the fellowship of the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below as you “ponder” this devotion.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
READING THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IN A YEAR IN 2025
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..
To make it easy for us to stay on track of what chapter we are on each day I want us to use the Bible plan found at [https://bibleplan.org/plans/new-testament-in-a-year/#net]
It is very simple.
Go to the website.
When it comes up select the language: English
Select the translation: New English Translation
Select the initial reading date: Jan 1st, 2025
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!
Looking forward to our time together in the Word!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I seek to follow in Your steps today. ...
"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the Child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed His star at its rising, and have come to pay homage'" (Matthew 2:1-2).
Before hope was fulfilled, the wise men saw hope from afar.
Long before the day of the birth of Christ, they looked up to the sky and saw a star of hope in the heavens. As the star was rising in the sky, hope was rising in their hearts. So they followed that star until their hope was fulfilled.
There was something unique about this star that spoke to their hearts that there was something unique about this Child. They probably didn't know that the fulfillment of their hopes was destined to be the fulfilment of the Promises of God and the hope of all of mankind.
"For so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler who is to shepherd My people'" (Matthew 2:5-6).
The wise men followed their hearts and hopes. They followed "the star they had seen at its rising until it stopped over the place where the Child was (Matthew 2:9). And on that day, their hopes were turned to joy. "When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:9-11).
Holy Spirit of the Living God, come fill our hearts with hope. Come lift up our eyes to the heavens, from where our help comes from. Give us courage and faith to keep following the star of hope You cause to shine in our hearts until our hopes are fulfilled in You. "Hope deferred make the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled in a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12).
Fulfill the desires You've put in our hearts, Father. Fill our hearts with Your new life. Like wise men on a journey going to see the King, we believe with expectant faith and hopeful hearts that our journey will end in joy! And we will bow down and pay homage to the One whose hope does not disappoint.
"Hope does not disappoint us because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). So arise and shine in our hearts, Holy Spirit of God, O Star of Hope, who always leads us to the King. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, i pray as you begin a new week that hope may rise in your heart with expectant faith and courage to pursue the promises our Father has put into your hearts by His Holy Spirit on your journey to the King and His kingdom purposes in your life and our world, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below as you “ponder” this devotion.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning, Lord Jesus. O come, O come, Emmanuel -- God with us -- God with me, here in my heart and in every moment of my day.
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So that you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir of God through Christ!" (Galatians 4:4-7)
When the Holy Spirit entered the womb of the virgin Mary "the fullness of time had come." God sent His Son in the likeness of human flesh and blood to be both our example of a life in obedience to the Father and led by the Holy Spirit, as well as our atoning sacrifice for all that would divide us from the intimacy and joy and peace of a personal, living, eternal relationship with God (Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:20; John 3:16).
In "the fullness of time," You fulfilled the purposes of Your first coming and returned to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). And "the fullness of time" will yet come again when You return to this earth in the fullness of Your glory (Malachi 4:5-6; Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 19:11-16). Your timing is always perfect and Your purposes are always fulfilled -- all in Your time, all in Your way (Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:44). "For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3).
Likewise, the days in which we live are also in "the fullness of time." The choices we make and all the choices our governments make as the nations of the earth all fit into Your plans and all affect our lives, our calling, and our destiny for "the fullness of time." In our generation, as in every generation, we can say with Queen Esther that we are alive in our time, strategically positioned and divinely aligned "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).
Christmas is the time that Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. And we all look forward to the coming of the Messiah in His second coming who will be the Light of the world and restore all things in peace as the One "named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
Come, Lord Jesus -- Prince of Peace and King over all the earth (Revelation 22:12)! "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'" (Revelation 22:17) Move in our hearts and teach us to pray by the leading of Your Spirit in agreement with the will of our Father and the purposes of God (Luke 11:1; Romans 8:26-27). As we leave this past year and enter into the new, may we be increasing excited and expectant to see what You will do in our lives and our world in our generation (1 Corinthians 2:9; Jeremiah 33:3). The best is yet to come (Haggai 2:9; John 2:10)! And I believe You've allowed us the honor to be alive and called to Your purposes in "the fullness of time" and "for such a time as this!" Lord, let it be so. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you will be led by the Holy Spirit to pray according to the will and purposes of God in your life and our world -- here in the fullness of time and for such a time as this, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of me. God bless you my friends!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're my Lord and my Savior, and I welcome You into every moment of my day. ...
"Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!' 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 and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in a manger. When they saw this, they made know what had been told them about this Child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them" (Luke 2:13-20).
Mary "treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart."...
Do we treasure these stories of your birth Lord? Do we take time to ponder these words in the Bible in our hearts? Or do we think we know the stories so well and have heard them so long that we simply gloss over them or treat them like fairy tales or the simple lines of children's Christmas plays? Have you at any time this season sat down by yourself and read the birth narratives in Luke or Matthew and treasured them, pondered on them, and spent time reflecting on them?
These stories are treasures. These "Christmas Stories" are the Word of God -- "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until It divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). As You've said of Your Word, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, but It shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent It" (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Today God, let Your Word be Treasure in my heart. Let me prioritize it, seek it, and not let anything keep me from it as a priceless treasure., Remind me that reading and pondering these stories of your birth are the priority of this season, not something to hopefully get to if my busy schedule of shopping, decorating, cooking and entertaining allows. Let me never take Your Word for granted or treat it with less than the honor and awe It deserves. Let these stories of Your birth and Your hope and Your life bring comfort and peace and joy every time I read them and ponder them. May I desire to share them as treasures with others. "My child, be attentive to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh" (Proverbs 4:20-22). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray all the stories of the birth of Christ come alive and active in your heart, and you prioritize time to read them, treasure them, ponder them and share them with others, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below as you “ponder” this devotion.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Like 2:11-12)
I read this morning Luke chapter 1 and 2 the Story of Jesus’s birth. What we refer to as the “Christmas Story.” How God in his entirety and all his glory left his heavenly realm far from us, descended to the earth and in the babe Jesus, became Emmanuel, God with us. In the incarnation God took on completely human form and became like one of us (Phil 2:7-8). In this Christmas Story we see how God changed everything of how we are able to access Him, relate to Him and most importantly, imitate him (Heb 4:15). Before Jesus was born we had no tangible example of what God was like or how we were to follow him. Because we had no one to “follow.” What mankind had was a Temple form of worship, in which only a few elite priests could access the Holy of Holies and be in God’s presence. It was as very religious, legalistic, and distinguished form of encountering God. With the Christmas story God forever changed that and changed how we encounter him now to a very personal, simple level.
In the Christmas Story we see that God chose Mary to be the mother Jesus. She was not distinguished at all. She was not of royalty, or the daughter of a high priest or a rich respected landowner. She was a poor, nameless 15-18 year old girl.
Her husband Joseph likewise was not who you would think would be the earthly father of the Son of God. He was not a King, or ruler, or a respected religious Clergy. Nor was he wealthy, owning much land, live stock and riches like the patriarchs of his faith: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. He was a poor, unknown carpenter. Who for the trip to Bethlehem he did not even have a cart for them to ride in, but he could only afford one donkey for his wife to ride and had to walk the whole trip beside her.
The place in which Jesus born was not distinguished or religious at all. The Son of God was not born in the Temple, or a palace, or even a nice home in a warm bed on silk sheets, but on straw in a manger among the animals.
When Jesus was born, who did the Angels and the company of heaven go and announce it to? To Rome and the Emperor? To Jerusalem and King Herod or in the Temple to the high Priests? No, to poor, common shepherds. (Luke 2:8-12).
This whole story of Jesus’ birth, the beginning of Christianity, and the Christmas story is one of meager, common, humble, unreligious beginnings. Jesus’ story on earth ended the same way. He is crucified as a common criminal and after he is raised from the dead and leaves the tomb, who is the first people to see him? Women. (Matt 28:7-10). Not to take offense with the women of today, but back then women did not count, literally.
Jesus told the women to tell the men to meet him in Galilee which is approximately 60 miles from Jerusalem. (Matt 28:16-20) Jesus was saying “church”is not about Jerusalem any more! His church was now about Him, and forming a deep, intimate personal relationship with him. He wanted a personal relationship with us at our level. But we, mankind did not, and still do not like this. Even though all of mankind has read or heard this story I just read, that God became incarnate in man in the most humble, intimate, and personal way. We are uncomfortable with it. We still in some way do not believe it. That we are ok as we are. That God wants to dwell personally with us and that we are his plan through whom God will restore the world. God can’t just reside in me, in my home. To grasp that God is with us, Emmanuel, was just to simple. God can’t reside in me, he must live in something special.
So what did we do? We built the great cathedrals of St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s in London, and Notre Dame in Paris. Great halls ornate with gold and art work. We built big churches on our street corners. We built temples again! Churches with carved altars, and stain glass windows. We serve the Lord’s Supper in ornate gold and silver chalices. We did what is the exact opposite of what this story in the Bible tells us to do. We re-built for us “temples”, We re-built for us “Jerusalem”, the same thing that Jesus had his disciples walk three days away from. We chose cathedrals over mangers. Cathedrals are the opposite of a manger. They suggest the opposite of the incarnation message that God is made flesh among us, and that God is present in our ordinary lives. Cathedrals proclaim God resides here under their steeples, and we must go to them to encounter God.
The church prefers seeing God in a gold box on an altar than in a panhandler on a street or a single mom in a welfare line. However, that is not the story of Christmas.
My family, I pray today you will read the Christmas Stories in Luke and Matthew. Then spend time in prayer and reflect on, “Is how and where you seek to encounter Jesus like that of the Christmas story?” How is it different? What do you need to change so your faith is simply about intimately knowing Jesus? May you walk out your door this morning understanding that “You are the church” so that you may lead those you encounter today to understand the same, In Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections with us in the comment box below
PS: Am I busy this time of year, Absolutely. Yet can I make time to talk to you? Absolutely. The Holiday season can bring out many emotions in people. Need to talk? My door is always open, the coffee pot is always on and my sofa is always warm and a place of peace and non-judgment. Any who needs to chat are welcome to contact me anytime. It's no good suffering in silence. I have cold drinks in the fridge...tea & coffee in the cupboard and I will always be here....You are never not welcome!! Starbucks and Waffle House are open and a place to talk. You never have to go through a day of addiction, depression, fear, frustration, or anxieties of life alone. It's always good to talk but its even better to listen, and to be listened to. Some days this hits closer to home than we think. I'll always lend an ear and a shoulder and my heart. My hands are always ready to raise in prayer. Where ever you are, if you are struggling with anything and need to talk, go to your church, call a friend or family member.
As The Year Draws To An End, Please Give and Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a 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 us and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
