The Daily Word: Thursday, December 31^st, 2020
Malachi 3:1-4:6
Revelation 22:1-21
Psalm 150:1-6
Proverbs 31:25-31
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. – Rev. 22:18-19

There is a tendency in the modern church to cherry-pick Scripture. To cherry-pick something means to pick only what is easy: to take what is appealing and leave out the rest. But Jesus does not mince words as He describes the treatment of those who add to the Word or take away from it: “God shall take away his part from the Book of Life” (v 19).

That should terrify you. It terrifies me! God gave us His Word in totality on purpose. We don’t get to pick out the parts that we like and throw away the parts we don’t! God’s Word is not a buffet where you select what is appetizing and leave out what doesn’t appeal to you. God’s Word is medicine: if you miss a required dose, you will never be healthy!

As we close one year and enter into the next, make this your declaration for the new year: I will embrace the full counsel of God. I will digest His entire Word, whether it sits well with me or not! The consequence of cutting from or adding to God’s Word is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell. But the benefit of swallowing His Word whole is eternal life!

Prayer:

Father, I receive Your Word! I accept Your full counsel. I don’t want to pick and choose the parts of the Bible that I want to read and believe. I believe it all! Even if it’s uncomfortable, I believe it! Even if it’s unpopular, I believe it! Thank You for Your word, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Wednesday, December 30^th, 2020
Malachi 1:1-2:17
Revelation 21:1-27
Psalm 149:1-9
Proverbs 31:10-24
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. – Rev. 21:27

Do you know what heaven is like? There is nothing evil and nothing dirty. Nothing wicked or sinful. Nothing that “…defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie” (v 27). Heaven is perfect! Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

God will not allow anything impure into heaven because nothing impure is allowed in His presence. That may not seem fair. Where’s the grace in that?! But would you really want to spend eternity in a Heaven where imperfect things and imperfect people were allowed? Of course not. You want heaven to be clean. You want heaven to be just! You want everything to be perfect. You want heaven to be righteous and pure because it’s the reward you’ve been waiting for!

But wait a second. There’s a problem here! You want a perfect heaven; but you are not so perfect. So according to your own requirements for heaven you are exiled from the very heaven you would desire! And that is why you need Jesus: because He takes everything that is imperfect and makes it righteous and whole. Jesus takes your impurities and washes them white as snow! He transforms you into the child of God you were created to be, to populate the heaven of your dreams.

Isn’t God’s plan so beautiful? And aren’t we so blessed to be a part of it?

Prayer:

Father, thank You for including me in Your plan! I know I don’t deserve to go to heaven. But Jesus does! And He died in my place so that, when I trust in Him, I can receive His reward. Thank You for making a way to heaven where there was no way, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Tuesday, December 29^th, 2020
Zechariah 14:1-21
Revelation 20:1-15
Psalm 148:1-14
Proverbs 31:8-9
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years… – Rev. 20:1-2

Heaven has the ability to bind the things of hell. At the end of time, an angel will come down from heaven and bind Satan. An angel will, “…cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him” (v 3). And Satan will be powerless to resist him.

It is true that Satan has a measure of power on this earth. He is the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). But God has infinitely more power. And do you know what? His Kingdom is in you:

Now when [Jesus] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Lk. 17:20-21

That means that part of your mission on this earth, as a believer in Jesus who is filled with the Holy Spirit, is to bind the work of the enemy. You don’t have to be a victim to the enemy’s plans; you get to be a victor who ushers in the plans and purposes of God!

Jesus has given you the authority to usher in the kingdom of God everywhere you go. Are you using the authority He has given you?

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” – Matt. 16:19

Prayer:

Father, thank You for giving me authority to bind the work of the devil, and to release the work of heaven! Remind me today that my prayers have power. I will speak life over the dead, and bind the works of darkness in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, December 28^th, 2020
Zechariah 12:1-13:9
Revelation 19:1-21
Psalm 147:1-20
Proverbs 31:1-7
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. – Rev. 19:6-8

A cursory knowledge of end-time Scripture coupled with an awareness of contemporary news events is enough to make you realize that the end of the world is not far away. We are killing each other at an alarming rate. Our planet is running out of resources. We are seeing a pandemic ravage the globe, mutating as it goes. Things are grim! But Jesus is coming soon.

It’s time to get ready for the “marriage of the Lamb.” Jesus is coming back for you. He wants to marry you! All He asks is that you would “make yourself ready” (v. 7). He has granted you to be arrayed in “fine linen” (v. 8): clothed in righteousness! He has given you His Word and His Spirit: everything you could ever need to be perfectly prepared. But you have to make yourself ready. You have to say yes to the atoning work on the cross so God can change you from the inside out!

If Jesus came back today, would you be ready? If not, ask Him to make you ready. Receive His Word and His Spirit. Don’t waste one more day putting off a decision for Jesus! Receive Him and make a decision to live for Him today, before it’s too late.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for filling me with a sense of divine urgency. I know You are coming soon! I will be ready in Jesus’ name. No more distractions. I am living my life for You!

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Sunday, December 27^th, 2020
Zechariah 10:1-11:17
Revelation 18:1-24
Psalm 146:1-10
Proverbs 30:33
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. – Rev. 18:5-6

Babylon was a wicked city. It was filled with sorcery and deception (v 23) and killed anyone who preached the Word of God (v 24). So these were God’s instructions to His angels for Babylon: “Repay her double.”

Apart from Jesus, every man and woman will get what (s)he deserves. You will be judged just as you have judged others. You will be repaid for everything you have ever done wrong – every sin you have ever committed! – not just once, but “double” (v 6). And that should terrify you! Because if you’re like me, you’re far from perfect and you’ve done some pretty awful things!

But judgment looks different when you know Jesus. When you know Jesus, you are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). When you receive Jesus as Lord of your life, God no longer looks at you and sees your sin. He looks at you and sees His Son! And that should fill you with hope. That should fill you with life! Because no matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you’ve done, there is hope and forgiveness for you at the foot of the Cross.

Apart from Jesus you will receive the fiery wrath of God. But in Jesus there is no wrath left for you; only love!

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. – Ps. 103:12

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the Cross of Jesus Christ! Apart from Him, I know all my sins would be judged. But in Jesus, I know all my sins are gone. Thank You for washing me clean from sin, as white as snow, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, December 26^th, 2020
Zechariah 9:1-17
Revelation 17:1-18
Psalm 145:1-21
Proverbs 30:32
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. – Rev. 17:3

God really needed to show John something. So God “carried [John] away” 1) in the Spirit 2) into the wilderness.

God wants to carry you away. He wants to carry you away from your daily routine until the spiritual is more real to you than the physical. He wants to carry you away so He can speak to you! But if you want to be able to give Him your full, undivided attention, you have to let Him carry you away.

The wilderness represents a place devoid of distraction and busyness where waiting on God is all that matters. God wants to carry you away to that place! But you cannot resist Him. Better yet, will you partner with Him to make His task easier? Will you say no to distraction, and yes to spending hours of uninterrupted time in His presence every day? Will you look forward to being in the Spirit instead of in the flesh? Will you long for the wilderness so you can hear from God without interference?

Your seasons in the wilderness will facilitate your seasons in community, and teach you to hear from God like never before.

“To be a prophet, you must live in the desert.” – Sergei Zimov

Prayer:

Father, help me to embrace the wilderness! I want to be carried away by You. Help me not to resist You by clinging to my daily routine, my cell phone, or other people. If You need to speak with me, You have my full permission to carry me away to wherever I will hear You best!

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Friday, December 25^th, 2020
Zechariah 8:1-23
Revelation 16:1-21
Psalm 144:1-15
Proverbs 30:29-31
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” – Rev. 16:7

God’s “judgments” – the decisions He renders concerning justice and injustice, right and wrong – are true and righteous. You can trust God! You can take Him at His word. God does not change! He is the same “yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13:8). He has always been just; and He will always be just.

And do you know what divine justice looks like?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. – Jn. 3:16

Jesus – the Son of God; God in the flesh – came and died for your sin. He suffered on the cross and died in your place! And He did it so that you, when you believe in Him, will not perish “…but have everlasting life.”

This is the reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus. He was born to die, so that we could be free to truly live.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus. In Him all my sin is washed away! In Him I am righteous and I am pure. Help me to be grateful for the gift of Jesus today and every day, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Thursday, December 24^th, 2020
Zechariah 6:1-7:14
Revelation 15:1-8
Psalm 143:1-12
Proverbs 30:24-28
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. – Rev. 15:2

John got a glimpse of Heaven. He described it as best he could! He saw “something like” a sea of glass mingled with fire. Whenever a prophet or disciple gets a glimpse of Heaven in Scripture, the description is opaque.[1] He can describe “something like” what he saw, but he can’t quite find words to describe it adequately. Why? Because heaven will be like nothing you have ever seen.

Picture the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. Heaven will be infinitely more beautiful. Imagine the feeling of winning the lottery 100 times in a row. Heaven will be infinitely more fulfilling! Remember what it felt like to fall in love for the very first time? Heaven will feel infinitely better, and that feeling will never leave you for the rest of time.

Men have seen glimpses of heaven, and tried to describe it as best they could. But when you meet God face to face, He will be absolutely indescribable. He will be like nothing and no one you have ever seen before! And you will get to spend all of eternity marveling at His beauty.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the hope of heaven! I know heaven will be like nothing I have ever seen. I cannot wait to see You face to face. Thank You for choosing me to be with You for all eternity, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

[1] See also Ezek. 10:1, Rev. 8:8.

The Daily Word: Wednesday, December 23^rd, 2020
Zechariah 4:1-5:11
Revelation 14:1-20
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 30:21-23
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth–to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people–saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” – Rev. 14:6-7

We know our mandate: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). But did you know you don’t have to fulfill that mandate alone? Preaching the gospel doesn’t have to be scary! Your mandate to tell other people the Good News doesn’t mean the weight of the world is on your shoulders. God goes with you. He will send angelic assistance “to preach to those who dwell on the earth” (v 6, above). Wherever you go to preach the gospel, messengers of heaven go and preach with you!

The Great Commission is not a crushing weight that God lays on you to bring you to your knees. It is a wonderful invitation that God extends to you because He desires to partner with you to win souls for the Kingdom of Heaven! You have the joy of preaching the gospel to every person you come across; and you get to have confidence that when you share the Good News, you are never alone.

Prayer:

Father, help me to realize that You help me in every single moment. Thank You for never leaving me alone! Thank You for sending angelic assistance. I am so grateful for Your goodness and the way You always lead me, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Tuesday, December 22^nd, 2020
Zechariah 2:1-3:10
Revelation 13:1-18
Psalm 141:1-10
Proverbs 30:18-20
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” – Rev. 13:8

John saw, “…a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name” (Rev. 13:1). The beast would, “…make war with the saints to overcome them” (v 7). He had been given “…authority…over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (v 7). And everyone on earth would worship him, except those whose names have been written in the Book of Life.

When you give your life to Jesus, your name is written in the Book of Life. And once your name is written in the God’s book, He will protect you from doing the wrong things. He will protect you from worshipping the wrong things! He will cause your heart to be consumed with worshipping Jesus alone: nothing and no one else.

If your name is written in the Book of Life, you have nothing to fear. So as you read the Book of Revelation, don’t fear the beast. Don’t be afraid of the enemy’s plans! Know that God has chosen you as His own. You will be protected and shielded from the enemy’s best-laid plans, because your name has been written in the Book of Life.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for protecting me from the enemy’s schemes! I am so grateful You have written my name in the Book of Life. Make me wise to what the enemy has planned. Keep me grateful that I am in the palm of Your hand, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.