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Thursday, December 31, 2015

LSB 391 Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn



LSB 391 Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn

The appropriate response to Christmas is rejoicing!
Luke 2:10-15
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a 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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Luke 2:20
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

LSB 390 Let Us All with Gladsome Voice



LSB 390 Let Us All with Gladsome Voice




The appropriate response to Christmas is rejoicing!

Luke 2:20
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Psalms 118:15
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

Isaiah 52:9
Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

Galatians 4:4-7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Revelation 21:3-4
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Philippians 2:7-8
but made himself nothing, 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.

Matthew 20:28
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich…

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Matthew 28:20
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”


Tuesday, December 29, 2015

LSB 389 Let All Together Praise Our God

LSB 389 Let All Together Praise Our God




He is the key and He the door
    To bless'd paradise;
The angel bars the way no more.
    To God our praises rise,
    To God our praises rise.

Your grace in lowliness revealed,
    Lord Jesus, we adore
And praise to God the Father yield
    And Spirit evermore;
    We praise You evermore.

1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011178.
Public domain

John 3:16 
[Jesus said:] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Revelation 4:1
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

Philippians 2:5-7 
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Luke 2:6-7, 12 
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Mark 9:2-3 
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

John 1:1-5, 10-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 Corinthians 8:6 
yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Colossians 1:16 
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Hebrews 1:2 
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

2 Peter 1:4 
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.


John 10:7-9 
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.


Luke 23:43 
And [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”


Revelation 7:12 
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”


Monday, December 28, 2015

LSB 388 Go Tell It On The Mountain

LSB 388 Go Tell It On The Mountain






Luke 2:7-20 
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a 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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

LSB 387 Joy to the World

LSB 387 Joy to the World




Psalms 98 
Make a Joyful Noise to the LORD
Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together
before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Genesis 3:17-19
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

Galatians 3:10-11, 13 
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

LSB 386 Now Sing We, Now Rejoice

LSB 386 Now Sing We, Now Rejoice






Jeremiah 31:7
Thus says the LORD:
“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.'

Jude 24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.


Titus 2:11-14 
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.


Hebrews 2:14-15 
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Psalm 73:23-26

Nevertheless, I am continually with you [,O Lord];
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.




Friday, December 25, 2015

LSB 385 From East to West

LSB 385 From East to West





Luke 1:35 
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Luke 2:7 
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Psalms 95:5-6
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

Philippians 2:6-7
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.


Thursday, December 24, 2015

LSB 384 Of the Father's Love Begotten

LSB 384 Of the Father's Love Begotten





John 1:1 
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Revelation 1:8 
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Romans 11:36 
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

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

1 John  4:9 
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 

Luke 1:35 
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

Isaiah 9:6 
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 60:1 
The Future Glory of Israel
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

Luke 24:44 
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 

Acts 10:43 
To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Psalms 98:1 
Make a Joyful Noise to the LORD
Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.


Revelation 5:9-14 
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.












Wednesday, December 23, 2015

LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel


O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,        Click Here For Music
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Public domain

Isaiah 7:10-14

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 
“Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 
But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 
And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! 
Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. 
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.


Matthew 1:21, 23

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins...
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Isaiah gives comfort to God's people in Jerusalem promising them that God is with them. The Immanuel promise affirms that God will not leave them even while other kings and nations would like to overthrow Judah's armies. The Syrian military threat to Jerusalem was real. If God were to remove His protection, Jerusalem would not be able to stand. King Ahaz was not counting on the LORD's protection; Ahaz was looking for help from Egypt. Ahaz hoped that if Egypt were on his side he would have a better “Master” than with Syria.
Isaiah points Ahaz to the LORD. The LORD is faithful. The LORD will have compassion on His people. The LORD will save them from Syria. Ahaz does not need to be afraid. He does not need to go running to Egypt for help, but to the LORD. 
The Immanuel promise affirms that God remains – always. Enemies will rise up against His servants to knock them down, and drag them off to death and hell if they can. God affirms that He will be with us to save us from our enemy. Ahaz was worried about Syria and his fear paralyzed his faith. Jesus' promise in the face of fear? “Behold, I am with you always. Even to the end of the age.”

LSB 383 A Great and Mighty Wonder

LSB 383 A Great and Mighty Wonder





Isaiah 55:12 
“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.


1 Timothy 2:5-6 
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 


Mark 10:45 
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”


Romans 16:20 
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


Hebrews 2:14-15 
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 


Psalms 45:6 
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;


Hebrews 1:8
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom."






Tuesday, December 22, 2015

LSB 357 Desire of Nations


O Come, O Come, Emmanuel


O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Public domain


Ephesians 1:9-10
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Peace on Earth and Unity in Christ: A Scandal

Every few months, I drop in on Atheist websites to review the various logical arguments against the existence of God and of the cosmic role of Jesus in the universe. I do this because invariably these same arguments come up in random social situations between 6 and 24 months later. It usually depends on when they are trotted out on the comedy circuit and everyone's favorite Atheist, Bill Maher of HBO.

By reviewing the material on the Atheist website, I figure I am gaining some thinking time so that I am not surprised, a little sleep because I don't have to stay up late to see Bill for myself, and several bucks because I don't have to pay for cable.

God should be more concerned about Evil

While the first round of material claims to show how Theistic arguments are not reasonable, and another batch of material is aimed directly at straw men attacking things that Christians do not actually claim, the majority of Atheism amounts to the “Bruce Almighty” argument. Since God is omnipotent and loving, Evil should not exist.

A God who is all-powerful and all-loving, but still confines Himself to acting in Jesus just doesn't compute. God's methods discount His existence or at least His truthfulness. But then as the Christian message progresses Christians share that God has every intention of doing away with Evil; God intends to send Evil to hell and separate it from His people forever.

OK, then God should be more concerned about other people's Evil

The Atheist argument puts the blame for all Evil at God's doorstep because God didn't prevent it, but when God says He is going to act to wipe out Evil, God is unfair because that includes people and may very well mean me, too. God's definitions of Good and Evil are all messed up. God stops talking ethics. God stops talking morality. We would like them to be our towers of Babel reaching us into heaven to crash God's party. The Father just sits back and says, “So what do you think about My Boy, Jesus.” Now God is not fair, because he is just thinking too small. God counts as Good whatever is united to the resurrected Christ, full stop.

So what's a Good, Loving, Omnipotent God to do with people who want an end to Evil, but who refuse to admit that they are just as much a part of the problem as everyone else?

Let's crucify God all over again
God answers by taking the blame Himself. OK, you want to take all your anger out on me? Go ahead, here I AM: manger, poverty, rejection, trial, cross, death. He puts everyone who wants to stand in their own righteousness to shame, dies to the whole enterprise of tallying up the good and the bad, dumps all the spiritual file cabinets supposedly taking up space behind the pearly gates, and lifts up a cross over the world and calls the world to know, trust, love, and follow Him. God stops trying to convince and just calls, and wouldn't you know it, He gets crucified all over again for that, too.

Peace in Christ

The peace of God that passes all human understanding is located specifically in Christ. But, just so we won't miss it, God wraps the Prince of Peace up in swaddling clothes and puts Him in a manger. That way, we won't confuse Him with all the other noise distracting us from Him.

We are one year farther from Bethlehem and one year closer the New Heavens and the New Earth. We will have all the existentialist and empirical evidence we ever wanted.


Colossians 1:13-17
13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.


Matthew 1:21, 23
"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”
(which means, God with us).

351 Creator of the Stars of Night
Creator of the stars of night,
Thy people’s everlasting Light:
O Christ, Redeemer, save us all
And hear Thy servants when they call.


Thou, grieving that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
Hast found the healing, full of grace,
To cure and save our ruined race.


Thou cam’st the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to eventide,
The spotless Victim all divine
Proceeding from a virgin shrine.


At whose dread name, majestic now,
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
All things celestial Thee shall own,
And things terrestrial, Lord alone.


O Thou, whose coming is with dread
To judge the living and the dead,
Preserve us from the ancient foe
While still we dwell on earth below.


To God the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
Praise, honor, might, and glory be
From age to age eternally. Amen.

Public domain


LSB 382 We Praise You, Jesus, At Your Birth

LSB 382 We Praise You, Jesus, At Your Birth




6      In poverty He came to earth
        Showing mercy by His birth;
        He makes us rich in heav'nly ways
        As we, like angels, sing His praise.
        Alleluia!

7 All this for us our God has done
        Granting love through His own Son.
        Therefore, all Christendom, rejoice
        And sing His praise with endless voice.
        Alleluia!

2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011178.
1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011178.


Luke 2:8-14
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luk 2:8-14 ESV)


John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 2 He was in the beginning with God.
 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (ESV)

Galatians 4:3-9
 3 we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (ESV)


Phi 3:7-11 
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--
 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (ESV)

Monday, December 21, 2015

LSB 357 Dayspring from on high


O Come, O Come, Emmanuel


LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

Public domain
Light of the World,
Illuminate our Darkness


The Antiphon
O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting:
Come and enlighten
those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 60: 1, 2
The Future Glory of Israel
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.


Matthew 1:21, 23
"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”
(which means, God with us).

Light of the World, Illuminate our Darkness

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey

Luke 1:68ff.
The Benedictus – Zechariah prophecies regarding
The lord's work through John and Jesus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has come to His people and redeemed them.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of His servant David.
Through His holy prophets He promised of old
that He would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant.
This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship Him without fear,
holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,
to give His people knowledge of their salvation
by the forgiveness of their sin.
In the tender compassion of our God,
the dawn from on high shall break upon us
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.