"I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." (Luther's Morning Prayer)
Day 99 - (Today’s Bible readings 2 Samuel 23:13-38; Psalm 94; Hebrews 4:1-13)
THE TWO-EDGED SWORD
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
The sword was a common weapon in The Bible. The Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek words for sword refer to both swords and daggers. Some were short, others were long, some were straight, others were curved, but regardless of their differences, they were always very deadly at close range.
In our verse for today, God’s Word, the Bible, is called a double-edged sword. Double-edged swords were useful for both offense and defense. What we find in the Bible are two basic messages, Law and Gospel. Both messages touch our souls and spirits. God uses the Law to wake us up to our sinful and lost condition. He then uses the Gospel to pick us up with the good news that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. The hymn writer beautifully lays out both sides in this stanza:
The Law reveals the guilt of sin
And makes us conscience-stricken;
But then the Gospel enters in
The sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live;
The Law no peace can ever give,
No comfort and no blessing.
(Salvation unto Us Has Come, Lutheran Service Book, CPH, 2006, #555 stanza 8)
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the Bible, Your spiritual sword that directs me to repent and believe, and then motivates me to live. Give me a hunger for Your word, that I may daily read, mark, learn and inwardly digest this precious gift. In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.
"See" you in church tomorrow!
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), undergirds this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings from the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
Then scroll down to 2022 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless your meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
This is the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ. Believe it so you may be saved:
ReplyDeleteGod, who is Spirit, set Himself apart (John 17.19), meaning, He dwelled in heaven and on earth at the same time (John 3.13). In heaven (Father) and on earth in a flesh of no reputation (Son)
The reason He came to earth was to establish His kingdom on earth, so He could reconcile us back to Himself (2 Corinthians 5.18/19). (Sin separates us from God and separation from God means eternal damnation)
When God was Father & Son as described in the bible (the bible is only for those who are already born again), He was not two entities but One entity (Holy Spirit) who dwelled in two places at the same time. And God called this spiritual constellation Father and Son (2 Samuel 7.14)
Now that God dwelled on earth, without leaving heaven, He was in a flesh body, just like us. He dwelled among us and spoke TRUTH. That is why He is called the word of God who became flesh in John 1.
While in the flesh body, He gave Himself the name of Jesus, that by this name we may be saved and every knee shall bow to the glory of God Most High.
When Jesus was in the flesh He submitted Himself to His own creation, He was under the law, prayed yet He did not sin. He was humiliated from the time He entered the fetus to the point of death on the cross.
His holy blood was the final sacrifice and payment for our eternal sins against the eternal Most High God.
When you believe in the love of God (the self sacrifice of God on the cross) that was manifested on earth (Jesus) and His resurrection, your sins will be forgiven and God Himself will dwell in you, reconciling you back to Himself (John 14.3)
You will be sealed for the kingdom of heaven, you will hear the voice of God and He will lead you into holiness.
All glory to Jesus Christ, Most High God. Hallelujah