January 2, 2019 - THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

Day 2 - (Today’s Bible readings: Judges 11:1-27; Psalm 2; Acts 15:36-16:10)

    ♬ On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Nine Ladies Dancing (9 Fruits of the Spirit)
Eight Maids a-Milking (8 Beatitudes)
Seven Swans a-Swimming (7 Gifts of the Spirit)
  Six Geese a Laying (Six days of Creation)
Five Golden Rings (The Pentateuch... first 5 books of the Bible)
Four Calling Birds (The 4 Gospels... Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Three French Hens (The Holy Trinity... Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
Two Turtle Doves (The Old and New Testaments)
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. (JESUS)

Why ladies dancing on the Ninth Day of Christmas? On this day we remember the nine fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:.

But the fruit of the Spirit is 
    love, 
    joy, 
   peace, 
   patience, 
   kindness, 
   goodness, 
   faithfulness, 
   gentleness, 
   self-control; 
against such things there is no law.   (Galatians 5:22-23)

This looks like a pretty good list of New Year’s resolutions. May you be blessed as you “work” at these by prayer, meditation on the Word, and by helping others in the name of the Lord. Above all, stay close to Jesus – repent and believe.

Dear Holy Spirit, please work in my life in this new year so that I may be blessed by the Lord. Please make my heart pure as I hunger and thirst after Your righteous ways. Above all, remind me of my sin and of my need for Jesus my Savior. Amen.

Have a blessed New Year!

Pastor David Paape 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for 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:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings  
Then scroll down to 2019 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!