Day 349 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 13:1-22; Psalm 136; 2 Corinthians 5:1-15)
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2 ESV)
You and I have an unbearable burden that only Jesus could take off of our shoulders. We are sinners, lost and condemned by the righteous God of the universe. But in His great mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus, to be our burden-bearer, our one and only Savior.
When Paul wrote about bearing one another’s burdens, he was addressing this directive to those who have had their sin burden removed by Jesus. Because Christ bore your burden, you now get to help others in His name. Just how can you go about helping someone else with their burden?
● Pray for them.
● Be a friend to them.
● Help them with their physical and emotional burdens.
● Look for a chance to share all that your burden-bearing God means to you (forgiveness, salvation, comfort, protection, motivation, provider of all that you are, have and hope to be, and the bearer of you burden of sin)
● Be lovingly and politely persistent is sharing God’s love with them.
● Invite them to a Christmas concert or service.
Heavenly Father, thank You for removing my burden of sin. Please use me to show others around me that You are their burden-bearer too. In Jesus’ saving and burden-bearing name. Amen.
“See” you at the Communion rail this morning!
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!
Day 348 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 11:10-12:6; Psalm 135:13-21 Corinthians 4:1-18)
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV)
The aging process reeks havoc on our bodies; “our outer self is wasting away.” But the child of God who spends time with the Lord regularly (Bible reading, prayer, worship, reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood), finds himself/herself renewed daily. In fact, the child of God knows that we are being prepared for eternal life with Jesus. The hymn writer put it this way:
And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
(For All the Saints, The Lutheran Service Book, CPH, 2006, #677 stanza 5)
Dearest Lord Jesus, please strengthen my soul for the struggles of daily life, including the deterioration that comes with aging. In Your saving name, O Lord. 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 ), 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!
Day 347 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 10:20-11:9; Psalm 135:1-12; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18)
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble... But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:1-2 ESV)
Judgement Day is coming. At the end of that day, arrogant unbelievers will discover the error of their foolish rejection of Jesus, while believers will rise to the eternal sunshine of heaven.
Which are you, an unbeliever or a believer?
There is good news for anyone who is still alive.
There is hope: Jesus, “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” His priceless gift to sinners like you and me is forgiveness and the promise of heaven.
“The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
There is comfort: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Hail the heavenly Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild he leaves His throne on high, born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"
(“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” Lutheran Service Book #380 -3)
Lord Jesus, Son of righteousness, thank You for coming to me with healing in Your wings. Amen.
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!
Day 346 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 10:5-19; Psalm 134; 2 Corinthians 2:12-17)
“Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder.” (Nahum 3:18)
Those living under tyrants often wonder where God is. Does He still care about us? Is He still with us? Will the chaos ever end? Will He ever bring it to an end?
“For Ninevah, God’s patience came to an end. The evil nation of Assyria that had tyrannized surrounding peoples, acquiring wealth and power at their expense, was overthrown, and it disappeared from the annals of history. God’s wrath is revealed against all unrighteousness.” (The Lutheran Study Bible, Concordia Publishing House, 2009, page 1503)
This is good news for us living in this chaotic, upside-down world! Since we daily turn against God in our own lives, we deserve nothing but hell. Yet God has loved us much that He sent His only Son down to bring peace and forgiveness to the chaos of life without Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to calm the chaos in my life and in my soul. Thank You so much for sending Jesus to pay for my sins and secure my place in heaven with You. Amen.
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!
Day 345 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 98:10:4; Psalm 133; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11)
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgression.” (Psalm 51:1 ESV)
Self-reliant Americans aren’t too keen on needing mercy. We like to think we can make it on our own. However, when it comes to life’s biggest challenge, we can’t even come close to making it on our own. We can’t even begin to pay for one sin on our own. “Nobody’s perfect” we like to say. Even though that is true, what do we do individually about our lack of perfection?
In Psalm 51 King David shows us where to go to find a solution to our sin problem. His words of confession, pleading with God for forgiveness, are to be our words too. You see, this is precisely why Jesus went to the cross... to wash us and make us whiter than snow...to fill us with joy and gladness. And what is our response to be?
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:18 ESV)
We pray:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Amen. (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV)
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!
Day 344 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 9:1-7; Psalm 132; 2 Corinthians 1:12-22)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:1-4 ESV)
Paul is attempting to build the Corinthian church up by comforting them. The comfort he is talking about has been given by God as an antidote to the afflictions of life. And what is God’s great source of comfort? It is the Babe of Bethlehem who was born to be our Savior.
You can take great comfort in the fact that anyone who repents and believes in Jesus as his/her Savior is forgiven and guaranteed heaven! Let nothing you dismay as you take comfort in the good news proclaimed in this dear Christmas carol:
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day,
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray,
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
(“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” Public Domain)
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the comforting message of reconciliation that You give to all who repent and believe. Thank You that Jesus was born to save us all from Satan’s power. Please use me to share this comforting message with others. In Jesus’ comforting name. Amen.
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!
Day 343 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 8:1-22; Psalm 131; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11)
“The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2 ESV)
When Christmas comes, we will be celebrating the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic words. Because humanity is struggling in our spiritual darkness, God the Father sent Jesus to be the Light of the world. Jesus lived a sinless life, died an innocent death, and rose in triumph from the grave for sinners like you and me, allowing us to see the light, His light.
It is a tragic fact that there are so many today who continue to walk in spiritual darkness. So many have no idea why Jesus came to this earth. They have no idea of what Jesus has to offer them...
- peace
- forgiveness of their sins
- reconciliation with God the Father
- guarantee of eternity in heaven
- true love (God’s love) that changes EVERYTHING!
Perhaps you know someone like that. They may even be close to you, a relative, a coworker, a neighbor. If so...
- pray for them
(Lord, lay some soul upon my heart, and love that soul through me.
And may I humbly do my part to win that soul for Thee. Amen.)
- model Christ’s love to / for them
- share God’s plan of salvation with them (Jesus died and rose for them)
- invite them to your house
- invite them to God’s house
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy darkness shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
("O Little Town of Bethlehem," The Lutheran Service Book, CPH, #361)
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be the Light that this sin-darkened worlds needs so desperately. May He continue to shine on me and through me for the rest of my life. Amen.
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!
