2015 Advent Daily Devotions
straightforwardness is stark: “those who are born of God do not
sin…”
Wait, what?
How shocked would we be if Pastor B ended his Christmas sermon (or a
baptism for that matter!) saying, “starting next week, we will no longer have
confession, since those who are born of God don’t sin.” And that’s what John
says here, “those born of God…” That’s us, Christians. And yet we still sin.
We use John’s words from the first chapter of this letter in our practice of
confession every week. Our sin doesn’t surprise John or God. But while we
need the grace of the communal discipline of confession, we also need to be
convinced of this truth: that as those born of God, we no longer sin. The
victory of Christ is actual and complete or it is nothing.
Conflicted as we are about this, our attention is focused by John on Jesus: the
Son of God, who came and accomplished this victory. He is our protection
from the evil of this world that remains at hand. It is our union with Him,
made possible through His birth that we celebrate today, that we know,
experience and have truth and life as children of God.
This is our confidence – so great is
Christ’s victory that our sin is completely
and forever defeated. While we still
experience the progressive nature of our
sanctification, it is never without the
established fullness of our redemption
accomplished in Jesus. What greater gift
could we ask for today or any day?
us remember the great gift of our
complete deliverance from death to a
true and living holiness with you.
Defend us from evil and temptation that
we may each day more fully reflect the
light of Your holiness in our new birth.
Grant us the grace we need to die with
you to sin and live anew in the power
years praying to God about various situations for ourselves,
family, friends and the world. People who get frustrated and give up on
prayer and God may do so because they look at prayer like Forrest Gump
looked at a box of chocolates…”You never know what you’ll get.”
What those people don’t realize is that with prayer you do know what you’re
getting even while you’re waiting – not the unknown chocolate but the sweet
taste of the one you have in your hand. If you truly trust and have confidence
in God’s wisdom toward us in what we ask of him, then, however he answers,
whenever he answers, it will be what’s best for us. That’s our assurance –
that’s our sweet taste of the known chocolate. We need to have patience to
wait and know that God’s timing for his answer to us is, ultimately, what’s
best for us.
And here’s the miracle of Advent: who would’ve ever asked for a baby, to be
born in a manger, to grow, to teach, and eventually carry our sin to the cross?
No one prays like that. Yet God gives us not just what we ask for, but what we
truly need.
So, continue to pray and when you say
“amen”, think of the deliciousness of that
chocolate. The satisfaction you feel when you
swallow is the same satisfaction you should
feel in knowing that God has it all under
control.
grow strong in our confidence in
your will. With patience, help us
to remember that you hear all
our prayers, and answer all our
prayers for what is best for us
and in a time that is best for us.
don’t we just start celebrating? Let’s open all the presents and
gobble up that great Christmas dinner. Why wait?
That’s John’s message in our verses today. But before you start shredding
wrapping paper, let me finish. John is asking us to celebrate something far
better than gifts or gravy. It’s better than mistletoe, snowmen, twinkle lights,
or carols sung by a choir.
Take a second and imagine the best our Christmas celebrations have to offer.
Now multiply it by a hundred. By a thousand. By a million. That’s quite a
party! And yet, it’s still nowhere near capturing the joy of eternal life.
Imagine eternity in the presence of God and His holiness. Imagine being in
the company of believers from places and eras you could never dream of
visiting. Imagine a light that never fades, lips that never lie, hearts that never
mourn, and bodies that never weary.
That’s a snapshot of heaven from another of John’s books, Revelation. But
John’s revelation in today’s verses is this: your eternal life starts now. By
grace, through faith alone, we have eternal life – not just after our mortal
death, but right now!
John makes it clear when he writes, “God gave us eternal life.” Jesus is that
Life. That Life is living within you.
There may be very good reasons to wait to
unwrap presents or feast on turkey and
trimmings, but we have no excuse not to
celebrate the great gift of eternal life that’s
live differently in the knowledge
that we have eternal life in the
to the moment that I was in the middle of living it. Shocked, desperate,
breathless…these were the feelings walking into the Critical 1 Room at the
St. Francis Children’s ER and seeing a team of doctors and nurses in a literal
fight to keep our 25-day-old son alive.
One nurse breathing for him with the intubation bag, while another vainly
searching for a pulse. Seeing him lie there limp, gray, and helpless. The real
punch in the gut came when we were asked to leave the room, and wait in
the family waiting room for news. The curtain fell in our minds; “My
God…he isn’t going to make it. They don’t want to make us watch him die.”
All that is left in that moment is faith, hope, and love. Faith, that no matter
what, the promise of Baptism is real and you will see each other again either
here or in the hereafter. Hope, that God has a plan for him, and for us as
family. And love for our son, and for each other.
Your mind goes places in moments of terror
that you may not expect. The truth is I never
fully understood faith until it was tested, and I
had nothing else to lean against except faith.
In today’s Scripture, John reminds us, “everyone who has been born of God
overcomes the world.” Baptism is the act of being born again of God, and is a
true gift of the Spirit, and an integral part of our salvation. Faith is truly a gift,
one that I am more grateful for than ever before.
may I never lose faith, hope, and
love through all of this life’s
testing moments. In Jesus,
children, who are our neighbors.
I don’t think I would use that passage to engage an agnostic or an atheist. It
carries a message of obey the Ten Commandments so that a person can
believe and be loved. He is, I think, addressing believers with the intent of
helping them to continue believing, stronger than before. If he were talking
to atheists I suspect he would say, “repent and be baptized.” The belief that
John talks about probably assumes the Spirit has made it possible to believe
in the first place.
That is a tough proposition. To believe, the Spirit must facilitate the action.
The benefits are not available without the Spirit, for mankind can’t believe by
will, command or wish or any other device.
With this gift of faith through the Spirit, this passage also encourages us to
greater Christian brotherhood. We have a common Father and we are called
to love each other like family.
As John lays it out, there should be no barriers to Christian community. If you
believe Jesus is the Christ, then you’ve been born of God. Being born of God
assumes that you love the Father. And if you love the Father, John says you
have no excuse not to love your faithful brothers and sisters.
When John writes that “we love the children of God when we love God and
obey his commandments,” he echoes Jesus’ own words when He said,
“whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and
mother.” (Matt. 12:50) As we draw ever
closer to Christmas, is there any better time
to appreciate the community of faith we’ve
been given?
serve and love you and to love
spoke about many subjects, but his words about the love of Jesus stood out
to me because they supported today’s Scripture reading. In his remarks, Pope
Francis said: “Jesus loves you so much, Jesus loves you completely… The
Lord loves you from the heart.”
The Bible is full of references to God’s love. John makes it very clear in his
writings that God’s idea of love is much different than say our first high
school infatuation! God’s love is not a short-lived passion.
Once we have received God’s love as his children, he expects us to love. John
affirms that “God is love.” God does not merely love; he is love and he
commands us to love others. Everything that God does flows from his love.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud.” (1 Cor. 13:4). Paul compares faith, hope, and
love, and concludes “the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13)
As John writes about love in our selected
Scripture today, he almost certainly had the
words of Jesus echoing in his ears. Gathered
with Him in the upper room, Jesus gave the
11 disciples – including John – a new
commandment: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
show true love for our brothers
and sisters just as you have
this to do with Advent?” But as I read it again, it clicked! Jesus
came down at Christmas to take away our sins on Good Friday, freeing us
from punishment of which we are so deserving.
“We love God because He first loved us.” (1 Jn. 4:19) Because of Jesus’
perfect love for us, we have no fear of this world. Nor do we have fear of
eternal punishment because God sent His Son to bear His full wrath on the
cross. God’s will is for all humans to be saved. Love is the work and will of
God.
Do we still fear? Of course! We fear for our children and grandchildren, for
our safety when we walk out the front door and as we drive down the road.
But if we remember that love is perfected in us when we believe in Jesus, we
no longer fear the ultimate fear of eternal punishment.
As Jesus so aptly put it in what is called the
High Priestly Prayer, “I am not praying for the
world but for those whom You gave Me, for
they are Yours…I have given them Your word
and the world has hated them for it…They are
not of this world, just as I am not of this
world.” (Jn. 17:9, 14, 16)
We are not of this world because Jesus – Perfect Love – has perfected our love
sent Your only begotten Son to
be our Perfect Love, that we
might not endure the
punishment that should truly be
ours. In His name and for His
closest friends, John had really seen and touched Jesus. Maybe
some of the people he was addressing had also. But some had their doubts.
John wanted to speak directly to the skeptics who couldn’t believe that the
true God – the Word of life who spoke the world into existence – would come
to Earth as a true human being.
We can’t say that we have physically “seen” Jesus, but we know that God sent
him to us, don’t we? Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? There is a poem by
Christina Rossetti called “Who Has Seen the Wind?” We know there is wind,
but we can’t see it. We feel it; we hear it; we can see what it does. It is that
way with Jesus. We can see Him in what He does in our lives, in other
people’s lives, in our church, and around the world. We read about Him in
the Bible from people who did know Him. We read about how He healed the
sick, raised the dead. Today, He heals the sick through doctors and nurses
and modern technology. Sometimes, He brings the dead back through
technology too, modern day miracles. And all this, He does out of love,
because God is love.
We can’t see Him, but through faith, we
know He is here. God’s Old Testament
people couldn’t see Jesus either. They had to
hold fast to the loving promise of the Savior
and the knowledge that God always keeps
His promises. In this season of the Advent of
our Lord, take heart that Jesus has come and
will come again, lovingly promising
season as we await the
celebration of your birth, please
give us your Spirit to spread the
good news to people who don’t
know you. Encourage us to invite
them to your home to celebrate
with us, so that they may know
you and that you may live in
white so bright it is hard to look at Him? Does he look like you and me?
Would you recognize Him as God if you saw Him?
Has God done anything for you that was only for you? What did He do for
you? What makes you get up on Sunday morning to go to church to hear His
Word? Why do you ask God to forgive you for the sins you committed?
How do you know you haven’t seen God? I have! When we go to church, we
worship together as the visible body of Christ. We believe the Father sent His
only Son, Jesus, to be the Savior of the world. With his Holy Spirit in our
hearts, we love each other.
As we love one another, God’s love is perfected in us. This perfect love, and
the presence of the Holy Spirit are both gifts from God. They are not gifts we
deserve, but they are ours by grace.
As we get to know someone, we get to know
their heart and their love for God. I cannot see
God like I see you, but can I see and know that
Holy Spirit abides in your heart. We cannot
see the Spirit, but we know the Spirit is
to ask you to remain in my heart
today and always. Thank you for
sending your Son to this world to
die for my sins. Let the Holy
Spirt strengthen me and help me
resist the devil and all his
wicked works. In Jesus’ name
“All you need is love.”
“Love is all around us.”
“Love makes the world go round.”
How many quotes are there about love? How many could you list? When you
reflect on all the clichéd and mass produced quotes, do you ever think they’re
sappy or stupid? Maybe there are some that are on target and describe love
perfectly.
Victor Hugo wrote “To love another person is to see the face of God.” Now
there is a quote that really says something. In today’s passage from 1 John,
we are given the supremely, splendorous messages that God is love, and we
ought to love one another for love is from God. In sending us His beloved
Son, His love was made manifest among us. In these four short verses, there
are so many lessons about love that are fulfilling, inspiring, and comforting.
One needs to look no further to try and define love.
In this season of Advent, reflect on God’s love.
God has given the greatest gift to us, His Son.
It is the gift of His love in the perfect package
of a living body of a man on Earth.
Now go out and pass this love on, for we can
show how much we love our Heavenly Father
and Jesus, by giving our love to one another.
That should be a really great gift, not just at
the answer to the query, “I want
to know what love is,” by
knowing that you are love and
your gift of your Son shows your
love for us. Help us in our
endeavors to love one another as
we show our love for you.
father. I just knew he could do just about everything. To me, he was very
powerful, yet sinful. Gentle, yet stern. Funny, yet sorrowful. He was human.
He was my dad and yet I shared him with the rest of my family. He
disappointed me and I disappointed him.
It was during this time of disappointment that I grew stronger in my
knowledge of God and that He was far greater then anything my earthly
parents were. It was indeed through God that I overcame the earthly things
and knew that I was His. It was through my Heavenly Father that I learned to
forgive, and was able to hold and take care of my parents as they passed this
mortal coil. I was able to know that I will see them again. Now I lean on my
everlasting Father who never disappoints
So during this Advent season, I will be every
grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending
His son to die for our sins and to overcome
the things of this world. Please join me in
for sending your Son that
blessed Christmas morning. We
thank you that it is through Him
During Advent, we are very much reminded of the true
humanity of Jesus as we celebrate His birth. He had the fully
human experience of being born, being a baby and growing up with all its
joys and sorrows.
I love the way this chapter opens, with John addressing his readers as “dear
friends.” John is being a patient teacher. He is being kind, but firm. We as
Christians must be this way as well. We are teachers to our children,
grandchildren, friends, acquaintances and each other.
These verses contain first a caution and then a test. We are cautioned to
beware of false prophets, particularly in church leadership. Prophets (leaders)
claim to possess revelation from God, but not all who claim this are to be
believed. They may be inspiring speakers, but they must pass The Test so we
avoid heresy and division.
The Test is that these prophets (leaders) must
acknowledge that Jesus Christ was both fully
God and fully human. True revelations involve
all Three Persons of the Trinity—the Father
sends the revelation through the Spirit, the
Spirit testifies that Jesus is the incarnate, truly
human Son of God. If they do so, their
message is from God.
In my life, I have been blessed with true prophets for the most part. False
ones, fortunately, have shown their true colors. And observing my three
granddaughters (and soon my grandson) begin to absorb and recognize the
of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help
us always to remember that He
was both fully God and fully
human and to keep our eyes
fixed on true prophets. We pray
this through Jesus Christ, your
Son, our Savior. Amen
that you know it? You may chuckle at the way in which this
question is phrased. I get that. But for many, it is a deep philosophical
question, which has its own discipline within Philosophy, called
Epistemology.
This text makes a lofty epistemological claim of knowledge of the truth. The
claim is this: by the love of God and what He has done through Jesus Christ,
we can epistemologically know truth. The entire text is girded in, with and
through God, who is able to accomplish and know all things. That knowledge
is manifest to us who have faith, as the Holy Spirit moves in, with and
through us. This is nothing less than the sanctified life that God creates in us
by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Let’s alter the philosophical question slightly and see what happens. How
can I know that I have the Holy Spirit, and how can I know that I know it? You
can only know that you have the Holy Spirit when, as the text says, “by this we
know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
When you do a work that God calls good, then you know that you have the
Holy Spirit. When you prepare for the coming of Jesus this Christmas, you
know you have the Holy Spirit. May your
Advent preparation come with the
assurance that the Holy Spirit is alive and
the gift of Your Holy Spirit this
surrounding Him what command was the greatest for them to follow. Jesus’
response was love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and
secondly, love your neighbor as yourself. (Mk. 12:29-31)
In today’s verses from John’s epistle, it appears our author is expounding on
this second point and giving instructions on how we are to carry out Jesus’
directive. He sets the bar high by reminding us that Jesus died because of
the Father’s love for us. Odds are we will not be required to make that great a
sacrifice but we certainly should share our blessings with those in need. That
sharing may be a sympathetic ear to listen to someone’s emotional pain,
sharing your faith or a message from the Bible with a lost soul, providing a
meal for the hungry, supplying warm clothing where it’s needed, buying a
tank of gas to get someone home, mentoring a job seeker and the list goes
on.
Good deeds are not a requirement for our salvation. The Father has provided
that by grace through faith and claimed us as His in our baptism. Now it is
our privilege to demonstrate to our fellow human beings that Jesus truly
lives in us by sharing His gifts when the
opportunity arises. May this Christmas season
open the door for you to “let your light shine
before men, that they may see your good
Christmas Season to inspire
us to a greater love for You
and in turn a greater outreach
to those around us. In
makes an excellent, eternal point. “Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds
of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your
reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.” (Matt. 5:10-12)
John echoes Jesus’ teaching when he tells us not to be surprised if the world
hates you. We hear that Christians throughout the world are being
persecuted by governing regimes, extremist sects and terrorist warlords.
These faithful are harassed, tortured, starved, hated, imprisoned and
executed.
Persecution is ever present. Religious intolerance in the guise of political
correctness. One man’s opinion trying to drive spiritual and political entities.
The aching to be in charge and rule the world.
As men seek to rule the world, the King of all creation arrived as a humble
newborn. As the all-knowing Son of God, Jesus
was aware He was entering a world that would
hate Him. He would be tortured, harassed and
executed for righteousness’ sake. By this we
know love, that He laid down His life so that in
him we might become the righteousness of
God.
God’s Word reminds us anyone who does not
season, as we are asked to
love even our enemies, let us
remember to love and pray
for those who are persecuted
for Your sake. Make us bold
to love and pray also for those
who do the persecuting and
who are killing these saints.
children have to take on your own attributes. We see this on a daily basis,
whether it is Charlotte putting on an apron to help mom cook or Addie
picking up the viola to “practice” with mom. Sometimes this is cute, and
sometimes concerning. Our son Jackson is, along with his dad, a diehard
OSU football fan. When dad yells, Jackson yells. When dad is stressed,
Jackson is stressed. When dad is dejected at the outcome, so is Jackson. At
this point, Jackson no longer needs to even look to dad to know how to react;
he is now a “mini-me” when it comes to being an OSU football fan.
In John’s first epistle, God describes us as his children, which has
consequences for our lives. As his children, we live with him, see him, and
know him. When we live in his light and presence, we become like children
seeking to mimic a parent, only here it is our heavenly Father. The end
product is that, in Him, we do “what is righteous, just like he is righteous.”
Without the love God has “lavished on us,” we would not see him or know
him. Instead, we would look to the world, where the only parental figure is
the devil, and live accordingly.
At Advent, we await Jesus, who “appeared so
that he might take away our sins.” How
almighty Father, for making
us your children. Help us to
do what is right and love our
brothers as a reflection of our
new life in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
“Don’t you know who I am?” It’s a cliché movie phrase that always seems to preempt a well-known, important person making the common person feel small and insignificant. In television and movies, this question is usually answered quickly and with some sort of humorous plot twist.
In 1 John 3:1-2 the tables are reversed. It is us, the common man asking the important man, God, the question “Do you know who I am?” God answers us with a resounding “Yes!” For God has known us and loved us from the very beginning, from before we were even born to this earth, He has known us. Not only has He known us, but He knows exactly what we will be, what we will do, and all the potential we have to share who He is with others.
When God sent us his son, He wanted to be sure that we knew him. He made sure that Jesus came into this world just as we had, as a common man, born from a common woman. Jesus was sent to set the example of who we are and who we should be: showing love to everyone, important or common.
you for knowing who we are,
even we don’t know it
ourselves. Thank you for
showing us you love by
sending us someone who set
the example how who we
should be. Thank you for
allowing us to be your
beloved children. Through
your Son, Jesus. Amen.
The words “abide” or “abides” are used six times in these few verses from John’s first epistle. It makes you think of the well-loved hymn, “Abide with Me” (LSB 878.) It uses the word “abide” the same way as this text.
“Abide” means to dwell or “to live or reside in a place.” It means more than a passing thought or action, but rather it is a belief that becomes a part of us. It dwells (lives) in our minds and hearts.
So what is so important that John finds the need to use this word repeatedly? The study notes in the Lutheran Study Bible reveal “it is necessary for salvation to believe what God’s Word teaches concerning the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One cannot have the Father without holding to the Son and also to the Spirit.” John is strongly disputing the notion, common in his day, that Jesus was not the true Son of God.
Our world is not that much different from John’s first century world. There is God’s truth which John had faithfully taught his “little children” from the beginning. And there are the liars – the antichrists – who lead people away from God.
through your Word. May it
live in me so that I may
remain faithful to You all my
life. In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
By Norma Muller
Do not cling to sin and the daily temptations of the world, but cling to Christ and through God’s grace, we have life everlasting. This is the message that John is bringing to us. It is an easy concept to embrace in its totality, but day-by-day and temptation by temptation, we need to keep these words in the forefront of our thoughts or the Devil will lead us to sinful thoughts and sometimes sinful behavior.
Some of us learned of Jesus’ love and forgiveness of sin at an early age, probably because family members supplied them early access to God’s Word. I did not have family members who granted me that early access. I was in my 50’s when that occurred. Still, God’s Word found me and will find us wherever we are.
let the desires of our selfish, sinful
flesh reign over us. Empower us,
through your Spirit and by your
grace, to fix our eyes on your Son,
our Savior, that we may believe in
Him. Amen.
At first glance, this scripture would seem to have little to do with the nativity of our Lord and yet, there is a thread that connects the Apostle John’s epistle with the opening of his gospel.
We meet ‘Him who is from the beginning’ in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Now in Christ Jesus we have a new beginning, one that was planned by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While all of one substance, only the Son would experience the anguish of separation from God. When the sin of the world fell upon Him on the cross, God the Son vanquished sin in our place – something we human beings could not do it on our own.
would keep me mindful of the
debt I owe, a debt I cannot
hope to repay. But that my
salvation came as a gift, a gift
of freedom to live as you
would have me live rather
than after my own selfish
inclinations. May I manifest
the joy of that gift that those
who do not yet know you
might thereby be drawn unto
you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By Gary Ames
I absolutely love my job. Just ask me about it sometime. I am a paraprofessional and for the last two years, I worked with kids with severe and profound special needs. I definitely felt it was my calling to help, teach, nurture and love that particular group. Jesus’ light shone through me in all that I did. I felt very content and comfortable with my place there.
I was thrown a curveball this year when I was moved to a different classroom. I questioned a lot of things in this move. I was happy where I was. There are times I feel these kids don’t really need me as much. However, this scripture really moved me.
We have a term at school for kids who have lot of behavior problems and come from bad situations. For lack of a better word, they are “broken.” Many come from homes where there is no positive role model or safe and secure environment to live. I love all these children with my whole heart because my heavenly Father has given me the gift to do so. I am there to give hugs and an encouraging word for any situation. I am a positive and shining light in their world.
wisdom and words to shine a
light for those who cross my
path today. Thank you for
your son Jesus Christ and for
forgiving our sins that we
may live with you in eternal
life. Amen.
By Jennifer Caspersen
It’s an apparent contradiction. John writes that his “new commandment” is really not new at all. And he’s right. The overtones in this passage from John’s first epistle are supposed to point us back to John’s gospel where Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you… just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (Jn. 13:34)
But what’s new about that? The Levitical law instructs, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:18) Jesus himself repeats this command earlier in His ministry. So what’s new about the command to “love one another”?
The stakes are new. “Just as I have loved you” means so much more in the light of Advent. We are called to love to a higher standard. Love like our Savior. Love like One who put heavenly glory aside to become a servant of all. Love like One who humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.
These verses are perfect as we await Christmas: the celebration of contradiction. We await the One who was born, yet who is eternal. We await the One born of a virgin. We await the One who orchestrates the universe, but didn’t reserve room for Himself in a Bethlehem inn.
your majesty and humility. Give
us wisdom to see the truth and
beauty of the seeming
contradictions of Advent. Let us
embrace a life of service as
you call us to love we have
been loved. Amen.
By Joshua Brakhage
Jesus was sent to live with us and die for us. Jesus was sin free and preached the way of righteousness. Jesus would allow himself to be crucified for our sins that we might live by faith in Him.
Jesus was not persecuted for ill deeds. He was considered a threat to those in power. They feared people turning from them to Him. We see this today with more and more attacks on Christianity.
gesundheit
We cannot love Jesus and live in darkness. We have come to know Him and we should keep His commandments. We should carry His ministry forward to others.
John’s epistle teaches us, “whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God is truly perfected.” We know we won’t keep his Word perfectly. It is impossible for us to live without sin. But Jesus kept every commandment, and in Him alone is love truly perfected.
And we await that arrival of perfect love, as we look toward Christmas, and Christ’s eventual return. Through his word and sacraments, Christ keeps us one with himself. As members of Christ’s body, we are never alone.
Father I pray that the Holy
Spirit will guide my actions
that I can serve as a
messenger of God’s love and
Jesus is the way to life
everlasting. Amen.
By Harold France
Our family’s Christmas celebration won’t be complete until we sing “Joy to the World.” It’s my mother’s favorite Christmas hymn, and she’s not alone. According to the Dictionary of North American Hymnology, “Joy to the World” is the most published Christmas hymn in North America. (In case you’re curious, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is #2.)
we are faithful and just, but because He
This perfect picture of grace should bring joy to every sinner’s heart. Telling ourselves we don’t need God’s full and regular forgiveness is a lie. And why believe a lie when the truth is so much more beautiful? A believer’s heart is cleansed from all unrighteousness.
It’s funny that many popular recordings of “Joy to the World” leave out the third verse. Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Disney, and even the VeggieTales versions omit the verse that begins, “No more let sin and sorrow grow.” Our scripture today seems to clearly tell us that forgiveness from sin in Christ is our prime reason for joy in this world of sorrow.
Jesus comes to make His blessings flow, as far as the curse is found – in hearts young and old, rich and poor, unschooled and educated. In hearts tainted by vanity, greed, lust, jealousy, rage, and hatred. Repentant hearts are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Repeat the sounding joy!
Jesus, the great Joy of our
hearts, we thank you for
the forgiveness you offer.
Help us share this joy to
the world. Amen.
By Joshua Brakhage
We hear these words many Sundays as part of our worship. Have we really stopped to think about the message they send to us? At first these words may sound harsh, but the real message that God is telling us here is pretty simple and great news!
I often joke with my family, telling them that, as a youth, I was a perfect child for my parents. This is hardly the truth. It really is a joke if anyone tries to convince themselves that they don’t ever sin and that they have no need of forgiveness. We so often think better of ourselves than we should. One look in the mirror can quickly bring us back to reality.
The great news is this: undeserving as we all are, all we have to do is ask for God’s forgiveness and it’s done. Nothing else. No penance to pay. No offering to make, as in Old Testament times. Just confess. No questions asked. No matter what the sin. The death and resurrection of the Christ-Child has already paid the price.
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be given,
A future grace is promised,
A glorious crown in heaven.
Amen.
By John Meinders
As a church musician, I have had the privilege of learning and playing many wonderful hymns that speak to people’s hearts. One of my favorite contemporary hymns is “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” by Kathleen Thomerson.
I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world; The star of my life is Jesus.
In Him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
The image of Jesus, shining within our hearts, reminds me of the motion picture, “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.” As the little alien “came back to life,” his heart within his tiny body began to glow. Nothing could contain the light within E.T. Elliot, the young boy noticed the glow and knew something special was happening.
As forgiven children of God, should our hearts not glow even brighter than a mere movie character? Christ’s blazing light within us, cannot be contained. It shines forth in our lives.
in our hearts and lives, so others
may notice that something
special is happening – you are
drawing near. Purify our hearts,
illumine our paths, show us the
way to the Father, and grant us
fellowship in the light of Christ.
Amen.
First John was written by John, one of Jesus’ original twelve disciples. John is also the author of the Gospel of John. John was clearly dearly loved by Jesus (Jn. 21:20) – and along with Peter and James, they had a special relationship with Jesus.
John opens his first epistle similarly to the way he began his Gospel, emphasizing that Christ is eternal, that Jesus came into the world as a human, and that he, John, was an eyewitness to Jesus’ life. John had lived with Jesus, having personal, physical contact with Jesus. John knew beyond any doubt that Jesus would bring light and life to us.
But there were doubts. Errors. Confusion. Some in the early church had no trouble believing Jesus was God, but doubted He was truly human. As an eyewitness to Jesus ministry, John was qualified to teach the truth about Him. The readers of this letter may not have seen or heard Jesus themselves, but they could trust that what John wrote was accurate.
We’re like those second and third generation Christians who though we have never personally seen, heard, or touched Jesus, we can trust the eyewitnesses who spoke the truth about Jesus as written in the New Testament.
this wonderful day and for the
fellowship we have here at
CTR. Please help us, guide us
and lead us each and every
day to magnify your name. We
joyfully pray in Jesus’ Holy
name. Amen.
By Norm Zanter