I've had an Epiphany!

Have you ever really depended on somebody and then been disappointed? It’s human nature for people to fail, to lie, to quit, to make excuses, to be selfish, and to be so into their own agenda that they don’t have time for you. God is just the opposite. God keeps His promises. No lying, no evasion, no hidden messages. God comes right out and gives you and all of humanity the promise of a Savior. This Advent, hear about those promises given to Adam, affirmed with Abraham, and declared to David. Spend a quiet evening rejoicing in God’s promises kept through Jesus. Worship services are on Wednesday evenings, Dec 3, 10 and 17 at 6:30 pm . 

Deuteronomy 8:1-10 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. 6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land-- a land with streams and pools of...

Art: Noah's Building of the Ark Artist: Edward Hicks, 1846 Worship Theme: This Sunday we begin a new Church Year with the season of Advent. In Advent the Word of God bids us prepare for the coming of Christ. The readings for Advent have this urgency to them: Since he is surely coming again in judgment, we desperately need for him to come to us first in grace. For without that coming in grace we will perish at his coming in judgment. Old Testament: Genesis 6:1-3,5-14,17-22 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." 5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LO...

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. Tho...

Paul’s words in the middle of his great resurrection chapter in 1 Corinthians 15 can be kind of confusing. But that’s because he is demonstrating the mystery of the divine Trinity: “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’ Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:25-28). Jesus and the Father are one in substance, but they work together in a system of authority. We confess in the Athanasian Creed that the Son is “equal to the Father to his deity, less than the Father as to his humanity.” Or as we confess in the Nicene Creed that the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten, and the Spirit proceeds. We are trying in our...

Luca Signorelli’s painting of the “Resurrection of the Flesh” is based on St. Paul ’s great resurrection chapter in 1 Corinthians 15. The painting is especially founded upon this particular Bible verse: “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52 ).  In the painting, two angels are blasting their long trumpets from the sky. There is action upon the earth. Skeletons are rising from the ground. Flesh and muscle and sinew are returning to their bodies. There is laughter and joy at the great reunion of flesh and bones; the great reunion of body and soul; and the great reunion of God’s saints embracing one another. There is great comfort in a painting like this for anyone who is going to die – which will be every one of us. Recently, the national scare in America has been about the Ebola virus. Though I’m not a doctor, I do know how to Google. According to the NPR website, the chance of you contracting Ebola ...

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. ...

There is a Redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son, Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One, Thank you oh my Father, For giving us Your Son, And leaving Your Spirit, 'Til the work on Earth is done. Jesus my Redeemer, Name above all names, Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Hope for sinners slain. Thank you oh my Father, For giving us Your Son, And leaving Your Spirit, 'Til the work on Earth is done. When I stand in Glory, I will see His face, There I'll serve my King forever, In that Holy Place. Thank you oh my Father, For giving us Your Son, And leaving Your Spirit, 'Til the work on Earth is done.

"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel , in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel . 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will de...

Title: Resurrection of the Flesh Artist: Luca Signorelli This is a very interesting painting. It is based on St. Paul ’s great resurrection chapter in 1 Corinthians 15. The painting is especially founded upon this particular Bible verse: “ For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52 ).  In the painting, two angels are blasting their long trumpets from the sky. There is action upon the earth. Skeletons are rising from the ground. Flesh and muscle and sinew are returning to their bodies. There is laughter and joy at the great reunion of flesh and bones; the great reunion of body and soul; and the great reunion of God’s saints embracing one another. Worship Theme: Lord, keep us joyful in Christ our King! On this last Sunday of the Church Year, we rejoice in the fulfillment of God’s plan for our salvation through Christ our King. And we rejoice because our Christ our King reigns—the king who once ca...