DEVOTION: Isaiah 9:1-4 (NIV)
9 [a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
The day of the Lord will be a glorious day. We need to have confidence that, because of what Christ has done on the cross, we will be on the right side of things on that day. It is all because of God's mercy and grace. We didn't do anything, nor will we ever do anything to earn that grace.
Until that day we can rejoice as people rejoice in the harvest and as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. Well….. those analogies may not work as well. We can rejoice as the Packers fans and Steelers fans rejoiced this past Sunday, or the Cubs fans did back in early November, or as a person does when he wins the lottery.
We can rejoice even more than that, because our rejoicing will last forever. We never have to stop. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His mercies are new EVERY morning! Great is His faithfulness.
As long as our rejoicing is in Him and not ourselves it will continue. As long as we trust in the Lord and not our own understanding we will have lasting joy!
Look forward to the day of Christ's return with certainty, but also rejoice today because He has already taken away the sin of the world!
Let us pray: Lord, we thank you for settting us free from sin forever, for crushing our enemies under your feet, for breaking the rod of the oppression of sin and forgiving us victory! Help us to look forward to the day of your return, but to also look forward to every day u8ntil then, because you are with us and in us every day. Amen.
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CALENDAR
Tues- Quilting 9-2; Council meeting 7
Wed- Dress Sewing for Africa 9:30-Noon; Ladies Aid noon; Choir 7
Thurs- Lutheranism 101 6:30pm; February Newsletter deadline
Fri- Bible Study and Hendershot's 7pm
Sat- Men's breakfast 8am; Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and Adult Bible class 9:45; Youth snow tubing leave at 2pm
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WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Sarah Cluver 11- Cameron Faerber
Ushers- Rich Boeger, Don Hance, Don Tate, Doug Walters
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster; Clean up- John and Anna Hoenig
Elders- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Lew and Dianne Feldkamp; 11- Mike and Naomi Johnson
Lay Readers- Sat- Roy Bohning; 8:30- Tim Linke; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano- Barb Dreyer