The LORD loves righteousness and justice; (Psa 33:5 NIV)
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.” (Act 13:38-39 NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23 NIV)Nine fruits of the Spirit instead of one! They are all possible and really present in the Church. And each one is a debit-order that is made out in the name of the vineyard owner Jesus Christ. He did not provide sap and strength of his Holy Spirit in our Baptism. These nine fruits of the Spirit, which are found only in abundance amongst rather few of us are most pleasing to God. Yet even those amongst whom they are found will have to consent that for the most time it remains a struggle to bring forth these fruits – even if it could and should happen in power and vitality, with joy and praise. Even those of us, who want to be Christians most fervently must confess, that these fruits of the Spirit still grow rather poorly and sparsely amongst us. When will we do those deeds and full bring such actions in Jesus name that are worthy of bearing his name and start to be victorious and thus serve our Church honorably? Oh, that we would be heroes in following Jesus and not such weak and feeble warriors that are prone more than not to die rather than conquer.
Oh Lord strengthen your worn out and battle weary Christians, that too often oppose and reject the workings of your Holy Spirit. Help us with the word of your truth, grant repentance, conversion, faith and sanctification and let the fruits of your Spirit grow and flourish amongst us to the benefit of your Church and to praise your most holy name. Amen.
Help and bless me with celestial grace that I would always flourish in your presence; grant that the summer of your grace would bear forth ample fruit of faith all year round.
Make yourself at home within me that I become a good tree rooted deeply within you; grant that I be a beautiful flower in your garden blossoming to your glory always.
Elect me to your paradise and let my soul and body flourish and prosper to the very end so that I may at all times serve you willingly both here and there to your glory. (Paul Gerhard, 1607-1676)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Friday after the fourteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 318 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand (Psa 37:23-24 NIV)
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Mat 14:31 NIV)
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:21 NIV)“Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:21b NIV) That’s like a rolling thunder of truth, justice and judgment over those living like this – even if they are called Christian and have a passionate hope for eternal salvation. No, whoever lives like this is lost. There is repentance and conversion even of these sins as they too can be forgiven. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us of all sin. Yet those who sin willingly, unrepentantly and audaciously while even encouraging others to follow their bad example and themselves don’t seek to follow God’s holy ways – they are on the way to hell and eternal destruction. Then finally they will realize that their impudent sinning was nothing but lies and vanity of the devil, but then it will be too late for conversion or repentance.
Lord – our creator! We are your craft and handiwork. You gave us body and life to live according to your holy will and promise. There will come a day, when you will require us to answer your calling and we will have to give an account whether we honored these your creative gifts to us appropriately or whether we disregarded and even misused them. You would have us keep and preserve our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Therefore discipline us by thy Holy Spirit. Grant us steadfastness in all temptations. Grant us victory in the ongoing battle against sin and the world. The world is passing away with all its pleasure; yet, he who remains in you and your will, remains forever. Amen. (Church book of Württemberg 1931)
Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse of Thy love; Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee, Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King; Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages from Thee, Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt choose, Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart; it is Thine own; It shall be Thy royal throne, It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure-store. Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee, Ever, only, all for Thee. (Frances R. Havergal, 1874 LH 400)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the fourteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 317 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
Guide me in your truth and teach me! (Psa 25:5 NIV)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Joh 14:6 NIV)
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Gal 5:19-21a NIV)Listen to these works of the flesh. Works, that are feared only by a few, but are practiced by many – enjoyed and loved by most just as they promote them lavishly. What names, what sins, what vices and crimes! And yet so common, widespread and even popular in the Christian congregation. One could just focus on the names and try to focus on them individually. Yet, what would that serve? Who would take note of that? Who would despise them more for that? It seems more helpful to let those names stand and to ask the Holy Spirit, that he would burn them into our souls as a warning and punishment. Yes, it seems better to just briefly and succinctly point out the words. It is not my intention to withhold comfort and forgiveness from repenting sinners. Yet the many impudent and unrepentant trespassers receive no forgiveness. The greatest benefit to them are powerful, serious and punishing warnings and reprimands. Their disrespectful dedication to sin and vice will only become apparent in its entirety and perniciousness when it is already too late.
Holy God, merciful father! Teach us to be vigilant and prayerful, so that we do not consent willingly into any sin, but rather distance ourselves from them and withstand them steadfastly to preserve body and soul pure and undefiled. Let us recognize more and more vividly that your wholesome commandments show us the way to life. We commit ourselves and all that we are into your gracious guidance; keep us from all evil and lead us on your ways through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Church book of the Palatinate 1927)
Come confess! Come confess! Come confess here at the cross. If your hope and courage leave you If you’ve caused some pain or loss, face your sin, what’s hurt and broken, Go to Christ who can forgive and bless Come confess! Come, confess. (Tr. G. Tönsing )
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after the fourteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 316 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries.” (Dan 2:47 NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38-39 NIV)
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But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal 5:18 NIV)Whoever recognizes his responsibility to obey the law, but also his own weakness to fulfill it; whoever therefore accepts his own liability and worthiness to suffer the curse expressed by the law over all trespassers; whoever is unable to escape this curse and without strength for holy living; whoever is continuously heavily burdened, weighed down and troubled by this thus experiences the fearful condition of people under the law. Whoever recognizes the legal demands as responsibility and duty, follows them with passion and joy, but is not disheartened by any weakness, not put off by stumbling nor gives up his faith when he falls; whoever rejoices in good, irrespective of whether he’s successful in it or not; whoever praises the Lord for his grace and goodness if he prospers and succeeds, but also sticks to the good even if he does not; whoever is pushed by every failure to remorse and repentance, but also to greater zeal and ardor; who is not afraid punishment, because it was carried and exonerated by the Lord Jesus Christ, but is much more filled by love towards God – he is no longer under the law, but free of its coercion and curse. Oh, wouldn’t it be a blessed situation if even on earth we would not be subject to both these conditions of being under the law on the one side and free on the other too. Yet now our souls are drawn back and forth between fear and peace so that we can only confess: “The Goodness of the Lord that we have not perished!”
Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us with your help and comfort of your gracious presence as we struggle against the coercion and fear of the law. Wherever in your garden a broken reed praises you and a glowing wick gives thanks to you in your house, there spare the lowly plant and let also the lowly light find your pleasure. Comfort us with your gracious presence in our last hour and let us come from death to life. Amen.
No strength of ours can match his might! We would be lost, rejected. But now the right man comes to fight, by God himself elected. And who may this be? Christ Jesus is He. The mighty God’s son and with the Father one. He holds the field for ever. (Dr. Martin Luther)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Tuesday after the fourteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 315 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. (Gen 32:1 NIV)
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14 NIV)
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