Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I'm sorry I missed last week's newsletter! My wife and I came down with whatever that illness is that's going around this year. We were negative for the flu, and the symptoms didn't match COVID-19, but we were both down for quite a while. My wife is the smart one and went to the doctor. She got some prescriptions that seemed to knock it out for her, but I decided to just wait it out and - while I'm better - I'm still dealing with a pretty nasty cough and some light congestion.
Anyway! Sorry to have missed a week. Glad to be back and writing you again! I'm planning to spend this week recording some pretty exciting content for you all, as well as getting a few more answers up in the database.
As always, if you want to contribute, feel free to do so here.
Collect
O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Scripture of the week
4 Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ from a servant though he is lord of all. 2 But he is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father. 3 So when we were children, we were in bondage to the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born from a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of His Son, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:1-7
Devotional Thought:
What great news Saint Paul brings us! We are, through the work of Christ, literally the Children of God. We are joint-heirs with Christ! That is to say, whatever it is that Christ receives from the Father, we also receive!
His life, His Righteousness, His honor! All that the Father would give to Jesus, He now gives you because of Jesus!
Born naturally in this world we are not sons of God. Rather, we are born in bondage and slavery to sin, in the house of the devil. But the Lord was not content to allow this sad state to remain!
So He sent His son to do the work required, that we might be adopted by God, out of the house of this world, and into the House of Him Who sent Christ for us! What a tremendous blessing.
It reminds me of those videos where the children ask their step-dad to adopt them, and everyone cries. Except, in this case, we were hopeless children with no one to adopt us and remove us from our terrible situation.
And then the Lord broke the door of the house down and said, "These are My children!" He rescued us from bondage to sin and death, and adopted us into Life Everlasting.
Hallelujah!
And Merry Christmas.
Faith in Action
- Prayer Challenge: What are some of the ways you should act now that you've been adopted into the family of God? And how can you pray that those things become evermore fruitful in your life?
Liturgical Insights
🕯️ The Christmas Tree: German Christians were among the first to bring live fir trees into their homes and decorate them for the season. The Moravians would put actual live candles in the trees (because electric LED lights didn't exist). I've set quite a few Christmas Trees on fire (for fun) throughout the years, and man they go quick! I can't imagine putting real candles on them.
Community Connection
Remember in your prayers the Christians in Nigeria who live under extreme persecution.
The Lord continue to bless your Advent.
In Christ,
Remy Sheppard
Host of Lutheran Answers
Does this resonate with you? Let me know if you'd like additions, subtractions, or changes! Just leave a comment and let me know!
