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October 2018

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS October 2018

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Oct 1 TLH 261/LSB 655; Numbers 22:21-41 Balaam wanted to prophesy as Balak desired, but the Lord hindered him so that the truth came out instead.

Oct 2 TLH 570/LSB 558; Psalm 117 Meditate on the Lord’s love and His faithfulness!

Oct 3TLH 203Psalm 118:13-24Though we face trials and sorrows, the Lord does not give us over to death, but He becomes our salvation.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS October 2018

Royal Priests, by Order of Our Great High Priest

When you think of a priest, a lot of terrible news stories might come to mind.

Sins have become public and all too commonly connected with the word priest. This, however, is no modern issue. Even Aaron, whom God appointed as priest over the Israelites in the desert, failed to live up to his calling. He made a golden calf for the people to worship (Exodus 32). Eli’s sons, the priests Hophni and Phinehas, were notoriously evil (1 Samuel 2:22-23). The chief priests in Jesus’ time took part in crucifying Him (Matthew 27:20). The high priest was part of the judicial body that condemned Stephen to death for preaching about Jesus (Acts 7). We Christians are called priests, but what can that mean for us when so many have failed in this calling?

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The Bible clearly includes all Christians in the “royal priesthood” mentioned in 1 Peter 2:9. This is not the same as the Old Testament priesthood. In the Old Testament, only the descendants of Aaron were to be priests. In general, they fulfilled the important duties of performing sacrifices and speaking to God on behalf of the people. But these sacrifices were not enough. As hymnist Isaac Watts wrote, “Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain.” (TLH 156)Read More »Royal Priests, by Order of Our Great High Priest

The Unseen Church

DEVOTION – THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

“The hand is quicker than the eye” is a very familiar adage. This saying was demonstrated to me quite thoroughly just last year. Our town had a festival at which a street magician was performing. Time and again this man astounded the gathered crowd with his sleight of hand. One trick in particular had me flummoxed, because I knew the trick. I had seen videos on the preparation and deception, and yet I couldn’t see this man’s execution. I saw the result, as we all did, but how did he get there?Read More »The Unseen Church