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Bethany Lutheran Church
New Year's Eve, 7 PM, Holy Communion
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Hymn # 110 Across the Sky the Shades of Night
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth: who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. What is man that Thou art mindful of him: and the Son of Man that Thou visitest Him? Psalm. Thou, O Lord, art our Father and our Redeemer: Thy name is from everlasting.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift, we give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, temporal and spiritual, bestowed upon us in the year past, and we beseech Thee of Thy goodness, grant us a favorable and joyful year, defend us from all dangers and adversities, and send upon us the fullness of Thy blessing; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Gradual
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God: make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth.
V. The Lord hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly showed in the sight of the heathen. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets: hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 123 Our God, Our Help
God's Power Quashes Satan
The Hymn # 126 Arise and Shine in Splendor
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 552 Abide with MeAnnouncements and Prayers
- Lenski set being sent to a young pastor. Super Giant Print KJVs - 30 should arrive tomorrow or even today. Other books will be gathered and shipped free. The parsonage library is never lacking.
- Christmas Day last year - Parsonage wedding - Larissa and Cody Boyd. God's blessings to the whole extended family. 1st Anniversary - last week.
- Ongoing medical care - Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Kermit Way, Doc Lito and Family, Alicia Meyer.
The Epistle
KJV Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The Gospel
KJV Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
St. Stephen's Day, December 26th
KJV TEXT: ACTS 6:8-14, AND ACTS 7:54-60.
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council,13 and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law: 14 for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us. 54 Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,56 and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
God's Power Quashes Satan
The Scriptures are very plain. That is why the vast majority do not pay attention or they listen to those who despise the clear, effective Word of God. The recent decades have shown how much people lead others astray by throwing out new things to replace the clear Gospel.
This is described in the Scripture today. It was not enough to oppose Stephen (which means crown). They have to alienate people by saying "Stephen opposes Moses." That is what led the crowd to kill Stephen, blatant falsehoods (suborning).
References to crown (stephanos) show up in the New Testament, most likely to honor the very first believer to die for Jesus.
Our faithful Greek New Testament is called the Stevens or Stephanos, after one of the men who did the major editing. Any written work requires precision, especially when the material is old. Nevertheless, Tischendorf claimed that his "oldest manuscript of the Bible" was being burned to keep the monastery library warm. (Burning leather? oldest example!? The lie was swallowed whole.
As horrible as those lies are, the believers still stay with KJV and find great comfort in its truths.
The easy way out for Stephen was to recant and say he was wrong. God gave him the vision to know and to see, because that would spread out across the world. His example would go with the story of Jesus and this miraculous vision.
What seems to be the worst of Satan's work is described by Luther this way - The Holy Spirit is so powerful that He can turn the greatest evil into the greatest good, as He did when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. (as I recall - from What Luther Says)
I told you this before. A Dow Chemical agriculture expert wanted to see my Silver Queen corn. He arrived and saw one tall stalk, front of the house, and laughed at me. He chuckled all the way back to where the corn was planted in deep in compost. His eyes went up and up and up, trying to figure out how the Silver Queen could be so tall.
Born in John Deere's city, Moline, Illinois, grandfathers from farms, I learned a lot about the minority of crops growing because that is God's plan and wish throughout Creation.
On a personal level, God is always doing the best. The Incarnation itself - Jesus as Man and God, two natures - is the clearest example of God serving as man to help us understand, be patient and forgiving, and see how kind and gentle the Good Shepherd is.
Isaiah 40:11
- He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:
- He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom,
- and shall gently lead those that are with young.
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| Tom Fisher's farm |
