BUSYNESS

"If you don't have time to spend alone with God each day, then you are too busy. Period. Nothing is so important that it has to be doe at the expense of spending time waiting to hear from God." Michael DiMarco, Devotions for the God Guy

C.S. LEWIS

"If God were proud He would hardly have us on such terms; but He is not proud, He stoops to conquer, He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him, & come to Him because there is 'nothing better' now to be had." C.S. Lewis, Men's Devotional Bible

THE CREATOR

Isaiah 45:9-12 . "Woe to the man who fights with his Creator. Does the pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with him who forms it, saying, 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!" or the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?' Woe to the baby just being born who squalls to his father & mother, 'Why have you produced me? Can't you do anything right at all?' Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, Israel's Creator, says:  'What right have you to question what I do? Who are you to command Me concerning the work of My hands? I have made the earth & created man on it. With My hands I have strengthened out the heavens & commanded all the past myriads of stars.'" The Living Bible

HUSBANDS & WIVES

"But dear husbands & wives, never forget that you do not belong to sin; you belong to Jesus. Christ Jesus gave everything up for you to make you His own. And because you belong to Jesus & have stepped into the estate of marriage, you also belong to each other. Husbands, you belong to your wives, not the old Adam. You have been called into sacrifice, not slothful apathy." Matthew Richard, Minute Messages

WORSHIP

"Worship is about your inadequacies, not yur strength & performance. Worship is about you having empty hands to receive God's gifts, not tightfisted hands to prove something to God. Worship is about receiving God's best, not giving God your best. Worship is about the fact that God is ready, able, & delighted to forgive you of all your sins." Ditto

A PARADOX

"The Church is a paradox. She is the Bride of Christ, 'spotless,' 'holy,' washed,' (Eph. 5:25-27), the 'pillar & foundation of truth' (1 Tim. 3:15), the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:1ff). And yet she only appears in this world hidden under the guise of poor sinners, flawed leaders, tensions, divisions, & even false teaching. This is at once both disturbing & comforting. It is disturbing because we find ourselves in such 'spotted' congregations, denominations & Christendom. It is comforting because--despite its outward appearance, despite the fact that there have been times in the history of the church when the pure teaching of the Gospel all but disappeared from the public confession of the Church & its practice--nevertheless, the 'gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' (Matt. 16:18) The Church endures because Christ endures, & He will never let His Gospel go un-believed, until the end of time. That's worth rejoicing over, especially in the times in which we live. And there is also comfort in knowing that because the Church exists well beyond the genuine Lutheran Church, we will also find truth spoken by others. And when we do, we are free to heartily & gladly acknowledge it as such." Rev. Matt. Harrison, President, LCMS

A HYMN FOR EPIPHANY

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, LSB #411, Sts. 1, 3

I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus. In Him there is no darkness at all. The night & the day are both alike The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

I'm looking for the coming of Christ I want to be with Jesus. When we have run with patience the race, We shall know the joy of Jesus. In Him there is no darkness at all. The night & the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.