Ember Friday within the Octave of the Feast of Pentecost
Posted on May 24, 2024 by under
Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-16 (NKJV)
4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Devotion
The Lord Jesus Christ had come down from heaven to fulfill the Law and redeem His people by His suffering and death on the cross. Having appeased the wrath of the heavenly Father, He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father until He comes again on the Last Day. Until that day, He has sent to us His Holy Ghost to create and sustain faith and life in all those who receive the Lord Jesus and His gifts in faith.
To offer the gift of the Holy Ghost, who creates the faith we need to cling to our Lord and Savior, He has also established the Office of the Holy Ministry. He has sent apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers. These men are tasked with giving the means of grace to the people of the Lord God in order that through those means the Holy Ghost might be poured out on the Church abundantly.
Through these men distributing the means of grace, those who listen to this Word are no longer tossed about to and fro by the false teachings of the world. The Church is kept in the one true faith until the Son of God, our Lord Jesus, returns again to take us from this vale of tears to Himself in heaven. This is the work that the Holy Ghost does for us poor sinners, so that by the faith He creates in us we may have eternal life.
Collect: O merciful God, we beseech Thee that Thy Church, which was gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may nowise be troubled by hostile attack; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Collect for the Feast of Pentecost
O God, Who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of Thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
