Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Saturday after the Last Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: 1 John 4:1-4 (NKJV)

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Devotion

Tomorrow we begin another year in the Church with the celebration of Advent. The next four weeks give us time to prepare our hearts and minds for the right celebration of the birth of Christ.

Every year at this time some strange new belief seems to surface that has something weird regarding the birth, life, and death of Christ, to entice believers from staying firmly grounded in the Christian faith while remembering who/what/why is to be celebrated at Christmas. To assist we are humbled with the Gospel reading of how Jesus came riding into Jerusalem to suffer and die at the hands of sinful men.

John encourages us to not just take the word of any new belief/spirit, but to test that message to see if it came from God. In other words, if any message does not center around or specifically geared toward the belief that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh then it is of the antichrist!

As we draw to the end of the Church Year calendar, may we be firmly grounded on Jesus Christ and His revealed Word alone; remembering God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, so He could grow to manhood, keep the law in our place and then ride on into Jerusalem to suffer and die on Calvary in our place. Holding to this truth, we have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

We Pray: By grace to timid hearts that tremble, in tribulation’s furnace tried,—by grace, despite all fear and trouble, the Father’s heart is open wide. Where could I help and strength secure if grace were not my anchor sure? Amen.

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