Devotions From Steadfast Lutherans

Thy truth defend, O God, and stay This evil generation; And from the error of their way Keep Thine own congregation. The wicked everywhere abound And would Thy little flock con-found; But Thou art our Salvation (TLH260:6). Amen.

O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shield and protects us from harm in the midst of trials that purify us as silver from all adulteration. Grant us endurance through Your Word for each temptation. Grant that we be salt and light that every nation may trust and praise the Crucified (Based on TLH260:5). Amen.

LSB 876:1 O blessèd, holy Trinity, Divine, eternal Unity, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, This day Your name be uppermost.

O Holy Spirit, continue to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian Church on earth, keep us with Jesus Christ in the one true faith, root out all heresy and rid us of all false teachers who own no lord or master (Based on LSC, Creed, Third Article and TLH260:3). Amen.

LSB 954: 2 We all believe in Jesus Christ,  His own Son, our Lord, possessing An equal Godhead, throne, and might,  Source of ev’ry grace and blessing; Born of Mary, virgin mother,  By the power of the Spirit, Word made flesh, our elder brother;  That the lost might life inherit, Was crucified for all our sin And raised by God to life again.

O Lord, [Heavenly Father,] look down from heaven, behold And let Thy pity waken: How few are we within Thy Fold, Thy saints by men forsaken! True faith seems quenched on ev’ry hand, Men suffer not Thy Word to stand; Dark times have us o'ertaken (TLH 260:1). Amen.

Immortal honor, endless fame attend the almighty Father’s name; the Savior-Son be glorified, who for all humankind has died; to You, O Paraclete, we raise unending songs of thanks and praise. Amen. (LSB 500:4)

Teach us to know the Father, Son, And You, from both, as Three in One That we Your name may ever bless And in our lives the truth confess. (LSB 498:6)

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:25-27)

Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, with all Your graces now outpoured on each believer’s mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart. Lord, by the brightness of Your light in holy faith Your Church unite; from every land and every tongue this to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung: Alleluia, alleluia! Amen. (LSB 497:1)

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

The Holy Spirit is not our first or only Counselor, Helper, and Comforter. Jesus promised to send them “another Paraclete.” By this He teaches us that He Himself is our Paraclete as well, to whom the Holy Spirit bears witness and from whom He speaks: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)

Creator Spirit, by whose aid the world’s foundations first were laid, come, visit every humble mind; come, pour Your joys on humankind; from sin and sorrow set us free; may we Your living temples be. Amen. (LSB 500:1)

Alleluia!

Dear Jesus, come soon.  I am weak and often stumble and I tremble on the way, and like a sheep too easily go astray, but You are my shepherd.  You are my Lord.  You have made me Your new creation.  Do not forsake the work of Your hands.  So I will praise You with the joy that You pour into my heart.  Amen.

Dear Jesus, teach my heart to claim Your victory over my sin, my death, and my grave. Amen.

We apologize for the delay today.

Paschal Victim, paschal bread.  He is the Passover sacrifice or victim.  He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Paschal is the Greek for Passover.  It is our feast.  We are Israel, and the Lamb that was sacrificed as the victim of all our sins is now given to us for food, for our souls to eat and our mouths to eat, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God that this Lamb has brought to us.

Luther sings elsewhere, “Do this, O ye of Israel’s seed, / Ye of the Spirit born indeed! / Wait for your Lord’s appearing.”  You wait with your baptism comforting you with the truth that you have been clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27).  You have passed out of slavery to sin and into the glorious freedom of the sons of God, the freedom to pour out all your anxieties to Him whose comforts delight your soul more than any earthly joy.  You wait with the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood. You are safe in the Church, though death and Covid and cancer and all that kills and ruins life is stalking outside your door, yet you are safe, because you feast on the flesh that bore your sin, and you satisfy your thirst with the blood that tells you God is at peace with you and loves you and is pleased with you for Christ’s sake.

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26–28, ESV)