Wednesday of Invocabit

Our Savior Lutheran at Prayer

Mark 4:1-20

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” The Purpose of the Parables 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ” 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

In the name of the Father and the +Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. The seed is the Word of God. It is cast generously by our God in the soil of our heart. But we should be aware that the devil is ready to snatch away the Word from us. The world would have you believe that the devil isn’t that dangerous, that he doesn’t exist, that he is just trying to help, or some other lie to take you off his scent. The devil is real and he is dangerous. His goal is to snatch the Word of God out of your heart so that you do not believe. But we should be aware that all the enemies of God do not want this Word of God to succeed and therefore mount every attack of tribulation and persecution against you. But we should be aware that the world is using its pleasures and sinful sights to allure your sinful nature into the trap that is away from the Word so that you make for yourself other gods and depend on your emotions and feelings and pleasures instead. But most especially we should be aware that we have an active and powerful God that hears our prayers, that knows our tribulations, that has been tempted in every way like us, that has come down to deliver us, and has promised to always be with us. The enemies of God are real and they are attacking you. Your salvation is secure in this Jesus Christ—who traveled to the cross, suffered its scorn, received the punishment for your sin, destroyed the devil and death and the reign of sin, then rose again to live forever with you. He promises to hear your prayer, to be with you in Word preached and Sacraments given, and to return to gather you to himself and take you to heaven. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. In the name of +Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Steven Cholak, School Chaplain and Assistant Pastor, Our Savior Lutheran Church and School

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You may utilize the Order of Daily Prayer for Individuals and Families (pages 295-298) in Lutheran Service Book for your family prayers.

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The Collect of the Week:

O Lord, mercifully hear our prayer and stretch forth the right hand of Your majesty to defend us from those who rise up against us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer for others:

For the pre-born, the weak, the sick, those in hospital, and those who cannot care for themselves;

For the shut-in and those recovering from surgery at home;

For those struggling with sin and those who are sick;

For those attacked by false teaching;

For our pastors (Pastor White, Pastor Krieg, and Pastor Cholak);

For pastors and congregations throughout the world as they begin the Lenten season;

For the teachers and administration at Our Savior Lutheran School;

For those who are students in college and university;

For the Christian training of the young, especially those who homeschool.

Tuesday of Invocabit (Lent 1)

Our Savior Lutheran at Prayer

February 28, AD 2023

Mark 3:20-30

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. 28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

In the name of the Father and the +Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. The work of the Holy Spirit is to create faith. He calls us with the Gospel and enlightens us with his gifts. He makes us holy and keeps us in the true faith. The Holy Spirit’s work is to bring you to Jesus. He is like Saint John the Baptist in that he wants to decrease or fade out of the lime light so that Jesus can shine. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme the flow of faith—the route that faith comes to you. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to cut off the very things that we need from heaven. But the Holy Spirit has given us the Strongest Man—Jesus. He is no match for the devil, the world, our sinful nature, or any other enemy. He binds up the devil and then plunders his house—casting out demons, rebuking fevers, returning sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and most importantly, snatching you back from death and the grave so that he can have you to all eternity. He forgives your sins by dying on the cross and shedding his blood. These gifts, rescues from death and the devil, forgives sins, and gives eternal salvation, he brings to you via the Holy Spirit in preaching and Baptism and Absolution and the Lord’s Supper. No house divided here, only united in one Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God! In the name of +Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Steven Cholak, School Chaplain and Assistant Pastor, Our Savior Lutheran Church and School

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You may utilize the Order of Daily Prayer for Individuals and Families (pages 295-298) in Lutheran Service Book for your family prayers.

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The Collect of the Week:

O Lord, mercifully hear our prayer and stretch forth the right hand of Your majesty to defend us from those who rise up against us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer for others:

For the pre-born, the weak, the sick, those in hospital, and those who cannot care for themselves;

For the shut-in and those recovering from surgery at home;

For those struggling with sin and those who are sick;

For those attacked by false teaching;

For our pastors (Pastor White, Pastor Krieg, and Pastor Cholak);

For pastors and congregations throughout the world as they begin the Lenten season;

For those who mourn;

For the Christian training of the young, especially at Our Savior Lutheran School.

Monday of Invocabit (Lent 1)

Our Savior Lutheran at Prayer

February 27, AD 2023

Mark 3: 1-6

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

In the name of the Father and the +Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Incarnate Word of God comes to the places where the Inscripturated Word is proclaimed. It was Jesus custom to go to synagogue. He knows why the Sabbath was given. God gives rest for the souls of his people there. He heals and makes alive. He does it by the proclamation of his holy Word. Jesus is the One that gives rest for souls. His burden is light. The proclamation of the Word always accomplishes what it has been sent to do. Jesus enters the synagogue and immediately he is confronted with the Pharisees. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy—We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” The very purpose of the Sabbath is to do good. When the Lord God stopped creating all the things he created, he wanted his people to stop, too. He wanted them to stop so that they would receive his good Word and rest for their souls. But we turn the Lord’s day into a burden and we set up all kinds of obstacles for ourselves. Jesus comes into the midst of them and proclaims. He sets his Sacrament before us and just as he provides for our needs of this body and life, he also provides for our souls. He uses that very Word of God to call you to the Gospel. He enlightens you with his gifts and keeps you in the true faith. He puts his Holy Word into your ear and makes you holy. Thanks be to God that this Word proclaimed is the Word that endures forever. In the name of +Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Steven Cholak, School Chaplain and Assistant Pastor, Our Savior Lutheran Church and School

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You may utilize the Order of Daily Prayer for Individuals and Families (pages 295-298) in Lutheran Service Book for your family prayers.

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The Collect of the Week:

O Lord, mercifully hear our prayer and stretch forth the right hand of Your majesty to defend us from those who rise up against us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer for others:

For the pre-born, the weak, the sick, those in hospital, and those who cannot care for themselves;

For the shut-in and those recovering from surgery at home;

For those struggling with sin and those who are sick;

For those attacked by false teaching;

For our pastors (Pastor White, Pastor Krieg, and Pastor Cholak);

For pastors and congregations throughout the world as they begin the Lenten season;

For those who mourn;

For the Christian training of the young, especially at Our Savior Lutheran School.

https://open.substack.com/pub/oslatprayer/p/monday-of-invocabit-lent-1?r=1lfpr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Friday after Ash Wednesday

Our Savior Lutheran at Prayer

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray…
February 24, AD 2023

Mark 1:29-39

And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

In the name of the Father and the +Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. The whole world is going out after him. He is healing the sick and casting out the demons. He is in their synagogue teaching and preaching. The people flock to him. We would have gone, too. They wanted more. They wanted to see more signs and wonders, but that is not why he comes. He comes to preach. He comes to proclaim. What is he proclaiming? He proclaims the good news of his cross. He proclaims that all the promises of salvation and the coming Messiah are fulfilled in him. He proclaims to you that the Law is fulfilled in him. They will all fall away. Crucifixion is not the sign they want to see. They’d rather see someone come down from the cross rather than go up on it. However, it is that very act, Jesus dying on the cross, that saves the world. It is Jesus paying the price for sin and rescuing from death and the devil that is the most important thing—for you! Thus, he keeps sending his Word to be preached to you. He keeps sending his Holy Spirit to call you with the Gospel of the Cross and to enlighten you with the gifts that were won there. In the name of +Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Steven Cholak, School Chaplain and Assistant Pastor, Our Savior Lutheran Church and School

You may utilize the Order of Daily Prayer for Individuals and Families (pages 295-298) in Lutheran Service Book for your family prayers.

The Collect of the Week:

Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may, like David before us, receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer for others:

For the pre-born, the weak, the sick, those in hospital, and those who cannot care for themselves;

For the shut-in and those recovering from surgery at home;

For those struggling with sin and those who are sick;

For those undergoing surgery;

For our pastors (Pastor White, Pastor Krieg, and Pastor Cholak);

For pastors and congregations throughout the world as they begin the Lenten season;

For our Lenten journey to the cross;

For the Christian training of the young, especially at Our Savior Lutheran School.

Friday of Septuagesima

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray…

February 10, AD 2023

John 3:25-36

Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

In the name of the Father and the +Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. The best man is delighted to hear the voice of the groom. John the Baptist always confessed that he was not the Christ. He was the pointing prophet, “Look, behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” He freely confessed to the religious establishment when they came to him in the wilderness at the Jordan, “I am not the Christ.” The same thing he does here. His work is complete as he prepared the way for the Lord. What was his goal? That all people would see the salvation of our God. Indeed, the Salvation of from our God has come. The Christ goes forth to fulfill the Father’s will. He is crucified for the sins of the world. Jesus tells us that when he is lifted up, he will draw all men to himself. He dies for all. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. You have been made a child of God. John’s joy is complete and soon ours will be, too. Thanks be to God for his Word among us. In the name of +Jesus. Amen.

https://open.substack.com/pub/oslatprayer/p/friday-of-septuagesima?r=1lfpr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Freedom

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. —Galatians 5:1

Do not be entangled in a yoke of bondage. Sin is crouching at the door waiting for you. Like we said yesterday, don’t forget your enemies are the devil speaking the lies of despair and unbelief in your ear, the world enticing you with its pleasures, and your own sinful flesh. Our help must come from outside of us. You know when the Psalmist asks, “From whence cometh my help?” It comes from the mountain of God. It is an insignificant mountain to the world’s standard. But your Lord puts death to death there and undoes your enemies there. He sheds his blood and that blood is your help. That blood is your forgiveness. That blood is your righteousness. The offense of the cross is your salvation. The world will rage and spite, but dear Christian, your help has come to you and called you out of your sin to his marvelous light.

The Invitation

The school children were studying Luke’s parable of the Great Banquet today. The invitation goes out to the people of God, but they have so many excuses why they can’t come. They are pretty lame excuses. They have to go look at land and check out oxen and one has a wife that keeps him from coming. So God extends the invitation to more. He goes to the lowly and common, but there is still room. He sends his servants with the invitation to go to the Gentiles. The room is grand and the room must be filled. The work of Jesus is for all to enjoy. God loves the whole world and wants everyone to turn from their sin and live. He wants all to repent and enjoy his good gifts. So, come to the wedding feast. Bring your wife and your children, too. Look at the land later and enjoy the lavish shower of love that God has given to you. In this lavish washing, he makes you children and we call him Father. Thanks be to God for his good and gracious love for us that we have been rescued by the blood of Jesus.

In the Tribulation

John sees those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. He can’t number them. No one can. The Lamb of God is in the midst and they have palm branches in their hand. They aren’t singing, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” No, the time for that song has finally ended for them. Now they sing the song of the feast that is above all feasts. Now they sing the song of Alleluias never ending. “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” They sing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen! The thing that is accomplished that first Holy Week is celebrated to all eternity. God does save his people. He pays for them by the blood of Jesus. You have been bought back from sin and death. The power of the devil is just a joke. Jesus turns everything on its head. Everything has been reversed. Nothing is the way the world and the devil intended it. Though we sojourn here in the midst of the tribulation, we do not go at it alone. Jesus promises to be with you to the very end of the age. He will not forsake you or leave you.

By Martinus (Scribe=Petrus) – Archives de la Cathédrale, Public Domain

Numbers 10:35

Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.

I’m Going Fishing

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen. The Word of God that will serve as the basis of our meditation this morning has been caused by the Holy Spirit to be written by the Apostle Saint John, our Gospel Text, I reread these words, “Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” Thus far our text.

This is our season, our season of victory and joy, yet Peter hadn’t quite grasped it yet. The One that Peter spent three years with, the One he saw the Romans crucify, the One that came through locked doors to grant peace, remember, Peter so long ago…Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men.” Now is the time to cast nets to catch men with the Gospel. Now is the season of the extraordinary, the season of resurrection, of victory over death. Now the grave has lost its sting and Satan lay in ruins. This is our season, people loved by God! This is it! The victory has been sealed. We are a kingdom and priests to our God because of Jesus’ blood on the cross that has been showered upon us in our baptism. This is our season, The Resurrected Jesus’ season, Peter’s season, John’s season, the season of victory and joy and we sing our loud, alleluias! This is the fullness of time and the end of sin’s reign. This is the Reign of Jesus the Christ, who was dead, but now lives forevermore. Yet Peter hasn’t quite understood. “I’m going fishing!” he tells his companions. They miss it too, or they are polite to help him, either way, they go with him. 

God has created the extraordinary for his People. What we thought was normal is gone. Everything is turned upside down. Sinners are forgiven, the dead live, the lowly are exalted. Jesus has taken the weak and even the violent and made them his spokesmen and stewards. He has taken sinful men and placed them in pulpits to declare the Kingdom of God in your presence. To declare the day of salvation to you. To stand on the shore and call to you in the middle of the dark and murky waters of your life…of your struggles…of your sin… To stand next to you and in the midst of you and preach the Word of God and to administer the Sacraments and say into your ears, “It is the Lord!” 

It couldn’t have been angels (or anything else in all of creation) that Jesus sent to be these heralds, it had to be men, because Jesus is a man. He wanted Men to stand in his stead: To have his authority and to declare with the power of heaven that sins are forgiven. To declare to the Church—his holy Bride—that he has come for her. We preach the forgiveness of sins that the man Jesus won, we declare the life and salvation of the only Son of God. The Holy Spirit uses our mouths to call Christians with the Gospel, our hands to enlighten the people loved by God with the gifts of the cross, the victory over sin and death and the devil. To declare the season of resurrection, and victory, and joy…to wash his holy people in the renewal of the Holy Spirit and feed them with His very body and blood.

That is because, dear Christian, you’re in a war of reason against faith. Human reason (or better called “the sinful nature”) thinks it all boring and unimportant. Certainly worthy of being skipped and ignored (from time to time, or all together). Indeed, the Gentiles think the Gospel and all the trappings of this God to be foolishness. And we struggle with that very thought ourselves. So did the Israelites and Peter and John and the other disciples. Like the father who came to Jesus to heal his daughter, “Jesus, we believe, help our unbelief.” For to those who are perishing and to your sinful nature, it is just the same words over and over again, nothing flashy here, not that entertaining, not even a full meal, not even always the most skilled orators and yet to the Christian…to your faith, to those made kings and priest to our God, the Kingdom of Heaven comes here and the Lord of Life bids you come into his presence for a foretaste of heaven itself. For you—kings and priests of the Living God—it is the power of God unto salvation.

So now nothing can be ordinary for you again. And that is a hard saying. The world is in an alliance with the devil. And the world and the devil are in an alliance with your sinful nature. They will use everything they can, everything they have to trip you up, to introduce doubt and unbelief, to convince you that they have more to offer than Jesus. They will entertain and they will tell you things to make you feel good. They will appeal to your desires and your emotions and your feelings. They will break the Law of God in subtle and seemingly innocuous ways so that it becomes normal and ordinary to you. TV shows and movies take the Lord’s name in vain, story lines attack marriage and sexuality, things tempt you to take the place of church and church activities on your calendar… your friends gossip about your neighbors and they gossip about your fellow believers… You are tempted at every turn to believe that sin isn’t really that bad, that the devil doesn’t exist, that there is no such place as hell, and that God isn’t really concerned about his Law or his Word. Everything is fair game for the devil. He has lost and he is mad. He wants you and he wants nothing more than to destroy Christ’s Church on earth. Nothing is ordinary for you anymore. It hasn’t been ordinary since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. It still isn’t ordinary now. Even the things we count as vocation, as things we are good at, that we were given to do by God…like Peter going fishing, are under attack by the devil. And the greatest temptation is to go at alone: without Jesus. Peter and the disciples worked all the night and caught nothing. It had happened before. They were skilled fishermen. They knew the water. They knew the boat. They knew the fish. When Jesus first called them to be his disciples, they had toiled like this to no avail.

So when it was morning, after their failure had set in, Jesus stands on the shore. He manifests himself to his disciples yet again. It is, if you will, another Epiphany. God made man made manifest for his people: the proof of his resurrection, the declaration of life and the defeat of death. (You see, Jesus shows himself alive many times and in many different places to many different people…indeed to over 500!) He comes here to set the disciples straight. Their success was absolutely sure if they would obey his command and rely only upon his Word. “Let down your nets on the right side.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity. John declares, “It is the Lord!” The good gifts in our life, the bounty we enjoy, the family and friends, our wives and husbands, the houses we live in, the church we gather in, all that we have is a gift from our God…but one gift goes higher. One gift tops them all. Your Lord Jesus comes to you, alive and declaring his Word of Salvation and victory, your Lord stands on your shore and loves you with his good gifts and Spirit. 

God has cast the net of his Gospel. He has created the extraordinary for you. It is hidden from human reason and sinful flesh, but it is manifest to you. So he prepares you for the battles in your life. He clothes you in righteousness and he sends you out with his Word. Nourished by the forgiveness of sins and by his holy gifts, he guards and protects you from every evil and defends you against all danger. It is his word that you need as the devil and the world attack you. He has made this extraordinary—the filling you up and clothing you in his Word. The whole armor of God is yours and his Word has been delivered to you. For he has come to you to feed you, to tend you, and keep you in his loving arms. So come to the extraordinary, to the Divine Service, to Bible study, come and eat and drink the Lord’s body and blood. Fill yourselves on the good and gracious Lord of Life. And encourage one another to come and be filled by Jesus. And when the world, and the devil, and your sinful flesh ware you down, return to the Lord and feast again. Fill yourself and know that this is your Season of Victory. Now is your season of the extraordinary. This is the season of Resurrection and Life. This is our season, it is Jesus reign. You have been made a kingdom and priests to your God by the blood of the Lamb and dear Christians, your Lord Jesus has come for you. He is Risen. Alleluia!