11/1/11- All Saints Day- One Generation Proclaims

A psalm of praise. Of David.
¹ I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
⁴ One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
⁵ They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.^[b]
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
⁷ They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
⁹ The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
¹⁰ All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.^[c]
14 The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶ You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHVv79W_EpA

(Rider family, who joined after hearing of us from her grandmother)

Thoughts: Last Sunday we recognized new members of our church, the Riders.  Her grandmother was a life-long church goer and visited our church while visiting the granddaughter's family in the area.  before the grandaughter even moved into our area, the grandmother commended our church to her.  A few weeks later, still before the grandaughter moved, the grandmother died.  That the grandaughter and her family came to worship at our particular church was a direct result of the grandmother's proclamation of God's good work.  I thought of this verse and how it applies to today- 11-1-11 (a lot of ones)- All Saints Day.  Today is a day we remember those who have gone before us, and have passed the good news on to us.  We follow in their footsteps,and we also have the responsibility to passs on the good news to other people.

Prayer: Today, I give you thanks for those who passed on their faith to me, 2,000 years after Christ.  I thank you, Lord for them, and ask that I would also take up their "mantle" and say a good word about you to a younger person today. 

11/1/10 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 All Saints All Ready

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Thoughts: On this "All Saints Day" it is good to remember we are all children of the light and of the day.  One of the difference between all the saints (the invisible/true church in both heaven and here) and those who are not- is that we are to be awake, alert for God's presence, people of faith, hope, and love.

Prayer: Let me, Lord, be a true saint of the Day.  Let me always be ready for your coming; ready for your inbreaking presence.

John Calvin abridged:  He calls them back from a curious and unprofitable fascination with the time of his coming, and reminds them to be a constant state of readiness for his coming. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night for unbelievers because they will be surprised as if they were asleep. No darkness is more dense than ignorance of God.