#8 Our Persecutors Don’t Know Our Happiness and Joy

Our wretched foes do not know such happiness and joy in Christ. And they are angry with us because we want to communicate this joy to them and offer it to them. They would give us death in exchange for life. O God, the almighty resurrection of Christ is surely too strong a bulwark for them to intimidate and frighten Him with the momentary power of their straw and paper tyranny! One of the principal foes is that bladder {Duke George of Saxony).  He challenges heaven with his big paunch. He has renounced the gospel. He also plans to devour Christ just as a wolf eats a gnat. He even imagines that he has already bitten more than just a little wound into His left spur, and he rants more than all the others. Certainly I have prayed for him with all my heart, and I felt very sorry for him because of his dreadful attacks. I hear however that his long-deserved judgment is making itself felt.  (Luther’s Works, v.43, p.63-64)

Picture: Art. II  Das nach Adams Fall alle menschen in Sünden gebohren. 
“That after Adam’s fall all people are born sinners.”
Ps. 51, v. 7 ; “Purge me with Hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Rom. 5, v. 12 ; “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin : and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

[All of the pictures for this year’s posts are from an etching entitled “Augsburg Confession” by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) and found in the Royal Collection Trust.]

Before Study 2

O GOD, Who hast ordained that whatever is to be desired should be sought by labor, and Who, by Thy blessing, bringest honest labor to good effect: Look with mercy upon my studies and endeavors; grant me, O Lord, to design only what is lawful and right, and afford me calmness of mind, and steadiness of purpose, that I may so do Thy will in this short life, as to obtain happiness in the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. (Oremus, 1925, p.29).

Online Christmas Services 2020

Christmas Services:
Christmas Dawn  Matins  Soundcloud Audio  Facebook
Christmas Dawn  Sermon “The Brightness of His Glory” Heb 1:1-3  Soundcloud Audio
Christ’s Mass Eve Divine Service   Word Press  Soundcloud Audio   Facebook
Christmas Eve Sermon “Highly Regarded in Heaven” Hag 2:6-7  Soundcloud Audio
Christ’s Mass Day  Divine Service  Soundcloud Audio  Facebook
Christ’s Mass Day  Sermon “Christ’s Life was the Light of Men” St. John 1:4 Soundcloud Audio
St. Stephen Vespers  Soundcloud Audio   Facebook
St. Stephen Sermon “Persecution Encourages Profession” Mt 23:35 Soundcloud Audio
St. John Matins  Soundcloud Audio  Facebook
St. John Sermon  “Bored with Life” Jn 21:21 Soundcloud Audio
First Sunday after Christmas Divine Service  Word Press  Soundcloud Audio  Facebook  Vimeo Christmas One
First Sunday after Christmas Sermon ” Preaching Christ” St. Luke 2:34-35  Soundcloud Audio
Holy Innocents  Divine Service  Soundcloud Audio  Facebook
Holy Innocents  “The Deceiver is Deceived”  Mt 2:16  Soundcloud Audio

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)
–PDF documents are available at trinityh.org under the tab “Sermons.”

Divine Service for Christ’s Mass Eve – December 24, 2020

Service Bulletin:  Christs-Mass-Eve-at-7-PM-Insert-12-24-2020.pdf
And  Christs-Mass-Eve-at-7-PM-Cover-12-24-2020.pdf

0:00  Service of Light, LW p.250-255
6:50  Psalm 96 (LW p.338) and Isaiah 9:2-7
11:50  Hymn “Joy to the World” LW 53, TLH 87
14:10   Service Begins with Introit
19:00 Readings:  Titus 2:11-14, St. Luke 2:1-20
25:40  Hymn “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” LW 37 TLH 85
28:15  Sermon “Highly Regarded In Heaven” Hag 2:6-7 (length 18:35 minutes)
46:50  “Create in Me…” LW p.143
47:45  The Prayer of the Church
50:10  Communion Liturgy
58:15 Communion Hymns:
“Once Again My Heart Rejoices” LW 39
“O Jesus, Blessed Lord, My Praise” LW 245, TLH 309
“It Came upon the Midnight Clear” LW 62
1.08:30  Hymn “Silent Night” LW 68, TLH 646
1.11:10  Service ends
–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)
This post is the audio, if you want the video CLICK HERE –>  Vimeo Christ’s Mass Eve
Note: The Bible class was also recorded and will be available at trinityh.org.

Divine Service for Christmas One – December 27, 2020

Service Bulletin:  Christmas-One-Divine-Service-for-Online-12-27-2020.pdf

0:00  Hymn “Angels from the Realms of Glory” LW 50, TLH 136
2:20   Service Begins
7:00 Readings: Isaiah 11:1-5, Galatians 4:1-7, St. Luke 2:22-40
14:50  Hymn “In Peace and Joy I Now Depart” LW 185, TLH 137
17:20  Sermon “Preaching Christ” St. Luke 2:34-35 (length 14:40 minutes)
32:00  “Create in Me…” LW p.143
33:00  The Prayer of the Church
37:15  Communion Liturgy
46:00 Communion Hymns:
“Let All Together Praise Our God” LW 44
“Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising” LW 48, TLH 90
“Joy to the World” LW 53, TLH 87
57:20  Hymn “In His Temple Now Behold Him” LW 186, TLH 139
59:45  Service ends

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)
This post is the audio, if you want the video CLICK HERE –>   Vimeo Christmas One
Note: The Bible class was also recorded and will be available at trinityh.org.

 

Before Study.

ALMIGHTY God, our Heavenly Father, without Whose help labor is useless without Whose light search is vain: Invigorate my studies and direct my inquiries, that I may, by due diligence and right discernment, establish myself and others in Thy holy faith; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. (Oremus, 1925, p.29).

Miriam’s Sunday School Study Class #9: The Woman Dec 27, 2020

Today’s class examines the second Old Testament account, as we look at the Building of the Woman. (Genesis 2:4-25).
Handout 1:  Text-for-Gen-2.pdf
Handout 2:  Passages-for-Gen-2C.pdf

Note 1: A Divine Service was also video recorded and is available at trinityh.org, under the tab, Sermons
Note 2: This is the audio only post.  The vimeo video is also available.   Click here –>  Vimeo Video for #9
–Pastor Michael D. Henson, Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)
–PDF documents are available at trinityh.org under the tab “Bible Studies.”

A Thanksgiving for the Holy Gospel.

WE give thanks unto Thee, Almighty God, Heavenly Father, that Thou hast given to us Thy holy gospel, and hast therein revealed to us Thy fatherly heart: We humbly beseech Thee, graciously preserve the light of Thy Word in us, and so lead and rule our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we never again forsake it, but cling to its holy teaching and at last through it be saved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. (Oremus, 1925, p.28-29).

#7 Our Persecutors Ought to Know that Death Doesn’t Threaten Us

They threaten us with death.  If they were as smart as they are stupid, they would threaten us with life. It is a shame and disgrace to try to threaten and terrify Christ and his Christians with death for, after all, they are lords and victors over death. It is just like trying to frighten a man by bridling and saddling his horse and bidding him to ride on it.

However, they do not believe that Christ rose from the dead and is a Lord over life and death. For them he is still in the grave, yes, in hell. But we are happy and confident because we know that Christ rose and that death is no more than the end of sin and the end of itself. For the life in this flesh still cleaves to us and is still lived in sin; this life cannot be without sin by reason of the flesh. And that prompts the incipient spirit in us to cry: Come, death and Judgment Day, and put an end both to sin and death. Amen. [That is the meaning of] St. Paul’s words in Romans 7 [:18–19] and 8 [:22–23].  (Luther’s Works, v.43, p.63)

 Picture:  The First Article (Der Erst Artickel
Wir Glauben Das Gott einig im wesen dreÿfach in der Persö seÿ.
“We believe that God is united in the essence of three persons.”
Deut. 6, v. 4 ; “Hear, O Israel : The Lord our God is one Lord.”
I John 5, v. 7 :  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost : and these three are one.”

[All of the pictures for this year’s posts are from an etching entitled “Augsburg Confession” by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) and found in the Royal Collection Trust.]

After Reading Holy Scripture 2

After Reading Holy Scripture 2

ETERNAL Father, Gracious God, Divine Sower of Thy holy Word, Who dost grant us to be born again of this imperishable seed: We thank Thee for the treasure of Thy gospel, and humbly beseech Thee to plough our hearts with Thy law, moisten them with Thy Spirit, shine upon them with Thy Sun of Grace, so that we become good and fertile land, and bring forth much fruit in patience; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.  (Oremus, 1925, p.28).