Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Peace Among Those With Whom He Is Pleased" by Reverend Wayne Palmer for Sunday, December 28, 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Peace Among Those With Whom He Is Pleased" by Reverend Wayne Palmer for Sunday, December 28, 2015
Read Luke 2:

13 Suddenly, along with the angel was a vast army from heaven praising God:

14 “In the highest heaven, glory to God!

And on earth, peace among people of good will!”

. TEXT: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God(Luke 2:13).

The news was far too glorious for one angel. As soon as the first angel gave the details of where the shepherds could find the Christ Child and the signs that would prove they had found the right place, a multitude of heavenly host join in to glorify the God who had kept His promise.
First, they praise God for His marvelous plan and His gracious, wondrous salvation: "Glory to God in the highest." God reveals His glory and His greatness by sending His Son to become one of us, and to win our salvation.
Then the angels say those famous words, "And on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased." In a world of tumult, violence and war, our hearts cry out for peace. But that's not the peace the angels are referring to. A far greater need exists for us than worldly peace between humans. We need peace between ourselves and our Creator, our God, and our Judge. That is what the Christ Child has come to bring.
What must we do to receive this great peace? There is nothing we can do. Jesus Christ did it all for us. He lived the perfect life we can't live; He sacrificed His life on the cross to free us from God's curse. When we humble ourselves, confess our sin and guilt, and trust in God's Son Jesus Christ, then God is pleased with us.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we praise You for being our peace with God, our Heavenly Father. Forgive our sins and make us bold to tell others about that peace, which surpasses all human understanding. Amen.
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Nehemiah 10:1 (9:38) “‘In view of all this, we are making a binding covenant, putting it in writing and having it sealed by our leaders, our L’vi’im and our cohanim.’”

2 (1) On the sealed document were the names of: Nechemyah the Tirshata the son of Hakhalyah, Tzedekyah, 3 (2) S’rayah, ‘Azaryah, Yirmeyah, 4 (3) Pash’chur, Amaryah, Malkiyah, 5 (4) Hatush, Sh’vanyah, Malukh, 6 (5) Harim, M’remot, ‘Ovadyah, 7 (6) Dani’el, Ginton, Barukh, 8 (7) Meshulam, Aviyah, Miyamin, 9 (8) Ma‘azyah, Bilgai and Sh’ma‘yah. These were the cohanim.

10 (9) The L’vi’im were: Yeshua the son of Azanyah, Binui a descendant of Henadad, Kadmi’el, 11 (10) and their kinsmen Sh’vanyah, Hodiyah, K’lita, P’layah, Hanan, 12 (11) Mikha, Rechov, Hashavyah, 13 (12) Zakur, Sherevyah, Sh’vanyah, 14 (13) Hodiyah, Bani and B’ninu.

15 (14) The leaders of the people: Par‘osh, Pachat-Mo’av, ‘Eilam, Zatu, Bani, 16 (15) Buni, ‘Azgad, B’vai, 17 (16) Adoniyah, Bigvai, ‘Adin, 18 (17) Ater, Hizkiyah, ‘Azur, 19 (18) Hodiyah, Hashum, Betzai, 20 (19) Harif, ‘Anatot, Neivai, 21 (20) Magpi‘ash, Meshulam, Hezir, 22 (21) Mesheizav’el, Tzadok, Yadua, 23 (22) P’latyah, Hanan, ‘Anayah, 24 (23) Hoshea, Hananyah, Hashuv, 25 (24) HaLochesh, Pilcha, Shovek, 26 (25) Rechum, Hashavnah, Ma‘aseiyah, 27 (26) Achiyah, Hanan, ‘Anan, 28 (27) Malukh, Harim and Ba‘anah.

29 (28) The rest of the people, the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Torah of God, along with their wives, sons and daughters, everyone capable of knowing and understanding, 30 (29) joined their kinsmen and their leaders in swearing an oath, accompanied by a curse [in case of noncompliance], as follows:

“We will live by God’s Torah, given by Moshe the servant of God, and will perform and obey all the mitzvot, rulings and laws of Adonai our Lord.

31 (30) “We will not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land or take their daughters as wives for our sons.

32 (31) “If the peoples of the lands bring merchandise or food to sell on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a holy day.

“We will forego [planting and harvesting our fields] during the seventh year and collecting debts then.

33 (32) “We will impose on ourselves a yearly tax of one-third of a shekel [one-seventh of an ounce of silver] for the service of the house of our God, 34 (33) for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering, for [the offerings] on Shabbat, on Rosh-Hodesh, at the designated times and at other holy times, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Isra’el, and for all the work connected with the house of our God.

35 (34) “We, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the people, will cast lots in connection with the wood offering, so that it will be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers’ clans, at specified times, year by year, and then be burned on the altar of Adonai our God, as prescribed in the Torah.

36 (35) “Every year we will bring the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of all fruit from every kind of tree to the house of Adonai. 37 (36) “We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as prescribed in the Torah, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the cohanim ministering in the house of our God.

38 (37) “We will bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every kind of tree, wine and olive oil to the cohanim in the storerooms of the house of our God, along with the tenths from our land for the L’vi’im; since they, the L’vi’im, take the tenths in all the cities where we farm. 39 (38) The cohen the descendant of Aharon is to be with the L’vi’im when the L’vi’im take tenths. The L’vi’im will bring the tenth of the tenth to the house of our God, to the storerooms for supplies. 40 (39) For the people of Isra’el and the descendants of Levi are to bring the contribution of grain, wine and olive oil to the rooms where the equipment for the sanctuary, the ministering cohanim, the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not abandon the house of our God.”

11:1 The leaders of the people took up residence in Yerushalayim; while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one-tenth of them to live in Yerushalayim the holy city, with the other nine-tenths in the other cities. 2 The people blessed all those who volunteered to live in Yerushalayim.

3 In the cities of Y’hudah, everyone lived on his own property — the people of Isra’el, the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the temple servants and the descendants of Shlomo’s servants. But the leaders of the province lived in Yerushalayim. 4 Some of those living in Yerushalayim were from people of Y’hudah, and others were from people of Binyamin. Those from the people of Y’hudah were: ‘Atayah the son of ‘Uziyah, the son of Z’kharyah, the son of Amaryah, the son of Sh’fatyah, the son of Mahalal’el, from the descendants of Peretz; 5 and Ma‘aseiyah the son of Barukh, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazayah, the son of ‘Adayah, the son of Yoyariv, the son of Z’kharyah, who belonged to the family of Shelah. 6 The total number of descendants of Peretz living in Yerushalayim was 468 courageous men.

7 These are the people of Binyamin: Salu the son of Meshulam, the son of Yo‘ed, the son of P’dayah, the son of Kolayah, the son of Ma‘aseiyah, the son of Iti’el, the son of Yesha‘yah. 8 After him: Gabai, Salai; 928 in all. 9 Yo’el the son of Zikhri was their overseer, and Y’hudah the son of Hasnu’ah was second in charge of the city.

10 From the cohanim: Y’da‘yah the son of Yoyariv, Yakhin, 11 S’rayah the son of Hilkiyah, the son of Meshulam, the son of Tzadok, the son of M’rayot, the son of Achituv, the supervisor of the house of God, 12 and their kinsmen who did the work for the house; in all 822; and ‘Adayah the son of Yerocham, the son of P’lalyah, the son of Amtzi, the son of Z’kharyah, the son of Pash’chur, the son of Malkiyah; 13 with his kinsmen, heads of fathers’ clans, 242; and ‘Amash’sai the son of ‘Azar’el, the son of Achzai, the son of Meshillemot, the son of Immer; 14 with his kinsmen, courageous men, 128; their overseer was Zavdi’el the son of HaG’dolim.

15 From the L’vi’im: Sh’ma‘yah the son of Hashuv, the son of ‘Azrikam, the son of Hashavyah, the son of Buni, 16 and Shabtai and Yozavad, from the leaders of the L’vi’im, who were in charge of external affairs for the house of God; 17 and Matanyah the son of Mikha, the son of Zavdi, the son of Asaf, the leader who began the thanksgiving prayer; and Bakbukyah, the second among his kinsmen; and ‘Avda the son of Shamua, the son of Galal, the son of Y’dutun. 18 All the L’vi’im in the holy city numbered 284.

19 The gatekeepers: ‘Akuv, Talmon and their kinsmen, who kept watch at the gates, numbered 172.

20 The rest of Isra’el, [the rest of] the cohanim and [the rest of] the L’vi’im were in all the cities of Y’hudah, each on his own property.

21 The temple servants lived in the ‘Ofel; Tzicha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.

22 The overseer of the L’vi’im in Yerushalayim was ‘Uzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashavyah, the son of Matanyah, the son of Mikha, from the descendants of Asaf the singers; [he was] in charge of the work of the house of God. 23 For they were subject to the king’s orders; and there was a fixed schedule for the singers, assigning them their daily duties. 24 P’tachyah the son of Mesheizav’el, from the descendants of Zerach the son of Y’hudah, was the king’s deputy in all affairs concerning the people.

25 As for the villages and their surrounding fields: some of the people of Y’hudah lived in Kiryat-Arba and its villages, in Divon and its villages, in Y’kabze’el and its villages, 26 in Yeshua, in Moladah, in Beit-Pelet, 27 in Hatzar-Shu‘al and its villages, in Be’er-Sheva and its villages, 28 in Ziklag, in M’khonah and its villages, 29 in ‘Ein-Rimmon, in Tzor‘ah, in Yarmut, 30 Zanoach, Adulam and their villages, in Lakhish and its surrounding fields, and in ‘Azekah and its villages. Thus they occupied the territory from Be’er-Sheva as far as the Hinnom Valley.

31 The people of Binyamin lived from Geva onward, in Mikhmas and ‘Ayah, in Beit-El and its villages, 32 and in ‘Anatot, Nov, ‘Ananyah, 33 Hatzor, Ramah, Gittayim, 34 Hadid, Tzvo‘im, N’valat, 35 Lud, Ono and Gei-Harashim.

36 Of the L’vi’im, some divisions from Y’hudah settled in Binyamin.

Revelation 19:1 After these things, I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd in heaven, shouting,

“Halleluyah!

The victory, the glory, the power of our God!

2 For his judgments are true and just.

He has judged the great whore

who corrupted the earth with her whoring.

He has taken vengeance on her

who has the blood of his servants on her hands.”

3 And a second time they said,

“Halleluyah!

Her smoke goes up forever and ever!”

4 The twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshipped God, sitting on the throne, and said,

“Amen!

Halleluyah!”

5 A voice went out from the throne, saying,

“Praise our God, all you his servants,

you who fear him, small and great!”

6 Then I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd, like the sound of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying,

“Halleluyah!

Adonai, God of heaven’s armies,[Revelation 19:6 Amos 3:13; 4:13]

has begun his reign!

7 “Let us rejoice and be glad!

Let us give him the glory!

For the time has come for the

wedding of the Lamb,

and his Bride has prepared herself —

8 fine linen, bright and clean

has been given her to wear.”

(“Fine linen” means the righteous deeds of God’s people.)

9 The angel said to me, “Write: ‘How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!’” Then he added, “These are God’s very words.” 10 I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said, “Don’t do that! I’m only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers who have the testimony of Yeshua. Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of prophecy.”

11 Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. 13 He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, “THE WORD OF GOD.” 14 The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations — “He will rule them with a staff of iron.”[Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9] It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven’s armies. 16 And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written:

KING OF KINGS

AND

LORD OF LORDS.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, “Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!” 19 I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

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