Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "He Was Called Jesus" by Reverend Wayne Palmer for New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "He Was Called Jesus" by Reverend Wayne Palmer for New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2015
Read Psalm 8:

(0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:

2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious

is your name throughout the earth!

The fame of your majesty

spreads even above the heavens!

3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast

you established strength because of your foes,

in order that you might silence

the enemy and the avenger.

4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and stars that you set in place —

5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;

humans, that you watch over them with such care?

6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,

you crowned him with glory and honor,

7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,

you put everything under his feet —

8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,

also the animals in the wilds,

9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,

whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious

is your name throughout the earth!

. TEXT: And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the Name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb(Luke 2:21).

In the Bible, names are important. They do far more than merely identify a person; they reveal the very essence of the people who bear them. We saw in the case of John the Baptist how the naming of the child was particularly significant. It was the occasion God chose to remove his father Zechariah's inability to speak because of his disbelief at the angel's announcement in the temple (see Luke 1:20-24, 57-64).
And on this eighth day when the Child is circumcised, Joseph officially names Him "Jesus." God had carefully chosen the Name His Son would carry through His life, death, resurrection, and all eternity. He revealed it to Mary through the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:31), and to Joseph by an angel in a dream (Matthew 1:21).
God the Father chose the Name "Jesus," which means "The Lord saves." This name forever identifies the Christmas Child with the purpose for His coming to earth, His becoming a human and being born in Bethlehem. He has come to save His people from their sins, from Satan, from death and hell.
When we feel the pressure of life building, when we feel helpless and hopeless, Jesus is there as our Savior, rescuing us from all our enemies, reviving our flagging spirits, making our knees strong and our hands powerful again.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have been given the Name above all names. As I meditate upon the meaning of Your Name, give me confidence to call on You always, and to make Your Name known everywhere I go. Amen.
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Malachi 3:1 “Look! I am sending my messenger

to clear the way before me;

and the Lord, whom you seek,

will suddenly come to his temple.

Yes, the messenger of the covenant,

in whom you take such delight —

look! Here he comes,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

2 But who can endure the day when he comes?

Who can stand when he appears?

For he will be like a refiner’s fire,

like the soapmaker’s lye.

3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver;

he will purify the sons of Levi,

refining them like gold and silver,

so that they can bring offerings to Adonai uprightly.

4 Then the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim

will be pleasing to Adonai,

as it was in the days of old,

as in years gone by.

5 “Then I will approach you for judgment;

and I will be quick to witness

against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers;

against those who take advantage

of wage-earners, widows and orphans;

against those who rob the foreigner of his rights

and don’t fear me,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

6 “But because I, Adonai, do not change,

you sons of Ya‘akov will not be destroyed.

7 Since the days of your forefathers

you have turned from my laws and have not kept them.

Return to me, and I will return to you,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

“But you ask, ‘In respect to what

are we supposed to return?’

8 Can a person rob God?

Yet you rob me.

But you ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’

In tenths and voluntary contributions.

9 A curse is on you, on your whole nation,

because you rob me.

10 Bring the whole tenth into the storehouse,

so that there will be food in my house,

and put me to the test,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

“See if I won’t open for you

the floodgates of heaven

and pour out for you a blessing

far beyond your needs.

11 For your sakes I will forbid the devourer

to destroy the yield from your soil;

and your vine will not lose its fruit

before harvest-time,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

12 “All nations will call you happy,

for you will be a land of delights,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

13 “You have spoken strongly against me,” says Adonai.

“Yet you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’

14 By saying, ‘There is no point in serving God.

What good is it to obey his orders

or to walk about as mourners

before Adonai-Tzva’ot?

15 We consider the arrogant happy;

also evildoers prosper;

they put God to the test;

nevertheless, they escape.’”

16 Then those who feared Adonai spoke together;

and Adonai listened and heard.

A record book was written in his presence

for those who feared Adonai

and had respect for his name.

17 “They will be mine,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot,

“on the day when I compose my own special treasure.

I will spare them as a man spares

his own son who serves him.

18 Then once again you will see the difference

between the righteous and the wicked,

between the person who serves God

and one that doesn’t serve him.

19 (4:1) For the day is coming, burning like a furnace,

when all the proud and evildoers will be stubble;

the day that is coming will set them ablaze,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot,

“and leave them neither root nor branch.

20 (4:2) But to you who fear my name,

the sun of righteousness will rise

with healing in its wings;

and you will break out leaping,

like calves released from the stall.

21 (4:3) You will trample the wicked,

they will be ashes under the soles of your feet

on the day when I take action,”

says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

22 (4:4) “Remember the Torah of Moshe my servant,

which I enjoined on him at Horev,

laws and rulings for all Isra’el.

23 (4:5) Look, I will send to you

Eliyahu the prophet

before the coming of the great

and terrible Day of Adonai.

24 (4:6) He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children

and the hearts of the children to their fathers;

otherwise I will come and strike the land

with complete destruction.”

[Look, I will send to you

Eliyahu the prophet

before the coming of the great

and terrible Day of Adonai.]

Revelation 22:1 Next the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations — 3 no longer will there be any curses. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will no longer exist, so they will need neither the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because Adonai, God, will shine upon them. And they will reign as kings forever and ever.

6 Then he said to me, “These words are true and trustworthy: Adonai, God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon.”

7 “Look! I am coming very soon. Blessed is the person who obeys the words of the prophecy written in this book!”

8 Then I, Yochanan, the one hearing and seeing these things, when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers, the prophets and the people who obey the words in this book. Worship God!”

10 Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book,[Revelation 22:10 Daniel 12:4] because the time of their fulfillment is near.

11 “Whoever keeps acting wickedly, let him go on acting wickedly;

whoever is filthy, let him go on being made filthy.

“Also, whoever is righteous, let him go on doing what is righteous;

and whoever is holy, let him go on being made holy.”

12 “Pay attention!” [says Yeshua,] “I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me to give to each person according to what he has done. 13 I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

14 How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the sexually immoral, murderers, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Yeshua, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the Messianic communities. I am the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star. 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ Let anyone who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let anyone who is thirsty come — let anyone who wishes, take the water of life free of charge.”

18 I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.

20 “The one who is testifying to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’”

Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua!

21 May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with all!

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