The Daily Readings for SUNDAY, December 31, 2017 - New Year's Eve - First Sunday after Christmas

Daily Readings

Opening Sentence

Behold, the dwelling of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.

~ Revelation 21:3

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

God is light; in him there in no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and son not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

~ John 1:5b-8

Most holy and merciful Father, We confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned against you by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father; And free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen

Sunday Morning Prayer

God, as you gave us the sun to lighten our days, so you have given us your Word to lighten our minds and our souls. I pray that you will pour out on me your Spirit as I pray today, that my heart and mind may be opened to your Word, and that I may learn and accept your will for my life.

Shine within my heart, loving God, the pure light of your divine knowledge; open the eyes of my mind and the ears of my heart to receive your Word, this day and always, Amen

The Lessons

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Psalm 147 Laudate Dominum

1   Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!

how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!

2   The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;

he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3   He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

4   He counts the number of the stars

and calls them all by their names.

5   Great is our LORD and mighty in power;

there is no limit to his wisdom.

6   The LORD lifts up the lowly,

but casts the wicked to the ground.

7   Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;

make music to our God upon the harp.

8   He covers the heavens with clouds

and prepares rain for the earth;

9   He makes grass to grow upon the mountains

and green plants to serve mankind.

10   He provides food for flocks and herds

and for the young ravens when they cry.

11   He is not impressed by the might of a horse;

he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;

12   But the LORD has pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who await his gracious favor.

13   Worship the LORD, O Jerusalem;

praise your God, O Zion;

14   For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;

he has blessed your children within you.

15   He has established peace on your borders;

he satisfies you with the finest wheat.

16   He sends out his command to the earth,

and his word runs very swiftly.

17   He gives snow like wool;

he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

18   He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;

who can stand against his cold?

19   He sends forth his word and melts them;

he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.

20   He declares his word to Jacob,

his statutes and his judgments to Israel.

21   He has not done so to any other nation;

to them he has not revealed his judgments. Hallelujah!

Galatians 3:23-25;4:4-7

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Here ends the Readings

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer of the Day - New Year's Eve

Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need.

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come. Amen.

~ Billy Graham 1963

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia!

Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

Closing Prayer

O good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again. Deal favorably with me according to your good pleasure, until I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, and praise you forever and ever with them that are there. Amen

~ from a prayer of St. Jerome, 408 A.D.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~ Numbers 6:22-27

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

"Beginning A New Year" Sermon for SUNDAY, December 31, 2017 - New Year's Eve - First Sunday after Christmas

“In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

~ John 1:1-18

"Beginning A New Year"

by Rev. Tom McVicar

Maybole Baptist Church

Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen

“In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1

Totay we stand on the edge of a New Year. Many wonder what it will bring; joy or sorrow, increase or decline, grief or happiness, yet a New Year can be a time of a new beginning when we leave the past behind and turn the corner. In some ways we can do little about the past yet many spend their lives living in the past, seeking to relive its joy and sorrows only to realize that physically there is nothing we can do.

We certainly can not return to past glories or grief. I said physically for there is a difference here, for God will hold us accountable for the past. The only way we can adequately deal with it is through the cross of Calvary and to realize the Child of Bethlehem was to become our Redeemer, shedding his blood for our sins, that we could realize a position of being justified by Christ before Almighty God. That means I can sleep at night secure in the knowledge that my past is forgiven, my present secured and my future is certain. So no matter what way the wind blows, I am centred in Christ and in Him I am anchored in life and certain in death which leads to eternal life.

John 1:1 In the beginning repeats Genesis 1:1. Genesis tells of the old creation order when God created man and women and breathed into man the breath of life.

In John’s gospel it is the story of the new creation needed by a fallen mankind where man is told of God’s great love.

As John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life”

It is far beyond any of our understanding but this is the one way provided. Where a spiritually dead person becomes alive forever, alive to God’s promises and keeping. John reminds us in the wonderful opening verse (John 1:1), exactly who Jesus is, notice the present tense.

He is the eternal Word of God

Psalm 33:6 “By the Word of God the heavens were made”

John is telling us of the eternal pre-existent one the Logos, the Word of God who is the child in the manger.

The Bible does not speak of cheap grace or a special one invented to become a baby. The Bible says “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory full of grace and truth.”

Why we should stress this at the beginning of the year is to realize that God is ahead of our ball game. He simply does not play our silly games, blowing hot or cold, believing and not believing, fearing and not fearing.

He says to us today. Look at my Son, hear him. Remember life is not a game, the reality check is here. We are sinners needing a Saviour.

The Bible says He is the pre-existent one. The one who spoke and creation came into being but He also is the One who plans my future, forgives my past and fortifies my present.

OK. It does not depend on me. All I can do is to trust in God. To hope in Him. To take Him at His word.

To say Lord my life is in your hand not mine.

To say Bless me that I might walk in your way.

To say Lord sometimes I fear for the future, but I realize also, you are the Lord of the future, the First and the Last. The Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. The Eternal Word of God.

God has spoken to us by His Son. The one who was and who is and who is to come. The Almighty. He is the one who at the beginning of the New Year says “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.” Rev 1:17-18.

I trust that God will bless you during 2018.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted. Sermon contributed by Rev. Tom McVicar on Dec 27, 2005.

Prayer of the Day for SUNDAY, December 31, 2017 - New Year's Eve

Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need.

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come. Amen.

~ Billy Graham 1963

Verse of the Day for SUNDAY, December 31, 2017

John 1:1 (NIV)[The Word Became Flesh] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Read all of John 1

Listen to John 1

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un Dia a la Vez - Oración por un nuevo comienzo

Oración por un nuevo comienzo

Nuestra boca se llenó de risas; nuestra lengua, de canciones jubilosas [...] Sí, el Señor ha hecho grandes cosas por nosotros, y eso nos llena de alegría.

~ Salmo 126:2-3 (NVI)

Señor Jesús, solo pueden salir de mis labios palabras de agradecimiento por todo lo poderoso que has sido con nosotros en este año. En cada momento de mi vida estuviste a mi lado escuchando mi necesidad. Fuiste mi socorro en tiempos de angustia.

Gracias porque me ayudaste a que muchas de mis peticiones se hicieran realidad. Te agradezco también que me llenaras de valentía cuando pensaba que no sería capaz de salir adelante.

Te amo con todo con mi corazón y, a partir de hoy, entrego en tus manos mi vida, mi salud, mi economía, mi familia, mi trabajo y todos los anhelos profundos de mi corazón que ya tú conoces.

Guárdame, mi Dios, y acompáñame en mi entrar y en mi salir.

En el nombre de Jesús te lo pido, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - STAND STRONG THROUGH ALL STORMS

STAND STRONG THROUGH ALL STORMS

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither…

~ Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

Concluding Thoughts:

1. Ours is the Kingdom. No matter what setbacks we see or experience, in the end the Kingdom will revert to our Lord and we will reign with Him.

2. Ours is the victory through dying and living again – victory through being able to drink the cup of evil and injustice poured out and not being consumed by it.

3. Ours is the responsibility of caring for our suffering brethren, especially converts and those in countries more restrictive and repressive than ours.

4. Ours is the responsibility of reaching those who still sit in darkness.

5. Ours are the lives that should manifest purity and Christlikeness.

6. Ours are the hearts that should be willing to pay the price to bring peace and understanding among men and between men and God. Hearts willing to be proactive. Hearts willing to stand at the end of the day and having done all; stand.

7. Ours is the challenge to stand strong through all the storms we face and come through the fire refined and purified to walk the way of the cross before a dying world.

RESPONSE: Today I will accept the challenge to stand strong through all the storms I may face!

PRAYER: Pray for Christians living in severe persecution areas that refined and purified, they may experience all of the victory which is available through Christ.

LHM Advent Devotion - December 31, 2017 "REMEMBER"

Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"REMEMBER"

December 31, 2017

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

~ Luke 2:19 (ESV)

For many children, the story of their birth is their favorite bedtime story. They want to hear what happened-where they were born, who was present, how their parents cared for them in the earliest days. They may have the story memorized, but they want to hear it once again.

If Jesus felt this way, His mother was well prepared to tell the story. Luke says, "Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." Mary's next few years would be filled with the mundane challenges of everyday life: feeding a baby, changing diapers, cooking dinner, cleaning house. It was a far cry from angels and miracles in a stable.

But Mary remembered. God's work in the past helped to strengthen her faith. It reminded her that her baby playing on the floor was in fact the Son of God, the Savior of the world. It reminded her that the boy doing chores that day would have much greater work to do as the Savior of the world. No doubt the memories got her through the bad days-the escape to Egypt, the move back to Nazareth, the eventual death of her husband, probably some time in Jesus' teens or young adulthood.

Mary remembered what God had done-and we should remember, too. I remember that God came to me when I was a young child in a difficult and dangerous time. Although I was nobody important, God loved me and chose me to be His own. He gave His own Son Jesus to be my Savior, to suffer and to die on the cross for me. And He raised Jesus from the dead to be our Lord who gives everlasting life to everyone who belongs to Him. God made me His through Baptism, and has stayed with me even through the darkest times in my life. I know that He is faithful and will never leave me.

What has God done for you? Remember.

THE PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for all that You have done for me. Keep me close to You always, trusting in You. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
For many children, the story of their birth is their favorite bedtime story.

Devociones de Adviento de 31 de Diciembre de 2017 "Recuerda"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

"Recuerda"

31 de Diciembre de 2017

Pero María guardaba todo esto en su corazón, y meditaba acerca de ello.

~ Lucas 2:19 (RVC)

A los niños les encanta que sus padres les cuenten la historia de cuando nacieron.

Quieren saber dónde nacieron, quién estaba con ellos, cómo los cuidaron en sus primeros días y, por más que la sepan de memoria, les gusta oírla una y otra vez.

Si con Jesús fue igual, su madre estaba bien preparada para contarle su historia. Lucas dice: "María guardaba todo esto en su corazón". En los años siguientes, la vida de María iba a estar llena de los desafíos normales: alimentar al bebé, cambiarle los pañales, preparar la cena, limpiar la casa. Estaba muy lejos de los ángeles y los milagros en el establo.

Pero María recordaba. Y la obra de Dios en el pasado ayudó a fortalecer su fe. Le recordó que, en realidad, ese bebé que jugaba en el piso era el Hijo de Dios. Le recordó que ese niño que hacía sus tareas, un día iba a tener que hacer una tarea mucho mayor como el Salvador del mundo. Sin duda alguna, los recuerdos le ayudaron en los momentos difíciles: el escape de Egipto, el regreso a Nazaret, la muerte de su esposo, seguramente algunas etapas en la adolescencia de Jesús.

María recordaba lo que Dios había hecho--y nosotros también deberíamos recordar. Yo recuerdo que Dios vino a mí en un momento difícil y peligroso de mi infancia. Aun cuando no era nadie importante, Dios me amó, me eligió y dio a su propio hijo Jesús para que fuera mi salvador, sufriendo y muriendo en la cruz por mí y resucitándolo luego de los muertos, para que sea mi Señor. Dios me hizo suya a través del bautismo y ha estado conmigo a través de los peores momentos de mi vida. Sé que él es fiel y que nunca me abandonará.

¿Qué ha hecho Dios por ti? Recuerda.

ORACIÓN: Gracias, Señor, por todo lo que has hecho por mí. Ayúdame a recordar. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
A los niños les encanta que sus padres les cuenten la historia de cuando nacieron.

Unser Täglich Brot - Gute Erinnerungen

Gute Erinnerungen

Lesung: Klagelieder 3,19-26
Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Maleachi 1–3; Offenbarung 22

MP3 herunterladen

Deine Treue ist groß. Klagelieder 3,23

Durch die Kirche klang Musik. Die Gemeinde hatte sich zur Silvesterfeier versammelt und mein Herz war voll Freude beim Gedanken an all die Gebete, die wir im zurückliegenden Jahr gesprochen hatten. Wir hatten getrauert um Kinder, die falsche Wege gingen, den Tod geliebter Menschen, den Verlust von Arbeitsstellen und zerbrochene Beziehungen. Aber wir hatten auch Gottes Gnade erlebt. Er hatte Herzen verändert und Beziehungen geheilt. Wir hatten Siege gefeiert und Hochzeiten, Examen und Taufen, Geburten und Adoptionen, hatten unsere Kinder dem Herrn geweiht und noch viel mehr.

Wie viele Anfechtungen hatte es in unserer Gemeinde gegeben. Mir ging es fast wie Jeremia, der sich „elend und verlassen“ vorkam. Aber wie er glaube ich, dass es „die Güte des Herrn ist, dass wir nicht gar aus sind, seine Barmherzigkeit hat kein Ende“ (V.22). Die Worte, mit denen der Prophet sich an Gottes Treue erinnerte, trösteten auch mich: „Der Herr ist freundlich dem, der auf ihn harrt, und dem Menschen, der nach ihm fragt“ (V.25).

Jeder Einzelne aus unserer Gemeinde war an jenem Abend ein lebendiger Ausdruck von Gottes verändernder Liebe. Egal, was in den kommenden Jahren vor uns liegt, als Glieder am Leibe Christi dürfen wir uns auf ihn verlassen. Und dann werden wir, wie Jeremia, erleben, wie unsere Hoffnung durch das Erinnern an Gottes unwandelbares Wesen ein festes Fundament erhält.

Herr, was wir in der Vergangenheit mit dir erleben durften, stärkt in uns die Hoffnung, dass deine Treue uns auch in Zukunft hält.

Wenn wir in das neue Jahr hineingehen, wollen wir daran denken, dass Gott immer treu war und treu bleiben wird.

Von Xochitl Dixon

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot
Wenn wir in das neue Jahr hineingehen, wollen wir daran denken, dass Gott immer treu war und treu bleiben wird.