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 Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:23 am
Monday June 4th
The Ears of Christ
He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Mark 7:34
Radios, televisions, phones, appliances, voices—their sound is everywhere. Though we hear it, we aren’t really listening. Our ears tune out everything we consider unimportant.
When crowds gathered about Jesus, the noise level must have been fierce. Yet Jesus heard the deaf man’s unintelligible moans. He listened to the voices others ignored—to children, women, the diseased, the disfigured, the outcast, the deaf, and the mute. He attended to these people’s cries despite the strident voices all around Him because His ears were attuned to one voice: the Father’s. His ears filtered out all that did not come from the Father—leading Him to choose a life of sacrifice and service to others and to us.
Jesus’ “Ephphatha” is a command not only to a deaf man’s ears but to ours as well. “Be opened,” Jesus said, opening the deaf man’s ears, healing him in body and soul, and giving him the Gospel. Jesus opens our ears too. In Holy Baptism, by water and the Holy Spirit, Christ gives us the triune God. He blesses us, breaking through our sin-hardened deafness so that we may hear His Word of grace and, by His mercy, believe His promises of salvation.
Open our ears, Father, to Your Word, that we may hear and believe Your gracious voice. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:04 pm
Quiz Time
• The GREAT TRIBULATION
a. is my biology class.
b. will last three-and-a-half years.
c. is what I go through to borrow the car from my parents.
• The Bible tells us that ONE-FOURTH of the human race will die of
a. school cafeteria food poisoning.
b. wild beasts, famine, war and natural disasters.
c. watching too many cheesy TV reruns.
• How does the above translate into NUMBERS for today’s population?
a. A billion and a half people.
b. The population of my entire school.
c. Everyone who regularly eats caviar.
• According to the Bible, how much VEGETATION on the planet will be consumed by fire?
a. A whole gob.
b. One-third.
c. I don’t know the numbers, but I sure hope it means all brussel sprouts will be destroyed.
• The earth will be INVADED by
a. Martians.
b. Fashions from the 1930s.
c. Locusts.
• The above will STING like
a. a dodge-ball hitting you in the thigh during P.E. class.
b. scorpions.
c. nobody’s business.
• This PAIN will last for
a. five months.
b. about as long as math class; it may never end!
c. ever and ever.
• One third of the population will be KILLED during
a. the battle of the bulge.
b. the reenactment of the Civil War.
c. the battle of Armageddon.
• The Bible tells us there will be so many EARTHQUAKES during the last days that
a. California ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!
b. the islands of the sea will disappear.
c. skateboarding will only be a faded memory.
• The Tribulation will last for EXACTLY
a. 84 months . . . seven years.
b. 13 months . . . barely over a year.
c. 24 months . . . two years.
• The SEVEN SEAS of the earth
a. will no longer host jet-skiing, boating or snorkeling.
b. will hold giant water slides and raft-building competitions.
c. will be turned to blood.
• During the FIRST THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS of the Tribulation there will be worldwide
a. panic.
b. peace.
c. picnics.
• The anti-Christ will APPEAR to be
a. Christ like.
b. starving.
c. as an alien.
• The CITIES OF THE WORLD will be
a. thrust onto other planets.
b. unified and renamed as one country.
c. reduced to smoldering ashes.
Know It!
Though no one knows the exact date of the end of the world, Christians can have a deep settled peace that they’re right with God and will spend eternity with Him.
Read It!
Revelation 20-22.
Pray It!
Thank God for the details He’s given in the Bible concerning the end times. Ask Him to help you take Bible prophesy seriously.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:28 am
Tuesday June 5th
The Back of Christ
Christ Jesus [is] . . . our righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:30
WWJD: What would Jesus do? People are often encouraged to use these words to assess and plan their own words and deeds. But for Christian faith and a truly Christian life, there is a much better question. WHJD: What has Jesus done?
Certainly self-examination is important. God has given us the Ten Commandments for this purpose. But such self-examination shows us that our hearts pour forth a flood of sinful uncleanness. And our efforts to renovate our moral lives still leave our sinful hearts intact. More than anything else, self-examination shows us how much we need a Savior.
Christ Jesus saves us precisely by doing things impossible for us. Christ left heaven and took on human flesh. Christ carried the sin of the whole world. Christ suffered and died, not for Himself but for us. Christ died innocently on the cross as our substitute. He rose from the dead to give us His life. He ascended into heaven to intercede for us and to help us. He will come again on the Last Day to lead His people home. All this He does in order to seek and save His lost sheep. We can do none of these things for ourselves. Jesus carries us on His back and saves us.
Open our mouths, O Jesus, and fill them with praise for all that You have said and done to save us. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:13 pm
Three Tight Buds
Jesus placed great value on friendships during His time on earth. He knows how important friends are. They’re the spice of life. They make our victories worth celebrating, and they help make our defeats bearable. We gain perspective, loyalty and camaraderie from our friends. Yet even the best of friendships are often tested through tough times. If the bonds of love are strong enough, the difficult times take the friendship even deeper.
Three guys who knew this all too well were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were Jewish teens who were deported from their hometown to the city of Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzer. They were tight. They’d been through a lot together. But as close as they were, they didn’t allow their friendship to come before God’s ultimate place of authority in their lives.
It’s often easy to let our friends creep into the number one spot in our lives. We usually don’t do this intentionally, but ever so gradually they become more important to us than our relationship with Christ. If God is to be LORD of our lives, He must always be our top priority—even higher than friends, family and dating relationships.
It’s been said that during times of turmoil, our true character surfaces. The same can be said about our friendships. With Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, their friendship faced a crucial moment of truth. Although they had been falsely accused of being disloyal to King Nebuchadnezzer, they stood true to God and to each other when faced with the threat of being tossed into a fiery furnace.
It would have been easy for just one of them to renounce his faith, save their friendship and continue to enjoy each other’s company. But because their friendship was centered on their deep bond with God, they chose not to compromise. They stood tall while those around them bowed low. They placed their trust—and their lives—in the hands of God. They were ready to die for their Savior and for each other!
You probably know the rest of the story: They were thrown into a fiery furnace, but God sent His angel to protect and save them from death. What an incredible victory! And what solid, God-centered friendships!
Know It!
God wants you to have friendships, but He wants to be the center of those relationships. When your friendships are founded on Him, they’re not only stronger . . . they’re eternal. There’s a lot of strength in godly friendships! It’s important to stand with our Christian friends with whom we share convictions. But it’s also important to evaluate our friendships from time to time. Are you placing more importance on your pals than on Christ?
Read It!
Daniel 1-3.
Pray It!
Ask God’s help in choosing close friends. Seek to make a strong foundation in Him as your common denominator.
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:20 am
Wednesday June 6th
The Hands of Christ
No one will snatch them out of My hand. John 10:28
“I need a hand,” someone says. They don’t really mean they need the palm and fingers at the end of our arm. Rather, they need the aid our hands can give.
People wanted Jesus to give them a hand. Jesus’ hands lifted the disease and illness from many. Jesus’ hands blessed little children. Jesus’ hands were raised in prayer and praise. On the night He was betrayed, His hands washed the disciples’ feet and served the first Communion meal. Hours later, His hands were nailed to a cross. There Jesus said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” (Luke 23:46). Jesus’ hands did His Father’s work, and when the Savior needed a hand, He entrusted Himself to His Father in heaven.
Jesus’ hands help us too. He comes to all who need His loving touch. He dirties His hands with the work no one else would tackle, healing demoniacs, the sick, and the lame. He rescues us from the clutch of sin and death, forgiving our sins and lifting us to the Father. He holds us in His nail-pierced hands and promises us that “no one will snatch” us from Him or His Father (John 10:28–29). With such hands to hold and help us, we are safe—both now and for eternity. In His hands, we are healed and made whole.
Hold us in Your hands, O Jesus, and commend us into the hands of our heavenly Father. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:38 pm
Are You Serious?
In October of 2000, a ranger for the Yellowstone National Park noticed a crowd of people, cars and trucks gathered closely together to view a nearby bear. As he approached the crowd, he focused his attention on a woman and her little boy. He noticed she was smearing something all over the boy’s face.
When the ranger approached her, he asked what she was doing. She stopped smearing the substance on the boy’s face momentarily to answer the ranger’s question. “I’m putting honey on him.”
The ranger, still confused, asked why she was coating her son’s face with honey.
Her response? “I want to take a photo of the bear licking it off his face!”
Fortunately, the ranger put an end to the woman’s photographic dream and sent them on their way.
It’s easy to read this true story and think, Wow! She was certainly a couple of sandwiches short of a full picnic!
But before you start to think she’s an isolated case of incomplete picnic lunches, read on.
A man who was drunk and out of cash, stopped at a gas station in Ionia, Mich., and demanded the two service station attendants hand over their cash. When they refused, the drunk threatened to call the cops on them! The attendants could see the robber was extremely intoxicated and stood their ground refusing to give him any money. The robber, obviously not thinking clearly, called the police and waited for them to arrive at the gas station.
As the police approached the scene, the drunk complained that the attendants wouldn’t give him cash, and of course, he was immediately arrested!
And you’re thinking, This guy wasn’t shooting with a full roll of film!
We have no trouble agreeing how ridiculous the above true stories are, yet it’s often much harder to admit how ridiculous it is for us to take matters into our own hands instead of allowing God complete control.
Think about it: Any time you try to “fix” something in your own strength, you too, are operating with an incomplete roll of film! God doesn’t ask you to figure it out, make it work, fix it or control it. He asks you to give it up, lay it down, place it in His hands. And even though we probably look stupid at times from His perspective, He loves us so much, He continues to see the good in us. He sees your potential and all you can be in His power.
Know It!
God will never call you stupid or laugh at you for doing something ridiculous. He loves you more than you can imagine, and He wants to make your life better by enabling you to fulfill your greatest potential.
Read It!
Proverbs 10:13-14, 17-25; Proverbs 26:18-20.
Pray It!
Seek God’s forgiveness for trying to work things out on your own. Thank Him for having the answers ahead of time for each trial you’ll encounter.
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 10:15 am
Thursday June 7th
The Feet of Christ
And He went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:6
Helpfulness is often described as walking the extra mile. Those who go the extra mile are never too tired, busy, or footsore to help someone else.
No one walked as many extra miles as did our Savior. In the Gospels, went and was going appear numerous times after Jesus’ name. No matter the conditions, Jesus never used weariness or the lateness of the hour as an excuse not to go on. Jesus used travel time to teach, and the Gospels note what He told His disciples as they walked. Always ready to go where He was needed, Jesus heard about people in distress and moved toward them. The ultimate extra mile He walked took Him to Calvary. His feet carried Him to a death that gave us life.
His feet still draw near to us. Once they drew near His people in His incarnate flesh. Now they draw near us in those who bring the Gospel. Citing the prophet Isaiah, Paul writes, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15). They are beautiful because they bear the voice that proclaims the word of Christ, the word of forgiveness, the word of grace, the word of salvation. Through them, Christ still goes the extra mile to help and save us.
Dear Jesus, send us messengers who bring us good news and call us to follow where You lead. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:32 pm
Can You Believe This?
Check out these bizarre true stories from travel agents!
• I had someone ask for an aisle seat on the plane so her hair wouldn’t get messed up by being near the window.
• I received a call from a man who asked, “Is it possible to see England from Canada?”
I said, “No.”
He said, “But they look so close on the map!”
• Another man called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas. When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed he only had a one-hour layover in Dallas. When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, “I heard the Dallas airport is huge, and I’m thinking I’ll probably need a car to drive between the gates to save time.”
• A nice woman just called our office. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:20 a.m. and arrived in Chicago at 8:33 a.m.
I tried to explain that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois, but she couldn’t understand the concept of time zones. Finally I told her that the plane just went very fast. She believed me.
• I just got off the phone with a man who asked, “How do I know which plane to get on?” I was confused and asked him what he meant. He said, “I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them!”
• A woman called and said, “I need to fly to Pepsi-cola on one of those computer planes.” I asked if she meant to fly to Pensacola on a commuter plane. She said, “Yeah, whatever.”
• A woman called to make reservations. “I want to go from Chicago to Hippopotamus, New York,” she said.
The agent said, “Are you sure that’s the name of the town?”
“Yes. What flights do you have?” replied the customer.
After some searching, the agent came back with, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ve looked up every airport code in the country and can’t find a Hippopotamus anywhere.”
The customer retorted, “Oh, don’t be silly. Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!”
The agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally asked, “You don’t mean Buffalo, do you?”
“That’s it!” she said. “I knew it was a big animal!”
Know It!
God is the source of all wisdom, and He wants to help you become wise. Instead of blurting out what you think or assume is correct, ask Him to help you seek His Truth before you announce your opinion, belief or viewpoint.
Read It!
Proverbs 1; 2; 3.
Pray It!
Ask God to forgive you for the times you speak without thinking. Instead of simply blurting out an incorrect viewpoint, ask Him to teach you His wisdom and to help you think and evaluate before you speak.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:13 am
Friday June 8th
The Arms of Christ
And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them. Mark 10:16
To enhance their public image, politicians are often seen with children. But two thousand years ago, good PR did not include children. They were unimportant. Consequently, the disciples, with arms raised in dismissal like self-appointed PR employees, rebuked the parents who brought their children to Jesus.
But Jesus gathered the children and put His arms around them. His arms embraced those deemed unworthy of His time. His arms included the children others excluded. His arms reached out to these normally unseen and unheard tiny tots. His arms, later extended on the cross, stretched forward to draw these children to Himself, inviting them to come closer.
Jesus still extends His arms toward us today. He reaches out to us, drawing us into the circle of His open arms through a childlike faith in Him. When Jesus opens His arms to us, He blesses us. When He holds us in His arms, He blesses us. When He raises His arms before us, He blesses us yet again. For He is God’s strong right arm who has come to save us, to redeem us, to deliver us from sin and death and into the everlasting arms of God.
Savior, by Your grace we lean on the strength of Your arms. By Your mercy, may our arms serve others in Your name. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:16 am
Saturday June 9th
The Knees of Christ
And He . . . knelt down and prayed. Luke 22:41
Everyone who hikes in the mountains knows the difficulty of the downhill return. Completing the journey is tough because aching knees protest every step.
Jesus dealt with His aching-knee journeys by bending His knees to pray. He gave thanks before feeding the five thousand. He asked in the temple that the Father’s name be glorified. He called to the Father before raising up Lazarus. He petitioned for all of us in His High Priestly Prayer on Maundy Thursday. He prayed in Gethsemane that the Father’s will be done. Jesus prayed with others and by Himself. He prayed in the synagogue, in people’s homes, and at the side of the road. He often knelt in prayer—never too busy, too proud, or too tired to talk to His heavenly Father.
Our sinful flesh resists bending the knee, even to God in prayer. We easily neglect prayer, dismiss it, and treat it as a last resort. But not Jesus. He prays. He prays first. He prays for us. He prays that the kingdom of God may be ours, and He teaches us to pray in the same way. Then He went the way of the cross, so that His prayers and ours may find all their answers in Him.
Dear Jesus, You bent Your knees in prayer as You labored to save us; teach us also to pray, that our hope in You may remain on our lips and in our lives. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:11 pm
I’ve Had It!
“Nate! How’s it goin’?” Pastor Steve asked after youth group.
“Okay, I guess.”
“You don’t sound too convincing. What gives?”
“Ah, I’m just fed up!”
“With what—grades, friends, your part-time job?”
“Nah, It’s none of that,” Nate said. “I feel stupid even telling someone this.”
“C’mon, Nate . . . it’s just me, Pastor Steve. You can tell me anything.”
“I’m totally fed up with this guy in my gym class,” Nate admitted. “Okay, so I’m short. And scrawny. And so I’ve had some physical problems and a few surgeries. I know I’m not as strong or tall or athletic or cool as the other guys. But I’m okay with it.”
“You seem pretty confident to me, Nate,” Pastor Steve said.
“I’m okay with it, but Conner’s not. And I’ve had it! I mean, I finally think I understand why some kids bring a gun to school and threaten to use it! I’m so angry I could spit!”
“Okay, so spit! But you and I both know a gun is never the answer. So keep talking, Nate.”
“I feel like such a kid saying all this. I’m 16! It’s not like I’m trying to hide from the big kid on the playground. But you know—in a way, it is kinda like that. This guy harasses me in PE; when he sees me in the hall, he knocks my books outta my hands; he shoves me into my locker; he hides my clothes when I’m taking a shower after gym; he trips me; he cusses me out—”
“Why?”
“I think it’s just because I’m small and have a few physical problems.”
“Nate, you’re being bullied. And when we think of bullies, we tend to think of kids on a playground—as you said. But really . . . bullying continues to happen throughout our entire lives.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Nope. Just yesterday, a guy cut me off when I was trying to change lanes. And if that wasn’t enough, he rolled down his window, cussed me out and made an obscene gesture at me!”
“That’s stupid!”
“You’re telling me! He’s an angry man full of rage. And that’s what’s going on with Conner. He’s angry, insecure and wants to exert power. And unfortunately, it’s always easier to feel more powerful with someone who’s smaller, weaker, younger or nicer. That’s why he’s picking on you, Nate.”
“So what do I do?”
“Obviously, guns are out of the question!”
“Yeah, I know. I was just blowing off steam,” Nate admitted.
“Let’s spend some time praying for Conner,” Pastor Steve said. “
Know It!
Bullies are tough to categorize. A bully may be outgoing and aggressive—the kind who gets her way through force or obvious teasing. On the other hand, a bully can appear reserved on the surface, but may try to manipulate people in more subtle, deceptive ways, like anonymously starting a damaging rumor about someone just to see what happens. But all bullies are focused on themselves and struggling with insecurity.
Read It!
Matthew 5:39; 2 Corinthians 4:7-9; 1 Peter 5:10-11.
Pray It!
Tell God how you feel when you’re being bullied. Now ask for His help in seeing that person through His eyes.
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:04 am
Sunday June 10th
The Shoulders of Christ
Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. . . . For My yoke is easy. Matthew 11:28–30
Jesus’ invitation offers rest—a calming prospect to those drowning in endless to-do lists. Yet He also invites us to take His yoke upon ourselves. “What kind of yoke is that?” we ask. Can a yoke really give us rest?
Jesus’ shoulders have already borne our most fearsome burden—the burden of our sin. His shoulders were scourged for our transgressions. His shoulders carried the cross to Calvary. His shoulders were disjointed as He died for us all. Because the yoke He wore included the tonnage of all sin, the yoke He offers is easy. Because no burden remains for us to carry, the burden He gives us is light beyond all imagining. Christ has already carried it all for us. All that remains is rest for our souls, the rest Christ has won for us by His cross.
Jesus carries out a great exchange. He takes for Himself the crushing yoke of our sin and pride and of all evil and iniquity. In exchange, He gives us the easy yoke of freedom in Christ and the light burden of peace with God.
Christ, our heavenly yoke-bearer, who has taken our burden of sin to the cross, give us the light burden and easy yoke of Your grace, that we may live in peace. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:14 pm
Temptation 101
No one’s immune. None of us are exempt. Every Christian who has ever lived has faced temptation. Before we go any further, it’s important to remember that being tempted isn’t a sin. It’s when we act on temptation—when we give in to it—it becomes sin.
Sometimes temptation may seem so strong, you find yourself wondering if you can truly be victorious. You can win the battle of temptation! The Bible gives us a clear pathway to freedom. Let’s take a peek at some specific things you can do:
1. Predetermine Your Pattern of Temptation
Do you realize that you have a unique fingerprint, palm print, voice print and heart beat? It’s true! There are patterns in your life representative only to you. Temptation works in a similar way. There are some things that entice you; others don’t. Satan knows exactly what your areas of temptation are. He knows your specific areas of weakness. Do you?
If you can identify the specific things that tempt you, you can become proactive. In other words, you can make wise choices to prevent giving in to temptation. If you’re not sure in which areas you’re vulnerable, ask these questions to find out:
— When am I most tempted? Is there a certain time of day or day of the week that you’re most tempted? Is it while you’re home alone, at night, in the afternoon? Nail down the time.
— Where am I most tempted? Is it when you’re standing next to the magazine rack, sitting in front of a computer, in the kitchen, in your bedroom? Discern the place of your temptation.
— Who’s with me when I’m most tempted? Which friends am I with? Is it when I’m alone? In a crowd of strangers? Identify whom.
— What temporary benefit do I receive when I give in? Think about it: If sin was never fun, you’d never give in! The Bible tells us that sin is fun for a season. But it’s always temporary and short-lived. So you may get a kick out of it, but there’s a huge kick back. The fun doesn’t go on. Try to figure out why you continually give in instead of resist? Is it relief? Is it exhilaration?
— How do I feel right before I’m tempted? Are your frustrated? Feeling unloved? Physically exhausted? Mentally drained? Worried? Are you lonely?
Answering the above questions will help you understand the pattern of temptation in your life.
Know It!
God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you’re in the middle of fighting temptation, don’t fight it alone — seek His help!
Read It!
Proverbs 4:23; 1 Corinthians 10:13 Hebrews 11:25; Hebrews 12:1-4.
Pray It!
If you’re giving in to temptation more than you’d like to admit . . . go ahead and admit it to God right now. Ask for His strength not to yield to temptation.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:02 pm
Monday June 11th
The Posture of Christ
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who . . . made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant. Philippians 2:5–7
Imagine you are the son of the owner of the world’s largest business. Then imagine that you agree to spend your life as a janitor in the company your father owns. Unimaginable, isn’t it? But that’s what Jesus did.
Jesus became the janitor of the world, cleaning up the filth of our transgressions and sins. Though a King, He didn’t brag about the things He did for those He helped. His posture was humility. He stooped over sufferers whom others passed by. He ate in sinners’ houses. He sat on the ground to talk to ordinary people. He taught using familiar images that His listeners understood. He bent over the disciples’ feet and suffered on a felon’s cross. His every act showed that He had come to be the servant and slave of all.
Jesus still serves us in humility. In Holy Baptism, He washes away our sin through ordinary water and the Word. In Holy Communion, He strengthens our faith as He comes to us in His body and blood concealed under ordinary bread and wine. And in His Word, He gives us the fullness of His grace in ordinary words that impart the Father’s love.
Dear Jesus, You serve us in humility. Remove our sinful pride, and give us a desire to serve humbly also. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:18 pm
Tuesday June 12th
The Spirit of Christ
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. John 15:26
“As I live and breathe!” some exclaim, reflecting the connection between life and breath. But though they are connected, life does not come from breath. Life comes from the Holy Spirit, who is “the Lord and giver of life” (Nicene Creed).
The Spirit who puts the breath of life into all God’s creatures is also the Spirit who gives God’s people new life in Holy Baptism (John 3:5). The same Spirit helps and comforts God’s people, bearing witness about Jesus through the Word and Sacraments. Christ gives His disciples His peace, but He doesn’t stop there. He also sends the Holy Spirit to distribute His peace continually, so that His people may remain comforted.
Jesus departed from His disciples to do for them and for the world what we could not. Christ went to the cross as our substitute, innocently suffering the penalty we justly deserved for our sin. But, like the disciples who fled for their lives when Jesus was arrested we often fail and fall short. We need the Spirit Christ has sent, who comforts us with Christ and His gifts.
Help us, Jesus, by Your Holy Spirit, whom You have sent to bear witness to everything You have said and done for us. Amen.
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