SPEAK UP:

For too long, the U.S. military has dismissed the problem
of sexual violence.

26,000 people were sexually assaulted in the U.S. armed
forces in the past year, according to the military’s own
report. That’s an average of 71 people per day. There is
a push to reform the system to better protect victims,
but military and political officials are obstructing it.
No one should have to work in an unsafe environment.

Those who choose to report this abuse often face
retaliation, or watch as the military establishment does
nothing to prosecute their attackers. Only 11% of
assaults are reported, and many of those who do not
report their attack feel like nothing will change if they
do. It’s not hard to see why: All decisions to hold
perpetrators accountable lie within the military chain
of command—not with independently trained prosecutors.

The military justice system leaves women and men with
nowhere to turn when they are assaulted.

Regardless of how we feel about the military, we can all
agree that any person who is raped or sexually
assaulted deserves support and compassion.
Perpetrators must be held accountable.

We hope you’ll join us in calling on Congress to
defend those in the military by protecting them from
sexual violence. We need your voice now.

In faith,
Sojourners

WHAT ARE YOU?

Scripture:

What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
  human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
  and crowned them with glory and honor. —
Psalm 8:4–5


“The whole world was created for you. You were
brought to the world like a king and queen are
brought to a banquet – with everything prepared and
ready.” However, if humanity is not worthy, we say,
“You are the last, least, and lowest of all creations.
Even a tiny insect is greater than you.”

Whether we are majestic like kings and queens or
lower than a slug depends entirely on us. We
determine what we are worth by how we choose to
live our lives.

If we deny our godly nature and live a life filled with
physicality, solely focused on gaining pleasure and
power, then we are no greater than animals. But if
we live driven by service, godliness, and contribution,
then we can become nearly as great as angels.
Every day that we live, we are torn between our
animalistic drives and the soul that God placed
within us. We choose which drive will dominate our
lives, and that choice defines our identity.

Today, let’s choose God and be crowned with His
glory!

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

WE'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU

Scripture:

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalms 122:1-9; Romans 13:11-14;
Matthew 24:37-44

"Stand ready because the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44).

In the final days of His ministry, Jesus spent much
time preparing His disciples to deal with life after
He was gone. He exhorted them to remain in
constant touch with the reality that God is in charge
-- always. He reminded them of the Old Testament
"flood story" in which a People who had lost touch
with that reality were destroyed. And in today's
Gospel Lesson He instructed them to live in the
spirit of high expectation:

"Stay awake!" He commanded. Because you do
not know when your Master is coming" (Mt. 24:42).

"Stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at
an hour you do not expect" (Mt. 24:44).

Be alert! Get ready! Be prepared to receive your Lord,
day-by-day, moment-by-moment. Expect the
unexpected!

Last month, the newswires carried the story of a
preacher who died suddenly of a heart attack. At 90
years of age, the news of his death was not shockingly
unexpected. What was unexpected was WHERE he
died. A very good and committed leader, the pastor,
who had preached throughout the U.S. and in 50
different countries during his lifetime died in the pulpit.

As we reflect on his story, we might very well conclude
that at 90 years-of-age this preacher must have
prepared his people for the day when he could no
longer lead them. We can imagine him telling his
people to remain in constant touch with the reality that
God is in charge. We can imagine him telling his people
to always remain in a spirit of hopeful expectation that
the Father's plan for their final destiny will ultimately be
revealed.

As we reflect on his story, we might very well imagine
that, while his death in the pulpit was no doubt shocking
to the congregation, his death in the pulpit was a
poignant and moving end to his ministry. We imagine
that, as a faithful and committed leader, he died with a
sense of hopeful expectation in the Resurrection Power
of God!

THE GIFT OF LIGHT

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:3,5-6; Psalms 40:2,4,7-10;
! Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34
"Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away
the sin of the world"
(John 1:29).

Reflection:

Recently, HBO aired a documentary featuring three
very talented and interesting photographers. The first,
Henry Butler, is also a world renowned pianist.
Butler's unique approach to photography is owed in
part to his theory that "everything gives off vibrations,
" as he says -- and that is what helps him choose
his subject matter.

The second, Bruce Hall, specializes mostly in
underwater photography. He says that his work
provides him with a sort of personal therapy. His
latest project involves taking pictures of his autistic
twin boys.

The third photographer, Pete Eckert, uses a technique
he calls "painting with light." For Eckert, "photography
isn't a hobby, it's an obsession. It's something I have
to do," he says.

Based on that short description, it sounds like an
interesting film about three very interesting artists,
doesn't it? But the clue to what moves this
documentary from the realm of the interesting into the
arena of the incredible is contained in the title: "Dark
Light. The Art of BLIND Photographers."

So with these three amazing talents in mind, let's think
about this: What is blindness, and who is really blind?

We all know the story of Helen Keller who overcame the
formidable obstacle of blindness to become one of
history's most inspiring women. When she once was
asked if anything could possibly be worse than living
without sight, she replied, "There IS something that is
worse than living without sight: it's living without vision."

There is a striking analogy between the vision of the
Helen Keller's of this world and the ongoing vision that
the New Testament writers tell us we need in order to
be spiritually alive and well. In John's Gospel, Jesus
says, "I am the Light of the World; anyone who follows
Me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light
of life" (Jn. 8:12). And in the Old Testament Book of
Proverbs it is said that “"Where there is no vision, the
people perish" (Pr. 29:18).

(The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online)

CONSISTENCE

Scripture:

Psalms 33:11 NLT
11 But the Lord ’s plans stand firm forever; his
intentions can never be shaken.

Reflection:

"The LORD's plans stand firm forever." Are you
frustrated by inconsistencies you see in others,
or even in yourself? God is completely trustworthy-
his intentions never change. There is a promise
that good and perfect gifts come to us from the
Creator who never changes. When you wonder if
there is anyone in whom you can trust, remember
that God is completely consistent. Let him
counsel you, and trust in his plans for your life.

TWO WAYS TO GO ABOUT IT

Scripture:

Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was
leading Israel at that time. — Judges 4:4

Deborah show's us powerful leadership. That is
feminine leadership — nurturing and encouraging,
inspiring growth through love.

There is a story about a circus clown and an
elephant who sits on the clown’s hat. The clown
gestures wildly and yells at the elephant to move,
but the animal ignores him. Frustrated, the clown
kicks the elephant, but all he gets is a sore foot.
Finally, the clown ridiculously and unsuccessfully
tries to lift the elephant. After that, he plops down
defeated and eats a peanut. Upon smelling the
peanut, the elephant immediately gets up and
walks over to the clown, freeing the hat from
underneath him.

When we want to get someone to do something —
be it our children, our spouse, co-workers, or
friends — there are two ways we can go about it.
We can use force, or we can use love. As Deborah
teaches, and as the clown unwittingly demonstrates,
the softer touch is often a more powerful force for
change.

Whom might you motivate this week? More
importantly, how?

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

OUR CHILDREN

Scripture:

 Psalms 22:30-31 NLT
30 Our children will also serve him. Future
generations will hear about the wonders of
the Lord. 31 His righteous acts will be told
to those not yet born.

Reflection:

If we want our children to serve the Lord,
they must hear about him from us. It is not
enough to rely on the church or those with
more knowledge to provide all their Christian
education. We must reinforce the lessons
of the Bible in our homes.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND JUSTICE?

Scripture:

Evil people don't understand justice, but those
who follow the Lord understand completely.
Proverbs 28:5 NLT

Awareness of justice

Justice means righteousness, lawfulness, and
moral rightness, the quality of being true or correct,
the moral principle determining just conduct. So
justice has a moral quality. It contains a concept
of what is right and, therefore, must also have a
concept of what is wrong. Only people who
understand these concepts of right and wrong can
understand and administer justice. By extension,
only those who follow the Lord can understand
justice. Why? Because they subscribe to the
foundational laws of the one who created them.

Thus, as this proverb points out, evil people don't
understand justice. Because they refuse to
subscribe to justice's moral underpinnings given
by God in his Word, they are left to discover their
own truths. As a result, many conclude that there
is no truth. Others conclude that everyone can
have different truths. Both perspectives are
hopelessly doomed. And as a building without a
foundation will crumble, so justice can never be
served without the foundation of right and wrong
as given by God in his Word.

WISE WAYS  What are you using for your
foundation? Where do you get your concept of
truth, of right and wrong?

Prayer:

Today, Lord, teach me the foundational truths about
life that are given in your Word.

(Adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs, by
Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002),
entry for February 28
Children are innocent and love justice, while most
adults are wicked and prefer mercy.
G K CHESTERTON Delay of justice is injustice.
WALTER S LANDOR)

WOULD CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE?

Scripture:

Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be pleasing to you, O L ord , my rock
and my redeemer.

Reflection:

Would you change the way you live if you knew that
every word and thought would be examined by God
first? David asks that God approve his words and
thoughts as though they were offerings brought to
the altar. As you begin each day, determine that
God's love will guide what you say and how you think.

WOULD YOU CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE?

APPLE OF MY EYE

Scripture:

Psalms 17:8 NLT
8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide
me in the shadow of your wings.

Reflection:

Just as we protect the pupils (literally, "apples") of our
eyes, so God will protect us. We must not conclude,
however, that we have somehow missed God's
protection if we experience troubles. God's protection
has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain; it
is to make us better servants for him. God also protects
us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not
only by helping us escape them.

"WE HAVE COME TO WORSHIP HIM"

(12TH Day of Christmas)

Read Matthew 2:1-8.

TEXT: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we saw His star when it rose and have come to
worship Him (Matthew 2:2).

We end this Christmas season with two final devotions
that once again stress Jesus' Kingship. When He was born
God set a special star in the heavens to signal His birth to
the wise men. These counselors, astrologers and scholars
prepared gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and set off
for the land of Israel.

After journeying many months they entered the capitol
Jerusalem and came to the palace of King Herod. There
they inquired where they might find the One "who has been
born King of the Jews." Herod consulted the chief priests
and scribes who pointed to the prophecy of Micah. "In
Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 'And
you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means
least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a
Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel'" (Matthew 2:5-6).

Informed by the Word of God, the wise men hurried from
Herod's palace to make their way to Bethlehem and the
completion of their journey. On this 12th day of Christmas
we too are reaching the completion of our Christmas journey.
But a new journey is just around the corner. In a few short
months we will follow our King Jesus as He goes to battle
to save us from our enemies.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, You set the Christmas star in the heavens
to guide the wise men to Your only Son. Guide us by the
light of Your Word to our glorious Ruler and King, Jesus
Christ. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

ACCEPTED AND LOVED

Scripture:

Romans 15:7-13
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ
has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the
Jews[a] to show that God is true to the promises
he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so
that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his
mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant
when he wrote:
“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing praises to your name.”[b]
10 And in another place it is written,
“Rejoice with his people,
    you Gentiles.”[c]
11 And yet again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
    Praise him, all you people of the earth.”[d]
12 And in another place Isaiah said,
“The heir to David’s throne[e] will come,
    and he will rule over the Gentiles.
They will place their hope on him.”[f]
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you
completely with joy and peace because you trust
in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection:

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted
you, in order to bring praise to God"(V.7)
Paul's claim here begs the simple question, "How
has Christ accepted you?" That seems like a terribly
harmful question. I cannot claim to answer that
question for you, but let me offer an image to guide
our reflection.
At the church I attend, when infants are baptized, the
service ends with this tremendous moment when the
pastor raises the newly baptized child and proclaims:
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is
what we are!" I must confess that I often need the
emphatic "And that is what we are!" Because the
truth is this claim-that Christ has accepted me like
this tiny and fragile child-is nearly too much to bear.

Prayer: 

God, to Christ you have accepted us and made us
your children; help us to honor our baptism by
excepting one another AMEN

(The Covenant Home Alter, author-Andy Meyer)

APPEARING IN THE BEGINNING

4 But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness
and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous
things we had done, but because of his mercy. He
washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new
life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured
out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and
gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
(Titus 3: 4-7)

Reflection:

On New Year's Day many of us make resolutions about
what we will or won't do in 2014.  We set out to accomplish
new goals or name aspirations in life we are committed
to.  Yet months, weeks, days,and sometimes hours  later we
find ourselves losing hope and giving in.  The doughnut
looks to good to pass up, or it's just a little white lie.
When we feel guilty sometimes we give up altogether.
That's why this passages has been one of my favorite
passages for many years. It doesn't matter how badly
we mess up;  God Saved Us.  He saved us because of
His own mercy, not because of anything we have done
or any promises we've made.  Salvation is completely
dependent on God's own mercy.  Sadly many of us
try to please God on our own strength and we fail.
GOD HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED,
including the ability to live righteous lives.  The only
reason we are able to do anything well is because
of God's mercy.  Will your new year's resolution be
based on your ability or utter dependence on God?

Prayer:

During this new year I commit myself dependent on
You and not giving up even when I fall.  Your mercy
never fails and your love endures forever.  AMEN

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(The Covenant Home Alter, author Jeremy Bower)