The House of God. Rev. John Peter Bodner
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Till our hearts burn within us:
Let Thy words abide in us,
That we may abide in Thee.
Open our understanding
That we may understand the Scriptures, and search the Scriptures
For in them we have eternal life, and these testify of The.
Grant us to fulfill Thy royal Law according to the Scripture
And be blessed in knowing these things as we do them.
Give us in patience and comfort of the Scriptures
To have hope
For whatsoever things were written aforetime
Were written for our learning.
Make us mighty in the Scriptures,
To know our God, and do exploits for Him:
Sanctify us by Thy truth
Leave us not to be drawn away with the errors of the wicked
Who know neither the Scriptures nor Thy power,
But grow in grace and knowledge of Thee,
Our Lord and Savior.
Leave us not a prey to the unlearned and unstable
Which wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction,
And know neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.
Open our eyes to behold wondrous things out of Thy Law,
And to see no man but Jesus only,
To believe the Scripture, and the Word which Jesus spake,
For the Spirit of prophecy is
The Word God and the testimony of Jesus Christ
Let Thy mercies come also unto us, O Lord
Even Thy salvation, according to Thy Word.
We ask all this in His Name.
May we receive, and our joy be full.
Let His Name endure as the sun,
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory!
Amen, and Amen.
2. One, Living True, Eternal God
1 One living, true, eternal God
With heart and voice do we confess
Creator of the heavens abroad
And earth around, forever blest!
2 “God is:” in all His works we see
Displayed His wisdom and His might;
By faith we own His majesty,
And seek Him, veiled beyond our sight.
3 “God is a Spirit:” worshippers
In truth and spirit now He seeks;
With image, shrine, and rite, man errs:
For by His Word alone God speaks.
4 That Word reveals that “God is light”
In Him no darkness is at all;
Our sin cannot endure His sight,
Whose light is unapproachable.
5 “Our God is a consuming fire”
The King of saints is just and true
In all His ways; in judgments dire
The wicked perish from His view.
6 Yet by the Gospel, “God is love”
Who saves the sinner, yet is just
He gave His Son from heaven above,
Upon the cross to die for us.
7 Eternal, infinite, unchanged,
In being, wisdom, and in power,
All-holy, just, most good and true,
We praise Thy glory in this hour!
8 One God, revealed in Persons Three:
The Father, Word and Holy Ghost:
Thy praise, Most Blessed Trinity,
Earth’s fullness gives with Heaven’s host!
L.M.
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 13; New Testament: Matthew 2 Psalm: 2
1 Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ: When he writes these lines, none can any longer challenge his title and claim. Timothy, and all the saints now know fully his “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity patience, persecutions” (2 Tim 3:11–12). He has seen the risen Lord (1 Cor 9:1); he has ministered with all the signs of an apostle (2 Cor 12:12); he has suffered the great things the Savior foretold Ananias, and testified before kings, Israel and the heathen as His chosen vessel (Acts 9:15–16). We cannot doubt that he writes the Lord’s commandments (1 Cor 14:37). Hearing him, I hear Christ (Luke 10:16); let me follow him as he follows Christ (1 Cor 11:1).
An apostle . . . by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ: God who separated Paul from his mother’s womb, and called him by His grace, has revealed His Son in him to preach to the Gentiles (Gal 1:15–16). A stewardship of the Gospel is committed to him, necessity is laid upon him—woe if he preach not the Gospel! (1 Cor 9:16–17); For no man takes this office to himself, but he that is called (Heb. 5:4), even as the risen Lord led him captive and gave him gifts (Eph 4:7–11).
So was Paul “made a minister” (Eph 3:7)—and so must I be “made a minister” by God’s Son. How can I preach, except I be sent (Rom 10:15)? Does the love of Christ constrain me? Do I persuade men knowing well the terrors of the Lord (2 Cor 5:11, 14)? To Timothy, and at last now to me, Paul says, “I give thee charge in the sight of God . . . and before Christ Jesus . . . that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable” (1 Tim. 6:13–16).
Let me not forget that I too am “under authority”—authority that brings confidence for my work, and demands obedience to fulfill it. Lord Jesus, when Thou sayest “Go,” let me go; “Come,” let me come; “Do this,” let me do (Matt 8:11)!
Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope: He is our Hope, which makes not ashamed—for God commends His love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; and that love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Rom 5:5–10). We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus faith avails which works by love (Gal 5:5–6). The grace of God has appeared, teaching us that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem and purify to Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Tit. 2:11–14). A present security, a certain deliverance, and glorious future—this is my hope—Jesus Christ . . . our hope.
3. Jesus our Lord, Walk With Us in the Way
1 Jesus our Lord, walk with us in the way;
Slow are our hearts, our holden eyes are blind:
Draw near, go with us at the close of day,
Soothe all our sadness, still our foolish mind.
2 Jesus our Lord, talk with us in the way;
Speak we too much, and reason without faith:
Looking we