Hallelujah! Praise the Name of Yahweh; praise, servants of Yahweh. Those
who stand in the house of Yahweh; in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good; harp praise to His Name for it is
lovely. For Jacob Yah has chosen to Himself; Israel, His personal
property. For I myself know that great is Yahweh; and our Lord, more
than all gods. All which pleases Yahweh, He does; in the heavens and on
the earth, in the seas and all depths. He causes to go up vapors from
the ends of the earth; lightenings to make rain, the going out of wind
from His treasurehouses. He smote the first-born of Egypt; from man to
behemoth. He sent signs and wonders in your midst, Egypt; on Pharoah and
on all his servants. He smote great nations; and He killed mighty kings.
To Sihon, king of the Amorites, and to Og, king of Bashan; and to all
the kingdoms of Canaan. And He geve their land, an inheritance; an
inheritance to Israel, His people. Yahweh, Your Name forever; Yahweh,
Your remembrance to generations of generations. For Yahweh will judge
His people; and on His servants, He will have consolation. The idols of
the nations–silver and gold; from work of the hands of man. Mouths to
them, yet they do not speak; Eyes to them, yet they don't see. Ears to
them, and they do not hear; also there is no breath in their mouths.
Like them will be those who make them; all which trust in them. House of
Israel, bless Yahweh; house of Aaron, bless Yahweh. House of Levi, bless
Yahweh; Fearers of Yahweh, bless Yahweh. Bless Yahweh from Zion;
dwellers of Jerusalem, Hallelujah!
There are some who say that the Triune God is not real. There are
so-called bible scholars who will tell us that the word *Trinity* is not
found in the bible. But our God *is* found in His Word, and He does
reveal Himself as One God in 3 Persons in Scripture. Jesus Himself makes
this plain when He instructs Christian baptisms to be in the singular
*Name* of Father, Son & Holy Ghost. Just as your first, middle & last
name constitute your one signature, the 3 Persons of the Trinity are One
God.
Some deny God the Father even exists. They would have us believe that
all things came into existence completely by chance. Everything is
random, and meaningless for those without God the Father. There is no
absolute truth, and each individual is like a god unto his or herself.
Right & wrong change according to man's whims, and nothing really
matters in the long run, so live for today!
But God the Father is very real! In the beginning He made the heavens &
the earth. But His creating didn't stop there. He has continued to do
what He pleases in heaven & on earth since then. He was pleased to
create you in your mother's womb, and adopt you into His family at Holy
Baptism, that when you time on earth is over, you would live with Him in
His heavenly home. Just as you once received the name of your earthly
father, He gave you His Name in Baptism to belong to Him forever.
Some refuse to acknowledge the truth's about the Son. Many agree that
Jesus was a great *man*, but few accept that He really was the Son of
God. A few call Him a great prophet, and others look to Jesus as a
really great example to follow as they wear their WWJD bracelets. At
best, some consider Jesus an adopted son of the Father, but illegitimate
nonetheless actually to be called *God's Son*.
But God the Son is quite real. He was eternally begotten of His Father
as God before time began. He became incarnate in time of the virgin,
Mary. Such parentage makes Jesus both God & man at the same time. Being
fully God, He was a perfect sacrifice for sin at the +. Being fully man,
He died their, suffering the death you & I deserved because of our sins.
As both God & man Jesus gives you His body to eat & His blood to drink
for the testament of forgiveness, your inheritance at Communion.
Some cannot accept the notion of the Holy Ghost. A few don't believe in
ghosts at all, while others would want to reduce the Spirit to being
only a *power* of God, occasionally manifest on earth. Any notion that
the Holy Spirit is at all a *personal* manifestation of God's presence
among men appears ludicrous to many. How can God be there to act if He
cannot be seen, heard, or at least *felt*?
God the Holy Ghost is real indeed. He is God in person showing up in
your life. He is there wherever God's Word is spoken, calling people to
faith by the Gospel message. You became *fearers of God* the day you
first believed in the Triune God by the Holy Spirit's power. The Holy
Ghost continues to gather you here around His gifts which enlighten &
sanctify you further. He is your *respiration* as it were, breathing the
breath of life into your mouth by which you live forever by God's Word.
Yes, the Trinity is most definitely God, without question, regardless of
the many nay-sayers out there. The Father is the Creator who has made
you a new creation in Christ Jesus through Holy Baptism. The Son is the
Redeemer Who gave up His body & shed His blood for you that you might
receive it often in Holy Communion as a down-payment of your inheritance
from Him. The Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier Who has called you to faith
and made you holy-believers unto life everlasting. He has done all of
this for you that you may praise His Name, the Name of the Triune God we
celebrate this day. Amen.
John C. Drosendahl, Pastor
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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