The heart cry of a disciple of Jesus is the longing to be with the Lord, and to be pleasing to him, 2 Cor. 5.1-10
Above all else, the disciple of Jesus longs to be with Jesus. Whether in this mortal body, or whether this mortal body is swallowed up by life, God has prepared the believer for immortal glory, and gave us the Spirit as the down-payment. Whether we are at home in the body or with the Lord, our singular aim is to please him, for we will appear before his judgment seat.

Our Focus Today
In our current physical conditions, with our being prone to weakness and illness, we groan longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 2 Cor. 5.2,3

Invocation
Dear God, our earthly bodies during our mortal lives are wasting away. We are vulnerable, prone to weakness, illness, and death. Despite having an earthly body for a short period of time, because of Christ you will provide us with an eternal body in heaven once our earthly lives have ended. You are our God, and the source of our lives. Amen.

Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.

Tuesday: John 12.37-50; Mark 11.12-33; Matt. 21.12-27; Luke 19.45-20.8

In our current physical conditions, with our being prone to weakness and illness, we groan longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 2 Cor. 5.2,3

Reflection
Paul referred to our earthly body during this mortal life as wasting away. He compared it to an old and worn out tent on earth soon to be destroyed. Now in Christ, we see that although we have a temporary body on earth, we will have an eternal body in heaven once our lives on this earth come to an end.

Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick 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.

^{*In the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, the term catholic refers to the Church’s universality, through all ages and times, of all languages and peoples. It refers to no particular tradition or denominational expression (e.g., as in Roman Catholic).}

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Benediction
We glorify you, O God, for you guide us through our mortal years on earth. We in ourselves are wasting away, prone to both weakness and illness. You have promised, however, that while we may only have an earthly body, once it ends, you will give us a body that is eternal in heaven. Thank you for this hope. Amen.

Scripture Memory
Titus 2.11-14 (ESV)
¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Book Reading and Reflection
“Because worship has to do with the Christ event, the eschatological hope for the consummation of the work of Christ cannot be neglected.4 Thus, worship expresses the tension between Christ’s resurrection and his return. Although we celebrate the triumph of Jesus over the powers of sin and death, we ac knowledge that the powers have not yet been put under the feet of Jesus completely. Therefore, in worship we raise a prophetic voice against the powers and express our hope in the future completion of Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. This anticipatory note of worship is expressed in Word and sacrament.”

~ Robert E. Webber, Worship Old and New. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985, page 1195.

Let God Arise! Focus
The grace of God trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, Titus 2.12a

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