GPS for the week of December 8th, 2024
“He Will Baptize You with The Holy Spirit and with Fire”
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“But at Luke’s house, we see with the eyes of faith, and (God
willing) we shape our lives accordingly. Once again, we have
heard good news: that despite all the signs to the contrary, God
has not forgotten us; God has not forgotten God’s world; God has
not abandoned God’s most broken and needy people. The birth
of Jesus is best proclaimed in the song of ‘angels bending near
the earth’ who proclaim peace to a broken world. And once again
we are invited to ‘rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels
sing’ (Cynthia M. Campbell; Edmund Hamilton Sears).”
Dear Lord, help us this week to rejoice in your wonderful
news of forgiveness. Help us to trust you with our lives
during times of sadness and regret. Amen.
Monday 12.9 “Rejoice and exult with all your heart!”
Zephaniah 3:14-20
“Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult
with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken
away the judgements against you, he has turned away your
enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall
fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.” What
good news! The Lord is with us to take away our fears and give
us strength!
Tuesday 12.10 “And I will save the lame and gather the
outcast.”
Zephaniah 3:14-20
“The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his
love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of
festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear
reproach for it. I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change
their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I
will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make
you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.”
Let us care for those who are weak and without power in our
society. Our Lord will renew all of us in his love and rejoice over
us!
Wednesday 12.11 “With joy you will draw water from the
wells of salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2-6
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for
the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my
salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And you will say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his
name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that
his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done
gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing
for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of
Israel.” Our Lord loves us and wants us to live joyfully and
confidently in this world.
Thursday 12.12 “Rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your
gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not
worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Our joy will be
infectious as we rejoice and give thanks for the peace that
surpasses all understanding.
Friday 12.13 “What then should we do?”-
Luke 3:7-18
“John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him,
‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to
come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to
yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you,
God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire.’ And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’
In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with
anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’
Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him,
‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more
than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him,
‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort
money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be
satisfied with your wages.’” The words of John confront the
falseness and arrogance in all of our hearts. We will bear fruits
worthy of repentance as we accept God’s gift of love.
Saturday 12.14 “He proclaimed the good news to the
people.”
Luke 3:7-18
“As the people were filled with expectation, and all were
questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be
the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you
with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am
not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to
clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary;
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ So, with many
other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.”
John faithfully shared the good news with the people who came to
him.