9 Trinity – Saturday

[Sample]

Daily Devotional Materials

for the

Week of the

Ninth Sunday after Trinity

– Saturday –

 

Devotion

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved. – Ephesians 1:3-6.

We know of a certainty that God, in great mercy, with great earnestness, and with great power, through the Gospel and His Holy Spirit seeks to convert and to save every one who hears the Gospel. Hence we know of a certainty that it is man’s own fault exclusively if he is not converted and saved. And with like certainty we know that when man is converted and saved, this is exclusively by the grace and working of God, without any merit or co-working on the part of man. “For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10.) And from the text at the head of our lesson we learn that we Christians, whom in this present time He has through the Gospel, by grace, made His believing children, and whom He will bring to salvation, have from eternity been chosen and predestinated by God to such adoption of children, and that by grace alone, for Christ’s sake, according to the good pleasure of His will. Yes, indeed, when a sinner is converted and saved, it is due exclusively to the grace and working of God, and not to any merit or co-working whatsoever on the part of man. What God in this present time works and effects in us by grace alone, He has determined to do from eternity, moved thereto solely by His grace. How sure we may and should be of our salvation! God has chosen and predestinated us to this from eternity. And since you now experience the gracious working of God in you, my dear Christian, you must also be confident that from eternity God has chosen and predestinated you to salvation.

PRAYER. – Lord, my God, it is all Thy grace. By Thy grace Thou hast drawn me to Thee and made me Thy child. By Thy grace, according to Thy promise, Thou wilt keep me in the faith and give me eternal bliss. By Thy grace Thou hast from eternity chosen and unalterably predestinated me, a poor sinner, to the adoption of children and to salvation. Complete Thy gracious work in me, O Lord, and keep me in true faith, and let me inherit eternal life for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen, Thou wilt do it. Amen.

O Love, who ere life’s earliest dawn
On me Thy choice hast gently laid;
O Love, who here as man wast born
And like to us in all things made –
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

 

Hymn 348, 2. (ELHB)

Bible Readings

MORNING:

Galatians 1:1-24
Ga 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.24 And they glorified God in me.

EVENING:

1 Kings 7:1-12

7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row. 4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks. 5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks. 6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them. 7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other. 8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

 

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