The Lord God of Israel said, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.”

A voice of one calling in the desert, “prepare the way for the Lord;

“Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.

“Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low:

“The rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all mankind together will see it.

“For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him.

His reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.

 

Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created.

Things in heaven and on earth. Visible and invisible. Whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities

All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things. And in him all things hold together.

He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things…By making peace with his blood, shed on the cross.

 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations.

We do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Therefore encourage each other with these words. Now about times and dates we do not need to write.

You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly.

But you are not in darkness. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day.

We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Let us be self-controlled putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep,

We may live together with him.

·Tuesday 8 AM prayer at church

·Wednesday Bible Study 7 PM Luke Chapters 7

·Please return Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoeboxes by Nov. 13

·Mission emphasis for November is our Christmas Blessing to a local family and/or Pastor/congregation affected by a natural disaster or other difficulty this year. More information to come. Note “Christmas Blessing” on your check memo line or offering envelope.

·November 27- Thanksgiving meal after worship and decorating for Advent season. Sign up sheet in the foyer.

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.

May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in You;

May those who love Your salvation always say,

“The Lord be exalted!”