The Day of Pentecost (Ps) June 8th

Psalm 143:1-12

¹  Hear my prayer, O Lord;

give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

²    Enter not into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous before you.

³    For the enemy has pursued my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

⁴    Therefore my spirit faints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

⁵    I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

⁶    I stretch out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷    Answer me quickly, O Lord!

My spirit fails!

       Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸    Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

       Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹    Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

I have fled to you for refuge.

¹⁰    Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

       Let your good Spirit lead me

on level ground!

¹¹    For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

¹²    And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your servant.

The Third Article: Sanctification

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.

Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.