{"id":1077,"date":"2018-11-19T10:46:20","date_gmt":"2018-11-19T18:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1077"},"modified":"2018-11-19T10:54:38","modified_gmt":"2018-11-19T18:54:38","slug":"we-are-people-of-the-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/19\/we-are-people-of-the-book\/","title":{"rendered":"We Are People of &quot;The Book&quot;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><font color='black' size='2' face='arial'><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:TrackMoves\/>   <w:TrackFormatting\/>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:DoNotPromoteQF\/>   <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US<\/w:LidThemeOther>   <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE<\/w:LidThemeAsian>   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style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">Saints Triumphant Sunday<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">November 18, 2018<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">Daniel 12:1-3<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">We Are People of \u201cThe Book\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoBodyText\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But at that time your people\u2014everyone whose name is found written in the book\u2014will be delivered.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(NIV1984)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">Dear fellow saints in the eyes of God,<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">Something rather eye-opening happened to me last Sunday afternoon.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>After I got home from Windsor and after I finished up what needed to be done in the office I sat down in my recliner.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>No sooner had I sat down when Brenda asked me if Isaac asked me his question.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When I said no, she showed me his bulletin from the service that morning.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When Isaac heard me talking about what I include in my \u201clittle book\u201d (my Day-Timer) he wrote on the back of his bulletin, \u201cDo you ever write play with Isaac in your book?\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It reminded me that Isaac and I used to have a lot more \u201cguy time\u201d than we do now.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I need to change that.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It also reminded me of when our son Jonathan was about Isaac\u2019s age.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He came to me one day and asked me if I would pencil him into my \u201cbook.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When I asked him what he meant, he said that some of the kids at school have their parents come in and eat lunch with them.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So he wanted to know if I would \u201cpencil him in for lunch.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I smiled and said, sure!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We had lunch at his school later that week and he introduced me to some of his friends.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">We all know that there are certain books that contain our name.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Back when telephone books were the norm we could all find our name in the white pages.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>If I am talking to fellow WELS pastor and he wants to know how to contact me, I just tell him that I am in \u201cthe book\u201d and he will know exactly what I mean.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It means that I am listed in the WELS yearbook.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But if the conversation were to center on a different book\u2014 such as the \u201cGuinness Book of World Records\u201d or a book like \u201cWho\u2019s Who in America\u201d now my name is nowhere to be found.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">In our text for today the prophet Daniel makes what some may consider to be a simple passing reference to a <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbook.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In reality, however, the Lord\u2019s prophet focuses our attention this morning on the most important <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbook\u201d<\/i> there is!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The most important <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbook\u201d<\/i> of all, the one <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbook\u201d<\/i> that has an eternal impact on each and every single human being is known in the Bible as:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cThe Book of Life.\u201d <\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;<\/span>(See Exodus 32:32, 33; Psalm 9:5; Psalm 69:28; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 20:15; 21:27)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Today, my friends, as we gather in God\u2019s house to celebrate Saints Triumphant Sunday let\u2019s use these words of the prophet Daniel to remind ourselves and to reassure each other that:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><b><i>We Are People of \u201cThe Book\u201d!<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">As soon as we hear the name Daniel most of us probably think of the lion\u2019s den. (Daniel 6)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Daniel was a man who was so devoted to the Lord his God that he was willing to be torn apart and eaten by hungry lions rather than deny or dishonor the one and only living God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But there is so much more to Daniel than just the lion\u2019s den.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Daniel had been taken as an exile to Babylon in about 606 B.C.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>While in Babylon Daniel was given an important position in the government even though he was technically just a prisoner of war.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The Lord had given Daniel the ability to interpret dreams.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Daniel was the one who interpreted the <i>\u201cwriting on the wall.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(Daniel 5)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As we will see in next Sunday\u2019s sermon Daniel was given a vision of the four major empires that would rule the earth\u2014 even long after Daniel had gone home to heaven.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(Daniel 7)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Our text for today occurs at the end of Daniel\u2019s fourth and final vision.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>With these words Daniel give us a glimpse of both what will happen <b>as<\/b> the end of the world draws near as well as what will happen <b>when<\/b> the end of the world arrives.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">With that let\u2019s look at the opening verse of our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Daniel writes, <i>\u201cAt that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I believe that these words of Daniel are a reference to the times in which you and I are living, my friends.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>To help you see that this is not just my \u201copinion\u201d I\u2019d like to remind you of the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201csigns\u201d<\/i> that the Lord Jesus Himself says will precede Judgment Day.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Matthew 24)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I don\u2019t want to spend a great deal of time on this because we still have a lot to cover in our text for today, but remember what our Savior tells us.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus says that as the end of the world draws near there will be <i>\u201cfalse Christs.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Is that happening today?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Is there anyone claiming to be Christ or at least the earthly equivalent of Christ?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Yes!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus says there will be <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cwars and rumors of war.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Is that happening today?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Yes!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus says there will be \u201cnatural disasters\u201d\u2014 famines and earthquakes, floods and droughts.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Is that happening today?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Yes!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus says that Christians will be persecuted and jailed and put to death because of their faith in Him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(Pointing to the cross)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Is that happening today?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Yes!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In short, Jesus warns us that the world is only going to get \u201cworser and worser\u201d as the end of the world draws near.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Fewer and fewer people will be willing to stand up for the Truth of Scripture and those who do will be criticized as being \u201cintolerant\u201d and \u201cunloving\u201d and \u201cjudgmental.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s what Daniel predicted.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s what Jesus warned us about.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s what I see happening in the world today.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">And yet, no matter how \u201cbad\u201d it gets for God\u2019s Church here on this earth, no matter how difficult things get for you in your own life as a child of God, the good Lord does not and will not leave us to fend for ourselves!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Not only has the Lord Himself promised to help us and defend us, but it seems as though the Lord God has assigned the archangel Michael to protect God\u2019s people.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Here in our text we are told, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cAt that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/i>And in Jude 9 we are given this example, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBut even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, \u2018The Lord rebuke you!\u2019\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>To me it is unbelievably comforting to know that the Lord God Almighty and His archangel Michael are <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cprotecting\u201d<\/i> God\u2019s saints!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">Let\u2019s go back to Daniel, shall we?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Look at what Daniel goes on to reveal to us, <i>\u201cBut at that time your people\u2014 everyone whose name is written in the book\u2014 will be delivered.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In Matthew 24:22 we are told that God in His grace and mercy is going to <i>\u201ccut short\u201d<\/i> the <i>\u201cdistress\u201d<\/i> of the last days and <i>\u201cdeliver\u201d<\/i> His people. This glorious <i>\u201cday of deliverance\u201d<\/i> is the day on which every human being will be raised from their grave and humanity as a whole will stand before the Lord, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, and be judged.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>On that day there will be only two proclamations possible.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Some will awake <i>\u201cto everlasting life.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Others will awake <i>\u201cto shame and everlasting contempt.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This is yet another reminder that from God\u2019s perspective there are <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">only <\/b>two \u201cclasses\u201d of people on the face of the earth.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There are the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201csheep\u201d<\/i> and there are the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cgoats.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/i>There are the believers and there are the unbelievers.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">The<\/b> determining factor as to whether we or anyone else will spend eternity in the presence of the living God or be cast away in the unquenchable fires of hell is whether or not a person\u2019s name is found written in the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBook of Life\u201d<\/i>!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">The <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBook of Life\u201d<\/i> is one of those \u201cdetails\u201d of Scripture which has long captured my attention.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The picture given to us in the book of Revelation is that on Judgment Day the Lord is going to have this huge <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbook.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Written in this <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cbook\u201d<\/i> will be the name of every last person who believes that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins and was physically raised to life again as God\u2019s guarantee that the Kingdom of heaven is now open to us!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Personally, I have always pictured the names in the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBook of Life\u201d <\/i>as having been handwritten by God Himself\u2014 in the blood of Jesus Christ.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>To me that picture emphasizes that the only way for us sinners to be saved is through faith in what the apostle John records for us in his first epistle:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><i>\u201cthe blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin\u201d <\/i>(I John 1:7).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>(See also I Peter 1:18-19; Hebrews 9:12-14; Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:1-18).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Do you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came into this world as your true flesh-and-blood Brother?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Do you believe that Jesus lived an absolutely perfect life in your place?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Do you believe that Jesus shed His holy precious blood on that cross to completely pay for all of your sins?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Do you believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead on the third day just as He promised He would?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">your<\/b> name <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">is <\/b>written in the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBook of Life\u201d<\/i>!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When our victorious Lord returns to this earth, opens up the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBook of Life\u201d<\/i> and calls your name\u2014 you <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">will<\/b> inherit the eternal triumph of the saints!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">What the triumph of the saints means for us as people of <i><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:bold\">\u201cThe Book\u201d<\/span><\/i> is found in the closing verse of our text for today.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Daniel writes, <i>\u201cThose who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like stars for ever and ever.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we have been made <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cwise\u201d\u2014<\/i> <i>\u201cwise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus\u201d<\/i> (2 Timothy 3:15).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through the power of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism we have been <i>\u201cclothed\u201d<\/i> in the beautiful white robe of perfect righteousness that Jesus won for us on the cross.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Galatians 3:26-27; Revelation 7:14)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through the power of the Sacrament of Holy Communion whatever \u201cmud spots\u201d we have gotten on our robes, whatever sins we have committed are completely washed away.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(See Matthew 26:28)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through faith in what Jesus has done for us we share in His victory\u2014 a triumphant victory which guarantees to us that one day we shall <i>\u201cshine like the brightness of the heavens.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/i>(See also Philippians 3:20-21; I John 3:2)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And to remind us that the triumph of the saints is not only something that we treasure, but it is also something for us to share Daniel says in our text that <i>\u201cthose who lead many to righteousness <\/i>(will shine) <i>like the stars for ever and ever.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through our words, through our actions, through our offerings, through our example we can help lead others\u2014 our children and our grandchildren, our friends and our family, our neighbors and our co-workers\u2014 we can help lead others to the righteousness that can only be found in the triumphal victory secured for us on cross of Jesus Christ.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(Pointing to the cross)<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">We all know that there are certain books that contain our name.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Sometimes we might be thrilled or even impressed to find our name written in a book and sometimes not so much.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>While we may be thrilled or even impressed to find out that our name has been penciled into someone\u2019s daily planner, personally I was never thrilled or impressed to find my name in the white pages of the telephone book.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now that my Mom is in heaven walking on streets of gold I seriously doubt that anyone would be thrilled or impressed by opening up the Synod yearbook and finding my name.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Even if we are thrilled or impressed because we know someone whose name is in the Guinness Book of World Records or in the Who\u2019s Who in America books, eventually even they will fade away and be forgotten.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We, however, we will never fade away!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We will never be forgotten!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>By the grace of God we know that no matter how difficult or how sad our journey here on this earth may become, we have been given the triumph of the saints!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through faith in the holy precious blood of Christ we have the joy of knowing that our names have been written in the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cBook of Life.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Take a moment, my friends, take a moment each and every day to ponder that precious truth. <span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;<\/span>For when we remember that we are indeed people of <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cThe Book\u201d<\/i> then we will always have reason to say:<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">To God be the glory!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">Amen<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p> <\/font><\/p>\n<div class=\"postie-attachments\">Download sermon audio ::  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Saints-Triumphant-Sunday-11-18-18.mp3\">Saints-Triumphant-Sunday-11-18-18.MP3<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Saints Triumphant Sunday November 18, 2018 Daniel 12:1-3 We Are People of \u201cThe Book\u201d &nbsp; At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.&nbsp; There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.&nbsp; But at that time your people\u2014everyone whose name is found [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}