How's this for a bit of Christmas encouragement?
Just as Jesus dwelt with humanity as a baby in Bethlehem, so too He dwells with us according to His Word, and offers His very flesh and blood in His Supper. Step away from the computer, and go be present at His cradle, the Church, where the Christ comes today to dwell with you and for you. And if you are fortunate to be celebrating the gift of the Christ Child with family and/or friends, stop reading blogs, turn off the computer, and go enjoy them! Merry Christmas!
Daily Devotional Thoughts return Monday.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:1-9).
As the Nativity of Our Lord approaches, Advent anticipation increases. But have you ever stopped to think how fortunate we are to be living "after the fact?" Think about it, we are people who live by faith, no doubt about that, but we have the events of the past which give us hope for the future. Events like the Son of God taking on flesh to dwell with His people. Events like the Son of God being led into the desert to face our temptation. Events like the Son of God conquering sin, death, and the devil by his innocent suffering and death, and his glorious resurrection. We look back at historic events which have eternal and lasting positive consequences. You see, because of those events, our view of the future is changed.
But what about our Old Testament brothers and sisters? All of the events mentioned above were "yet to come." In fact, they were the very events that for them were hoped for, events about which they had their own Advent Anticipation. And yet, we are not that different.
No matter where we fall on the timeline of History, that timeline tells "His-Story," that is, the story of God's involvement in time and place for the redemption of His people. Therefore, no matter where a person falls on the timeline of History, God's people have always looked back at previous events to give them hope for their future.
The psalmist exhorts God's people to sing a new song, for for "he has done marvelous things." You see, even for our Old Testament brethren, they could recall the marvelous deeds of God's previous involvement in the redemption of His people--events like Noah and the ark; events like the Exodus out of Egypt and God's involvement to rescue them at the Red Sea. All of these marvelous deeds, and more, changed the way God's Old Testament people viewed the future.
Because of God's marvelous deeds of the past, all of God's people are given a glorious hope of the future, for all of God's deeds served as parts of the plan of redemption--which is why our Advent anticipation is one of joy. For at Christmas we know that God is present with his people, in order to save his people. And that gives us hope for an eternity to come. Amen.
Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:1-9).
As the Nativity of Our Lord approaches, Advent anticipation increases. But have you ever stopped to think how fortunate we are to be living "after the fact?" Think about it, we are people who live by faith, no doubt about that, but we have the events of the past which give us hope for the future. Events like the Son of God taking on flesh to dwell with His people. Events like the Son of God being led into the desert to face our temptation. Events like the Son of God conquering sin, death, and the devil by his innocent suffering and death, and his glorious resurrection. We look back at historic events which have eternal and lasting positive consequences. You see, because of those events, our view of the future is changed.
But what about our Old Testament brothers and sisters? All of the events mentioned above were "yet to come." In fact, they were the very events that for them were hoped for, events about which they had their own Advent Anticipation. And yet, we are not that different.
No matter where we fall on the timeline of History, that timeline tells "His-Story," that is, the story of God's involvement in time and place for the redemption of His people. Therefore, no matter where a person falls on the timeline of History, God's people have always looked back at previous events to give them hope for their future.
The psalmist exhorts God's people to sing a new song, for for "he has done marvelous things." You see, even for our Old Testament brethren, they could recall the marvelous deeds of God's previous involvement in the redemption of His people--events like Noah and the ark; events like the Exodus out of Egypt and God's involvement to rescue them at the Red Sea. All of these marvelous deeds, and more, changed the way God's Old Testament people viewed the future.
Because of God's marvelous deeds of the past, all of God's people are given a glorious hope of the future, for all of God's deeds served as parts of the plan of redemption--which is why our Advent anticipation is one of joy. For at Christmas we know that God is present with his people, in order to save his people. And that gives us hope for an eternity to come. Amen.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms
Dear brother and sister in Christ,
Today's Psalm is 115:1-8, 11:
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
From Reading the Psalms with Luther:
The 115th psalm is a psalm of thanks in which God is praised that He is the true, helping God. All other gods are vain idols that cannot help us. Therefore, we pray in verse 1, "Not to us, O Lord...," that is, do not look at how religious and respectable we are, lest You no longer help us and we become like the heathen, a people without God, or again, as those who have a helpless god, as they accuse us. But rather look to Your glory and to Your name, that You are called and reputed to be a true, living God, abundant in help. For Your name's sake come with us, not for our name's sake--that we are called God's servants, workers, singers, fasters, and well-doers--for such names the heathen also can have and are of no help.
And so we pray:
O God, You have been our Helper in the past, preserving us unto this day in body and soul. Forsake us not, but demonstrate to the world that You are the God of heaven, ruling over all, and mighty to save. Cast down the idols of the heathen by the Word of the cross, and build the kingdom of Your Son in our hearts. Amen.
Today's Psalm is 115:1-8, 11:
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
From Reading the Psalms with Luther:
The 115th psalm is a psalm of thanks in which God is praised that He is the true, helping God. All other gods are vain idols that cannot help us. Therefore, we pray in verse 1, "Not to us, O Lord...," that is, do not look at how religious and respectable we are, lest You no longer help us and we become like the heathen, a people without God, or again, as those who have a helpless god, as they accuse us. But rather look to Your glory and to Your name, that You are called and reputed to be a true, living God, abundant in help. For Your name's sake come with us, not for our name's sake--that we are called God's servants, workers, singers, fasters, and well-doers--for such names the heathen also can have and are of no help.
And so we pray:
O God, You have been our Helper in the past, preserving us unto this day in body and soul. Forsake us not, but demonstrate to the world that You are the God of heaven, ruling over all, and mighty to save. Cast down the idols of the heathen by the Word of the cross, and build the kingdom of Your Son in our hearts. Amen.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--For the Family
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
I fear there has been a separation in many Christians' minds between the study of Scripture on the one hand, and what is "practical" on the other hand. When you look for a worthwhile Bible class, a "practical" one, what do you look for? Do you look for a study of one of the book so of the Bible, say Romans, or Jeremiah, or John, for example? Most likely, what is considered "practical" is a study with a catchy title, or one that appeals to a particular felt need.
Now, don't get me wrong, I teach topical Bible studies, and will continue to do so from time to time (although my favorites are always the verse-by-verse, in-depth, exploration of the Scriptures). There is a place for the systematic approach to understanding and applying the Scriptures. In fact, the systematic (topical) approach is very helpful in many cases. That is not my concern.
My concern has to do with how we see and understand the Scriptures. Do we understand St. Paul's words (above), and does our understanding of them form and shape how we teach our children, how we make difficult decisions, how we live? Are the Scriptures good moral stories, or do they reveal the truth about life to us? Are the Scripture just a guide book for daily living, or do they reveal our sin, so that we would see our Savior--in everything.
I fear that the church has failed its hearers in this regard. We teach the Bible stories early on, but then when it's time for Confirmation instruction, the Bible is put to the side, for the most part. We end up teaching our kids that the Bible is just a bunch of stories, and doctrine is simply about knowledge, and then you will move on to the "practical" stuff when you get into high school. Statistics tell us that many of these kids never make it to Adult Bible Class. Why, because the Bible isn't practical, or applicable to the lives. At least that's what they think.
But St. Paul's words are true, and all of Scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
Now, this isn't easy, and I'm not trying to criticise our faithful Sunday School teachers or Confirmation Instructors. I fear the church as a whole has missed this point, by and large. A topical, or doctrinal, study is only practical if it unpacks the Scriptures. And why is this? Because in unpacking the Scriptures, Christ is revealed. Parents that read from the Scriptures and ask related questions during family devotions are parents that are teaching their children the the Scriptures--God's Word--is the lens through which they see life.
St. Paul is correct, and the Scriptures are "practical." If we can just figure out how to teach that to our children, that would be great. Hey, let that be our prayer! Amen.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
I fear there has been a separation in many Christians' minds between the study of Scripture on the one hand, and what is "practical" on the other hand. When you look for a worthwhile Bible class, a "practical" one, what do you look for? Do you look for a study of one of the book so of the Bible, say Romans, or Jeremiah, or John, for example? Most likely, what is considered "practical" is a study with a catchy title, or one that appeals to a particular felt need.
Now, don't get me wrong, I teach topical Bible studies, and will continue to do so from time to time (although my favorites are always the verse-by-verse, in-depth, exploration of the Scriptures). There is a place for the systematic approach to understanding and applying the Scriptures. In fact, the systematic (topical) approach is very helpful in many cases. That is not my concern.
My concern has to do with how we see and understand the Scriptures. Do we understand St. Paul's words (above), and does our understanding of them form and shape how we teach our children, how we make difficult decisions, how we live? Are the Scriptures good moral stories, or do they reveal the truth about life to us? Are the Scripture just a guide book for daily living, or do they reveal our sin, so that we would see our Savior--in everything.
I fear that the church has failed its hearers in this regard. We teach the Bible stories early on, but then when it's time for Confirmation instruction, the Bible is put to the side, for the most part. We end up teaching our kids that the Bible is just a bunch of stories, and doctrine is simply about knowledge, and then you will move on to the "practical" stuff when you get into high school. Statistics tell us that many of these kids never make it to Adult Bible Class. Why, because the Bible isn't practical, or applicable to the lives. At least that's what they think.
But St. Paul's words are true, and all of Scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
Now, this isn't easy, and I'm not trying to criticise our faithful Sunday School teachers or Confirmation Instructors. I fear the church as a whole has missed this point, by and large. A topical, or doctrinal, study is only practical if it unpacks the Scriptures. And why is this? Because in unpacking the Scriptures, Christ is revealed. Parents that read from the Scriptures and ask related questions during family devotions are parents that are teaching their children the the Scriptures--God's Word--is the lens through which they see life.
St. Paul is correct, and the Scriptures are "practical." If we can just figure out how to teach that to our children, that would be great. Hey, let that be our prayer! Amen.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Others have made this point far more clearly than I. Nevertheless, here it is...
We know verses eight and nine, that salvation is a free gift of grace received through faith. We confess that salvation is not of our own doing, but of Christ's. So too, it follows, when we boast, we boast of Christ (1 Cor. 1:28-31).
But do we know verse ten? The Lutheran Study Bible offers this note regarding "good works:"
Our works are not the cause of salvation (vv. 5-9), but its result. We cannot even lay claim to these, for God created them for us to do in Christ. "Holy Spirit is received through faith, hearts are renewed and given new affections, and then they are able to bring forth good works. Ambrose says: 'Faith is the mother of a good will and doing what is right.' " (AC XX 29-30).
Jesus said that a "healthy tree bears good fruit" (Matt. 7:17). In other words, it is inevitable--the Christian produces good works. But, he doesn't create them, nor does he cause them. For as St. Paul clearly teaches: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand" (Eph. 2:10).
You were fearfully and wonderfully made, intricately woven, and all your days were formed for you "when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139:13-16). So, too were your good works.
And the conclusion: just as we take no credit for the free gift of salvation received through faith, we take no credit for our good works. In these we simply walk with Christ and say, "Thanks be to God." For the same God who created us, has saved us, and sanctifies us as well. Amen.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Others have made this point far more clearly than I. Nevertheless, here it is...
We know verses eight and nine, that salvation is a free gift of grace received through faith. We confess that salvation is not of our own doing, but of Christ's. So too, it follows, when we boast, we boast of Christ (1 Cor. 1:28-31).
But do we know verse ten? The Lutheran Study Bible offers this note regarding "good works:"
Our works are not the cause of salvation (vv. 5-9), but its result. We cannot even lay claim to these, for God created them for us to do in Christ. "Holy Spirit is received through faith, hearts are renewed and given new affections, and then they are able to bring forth good works. Ambrose says: 'Faith is the mother of a good will and doing what is right.' " (AC XX 29-30).
Jesus said that a "healthy tree bears good fruit" (Matt. 7:17). In other words, it is inevitable--the Christian produces good works. But, he doesn't create them, nor does he cause them. For as St. Paul clearly teaches: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand" (Eph. 2:10).
You were fearfully and wonderfully made, intricately woven, and all your days were formed for you "when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139:13-16). So, too were your good works.
And the conclusion: just as we take no credit for the free gift of salvation received through faith, we take no credit for our good works. In these we simply walk with Christ and say, "Thanks be to God." For the same God who created us, has saved us, and sanctifies us as well. Amen.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
On Vacation--See link for other devotional sources...
This post began being written Thursday evening, in time for you to know why there was no Daily Devotional Thought posted on Friday. Unfortunately, it is just now being completed--other things came up.
I will not be posting daily devotional thoughts until next Thursday, December 17th. I will be enjoying some vacation time with my family. Until then, for an Old Lutheran Quote, a New Lutheran Quote, and a Patristic Quote each day, and other fine pastoral thoughts, check out Pastor Weedon's Blog. Feel free to also browse the other blogs I've highlighted in the sidebar there to the left. But remember, I want you back here reading this blog next Thursday!
I will not be posting daily devotional thoughts until next Thursday, December 17th. I will be enjoying some vacation time with my family. Until then, for an Old Lutheran Quote, a New Lutheran Quote, and a Patristic Quote each day, and other fine pastoral thoughts, check out Pastor Weedon's Blog. Feel free to also browse the other blogs I've highlighted in the sidebar there to the left. But remember, I want you back here reading this blog next Thursday!
Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Advent means "coming," and is about things to come. During Advent we are prepared for the arrival of future realities, having an anticipation instilled within us. And this anticipation, this preparedness, turns us away from the fleeting things of this world so that we would have as our object, our goal, things that last, things that are eternal, even holy things.
"This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives lives as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).
Of course, St. Paul isn't neglecting his own teaching of wives and husbands loving one another by submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5). Scripture interprets Scripture, and helps us avoid that faulty conclusion of these somewhat confounding words of the apostle.
But St. Paul does mean what he writes; and what he is writing of is real freedom. In fact, it's the same freedom we learn by observing the Advent season of preparation.
We know that some things are temporary--they come and they go. Other things, of course, are here to stay--they are eternal. God's Word teaches us that "the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:8). God's Word, which promises the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting to those who are in Christ, endures while the fleeting things of this veil of sorrows (our broken world) are, well, fleeting, temporary, and eventually, gone.
The eternal promises of God's Word show us what our lasting and eternal inheritance will be. This Word produces in us an anticipation of, and a focus on, those eternal things, those lasting things, those holy things. Those promised future realities enable us to turn away from the temporary, material, and often times sinful, things of this world, for we know that better things--lasting things--are coming, for Christ is coming, and he will bring with him the promised new creation where fruit is produced in season and out, death is turned into life, grief is replaced with the joy of eternal reunion, and while Christian wives and husbands and family members will be a part of the eternal reward, we will enjoy an eternal union--an everlasting marriage--with the bridegroom, Jesus Christ himself, and have a seat at the marriage feast of the lamb.
Those who look for Christ are those who are free. Faith in promised things, coming things, eternal things, allows us to live free from the ways of the world--and that is what this season of preparation is all about.
May your Advent season be continually blessed with anticipation of eternal things to come in Christ. Amen.
Advent means "coming," and is about things to come. During Advent we are prepared for the arrival of future realities, having an anticipation instilled within us. And this anticipation, this preparedness, turns us away from the fleeting things of this world so that we would have as our object, our goal, things that last, things that are eternal, even holy things.
"This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives lives as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).
Of course, St. Paul isn't neglecting his own teaching of wives and husbands loving one another by submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5). Scripture interprets Scripture, and helps us avoid that faulty conclusion of these somewhat confounding words of the apostle.
But St. Paul does mean what he writes; and what he is writing of is real freedom. In fact, it's the same freedom we learn by observing the Advent season of preparation.
We know that some things are temporary--they come and they go. Other things, of course, are here to stay--they are eternal. God's Word teaches us that "the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:8). God's Word, which promises the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting to those who are in Christ, endures while the fleeting things of this veil of sorrows (our broken world) are, well, fleeting, temporary, and eventually, gone.
The eternal promises of God's Word show us what our lasting and eternal inheritance will be. This Word produces in us an anticipation of, and a focus on, those eternal things, those lasting things, those holy things. Those promised future realities enable us to turn away from the temporary, material, and often times sinful, things of this world, for we know that better things--lasting things--are coming, for Christ is coming, and he will bring with him the promised new creation where fruit is produced in season and out, death is turned into life, grief is replaced with the joy of eternal reunion, and while Christian wives and husbands and family members will be a part of the eternal reward, we will enjoy an eternal union--an everlasting marriage--with the bridegroom, Jesus Christ himself, and have a seat at the marriage feast of the lamb.
Those who look for Christ are those who are free. Faith in promised things, coming things, eternal things, allows us to live free from the ways of the world--and that is what this season of preparation is all about.
May your Advent season be continually blessed with anticipation of eternal things to come in Christ. Amen.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
From today's Old Testament reading:
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
"We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:1-4)
Here in Texas, a man's (or a woman's) truck can be a sign of his (or her) toughness. Truck-maker, Chevrolet, utilized American songwriter Bob Seger's well-known song "Like a Rock," to market Chevrolet Silverado as the best-selling, longest lasting truck on the road. I can still remember the commercials.
Like a rock...I was strong as I could be.
Like a rock...nothing ever got to me.
Truth is, we long for a rock because we know we aren't very strong, no matter what image we attempt to portray.
Truth is, we desire to have the protection of a solid rock because lots of things get to us.
Truth is, we aren't at all like a rock--apart from Christ.
Which is why we can joyfully sing the song of Judah in our text. For people who long for the protection of something stronger them themselves, Jesus Christ is strong rock on which we can stand tall.
If Advent is doing its job, we are looking for a rock outside of ourselves, and what good news it is to know that Jesus Christ is that rock--the very foundation of our confession--the source of salvation, and the protection of those who are week and weary.
Truth is, in Christ the solid Rock, we are strong indeed, and the trials of this world can not penetrate us. For our Rock is a Mighty Fortress! Amen.
From today's Old Testament reading:
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
"We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:1-4)
Here in Texas, a man's (or a woman's) truck can be a sign of his (or her) toughness. Truck-maker, Chevrolet, utilized American songwriter Bob Seger's well-known song "Like a Rock," to market Chevrolet Silverado as the best-selling, longest lasting truck on the road. I can still remember the commercials.
Like a rock...I was strong as I could be.
Like a rock...nothing ever got to me.
Truth is, we long for a rock because we know we aren't very strong, no matter what image we attempt to portray.
Truth is, we desire to have the protection of a solid rock because lots of things get to us.
Truth is, we aren't at all like a rock--apart from Christ.
Which is why we can joyfully sing the song of Judah in our text. For people who long for the protection of something stronger them themselves, Jesus Christ is strong rock on which we can stand tall.
If Advent is doing its job, we are looking for a rock outside of ourselves, and what good news it is to know that Jesus Christ is that rock--the very foundation of our confession--the source of salvation, and the protection of those who are week and weary.
Truth is, in Christ the solid Rock, we are strong indeed, and the trials of this world can not penetrate us. For our Rock is a Mighty Fortress! Amen.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today's Psalm is #11:
The Lord Is in His Holy Temple
To the choirmaster. Of David.
11:1 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,“Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord's throne is in heaven;his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
From Reading the Psalms with Luther:
The 11th Psalm is a psalm of prayer. It laments over the heretics and false interpreters of the Scriptures who lead the people away from the true ground of faith and bring them to their mountains, that is, their great high holiness of works. To that end, the heretics and false interpreters of the Scriptures mock the true Teacher and say, "What shall the righteous do?" But the psalm ends with the comfort that God will certainly see this. The false teachers will be condemned and the righteous will remain. This prayer can thus be an example for us. This psalm belongs in the Second Commandment and the First Petition, as all Psalms of prayer.
And so we pray:
Lord Jesus, You cam into this world to reveal to us the will of Your Father and to teach us the way everlasting. Behold how Your sacred Word is denied and corrupted in these perilous days. Have mercy upon us, save us from the snares of unbelief and the seductive teachings of the world, and grant us to abide in Your Word that, made free from error and sin, we be found Your disciples indeed. Amen.
Today's Psalm is #11:
The Lord Is in His Holy Temple
To the choirmaster. Of David.
11:1 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,“Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord's throne is in heaven;his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
From Reading the Psalms with Luther:
The 11th Psalm is a psalm of prayer. It laments over the heretics and false interpreters of the Scriptures who lead the people away from the true ground of faith and bring them to their mountains, that is, their great high holiness of works. To that end, the heretics and false interpreters of the Scriptures mock the true Teacher and say, "What shall the righteous do?" But the psalm ends with the comfort that God will certainly see this. The false teachers will be condemned and the righteous will remain. This prayer can thus be an example for us. This psalm belongs in the Second Commandment and the First Petition, as all Psalms of prayer.
And so we pray:
Lord Jesus, You cam into this world to reveal to us the will of Your Father and to teach us the way everlasting. Behold how Your sacred Word is denied and corrupted in these perilous days. Have mercy upon us, save us from the snares of unbelief and the seductive teachings of the world, and grant us to abide in Your Word that, made free from error and sin, we be found Your disciples indeed. Amen.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--For the Family
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,"Daddy, why don't we light them all?"
These were the words that came from the lips of my three-year-old as we began our devotions one evening last week after dinner. Still the first week of Advent at the time, we were only lighting one of the four candles on our family Advent wreath. The question makes perfect sense. Why don't we light them all?
Because Advent is a time for preparation and expectation. And even more, as the family sits down during Advent for devotions, lighting an Advent Wreath, marking off another day on the Advent Calendar, turning another page in the Advent Devotional Booklet, or whatever routines a family may have, they are able to tell the story of expectation--Again and again.
Deuteronomy 6 is a text not often thought of during this season of Advent, but I think it fits well:
4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 10 "And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you- with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant- and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Deuteronomy 6:4-12)
I don't know about you, but I remember Advent well because my parents had well-established routines of remembrance that we went through each night of the season. It makes sense that the preparation that takes place during Advent is well-remembered, for we have four weeks full of repetition--and repetition is the mother of all learning. So too, it makes sense that these holy habits acquired during this holy season, are good habits to continue throughout the church year.
Many of us remember the mysterious wonder of Advent from our childhoods, and we want the same for our own children. Looking forward to the celebration of the Christ Child's birth; knowing that something special was coming; knowing, that not all the candles could be lit tonight, but that as we went forward, the anticipation would built, and so would the light--and so would the memories.
Memories of a child born to save us. Memories of family gathered around a baby and singing his praises. Memories of preparation and expectation.
As you sit down with your family for your Advent devotion, remember that you are handing down something that will not soon be forgotten--not some meaningless ritual, but a devotion of the highest kind, a devotion to the Christ Child, who came, who continues to come, and who has promised to come again.
May your season of Advent be a blessed one! Amen.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Commemoration of Nicholas of Myra, Pastor (and the real Santa Claus!)
Today the church commemorates St. Nick or, properly speaking, Nicholas of Myra. That's right, today is the day set aside to remember the real Santa Clause, Sinte Klaas.Growing up, we never had the fat, bearded man from the North Pole who brought gifts to all the children of the world on Christmas Eve. My parents had made a decision that we would understand that any gifts given at Christmas were given in the spirit of Jesus, who was given to poor sinners. Gifts were not going to be earned by "good behavior," or lost to a lump of coal for bad behavior. (By the way, have you even known any children that have received coal?)
It never seemed to be a problem for me or my sisters. I can't remember any of us "ruining" it for the other kids. And now that I have my own children, I'm starting to understand how difficult it really is to keep Jesus as the entire point of Christmas.
But St. Nick helps us make sense of this all. From the Treasury of Daily Prayer:
Of the many saints commemorated by the Christian Church, Nicholas (d. AD 342) is one of the best known. Very little is known historically of him, through there was a church of Saint Nicholas in Constantinople as early as the sixth century. Research has affirmed that there was a bishop by the name of Nicholas in the city of Myra in Lycia (part of modern Turkey) in the fourth century. From that coastal location, legends about Nicholas have traveled throughout time and space. He is associated with charitable giving in many countries around the world and is portrayed as the rescuer of sailors, the protector of children, and the friend of people in distress or need. In commemoration of "Sinte Klaas" (Dutch for "Saint Nicholas," in English "Santa Claus"), December 6 is a day for giving and receiving gifts in many parts of Europe.
The real Santa Claus is not a fat man from the North Pole who checks his list to make sure whether or not you are bad or good. The real Santa Claus was a Christian, a Pastor, who understood his call to discipleship. He took up his cross and cared for his fellow man--his neighbor. Unfortunately, that story doesn't sell.
This year, in the Truwe house, we stuffed stockings, and tonight after dinner we will have our Advent devotion, crossing off another day gone by, moving closer to the Feast of the Incarnation of our Lord. But tonight, like St. Nicholas did in the 4th Century, we will give gifts, not because our family has earned our love, but because we have first been loved--and undeservedly so.
We won't expect anyone to fall down our chimney this Christmas Eve, but St. Nicholas will definitely be a part of our Advent season, and I hope he's a part of yours.
We pray:
Almighty God, You bestowed upon Your servant Nicholas of Myra the perpetual gift of charity. Grant Your Church the grace to deal in generosity and love with children and with all who are poor and distressed and to plead the cause of those who have no helper, especially those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief. We ask this for the sake of Him who gave His life for us, Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Apology
I apologize to you readers who have come here this week looking for a Daily Devotional Thought. I hope to begin posting again Thursday morning. Thank you for your patience during this season of Advent.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--Happy Thanksgiving!
Today we pray (from Starck's Prayer Book):
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever. Thus I say, O my God, I have lived again to see the blessed time of harvest. O gracious God, how great is the goodness You have manifested toward us! You have laid the foundations of the earth that it should be established forever. But into this earth You have placed Your glorious treasures. You make it produce fruits for us in abundance, which serve for sustaining our life, for our food and health.
O living Father, You have especially crowned this year with Your blessing, and Your paths overflow with abundance. You have watered the hills from Your chambers. You have filled the earth with fruits of You creation. You have caused the grass to grow for the cattle and vegetation for the service of humanity, that You might bring forth food from the earth. O faithful Father, this year again You have given food and drink to Your children, though they have been ungrateful. You have protected our harvest. Heaven has heard the cry of the earth, and the earth has yielded grain and wine. You have given us the early and latter rain in due season, causing our fields to bloom and giving us the bounties that spring from Your power. By Your grace our trees have yielded many kinds of beautiful and pleasant fruits, and the wine has made us glad. O loving God and Father, You have spread the wings of Your mercy over all our lands. You have caused the sun to shine in season, thus maturing all our crops. You have protected them from hail, blight, drought, and floods. While we slept, You were awake. You were the watchman and keeper of our fields.
O Lord, how great and manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all, and the earth is full of Your riches All creatures, human and animal, wait on You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them, they gather. You open You hand, and they are filled with good. Yes, You have abundantly blessed us this year, O God, with the wealth of You bounties.
For this we thank You with our inmost heart. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our maker. Let us enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Let us say with grateful hearts: The Lord has done great things for us, and indeed we are glad.
O Lord, let us not misuse the gifts and favors that You have bestowed on us, but let us learn from them your love toward us and Your fatherly faithfulness. O God, if some who are ungrateful should show contempt for Your gifts by using them for gluttony or refusing to thank You for them, do not on that account withdraw Your blessing from us, but preserve them for us according to Your mercy.
O Father, You have loved us with an everlasting love, and You draw us to Yourself also by these earthly blessings, that we may know the giver by the gifts and the benefactor by His glorious presents, grant that Your goodness may lead us to repentance. Whenever we see Your gifts before us on the table, or receive them into our hands or mouth, let us always lift up our eyes to You, O fountain of every blessing! And as You sustain our bodies by Your bounties, let us through the Means of Grace that You have appointed increase also in the inner self, in faith, love, and godliness, that we may grow in all goodness, and be changed from glory to glory, until we are ushered into the enjoyment of Your heavenly blessings in everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever. Thus I say, O my God, I have lived again to see the blessed time of harvest. O gracious God, how great is the goodness You have manifested toward us! You have laid the foundations of the earth that it should be established forever. But into this earth You have placed Your glorious treasures. You make it produce fruits for us in abundance, which serve for sustaining our life, for our food and health.
O living Father, You have especially crowned this year with Your blessing, and Your paths overflow with abundance. You have watered the hills from Your chambers. You have filled the earth with fruits of You creation. You have caused the grass to grow for the cattle and vegetation for the service of humanity, that You might bring forth food from the earth. O faithful Father, this year again You have given food and drink to Your children, though they have been ungrateful. You have protected our harvest. Heaven has heard the cry of the earth, and the earth has yielded grain and wine. You have given us the early and latter rain in due season, causing our fields to bloom and giving us the bounties that spring from Your power. By Your grace our trees have yielded many kinds of beautiful and pleasant fruits, and the wine has made us glad. O loving God and Father, You have spread the wings of Your mercy over all our lands. You have caused the sun to shine in season, thus maturing all our crops. You have protected them from hail, blight, drought, and floods. While we slept, You were awake. You were the watchman and keeper of our fields.
O Lord, how great and manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all, and the earth is full of Your riches All creatures, human and animal, wait on You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them, they gather. You open You hand, and they are filled with good. Yes, You have abundantly blessed us this year, O God, with the wealth of You bounties.
For this we thank You with our inmost heart. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our maker. Let us enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Let us say with grateful hearts: The Lord has done great things for us, and indeed we are glad.
O Lord, let us not misuse the gifts and favors that You have bestowed on us, but let us learn from them your love toward us and Your fatherly faithfulness. O God, if some who are ungrateful should show contempt for Your gifts by using them for gluttony or refusing to thank You for them, do not on that account withdraw Your blessing from us, but preserve them for us according to Your mercy.
O Father, You have loved us with an everlasting love, and You draw us to Yourself also by these earthly blessings, that we may know the giver by the gifts and the benefactor by His glorious presents, grant that Your goodness may lead us to repentance. Whenever we see Your gifts before us on the table, or receive them into our hands or mouth, let us always lift up our eyes to You, O fountain of every blessing! And as You sustain our bodies by Your bounties, let us through the Means of Grace that You have appointed increase also in the inner self, in faith, love, and godliness, that we may grow in all goodness, and be changed from glory to glory, until we are ushered into the enjoyment of Your heavenly blessings in everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,I've already mentioned Starck's Prayer Book, and since Wednesday's devotional thought comes from the Old Testament, I thought I'd share this particular exhortation on this Thanksgiving Eve. Enjoy!
Devout Christians Thank God for the Ingathering of the Harvest
"And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. Therefore I will take back My grain in its time, and My wine in its season, and I will take away My wool and My flax, which were to cover her nakedness" (Hosea 2:8-9).
If we were to look for a glorious and great blessing apparent to all people, we would undoubtedly find it in our annual harvests. It is God who has protected our sowings in the earth during the winter, who caused them to sprout, grow, and bear fruit during the summer, averted hail, winds, and storms, and filled our barns and cellars with His blessings. On the other hand, if there is a favor that seems trifling and contemptible to our world, and for which God is thanked least of all, it is the annual harvest. Ungrateful humanity imagines that these things simply had to happen according to the laws of nature--things have to grow and God has nothing to do with it. Accordingly, God's anger is aroused, and by His just judgment He often causes the crops to fail, reminding everyone that the ground cannot produce anything apart from the Lord's will, and without without his blessing nothing can grow.
Believing Christians view the matter differently. When at harvest they see the full ears of grain and the vines loaded with clusters of grapes, they lift up their eyes to heaven, and praise the almighty Creator, giver, and preserver for the blessings received, and acknowledge that it is because of Him that so many grains come from one seed and such luscious fruit from an ordinary wood. They praise God's preserving providence, which provided throughout the year timely rain, and graciously averted thunderstorms, drought, hail, and floods, and guarded the crops. And when the time had arrived that they see the grains harvested and brought into the barns and the grapes crushed for wine, their hearts is stirred and they receive all these gifts with grateful hands. They also make use of them and enjoy them with thanksgiving. They know that is it God who feeds them, provides for them, and keeps them.
Yes, they let God's goodness lead them to repentance. If we thank a benefactor who gives us a garment or something for our support, and are careful not to offend him, why should we not praise the greatest Benefactor who gives us all things?
Indeed, Starck's words are every bit as helpful in the 21st Century as they were when they were written in the 18th Century. May you all be brought to see the blessings of the LORD, and give thanks to your heavenly Father. For all good gifts come from His hand. Amen.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today's Psalm from the Treasury (Psalm 41:7-12) is a prophecy and prayer of Christ himself. Here is the text:
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.
8 They say, "A deadly thing is poured out on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies."
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
11 By this I know that you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.
The context of this Psalm is Christ's passion, specifically, his betrayal by Judas Iscariot. Those who hated Christ whispered, plotted and planned, imagining that this "blasphemer" had to be stopped. They imagined the worst for him. They thought that they could snuff out his life, put him to an end, that he would no longer survive to preach and teach the truth. Even his close friend, Judas, who ate the bread of Christ's last will and testament with him, has lifted up his heels, and would seal his betrayal later that night with a kiss.
Everything seemed to be against him. And yet, Christ prays to the Father what he knows to be true. He prays for a resurrection, a victory that is the repayment that his enemies could have never imagined. Because the Father accepts his offering, having fulled the law on behalf of sinful man, the enemies will not have the last word. They will not shout in triumph over him, but the disciples, the apostles, and the whole Christian Church will continue to sing and shout the victorious song of Jesus Christ's resurrection.
And this victory, this psalm, has become your victory and your song, for you have been baptized into the Christ who suffered all, and rose victorious. His death and resurrection are yours, and therefore, so is his prayer and song. Amen.
Monday, November 23, 2009
New Devotional Resource from CPH
I've been ENJOYING this new devotional resource from CPH for about a week now. But even more than enjoying, I've been fed and nourished by through the praying of these old prayers. It is as if they Pastor Starck, who was born in 1680, could see inside my heart and wrote these prayers for me.Daily morning and evening prayers that apply the Word of God consistently go with a midday devotion and prayer, filling each day with God's Word. For only $13.99 (and free shipping) this outstanding resource can be yours. Follow this link. The only difficulty for my has been deciding which of CPH's fine materials are used each day (in addition to The Lutheran Study Bible, of course): The Treasury of Daily Prayer, Starck's Prayer Book, Meditations on the Gospels, or any other of a number of outstanding resources.
Commemoration of Clement of Rome, Pastor
Today the church commemorates Clement of Rome. From the Treasury of Daily Prayer:Clement (ca. AD 35-100) is remembered for having established the pattern of apostolic authority that governed the Christian Church during the first and second centuries. He also insisted on keeping Christ at the center of the Church's worship and outreach. In a letter to the Christians at Corinth, he emphasized the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection: "Let us fix out eyes on the blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to His Father, since it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world" (1 Clement 6:31). Prior to suffering a martyr's death by drowning, Clement displayed a steadfast, Christlike love for God's redeemed people, serving as an inspiration to future generations to continue to build the Church on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, with Christa s the one and only cornerstone.
And so we pray in his honor:
Almighty God, Your servant Clement of Rome called the Church in Corinth to repentance and faith to unite them in Christian love. Grant that Your Church may be anchored in Your truth by the presence of the Holy Spirit and kept blameless in Your service until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Dailyt Devotional Thought--For the Family
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,We all know the story from our Sunday School days: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar even though the penalty for their faithfulness is a red hot fiery furnace. This well-known story is today's Old Testament reading (Daniel 3:1-30).
I continue to be amazed at the trio's faithful response:
"O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O King. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (16b-18).
Another prophet would remind his readers of the protection God provided these three when he wrote: "when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you" (Isaiah 43:2).
So what does this have to do with the Christian family?
First of all, a faithful response was, and is, possible because of the promised protection of God himself. A family that is grounded in His Word of promise, of comfort, and of a hope yet to come, will be able to stand strong against the difficulties of this age. A Christian family that prays together, studies the word together, and worships together will have God's promises in Christ Jesus on their minds, day and night. And by His Word, God provides a fortress for the Christian family, protecting it from all fronts.
But even more that that, we learn well from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to hope in the final resurrection. The did not know if they would be rescued from the fire, and yet, they knew that they would be rescued. Faithful Christians like them have held on to this hope as well. Job confessed that "I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:25-26).
This is all to say, like the faithful trio that went faithfully into the fiery furnace, the Christian family that hopes in Christ Jesus, has the assurance that no matter what befalls it, they will stand with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego on the last day, and there too will be Job and all the faithful, beholding Jesus Christ with their very own eyes. For just as Christ was with them in the fiery furnace, so too, he is with the Christian family through thick and thin. Amen.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Confessions (The Augsburg Confession)
Today we start a new Friday series exploring one of the confessional writings of the Book of Concord: The Augsburg Confession. And why do we start such a series? Because, as the late Rev. Dr. Kurt Marquart wrote, "Lutheran congregations and synods must learn again to treasure the Book of Concord as their best and most authentic 'mission statement,' and to implement its doctrinal and sacramental substance full-strength in the actual shaping of their church-life" (Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics, Volume IX. pg.185). Thank you, Pastor Sullivan, for bringing these wise words to my mind the other day.You see, the need for truth is as great in our time of post-modern relativism as it was in the 16th Century when Dr. Christian Beyer presented the true confession of faith set forth in The Augsburg Confession. The church and her mission depends upon the pure Gospel being taught and preached and the sacraments being administered according to Christ's institution. For this mission to continue in this 21st Century, in the face of ongoing persecution from worldly and spiritual forces, we must know that confession.
So what exactly is The Augsburg Confession? Well, here is the introduction from Concordia: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord:
On Saturday, June 25, 1530, at three o'clock in the afternoon, Dr. Christian Beyer stood, walked toward the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V, and began reading the Augsburg Confession in a loud and distinct voice. Through the open windows a hushed crowd outside in the courtyard hung on his every word, as did the two hundred or so people gathered in the hall. Beside Dr. Beyer stood Dr. Gregory Bruck, holding a copy of the Augsburg Confession in Latin. The German princes around them stood up to indicate their support for the Confession. The emperor motioned for them to sit down.
When Dr. Beyer finished reading, Dr. Bruck took the German copy of the Confession from him, handed both copies to the emperor, and said, "Most gracious Emperor, this is a Confession that will even prevail against the gates of hell, with the grace and help of God." Thus was the Augsburg Confession presented as a unique Confession of the truth of God's holy Word, distinct from Romanism on the one hand, and Reformed, Anabaptists, and radicals on the other. June 25, 1530, is a date every bit as important for Lutherans as is the more familiar date of October 31, 1517--the day on which Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses.
In article I we see plainly that, along with Luther, Philip Melanchthon (who wrote the Augsburg Confession) and the rest of the reformers in Luther's camp, never set out to start a new and different church. Their intention was to identify the true confession of the Christian Church. To make this clear, they highlight their connectedness to the ancient Council of Nicaea and other Fathers that had confessed the faith previously.
Here are a few example from the first of 28 articles:
Article 1--God
- The Augsburg Confession confesses the holy Trinity--That there is one God in three persons--as the Council of Nicaea had done in 325, and as the Scriptures plainly teach (Matthew 28:19). "Our churches teach with common consent that the decree of the Council of Nicaea about the unity of the divine essence and the three persons is true. It is to be believed without doubt. God is one divine essence who is eternal, without a body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness."
- The Augsburg Confession condemns any teaching that is contrary to the holy Trinity, either combining the persons, or dividing their essence. "Our churches condemn all heresies that arose against this article, such as the Manichaeans, who assumed that there are two "principles," one Good and the other Evil. They also condemn the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Muslims, and all heresies such as these. Our churches also condemn the Samosatenes, old and new, who contend that God is but one person."
I was at a weekend retreat in 2005 where a "strong Christian" was arguing for a dualistic Christianity, where good and evil were pitted against each other, and the outcome was not already decided with Christ's words, "It is finished." I've spoken with "passionate believers" who speak of God simply working in different "modes" at different points in history. He used to be seen as the Father, and then became the Son, and now is at work as the Holy Spirit. But this denies three eternal persons, and confuses the eternal triune nature of God. And we all know that the Muslim heresy is alive and well, continuing to steal people from the true and saving confession of faith.
All of this is to say...
The Augsburg Confession must not be forgotten, by pastors or laity. We must study it and know it, as it is a true and unadulterated exposition of holy Scripture. What it confesses is the true faith, a truth that is God's truth, a truth that will prevail, as Dr. Beyer boldly proclaimed, "against the gates of hell."
And so we begin our study of The Augsburg Confession so that we continue to be build on the solid rock--Jesus Christ--and His pure Gospel. Amen.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament (The Cruciform Life)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,The words of our Lord: "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24)
These words of our Lord fly in the face of popular "Christian" thinking because in these words the Lord tells you to deny yourself. The world, and what passes as "Christian" preaching and teaching encourages quite the opposite. Maybe it has something to do with the pioneering spirit of American individuality, or maybe not. I don't know. But one thing is for sure. We have been taught that God wants for me, what I want for me, and when life doesn't bring with it what I would expect, well, then, God must be mad at me.
But the Lord's teaches us a different reality. The Lord's teaches us that our life will reflect his life in that it will involve a cross, self-denial, and eventually death. The Christian should not expect to receive the treasures of heaven in this life, for we are to store up treasures in heaven. Quite the contrary, the one who follows Jesus lives by faith, bearing the crosses that the Lord lays upon him, but trusting that on the Last Day, Christ's resurrection would be manifested as our own. What he has already received in His glorious body and His Father's kingdom, will become our eternal inheritance.
Until that day, we cling to God's promises, and trust that our temporal crosses will prepare us for the life that awaits us in eternity. This, my friends, is the cruciform (cross-like) life--the Christan's life. Amen.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Today's Daily Bible Story from A Congregation at Prayer is from 2 Kings 4:8-37, where Elisha raises the Shunammite's Son. I've included the text below (under the devotion) for your convenience.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Here is another parallel to the work of Elijah, but also to Christ. The upper-room location for the boy's resurrection once more recalls the institution of the Supper which we eat to be raised to eternal life. Like the woman, the Church gives birth to many sons (and daughters) at the font of baptism, but physical death comes upon them. They are taken to die and be buried by their mother, but the Lord will certainly raise them up when He returns to judge the living and the dead. Elisha's first physical contact with the boy portrays the incarnation of Christ who became one with us in the flesh that He might raise us up to life here in time through baptism and open the door for our cold bodies of death to inherit eternal life. The second physical contact symbolizes the final resurrection to eternal life. (Taken from Bible Stories for Daily Prayer, by Rev. Dr. Karl F. Fabrizius)
The text:
ESV 2 Kings 4:8-37 8 One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. 9 And she said to her husband, "Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there." 11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." When he had called her, she stood before him. 14 And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old." 15 He said, "Call her." And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 And he said, "At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant." 17 But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. 18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, "Oh, my head, my head!" The father said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, "Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again." 23 And he said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." She said, "All is well." 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, 'Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?'"And she answered, "All is well." 27 And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me." 28 Then she said, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?'" 29 He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child." 30 Then the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened." 32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son." 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today's Psalm in the Treasury is Psalm 148:1-6:
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
From Reading the Psalms with Luther:
The 148th psalm is a psalm of thanks that excites and exhorts all creatures in heaven and earth to praise God--especially His saints, the children of Israel, who worship Him, that is, have His Word and worship....Rightfully, all of creation should be nothing but a tongue, always praising this great goodness of God. If you want to know how good a thing is, then take whatever you will and say: "If there were not fire..." or "If there were no sun..."; "If there were no hangman..."; "IF there were no woman..."' and so on. Then you will see why one should thank God.
Nicely put. And so we pray:
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him!
Yes, I will laud Him until death;
With songs and anthems I come before Him
As long as he allows me breath.
From Him my life and all things came;
Bless, O my soul, His holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia! (LSB 797:1)
Today's Psalm in the Treasury is Psalm 148:1-6:
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
From Reading the Psalms with Luther:
The 148th psalm is a psalm of thanks that excites and exhorts all creatures in heaven and earth to praise God--especially His saints, the children of Israel, who worship Him, that is, have His Word and worship....Rightfully, all of creation should be nothing but a tongue, always praising this great goodness of God. If you want to know how good a thing is, then take whatever you will and say: "If there were not fire..." or "If there were no sun..."; "If there were no hangman..."; "IF there were no woman..."' and so on. Then you will see why one should thank God.
Nicely put. And so we pray:
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him!
Yes, I will laud Him until death;
With songs and anthems I come before Him
As long as he allows me breath.
From Him my life and all things came;
Bless, O my soul, His holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia! (LSB 797:1)
Friday, November 13, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Confessions (Conclusion of the Ten Commandments)
Our Friday series on the Ten Commandments concludes today with the Conclusion of the Ten Commandments. Come back next week as we begin a series of Friday devotions on the Augsburg Confession.Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
What does God say about all these commandments?
He says, "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Ex. 20:5-6).
What does this mean?
God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.
From Concordia: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord, a helpful summary of Luther's thoughts from the Large Catechism:
The Ten Commandments always accuse. That is their chief use. They also serve as a rough curb against gross outbreaks of sin. But they also function as the "true fountain" from which all good works must spring. We never have to try to invent or create works to do that are pleasing to God or go beyond what He has given us. In these Ten Commandments we have the guide we need to understand what truly pleases God. Some of Luther's most powerful remarks about the difference between God's Ten Commandments and man-made Church rules are found here. Luther thunders against the pomposity and false teaching that certain "Church works" are better in God's eyes than the simple, humble, lowly works of common life, such as a young girl taking care of a little child. He provides a brief summary of the commandments and gain shows how the First Commandment is the fountain for all the rest. God has given us a great treasury by giving us the Ten Commandments.
We can see clearly in this summary statement the three uses (or functions) of the Law:
- Curb: "They also serve as a rough curb against gross outbreaks of sin."
- Mirror: "The Ten Commandments always accuse. That is their chief use."
- Guide: "But they also serve as the 'true fountain' from which all good works must spring."
While the first two functions are common to all people, Christian or not, as the Law of God is written on our hearts (Rom. 2:15; 2 Cor. 3:2-3), the third use is unique to Christians. For the Christian, who is in Christ, the Ten Commandments become the answer to the question: "Now what." In other words, while the Law serves to show our sin, it also serves to show us how to live. But it is still Law.
Today preachers confuse this third use of the Law with Gospel. They throw in a sentence at the end of the sermon that says, "So go and do likewise!" While true, this is not Gospel, for the Gospel is about God's actions, not the Christian's.
The Law binds, but the Gospel frees--always,--because the Gospel always declares God's gracious promises to you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament
A portion of today's New Testament reading:
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people." (Matthew 26:1-5)
The thought from The Lutheran Study Bible on these verses is great:
Both Jesus and His enemies long for His impending death. They plot to kill Him, but He longs to offer up His life for them and for the whole world. Pray for those who oppose the Gospel. Despite such opposition, the Lord is at work for the good of His people.
Isn't that just fascinating. Both Jesus and His enemies long for the same thing--the death of the Son of God.
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people." (Matthew 26:1-5)
The thought from The Lutheran Study Bible on these verses is great:
Both Jesus and His enemies long for His impending death. They plot to kill Him, but He longs to offer up His life for them and for the whole world. Pray for those who oppose the Gospel. Despite such opposition, the Lord is at work for the good of His people.
Isn't that just fascinating. Both Jesus and His enemies long for the same thing--the death of the Son of God.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Commemoration of Martin of Tours, Pastor
Today the church commemorates Martin of Tours. From the Treasury:Born into a pagan family in what is now Hungary around AD 316, Martin grew up in Lombardy (Italy). Coming to the Christian faith as a young person, he began a career in the Roman army. But sensing a call to a church vocation, Martin left the military and became a monk, affirming that he was "Christ's soldier." Eventually, Martin was named bishop of Tours in western Gaul (France). He is remembered for his simple lifestyle and his determination to share the Gospel throughout rural Gaul. Incidentally, on St. Martin's Day in 1483, the on-day-old son of Hans and Margarette Luther was baptized and given the name "Martin" Luther.
We pray:
Lord God of hosts, Your servant Martin the soldier embodied the spirit of sacrifice. He became a bishop in Your Church to defend the catholic faith. Give us grace to follow in his steps so that when our Lord returns we may be clothed with the baptismal garment of righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,A portion of today's Old Testament reading:
"I did not send the prophets,
yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds." (Jeremiah 23:31-22)
Today's reading does two things:
- It preaches a word of law to any false teacher, and it
- Reminds us how fortunate we are to have pastors and teachers who build us up in true teaching of the Gospel, and the right administration of the sacraments.
There are wolves in sheep's clothing still today. Men and women that claim to be "called by God," and who take for themselves Christ's pulpit. It may not be so easy to see their fangs, or to discern the deadly word that flows from their mouth--a word that distorts the sweet Gospel burdens consciences with the Law. But, rest assured they will receive their "reward."
On the other hand, rejoice and be glad if your pastor is rightly called, approved by the church, and placed into the Holy Office by Christ himself. Give thanks if your pastor stands in the council of the LORD (v. 22), studying the Scriptures, so that sermons would not be his word, but God's Word--that is, the sweet proclamation of Law and Gospel.
Indeed, there are many false prophets still today. But thanks be to God, he still sends his true preachers and teachers to declare the wonderful works of God. And through that message, faith is both created and sustained, and the church is built on the confession of Christ alone. Amen.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms
Today's Psalm from the Treasury of Daily Prayer is Psalm 24:
The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Life up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
The LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!
On Martin Luther's birthday, we hear what he writes about this Psalm:
The 24th psalm is a prophecy of the coming worldwide kingdom of Christ. It calls on the "doors" of the world, that is, the kings and princes, to make way for the kingdom of Christ. They and those who for the most part rage against Him (Psalm 2) ask, "Who is this King of glory?" as if they were to say, "This beggar! Yes, this heretic! This criminal! Shall he be a king and shall we yield and submit to him? We shall not!" In this way the psalm shows that God's Word will certainly be condemned and persecuted. This psalm belongs to the First Commandment and in both the Third Commandment and the Third Petition.
And so we pray:
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,
A quiet chamber set apart
For You to dwell within my heart. Amen.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Commemoration of Martin Chemnitz, Pastor and Confessor
Today the church remembers "the second Martin," Martin Chemnitz. Some have said that if it weren't for Chemnitz, everything that Luther and his boys had fought for would have been lost. From the Treasury of Daily Prayer:
Aside from Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586) is regarded as the most important theologian in the history of the Lutheran Church. Chemnitz combined a penetrating intellect and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture and the Church Fathers with a genuine love for the Church. When various doctrinal disagreements broke out after Luther's death in 1546, Chemnitz determined to give himself fully to the restoration of unity in the Lutheran Church. He became the leading spirit and principal author of the 1577 Formula of Concord, which settled the doctrinal disputes on the basis of Scripture and largely succeeded in restoring unity among Lutherans. Chemnitz also authored the four volume "Examination of the Council of Trent" (1565-73), in which he rigorously subjected the teachings of this Roman Catholic Council to the judgment of Scripture and the ancient Church Fathers. The "Examination" became the definitive Lutheran answer to the Council of Trent, as well as a thorough exposition of the faith of the Augsburg Confession. A theologian and a churchman, Chemnitz was truly a gift of God to the Church.
And so we pray:
Lord God, heavenly Father, through the teachings of Martin Chemnitz, You prepare us for the coming of Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Commemoration of Johannes von Staupitz, Luther's Father Confessor
Today the church remembers Johannes von Staupitz, Luther's pastor and, as Treasury of Daily Prayer reminds us, Father Confessor. May we all be so blessed to have some care for our soul the way Pastor von Staupitz cared for Luther's. From the Treasury:
Johannes von Staupitz (ca. 1469-1524), vicar-general of the Augustinian Order in Germany and friend of Martin Luther, was born in Saxony. He studied at the universities in Leipzig and Cologne and served on the faculty at Cologne. In 1503, he was called by Frederick the Wise to serve as dean of the theological faculty at the newly founded University of Wittenberg. There Staupitz encouraged Luther to attain a doctorate in theology and appointed Luther as his successor to professor of Bible at the university. During Luther's early struggles to understand God's grace, it was Staupitz who counseled Luther to focus on Christ and not on himself.
We pray a fitting prayer:
Almighty, everlasting God, for our many sins we justly deserve eternal condemnation. In Your mercy, You sent Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who won for us forgiveness of sins and everlasting salvation. Grant us a true confession so that dead to sin we may hear the sweet words of Absolution from our confessor as Luther heard them from his pastor, Johannes von Staupitz, and be released from all our sin; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
And by the way, if you don't have a Father Confessor, or don't know what one is, go ask your pastor about it. You won't regret it!
Friday, November 06, 2009
I Wish I Had Said That...
This quote from Wednesday's writing in the Treasury of Daily Prayer says clearly what is not so clear in so many minds. I wish I had written it, but I'm glad Walther did. Now I can pass along his insights so that many more may benefit.In speaking about the relationship between faith and works, C.F.W. Walther had this to say:
"[Luther] taught that good works to not save a person, but only faith, without good works....He did say that, to be saved, a person must have have and, in addition to that, good works, or love; but he did teach that those who would be saved must have a faith that produces love spontaneously and is fruitful in good works. That does not mean that faith saves on account of love which springs from it, but that the faith which the Holy Spirit creates and which cannot but do good works justifies because it clings to the gracious promise of Christ and because it lays hold of Christ. It is active in good works because it is genuine faith. The believer need not at all be exhorted to do good works; his faith does them automatically. The believer engages in good works, not from a sense of duty, in return for the forgiveness of his sins, but chiefly because he cannot help doing them. It is altogether impossible that genuine faith should not break forth from the believer's heart in works of love."
This has been on my mind since I read it, and has helped me to clarify a few of my thoughts on preaching. If the preacher treats faith and its fruit as a proposition, saying "this is possible if...", or "you can have this if...", or even "your sins can be forgiven," than we have turned faith into man's work of obedience, and it becomes a burden. This is NOT the preaching of the Gospel.
The Gospel asserts. It declares a reality. Preaching the Gospel simply proclaims what is true about the hearer--"Jesus died on the cross; there your sins are forgiven." "You have been baptized into Christ; you are God's child." "Take and drink, the blood of Christ; your sins are forgiven."
God doesn't leave it to chance. The Gospel isn't a possibility--it's a fact. And faith grasps hold of it for the sweet comfort that it brings. Faith says, "I want that!" Faith that clings to the Gospel, as Walther says so clearly, will never be without the fruit of that faith--good works.
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Confessions (The Ninth and Tenth Commandments)
Our Friday series on the Ten Commandments takes us to the Ninth and Tenth Commandments.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
What is the Ninth Commandment?
You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, or get them in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
What is the Tenth Commandment?
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor's wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
Concordia: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord includes a helpful summary of Luther's thoughts from the Large Catechism:
Luther says that God gave these two commandments to ensure His people knew that stealing is not only the physical act of taking unjustly from another, but is also the desiring of something that is not ours, such as our neighbor's wife, servants, or any property belonging to our neighbor. These commandments are not broken with the hand or the mouth but with the heart. They remind people who consider themselves virtuous that they too, by nature, sin. Toward the end of his explanation, Luther offers a powerful and critical theological insight. All the commandments constantly accuse us of sin and reveal to us where we stand under the Law in God's eyes: guilty! This is the chief purpose of the Law, to show us our sin (p. 392).
Luther says it well:
In whatever way such things happen, we must know that God does not want you to deprive your neighbor of anything that belongs to him, so that he suffer the loss and you gratify your greed with it. This is true even if you could keep it honorably before the world. For it is a secret and sly trick done "under the hat," as we say, so it may not be noticed. Although you go your way as if you had done no one any wrong, you have still injured your neighbor. If it is not called stealing and cheating, it is still called coveting your neighbor's property, that is, aiming at possession of it, luring it away from him without his consent, and being unwilling to see him enjoy what God has granted him.
So how do you know if you've sinned against the Ninth or Tenth Commandments? Ask yourself these questions:
The Ninth:
- Do I have strong wants, desires, or cravings that consume my thoughts?
- Do I resent or envy those who have more than I?
- Do I neglect my marriage, family, church, and other relationships in a desperate attempt to satisfy the wants and desires of my flesh?
- Have my wants kept me from being happy with and thankful for what God has given me?
The Tenth:
- Am I discontented with the spouse the Lord God has given me?
- Am I discontented with the job I have or the employees I supervise?
- Have I neglected to urge someone to remain faithful to his or her spouse?
- Have I wanted my neighbor's husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, workers or property to be mine?
- Have I fostered discontent with the congregation, its pastor, or leaders, and failed to urge members to stay and do their duty in the Divine Service, praying, giving and serving.
And remember, your heavenly Father is the giver of all good gifts. And most importantly, He has given His Son as an eternal sacrifice for the sins of the world. In Christ you have all that you need, and more to come! Amen.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,Romans 8:28 can perplex us, especially when faced with tremendous hardships. The great hymn, What God Ordains Is Always Good, teaches us rightly:
What God ordains is always good: His will is just and holy.
As He directs my life for me, I follow meek and lowly.
My God in deed In every need Knows well how He will shield me;
To Him, the, I will yield me.
What God ordains is always good: He never will deceive me;
HE leads me in His righteous way, And never will He leave me.
I take content What He has sent; His hand that sends me sadness
Will turn my tears to gladness.
What God ordains is always good: His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup That my physician sends me.
My God is true; Each morning new I trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
What God ordains is always good: He is my friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm Though many storms may gather.
Now I may know Both joy and woe; Some day I shall see clearly
That He has loved me dearly.
What God ordains is always good: Though I the cup am drinking
Which savors now of bitterness, I take it without shrinking.
For after grief God gives relief, My heart with comfort filling
And all my sorrow stilling.
What God ordains is always good: This truth remains unshaken.
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, I shall not be forsaken.
I fear no harm, For with His arm He shall embrace and shield me;
So to my God I yield me.
What this confesses is the truth that St. Paul teaches. Even though my eyes see destruction and pain and sorrow, yet I confess what I remains hidden. Indeed all things work together for good for those who love God. Amen.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,In the face of obstinate unrepentance, our faithful heavenly Father still pursues His children. The Lord describes Jerusalem in no uncertain terms:
ESV Jeremiah 5:6-9: Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great. "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores. They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?
Verse 7a: Swearing by false gods--strike one.
Verse 7b: Committing adultery and trooping through houses of whores--strike two.
Verse 8: Lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife--strike three.
And yet, the reason the LORD sends a prophet reminds us that His preferred word is a word of promise, and word of absolution, a word of Gospel:
ESV Jeremiah 5:1 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.
The desire of the Lord is to pardon a nation for her sin--and so it is today.
From The Lutheran Study Bible:
From the lowliest individual in the streets to the highest official in the temple of king's palace, all God's people have turned away from Him to other gods. Their rebellion appears clearly in their immoral behavior as they reject every prophet who calls them back to faith and to the obedience that comes from faith. Today, as you interact with others, consider the condition of your heart in view of God's Word. Repent of all pride, and pray for sincere faith and wisdom with kindness. IN His mercy, God preserves His people for salvation (cf v 10); He has you on His heart.
And so we pray:
Turn us back, O Lord, when we stray. Keep us faithful in word and deed; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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