Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Psalm 47:
1 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH.
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!
"Blowing your horn" can be a sign of arrogance, but not when you blow your horn to highlight what another has done.
When the Ark of the Covenant was taken by David into the holy city, all of Israel responded with songs of praise. There, among the people, God was being exalted to His rightful place as King of all the earth (verse 7).
But there would be an even greater exaltation. Stricken, smitten and appearing to be just another blow hard, sounding forth from his lips an empty tune that the people were tired of hearing, this bloodied and beaten man would give up his breath and die. But His heart would not stay still, and his tune would not be silenced. God himself, who had taken on flesh came back from the dead to claim his rightful place as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
As Jesus ascended into heaven, the praises that Israel once sang were fulfilled as he was exalted to the right hand of God to rule of all the earth in glory and power.
Today the church and all who make her up blow a collective horn, but this is no sign of arrogance. We don't blow our horn, we make known the glorious works of the Lord--the message of forgiveness of sins and the hope of everlasting life in Christ.
And today, while we sing the praise of Him who has ascended to the highest place, we await the sound of another trumpet. For on the last day, the trumpet of God will sound forth announcing the arrival of the same King of Kings in all his glorious splendor and for all the world to see. He will come and take His own to be with him for eternity and to join in the hymn of all creation.
Truly, we have a reason to blow our horns, for Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and has promised us a place in His exalted kingdom. Amen.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--For the Family
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
When I was a teenager, my father would say to me, "Garbage in, garbage out." It was his way of teaching me that I was being influenced. Even though I would always say, "I only listen to this CD for the music, and not the lyrics," the music that went in my ears often times added to the vocabulary that came out of my mouth--and not usually in a positive way.
Proverbs 1:8-9 says:
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
It wasn't until years later that I appreciated my father's wise counsel. All of a sudden, my father (and mother) became very smart...almost overnight.
Two-year-olds aren't so different from teenagers, you know. They test to see if mom and dad really do know what is best for them. "Don't touch that, it's hot!" When they have ice on their burned finger, then they'll understand mom's advice for what it is worth.
Thankfully, we aren't the only ones trying to teach our children.
We have a heavenly Father who loves his children unconditionally, and who gives us His Word to hand down true wisdom and faith. And we have a mother--the church--who comes alongside of us and nurtures us with the Word of our Father, a Word that disciplines and convicts, but a Word that comforts and consoles like a mother's warm embrace.
We pray that parents would continue to teach their children, even when their efforts aren't appreciated until years later. Ultimately, our heavenly Father's Word never is empty, and will always accomplish His purposes, whether that Word is taught by parents to a two-year-old, a teenager full of angst, or to an adult that must learn "the hard way" once again. And because God's Word will accomplish His purposes, we have hope that our children will be wearing the crown of salvation with us for all eternity.
Lord, empower us parents and grandparents to continue to give your steadfast love to the next generation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
When I was a teenager, my father would say to me, "Garbage in, garbage out." It was his way of teaching me that I was being influenced. Even though I would always say, "I only listen to this CD for the music, and not the lyrics," the music that went in my ears often times added to the vocabulary that came out of my mouth--and not usually in a positive way.
Proverbs 1:8-9 says:
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
It wasn't until years later that I appreciated my father's wise counsel. All of a sudden, my father (and mother) became very smart...almost overnight.
Two-year-olds aren't so different from teenagers, you know. They test to see if mom and dad really do know what is best for them. "Don't touch that, it's hot!" When they have ice on their burned finger, then they'll understand mom's advice for what it is worth.
Thankfully, we aren't the only ones trying to teach our children.
We have a heavenly Father who loves his children unconditionally, and who gives us His Word to hand down true wisdom and faith. And we have a mother--the church--who comes alongside of us and nurtures us with the Word of our Father, a Word that disciplines and convicts, but a Word that comforts and consoles like a mother's warm embrace.
We pray that parents would continue to teach their children, even when their efforts aren't appreciated until years later. Ultimately, our heavenly Father's Word never is empty, and will always accomplish His purposes, whether that Word is taught by parents to a two-year-old, a teenager full of angst, or to an adult that must learn "the hard way" once again. And because God's Word will accomplish His purposes, we have hope that our children will be wearing the crown of salvation with us for all eternity.
Lord, empower us parents and grandparents to continue to give your steadfast love to the next generation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Commemoration of Augustine of Hippo, Pastor and Theologian
Today our Synod remembers St. Augustine. From the Treasury of Daily Prayer:
Augustine was one of the greatest of the Latin Church Fathers and a significant influence in the formation of Western Christianity, including Lutheranism. Born in AD 354 in North Africa, Augustine's early life was distinguished by exceptional advancement as a teacher of rhetoric. In his book "Confessions" he describes his life before his conversion to Christianity, when he was drawn into the moral laxity of the day and fathered an illegitimate son. Through the devotion of his sainted mother, Monica, and the preaching of Ambrose, bishop of Milan (AD 339-97), Augustine was converted to the Christian faith. During the great Pelagian controversies of the fifth century, Augustine emphasized the unilateral grace of God in the salvation of mankind. Bishop and theologian at Hippo in North Africa from AD 395 until his death in AD 430, Augustine was a man of great intelligence, a fierce defender of orthodox faith, and a prolific writer. In addition to "Confessions," Augustine's book "City of God" had a great impact upon the Church throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
A prayer in his memory:
O Lord God, the light of the minds that know You, the life of the souls that love You, and the strength of the hearts that serve You, give us the strength to follow the example of Your servant Augustine of Hippo, so that knowing You we may truly love You and loving You we may fully serve You--for to serve You is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Augustine was one of the greatest of the Latin Church Fathers and a significant influence in the formation of Western Christianity, including Lutheranism. Born in AD 354 in North Africa, Augustine's early life was distinguished by exceptional advancement as a teacher of rhetoric. In his book "Confessions" he describes his life before his conversion to Christianity, when he was drawn into the moral laxity of the day and fathered an illegitimate son. Through the devotion of his sainted mother, Monica, and the preaching of Ambrose, bishop of Milan (AD 339-97), Augustine was converted to the Christian faith. During the great Pelagian controversies of the fifth century, Augustine emphasized the unilateral grace of God in the salvation of mankind. Bishop and theologian at Hippo in North Africa from AD 395 until his death in AD 430, Augustine was a man of great intelligence, a fierce defender of orthodox faith, and a prolific writer. In addition to "Confessions," Augustine's book "City of God" had a great impact upon the Church throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
A prayer in his memory:
O Lord God, the light of the minds that know You, the life of the souls that love You, and the strength of the hearts that serve You, give us the strength to follow the example of Your servant Augustine of Hippo, so that knowing You we may truly love You and loving You we may fully serve You--for to serve You is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Confessions (A Never Ending Battle)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
All of San Antonio is rooting for the McAllister Park Little League to win the Little League World Series. On Sunday, they will either be world Champions, or have completed the most successful season in San Antonio's Little League history. Either way, these kids are already champions. But next week, their baseball battle will be over, they'll return home, and then start another school year. They'll be forced to move on to the next challenge.
The Christian life isn't so different. Luther writes in his Large Catechism:
We Christians must be armed (Ephesians 6:10-18) and daily expect to be constantly attacked. No one may go on in security and carelessly, as though the devil were far from us. At all times we must expect and block his blows. Though I am now chaste, patient, kind, and in firm faith, the devil will this very hour send such an arrow into my heart that I can scarcely stand. For he is an enemy that never stops or becomes tired. So when one temptation stops. there always arise others and fresh ones.
Even when we experience victories in our battle against sin and Satan, we are forced to move on and get ready for the next attack. Like a team that fails to prepare properly for an opponent as is caught off guard and defeated, we too can take our opponent for granted.
Luther quotes Ephesians 6 when he speaks about being armed. There St. Paul talks about putting on the full armor of God:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
May you all be fitted with the armor of God, and protected by the powerful Word of God, the comfort of the Gospel, and the faith that clings to Christ alone. Rejoice in your victories, and prepare yourselves for Satan's next attack, for you know it is coming. But with the shield of faith, you have nothing to fear--for the victory has already been won in Jesus Christ. Amen.
All of San Antonio is rooting for the McAllister Park Little League to win the Little League World Series. On Sunday, they will either be world Champions, or have completed the most successful season in San Antonio's Little League history. Either way, these kids are already champions. But next week, their baseball battle will be over, they'll return home, and then start another school year. They'll be forced to move on to the next challenge.
The Christian life isn't so different. Luther writes in his Large Catechism:
We Christians must be armed (Ephesians 6:10-18) and daily expect to be constantly attacked. No one may go on in security and carelessly, as though the devil were far from us. At all times we must expect and block his blows. Though I am now chaste, patient, kind, and in firm faith, the devil will this very hour send such an arrow into my heart that I can scarcely stand. For he is an enemy that never stops or becomes tired. So when one temptation stops. there always arise others and fresh ones.
Even when we experience victories in our battle against sin and Satan, we are forced to move on and get ready for the next attack. Like a team that fails to prepare properly for an opponent as is caught off guard and defeated, we too can take our opponent for granted.
Luther quotes Ephesians 6 when he speaks about being armed. There St. Paul talks about putting on the full armor of God:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
May you all be fitted with the armor of God, and protected by the powerful Word of God, the comfort of the Gospel, and the faith that clings to Christ alone. Rejoice in your victories, and prepare yourselves for Satan's next attack, for you know it is coming. But with the shield of faith, you have nothing to fear--for the victory has already been won in Jesus Christ. Amen.
What is an Appropriate Response?
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Many of us have brothers or sisters, parents, siblings, children, or dear friends within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). And as I've recently posted (here), recent decisions made by the ELCA in convention have made us stop, and think, and pray. How do we respond appropriately?
Luther writes these helpful words about the 8th Commandment in his Large Catechism:
This commandment...forbids all sins of the tongue by which we may injure or offend our neighbor. "Bearing false witness" is nothing but a work of the tongue. God wants to hold in check whatever is done with the tongue against a neighbor. This applies to false preachers with their blasphemous teaching, to false judges and witnesses with their rulings in court and their lying and malicious talk outside of court. It applies especially to the detestable, shameless vice of backbiting or slander by which the devil rides us. Of this much could be said. It is a common, pernicious plague that everyone would rather hear evil than good about their neighbors. Even though we ourselves are evil, we cannot tolerate it when anyone speaks evil of us; instead, we want to hear the whole world say golden things of us. Yet we cannot bear it when someone says the best things about others.
At least one conclusion is clear: It is NOT appropriate to lump all pastoral or lay members of the ELCA into one group and say that they are all faithless, heretical, or even in support of the recent decisions.
But then, Luther also writes this:
So you see that we are absolutely forbidden to speak evil of our neighbor. Exception is made, however, of civil magistrates, preachers, and fathers and mothers in order that we may interpret this commandment in such a way that evil does not go unpunished. We have seen that the Fifth Commandment forbids us to injure anyone physically, and yet an exception is made of the hangman. By virtue of his office he does not do his neighbor good but only harm and evil, yet he does not sin against God's commandment because God of his own accord instituted that office, and, as he warns in the First Commandment, he has reserved to himself the right of punishment. Likewise, although no one personally has the right to judge and condemn anyone, yet if they are commanded to do so and fail to do it, they sin as much as those who take the law into their own hands apart from any office. In that case necessity requires one to report evil, to prefer charges, to give evidence, to examine witnesses, and to testify...Just so, the authorities, fathers and mothers, and even brothers and sisters and other good friends are under a mutual obligation to reprove evil wherever it is necessary and helpful.
So...while we do not use the ELCA's decisions as an opportunity to backbite, or gossip about the people within the ELCA, there is an appropriate response.
Pastors have been called to teach the truth and to point out error. In today's devotional writing in the Treasury of Daily Prayer, St. Augustine writes these helpful words:
How many and vehement rebukes did Jeremiah preach against the sinners and wicked ones of his people. Yet he lived among them, he entered into the same temple with them, celebrated the same mysteries; he lived in that congregation of wicked men, but by his preaching "he came out from among them." This is what it means "to come out from among them" (Isaiah 52:11); this is what it means to not "touch the unclean thing." It means not consenting to them in will and not sparing them in word. I say this of Jeremiah, or Isaiah, of Daniel, and Ezekiel, and the rest of the prophets, who did not retire from the wicked people, lest they should desert the good who were mingled with that people.
Not consenting to them in will and not sparing them in word.
Clearly, the truth of the Scriptures MUST be taught, and where error exists, that must also be taught.
So while we must not judge the heart of the individual within the ELCA, their recent decisions give us an opportunity to CLEARLY CONFESS the truth of the Scriptures.
1) The Scriptures don't just contain the Word of God--they ARE the Word of God--every jot and tittle.
2) The Scriptures don't conform to an ever evolving society or culture, the Scriptures create a culture, a people of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
3) God is righteous, just, and jealous, and will not tolerate sin.
4) God is merciful to us poor sinners and has punished His own Son for the sins of humanity.
5) Jesus' righteousness is now credited to poor sinners, and is applied through the proclamation of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament.
6) The Law of God is to convict the impenitent (unrepentant) sinner, leading him or her to repentance.
7) The Gospel and all its comfort is to be given to the penitent (repentant) sinner, assuring him or her of the forgiveness of sins Christ by His death and resurrection.
Clearly, the ELCA has practices that are in error: Approving openly gay and lesbian pastors, having full fellowship with Methodists, Episcopalians, Reformed and others, ordaining women into the Pastoral Office, and practicing open Communion. But these only symptoms of a more foundational misunderstanding about how to interpret the Scriptures. And as a result of a faulty understanding of the Scriptures, the clear will of God is being obscured.
When the Law of God is minimized, the Gospel is diminished--that is what we grieve.
And so we pray:
Lord, Have mercy on us! Give us the courage to teach teach and preach, and to receive Your Word in its truth and purity. Reveal the sin that lives within and drive us to repentance. Comfort us with your gracious promises of forgiveness, life and salvation in Jesus Christ. Grant us the strength to clearly confess the truths revealed in the Holy Scriptures, that Your kingdom may continue to be extended too all the earth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Many of us have brothers or sisters, parents, siblings, children, or dear friends within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). And as I've recently posted (here), recent decisions made by the ELCA in convention have made us stop, and think, and pray. How do we respond appropriately?
Luther writes these helpful words about the 8th Commandment in his Large Catechism:
This commandment...forbids all sins of the tongue by which we may injure or offend our neighbor. "Bearing false witness" is nothing but a work of the tongue. God wants to hold in check whatever is done with the tongue against a neighbor. This applies to false preachers with their blasphemous teaching, to false judges and witnesses with their rulings in court and their lying and malicious talk outside of court. It applies especially to the detestable, shameless vice of backbiting or slander by which the devil rides us. Of this much could be said. It is a common, pernicious plague that everyone would rather hear evil than good about their neighbors. Even though we ourselves are evil, we cannot tolerate it when anyone speaks evil of us; instead, we want to hear the whole world say golden things of us. Yet we cannot bear it when someone says the best things about others.
At least one conclusion is clear: It is NOT appropriate to lump all pastoral or lay members of the ELCA into one group and say that they are all faithless, heretical, or even in support of the recent decisions.
But then, Luther also writes this:
So you see that we are absolutely forbidden to speak evil of our neighbor. Exception is made, however, of civil magistrates, preachers, and fathers and mothers in order that we may interpret this commandment in such a way that evil does not go unpunished. We have seen that the Fifth Commandment forbids us to injure anyone physically, and yet an exception is made of the hangman. By virtue of his office he does not do his neighbor good but only harm and evil, yet he does not sin against God's commandment because God of his own accord instituted that office, and, as he warns in the First Commandment, he has reserved to himself the right of punishment. Likewise, although no one personally has the right to judge and condemn anyone, yet if they are commanded to do so and fail to do it, they sin as much as those who take the law into their own hands apart from any office. In that case necessity requires one to report evil, to prefer charges, to give evidence, to examine witnesses, and to testify...Just so, the authorities, fathers and mothers, and even brothers and sisters and other good friends are under a mutual obligation to reprove evil wherever it is necessary and helpful.
So...while we do not use the ELCA's decisions as an opportunity to backbite, or gossip about the people within the ELCA, there is an appropriate response.
Pastors have been called to teach the truth and to point out error. In today's devotional writing in the Treasury of Daily Prayer, St. Augustine writes these helpful words:
How many and vehement rebukes did Jeremiah preach against the sinners and wicked ones of his people. Yet he lived among them, he entered into the same temple with them, celebrated the same mysteries; he lived in that congregation of wicked men, but by his preaching "he came out from among them." This is what it means "to come out from among them" (Isaiah 52:11); this is what it means to not "touch the unclean thing." It means not consenting to them in will and not sparing them in word. I say this of Jeremiah, or Isaiah, of Daniel, and Ezekiel, and the rest of the prophets, who did not retire from the wicked people, lest they should desert the good who were mingled with that people.
Not consenting to them in will and not sparing them in word.
Clearly, the truth of the Scriptures MUST be taught, and where error exists, that must also be taught.
So while we must not judge the heart of the individual within the ELCA, their recent decisions give us an opportunity to CLEARLY CONFESS the truth of the Scriptures.
1) The Scriptures don't just contain the Word of God--they ARE the Word of God--every jot and tittle.
2) The Scriptures don't conform to an ever evolving society or culture, the Scriptures create a culture, a people of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
3) God is righteous, just, and jealous, and will not tolerate sin.
4) God is merciful to us poor sinners and has punished His own Son for the sins of humanity.
5) Jesus' righteousness is now credited to poor sinners, and is applied through the proclamation of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament.
6) The Law of God is to convict the impenitent (unrepentant) sinner, leading him or her to repentance.
7) The Gospel and all its comfort is to be given to the penitent (repentant) sinner, assuring him or her of the forgiveness of sins Christ by His death and resurrection.
Clearly, the ELCA has practices that are in error: Approving openly gay and lesbian pastors, having full fellowship with Methodists, Episcopalians, Reformed and others, ordaining women into the Pastoral Office, and practicing open Communion. But these only symptoms of a more foundational misunderstanding about how to interpret the Scriptures. And as a result of a faulty understanding of the Scriptures, the clear will of God is being obscured.
When the Law of God is minimized, the Gospel is diminished--that is what we grieve.
And so we pray:
Lord, Have mercy on us! Give us the courage to teach teach and preach, and to receive Your Word in its truth and purity. Reveal the sin that lives within and drive us to repentance. Comfort us with your gracious promises of forgiveness, life and salvation in Jesus Christ. Grant us the strength to clearly confess the truths revealed in the Holy Scriptures, that Your kingdom may continue to be extended too all the earth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament (Appearances are Deceiving)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
2 Corinthians 5:1-10:
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
From where does your comfort come? What gives you consolation in the midst of desolation? How do you know that you have "a building from God, a house not made with hands?"
There are many that look to outward appearances to be comforted. It's up to the fruit produced by their visible lives to convince them that God's promises apply to them--that they are elect, and an heir of salvation. But appearances are deceiving.
On the one hand, if we compare the fruit of our lives to the fruit that others are producing, we will always be able to find less productive examples that make us feel pretty good: "Hey, at least I'm not like __________." But on the other hand, the abundance of visible fruit that others produce might make us doubt our faith or, worse, question God's promises.
What honest Christian, at the end of the day, can look back at his or her actions and be ready to bring that fruit to the judgment seat of Christ. Who desires to receive what is due to him or her based on your visible fruit? But appearances are deceiving.
St. Paul writes that "we walk by faith, not by sight." When we take comfort in outward appearances, in the fruit of faith, our comfort is temporary at best, and more than likely, will lead to despair. Our appearances will always deceive us, and try to rob us of the comfort of God's simple Word.
We groan while we are in this tent because this tent fails to convince us, to comfort us. And yet, one who appeared as a meek and humble servant, was in actuality the living God himself. On the cross, while all hope appears to be lost, and Satan appears to have finally succeeded in defeating the hope of the nations, we learn that appearances are deceiving indeed. Jesus' body suffered and died. And the visible fruit of Jesus' life appeared to be, well, meaningless.
But then he came out of the tomb--alive and gloriously living!
Be comforted by the promises of God. Jesus was raised from the dead so that all who are baptized into Him will experience that same glorious appearing. Even as you see the convicting evidence that Satan holds before your eyes, look to the promises of God, for He has declared you righteous for the sake of Christ.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10:
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
From where does your comfort come? What gives you consolation in the midst of desolation? How do you know that you have "a building from God, a house not made with hands?"
There are many that look to outward appearances to be comforted. It's up to the fruit produced by their visible lives to convince them that God's promises apply to them--that they are elect, and an heir of salvation. But appearances are deceiving.
On the one hand, if we compare the fruit of our lives to the fruit that others are producing, we will always be able to find less productive examples that make us feel pretty good: "Hey, at least I'm not like __________." But on the other hand, the abundance of visible fruit that others produce might make us doubt our faith or, worse, question God's promises.
What honest Christian, at the end of the day, can look back at his or her actions and be ready to bring that fruit to the judgment seat of Christ. Who desires to receive what is due to him or her based on your visible fruit? But appearances are deceiving.
St. Paul writes that "we walk by faith, not by sight." When we take comfort in outward appearances, in the fruit of faith, our comfort is temporary at best, and more than likely, will lead to despair. Our appearances will always deceive us, and try to rob us of the comfort of God's simple Word.
We groan while we are in this tent because this tent fails to convince us, to comfort us. And yet, one who appeared as a meek and humble servant, was in actuality the living God himself. On the cross, while all hope appears to be lost, and Satan appears to have finally succeeded in defeating the hope of the nations, we learn that appearances are deceiving indeed. Jesus' body suffered and died. And the visible fruit of Jesus' life appeared to be, well, meaningless.
But then he came out of the tomb--alive and gloriously living!
Be comforted by the promises of God. Jesus was raised from the dead so that all who are baptized into Him will experience that same glorious appearing. Even as you see the convicting evidence that Satan holds before your eyes, look to the promises of God, for He has declared you righteous for the sake of Christ.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Old Testament
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The readings for this past Sunday could be mined for quite some time and not exhausted. In the Old Testament, Israel is rebuked for their empty worship:
And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 29:13-14).
Empty worship is greeted with wonderful things? That doesn't make much sense...unless the preaching of repentance, that is, the law, is a wonderful thing.
It's striking that when describing the empty worship of God's chosen people, they are no longer referred to as chosen people. Typically, Israel is referred to "my people," but here, the anger of God is heard in that he can no longer stand to call them His people. Like a father who hands a defiant child to a mother saying, "this isn't MY child," Israel's empty worship has caused God himself to refer to his beloved children as "this people."
And how was their worship empty?
Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding?" (v. 15-16)
I was taught in worship classes that the Divine Service was primarily about God delivering his gifts through Word and Sacrament. God's is the giver; His people receive. But Israel has turned things upside down (v. 16). Indeed, this is no commandment of God, but the teaching of men--and it continues today.
But God's isn't like us. His anger doesn't keep him from giving steadfast love. He sends a prophet, Isaiah, to preach to "this people" so that their hearts may be turned toward him once again, and they may be restored as "His people."
The wonderful things that God does is the work of repentance as the Holy Spirit plunges His Word into the hearts of "this people." "This people becomes "my people" once again as those who have had their ears closed to the Word of God "hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see" (v. 18).
God does a wonderful work of leading his people to see the error of their ways, so that the even more wonderful work of restoration is accomplished.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel (v. 19).
Finally, His people are receiving and rejoicing once again in the Holy One of Israel, their heavenly Father, the one who won't let his anger keep him from giving good gifts. The one who gives His Son so that "this people" might be "His people," and inherit "His kingdom." Amen.
The readings for this past Sunday could be mined for quite some time and not exhausted. In the Old Testament, Israel is rebuked for their empty worship:
And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 29:13-14).
Empty worship is greeted with wonderful things? That doesn't make much sense...unless the preaching of repentance, that is, the law, is a wonderful thing.
It's striking that when describing the empty worship of God's chosen people, they are no longer referred to as chosen people. Typically, Israel is referred to "my people," but here, the anger of God is heard in that he can no longer stand to call them His people. Like a father who hands a defiant child to a mother saying, "this isn't MY child," Israel's empty worship has caused God himself to refer to his beloved children as "this people."
And how was their worship empty?
Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding?" (v. 15-16)
I was taught in worship classes that the Divine Service was primarily about God delivering his gifts through Word and Sacrament. God's is the giver; His people receive. But Israel has turned things upside down (v. 16). Indeed, this is no commandment of God, but the teaching of men--and it continues today.
But God's isn't like us. His anger doesn't keep him from giving steadfast love. He sends a prophet, Isaiah, to preach to "this people" so that their hearts may be turned toward him once again, and they may be restored as "His people."
The wonderful things that God does is the work of repentance as the Holy Spirit plunges His Word into the hearts of "this people." "This people becomes "my people" once again as those who have had their ears closed to the Word of God "hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see" (v. 18).
God does a wonderful work of leading his people to see the error of their ways, so that the even more wonderful work of restoration is accomplished.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel (v. 19).
Finally, His people are receiving and rejoicing once again in the Holy One of Israel, their heavenly Father, the one who won't let his anger keep him from giving good gifts. The one who gives His Son so that "this people" might be "His people," and inherit "His kingdom." Amen.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--From the Psalms
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
From the Psalm for today: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Psalm 32:1).
Maybe you know someone who has a classic car in his or her garage, or maybe you have one yourself. Chances are, the owner of such a classic will utilize some sort of dust cover in order to keep the valuable antique's paint job shining bright. But when he wants to show her off, out she comes from underneath her covering.
It's not so with us. You and I have been covered, as the verse above clearly proclaims. But in our case, what is covered is not so beautiful. "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin" (32:5).
Like a man who drives his classic car around for all to see BEFORE restoring her, allowing his neighbors and other "motor heads" to see all the rust, the worn out leather seats, and everything else that caused her to be thrown aside and left for dead in the junkyard, the psalmist acknowledges that he is dirty and rusty and worn out--he is full of sin.
When we don't cover up our sin, but acknowledge it before our heavenly Father, He covers it himself. He remembers the sacrifice of His Son, where all the rust and decay--all the sin--that has kept us from being his beautiful and righteous creatures was taken away and covered up by the cross. He remembers that His Crucified Son came out of the tomb with a new and glorious body, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20-23). And then He covers us with the very life of Christ.
But UNLIKE a classic car's dustcover, this one isn't coming off. While the Devil, the World and your sinful flesh will remind you of what used to be--your dirty and filthy and unacceptable sinful self--the covering given you by your heavenly Father isn't simply a facade that is ripped off when it's time to go out and live. The covering that He gives you is who you are in Christ. It's how He sees you, when you can only see what used to be. It's why he welcomes you, and parades you around as His sons and daughters, because you are shiny, and beautiful, and restored as the crown of His creation. And that, he doesn't want to cover up.
You see, when God covers something up, He doesn't take it off. In Christ, you are a new creation, the old has gone, and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).
Restored in Christ. Amen.
From the Psalm for today: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Psalm 32:1).
Maybe you know someone who has a classic car in his or her garage, or maybe you have one yourself. Chances are, the owner of such a classic will utilize some sort of dust cover in order to keep the valuable antique's paint job shining bright. But when he wants to show her off, out she comes from underneath her covering.
It's not so with us. You and I have been covered, as the verse above clearly proclaims. But in our case, what is covered is not so beautiful. "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin" (32:5).
Like a man who drives his classic car around for all to see BEFORE restoring her, allowing his neighbors and other "motor heads" to see all the rust, the worn out leather seats, and everything else that caused her to be thrown aside and left for dead in the junkyard, the psalmist acknowledges that he is dirty and rusty and worn out--he is full of sin.
When we don't cover up our sin, but acknowledge it before our heavenly Father, He covers it himself. He remembers the sacrifice of His Son, where all the rust and decay--all the sin--that has kept us from being his beautiful and righteous creatures was taken away and covered up by the cross. He remembers that His Crucified Son came out of the tomb with a new and glorious body, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20-23). And then He covers us with the very life of Christ.
But UNLIKE a classic car's dustcover, this one isn't coming off. While the Devil, the World and your sinful flesh will remind you of what used to be--your dirty and filthy and unacceptable sinful self--the covering given you by your heavenly Father isn't simply a facade that is ripped off when it's time to go out and live. The covering that He gives you is who you are in Christ. It's how He sees you, when you can only see what used to be. It's why he welcomes you, and parades you around as His sons and daughters, because you are shiny, and beautiful, and restored as the crown of His creation. And that, he doesn't want to cover up.
You see, when God covers something up, He doesn't take it off. In Christ, you are a new creation, the old has gone, and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).
Restored in Christ. Amen.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought--For the Family
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In yesterday's Gospel reading, Mark 7:1-13, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees because some of the disciples hadn't washed their hands prior to eating. With the disciples' oversight, the Pharisees had caught them not observing the "tradition of the elders."
Jesus responds by correctly identifying that tradition as a "tradition of men," and not a commandment of God. But even worse, he goes on to identify an example of the Pharisees hypocrisy by pointing out how they were misusing the religious vow called "Corban."
Corban was a vow in which you could dedicate your money to God. But because the money was only dedicated, and not actually give to the temple, people were making use of Corban so that they wouldn't have to use their savings to take care of their aging parents. By making this empty vow they were not only lying to God, but they were breaking the 4th Commandment to honor their fathers and mothers.
The same fathers and mothers that took care of them in their infancy, guided them through their formative years, and helped them make sense of life's deeper questions as they went through adolescence and into adulthood, were now being abandoned by their children.
I think this is still happening today. While adults aren't taking advantage of loop holes in religious vows to get out of taking care of their aging parents, simple geography presents problems when mom and dad live hundreds or thousands of miles away. And even if you live in the same town, busy schedules, the simple "inconvenience" threaten the 4th Commandment.
God blesses us with families in order that we would have a community within which we bear the burdens of this world--together. Helping aging parents is simply a part of the God-given vocation of son or daughter. Parents who abandoned helpless children are thrown into prison, and this is common sense. What should we do with adult children who abandon their helpless parents?
Thankfully, in Christ all of us have a loving heavenly Father who is never helpless. All of us are a part of a family of faith, and thankfully, sometimes that family of faith will step up and take the place of adult children who neglect their own flesh and blood.
Let us all love and honor our moms and dads. Amen.
In yesterday's Gospel reading, Mark 7:1-13, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees because some of the disciples hadn't washed their hands prior to eating. With the disciples' oversight, the Pharisees had caught them not observing the "tradition of the elders."
Jesus responds by correctly identifying that tradition as a "tradition of men," and not a commandment of God. But even worse, he goes on to identify an example of the Pharisees hypocrisy by pointing out how they were misusing the religious vow called "Corban."
Corban was a vow in which you could dedicate your money to God. But because the money was only dedicated, and not actually give to the temple, people were making use of Corban so that they wouldn't have to use their savings to take care of their aging parents. By making this empty vow they were not only lying to God, but they were breaking the 4th Commandment to honor their fathers and mothers.
The same fathers and mothers that took care of them in their infancy, guided them through their formative years, and helped them make sense of life's deeper questions as they went through adolescence and into adulthood, were now being abandoned by their children.
I think this is still happening today. While adults aren't taking advantage of loop holes in religious vows to get out of taking care of their aging parents, simple geography presents problems when mom and dad live hundreds or thousands of miles away. And even if you live in the same town, busy schedules, the simple "inconvenience" threaten the 4th Commandment.
God blesses us with families in order that we would have a community within which we bear the burdens of this world--together. Helping aging parents is simply a part of the God-given vocation of son or daughter. Parents who abandoned helpless children are thrown into prison, and this is common sense. What should we do with adult children who abandon their helpless parents?
Thankfully, in Christ all of us have a loving heavenly Father who is never helpless. All of us are a part of a family of faith, and thankfully, sometimes that family of faith will step up and take the place of adult children who neglect their own flesh and blood.
Let us all love and honor our moms and dads. Amen.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
A Few Responses to the Decisions of the ELCA
The ELCA concluded their national convention today, a convention that included a number of noteworthy decisions.
1) Read about their decision to welcome "Partnered Gay and Lesbian Lutherans" as pastors.
2) Read about the ELCA adopting "Full Communion" (Altar and Pulpit Fellowship) with the United Methodist Church.
To read what LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick had to say to the convention (in person), follow this link.
To read a sermon from an LCMS pastor which address the danger of Pharisaical attitudes towards those within the ELCA, follow this link.
1) Read about their decision to welcome "Partnered Gay and Lesbian Lutherans" as pastors.
2) Read about the ELCA adopting "Full Communion" (Altar and Pulpit Fellowship) with the United Methodist Church.
To read what LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick had to say to the convention (in person), follow this link.
To read a sermon from an LCMS pastor which address the danger of Pharisaical attitudes towards those within the ELCA, follow this link.
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