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“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS March 2016

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; [ ] = Biblical Events Noted

Date, Biblical Events Noted, Hymn Verse, Reading and Comments

Mar 1 WS 786 Leviticus 2:1-13 Yeast, a picture of sin, was to be avoided in offerings (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). Salt, a picture of love, was to be added (Colossians 4:6).

Mar 2 WS 751 Leviticus 5:14-19 Even if we sin unintentionally, we are guilty and in need of the forgiveness Christ gives us.

Mar 3 TLH 390 Leviticus 9:7-24 Aaron made atonement for himself and for a the people, a foreshadowing of Christ’s great work as our High Priest.

Mar 4 TLH 381 Mark 7:31-37 What a beautiful confession: “He has done everything well.” He has done everything perfectly, in fact.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS March 2016

Bread of Life February

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; [ ] = Biblical Events Remembered

Feb 1 TLH 14 Genesis 45:1-10 Joseph saw clearly how God had overcome the brothers’ evil so that good could result.

Feb 2 [The Presentation of Our Lord] TLH 138 Genesis 48:1-11 God sets the lonely in families. What a blessing for any of us to see our own grandchildren!

Feb 3 TLH 442 Matthew 20:17-28 Let those striving for their own gain first stop to serve others.

Feb 4 TLH 383:1-3 Exodus 1:6-2:10 When His people were in trouble, God raised up His servant Moses to help. Later He would raise up a greater Servant.

Feb 5 WS 728 Matthew 22:23-32 Surely God can raise us from the grave, for He spoke of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as living even though they had died.

Feb 6 TLH 298 Exodus 5:22-6:9 God remembered His covenant even if the people didn’t.

Feb 8 WS 781 Exodus 9:13-35 Pharaoh rejected the LORD in impenitence, but the Word of God produced fruit in others around him (v. 20).Read More »Bread of Life February

When It’s Time to be Uncomfortable

It’s natural to seek a certain level of comfort. I’m talking about getting and being comfortable. People want to be comfortable in their clothing, in their homes, and in their lives. If we become uncomfortable, then we try to make a change of clothing, or the body position that doesn’t feel right, or the circumstances that we face.

How does this tendency square with the Lord’s outlook in Isaiah 66:2? “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” We can notice definite times when we should never be comfortable. We can’t afford to be comfortable with any of our sins, especially not with an attitude or habit that the Bible identifies as sinful. Each one will have to take stock of his own heart, attitudes, and actions. For example, are we comfortable in looking down on other people? Are we comfortable in letting unacceptable language tumble out of the mouth without a second thought? Are we comfortable in a routine of attending worship, only to sit there inattentive and hear little of what is said? Are we comfortable with a carefree or careless attitude toward the responsibilities that we have as family members or employees or fellow Christians?

There is a real danger in getting comfortable with sin. Regardless of what the sin may be, if we get used to it, we are making friends with a deadly enemy. If we become comfortable with our sin, we let it attach like an anchor that could sink us spiritually. If we get comfortable with our sin, the devil has an open door to chip away at our faith in the hope that it erodes down to impenitence
and unbelief.

Let’s agree on a healthy attitude of being uncomfortable with our sins. In such a state we are then the person described in Isaiah 66, the person who is “poor and of a contrite spirit.” That means that you’re not only aware of your sin, but also broken by its guilt and in desperate need of God’s forgiveness. That person then is the one on whom God looks favorably, to whom He brings His unfailing love, mercy, and comfort. Yes, God will bring His comfort to the spiritually uncomfortable.Read More »When It’s Time to be Uncomfortable

Hymn 143 “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken”

Sin. 

The Cross.

Darkness.

Sorrow.

Anguish.

Scourging.

Blood.

Crucifixion.

Death.

Asignificant number of modern American churches do not dwell on these themes—during Lent or at any other time. Instead, they try to avoid them. Such biblical elements are considered too negative for their members to hear, too much of a “downer.” Read More »Hymn 143 “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken”