He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” (Luke 13:6-9)Read More »Advent – A Time for Penitence
I got to thinking about some of the Christmas greetings we hear and use.
Out in the world it has become controversial to use a truly Christian Christmas greeting. We hear people exclaim “Happy Holidays!” with great exuberance, but that greeting rings artificial for the child of God.Read More »Thoughts About Christmas Greetings
To a frazzled mom with noisy, active little ones, it is a golden time when the children are put to bed and the house is quiet. For a teacher after a long day, it is a golden time when the students go home and the classroom is silent.Read More »A “silent” lesson in the promise of Christmas
On “Hallowed Eve” in the year 1517, the evening before All Saints Day, a Roman Catholic monk named Martin Luther nailed 95 theses (sentences or propositions for debate) onto the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
According to God’s eternal plan, that event set in motion what we today know as the Reformation. God accomplished mighty things through His servant Martin Luther.Read More »OUR GOD—A SURE STRONGHOLD
“Treasuring Our Heritage of Truth” -First of Three…
“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.” Hebrews 13:7
In our service today we are trying to do what God is telling us to do in this text. We are trying to remember those individuals who have spoken the Word of God to us. Since we are celebrating both the Lutheran Reformation and the anniversary of the Church of the Lutheran Confession, we are trying to remember particularly those from the sixteenth century who spoke the Word of God to us, and those in the middle of the 20th century who spoke the Word of God to us in connection with the founding of our church body.Read More »Testimony of Our Forefathers
No, this writing is not intended to be a promotion for a bedding or mattress company! Rather, it has to do with Jesus and the comfort He sends from heaven where He reigns as our King.Actually, though, the gospel allows us to go to bed and sleep in peace and comfort (Psalm 4:8)!
The word “comfort” occurs frequently in the Bible as well as in worldly writings. Take Shakespeare, for example. In The Tragedy of King Richard II we find the Queen and others troubled, woeful, and sad (Act II, Scene ii). The Duke of York walks in, and she asks him to “speak comfortable words.” His answer contains a memorable line: “Comfort’s in heaven; and we are on the earth, where nothing lives but crosses, pain, and grief.”
It is a grim line, but it makes one think of heaven and the comfort there.
Yet this comfort is not just a “thing” or a “commodity.” It is a Person! Our Comfort in heaven is Christ Himself. And His Ascension and Session (being seated) provide us with much comfort down here, before we get to heaven.Read More »King Comfort
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
According to our time-honored custom, we Christians celebrate three main festivals each year during the course of the Christian church year.
At CHRISTMAS we remember how God sent His Son Jesus to our world as a tiny child at Bethlehem that He might serve as our Redeemer from death, hell, and sin. With hearts brimming with joy we commemorate the birth of Christ. Read More »The Festival of The Holy Spirit… A Celebration of Joy
Many theories and lies have been advanced throughout the centuries concerning the death and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Discovered tombs and ossuaries near Jerusalem are supposed to have contained the remains of the body of Jesus. What is fact and what is fiction? With that question in mind, let’s consider some of the facts of the resurrection on that first Easter morning.Read More »The Resurrection of Jesus—Fact or Fiction?
As we sing our “Hallelujahs” on Easter morning, we will be rejoicing with genuine joy from our hearts. We may think that feeling such a joy is only natural on the anniversary of the resurrection of our dear Lord Jesus. However, as we read the accounts of that first resurrection morning, we are reminded that the joy and peace of believing is anything but natural.Read More »Easter Joy and Peace
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
Of all the names ascribed to Jesus in the Bible, which is your favorite?
That is a tough question, I suppose, because every name given to Jesus shines forth with special beauty: Good Shepherd, Redeemer, Light of the World,the Lord our Righteousness (and dozens more).How can one pick a favorite from such a list? Each tells something special about our Savior—who He is, what He has done for us, what wonderful reasons we have to love and serve Him.Yet there is a name we might be encouraged to rejoice in especially at this season of the year (Lent). I’m thinking of the name given to Jesus by John the Baptist: Lamb of God.
Consider the gospel comfort contained in this gorgeous name!
In Old Testament times lambs played an important role in the worship lives of God’s people. Each morning and evening, at God’s direction, the priest took a lamb, slaughtered it, and offered it as a sacrifice.Through this worship ritual God was picturing for them what the promised Messiah would do. He would offer His sinless life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.
And do you remember the account of the Passover recorded in Exodus chapter 12? God instructed the Israelites to choose a lamb from their flock (a one-year old male and a perfect specimen), bring it home and take care of it for two weeks.Read More »What’s in a Name?
