475th Anniversary of the SMALCALD ARTICLES
“…The Word of God shall establish articles of faith and no one else, not even an angel.” (Luther, SA, Part II, Art. II)
4.Of Sin and the Law
As Dr. Martin Luther moves into the third part of his confession, he undertakes a discussion of articles “which we may discuss with learned and reasonable people, or among ourselves.”
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
2 Timothy 4:17-22
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
Is the pen mightier than the sword?
Throughout world history the written word has proved to be powerful. In Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, Yul Brynner as Pharaoh had an oft-repeated line—“So let it be written; so let it be done.” When Pharaoh’s words were written down, they became law.
The spoken words of men have great power. Over the years we have witnessed people spurred into action by motivational words spoken by the likes of a Martin Luther King, Jr. We have also seen masses whipped into evil frenzies by the likes of an Adolf Hitler.
Even though man’s written and spoken words do have undeniable power, yet compared to God’s written and spoken Word—well…there is no comparison.
“…The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me” (John 10:25)
Jesus Heals the Man with an Unclean Spirit
23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!
It doesn’t take long to get acquainted with Michael Buck, and decades aren’t long enough to cover the territory. Prof. Buck has fascinating stories to tell of his early years in Austin, Minnesota, followed by military service…
Religion is often used as a prop by politicians during election times.
Recently we read in the public press, “President Obama and his family headed out to church this morning for the third time in a month, the latest sign that the president may be using religion to boost his image as the campaign heats up.”
Lest we be accused of discrimination, let us acknowledge that the current president is not the only one who finds the public show of religion convenient to his ends.
Citizens on Earth Ever since Adam and Eve’s fall into sin in the Garden of Eden, every human with the exception of Jesus has been conceived and born in sin. Original sin is our ascribed…
Do you remember what it was like in grade school when it was time for a fire drill? “Line up, quickly and quietly,” the teacher would say. “No talking in line.” Out you go with…
