It was after Jesus saw the desolate villages, the “sheep without a shepherd,” that he called the twelve disciples. God equips his Church with a variety of vocations...
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Day 150 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Esther 6:1–10:3 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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It is not becoming of Christians to lead heathenish lives, as they have something nobler to do. They are to be occupied with the Word of God.
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The Spirit of God often uses new situations to change our perspective, to bring us to repentance. We are all sinners, so we are all in need of daily and constant repentance.
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Day 149 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Esther 1:1–5:14 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Those who would follow their reason in the things dealt with in the article of the Trinity, will reject the Word, and be defeated in their "wisdom."
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God uses his Word and Sacraments to grow our faith, and increase and unify the Church. Nevertheless, his Word and Sacraments are distributed by the work of his Spirit through people.
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Day 148 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Nehemiah 12:1–13:31 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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The primitive church would assemble daily for prayer, morning and evening, and also at certain other appointed hours, and frequently entire nights.
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The Spirit, pouring into our hearts, makes us different beings, creatures who love and obey God. This is simply the manifestation of his work in the heart.
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Luther is still speaking primarily of the fanatics, the schwärmerei, those who used Luther’s words to their own ends. They twisted his teachings, bringing division to the church instead of reform.
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Day 147 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Nehemiah 10:1–11:36 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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The Holy Spirit has comes to enlighten your hearts, so that you will understand the truth, and will call to remembrance all things of Christ.
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Luther taught that we are only able to know God as God makes himself known to us: through his Word and through the Sacraments. There was no room special revelation...
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Day 146 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Nehemiah 8:1–9:38 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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There is only one thing worse than not being permitted to meet with those who disagree with you. Meeting with them, only to hear them speak in a manner that is unreasonable, is even worse.
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Day 145 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Nehemiah 7:1–73 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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May the Holy Spirit working through the Word convince you that the Father would have your heart free, at peace with him through faith in his Son.
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Day 144 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Nehemiah 4:1–6:19 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Church is where it happens. What happens there but God's Spirit working through the read and preached Word? We avoid the assembly at our peril.
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When you are brought before a group you should not have anxiety about what you should testify, since the Spirit will teach you in the moment the words that need to be spoken.
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Day 143 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Nehemiah 1:1–3:32 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Up to this point in the Lutheran Confessions, we have largely had the writings of Philip Melancthon, professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg, and friend of and collaborator with Martin Luther in the Protestant Reformation.
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We are loved of God through Christ Jesus and enjoy his favor and grace, but also have the great promises of the Lord himself dwelling completely in us.
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We cannot reason our way to God. Nor can traditions light the way to divine truth. Human institutions are unable to direct us to God.
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Day 142 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Ezra 8:1–10:44 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Christ binds the church to his Word and dwells in the midst of those who gather for the teaching and preaching of it, and live under its rule.
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Do not judge things according to feelings but keep to the Word and the comfort of preaching which the Holy Spirit gives to distressed consciences.
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What is able to set you free: human traditions or the Word of God? Abide in one and lack assurance and peace. Abide in the other and know perfect peace.
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Day 141 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Ezra 4:1–7:28 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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The office of the Holy Spirit is, namely, to invest the treasure — Christ and all he has, to enfold him in your heart so that Christ Jesus may be your own.
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The old saying, “Do as I say but not as I do,” is applicable to pharisaical instruction. Jesus is teaching that we ought to observe right teaching of the Scripture, though not necessarily imitate the actions of those teaching.
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Day 140 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Ezra 1:1–3:13 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Christians are called to lives of submission. We are to honor our parents, deferring to their authority. We are to obey earthly authorities, as well as church leadership.
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The Church is not known by the name on the sign or external appearance but those who have real knowledge of Christ in his Word and promises.
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Day 139 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read 2 Chronicles 35:1–36:23 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Why does God permit his own to suffer? In order to subdue the free will, that we should accustom ourselves to build alone upon Christ.
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The Lutheran reformers wanted to proclaim a clear word of Scripture. Human traditions that promised God’s favor were summarily dismissed in favor of God’s gracious favor being freely given through faith, for Christ’s sake.
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Day 138 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read 2 Chronicles 32:1–34:33 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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It is amusing to consider the things that each Christian group focuses on, as though they were God’s perpetual commandments.
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What right does anyone have to insist that we do certain things in order to be forgiven? Christ has set us free; so we are truly free.
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Let the power of bishops — indeed, the power of the whole Church — reside in the Word alone, sola Scriptura. If the Spirit cannot make his case through the Word alone, is a bishop able to make new laws that are effective where God is not?
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What is it that you heard from the beginning other than that you are saved by believing on Jesus Christ? That you must or must not do certain things in order to be forgiven and saved came later when people tried to foist their religious brand upon you.
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Eternal life begins during this earthly life. It starts within us by faith. First, we are forgiven and made righteous before God through faith in his Son.
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The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Nothing needs to be added to the Gospel in order to make it effective for the forgiveness of sins, justification, or eternal life.
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What should shine forth from the Church above all other things? Buildings? Traditions? Fund raisers? The pastor? Denominational programs? The youth group? Style of worship?
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No pastor, bishop, priest, or pope has the right to determine rules for apprehending eternal life when those rules have no authority from the gospel.
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The Reformation slogan, sola Scriptura, should be kept close in our thoughts. Much doubt and anxiety may be avoided, if God’s Word is our rule of faith and practice.
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If our righteousness must exceed that of religious experts, then what are we to do? We are to understand what righteousness actually is.
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The Defense of the Augsburg Confession concludes with a word on the power of the church. It insists that the church was corrupt and that this was harmful to the people in the church.
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These older widows had promised to not remarry so that they could receive assistance from the church. Remarrying was seen as breaking that “oath” — the same word translated as “faith.”
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