The witness of the Holy Spirit within you is the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word, a confirmation being that you have pleasure and delight in God’s Word.
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You have the power to speak the Word; whoever believes has forgiveness of sins. If they believe not, then what you speak avails nothing though it be God’s Word.
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God would not have us be overanxious for our life, but labor and commend our anxiety to him, so, he does not allow us to have another Lord besides himself.
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"The eternal Son of God was from the beginning with his church and with the people who received the promise of his coming in the form of man."
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The man who lies half dead, wounded and stripped of his clothing, is all mankind. The Samaritan is our Lord Jesus Christ Cling to him, your only help.
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We must lay hold of the gospel in such a way that we may stand and say: “Not because a certain one taught, do I believe ... the doctrine itself is right."
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The widow's misfortune is portrayed here so that we might learn that with God nothing is impossible, whether it be misfortune, calamity, anger, or whatever.
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Jesus freely gives me his life with all his works, so that I may appropriate them to myself as a possession that is my own but is bestowed upon me as a free gift.
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"Human nature alone will never be able to accomplish what God requires in this commandment, namely, that we surrender our will to the will of God..."
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The more misery and death are in us, the more richly we may find comfort and life in Christ Jesus, provided we hold fast to him by faith through his Word.
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What would all the riches and nobility of the world be compared with being named and chosen by God himself, called his son, the heir of exalted divine majesty?
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Christians need not waver, nor stake their affairs on that which is uncertain, vainly caring for the future, but at all times do that which is right.
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Do this for the honor of God and for your own benefit: strive after the great and eternal good. If you attain and keep this, the rest will surely take care of itself.
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The preaching of the precious gospel offers God’s grace and mercy in Christ, which is offered to condemned sinners without any merit of their own.
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if overcome by wrath and led to rashness, do not continue in it, do not harbor it, but subdue and restrain it, the sooner the better.
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To love God with all the mind is to cleave to him who is our chief good, to do nothing against his will, to take nothing except what is pleasing to God.
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If you would be freed from your sins, do not chastise yourself with them, but seize Christ, the one who has taken your sins upon himself.
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"Wherever God’s Word is preached, there is God’s own true house, there God most certainly dwells with his grace. Wherever his gospel is, there..."
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Love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. Through this craving some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
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The lepers went boldly to meet Jesus, certain that he could heal them. Standing in firmness and sincerity against doubt, they confidently prayed.
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You need no longer be afraid of condemnation because of your unworthiness for you have the consolation of faith, the assurance of grace.
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Faith grows out of the Word of God, producing the good fruit of love and mercy and all manner of godly care for one's neighbor.
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"It assuages and comforts the sufferer beyond measure to know that he does not suffer alone, but with a great multitude."
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God has opened the treasures of his holy gospel to us, so we may learn his will. Will we believe and know peace or disbelieve and suffer wrath?
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"We should therefore despair of ourselves and pray to God for faith as the apostles did. When we have faith we need nothing more..."
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Once we have been baptized into Christ and believe, his will is that we should then live accordingly, obeying God and doing what is commanded.
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"Christ commands the disciples to set the loaves before the multitude, by which he shows that he will administer his work and gifts through the instrumentality of human agencies."
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What would it help the critics of Christ if the gospel was preached twice as clearly as it is? They are so deafened by their own conceits that they can hear nothing else.
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"When we come before God the Father, Christ will say: Father! Although they have not wholly fulfilled thy law, yet I have done so, let this be to their benefit because they believe in me."
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"Oh, how heavy and terrible the impending judgment for those who have denied to Christ the Lord, in his thirst, even the cup of cold water."
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Luther uses the this story to illustrate how office of ministry brings the Word to people so that they may hear and be given faith to believe.
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The Spirit impresses Christ and his works upon the heart, making it a true book which does not consist in tracing mere letters and words, but in true life and action.
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Good works do not make one pious or good. One must first be good and pious at heart. The tree must first be there to bear the fruit.
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So much of what false teachers' have afflicted the church with in recent decades is easily overcome by exercising judgment through the Word.
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No one thinks of saving for posterity, but live as if they rejoice in destroying everything at once. Yet in all this destruction God will nevertheless help us.
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"All who faithfully cling to the Word of God will be fed by God; for that is the nature and power of faith, which flows alone out of the Word of God."
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Our eternal life, attained through faith in Christ. will be to know God, delight in his wisdom, and enjoy the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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"The chief thing that should influence a Christian’s outward walk is the remembrance of his calling and appointment by God."
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"To be 'led by the Spirit of God' means to be given a heart which gladly hears God’s Word and believes that in Christ it has grace and the forgiveness of sins."
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"It is natural for us to feel hurt when suffering, injustice, and violence attack us...it becomes necessary to check and restrain the feelings of anger..."
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"Not until Peter considered himself unworthy did he become really worthy. Just because you are a sinful person you must the more trust in God."
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"Christians must not seek their own, but look at all alike, whether friend or foe, as our heavenly Father does. Without such mercy, there is no true faith."
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"There is peace, strength and comfort in the heart, so that the heart cares for no evil, is really bolder and more joyful in its presence than in its absence."
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Noah kept his eye on the majesty of him who gave the command. That was enough for him, even though the command seemed absurd or impossible.
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God performs his miracles along the lines of natural law. Looking for bread from heaven, rather than by human means, tests God and is a sin.
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Christians have help and strength to resist and mortify sin. and must constantly put to death the flesh lest they be put to death by it.
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It is a glory that every preacher may be able to say with full confidence that he trusts God for teaching and preaching truly the Word of God.
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Christ keeps aloof from the lazy, unfaithful idlers who will not do as they have been commanded, and will not keep their hands and feet from straying.
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Christ has not come to make you afraid, but to remove your sins and distress from you. “Fear not,” he speaks to your heart, and to the whole world.
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The curse of humanity is they shall never be satisfied and must endure heartache and everlasting destruction through the things they have coveted.
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If you only remain under Christ's protection and lie still upon his shoulders, you need not be troubled about sin, death, or hell, for he defends you.
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No life is so difficult as the life of faith, depending only upon the promises of God when the who world seems to say, "God has forgotten all about you."
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Scripture shows us that in God there are three persons — not three Gods or three kinds of divinity, but the same undivided, divine essence.
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We are to cover the shame of our neighbor with our own honor and piety, not cause wounds caused by gossip that we cannot heal.
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"We should rebuke and deal with the sinner in earnest; yet we are not to despise but sincerely to love him."
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"The tongue of a minister — the language he employs — must be of that simplicity which preaches naught but Christ," and brings him the glory.
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We are not to be deceived by so-called ghosts, which are not souls but instead, demons bent on misdirecting a believer's focus on the living Christ.
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Even pious people can scarcely stand firm, often being entangled by gross sins and natural corruptions, for original sin is complete lawlessness.
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We teach all to trust in the grace of God, not in their own worthiness, and to render him gratitude for his grace. This is intolerable to the world.
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Although the Christians senses within himself the presence of evil thoughts and lusts, yet his faith and the Holy Spirit remind him of his baptism.
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God showers his gifts on an ungrateful world, whose people go about their lives as though sight and hearing were due them. And so, we miss God's grace.
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Christians do not follow pastors; they follow Christ Jesus. Pastors preach the gospel, a message that leads lost sheep to the one who saves them.
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Noah is called “just” because he first believed, then “perfect” (“upright”) because he walked in the fear of God and conscientiously avoided sins.
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The religious people were enemies of Christ because of the people Jesus called his friends: sinners who wanted to follow him.
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When one senses his wretchedness, then is the time to believe in Jesus Christ. There are no other means to save you, save be baptized and believe.
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"Christians have regard for God’s Word and believe that God cares for them. They commend all things to him and at his word go on with courage."
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"Reason argues: You have sinned, you must also atone for your sin. The gospel of Christ says: You have sinned, another must atone for you."
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We are in the golden age because we have the light of God’s Word and the sacraments are rightly administered in our churches.
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The service of righteousness in Christ has the double blessing of a clear conscience before God and the rich and incorruptible reward of eternal life.
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Faith is not an inactive and lifeless thing. When there is faith in the heart, its power will be manifested toward God and one's neighbor.
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It is by the power of the resurrection of Christ that Thomas, and us, who are so deep and obdurate in unbelief, are so suddenly changed.
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The most religious person will be lost and condemned if he will not believe. For there is no forgiveness of sins, nor salvation, if one does not believe.
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We make excuses, preferring many things against the gospel, for we are no better than were the ancient Jews, who also rejected the gospel for the law.
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Wherever the Word of God has a foothold, there the devil will be. He will always build his taverns and kitchens by the side of God’s house.
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Jesus sends every Christian to instruct and teach his neighbor, that he may also come to Christ, a power not reserved for popes, bishops, and pastors.
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"Poverty and suffering make no one acceptable to God; but if he is already acceptable to God, his poverty and suffering are precious in God’s eyes."
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This old man must be crucified, executed, put out of the way, even here in this life. Were he remains in his strength, faith and spirit cannot be.
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If you wish to proceed wisely and truly apprehend God, you can do no better than to be interested in his Word where he has revealed himself.
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The preaching of Christ feeds his guests through holy baptism, comforting and strengthening them through the Sacrament of his body and blood.
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Through baptism, Christ dedicates us to himself — he decides for us, elects us — and imparts to us the power of his death and resurrection.
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Before man may receive righteousness and eternal life, there must come One who has eternal righteousness and life, who appeases God’s wrath.
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We must abandon the life of the flesh and enter into new life, dead to the old. There must be a real change and an overthrow of nature and feeling.
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Knowing that you all embrace the one true God's Word, hold together in one faith and one mind, not disagreeing as though you had many gods.
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"In these words the soul finds a well prepared table, at which it satisfies all hunger; for it knows of a certainty that he who speaks cannot lie."
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Sin is not forgiven so that we may sin all the more, taking God's grace for granted and taking advantage, but so that conscience is free to love God.
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"Faith, if it is true faith, is of such a nature that it does not rely upon itself, but holds to Christ, and takes refuge under his righteousness."
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The preaching of the law shows us that our entire lives and characters, however holy and beautiful they may seem, are nothing before God.
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All people are in ancient Cain's very same condition, for unless our nature is helped by the Spirit of God, it cannot maintain itself.
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Because God has so richly shed upon us the gospel of light, we ought in honor and gratitude to him try to reform and temper ourselves.
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The two powers, God’s and Caesar’s, or spiritual and temporal kingdoms, must be kept apart, Christians especially rendering to each the honor due.
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Christ Jesus was buried that he might, through forgiveness, cover up, mortify, and destroy our sin, whether actually committed or inherent in us.
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God provides strong medicine to cure the sinful condition but this gives no license to make oneself ill so that more medicine may be received.
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You are blessed if your have heard and seen with your heart the Lord Jesus Christ, for there are those who have heard and seen without perception.
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Since man has fallen in sin, we all — the whole creation — must suffer the consequence and be subject to futility and vanity...and yet may have hope.
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Following Christ means that our whole life is a constant exercise of faith, whereby we are assured that we have favor with God because of him.
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My conscience must rest upon the foundation, the eternal, all-knowing truth that God alone is truth, and must rest upon him and nothing else.
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God never lays his hand upon us in order that we would be damned but pursues a course that leads us to repentance, so we would seek his grace.
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Man is made in God's image and God wills that we revere his image in our neighbor, doing all we can for him, protecting him and doing him good.
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In Cain, we see the hateful world, and on the other hand, that poor, abject Abel well represents the obscure little brotherhood: the Church of Christ.
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"All who preach the doctrines of men make man the light, lead men away from God to themselves, and set themselves up as the true Light."
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"Come what will, let us say: Here is God’s Word; that is my rock and anchor; to that I cling and that abides; and where that abides, there I abide also."
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Christians are to be confident of eternal glory, to implore the Lord God to hasten the Day, for Jesus has taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.”
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We must be able to say that we know we have God’s pledge and the witness of the Holy Spirit, that he wants to be our Father through Christ, his Son.
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Experience teaches how difficult it is to keep Christ's Word, but the Christian will love Christ, his Word, and his kingdom more than all things of the earth.
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God uses marriage to get us out of our parents' homes so we may grow up, make a home and family of our own, and enjoy the blessings of that estate.
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One of the sweetest pleasures of Christian marriage is not sexual, that the blessing of the sense of completeness at being merely with one another.
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You may be a blessing to your neighbor because you know you are a child of God, received into his grace, and living in the sure hope of salvation.
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The whole creation cries out for a speedy end of these injustices and abuses of the ungodly, and for the dawning of glory for the children of God!
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If the affections and thoughts of men are without faith in God, they are without Christ and his Word, and therefore, they are without the truth.
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God would have us occupy this world as guests, striving after an eternal kingdom, abstaining from lusts, maintaining a godly life of good works.
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The affection of the intended husband toward his betrothed spouse is of a particular and elevated kind, a knowledge and revelation of the Holy Spirit.
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Christians should love and pray for the salvation of all, for the sanctification of God’s name, the coming of his kingdom, and the fulfilment of his will.
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Even in danger and death, you have a faithful Father and Savior, who has taken you into his own hand, and will preserve you. Journey on in joy.
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God’s ears are open to the prayers of the righteous, looking upon you with gracious, winning eyes, his ears alert even to the faintest sound of prayer.
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One may confess Christ but still deny him in deeds and works, by insisting he is his own lord through his religious observances being the way to salvation.
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It is not enough that Christ be preached; the Word must be believed. So, God sends the Holy Spirit to impress the preaching upon the heart.
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It is impossible to love, where no faith exists, and impossible to believe, where there is no love. Love of neighbor depends upon the love of God.
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We are not condemned because we have great riches, but because we are attached to them and trust in them, instead of in Jesus Christ the Lord.
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God often lays hold upon leaders of sects who blaspheme with false doctrines, inflicting on them unusual punishments for the sake of warning others.
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As long as unity of faith and oneness of mind survive, the true Church of God abides, so we must be careful to cherish the virtue of harmony.
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An angry heart knows no moderation, fanning a tiny spark into a conflagration, retaliating and cursing, committing a greater wrong than suffered.
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The day will come when only righteousness and holiness shall dwell on the earth — none but godly, righteous souls — for we shall be like God.
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"What is temporal suffering, however protracted, contrasted with eternal life? It is not worthy to be called suffering or to be esteemed meritorious."
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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"Take heed to accept in purity and to maintain with patience the Word so graciously and richly given you by God without effort or merit on your part."
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The Lord suffers a lifetime with us, giving us the opportunity to repent and believe in his Savior. But he will suffer no longer than a limited lifetime.
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May you hear the Word of God and believe because the Spirit has born witness with your spirit that this word comes from God, and is for you.
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May you know the will of the Father so that you may ask rightly in the Son's name, knowing that you receive for Christ's sake, not by your own merit.
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The gospel is a teaching that gives the world nothing but offense — a thing unworthy to be heard or tolerated because it is not worldly, but spiritual.
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The great and powerful work of all true Christians is, by God’s grace, to keep the faith so that they may have a clear conscience and peace before God.
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Those who would believe and preach the gospel, must cast aside all works supposed to make one just and holy , and allow nothing to remain but faith.
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Christ as a gift makes you a Christian and nourishes your faith, but Christ as an example moves your faith to do good works for your neighbor.
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In the gospel is an entirely different, a spiritual government, that exists alone in the Word, by which sinners are convicted and Christ proclaimed.
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Christ hung upon the cross that we might learn how deeply strength lies hidden under weakness, and learn to know his strength in our weakness.
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We are joint heirs with Christ by believing on the same Lord Jesus Christ alone and the promises of his word and the Father's grace are ours.
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Cling to the great and glorious gifts of the resurrection: the gospel, holy Baptism, the power of the Holy Spirit, and comfort in all adversity.
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When despairing, our works must immediately sink out of sight, leaving no help or victory except the faith that clings to the word of Christ the Lord.
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It is not for human beings to say what is right or wrong, whether an act or ruling is divine, for that is left to God alone who elects those who believe.
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Out of pure grace and mercy, God elects, as beneficiaries of his goodness, the poor, and wretched, and unworthy, who acknowledge themselves guilty.
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We are to remember the poor, as the apostles urged, but there is another poor Man whom the whole world would forget, while Christians remember.
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Christ's kingdom abounds in grace and mercy for he is a comforting, friendly shepherd, who tenderly invites, and all people to come to him.
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If you believe that Christ died to save you from all evil, and hold fast to that word, you will find it so certain and sure that no creature can overthrow it.
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Through Christ's death, you are redeemed from sin and death, raised to an imperishable life you cannot yet perceive in yourselves except through faith.
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We do not have to win any battles, but only to keep the victory that has already been won, by holding onto faith in Christ and his cross.
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To keep company with the "weak Christ" is the highest wisdom on earth, and a second is like it, to bear with his weak followers, the church.
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Unbelief is the greatest sin there is, for it cares not for God or at least, cares little for him who is to be loved with one's whole heart and entire being.
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The true church is not known by its government or its name but because it is known by its Shepherd and knows him, having faith in him alone.
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Scripture teaches that we cannot be saved by our own works, but through hearing and believing by the power of his Spirit that Jesus is the Christ .
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There is a great Day coming when we will be raised bodily from the dead, but in the meantime, we are being raised spiritually into a better existence.
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Christ cannot remain in death — although he may suffer death by reason of his human nature — yet he must of his own power rise from the dead.
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The world, seeing no wrong with itself, does not receive one part of Christ's word, reproval, and so, seeing no need of it, cannot receive his grace.
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Christ is the righteousness of Christians before God, going to the Father, that is, suffering and rising for us, and thereby reconciling us to the Father.
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The role of the pastor or shepherd is to feed the sheep, and to protect them from all evil, which begins and ends with proper feeding from the Word.
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Be careful that what you hear from the pulpit is the sure Word of God instead of those doctrines that suit a pastor's or denomination's agenda.
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We are not to trifle with the Scriptures, else there would then be no reliable and permanent foundation whereon the conscience may rely.
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Only devout, childlike people may grasp and understand the Bible, those who say by God's grace that because he has said it, then they do believe it.
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It is not enough to know the historical fact of Jesus, but to also know that he calls us dear brothers, infusing his own righteousness and glory into us who believe.
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It is comforting to hear Jesus tell us that his Father is also our Father, for as Jesus returns to him, we too, will one day ascend to our God in heaven.
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It is comforting to hear Jesus tell us that his Father is also our Father, for as Jesus returns to him, we too, will one day ascend to our God in heaven.
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Christ lay in the tomb for a part of three days, rising on the third, but what we should note is not so much the number but the fact that he truly died.
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Jesus calls us his brothers, not because of anything we have done to merit this inclusion in his family, but because we believe on him for salvation.
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God's Word and works in the Sacraments are not idle, but instead set people free from sin, death, the devil, and every sort of fear.
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You may be a birthright Jew, or a birthright Quaker, but without being born again, a salvation through the Word of Christ, there can be no salvation.
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When we receive Holy Communion, we should be careful to increase love, to find our neighbor who is in need and reach out to him in Christ's name.
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If you would be a Christian, then you must not be terribly alarmed or impatient at the the torments of the world and of the devil.
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We have the clear Word of God as testimony for us who believe, that Christ gave himself as a grace to be received in the bread and wine of his table.
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May you be a fresh lump with whom Christ Jesus being worked in, that the grace and power of the Spirit may continue to work out your salvation.
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The one who desires Holy Communion should receive all of it, not the bread alone but the cup of the New Covenant in Christ's blood as well.
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"The baptized Christian is born a citizen of heaven through baptism. We should be mindful of this fact and walk here as if native there."
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We may know the Lord's presence everywhere through the Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the blessed Sacraments.
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May you have faith in God, believing the unbelievable, that sin and death are overcome for you, not because you earned it, but for Christ's sake.
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We aim to believe in what is written in the words of Scripture, so that we may have a faith like Enoch, faith in the God who takes up his people to himself.
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We are left to believe the Word, the word of Christ, and his works that follow after us. not in our own works, but by faith in the word of the cross.
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The Christian life is not a matter of outward appearance but of living by the Word and through faith in and under the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
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God demands admission or confession of sin, and that people everywhere repent of their sins, turning away from self to God through his Savior.
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When anxiety, distress, or other trials come your way, hold fast to the Word, keep the faith, you will see Christ clearly there, and he will again bring you joy.
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We confess that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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The old saying that confession is good for the soul is not sufficiently correct; it is the absolute forgiveness of sins that is good for the souls of sinners.
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One finds in Jesus strength and comfort against all vice and bad habits, as true Christians incorporate the life and name of Christ into their own lives.
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Do not try to work yourself up to a feeling of being forgiven and loved by God, but ask him for the faith to know Christ crucified, and the assurance of salvation.
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No one but Christ Jesus has suffered for the sins of others, yet his passion, his suffering and death, avail for the salvation of every sinner who believes on him.
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Whoever disregards the life of Christ on earth, wishing to find eternal life in some other way than he accomplished for us, fails to find salvation.
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In order to keep our focus on God, instead of on self, we are sometimes given a gift: an affliction of the flesh that makes us rely upon God.
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It is the sin of all who have ever lived — including you and me — that sent Christ Jesus to the cross to pay the ransom for of a whole world of sinners.
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Life is sometimes difficult, so we must hold firmly in faith to the word and promises of God in Jesus Christ found in the Scriptures, The Holy Bible.
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This is our hope — our only hope: Christ Jesus — that we might believe in him, and having such faith, come to see him on that great and glorious Day.
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Like children imitating their parents, we should imitate God, especially in doing good things for our neighbors so that the Father is glorified in us.
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We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things, trusting him through his Word, more than feelings, works, or even his good gifts.
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God will keep his promise that the seed of the woman will bruise the head of the serpent, establishing Seth in that line that would herald the Savior.
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We are to turn the other cheek, trusting in God above all things — even government, even ourselves — that he will avenge wrongdoing.
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Lack of faith is what drives us East of Eden, away from the presence of God, the communion of saints, the church, Christ's kingdom, and eternal life.
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God may show mercy even to the unjust so that they may have time to repent and know the full and certain assurance of his love and care.
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Nothing would thwart God's plan, not even Adam's and Eve's disobedience — our our own. He has promised a Savior, and delivered on his promise.
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Be careful how you respond to God when he confronts you with your sins, especially when it involves your neighbor, or family, your closest neighbors.
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God has no desire to forget us and so, those who love the Lord will live on in his memory and in another, blessed life so that we may remain in his love.
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Whatever day it is, the promise of the gospel abounds for you, making it the acceptable day for your salvation. Believe! and it will be a brand new day.
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The office of the ministry will always be disgraced by some, as Christ Jesus himself was dishonored, simply because his Word is proclaimed as truth.
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The preacher must not present an obstacle to the Word that results from his life, and especially from his doctrine, so they refuse to believe because of him.
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We are weak in the flesh, yes, but this is all the more reason to strive for purity and to live in holiness since Christ Jesus has made us holy.
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Jesus Christ is the "strong man" who uses his gospel word to overpower the dumb, deaf, blind, and demon-possessed, converting where he wills.
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There have been and will always be those who would take advantage of your liberty in Christ, insisting you must do this and that to be saved.
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One needs more than purification of the body in order to be at peace with God. The conscience must be cleansed by faith in the shed blood of Jesus.
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Read the Bible on your own, for sure. But get yourself to church to hear the Word read and proclaimed among God's community. He speaks there.
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There should be a grateful and increasing degree of perfection in the doctrines we have received, perceiving our errors and striving to mend our ways.
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Everyone — even old Noah, your pastor, and your child — is a sinner who can do nothing without God's assistance. Admit it, and salvation begins.
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The wastelands of unclean spirits are nothing more than unbelieving hearts, Evil is anxious to return home, so keep believing and exercising your faith.
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The law condemns but the gospel takes away all despair, so that, even if one has only some crumbs of faith, she may believe and be a child of God.
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The bare Word of God is what must make the difference for us — not disappointment or glee or any other feeling. Cling to the Word alone!
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All works of love, then, must be directed, as commanded, to our needy neighbors. In these lowly ones we are to find, love, serve, and honor God.
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Be careful that you are not tempted to believe twisted Scriptures, especially when it concerns false promises for your soul. Christ alone is our Promise.
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We do not live by the nourishment of the body alone. We also need spiritual sustenance, or as Jesus says, "that word that proceeds from the mouth of God"
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What do you want Jesus to do for you? Heal some spiritual blindness? Increase your faith? Hear the gospel and receive God's grace? Ask and you shall receive.
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Jesus was able to be patient with his accusers and attackers because he did not entrust himself to their judgment but to him who judges justly.
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We should cheerfully suffer want and temptation for the service of God and the good of our neighbor, like Christ did for us.
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"Reason, flesh and blood, cannot understand, nor grasp that the Scriptures should say how the Son of man must be crucified...to suffer for us."
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We are to owe no person anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law and commandments.
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If you do not love your neighbor, your conscience will condemn you. Without trust in a forgiving Father, you will be overwhelmed with guilt.
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The gifts of God are to be used in service of neighbor so that God receives the glory for our actions. This is accomplished when we serve with love.
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You just can't win sometimes. Trying to defend yourself does not work; you just get judged all the more. All you can do is entrust yourself to God.
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We are forgiven only if we continue in faith and are occupied with purging out the impurity that remains in us. Life is daily repentance and forgiveness: purging.
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Are you gracious or harsh and demanding of others? We must show mercy and grace to our neighbor, as we have been shown these by Christ.
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God can bring life and healing to the lives of others through your faith, as seen in biblical examples like the centurion who had faith for another.
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Jesus came to earth to do his Father's will, to die for a world's sin. It was his passion, his Plan A; there was no Plan B.
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All works are good, so long as they are done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for his glory, as directed by him rather than by one's own ability.
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Don't you love a good mystery, one told well and ends well? That is what Jesus came to proclaim, a mystery for the ages revealed for you.
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Peter's and Luther's doctrine of the priesthood of believers is central to Paul's teaching on honoring weaker members of the body of Christ.
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The gospel leaves us no room to doubt the Lord's favor, for the first and the last to believe his word will receive his eternal and generous salvation.
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When there is but infinite day, we will require faith no more, nor hope. Love is the permanent thing, and therefore, the greatest of the three that now abide.
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Come to Christ because you are a sinner, not because you think he must have someone as great and pious as you. Come with faith in him, not in yourself.
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A Christian does not live life aimlessly. This life is a race to the prize, eternal life in Jesus Christ, and so, must be run with passion and purpose.
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Seek! Search! Look everywhere else. But you will never find Christ Jesus anywhere else but in the holy Scripture. The Spirit will reveal himself there.
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Take the Word of God "as it stands," as it is written, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit who works through that very Word in all his people.
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A Christian glories in the things of which other men are ashamed — in the cross and in his sufferings. For the world will not long endure the Word.
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As much as you are able, live in peace with all; spend time with those of humble circumstance. Be a blessing to your neighbor.
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Marriage, because it is God's institution, will be a difficult work, as the flesh will resist and rebel, as it always does against doing God's will.
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Love desires the best for its neighbor, even when one's neighbor does not desire the best for you, so one must pray for them even when they are not neighborly.
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Jesus allowed for believers and unbelievers alike in the church, so that both might be spared, believers from violent uprooting, and unbelievers an opportunity to believe.
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Each Christian has been given a calling, and with that calling a particular gift or gifts to fulfill the calling. These do not make her better or happier than another.
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God permits us to fail in order to make us seek him in his Word. Do not despair when things do not go your way. God is calling you.
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Paul does not put much emphasis on foretelling the future, but on the explanation of the Scriptures, so that there may be faith in the gospel.
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May we be content with the gospel, with what is written, for it contains all that God wants us to know about himself, all that we need to know.
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Love is virtue pure and precious. It neither utters, nor thinks any evil of its neighbor. It rather covers sin; not one sin, nor two, but a “multitude of sins.”
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Our worship and good works are to be done for Christ's sake, not because we think that we earn salvation through our deeds or piety.
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Good and bad happens to bad and so-called good people alike. The difference is how one responds, and why, and from where their peace comes.
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Have we forgotten that in order to be saved, we must have faith in Christ, trusting in God above our own works of religious devotion?
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We must consider ourselves with sound and sober judgment, not thinking much of our piety. There is always room for improvement in the Christian life.
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Simeon was not impressed by appearances and so, could bless Christ Jesus. If appearances are our motivation, we will not bless Jesus.
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Christians are priests, each and every one of them, and as priests, are to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. That sacrifice is self for the honor God.
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We must have faith in the Word, not in what our senses tell us. Feelings are secondary (at least) and are to be subordinated to "what is written."
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Christians should not curse—in the sense of wishing evil in a person's life. However, Christians are to censure and reprove evil in the hope of good.
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God allows suffering to guard against presumption, as example to others to repent, and as preparation for finding Christ, and keeping him.
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The sacrifices of the Old Testament are fulfilled in the one sacrifice of Christ Jesus so that we may offering the living sacrifice of faith in everyday life.
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Having Christ's Spirit within us, we are to love our neighbors so fully through that it seems as though we are indebted to love our them.
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Love of neighbor does not justify us to God. Faith in God does however, compel us to love our neighbor, and this is evidence of faith, and love of God.
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The light exposes the darkness of human reason, doctrine, and works, and displays our need of the grace and glory of he who is Light from Light, true God from true God.
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The magi may not have known who the newborn king truly was, but you and I are called to attend to our vocations, then think only how we may know Christ.
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The gospel is not the light but the expression of that eternal Light that has risen upon us.
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This video was recorded in 2021, just as I was packing up my old study to move it to St. Paul's in Salisbury, NC.
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Your beliefs, especially doctrine about Christ, must come from the Scriptures. Rest your faith on Christ as found in the Word alone.
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It does not lie in our power to be without sin or to escape from it. He who created us must take it away.
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We have received a mark, the sign of God's hand upon us. We are sealed with God's promise of salvation and eternal life through baptism and faith.
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We may go about living our lives with good, Christian courage, knowing that we belong to the Lord. He has prepared us for both life an death.
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What was in the beginning—even before the beginning—and where did it all come from is the subject of John's and Luther's writings today.
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God will repay the wicked for their persecution of Christians, and he will reward Christians, though not for the reasons many think.
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Do we believe the Word of God because of the revelation or because of its messenger, because it is God's Word or because of the preacher?
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We are not so pious as we imagine ourselves to be. Take care of your self-regard and pious pride, for the gospel grows in the pasture of confession.
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Jesus took on our nature so that, through faith in him, we may be given his nature, and be made right to be with him in eternity.
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A note of thanksgiving on Christmas Day from Mark and Susan, who are grateful to be among the folks called St. Paul's Lutheran Church
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Our lives, like John the Baptist's life and ministry, should direct our family, friends, and neighbors to Christ and his gospel.
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God's Word-angel made manifest the sin and religion that would hinder the coming grace of his Christ, the Messiah, the long-awaited one.
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Until the heart believes in God, it is not possible to rejoice in him. But for the believer, both rejoicing and peace are possible.
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It is not enough to put off the works of darkness; one must put on the armor of light. Without the light of faith, even works we think good are not.
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Good news is received best by those poor folks who need glad tidings the most. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
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The darkness of all that is not of the gospel is behind us. The spiritual, gospel day of Christ lies ahead.
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Even when you are not at peace with others—or even with yourself—the peace of God is yours. Be content in Christ through faith.
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Many things happen throughout the day that should drive you to prayer. So, pray. Your prayers are pleasing to God.
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The only thing God demands is that we exercise faith in him. Yet there is a second, similar command that we love our neighbors like we love God.
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Christ is the only way to heaven, to eternal life with God. Blessed are you if this truth about Christ Jesus does not offend you.
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The season of Advent has us reconsider how all things will change, and that we must trust God with everything we hold dear, even our souls.
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God and report what you have seen: the grace, power, and glory of Christ Jesus.
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The communion of saints, the Israel of God, all believe in Messiah, one, the Messiah who was to come and the other, the same Messiah who has come.
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Awake from unbelief so that you may recognize the blessings of God, and become a blessing to your neighbor.
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The advent of Christ is the redemption of all who believe. It is not for their destruction but for the destruction of their sin. Thy kingdom come!
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This is a difficult word for the world, in its comfort and ease, to hear and believe, and as such, is meant for Christians alone to hear.
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Many will doubt, but—though the heavens be shaken—let us hold fast to the gospel.
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The Father asks you to believe what seems empty of all human wisdom, so that you may have the fullness of his grace.
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The Evangelist corrects the "blindness and false notions of those who seek bodily and temporal blessings in Christ and his gospel."
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"The nature of faith is that it does not judge nor reason by what it sees, but by what it hears. It depends upon the Word alone..."
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You did not love God so much that he came into this world. He loved the world so much that he came to save you. You do not find God. He finds you.
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Faith gives Christ to you; loves gives you to your neighbor; and hope keeps faith and love alive in the midst of suffering and trials.
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Our religious devotion and piety have nothing to do with it; it is the intervening power of Christ alone that will raise us to glory on that Day.
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Christians will suffer for the Faith, but they are promised eternal reward for their patient witness to Christ Jesus and his Word.
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There have been signs and will always be signs, and so, the return of the Christ will be unexpected. Your redemption is drawing nearer.
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Spiritual knowledge is knowing the will of the Father is that everyone who sees his Son and believes in him will have eternal life.
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Christians should be content with their own calling: mother or father, electrician or teacher, pastor or acolyte. Be content and follow Jesus.
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Be alert, eager every day to learn of God's Word and will, so that you may stand firm in your faith until the end.
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We await Christ's coming, and with it, a kingdom prepared for those who believe in him. So, you may wait and pray confidently, expectantly.
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If these thoughts and words do not move you, nothing else will.
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When we believe in Christ Jesus, we are forgiven our sins and through the Spirit of God, his grace and truth begin to grow in us, giving us the desire to keep God's law.
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The gospel is the announcement that God demands we turn from our sins and offers forgiveness only through Christ Jesus.
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The Christian cannot rely upon reason or human wisdom but must always turn to God's Word and ask him to guide.
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The times would draw us away from God's Word and will, so we must make the time to hear him.
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Noah is reassured of God's plan of an ark and flood, as baptism reassures us that God will carry us through the flood of sin and death.
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Taking up your neighbor's burdens, including his sins and imperfections, as if they were your own brings honor to God.
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The righteousness of faith teaches us patience, the patience to wait until that Day, confident that Christ's further grace of eternal life awaits those who trust in him.
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Of course you are not worthy of God's grace, but do you need what he supplies? Do not deny your Lord his will to bless your need.
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Our trust is not in the prosperity of the world around us but of the hope within us. The righteous stand unruffled in the falling ruins.
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We must not be sure of our faith, but be confident in the one who supplies us faith. We cannot instigate or maintain faith, so we must fear God and ask him daily to keep us in that faith.
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The rule of the nations will not be accomplished through warfare but by the will of the Father. We too, are ruled in the same manner, by the will of God.
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Without the working of God's Spirit through the Word of God—the revelation of who he is and what he has done for us—no one would come to saving faith.
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"This is a pure and strong faith, that requires the individual to cast away all sense, understanding and reason, and sink himself into one little word, be satisfied with it and feel secure in it."
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In Holy Communion, "the only agent at work is the spoken Word," so that Christ alone may be remembered and honored.
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While the world thinks itself the victor, God laughs, knowing the outcome. His King is triumphant.
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Are you clothed in Christ? You better look like Jesus on that Day.
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What service can a Christian render that is acceptable to God? What service may be given by a Council president, pope, a pastor, a bishop, a laywoman? Thanksgiving and praise is all God expects, and we may all give him this gift. It does not require riches or education or station. We are one in the Body of Christ.
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Baptism is a comfort to Christians. It reminds us that God loves us and forgives us. Avail yourself of his promises daily, confessing your sin, and believing he forgives, for Christ's sake.
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Christ Jesus does not desire your works, whether religion, devotion, Bible reading, vigils, tithes, service on committees, going to church—none of that. He desires you, as a groom desires his bride. True love desires its beloved and nothing else. True love then, issues forth all the rest.
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Some people are preoccupied with harassing Christians. Yet they are really bent against the Lord. So, commend them to the Lord, then live your life faithfully, doing those things God has given you to do each day. And today, may you have a blessed Reformation Day!
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Just because you go to church or serve on a committee does not mean that you highly regarded by God. Many is the pastor or council president or bishop whom God does not regard. God regards those who walk by faith in Christ's virtue, not those who display their station or deeds.
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God has given us the perfect gift, one which we can never purchase for ourselves. There isn't enough money, virtue, or merit to make us able to walk with God in glory. So, God sent himself to make satisfaction for our sin. God has appeased himself, for Christ's sake, so that we may walk with him in his glory. God has given us the perfect gift; let us be thankful.
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To what lengths should we go to keep Christian unity? Squabbling over music, translations, and other stylistic matters can divide a church. We do not have to be right—but we do have to be forbearing. There is always discord but we are called to patient and gracious, as Jesus was...and is.
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We get pretty upset with people who repay our kindnesses with silence, with indifference, with ingratitude. Yet God has given us the ultimate gift—for which we cannot give enough thanks. Are we grateful?
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We are all aware of people who have been ungrateful for things we have done for them. Children have to be reminded to say "thank you," but adults can suffer from the same lack of gratitude. But we too may be ungrateful to God for what he has given us. One of the ways this ingratitude is expressed is when we do do accept his forgiveness and salvation, instead trying to do things that earn his favor
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The unity of the Church does not consist in what we do. Certainly, we must do all we can to maintain "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" but in the end, it is up to that same Spirit of God. In those matters we cannot fix, we should commend any discord, disharmony, and even anger to God. He alone can fix what we might only make worse.
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Showiness has nothing to do with Christianity. But showing Christ in what we do and say is an important aspect of Christianity. This display does not save us, but serves as a witness to others. Let his light shine!
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The newest convert can go forward faultlessly in faith. This does not mean that they do not sin, any more than seasoned Christians are sinless. But all we sinners go forth with faith in Christ, that he will will preserve us to himself until that Day—in spite of ourselves.
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What greater prosperity can you have than to keep your faith? The person who keeps faith until the end, prospers most, for she receives eternal life.
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Sin leaves us in debt to God. We cannot pay our debt to him, yet he sent his Son to pay our debt in full.
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The attack comes from a level we do not expect. The devil urges us to depend upon ourselves; the temptation is to rely upon ourselves.
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The Lord redeems the life of those who take refuge in him, not those who take refuge in themselves.
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To believe in Christ alone for salvation is true knowledge. It is a right knowledge that leads to correct prayer within the will of God.
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