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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The Song of Solomon has many beautiful images, perhaps none so striking as Song of Solomon 2:4. “He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.”
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Day 59 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Deuteronomy 3:1–4:49 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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Day 58 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Deuteronomy 1:1–2:37 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Breaking the marriage covenant is not simply a physical matter. Adultery begins in the heart, with lust and intention or will. Jesus teaches us that it is possible to commit adultery mentally, in the deepest way: in the heart, as we say.
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It is vital that Christians honor the marriage bed, especially when culture plays fast and loose with the Sixth Commandment. We must make it an emphasis because our consciences are impaired...
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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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Day 57 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 35:1–36:13 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Day 56 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 33:1–34:29 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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 sexually immoral person is an idol worshiper. The one who covets a neighbor’s spouse or anything else in that person’s household, is essentially, as the King James Version puts it, a whoremonger...
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It has always been easy to have a polluted heart; indeed, we are born with such hearts, and are bent on folly. Consider David, who from a rooftop, looked upon Bathsheba with evil in his heart.
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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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Day 55 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 31:1–32:42 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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The Sixth Commandment is worded in the negative, but we readily perceive that “thou shalt not” implies we must also do something.
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What enables us to keep the commandments?
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Day 54 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 28:1–30:16 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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What does that mean?
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Day 53 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 26:1–27:23 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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We live in a time that is sometimes lamented as a post-Christian era in the United States. Complaints range from social media shutting out anything Christian, to the public square no longer allowing the church a voice.
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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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Day 52 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 23:1–25:18 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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The temptation is to lash out, to retaliate, to pay back. But that is not Jesus’ way, though he was tempted. When he was criticized and even beaten, Jesus could have called down legions of angels...
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It seems pretty straightforward.
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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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Day 51 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 21:1–22:41 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Christianity is a classroom experience.
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The greatest need our neighbors have, whether they know it or not, is emotional. We must not cause them any anguish, as it is ongoing, causing stress that mounts on stress, a daily trauma to be withstood.
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Followers of Christ do not carry their anger with them day after day, nor are they to act on their anger in a way that wounds another, especially those “of the household of faith.”
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Day 50 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 18:1–20:29 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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Take the time to love.
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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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Day 49 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 16:1–17:13 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Are you being lawful with the gospel?
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In case you think Luther takes his explanation of the Fifth Commandment too far, consider Jesus. The catechism explains not killing in terms of fighting and of being a caring friend to our neighbors.
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Day 48 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 14:1–15:41 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Why wouldn't you need the Law?
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The motivation for taking care of our neighbor, including our enemies, is the fear and love of God. We help others because we understand our own need of assistance.
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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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The faith is not about religious practice alone; it is not even just about God. Our devotion to God is most keenly observed, not in our worship and service, as much as God cherishes these acts, but in the love of our neighbor.
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Day 47 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 11:1–13:33 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Day 46 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 8:1–10:36 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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"I'm gonna do better now."
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A mountain seems to stand steadfastly — until the plates far beneath the surface shift. Not murdering someone seems simpler to pull off than not saying something nasty.
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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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Leave it to God. It may sting your sense of honor if you do not avenge your dignity. But the honor belongs to the Lord anyway, and your own honor depends upon God.
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You might be a little bit Pelagian.
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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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Day 45 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 7:1–89 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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It is difficult to like some people. They may differ politically, religiously, culturally; they may be better off than you are and even flaunt it; they may be downright nasty.
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Are you able to choose the good?
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Day 44 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 5:1–6:27 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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Be careful that you do not imagine yourself exempt from bothering with the Fifth Commandment. You may say that you have never murdered anyone. Think again.
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Day 43 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 3:1–4:48 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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It could be a long, bad day.
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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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Did God really say that?
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Human life is precious to the Lord. It does not matter whether that life is another’s life or one’s own, whether that life is nascent or full-formed. It is life; and it is life in God’s image.
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Day 42 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Numbers 1:1–2:34 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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Day 41 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 26:1–27:34 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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It could be a long, bad day.
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It is an instinct that goes all the way back to Cain: we imagine that we may solve our personal problems with violence, and if necessary, the final violence of death.
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Day 40 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 24:1–25:55 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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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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Of all people, Jesus might have insisted on being right when confronted with his parents’ demands upon him. Yet, he was obedient and submissive to them.
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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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Could it be Jesus?
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Day 39 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 22:1–23:44 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Of all people, Jesus might have insisted on being right when confronted with his parents’ demands upon him. Yet, he was obedient and submissive to them.
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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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Day 38 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 19:1–21:24 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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They took a photograph of the men at church yesterday, in honor of Fathers’ Day. It was a collection of hoary-headed fellows.
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I believe in the holy Lutheran church???
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Is repentance required for salvation?
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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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Day 37 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 16:1–18:30 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Honoring parents is not the privilege of young children alone. Children who still live at home with their parents are of course, expected to love them, be obedient, and esteem them as blessed gifts of God.
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Day 36 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 14:1–15:33 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Yes. This word is for you.
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Honoring parents is not the privilege of young children alone. Children who still live at home with their parents are of course, expected to love them, be obedient, and esteem them as blessed gifts of God.
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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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Day 35 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 11:1–13:59 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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God expects us to behave for our parents the way we would act in his presence. Therefore, we are to obey our parents as we would obey God: without complaining or asking why.
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Is God's Word for everybody?
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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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Our parents are God’s agents to and for us. They are meant to be his blessed envoys, graciously given to us by God so that we may begin our education in the catechism.
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Day 34 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 8:1–10:20 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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Is God's Word for everybody?
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Even Jesus honored his parents with submissive behavior. This pleased his mother, and it pleases the Father when we follow the Lord’s example by being obedient to our parents.
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Day 33 of Read the Bible in a Year: Read Leviticus 5:1–7:38 in your favorite translation, and solve today's Word Search and jigsaw from today's Scripture.
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