The Devil doesn't want you in Church on Sunday morning. He wants you to be anywhere else besides the place in which you have absolute forgiveness of all your sins. He wants you to be in a place where your flesh is pleased, where your ego is boosted, and where your self piety is encouraged. He...
In his book, A Little Book on Joy, President Harrison makes a lovely and comforting assertion in a story about how sinners should live with one another saying, "I didn't come to kill you. I came to forgive you. He wasn't on a mission of retribution. He was on a mission of...
The 4th commandment says, "Honor your Father and your Mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents, and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them." This is the first and greatest commandment in the...
Dr. Martin Luther, of blessed and holy memory, writes concerning the joy of the Church saying, “Grace and peace-these two words embrace the whole of Christianity. Grace forgives sin, and peace stills the conscience. The two devils who plague us are sin and the conscience, the power of the...
In the Smalcald Articles, Dr. Martin Luther of blessed and holy memory, asserts the work of the external Word of God saying, "Accordingly, we should and must constantly maintain that God will not deal with us except through His external Word and sacrament. Whatever is attributed to the Spirit...
This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday After Trinity. The readings are Old Testament: Genesis 50:15-20 which says, "15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.&rdquo...
The Third commandment says, "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it." When is the Sabbath? Well, the Sabbath was originally the 7th day...
The Joy of Family. There are many things that God gives us as daily Bread and as 1st Article gifts. WE are given clothing and shoes, food and drink, land, animals, government, good weather, good reputation, good friends, good health, faithful neighbors, and the like. However, the greatest daily...
In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 11, the criticism of the circumcision party against St. Peter is recorded. St. Peter responded to the accusation, "You went to the uncircumcised men and ate with them," by recalling the account of His vision and his meeting with Cornelius. Peter then replied...
In The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 8, we hear of the account of St. Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. This is a wonderful text that helps guide both pastors and layman alike in what the point of the ministry is all about. For St. Philip went up to the Eunuch and asked him, "Do you understand...