Either with Jesus or with You

“The mouth of the Lord has spoken it. How many mouths does the Lord put to His use? How many Elijahs? How many Sundays in Advent? How many calls to repent, to turn? As many as your sins that need repentance. The Lord is slow to give up on you. He calls you to repent again and again. But if you insist on holding onto your sins—perhaps just your favorite one or two—and try to run with both Him and your sins, He will finally put an end to that game. He tells you so. He issues a warning call to repent, to turn; Your sins are either with Jesus or with you. It is only the sins you hold and keep away from Him that can damn you. Jesus has already answered for your sins. You have to take them back from Him to be damned by them.”

Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel

CPH 2004, page 22

HT: Steven Anderson

US Religious Demographics 2010

An interesting look at the religious demographics of our country...

Zechariah's Song: The Benedictus

The Benedictus

(The Song of Zechariah)

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
     for He has visited and redeemed His people
          and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
     as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old,

     that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
     to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
          the oath that He swore to our father Abraham,

     to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

          might serve Him without fear,

          in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
     for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways,
     to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins,
     because of the tender mercy of our God,

     whereby the Sunrise shall visit us from on high
          to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
          to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Saint Luke 1:67-79 ESV

Saint Nicholas

Do you know the real man behind Santa Claus? The real bishop? The real Saint Nicholas? Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Nicholas. Here he is...

• a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Lycia (in present-day Turkey)
• known for his generosity and his love of children
• saved a poor family’s daughters from slavery by tossing into their window enough gold for a rich dowry, a present that landed in some shoes or stockings
• a delegate to the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, which battled the heretics who denied the deity of Christ
• got so fed up with Arius (who taught that Jesus was just a man) during the aforementioned Council that he walked up and slapped him
• one of the authors of the Nicene Creed, which affirms that Jesus Christ is both true God and true man
• a staunch defender of Jesus Christ and the one true faith
• died on 6 December 342

Today we give thanks to the one true God for Saint Nicholas and his faithful confession of Jesus Christ!

Almighty God, You bestowed upon Your servant Nicholas of Myra the perpetual gift of charity. Grant Your Church the grace to deal in generosity and love with children and with all who are poor and distressed and to plead the cause of those who have no helper, especially those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief. We ask this for the sake of Him who gave His life for us, Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

O Come O Come Emmanuel

A beautiful song for this sacred Advent season by The Piano Guys...

A Prayer for Thanksgiving

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever. Lord God, heavenly Father, You have created me and endowed me with all that I am or have as a pure gift of Your “fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.” You sustain me from day to day with the gifts of daily bread in the food that I eat, the family that surrounds me, the friend I enjoy, the country where I live, and countless other benefits that I constantly receive from Your open hand. On this Day of Thanksgiving, cause me gratefully to remember the good gifts that You shower upon me. Deepen in me the knowledge of Your goodness, and awaken my heart to praise You for all of Your gifts, especially the forgiveness of sins that You have purchased and won for me and the whole world in the atoning death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Keep me mindful of Your mercies every day, and grant that I may thank, praise, serve, and obey You not only with my lips but also with a life dedicated to the service of my neighbor. To You, O Lord—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—be all honor and glory, praise and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen.

Lutheran Book of Prayer

On Thanksgiving Day, #113, pp. 176-177

His Mercy Endures Forever

It’s that time of the year again. Autumn leaves are falling and farmers are out in the fields gathering in the bounty of their labor. With the harvest naturally comes thanksgiving. President Lincoln first set aside a national day of Thanksgiving here in America in 1863. For most Americans, Thanksgiving brings to mind a scrumptious feast of carved turkey, dressing, mashed or sweet potatoes, gravy, corn, squash, rolls, pie, etc. And there’s a good chance this celebration is followed by a nap or the afternoon football game.

But before you feast this coming Thursday, come into God’s house to hear His Word and thank Him for all His blessings. Those blessings are countless, involving both body and soul:

First Article of the Creed 

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

Second Article of the Creed 

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

Third Article of the Creed 

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

What else can we say to all these blessings but “this is most certainly true.” The Triune God has given us everything necessary for body and soul. Therefore, let us give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His mercy endures forever!

Jesus Follower?

The modern believer has finally figured out the secret to salvation, truth, faith, life, evangelism, service, love. Ditch the label “Christian” and take up the label “Jesus Follower” (or “Follower of Jesus”).

I did a Google search to find a definition, a creed, a confession, or some set of beliefs held in common by those who call themselves Jesus Followers. What I found is hundreds of different statements, mostly short and generic. The Jesus Followers I have spoken with in person seem to want to keep things simple, loving Jesus and one another. That’s all fine and good on the surface, but what about the rest of God’s Word? What about original sin, baptism, absolution, and communion? What about Law and Gospel? What about daily crucifying the sinful flesh and rising to new life? What about all the other aspects of Christian doctrine that God has given us in His Word? Where does Holy Scripture ever take the minimalistic approach? Jesus gave His Church the task of teaching “all” that He has commanded (Matthew 20:18-19).

My observations have led me to conclude that Jesus Followers—though they seem to despise the concept of denominations—are a loosely knit denomination of their own.

By God’s grace, I am a Christian. I have a creed, a confession, a certain set of beliefs—all formed by Christ and His Word. When others ask me for a reason for the hope I have, my answer is simple: Jesus Christ and Him crucified for me. (For you too!) My only boast is in His cross, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Saint Luke gives us the origin of the title Christian. “In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Those who sat at the feet of Barnabas and Paul in Antioch believed their proclamation of Christ crucified and were happy to be identified with His messianic title. Peter later speaks beautifully of this title when he writes: “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:16). Given these wonderful examples, why would any believer want to ditch this Scriptural title for something “new” and “innovative”?

If you consider yourself a Jesus Follower, why do you believe this title is better or more effective than the title Christian (which has apostolic foundation and nearly 2000 years of usage)?

Cliche: Look Within

Today I saw yet another bad church sign message outside a local Christian congregation. It stated:

LOOK NOT BEHIND OR AHEAD,

BUT WITHIN

Christians should know better. Never does God’s Word call us to look within. Why? Because looking within is looking to one’s own heart. And what do you find there? Jesus says:

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” [Mark 7:20-23]

Instead of looking within, the Christian looks outside of himself to Jesus. Always. The author of Hebrews writes:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:1-2]

Even the Holy Spirit, who was given in Holy Baptism and now “dwells within us” (2 Timothy 1:14), bears witness about Jesus (John 15:26). In other words, He focuses our eyes and ears, our thoughts and desires, on Jesus. Thus, do not look within. Look to Jesus. Always!

Cliche: Two Hands

I am always astounded at the generic messages on church signs these days. Most of these messages are worldly, trite, and cliché. This morning I saw the following message on a local sign:

WE HAVE 2 HANDS:

1 TO GIVE

1 TO RECEIVE

We do have two hands. That is true for most, but not all, human beings. But what does it mean to give with one hand and receive with the other hand? Where does Holy Scripture teach such nonsense?

When it comes to receiving what God graciously gives, the Christian receives not with a hand, but with his ears and mouth. Christ’s Word is spoken into his ears (Romans 10:17). Christ’s body and blood are placed into his mouth (1 Corinthians 11:26). And when it comes to receiving help from his neighbor, is the Christian to receive this help with only one hand? What does that even mean?

When it comes to giving back to God out of joyful response to what He has first given us in Christ, the Christian presents not simply a hand, but his entire body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). And when it comes to serving his neighbor, is the Christian to give this help with only one hand? Isn’t it a little selfish to hold something back while serving others?

Stop the worldly gobbledygook. Put up something about Jesus. Preferably a Bible passage. Most certainly the Gospel. After all, the good news of Jesus for sinners is what every one of us daily needs to hear!

Screw You, God!

Yesterday the Illinois House collectively raised its middle finger in a childish temper tantrum and yelled “Screw You, God!” to the LORD God of heaven and earth. This gesture was disguised as a legislative bill that legalized same sex “marriage.” The Illinois Senate did the same thing back on February 14. The Illinois Governor has promised to sign this bill into law.

But try as it may, government can no more legitimately redefine marriage than it can legitimately redefine an apple “a banana,” a tree “a lake,” a dog “a crocodile,” or the sun “a giant luminous marshmallow in the sky.” Government cannot legitimately redefine what God has created, defined, sanctioned, and blessed. Nor does the Church recognize such a false “marriage” as true marriage.

God’s Word teaches us that marriage is a gift from Him. A man leaves his father and mother, holds fast to his wife, and the two become one flesh. God is the One who joins husband and wife together. In this sacred union, the husband nourishes and cherishes his wife as Christ loved His body, the Church. He pledges her his faithfulness. He loves, honors, and keeps her in sickness and in health and remains united to her alone as long as they both shall live. Reciprocating this love, the wife submits to her husband as the Church submits to Christ. She pledges him her faithfulness. She loves, honors, and keeps him in sickness and in health and remains united to him alone as long as they both shall live. In this way, marriage is held in honor and the bed undefiled.

Yes, we live in a sinful and broken world. Yes, husbands and wives daily fail each other. Yes, divorce runs rampant. All of these problems need to be dealt with in accordance with God’s Word. But none of these problems legitimizes our culture’s desire to redefine marriage to something it is not.

At the end of the day, you can take one of two stands on this issue. You can believe God’s Word and confess the beautiful gift a one man one woman marriage is, or you can reject God’s Word and raise your middle finger to Him in a show of defiance. I pray that you, by God’s grace, will add your Amen to what your loving God has given humanity for its good and with His blessing.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of His body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. [Ephesians 5:25-32]

Sacerdotalism

Sacerdotalism. It’s a big word. A theological word. A word denoting a certain false teaching. Some within Lutheranism are familiar with this word. Others are not. So, to begin the conversation, first let me list two consistent definitions from reputable publications.

The online Lutheran Cyclopedia defines sacerdotalism as follows: “View according to which the laity can establish relation with God only through priests.” (source)

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sacerdotalism as follows: “Religious belief emphasizing the powers of priests as essential mediators between God and humankind.” (source)

Confessional Lutherans believe, teach, and confess what God’s Word says about mediation. “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is that one mediator. The pastor is not that mediator. Nor is the pastor the Good Shepherd, the Savior, or the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And yet, by means of the Office that Christ established and into which the Church places them, pastors are called to distribute Christ’s gracious gifts in Word and Sacrament. All those who are rightly called into this Office are “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1).

But there are some Lutherans who define sacerdotalism differently. One such alternate definition that recently came across my desk is the following: “Sacredotalism is a pastor taking upon himself the right to do things that have little if anything to do with Word and Sacrament ministry.”

I find such a definition troublesome for a few reasons. First, unlike the Lutheran Cyclopedia and Merriam-Webster citations above, I cannot find such a definition in any reputable source (I am happy to be corrected if there is one). Second, where does Holy Scripture or the Lutheran Confessions forbid a pastor from doing things outside of “Word and Sacrament ministry” (either voluntarily or when he is asked)? After all, most pastors do things that have “little if anything to do with Word and Sacrament ministry.” Many pastors do such things regularly. Below are twelve examples of things that many pastors in smaller congregations may do to one extent or another (many more could be listed):

• pick up office supplies for use at church
• place orders with suppliers via phone or internet
• prepare and print the worship bulletins
• assist with changing the paraments, banners, etc.
• set up tables and chairs for various classes and functions
• help clean and vacuum
• help decorate the sanctuary for various liturgical seasons
• help mow lawn in the summer
• help shovel snow in the winter
• help with various projects to better the church property
• write letters to village or business personnel on matters that affect the congregation
• track membership records, statistical data, etc.

None of these is essential to “Word and Sacrament ministry.” Does that mean that the pastor who does one or more of these is guilty of sacerdotalism? I don’t believe so. Why not? Because these things have nothing to do with the “view according to which the laity can establish relation with God only through priests” (see Lutheran Cyclopedia citation above). They are adiaphora—things neither commanded nor forbidden by God’s Word.

As Lutherans, we need to agree on a common definition and stick with it. I believe this would help clear up a lot of the misunderstandings and false accusations out there. Perhaps it would even lead to greater faithfulness in our Witness, Mercy, and Life Together!

Gaudiness Refuses to RIP

It started out as a single day. October 31. Halloween. A day for school kids to dress up—mostly in handmade costumes—and have a party. Bobbing for apples. Silly games. Freshly baked cupcakes and homemade apple cider. Then, near sundown, the trek through the neighborhood trick or treating.

Now it’s a season. A month-long celebration of gaudiness. Plastic tombstones, phony ghosts, blowup spiders, fake cobwebs, and a plethora of other lawn monstrosities. The costumes—once a work of art in their creativity—are now mostly bland replicas of the latest “in” thing. How much money do Americans spend on all this tacky stuff? A total of $8 billion in 2012 ($2 billion in candy and $6 billion in stuff). Is all this stuff really worth it? All the RIP signs I see around this time of year all scream the same message: Gaudiness refuses to “rest in peace.”

Thankfully, we live in a country where you are free to make your front yard the eyesore of your street. You are free to make believe your landscape is spooky. You are free to drop loads of money on all this pretend paraphernalia. You are even free to believe that you are enriching your neighborhood in the process.

I’m not anti-Halloween. My wife and I give out candy and love seeing some of the cool costumes—especially the creative handmade ones—worn by the neighborhood kids. But if you really want to make someone’s day in a meaningful way, skip the gaudiness in your yard and make a financial donation to your local food pantry or homeless shelter this Halloween. It’s one of the greatest “treats” you can give to those in your community.

If everyone did this, just imagine how much good $6 billion could do!

United in Christ

Jeff Soukup & Charlotte Weberling

United in Marriage

28 September 2013

Las Vegas, Nevada

Christ’s Blessing Received

12 October 2013

Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church

Bolingbrook, Illinois

“Let marriage be held in honor among all.” [Hebrews 13:4]

Keep Scrolling

Are you bullied on Facebook? Bullied by Christians who are laying unwarranted guilt trips on you or promising you things that God Himself hasn’t promised?

Guilt trips regularly seen on Facebook:

• “Repost if you love Jesus. Keep scrolling if you love Satan.”
• “Send to all your friends if you love God.”
• “Only true Christians will repost this.”

If you come across this garbage in your News Feed, keep scrolling in good conscience. You are not denying Jesus or hating God when you scroll past a post without reposting it.

Unfounded promises regularly seen on Facebook:

• “Repost this and you will receive a blessing in [number] minutes.”
• “Pray this prayer and you will receive a blessing before the day is over.”

If you come across this garbage in your News Feed, keep scrolling in good conscience. God’s blessings do not depend on what you do with a Facebook chain letter.

Finally, if you feel the need to confess the Christian faith in some way, then post a Scripture passage about what Jesus Christ has done for the salvation of the world. Or artwork, a hymn, poetry, or faithful commentary that does the same. Do it without attaching any conditions or promising any blessings. In other words, don’t be a bully. Who knows? Maybe someone will rejoice in your Christ-centered post and keep scrolling with a good conscience!

Mocking the Lord with “Undying Reverence”

Recently a Chicago restaurant named Kuma’s Corner came up with a special burger it called the “Ghost” to honor a Swedish band no one knows.

What’s special about this burger? In the restaurant’s own words, it includes “Red Wine Reduction (the blood of Christ) with Communion Wafer garnish (the body of Christ). Come pay your respects!” Kuma’s Facebook page tells the world that it offers this burger “in the spirit of our undying reverence for the lord and all things holy.”

Undying reverence does not take that which is normally used for the sacred and holy and use it in a profane and unholy way. Undying reverence does not use a communion wafer and wine in a common meal and call it the body and blood of Christ. It’s one thing to cook with or use bread and wine in a meal, something people have done since the dawn of time. It’s another thing to mock the sacred meal Christ has given to His people to impart His blessings. While the Constitution may protect such mockery as “free speech,” it’s too bad the owners are unwilling to use some common sense.

Kuma’s, you have my pity. I feel sorry for those within your organization who know of no better way to market a burger than by mocking our Lord Jesus and those who bear His name. Mock us, ridicule us, even make fun of us if you want. You won’t see me using civil disobedience or legal challenges to squash your First Amendment right. But know this. Try as you may, you cannot rob me or any Christian of the forgiveness, life, and salvation Christ won on the cross and freely gives in Word and Sacraments. I pray someday you will be on the receiving end of that grace too.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [Luke 23:34]

Christian Persecution in Pakistan

photo: Kim Chaudary AP

Two Islamic terrorists blew themselves up via suicide vests outside All Saints’ Church in Peshawar, Pakistan this past Sunday, 22 September 2013. This atrocity—the murder of 78 adults and 7 children—is the biggest massacre of Christians in Pakistan’s history. You can read about it here and here.

Once again the world can see firsthand that this is not a “religion of peace.”

But hear this, dear Muslims. You can oppress us, persecute us, even murder us, but you cannot rob Christian of the joy of being children of God who are clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness. The peace you claim to have is ours abundantly in Jesus Christ. It can be yours too. For you we pray. For you there is forgiveness. For you Jesus Christ was born, baptized, lived, died, rose again, ascended, and even now sits at the Father’s right hand.

Fellow Christians, remember the blessed words of your Lord:

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” [Matthew 5:11-12]

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” [John 15:18-19]

Salvation in No One Else

Despite what God’s Word says, you can get to heaven apart from faith in Jesus Christ. How? By obeying your conscience. So says the supreme pontiff.

In a recent letter to Eugenio Scalfari, founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Pope Francis wrote the following:

You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying—and this is the fundamental thing—that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience. [source]

Are the pontiff’s words faithful to Holy Scripture? No! Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone.

What does God’s Word say about our obedience? Our works? Our merits?

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” [Romans 3:10-12] 

“By works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” [Romans 3:20] 

“No one is justified before God by the law.” [Galatians 3:11]

What does God’s Word say about salvation and Jesus Christ?

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [John 14:6] 

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12] 

“We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” [Romans 3:28] 

“We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” [Galatians 2:16] 

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:1-10]

Don’t go searching for salvation in your heart, your conscience, your obedience, or your works. Look instead to Jesus Christ and Him crucified for you. Find His grace in Word and Sacrament. Hear and believe His word of forgiveness to you. Jesus alone is your salvation!

Many Roads, One Way

Many are the roads that lead to God’s throne,

Each path with doctrines and scriptures their own.

Some teach God is one, some say One-in-three,

Some claim heaven’s earned, some say that it’s free.

Diverse believers of each tribe and race

Will one day appear before the King’s face.

And there they will find, ’tis God and not man,

Who chooses the path of His saving plan.

There’s only one way, the Lord did provide:

The Son whom He loves, enthroned at His side.

He is all of truth, He is all of life,

The sole way to God is His sacrifice.

Many are the roads that lead to God’s throne,

But heaven is reached in Jesus alone.

Author: Chad Bird [via his blog]

Atrocities

Last evening the President of the United States of America addressed the nation concerning the atrocities in Syria, specifically the use of chemical weapons. Here are a few of the President’s remarks:

Over the past two years, what began as a series of peaceful protests against the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has turned into a brutal civil war. Over a hundred thousand people have been killed. ...

The situation profoundly changed, though, on Aug. 21st, when Assad’s government gassed to death over a thousand people, including hundreds of children. The images from this massacre are sickening, men, women, children lying in rows, killed by poison gas, others foaming at the mouth, gasping for breath, a father clutching his dead children, imploring them to get up and walk. On that terrible night, the world saw in gruesome detail the terrible nature of chemical weapons. ...

When dictators commit atrocities, they depend upon the world to look the other way until those horrifying pictures fade from memory. But these things happened. The facts cannot be denied.

Were these atrocities? Yes! Should they be condemned? Yes!

But for the next few minutes, replace the word “gassed” with the word “aborted,” and the phrases “this massacre,” “chemical weapons,” and “atrocities” with the word “abortion.” While the names, locations, and victims are different, the end result of abortion is really no different than the end result of chemical weapons.

While children in utero are not gassed to death, they are murdered in a whole host of other grotesque ways. Pharmaceuticals cause an unborn baby to starve and suffocate (for example, RU-486 blocks progesterone—a crucial hormone during pregnancy—and therein cuts off food, fluid, and oxygen to the tiny developing baby). Sharpened tools cut an unborn baby into tiny little pieces so that he can be expelled. Vacuum aspiration sucks an unborn baby out of his mother’s womb.

In Syria, children are dying at the hands of those who do not see them as valuable, useful, worthy of life. In the womb, unborn children are dying for the same reasons.

Our President is on to something very important when he states that dictators depend on the world to look the other way when they commit their atrocities. I would argue the same is true of abortion. When mothers and fathers consent to an abortion and a medical staff performs an abortion, they depend on the world looking the other way. They do not want you to picture the horrifying reality of abortion. But as the president stated so pointedly, these things happened. The facts cannot be denied.

I’m glad the President is upset that children are being put to death. I simply wish he was consistent when it came to the 1,000,000+ children who are aborted each year here in our own country.

Lord, have mercy!

Ashamed of Who We Are

This past week I learned that Walther Lutheran High School in Melrose Park (Illinois) has changed its name. It no longer wishes to identify itself with the name Lutheran. It is now Walther Christian Academy.

Four years ago their enrollment was near record highs (approximately 425 students). The name Lutheran gave the school a sure and certain anchor in a church that champions God’s Word of truth and a faithful confession of it.

Now, four years later, we are led to believe that the name Lutheran is the cause of their decreasing enrollment and financial troubles. That’s a straw man.

I had the privilege of leading several chapel services at Walther years ago when I served two nearby congregations. I was not ashamed of the name Lutheran then, nor am I now. I wish the folks at Walther who made this change weren’t either. What a sad day this is when Walther no longer wishes to identify itself with its own heritage and roots. The students deserve better.

Lord, have mercy!

Far More Precious Than Jewels

“An excellent wife ... is far more precious than jewels.”

[Proverbs 31:10]

Sixteen years ago today the good Lord joined Lori and me together in holy matrimony. That day we promised to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it. To love, honor, and cherish each other. To forsake all others and remain united to each other alone, as long as we both shall live. That day we vowed to have and to hold each other. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Till death us do part. According to God’s holy will. Then, we pledged each other our faithfulness. What a joyous day our wedding was. What a joyous lifelong blessing our marriage is!

Lori, I thank God every day for providing me with a faithful, beautiful, intelligent, godly wife—and a devoted, loving, nurturing mother to our four boys—in you. I pray that each and every day Christ’s love for His bride, the Church, will increasingly shape my love for you.

To quote wise King Solomon, “many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all” ... for “a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:28, 30). You are an excellent wife, Lori, far more precious to me than jewels!

The Father’s Waiting Ears

In the Holy Gospel appointed for tomorrow (Proper 12 C), Jesus concludes with these words:

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” [Luke 11:13]

Our Lord doesn’t mince words. We are evil. Our prayers often reflect this truth. Not the prayers uttered with the lips. We are too pious to say such things outwardly. But the prayers uttered from the deepest, darkest recesses of the heart. Left unrestrained, these prayers sound something like this:

Father in heaven: hallowed be my name; my kingdom come; my will be done on earth and in heaven. Give me this day the desires of my heart; and tolerate my trespasses even as I hold grudges against those who trespass against me; lead me into the juicy temptations of my flesh, and deliver me not from the evil one, his works, or his ways. For mine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

That’s why the sinful flesh needs to die daily. Why the absolution needs to be heard and believed daily. So that Christ’s life becomes your life. So that Christ’s prayer becomes your prayer. You know the prayer: the Lord’s Prayer! The prayer He places onto your lips, that you might place it into the Father’s waiting ears. The prayer your Father hears every time. The prayer your Father answers every time.

In return, He gives you what you truly need. His name. His kingdom. His will. Daily bread. Forgiveness. Protection. Deliverance. All because He is your Father and you are His child. And isn’t that exactly what evil hearts need to hear?

Synodical Leadership

Recently a group within the LCMS released a list of candidates it is promoting for the convention next week. It is titled “Our Future.” Below is the choice to be made as this group sees it:

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod [sic] is at a deciding moment in history. Will Synod faithfully choose leaders who are passionate about the Gospel in reaching the lost or will Synod choose leaders who are inwardly focused and who are living in the past. [sic]

Who are the leaders “who are passionate about the Gospel in reaching the lost”? And who are the leaders “who are are inwardly focused and who are living in the past”? How does one identify them? What is the criteria? Who is the judge?

Coming from a group that claims to be all about the Gospel, why this harsh judgment? What evidence can they provide that some leaders are inwardly focused? What evidence can they provide that some are living in the past (whatever that means)? What evidence can they provide that some are not passionate about the Gospel? What evidence can they provide that some do not want to reach the lost?

If the type of leadership you are looking for in the LCMS involves vague statements, a false dichotomy, and straw man accusations, then by all means follow the “Our Future” list.

I’m looking for leaders who mourn their sin and rejoice in Christ’s full and free forgiveness. Who hold up God’s holy Word and blessed Sacraments as the life of the Church. Who believe, teach, and confess the Lutheran Confessions because they are a faithful exposition of Holy Scripture. Who love the truth (doctrine) and love the sheep (evangelism and missions). I pray you are looking for the same type of leadership in the LCMS!

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

The Second Table of the Law is summed as follows: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8]

Who is your neighbor? According to God’s Law, your neighbor is...

• the one you are to honor, serve, obey, and hold in love and esteem; [4th Commandment]
• the one you are to help and befriend in every bodily need; [5th Commandment]
• the one with whom you are to lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed; [6th Commandment]
• the one whose property and business you are to improve and protect; [7th Commandment]
• the one you are to defend, speak well of, and put the best construction on; and [8th Commandment]
• the one you are to help and serve. [9th & 10th Commandments]

Ultimately, everyone is a neighbor. But don’t forget that your neighbor has a real name and real needs. God has placed him in your path because he needs your mercy. By God’s grace, speak Christ to your neighbor and be Christ to your neighbor. Show him the mercy of Christ. Lead him to Christ’s good gifts in Word and Sacrament. And teach him that Christ alone loves His neighbor as Himself; He does this for you and me and all humanity.

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” [1 John 4:10]

President Harrison Re-Elected

It is with great joy that I post the following email from the Secretary of the LCMS...

LCMS President-Elect Announced
July 6, 2013

The convention delegates of the 2010 Convention adopted a new process for the election of the President of the Synod. Over the last several months, this process has been put into place by the Office of the Secretary of Synod.

The nomination process for the position of President began last year with the mailing of nominations ballots to all congregations of the Synod around October 1st. All nominations were required to be submitted by February 20, 2013, or 5 months prior to the start of convention, when the ballots, received by an outside auditor, were tallied and delivered to the Secretary of the Synod. The candidates for the office of President were the three ordained ministers who received the highest number of votes in the nominations process and who consented to serve if elected. The three nominees for President of Synod were the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, the Rev. Dr. David P.E. Maier and the Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller.

Four weeks prior to the convention, on June 22, the Secretary’s Office provided, through Election-America, a secure method and opportunity for two voting delegates from each congregation, to participate in the vote via electronic balloting services provided by Election-America. The voters in the President’s election were the congregations’ delegates in attendance at the 2012 district conventions.

The results of the ballot, conducted four weeks prior to the 2013 convention, were tallied and reported to the Secretary of the Synod by Election-America as follows:

Matthew C. Harrison: 4,262 votes (66.26%)
David P. E. Maier: 1,906 votes (29.63%)
Herbert C. Mueller, Jr.: 264 votes (4.10%)

Total Ballots: 6,432

Total Electorate: 8,201

Percentage Voted: 78.43%

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, having received a majority of the votes cast, is declared elected as President-elect of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Non-Denominational Evangelicalism

After watching the opening mass event of the National Youth Gathering, I can say with 100% conviction: Thanks be to God for Higher Things!!!

There’s no shortage of youth in San Antonia this week who are “in love with” Jesus. Opportunities will abound to “praise” Him. And there will be lots of eye candy to boot. Most of these youth will even come home “pumped for Jesus” (whatever that means). But if the opening mass event is any indication of what Christianity is to these youth, is it any wonder why many are leaving the church (organized religion)—even Christianity (the faith)—in droves?

There is a split coming in the LCMS. A split between those who want to trod the path of non-denominational evangelicalism by watering down doctrine to make it “palatable” to a fickle culture and those who desire to remain true to historic Christianity. Contrary to popular belief, historic Christianity is not some stodgy, stale, dying relic from the past. It is the living voice of Jesus Christ, delivered in Word and Sacrament via a liturgy and hymnody that continues to incorporate the very best from every generation, and lived out by His people in their various vocations. Historic Christianity extols Christ and His good gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Non-denominational evangelicalism does not. It simply talks a lot about love and service and commitment, things that even a decent heathen can do.

Next week the youth of my congregation will attend the Higher Things From Above youth conference at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. They will participate in ten worship services, with the option of three more at the close of the day. They will enjoy four plenary sessions, each featuring deep, insightful, full-throttled, Christ-centered theology. They will also choose six quality breakaway sessions on various topics (from a list of more than 55). Yes, they will also have lots of fun and make lots of great memories in the process. But fun isn’t the primary focus. Christ is!

My advice to the Synod (though I doubt anyone up there is listening): Let’s stop feeding our children the sugary snacks of non-denominational evangelicalism and start feeding them the “solid food” of confessional Lutheranism. Let’s stop teaching our children to despise historic Christianity and start teaching them the treasures that have been passed down to us from our parents and grandparents. Let’s stop pandering to the culture and the “felt needs” of our youth and train them to love “the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15) and the Lutheran Confessions (because they are in full agreement with the Scriptures).

Parents, give your children Christ at home in devotion, prayer, song, and example. Pastors, give the people entrusted to your care—both youth and adults—Christ in the Divine Service, in the prayer offices, in Word and Sacrament, in catechesis, in your pastoral care, and in your example. Don’t water down Christ. Don’t try to make Him more palatable to itchy ears. He is who He is! And you cannot be His without daily taking up your cross, crucifying your sinful flesh, and rising to newness of life in Him.

Extol Christ to our youth. He alone has the words of eternal life!

Suffering for the Name

“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33]

Do not fear. God is in charge. His enemies—the devil, the world, and sinful flesh—have been defeated. Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus ascended. Jesus is coming again. Thus, not even the gates of hell shall prevail against His Church.

Despite the world’s hostility, depravity, and ungodliness, you have nothing to fear, O Christian. Christ is in control. He is in control when the world loves you. He is in control when the world hates you. Do you really believe the Gospel? Or do you only believe it when there is no persecution, oppression, or martyrdom? Repent of your mistrust, doubt, and unbelief. And look anew to Christ. His Word of absolution, His Gospel, His body and blood given and shed for you are proof that He is in charge, that the victory is His, that the victory is yours!

Rejoice, O Christian, that you have been “counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41).

The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it;

He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.

And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife,

Though these all be gone, our vict’ry has been won;

The Kingdom ours remaineth.

[LSB 656, stanza 4]

Upholding Marriage: God’s Gift and Plan

A statement by the Rev. Bart Day, executive director, Office of National Mission

June 26, 2013

Today the Supreme Court issued its ruling, striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), allowing for federal benefits for legally married gay couples and potentially allowing for gay marriage in all of California with regard to Proposition 8.

As Christians, we believe and confess that God Himself instituted marriage as the life-long union of one man and one woman. Same-sex unions are contrary to God’s will, and gay marriage is, in the eyes of God, no marriage at all. As Christians, we proclaim this truth, no matter what the courts or legislatures may say. We are called not to popularity but to truth. Therefore, we call on our fellow Christians to be faithful first to God’s Word, knowing that another court is ultimately supreme.

Marriage is a fundamental building block of society, binding parents to their offspring. Every child benefits from the nurture of a mother and the leadership of a father. While having one mother is a blessing, having two mothers or two fathers is confusing for the child and detrimental to her well-being. The divorce culture has done great harm to the institution of marriage as well, and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has and will continue to respond to that heartache with Christ’s comfort while simultaneously working to restore a culture where marriage is upheld.

While this occasion reminds us that Scripture calls homosexuality sinful (see Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:24–27), the Bible also says plainly that those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” that is to say, those who repent and show genuine sorrow over their sin, are forgiven and loved by Christ.

And so as Christ’s Church, we forgive and love too, following His lead with compassion and humility. We forgive and love because we are all sinners in need of His grace and mercy; because no matter the sin, we have all rebelled against our Creator and fallen prey to unbelief; because He has justified us by grace through faith, freely given and joyfully received (Rom. 3:23–24); because Christ has reconciled us to the Father; because He has declared us righteous and we are.

In love, we will continue to teach marriage according to God’s plan and gift. We will continue to proclaim marriage as a picture of Christ’s love for His bride, the church. And we will continue to be a place of forgiveness, mercy and healing for all people, even as we will continue to proclaim God’s truth in love. As we move forward, we offer up our prayers for the nation and particularly for marriage, family and children.

Rev. Bart Day, executive director
LCMS Office of National Mission

A Christian Pastor Teaching Evolution?!

It’s bad enough that bad science leads to false theories. It’s worse when a “Christian” pastor speaks ignorantly and denies God’s holy and inerrant Word. Such is the case with the Rev. Robert R. Richardson, senior pastor of Interbay Community Open Bible Church.

In an interview with Fox News (click here to see it), he makes the claim that Holy Scripture and the Big Bang theory are completely compatible with each other. He downplays the language of Genesis 1, which repeatedly states: “there was evening and there was morning the [number] day.” Actually, he broadens the definition of the word day to mean a very long time period, all in an attempt to accommodate the theory of evolution. Click here for a video commentary on the Genesis text, the false assumptions of science, and a scholarly presentation of the Hebrew word day (yom).

What Richardson fails to see is that evolution completely contradicts Holy Scripture. The evolutionary theory is built on the assumption that man evolved from lesser creatures over a series of millions or billions of years. Countless species died as time progressed.

Do you see the contraction? Holy Scripture teaches that death did not enter God’s very good creation until after Adam and Eve fell into sin. Evolution teaches that death was part and parcel of this world long before humanity came into being. Both cannot be true. Creation and evolution are not compatible. Holy Scripture teaches the truth. Bad science teaches a false theory.

I don’t expect a non-Christian to take God or His Word seriously. I do, however, expect a Christian to take both seriously. God is the Creator. All things came about as the Father, through the Son, spoke them into existence. It is that simple and that complex. True science does not contradict God’s Word, but bows to God’s Word. What’s more, faith adds its Amen!

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” [Genesis 1:1ff]

“In six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day.” [Exodus 20:11]

“From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’” [Mark 10:6]

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” [John 1:1-3]

“By Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.” [Colossians 1:16]

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” [Hebrews 11:3]

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” [Revelation 4:11]

It All Revolves Around Me

In preparation for Sunday’s sermon, here’s a little teaser...

A Hunger for Christ

I had a member stop by on Friday to receive the Lord’s Supper because she is not able to receive it where she will be on Sunday. Made my day. Made her day even more!

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” [John 6:35]

Harrison: Marriage and the Church

Marriage and the Church

Friday, May 10, 2013

Someone quipped, “The world is moving so fast these days that the one who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.” I thought rather cynically about this quote as I listened to the Supreme Court argue over the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Just a decade and a half ago, this legislation was signed into law, defining marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. DOMA came as a safeguard against individual states redefining marriage and forcing the federal government (the whole nation!) to treat same-sex marriage as legitimate.

Two sources tell us what marriage is. First, the Bible tells us that man and woman were created by God as the perfect match, and that marriage is to be a sacred, lifelong union of one man and one woman. The Bible universally rejects sex outside of this man/woman marriage. Second, we know from so-called natural knowledge, which is part of all human existence, and which has been codified by custom and law through the millennia, that marriage is for one man and one woman. It is God’s perfectly designed institution for the creation of new human life and for the nurture of civilized individuals. As Luther famously noted in his Large Catechism, If he won’t obey his parent, he’ll obey the hangman!

What has come with lightening speed is merely the summation of a long process of the devaluation of marriage in Western culture. In 1970, only one state had no-fault divorce. By 1980, 49 had it. Coterminously, marriage has increasingly come to be defined as an emotional bond with a significant other rather than a fundamental building block of all society, religion and culture, based upon the fact that a man and a woman choose to enter a solemn life-long contract and bring new life into this world.

The Supreme Court will likely rule on the two cases (DOMA and Proposition 8) in late June. Like Roe v. Wade, which found a (fictional) right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution, the court could rule that the traditional definition of marriage of one man and one woman is unconstitutional. No matter how the court rules, the fight has just begun. Many in our own fellowship think, What’s the big deal? Isn’t it just about widening the tent of tolerance a bit more? If that were it, it would a major relief. But it’s not. What’s at stake is our First Amendment right to the free exercise of our religious conviction in the way we act in society. As the same-sex marriage train gains steam, we find ourselves increasingly under attack, our social ministry agencies are forced to either capitulate to the state or lose funding and even licenses. All opposed to same-sex marriage for conscience grounds are and will increasingly be labeled bigots in line with slave-holders and those who were opposed to ending of legalized racism in this country. And know this: As traditional Christians are driven out of the public square, the door is also closed for the Gospel.

The task before us is monumental. We are called to repent of our lack of appreciation for marriage and family. We are called to confess Christ to all and call all to repentance. We must elevate marriage among us and educate, educate, educate. Even as we seek specific ways to care for those challenged by same-sex attraction, we must resist conforming to the culture.

We know whose we are. We know what is in store for us. We know we will be severely tested in these last days, but this testing will abound in faithfulness and praise (1 Peter 1).

Pastor Matthew Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

“Let’s go!” Mark 1:38

Demographics: Religious Adherents

This is an interesting look at religious demographics in America, broken down by the group with the largest number of adherents per county:

Knee Mail

You’ve seen the church signs, the wall plaques, even the e-cards on social media. “God answers knee mail!”

I have no doubt these people mean well. But why not go with our Lord’s words and promises rather than coming up with a pithy cliche? After all, God doesn’t answer prayer simply because the one praying is on his knees. Nor does He answer prayer simply because someone calls out His name.

God’s Word teaches that He only answers the prayers of those who look to and trust in Jesus Christ and the redemption He won via His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. “Whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23). “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). Not the prayer of just anyone, but “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).

Since God the Father has named you His beloved child in Holy Baptism, you now have access to Him through Jesus Christ. And yet, there is no mandated posture you must assume. Stand up. Sit down. Kneel. Prostrate yourself. It matters not. Pray! Fold your hands. Lift up your hands. It matters not. Pray! In the privacy of your room. At the dinner table with your family. In God’s house with your brothers and sisters in Christ. All are good, right, and salutary. Pray!

Follow the disciples’ lead and devote yourself to “the prayers” (Acts 2:42). “Be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Colossians 4:2). “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Skip the pithy cliches and heed the invitation of your Lord. Not because of your righteousness, or your worthiness, or even your posture, but because of Jesus Christ and Him alone God answers your prayers according to His good and gracious will. Thus, relying on Christ, you can pray with confidence that God is faithful and merciful and has promised to work all things to your eternal good.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In Your faithfulness answer me, in Your righteousness!” (Psalm 143:1).

The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me!

15 days old. That’s how old I was when I died and was buried. When I died to sin. When my old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I would no longer be enslaved to sin. When I was baptized into Christ’s death and buried with Him.

But something else also happened in that water connected with God’s Word. I received new life—Christ’s resurrected life—and was given the privilege of walking in newness of life from that day forward. Now, by God’s grace, I am alive to God in Christ Jesus. Redeemed. Washed clean. Forgiven.

Even though I have no recollection of my baptism, that life-giving Sacrament is the best thing that ever happened to me. The fact that I don’t remember it doesn’t bother me at all. Why should it? Baptism isn’t about me and what I did for God. It is about Christ and what He gave me freely. While an individual can receive Holy Baptism at any age, infant baptism is a beautiful reminder that faith in Jesus Christ is a free gift from God. It is given to you. It is His work, not yours. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Today—on this anniversary of my baptism—I thank God for faithful parents who brought Christ to me via this life-giving Sacrament as an infant. They also taught me to confess my sins, to hear my Shepherd’s voice, love my Shepherd’s house, and hunger and thirst for my Shepherd’s true body and blood. In short, they raised me—a sinner to the very core of my being—“in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), that I might rejoice daily in the forgiveness, life, and salvation that are mine in Christ. Dad and Mom, thank you!

Take a moment and rejoice in your baptism as well. In fact, do it daily! For you received the same blessings I received in that water connected with God’s Word. As a joyous reminder, here is a sampling of God’s words and promises connected with this life-giving Sacrament:

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” [Mark 16:16] 

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.” [Acts 2:38-39] 

“Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins.” [Acts 22:16] 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:3-11] 

In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [Galatians 3:26-27] 

Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. [Ephesians 5:25-27] 

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [Titus 3:5-7] 

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. [1 Peter 3:21]

For the Forgiveness of Sins

I just opened up the May 2013 issue of The Lutheran Witness, paged through it, and was stunned by the very first letter to the editor. It reads:

I just read the article, “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” in the March 2013 issue of The Lutheran Witness. I was more than a little surprised about what we Lutherans are supposed to believe regarding the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper, as beneficial as it is, does not forgive sins. Forgiveness of sins is a free gift, given by grace, those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God who died, was buried and rose again as atonement for our sins. The Lord’s Supper serves to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus and to strengthen our faith. To say that it is a source of forgiveness is not Scriptural; it adds a “works” requirement for the free gift of God to all who believe.

Charles F. Hawkins

Beaumont, Texas

I do not know Mr. Hawkins. But what he writes above is Scripturally false. To claim the Lord’s Supper “does not forgive sins” is a denial of our Lord’s very own words. Here is Saint Matthew’s account of the institution of this Sacrament:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. [Matthew 26:26-28]

The body of Christ that was broken on the cross for the redemption of the world is the very same body He gives in this Sacrament. The blood of Christ that was poured out on the cross for the sin of the world is the very same blood He gives in this Sacrament. It is not a different body and blood, or a reminder of body and blood, or symbolic of body and blood. It is His body and blood. Jesus says so. His body and blood are the very means by which He grants forgiveness in this Sacrament. “Take, eat; ... drink of it, ... for the forgiveness of sins.”

Martin Luther confesses this beautifully in the Small Catechism:

What is the benefit of this eating and drinking?
These words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For there there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

To be charitable, perhaps Mr. Hawkins does not understand the difference between objective justification (the forgiveness Christ won for the entire world on the cross) and subjective justification (the forgiveness Christ distributes to individuals exclusively through the means of grace—Word and Sacraments).

Take, for example, Saint John’s words: “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Objectively, Jesus’ blood cleanses every sinner from the creation of the world to our Lord’s second coming on the Last Day. But subjectively, Jesus’ blood needs to be applied (i.e. given, distributed) to sinners through the means of grace so that they, by God’s grace, might believe it and live from it. One of the ways in which that forgiveness is given is in the Lord’s Supper.

Then Mr. Hawkins charges that those who believe Christ forgives sins in this Sacrament are guilty of works righteousness. His words: To say that it is a source of forgiveness is not Scriptural; it adds a “works” requirement for the free gift of God to all who believe.

To be charitable, perhaps Mr. Hawkins does not understand “works.” This word, in the context he uses it, means an attempt to merit God’s grace and favor by something you do. To tie the forgiveness of sins Christ’s gives in this Sacrament to a human work is preposterous. After all, to receive our Lord’s true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins is not your work for Christ. It is Christ’s work for you. He is the Giver of this gift—the forgiveness of sins. You simply receive it in faith, according to our Lord’s words and promises. By the way, the same forgiveness is given in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and the preaching of the Gospel. Like the Lord’s Supper, these gifts are also Christ’s work for you, not your work for Him.

This letter to the editor would not have surprised me had it come from someone with an evangelical, non-denominational, or “just me and Jesus” confession. But a Lutheran should know better.

I pray Mr. Hawkins will revisit our Lord’s words, Luther’s Small Catechism (cited above), and the following quotations from the Lutheran Confessions, to the end that he too might believe that our Lord Jesus Christ does indeed give forgiveness, life, and salvation in the Sacrament of the Altar. To deny the forgiveness of sins is to gut the Sacrament of its very benefit and leave it as little more than a quaint snack.

The Lord’s Supper does not give grace by the outward act (ex opera operato). ... It is impossible to receive the forgiveness of our sins because of our work by the outward act. [Apology XXIV 11-12]

Now examine further the effectiveness and benefits that really caused the Sacrament to be instituted. This is its most necessary part, so that we may know that we should seek and gain there. This is plain and clear from the words just mentioned, “This is My body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Briefly, that is like saying, “For this reason we go to the Sacrament: there we receive such a treasure by and in which we gain forgiveness of sins.” [Large Catechism V 20-21] 

Therefore also, it is useless talk when they say that Christ’s body and blood are not given and shed for us in the Lord’s Supper, so we could not have forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. Although the work is done and the forgiveness of sins is secured by the cross [John 19:30], it cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. [Large Catechism V 31] 

The entire Gospel and the articles of the Creed—I believe in ... the holy Christian Church, ... the forgiveness of sins, and so on—are embodied by the Word in this Sacrament and presented to us. [Large Catechism V 32] 

Because He offers and promises forgiveness of sin, it cannot be received except by faith. ... Whoever now accepts these words and believes that what they declare is true has forgiveness. [Large Catechism V 34-35]

The New Face of Terrorism

Our country once valued the free exercise of religion. In fact, the very first amendment to the Constitution states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

Sadly, these are just words on paper when it comes to the military. Not because those serving in the armed services want to remain quiet when it comes to living and confessing their faith. Not because military chaplains desire to stop bringing the comfort of Christ crucified to those whom they serve. But because the present administration and the elites in charge are targeting Christians as “domestic terrorists.”

The act of proselytizing (speaking about one’s own faith to others) is now being compared with “spiritual rape” and could lead to a court martial. Mikey Weinstein—an atheist and anti-Christian extremist—is the driving force behind this.  He calls such acts “horrible, horrendous, dehumanizing behavior” and a “national secutity threat.” He labels those who proselytize as “enemies of the Constitution” and guilty of “treason.” Pentagon officials are meeting with Weinstein as it crafts and implements new procedures.

Ken Klukowski writes about this here and here. Todd Starnes here.

Behold, the new face of terrorism in America...

I pray our brothers and sisters in Christ who serve in uniform will be strengthened to bear the cross as this persecution for confessing His name begins. “Come, Lord Jesus!” [Revelation 22:20]

O Creator of the universe, You did not form Adam from the dust of the world so that his children would spill their brothers’ blood in that dust. With Adam’s sin came death, destruction, and war. Yet You did not turn from Your fallen creation but embraced it in the flesh of Your incarnate Son, winning our peace with You through His death and resurrection. Still, humanity rebels, and evil flourishes with wars and rumors of war. Young men and women today protect our nation in the profession of arms, even now serving in places of danger, to shield us from the manifested evil of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and other wicked instruments of Satan’s hatred. I pray, dear Lord of peace, that You would protect those who wear the uniform of my country and serve with courage, honor, and commitment. Comfort and strengthen our sailors, marines, soldiers, airmen, and coast guardsmen. Be with their loved ones who must wait at home while they go to far and distant lands, answering the call of duty. Bless the faithful ministry of chaplains who go with them to proclaim Your Gospel and administer Your Sacraments on ships and in foxholes. Guide the leaders of this world that they may seek to walk in peace so that the skills of warriors may not be used except to deter those who would seek to harm us. I ask this in the name of the Prince of Peace, the only Savior of the world, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Lutheran Book of Prayer: For Our Armed Forces