We have five Sundays in January for this Year of our Lord 2017, and after Epiphany (always January 6th) we observe the annual commemoration called Baptism of Our Lord Sunday that falls this year on Sunday January 8th. Although Jesus did not need baptism, because he was and is without sin, he nevertheless received baptism in order to properly fulfill all possible requirements of righteousness and religious faith. And as I contemplate the baptism of Jesus, I am led by the Spirit to contemplate the sacredness of water and our own baptismal covenant in, with and through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Sin’
SACRED WATER
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Public Sphere, Science & Religion, tagged 2017, Baptism of Our Lord, Body of Christ, born again, Christ, Christian, Church, Clean Air, Clean Water, Covenant, cross of Christ, crucifixion, Death, Earth, Ecology, Environment, Epiphany, Faith, Global Warming, God, Grace of God, H2O, Happy New Year, Holy Baptism, Holy Spirit, Holy Water, Hope, Humanity, Jesus, Life, Light, Love of God, Lutheran, Matthew 28, Messiah, Nature, New Testament, religious faith, Resurrection, Righteousness, Romans 6, sacrament, Sacred Water, Salvation, Savior and Lord, Sin, Spiritual Life, Titus 3, Water Services, Water Sources, Word of God, Yeshua on December 31, 2016|
SO MUST THE SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Science & Religion, tagged Ascension, Atonement, Bronze Serpent, Christ is risen, Christianity, cross of Christ, crucifixion, Death, Devil, Easter, Failure, Faith, forgiveness, Grace of God, Grief, Guilt, Healing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 3, Lord and Savior, loss, Mental Illness, Moses, Mosheh, Numbers 21, Redemption, Regret, renewal, Resurrection, Salvation, Shame, Sin, Spirituality, Wholeness, Yeshua, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach on April 1, 2016|
We should not feel bad about feeling bad. Within our society that idealizes feeling “happy, happy, happy” all the time, we can sometimes be shamed into feeling bad about feeling bad. However, this is not right, because it is an unrealistic societal pressure placed upon us that only makes us feel worse. (more…)
OUR BLESSED ASSURANCE
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, tagged Blessed Assurance, Blood of Christ, Christ, Compassion, Eternal Life, Faith, forgiveness, Galatians 2, God, Good News, Grace, Heaven, Hereafter, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, October 31, Protestant Reformation, Reformation Sunday, Renewal of Life, Revelation 3, Romans 10, Salvation, Second Coming, Sin, Sinfulness, Yeshua on October 2, 2015|
Our human sinfulness alienates us from God our Creator, but the wonderful good news is that Jesus Christ gives us everlasting salvation from this self-imposed alienation and grants us eternal life in heaven. This is our blessed assurance in Christ, thanks be to God!
This grace of God in Christ our Lord is not merely some generic appeal to God’s mercy and compassion. Rather, through the life, sacrificial death and redemptive resurrection of Jesus, we have absolute assurance of our atonement with God. What good news! What amazing grace! (more…)
WE ARE ONE IN THE SPIRIT
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, tagged 2 Corinthians 1, Acts 2, AD, AD: The Bible Continues, Apostles, Atonement, Blood of Christ, Blood of Jesus, Blood of the Covenant, Body of Christ, Book of Acts, Christ, Christ is risen, Christopher Robin, Death, Ephesians 1, Gifts of the Spirit, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, Lord and Savior, Messiah, New Testament, One in the Spirit, Only Begotten Son, Pentecost, ransom, ransomed, redeemed, Redemption, sacrificial love, Salvation, Saved, Sin, Son of God, Spiritual Gifts, Titus 3, Yeshua on May 6, 2015|
Every Sunday night since Easter Sunday, my family and I have been watching the 12-week TV miniseries “AD: The Bible Continues.” It is based upon the biblical Book of Acts and the Epistles of the New Testament, and upon the accounts of ancient historians from that same time period.
Recently, this dramatic miniseries has been covering the events of Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit was given to the Church of Yeshua/Jesus our Lord. It was the birthday of the Christian Church, the day when the followers of Jesus truly became his Body in the world after being filled with his Holy Spirit. On the Jewish festival of the harvest, called Pentecost, the Apostles of Jesus and all the believers in Jesus received the great gift of the Holy Spirit of God, just as the following Bible quotes explain: (more…)
JESUS, HELP US!
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, tagged Anawim, Atonement, Christ, Contemplation, Death, Devil, Evil, First John 4, Forgiveness of Sins, God, Good News, Grace of God, Help, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joy of Christ, Lent, Love of God, Luke 4, Marginalized, poor, Poor in spirit, poor ones, Redeemer, repentance, Savior, Season of Lent, Sin, Sinfulness, Spiritual Death, Spiritual Poverty, Unmerited Favor, Yeshua on January 31, 2015|
The Season of Lent is an annual time of intensified reflection and repentance. It is a time to recognize our poverty of spirit and seek the riches of God’s grace through more dedicated devotional reading, prayer and contemplation. (more…)
CHRISTUS VICTOR!
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Public Sphere, tagged 2 Corinthians 5:17, Body of Christ, Christ the King, Christ the Victor, Christ Victorious, Christus Victor, Church of Christ, Death, demonic attack, Devil, Evil, God the Son, Great Physician, Healler of Our Every Ill, Jesus is Lord, Lamb of God, Lord Jesus, Martin Luther's Small Catechism, Only Begotten Son, Paschal Lamb, Persecution of Christians, Redeemer King, Risen Christ, Satan, Second Corinthians 5:17, Sin, Son of God, Throne of Christ, Victorious Lord on October 4, 2014|
The term “Christus Victor” literally means “Christ the Victor” and it refers to the total victory of Christ Jesus our Savior over the enemies of sin, death and evil. As Martin Luther put it in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed: (more…)
KEEP CALM AND REMEMBER YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN
Posted in Devotional, Inter-Faith Relations, Lutheran Church, tagged Enlightenment, First Thessalonians 5, Forgiveness of Sins, God's guidance, Jesus Christ, Jesus Prayer, Keep Calm and Remember Jesus, Liberation, Lord's Prayer, Pray Without Ceasing, Prayer, Romans 3, Salvation, Savior, Second Timothy 3, Sin, Son of God, Yeshua on February 1, 2014|
We know that Muslims observe formal prayer five times each day, and we know that Christian monks and nuns observe formal prayer seven times each day, and we know that ancient Christian tradition calls upon every Christian to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times each day (morning, midday and evening). However, few people might know that the Word of God within the biblical book of First Thessalonians invites Christians to “pray without ceasing” (more…)
