Word of God

Sexagesima Snowpocalypse

February 7, 2010

Isaiah 55:10-13; 2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9; St. Luke 8:4-15 It is a happy coincidence that today’s OT reading begins by mentioning the snow that comes down from heaven. When we have a heavy snowfall like this, it forces everything to slow down, and makes the world quiet for a time. A prayer for the end of [...]

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The detour of God's Word

January 6, 2010

C.F.W. Walther on the Epiphany (which we celebrate this day): Even more wonderful than the circumstances of this account [of the Wise Men searching for the newborn King] is the fact that God chose to lead the Wise Men to Bethlehem, not exclusively by the star, but also via a detour. The Jewish king, with [...]

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Lectio Divina

August 31, 2009

The story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath is very familiar, as it occurs in the lectionary every year (Trinity 15 and 16). Today’s OT reading in the TDP (1 Kings 16:29–17:24) cast a different light on that story for me this morning. Before Elijah goes to the Widow of Zarephath and asks her [...]

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Trinity 12

August 30, 2009

When Jesus takes aside the man who is deaf and has an impediment in his speech, He takes aside all of humanity. Which means, when Jesus confronts the man who is deaf and has an impediment in his speech, Jesus confronts us. For you and I have several problems: like the man in today’s Gospel, [...]

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The Holy Spirit's public witness

May 22, 2009

Luther on the objectivity of the Holy Spirit’s testimony: No one in need of comfort, therefore, should wait until the Holy spirit in all his majesty speaks to him personally from heaven. For the Holy Spirit carries out his witness publicly in the sermon. That is where you must seek and await him, till the [...]

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Oculi sermon – Luke 11.14-28

March 21, 2009

In the political realm, there is a term many of you have probably heard: RINO’s – Republicans in Name Only. Faithful Lutherans sometimes refer to  church bodies that have given up on Lutheran doctrine as LINO: Lutheran in Name Only. Today’s Gospel demands that we answer this question: What kind of a Christian are you? [...]

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Works Prompted by the Spirit

October 24, 2007

It is striking to me–and undoubtedly would horrify the modern antinomians–to see how clearly Luther upholds both salvation by grace alone and the life of good works done by the saved. Your ways are not My ways.… Here He is speaking of ways by which we are justified. There are two ways. The one, by [...]

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My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts

October 24, 2007

I hadn’t realized the anti-Enthusiast thrust of the passage, “My thoughts are not your thoughts” (Is. 55). Here is a gem from Luther (again, from the Isaiah lectures): The ungodly object, “You are calling us sinners. Do you not see that we are doing well? We are not like other men.” To them He responds [...]

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A Needed Exhortation

October 24, 2007

From Luther’s Isaiah Lectures, on the Old Testament reading from last Sunday, Isaiah 55:1-9: 1. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money. This is an exhortation for Christians in the midst of their trials, lest disgust take control of all of them. This is a most destructive pestilence [...]

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Weedon on Church and the Word of God

May 20, 2007

Pastor William Weedon writes words that deserve repeating: A lot of the angst that seems to afflict folks nowadays is about where final confidence is reposed. I think that those who take their faith seriously are faced with two options: you can rest your final confidence in the outward communion of some Church (and hope [...]

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