Category: News (Page 28 of 102)

We know the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Luther gives us the meaning that “we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” We also know the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord…with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.”

Today’s Scripture from Proverbs reminds us of that.

Everyone and every other thing will fail us. They are unreliable, imperfect, and ultimately do not perfectly care about or for us. That goes for our own ‘understanding’ and ‘wisdom.’ We can place ourselves, our plans, our understanding above God.

This should never be!

If there is a discrepancy between what we believe is good or plan is better; about a direction to take or path to follow; about how the universe is run or things operate, it is that which comes from God that is correct. Period.

We need to trust that. We need to trust Him.

In all things.

For all time.

And we can do this fully and confidently because He has proven Himself time and time again, throughout history and in every situation – including all areas of our life!

This is most evident through the cross and empty tomb!

We would have had a different plan for mercy and forgiveness. God’s is the one that worked! We may have different ideas on who to love. God’s idea is perfect! We would have different ideas of how salvation should happen. God’s is perfect!

Trust in Him! In Everything! You will not be disappointed. Ever. Jesus is proof!

Scriptures

• Proverbs 3:5-8

Scripture tells us to “test the spirits,” but how do we do that? The answer is as simple as we learned in Sunday school: “Jesus!”

Acknowledging Jesus Christ as God come in the flesh, who died and rose is doing so on the basis of the Holy Spirit making that known to us. Denial of that Truth is not from God, but from evil spirits and the world.

But testing should not stop there. Everything we know and believe should be done on the basis of what’s in the Word of God and to make the determinations as to what is godly and what is not, we have to actually know what God’s Word says. We have to be in the Word! We have to learn the Word! We have to believe the Word! We have to live and breathe the Word!

When God’s Word becomes such a part of us and His Spirit dwells in us, it is a much simpler matter to discern right and wrong; good and evil. It becomes clear when evil spirits, the world, and sin try to lead us astray.

“We are from God.” and the Spirit who is in us “is greater than he who is in the world,” so rejoice, and revel in the tests, because we have the Answer – Jesus!

Scriptures

• 1 John 4:1-6

Faith in Jesus is to show itself through actions. Continually. Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection were one-time events, but our response to the salvation won for us through them is to show itself throgh daily living.

We often don’t live like that. We confess a Faith in the Life, but live in seemingly faithless living. Yes, His commandment is “that we believe in the name of [God’s] son, Jesus Christ and love one another” (1 John 3:23), but that love is to be done “in deed and in truth,” not just “word or talk” (1 John 3:18).

God’s love, forgiveness, and faithfulness are constant. Our response should be the same! Is this true for you? What have you done lately to respond to God?

Do it! Now. Consistently. Lovingly. Responsively. Let all know about your belief in Jesus and your love for others in deeds and truth – today! Every day! In gracious thanksgiving.

Scriptures

• 1 John 3:18-24

Anyone who restores classic cars (or other items, I’m sure) knows that they take extra love and work. You need to take time to nurture them and keep them going. They also have less amenities, they often don’t perform as well as modern vehicles, and they are less safe.

But classic cars are awesome! They are simpler, bring back memories of forgotten times and, frankly, they look so much better than the vast majority of modern vehicles on the road!

We can be like some of those classic cars. Through our stubbornness and arrogance we take a lot of love, nurture, and work for the Holy Spirit to do in the process of a holy “restoration.” We are simplistic by the standards of many in the world and, in our case, I don’t think we look any better.

Yet God desires us. Us! He delights in putting in the love, time, and effort to continually restore us and keep us in Him. He grinds away our old, sinful heart and purifies us from the cancerous rust and decay of our sins into beautifully restored children living for Him. He takes the old, decrepit, sin-filled junk that we were and restores us daily through our baptism, through forgiveness, and the the death and resurrection of Jesus. He transforms us from trash to His treasured children! He purifies us from refuse through His righteousness.

Now, let us live and glem in His glory, transformed and restored to what He desires us to be – His holy children and examples to the world!

“Continually restore us, O Lord!”

Scriptures

• 1 John 3:1-7
• Psalm 4