Friends in Christ,
My great apologies for the long break in action. Things have been slightly busy this summer, and the blog has suffered for it. However, thanks be to God our lives are not bound to blogs and that we can read, mark, learn and inwardly digest His word apart from the internet!
Remember Psalm 33? That's where we left off. The psalm that calls the nation "blessed" whose God is "The Lord."
Psalm 33 highlights God's work of creation and preservation throughout time. It reveals God's love for us through His creation and shows is ruleing and reigning over the course of history.
In this psalm we learn that God made the heavens, the stars, the waters. Broad expansive things, far above and beyond the ability of man to assemble, things that no mortal would dare to claim as their own work.
This psalm reveals that God is God and we are not. God creates and man merely assembles. God is power, we are not. God controls, God "thwarts", God "sees", God "looks" for God is God over all, even every nation of the earth.
If you are of a nation, a people that does not recognize this, you are to be pitied. However, if you are of a nation, a people that recognizes God as "THE LORD", "I AM WHO I AM" then you are certainly a blessed people. Is the United States a people that recognizes one God, that God being the LORD, Creator of heaven and earth? No.
However, there are some from every "nation" that do. Therefore the blessed nation in our day is not Israel, is not Germany or the United States. The LORD GOD has brought by the mercy of His Son life into every nation, even if that nation is evil, persecuted, poor or dangerous. For the Gospel has been proclaimed and is being proclaimed to every nation under the sun, and there are those in these nations that call upon the name of the LORD and will be saved.
There is no nation that collectively confesses Christ Jesus, THE LORD. By God's grace however, He has made a believing remnant from every continent members of one nation, through the shed blood of His only begotten Son.
Look at the Psalm again. Are you are product of evolution? Chance? Member of a nation because the stork dropped you off? Not quite.
You are the child of the All-Creator God whose name is THE LORD. He purposely made you. He gave you a place in time, and by baptism and faith has secured a nation within which you will dwell eternally.
Blessed are you oh Zion, for your God is THE LORD.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Psalm 33
In the name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The 33rd Psalm, as Luther writes, is a general psalm thanking the Lord for "helping his faithful people in all kinds of distress and for not letting them perish."
In our day Christians have used this Psalm, and others like it, to take pride or exhort their country to faithfulness to the LORD. Read verses 12 and following,
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance."
Read Luther's commentary, the Psalm and prayer. Consider how you would go about understanding these verses. We'll pick up from here in a few days.
The 33rd Psalm, as Luther writes, is a general psalm thanking the Lord for "helping his faithful people in all kinds of distress and for not letting them perish."
In our day Christians have used this Psalm, and others like it, to take pride or exhort their country to faithfulness to the LORD. Read verses 12 and following,
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance."
Read Luther's commentary, the Psalm and prayer. Consider how you would go about understanding these verses. We'll pick up from here in a few days.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Psalm 32
In the name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saint and Sinner?
"The 32nd Psalm is an exemplary psalm of instruction that teaches us what sin is, and how one might be freed from it and be righteous before God. Our reason does not know what sin is and tries to make satisfaction for it with works. But the psalmist says that even saints are sinners..."
Psalm 32 is a penitential psalm. For those of you who attend our church the language used by this psalm of David should be very familair. Themes like repentance, justification and forgiveness flow out of the verses of this psalm with great clarity. Like Psalm 51, another of David's well-known penetential psalms, this psalm focuses on repentance and forgiveness for all mankind.
Luther uses the phrase, "saints are sinners" in this psalm. What does that mean, you might ask. How can saints be sinners? Isn't being a "saint" being holy, without blemish? Doesn't sin equal imperfection? How can you be both at the same time?
Luther writes, "Here stand the clear plain words: All the saints are sinners and remain sinners. But they are holy because God in His grace neither sees nor counts these sins, but forgets, forgives, and covers them. There is thus no distinction between the saints and the non-saints. They are sinners alike and all sin daily..."
It is actually comforting to know that your pastor is a sinner. Abraham was a sinner, Moses, David, Stephen the martyr, Peter, Paul, Timothy etc. There is no difference this psalm shows us, all are sinners. Yet, "blessed is the one whose trangression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."
You see, all of us by nature are covered in sin. Yet, God gave His only-begotten Son to die in order to wash our sin away. By faith in Jesus Christ the crucified, Christ Himself covers what covers us. Jesus own blood and righteousness ends up covering us completely. No longer are we defined by sin, but rather we are defined by our Savior, as saint.
Still sinner, yet now saint we are "glad in the Lord and rejoice..." for we, who were once poor miserable sinners, have had our sins covered by the righteousness of our Lord.
Saint and Sinner?
"The 32nd Psalm is an exemplary psalm of instruction that teaches us what sin is, and how one might be freed from it and be righteous before God. Our reason does not know what sin is and tries to make satisfaction for it with works. But the psalmist says that even saints are sinners..."
Psalm 32 is a penitential psalm. For those of you who attend our church the language used by this psalm of David should be very familair. Themes like repentance, justification and forgiveness flow out of the verses of this psalm with great clarity. Like Psalm 51, another of David's well-known penetential psalms, this psalm focuses on repentance and forgiveness for all mankind.
Luther uses the phrase, "saints are sinners" in this psalm. What does that mean, you might ask. How can saints be sinners? Isn't being a "saint" being holy, without blemish? Doesn't sin equal imperfection? How can you be both at the same time?
Luther writes, "Here stand the clear plain words: All the saints are sinners and remain sinners. But they are holy because God in His grace neither sees nor counts these sins, but forgets, forgives, and covers them. There is thus no distinction between the saints and the non-saints. They are sinners alike and all sin daily..."
It is actually comforting to know that your pastor is a sinner. Abraham was a sinner, Moses, David, Stephen the martyr, Peter, Paul, Timothy etc. There is no difference this psalm shows us, all are sinners. Yet, "blessed is the one whose trangression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."
You see, all of us by nature are covered in sin. Yet, God gave His only-begotten Son to die in order to wash our sin away. By faith in Jesus Christ the crucified, Christ Himself covers what covers us. Jesus own blood and righteousness ends up covering us completely. No longer are we defined by sin, but rather we are defined by our Savior, as saint.
Still sinner, yet now saint we are "glad in the Lord and rejoice..." for we, who were once poor miserable sinners, have had our sins covered by the righteousness of our Lord.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Psalm 27
In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, the Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"
What comforting words written for our learning. When you know the Lord God, Jesus Christ the only-begotten Son of God, there is nothing to fear. Why is this so? Because mankind's greatest fear has been taken off the list. True, even though public speaking is a great fear of many, still the number one fear for all people is dying. The Lord has turned "dying" on its head.
Through Jesus' dying our dying is a "non-issue." Christ has taken the fear out of dying. Our "greatest fears" list has been shortened through the love of the only-begotten Son of God. Our life can be lived in peace now, knowing that as we look forward to our last day in this life, we have nothing to fear because the one thing asked of the Lord has been given. Heaven. "One thing have I asked of the Lord that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
So when you are having your bad day, when you are feeling sorry for yourself and being grouchy, when you're harping on your kids or talking back to your parents ask yourself, "What's the big deal? Why am I so cranky?" Sometimes we Christians really need to give ourselves a reality check, a good reminder. Christ has opened heaven to us by the cross and empty tomb. The most important thing in all of life that could have caused our utmost grief has been taken care of. Death has been destroyed. Sin removed. Forgiveness granted. Heaven opened.
So what's your bad day all about? Are you tired? Go to bed. Are you overwhelmed? Take it one step at a time. Are you anxious? Have a glass of red wine. Your God has saved you from hell. Your worries are only temporary. Joys are eternal.
Next time you're having a bad day, starting to feel a bit on the grouchy side, feeling like you might want to be overbearing, sing Psalm 27. "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear...One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Who's bad day can continue with words such as these?
Thanks be to God for granting forgiveness, life and salvation.
For further reading on the "our light and our salvation..." John 1, "In the beginning..."
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, the Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"
What comforting words written for our learning. When you know the Lord God, Jesus Christ the only-begotten Son of God, there is nothing to fear. Why is this so? Because mankind's greatest fear has been taken off the list. True, even though public speaking is a great fear of many, still the number one fear for all people is dying. The Lord has turned "dying" on its head.
Through Jesus' dying our dying is a "non-issue." Christ has taken the fear out of dying. Our "greatest fears" list has been shortened through the love of the only-begotten Son of God. Our life can be lived in peace now, knowing that as we look forward to our last day in this life, we have nothing to fear because the one thing asked of the Lord has been given. Heaven. "One thing have I asked of the Lord that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
So when you are having your bad day, when you are feeling sorry for yourself and being grouchy, when you're harping on your kids or talking back to your parents ask yourself, "What's the big deal? Why am I so cranky?" Sometimes we Christians really need to give ourselves a reality check, a good reminder. Christ has opened heaven to us by the cross and empty tomb. The most important thing in all of life that could have caused our utmost grief has been taken care of. Death has been destroyed. Sin removed. Forgiveness granted. Heaven opened.
So what's your bad day all about? Are you tired? Go to bed. Are you overwhelmed? Take it one step at a time. Are you anxious? Have a glass of red wine. Your God has saved you from hell. Your worries are only temporary. Joys are eternal.
Next time you're having a bad day, starting to feel a bit on the grouchy side, feeling like you might want to be overbearing, sing Psalm 27. "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear...One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Who's bad day can continue with words such as these?
Thanks be to God for granting forgiveness, life and salvation.
For further reading on the "our light and our salvation..." John 1, "In the beginning..."
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Psalm 24
In the name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It seems fitting to continue with the 24th Psalm after engaging in the past devotional study of the 23rd. As the 23rd ends with the kingly and royal imagery, we move right into a psalm that picks that imagery right up again.
Psalm 24, as Luther notes, is a "prophecy of the coming world-wide kingdom of Christ." The psalm's opening verse is an excellent reminder to us and to all people of the supremacy, sovereignty, power, might, majesty (you fill in the blank___________) of the Creator God.
Truly, when we think of the Creator of this universe, of even we ourselves, can you even comprehend the work of our God? One chapter earlier we were receiving great comfort in knowing that God is our Shepherd and we have nothing to fear, and suddenly now we are back to hearing again that this God who loves us so tenderly is the Almighty Maker and Sustainer of all things, the universe and all that is in it.
Read the psalm, Luther's comments and prayer. Search the Scriptures for other places that remind you of this Psalm in terms of God's reign over all things. There are many.
By the way, are the words of this psalm at all familiar? Do you know when you have heard them before?
Until next time,
Peace in Christ.
It seems fitting to continue with the 24th Psalm after engaging in the past devotional study of the 23rd. As the 23rd ends with the kingly and royal imagery, we move right into a psalm that picks that imagery right up again.
Psalm 24, as Luther notes, is a "prophecy of the coming world-wide kingdom of Christ." The psalm's opening verse is an excellent reminder to us and to all people of the supremacy, sovereignty, power, might, majesty (you fill in the blank___________) of the Creator God.
Truly, when we think of the Creator of this universe, of even we ourselves, can you even comprehend the work of our God? One chapter earlier we were receiving great comfort in knowing that God is our Shepherd and we have nothing to fear, and suddenly now we are back to hearing again that this God who loves us so tenderly is the Almighty Maker and Sustainer of all things, the universe and all that is in it.
Read the psalm, Luther's comments and prayer. Search the Scriptures for other places that remind you of this Psalm in terms of God's reign over all things. There are many.
By the way, are the words of this psalm at all familiar? Do you know when you have heard them before?
Until next time,
Peace in Christ.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Psalm 23
In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Friends in Christ. Now that we have observed the passion of our Lord and had the joy of celebrating His resurrection last Sunday, let's move forward in the psalms to the most familiar in all of Christendom. Psalm 23.
Psalm 23 is the hymn of the OT that supports the idea of our Lord as "The Good Shepherd." Luther writes, "the psalmist compares himself to a sheep that a faithful shepherd leads..." Written by David, this psalm was especially meaningful because of his work as a shepherd. Anyone who can understand this work, will immediately have a better understanding of the work of our God. He wants us to know that He cares enough to guide us, to lead us, to give to us, to protect us, to watch over us, to stay with us, to defend us, to deliver us. Due to our loving Lord's actions for us, we have come to use the term "shepherd" or "shepherding" as a word that describes the compassionate action of our Lord first, and secondly His ministers. This is what Christ meant when He commanded Peter, as an outgrowth of Peter's love for Him, to "feed My sheep." (John 21)
When this psalm is read in conjunction with other OT texts such as Isaiah 40:11 and Ezekiel 34:11-16 one can clearly see the Gospel proclaimed in the OT. Combine these texts with John 10 in the NT and the reader is given some of the most comforting images received from Scripture. Needless to say, because of the message brought out of these texts, many of you have grown to love the Sunday we have historically called, "Good Shepherd Sunday." (Which, by the way, is the Second Sunday of April this year.)
Read devotionally Psalm 23 and at least John 10, if not the other OT texts mentioned. In the next post we will read through the psalm verse by verse.
It is fitting to study this Psalm soon after Easter.
Friends in Christ. Now that we have observed the passion of our Lord and had the joy of celebrating His resurrection last Sunday, let's move forward in the psalms to the most familiar in all of Christendom. Psalm 23.
Psalm 23 is the hymn of the OT that supports the idea of our Lord as "The Good Shepherd." Luther writes, "the psalmist compares himself to a sheep that a faithful shepherd leads..." Written by David, this psalm was especially meaningful because of his work as a shepherd. Anyone who can understand this work, will immediately have a better understanding of the work of our God. He wants us to know that He cares enough to guide us, to lead us, to give to us, to protect us, to watch over us, to stay with us, to defend us, to deliver us. Due to our loving Lord's actions for us, we have come to use the term "shepherd" or "shepherding" as a word that describes the compassionate action of our Lord first, and secondly His ministers. This is what Christ meant when He commanded Peter, as an outgrowth of Peter's love for Him, to "feed My sheep." (John 21)
When this psalm is read in conjunction with other OT texts such as Isaiah 40:11 and Ezekiel 34:11-16 one can clearly see the Gospel proclaimed in the OT. Combine these texts with John 10 in the NT and the reader is given some of the most comforting images received from Scripture. Needless to say, because of the message brought out of these texts, many of you have grown to love the Sunday we have historically called, "Good Shepherd Sunday." (Which, by the way, is the Second Sunday of April this year.)
Read devotionally Psalm 23 and at least John 10, if not the other OT texts mentioned. In the next post we will read through the psalm verse by verse.
It is fitting to study this Psalm soon after Easter.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Psalm 22
In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Friends in Christ,
I debated studying this Psalm at this time, or waiting until next week or the following. The conclusion I have come to however, is to enjoy all that this Psalm offers us for the next weeks leading up to Easter.
Psalm 22 is one of the most important Psalms recorded. No Psalm so clearly relates the details of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion and no Psalm is quoted more times in the Scriptures. Thus Luther calls this "one of the chief psalms." Because Psalm 22 is so weighty, we will pick it apart piece by piece, little by little.
Read Luther's comments, the Psalm and prayer. For the next few weeks, meditate upon the portions of this psalm that we cover as well as what is recorded for us in the Gospels during Holy Week, that is, from Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem through Good Friday. Read one or all of these sections devotionally as you have time. If you live with your family this would be a great section of Scripture to highlight for daily reading from now through Easter. You will find these accounts beginning at:
Matthew 21
Mark 11
Luke 19
John 12
Now then, we will go no farther than verses 1-2 today. For already you are reminded of the crucifixion:
Friends in Christ,
I debated studying this Psalm at this time, or waiting until next week or the following. The conclusion I have come to however, is to enjoy all that this Psalm offers us for the next weeks leading up to Easter.
Psalm 22 is one of the most important Psalms recorded. No Psalm so clearly relates the details of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion and no Psalm is quoted more times in the Scriptures. Thus Luther calls this "one of the chief psalms." Because Psalm 22 is so weighty, we will pick it apart piece by piece, little by little.
Read Luther's comments, the Psalm and prayer. For the next few weeks, meditate upon the portions of this psalm that we cover as well as what is recorded for us in the Gospels during Holy Week, that is, from Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem through Good Friday. Read one or all of these sections devotionally as you have time. If you live with your family this would be a great section of Scripture to highlight for daily reading from now through Easter. You will find these accounts beginning at:
Matthew 21
Mark 11
Luke 19
John 12
Now then, we will go no farther than verses 1-2 today. For already you are reminded of the crucifixion:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God I cry out by day but you do not answer, by night but I find no rest."
In Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 Jesus cries out, "Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani" which is translated, "My God, My God why have you forsaken Me?" Jesus words exactly.
Here in the first two verses of the Psalm the Messiah is pleaing for help from the Father. Just as He prayed in Gethsemane, "If it be your will take this cup from Me..." so now He continues to plea but it looks hopeless.
There are so many questions to ask, "What is going on here?" Why does the Son receive no help from the Father? Why is He tortured so? It is bad enough to be physically tortured, but being forsaken by your beloved, the Father no less, is unimaginable. We often miss the absolute horror of Christ's passion when we only talk about physical things. It is safe to say that Christ's spiritual suffering was far more torturous than the torture endured by His body.
The Son of God is the only one in the world who was ever forsaken by God. Yes, God's only-begotten Son from eternity, God Himself, the perfect one, is the only one to be forsaken.
To be forsaken is to be rejected, trashed, discarded, ignored, abandoned. Like an item left off at the local landfill, Jesus was dumped by the Father because He was loaded up with OUR SINS.
That's right. No human being, no matter how trashy and corrupt has, is or will ever be forsaken by the Father because out of His great love for the world, the Father saw fit to forsake the Son on our behalf. So there hangs Jesus, pleading for mercy from the Father, and He doesn't get it.
I don't know what was worse when I was growing up, getting a spanking or knowing that I displeased my father. When you have someone's full attention, full love and full trust and you do something stupid or thoughtless, you ruin a relationship. There is no way to fix something that is ruined. Your only option is repent. Say you're sorry. Be forgiven.
Christ took a spanking for us. Christ felt the heat. Christ was trashed, abandoned, forsaken for our sins so that we wouldn't be. By His death and resurrection He has brought us into a new relationship with our heavenly Father. Because Christ was forsaken, our God is not an angry judge, a Father waiting with a paddle. Rather, He is love, like the Father anxiously awaiting the prodigal sons return. Full of compassion, He wants us to come home and can't wait to lavish us with kisses.
In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
