Living like the end is never in doubt

Isaiah 13-23 largely consists of prophecies against the nations surrounding Israel and Judah - what God will do to them after he has used them to fulfill his own purposes. These oracles come after God has promised deliverance and relief for his people by means of his "Righteous Branch" (Isaiah 11). What I find comforting and intriguing about these prophecies is that they were given in a time when Israel was looking weak (and rightfully so, as God was about to punish them for their nagging idolatry) and the nations were looking pretty strong (though they too suffered from the same spiritual disease of idolatry and self-worship). God would not allow injustice to reign forever - he would set things right, through his Chosen One, for the sake of his people. It was only a matter of time.

This side of Christ's advent, we see God's mission unfolding and rushing toward its climactic ending. The enemies of the people of God have already been dealt the death-blow through Jesus' life, cross, and resurrection. Even now, today, we can live knowing that our God has the victory and rejoicing in his salvation (Isaiah 12). With the celebrations of Christmas in the background and the cold days of winter ahead, we have the opportunity to live in light of our God's victory - and such victorious joy empowers us to bear today's crosses.

God's peace to you as you walk with Him in 2011!

Christmas, the Day of the Lord, and Time from God's Perspective

Hello again! This Advent, I've been spending some time reading Isaiah. Admittedly, I haven't gotten very far, but I was struck by the nature of the prophecies in the first ten chapters. To of them, especially, have special significance for us around the Christmas season - Isaiah 7:14 with its prophecy of a virgin giving birth to Immanuel, and 9:6-7: "To us a child is born, to us a son is given... He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..." To me, the fascinating thing about both of these prophecies is that their fulfillment spans a more than one point in time - Isaiah 7:14 has an immediate (but incomplete) fulfillment during Isaiah's lifetime, but its fullest fulfillment is found in Jesus. Isaiah 9:6-7 finds fulfillment at Jesus birth, but its final fulfillment will come when He returns: "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end..." Certainly, Jesus' rule extends to all of creation, but that rule and the peace it brings are not always obvious to us. On that day - the Last Day - they will be.

The prophets, it seems to me, have the privilege of being revealed God's plan for the world, often from God's own timeless perspective. Events that are hundreds of years apart from our perspective fit neatly together from His. This might help explain why Jesus' coming, fulfilled at Christmas, is often prophesied about in end times language - the two fit together. The one guarantees the other. Such a view of prophecy might not be popular with those who think they can determine the dates and times of events like the Lord's return, since it largely discounts that fact that we can do such a thing (or that God even wants us to try). But we can take comfort in the truth that God's promises, though we haven't seen their final fulfillment, are guaranteed - in God's mind, they're a done deal. As surely as Christmas has happened, Jesus indeed reigns even now and will come again in glory, at which point His reign will be obvious to all. No doubt about it!

A blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Today many people around the world will celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas in various ways - perhaps you and your family will as well. The story of St. Nicholas is actually quite fascinating. An account that gets little notice is Nicholas' behavior at the Council of Nicea, which he attended as a bishop in A.D. 325. Check out this devotional from Dave Burchett at thefish.com to get a somewhat humorous and quite informative glimpse into the life of this dear saint of God who died about 1665 years ago on December 6.

Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

Hey everyone!

I pray that your Thanksgiving was joyful, spent with family and friends and filled with reminders of our gracious Creator and Savior God. As of Sunday, we have now entered into the Advent season, in which the larger church prepares for its coming King - to celebrate His past coming as the baby of Bethlehem, to remember and celebrate His coming to us even now in His Word and Sacraments, and to repent, prepare, and rejoice in light of His promised coming again on the last day.

In order to aid you in your Advent meditation, Lutheran Hour Ministries has produced a couple of devotionals for the season. One follows a more traditional format, and the other is geared to a potentially younger, seeking audience. You can find both devotionals at http://www.adventdevotions.net/. God's blessings to you this Advent season!

Daily Bible Reading Plans added

Hey everyone, I've added links to a couple more daily Bible reading plans. Check them out by clicking on the tab "Daily Bible Reading Plans." Blessings on the coming weekend!

No "I hope so..." but rather, complete confidence

Dr. Dale Meyer, former Lutheran Hour speaker and current president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, produces a daily devotional entitled "The Meyer Minute." You can read and/or subscribe to the Meyer Minute at his website, www.daleameyer.com. Today's devotion captures the spirit of All Saints Day, which the Church celebrated yesterday. Our hope is not wishy-washy, but it is sure, because it rests in our risen Savior and not in us! A worthy reminder...

I've heard this said, and from my own experience I believe it happens.  The preacher asks the dying person, "Are you ready for eternity?". "I hope so," comes the answer.  "I've tried to lead a good life."

Excuse me?  I hope so?  I've tried to lead a good life???  Dear God, don't let  me, don't let any reader of this Minute go into that final journey with such waffling, such an uncertain "I hope so."  Yesterday many churches celebrated All Saints Sunday, remembering those who have gone into eternity with what?  Not with flimsy hope but with confidence in the only One who went into the valley of the shadow of death and came though alive.  "Thy works, not mine, O Christ, speak gladness to the heart.  They tell me all is done.  They bid my fear depart.  To whom save Thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord shall I flee?"  No flimsy "I hope so" from St. Paul.  "I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me" (2 Timothy 1:12)

Jesus says, "My sheep hear My voice; I know them; and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life." (John 10:14) Do you know whom you believe?

Matthew 18 - The Right Way

Since September, a group of the saints of St. Peter and I have been walking through the Gospel according to Matthew on Wednesday nights at 7 PM (consider this your invitation if you haven't come before!). Last Wednesday, we walked through Matthew 18, where Jesus is teaching his disciples about God's care for his people, especially in the midst of their fallen condition. As sons and daughters of God who have received the abundant and free forgiveness of God, we in turn extend forgiveness to those who sin against us. But restoring a brother or sister in Christ who stumbles is not always easy - it requires wisdom and love.

Rev. Dr. Scott Murray of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX provided a wonderful devotion on this very topic the day after our class. Many thanks to John Brandt for forwarding this to me. You can access the devotion here. I pray that we would bring glory to our Father in heaven by doing the right thing "the right way."

Devotional Ideas

This site will be devoted largely to discussion of God's Word as we walk through it and encounter it on a daily basis. My question for you is this: What devotional resources do you use? What have you found helpful as you walk in God's Word? For me, it is a daily reading guide which assigns a reading from the Old Testament, a reading from the Psalms, and a reading from the New Testament every day. You can check it out here. By the end of the calendar year you end up reading through the entire Bible once and the Psalms twice. As I said, this is helpful for me. How about you? I would love to hear your ideas!

"Follow me!"

Follow me!" This is the call that Jesus issued to 12 ordinary men in the region of Galilee some 2000 years ago. In baptism, this is the same exciting call that he gives you and me - a call to come alongside him, learn from him, experience his compassion and grace, feel his indignation over the brokenness of our world, and see what he planned to do all along to make us and the creation right again. In this journey with Jesus, we struggle and have difficulty understanding at times. The Word does not always come to us easily - this is a good thing! I hope that this can be a place where we journey and struggle in the Scriptures together, and in the end celebrate our God's abundant grace in Christ. May God the Holy Spirit bless your journey in the Word!