The Three Cs

The Supreme Court, You and Me, and the Future of Marriage | Public Discourse Yesterday's most important developments in that broadest struggle, of course, did not happen at a marble courthouse in Washington, but in a million minds and hearts and households across the country, as people chose in ways great and small to honor—or not—the demanding ideals of marriage and family, and community. As champions of civil society, we always knew that. Yet it would be naive to deny the law's effect on those ideals. That's why the courthouse matters—and why we must keep up our witness to the truth about marriage, by word and deed, until it is safely beyond judicial overreach.

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father," for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Upholding Marriage: God’s Plan and Gift | LCMS News and Articles As Christians, we proclaim this truth, no matter what the courts or legislatures may say. We are called not to popularity but to truth.  Therefore, we call on our fellow Christians to be faithful first to God’s Word, knowing that another court is ultimately supreme.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,  saying,  "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you  intend to bring this man's blood upon us."  But Peter and the apostles answered,  "We must obey God rather than men."

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. I have been slacking the past week. I know I have had time to blog, but for whatever reason I just didn't want to. Nonetheless, I have been thinking about doing today's theme for some time, like I do on my Facebook page: That is, post a verse of the day from my readings. I was going to put this off until I finished Revelation next week, but then I heard a wonderful sermon from Ephesians by Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub (harvestdenver.org), who reminded me again, who reminded all of us again: Don't be ashamed to preach the Gospel. Tell all the world the good news that Jesus Christ died for your sins. Tell all the world that Jesus Christ is risen; he is risen indeed! Alleluia! Tell all the world the good news that all who believe ARE forgiven. Tell all the world! If you don't, who will? What's holdi...

Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. If you are a regular Bible reader, I am sure you must have looked quizzically at the title of this post and my Bible reference. The title is James 1:22. So, what's with the Proverbs reference, you ask? Yesterday, I had lunch with a Christian friend of mine who has been struggling with his faith, struggles that have him occasionally wondering if he is really saved. Maybe I am doing too much, he says. Maybe I am not doing enough. Maybe I don't really believe. Maybe my faith is dead. Passages like those in James have a way of doing that to every Christian. Do not merely listen to the Word, James writes, do as it says (James 1:22 NIV). Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? (James 2:20 ESV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10 NIV). Am I really goo...

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. I don't know anyone who will agree with Paul on this passage. Really, Paul? Worst of sinners? I know you stoned Christians for confessing that Jesus is Lord, that you are a murderer (Acts 8:1), persecutor (1 Cor 15:9), and worst of all, blasphemer (Matt. 12:31; Lev. 24:15-16). But the worst of sinners? Really? I ...

I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. I have always been fascinated by the illustrations of light in the Bible. You know, God is light, right? Evil hates the light, because it exposes our dark deeds. We turn away from the light of the Word that became flesh because we cherish our sinful pleasures. In darkness, we learn to indulge in our selfishness, in our passions, in our debauchery, in our drunkenness, eventually losing sight of real life in God, the life was the light of men (John 1:4). And so in today's reading I couldn't help but spend a lot of time here in chapter 26. But unlike some of my previous studies of light, I was captivated by Paul's account of his conversion. This is the third time in Acts of the Apostles we hear the story of Saul's journey to Damascus. The first time...

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. I need to thank Pastor Ted Benson for today's sermon first. This entry is really just an extension of God's message through him today. But what a liberating message it was: Jesus plus nothing equals the true gospel. And it really is a reinforcement for my reading today, Acts 13-16. It is so easy to get caught in the snares of Satan. Believe, but if you don't study, you aren't saved, Satan will tell you. Believe, but if you don't speak in tongues, you aren't saved, he will tell you. Believe, but if you don't follow God's law, you aren't saved, he will tell you. Believe, but if you are sexually immoral, if you are a hater, if you are not devout, if you do this, if you don't do that, then you aren't saved...

To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives  forgiveness of sins through his name. Today's passage reminds me, you can't hear this message enough. Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name. You caught that, right? Everyone! Not some believers. Everyone! As Peter reminds us through Luke's account of the early years after Pentecost, God has promised. He didn't just promise here. He promised Abraham (Gen. 15:6). More than that, Jesus himself promised.  Don't be afraid, just believe. Mark 5:36 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. Mark 9:41 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one an...