Today’s verse is John 1:29 which tells us of this encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”

We are hearing more and more that famous quotation from Martin Luther: “I’d rather be ruled by a wise Turk than by a foolish Christian.”  The problem is, no one has been able to find that famous quotation in any of the voluminous works of Luther.  It appears that the quotation is apocryphal.  I suspect it may have originated as an attempt to explain the implications of Luther’s doctrine of the Two Kingdoms, as in, “Luther would have rather been ruled by a wise Turk. . .” which then was recalled as “Luther said he would rather have been. . . .” Read more from Dr. Gene Edward Veith here.

Today’s passage is Matthew 3:13-17, where the Bible says,

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

As 2025 ends, as faithful Lutherans, there is much to be thankful for as we have seen many positive developments for faith and freedom.

Pregnancy resource centers are booming while Planned Parenthood clinics are closing their doors. It looks like we are beginning to see a spiritual revival among young adults as they reject the emptiness of the culture they see around them. And several states have passed common-sense age verification laws, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, to protect innocent children from accessing graphic pornography online.

So, what is ahead for 2026? What policy advancements can we make to continue this positive momentum back towards faith and freedom?

Today’s passage is Luke 2:41-50, where the Bible says,

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions…. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Today is a dark day in the history of Illinois. Governor Pritzker—of whom every LCMS pastor in Illinois prays for each week and will continue to do so—signed into law . . . the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act,” granting terminally ill patients who have received a prognosis of six-months to live or less the ability to receive a pill in order to end their own lives.

Today’s verses are Galatians 4:4-7, where the Bible says,

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

A blessed Christmas to all of you “for today (many years ago) in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12). The life, death and resurrection of Jesus came as a blessing to the world even though the world didn’t deserve it and, even worse, was unreceptive to receiving Him as the gift that He was for them (see John 1:10-13).

Today’s verses are Isaiah 35:3-4, where the Bible declares:

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

We are slaves of Christ, but earthly slavery is not a good thing. Slavery is an institution of the fallen world. I am led to understand that even today there are fifty million people living as the property of others. I'm not sure what would happen if we added to that number those enslaved in various systems like North Korea. But bonds and fetters are not to be celebrated or commended, and if someone might say that it is a good thing, I have never seen anyone volunteer to be on slavery's receiving end. This is not to be a Pollyanna or to hide our heads in the sand. Throughout history, when one nation has conquered another, slavery has resulted. There will always be wars and rumors of wars, and life is messy. And yet slavery is not a good thing. And we can say so without losing sight of the fact that we as Christians are slaves of God, even as we are His children.

Today’s verses are Isaiah 35:3-4, where the Bible declares:

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

[Weeks ago], a group from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, gathered on the sidewalk that runs by the local Planned Parenthood. There were perhaps 15 of us in all, but what a mighty and faith-filled people. A young couple, a father with three or four little ones in tow, a student from Germany, another from Australia.

What of it? Things change, and prayers are answered. Just as few predicted the fall of the Soviet Union and the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, we were supposed to think that Roe v. Wade was set in stone, a law surer than the Ten Commandments. Stare decisis, we heard ad nauseam. But in step six wise and courageous judges, and we got the Dobbs decision. Now, that didn't happen by accident. It was a matter of persistent. Persistent prayer, persistent marching, persistent lobbying and electioneering. Why bother? 60 million little ones who have lost their lives. And still counting.

Today’s passage is Matthew 3:1-2, where the Bible says,   

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

America has changed dramatically since the 1950s and 1960s. Back then, in the years after World War II, it was a halcyon time for religion in this country. Christianity was assumed in society; it was the default setting. Christians were denominationally focused; fights largely occurred within the faith. Now, the threat comes not only from within but also from without, from secularists and zealots determined to belittle Christianity and, if it were possible, bring about its downfall.

The times we live in call for a different mentality and a different strategy. They call for Christians of all stripes to band together to fight an enemy that seeks to curtail our influence in society and even — it’s hard to avoid this conclusion — completely silence our voice in the civic sphere.

Today’s Bible reading is Philippians 4:4-6 where the Apostle Paul says,

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Thanksgiving takes a lot of flak these days. Christmas haters are called “Scrooges” or “Grinches,” but haters of Thanksgiving are considered socially conscious and realistic. For many Americans, the fourth Thursday in November is an annoying holiday with racist origins — an excuse to force innocent citizens to gorge on poorly prepared, outdated foods while fraternizing with uncongenial relatives. It is, moreover, a day of hypocritical tension between trite demands to “be grateful” versus a Black Friday rush through the mall. Dismissively labeled “T-day” on social media, Thanksgiving is becoming mere no-man’s-land stuck between the two towers of Halloween and Christmas.

Today’s reading is Colossians 1:17-20 where the Bible says this of Jesus Christ:    

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross

Thanksgiving worship services, held at the request of the government, seem strange in modern America. Some American Lutherans have wondered if this is appropriate. Our government allows the murder of babies. How can its leaders ask us to pray and give thanks? Others have questioned whether or not the annual request itself is a violation of the separation of Church and State, and still others have suggested that it might be a misunderstanding of the two kingdoms.

Today’s reading is from the Old Testament Prophet Malachi and these portions of the first three verses of chapter 4.   

¹ “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble... ² But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings…. ³ And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act,” says the Lord of hosts.

Is it alright for Christians to be involved with politics?

The Bible contains no specific command that either requires or forbids Christian involvement with politics. However, through the prophet Jeremiah, God teaches His people that they should, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf” (Jer. 29:57). In other places, God teaches that Christians should obey and pray for those in positions of civil authority (Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:17; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13). These passages, together with the general biblical teaching that Christians should care for and promote the welfare of their neighbor, would suggest that Christians should participate in the process of deciding how we, as a nation, shall live.

Today’s reading is 2nd Thessalonians 2:14-15 where the Bible says,    

¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Having lost their religion, they start a new one. Folks who no longer read their Bible, or believe it, begin to create substitutes. I just heard of some crazed figure predicting that the Lord would come back in September. Of course, he could have, or he might come in November, or in 1000 years, but no one knows the day or hour, only the Father. And yet, then later in the day I see a 1990 video of Meryl Streep warning us about global warming, and calamities that would come in a "very short time." By the year 2000, it would be too late. Since then, global warming has turned into climate change, but the apocalyptic fever still runs high with a fervor that would make a Bible belt Pentecostal blush.

Today’s Bible reading is Revelation 7:9–12 where the Apostle John recounts this vision of heaven:

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

A good friend suggests that putting an end to gay marriage would be just another example of the nanny state, by which he means government overreach and intrusion into the private lives of our people. It's a cry for freedom from a libertarian point of view. In other news, I see that just 6 percent of Gen Z women think that personal success includes having children. Add to that the fact that a quarter of all children live in a home without dad. Add to that the fact that Senator Kaine, representative of many on the left, said that our rights come not from God but from government.

What to make of it? This summer I read The Communist Manifesto for the first time. Marxism is predicated on the idea that the state should have precedence over the family. Marxists see strong families as an obstacle to the state's influence. Homes are an example of private property, and family wealth promoted the practice of inheritance and intergenerational wealth. A traditional conservative says that God comes first, then family, and then the nation, which is not to be equated with the government. The Marxist seeks to put an end to all of that.

Today’s reading is 2 Timothy 4:7, where St. Paul writes,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

How should we fill in the blank? Traditionally Christian nations have a spotty record, but compared to what? A Hindu nation, where people are divided according to castes? A Muslim nation, where women are treated like property? A Communist nation that leads to wholesale slaughter? The Spanish Conquistador might be faulted, but consider the world of the Aztecs, the mass human sacrifice.

Then shall it be a secular nation? Is our nation somehow worse for having "In God we trust" on our money," for saying "under God" in the pledge? But is there a neutrality to strive for? Vacuums are soon filled, and we end up with cultural Marxism in which children are given puberty blockers, then hormones, leading almost inevitably to mutilating surgery. We end up with the destruction of the family. But this secularism is not neutral, to each his own. In some states, a parent can lose his child if they do not affirm their children's gender delusion, a delusion often encouraged by the secular state.

Today’s reading is Luke 18:1-8 which says,    

And [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Psalm 68:5 reminds us that God acts as a father to the fatherless. In the great hymn "Praise the Almighty, My Soul, Adore Him," we sing, "He helps his children in distress, the widows and the fatherless." Do we still care about such things? As a society? In America, one in four children live in a home without dad. 40 percent of children are born to unwed mothers. That's what happens when marriage is redefined to suit adult desires. Some don't know their dads, others live in broken homes. Divorce leads mostly to kids with mom, dad gone.  

Today’s reading is Luke 17:11-19 which recounts this event:     

¹¹ On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance ¹³ and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴ When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

We’ve heard it said lately that what we’re seeing in our culture is sin — and that’s true. But let’s not stop there. What we’re seeing is not simply a lack of virtue in a particular political party or a few mentally ill individuals making poor moral choices. What we are witnessing is a culture-wide descent into paganism—the same kind of paganism the prophets condemned in the Old Testament. And mark this: it is not new. Instead, it is ancient and dark. And it is very definable.

The prophets—men like Amos, Micah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah — weren’t confused about the character of the nations around them. They saw it plainly.