There's only jesus!

Word from the Center
Written By Dr. Gregory Seltz

Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections from His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s verses are Matthew 17:1-8, where the Bible says,   

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

One of the things that gets Christians in trouble at times is the Bible’s teaching that Jesus is the ONLY Savior of the world. It got Russell Vought, President Trump’s nominee to be deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, in big trouble. Todd Starnes reports,  

Sen. Sanders deemed Vought unsuitable for office because he believes that salvation is found

alone through Jesus Christ. He said someone with that kind of a religious belief system is

“really not someone who this country is supposed to be about.”1

It’s really unbelievable to hear a leader in America castigate a person whose apparent crime is believing in a Savior who said, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21), clearly differentiating the scope and the roles of the Church and the State. It’s also hard to see an American Senator scold a person who believes in a Savior who says, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Instead, he and we should celebrate the fact that Christianity’s worldview fundamentally differentiates between the public authority, boundaries, and purposes of the State and those of the Church unlike any other. It also happens to undergird an American polity that has created and sustained the personal liberties of more people from more places than any other country or culture in all the world.

But we shouldn’t be too surprised. Jesus himself teaches his disciples, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours” (John 15:20). There is a reason that Jesus is adored and scorned at the same time. It’s because of sinners like you and me who need a savior like Him. There is a reason that faith in Jesus Christ is, at the same time, both controversial and comforting. It’s because Jesus is the only one, then and now, of whom the Father said the words in today’s reading, “This is my beloved Son,…; listen to him.” Therefore He can also tell us what he said to those disciples on the mountaintop long ago, “Have no fear.” It’s true that faith in Jesus is different from other religions. In fact, when it comes down to it, faith in Jesus is not really a religion or simply about a moral way of life. It is, rather, a proclamation of freedom, forgiveness, and eternal life that comes from the person and work of Jesus alone as a gift.

So, in view of our reading from Matthew 17, if there is another savior capable of fulfilling the words of the Law and the Prophets, let me know (see also Matthew 5:17). If there is another savior capable of living our life perfectly, dying our death sacrificially, and rising from the dead for the sake of everyone’s eternal life, I’d like to hear who that might be! If there is another way of living that holds both the work of this world and the saving work of Jesus for the world in perfect tension for the sake of each, I’d like to know what that is.

Since there is no one truly like Him, we will joyfully proclaim the uniqueness of Jesus for the sake of all. We will even proclaim the uniqueness of the Christian worldview that undergirds the civil freedom and liberties of all people better than any other worldview out there. And we will happily share the joys of knowing Jesus as Savior with anyone and everyone, no matter who or where they come from. Why? Because there’s always good news when we trust in Jesus Christ alone and above all things.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being the only Savior who could save me and the whole world. And thank You for doing it, for all of us who didn’t deserve it at all. AMEN.

See Also
Facts, Fiction, and the Media: Reading and Watching the News as a Lutheran
Facts, Fiction, and the Media: Reading and Watching the News as a Lutheran

As Christians, we live as strangers even in our own land. We live in a tension between being a Christian and an American. Our aims and the country’s aims will sometimes diverge. But God also calls us to work for the good of our neighbors, as far as we are able. In America, where citizens participate in the task of bringing about just government, Christians have a vocation to participate in the political life of the nation.

Straight Talk about What Matters
Straight Talk about What Matters

Brutal facts. We all have some brutal facts to face in life, facts that must be overcome for our own well-being and freedom. Such facts might be the troubles (even the elections) of the day. They might be the obstacles we face in life, whether those are under our control or out of our control. But this Bible verse goes further, telling us about the ultimate “brutal fact” of life. Because of our sin, all people are destined to die once and after that to face judgment. That’s a sobering thought for sure. But that final fact, if faced in Christ, can change your life both then, as well as here and now.

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips

This morning I sip coffee from one of his mugs: "Masterpiece Cakeshop: Yeah . . . that cakeshop." What cakeshop? If you don't know, you're not informed, and you're watching the wrong news. Jack has been embroiled in legal battles since 2012, when the baker declined to use his talents to create a custom cake celebrating a so-called gay marriage. Phillips, mind you, served all people, no matter what. But he did not wish to use his time and talents to commemorate that which he believed was wrong. This is what the First Amendment is all about, freedom of speech, which means the freedom from compelled speech, along with the free exercise of religion.

November Prayer Partner Thursday
November Prayer Partner Thursday

Prayer Partner Thursday provides a month-long prayer emphasis in one of the four Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty areas of emphasis: Religious Liberty, Sanctity of Life, Educational Freedom, and Marriage as an Institution (family).

TWO KINDS OF FREEDOM - ONE’S HELPFUL; ONE’S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!
TWO KINDS OF FREEDOM - ONE’S HELPFUL; ONE’S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

There are two kinds of freedom in the world. One is the earthly freedom that humans can achieve on our own. There are times when it seems like that freedom is secure in our hands. There are other times when it seems like it is always slipping through our fingers or beyond our reach. The other freedom is the kind of freedom that only God can make happen by His work on your behalf. Can you guess which one lasts? Can you guess which one is absolutely indispensable? Right, it’s the one where “the Son makes you free” by His life, death, and resurrection for you.

TIME TO VOTE – SO EXERCISE YOUR GOD-GIVEN RESPONSIBILTY
TIME TO VOTE – SO EXERCISE YOUR GOD-GIVEN RESPONSIBILTY

What do these things have in common and why does it matter for us this election? The “Sinicization movement” in China towards religion, the Bishop Johanna Pohjola trial in Finland, and the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” law in America? All these are examples of a growing, secular statism growing abroad and now—here. When people ask me, “For whom or for what should I vote this election?” Amidst all the rhetoric and rancor, my main advice is that you vote for the platform that limits government’s coercive power, and the platform that more clearly defines a more limited role of government in the lives of ALL Americans.

IN CHRIST, THE BLIND REALLY DO “SEE”
IN CHRIST, THE BLIND REALLY DO “SEE”

I’m always amazed at the healings Jesus performed during His ministry. The deaf would suddenly hear, the blind would see, and the lame would walk. There were even times when dead people were raised again to life! Many of these healings were amazing, seemingly beyond belief. One, of course, was the ultimate healing. That’s the time when Jesus took upon himself the sin of the world, suffered the eternal death we all deserved on the cross, and then rose so that we might have the promise of eternal life with Him as a gift of grace.

GUIDELINES FOR YOUR VOTE – VOTE PRINCIPLES, PLATFORMS, NOT PEOPLE
GUIDELINES FOR YOUR VOTE – VOTE PRINCIPLES, PLATFORMS, NOT PEOPLE

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).

November Bulletin Insert
November Bulletin Insert

The Bulletin Insert is designed to be printed and cut in half to fit conveniently inside a Sunday worship bulletin. Each month an insert will offer insight, encouragement, and information from the LCRL on the topics of Religious Liberty, Life, Marriage, or Education.

November Bulletin Blurbs
November Bulletin Blurbs

The dates identifying the LCRL bulletin blurbs are only suggestions. Please feel free to use any and all of the bulletin blurbs as your ministry needs allow.

WITH GOD, THINGS ARE ALWAYS “IMPOSSIBLY POSSIBLE.”
WITH GOD, THINGS ARE ALWAYS “IMPOSSIBLY POSSIBLE.”


Have you ever been so overwhelmed by something that you finally gave in? In a moment of exasperation, you concluded, “There’s nothing else that I can do; I can’t handle this.” I think we’ve all faced that to some degree. There are issues in life that so overwhelm us it seems as though life itself has become impossible to face. Jesus often shakes us up by pointing out “the impossible” in our lives, while at the same time offering God’s possibilities even then. Amazing! Unclean lepers are healed instantly. People blind from birth suddenly see clearly, both physically and spiritually. Who is this Savior who shows us the depth of our depravity just so that He can demonstrate even more clearly God’s gracious salvation? He’s the Savior who, when it comes to eternal life and salvation, reminds that “with man this is impossible, but not with God; with God all things are possible.”  

Reformation Reflections about Liberty and Freedom: They Still Matter!
Reformation Reflections about Liberty and Freedom: They Still Matter!

Every year on October 31, Christians from around the world are reminded of a “reforming” movement that brought back to light the central message of the Bible, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Freedom, life, and salvation were again heard as God’s gifts offered to sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Martin Luther’s rediscovery of the uniqueness of the freedom of the Gospel as God’s saving work in the world for all shook the foundations of the medieval world. It ushered in many of the precious freedoms that we enjoy in this world today. It clearly identified and distinguished the uniqueness of the eternal freedom that comes from knowing and trusting in God’s gracious work in Jesus from the cultural/political freedoms that come from public policy, citizenship, and good government. Distinguishing, cherishing, and engaging both freedoms is part of what it means to be a Christian citizen in the world for the sake of the culture and the mission of the Church.

CAST AN INFORMED VOTE – PLEASE
CAST AN INFORMED VOTE – PLEASE

The Bulletin Insert is designed to be printed and cut in half to fit conveniently inside a Sunday worship bulletin. Each month an insert will offer insight, encouragement, and information from the LCRL on the topics of Religious Liberty, Life, Marriage, or Education.

DON’T FORGET YOUR VALUABLE!
DON’T FORGET YOUR VALUABLE!

I know, I know, you are worried about my grammar. You think the title should be “Don’t Forget, You’re (You ARE) Valuable,” right? Or, you might think my title should be “Don’t Forget Your ‘Valuables,’” not “Valuable!” Well, I wrote the title as it was meant to be written. For this devotion, the word needs to be VALUABLE. I meant to write that word in the singular because this lesson is talking about the ONE thing in your life that is the key to it all. In our lesson for today, an individual comes up to Jesus and asks the million-dollar question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s the big question; that’s the one that really matters. You see, the Bible talks about life as precious, purposeful, and eternal. Those three all go together. Jesus wants you to know that your life is eternal; you are not just here today and gone tomorrow. He wants you to know that you are precious to Him, that your life matters to Him.

Abortion Exceptions
Abortion Exceptions

Former President Donald Trump has come out in favor of the rape and incest exception [with regard to abortion], and that's a pity. And yet a friend says we need to have abortion precisely because some women are raped or are victims of incest. What that shows is that people are not listening or are confused by the propaganda press, which is the only press half the country ever gets.

AN “ALL IN” SAVIOR!
AN “ALL IN” SAVIOR!

When I first came to Washington, D.C., in 2006 for a class in my PhD program, we were privileged to speak with many congressional leaders personally. Bill Hecht, a Lutheran pastor-turned influential lobbyist in Washington, lined up various leaders from the House and the Senate to speak with us about the things that mattered to us as Christians in the politics of the day. I remember visiting with the head of the House Ways and Means Committee at the time. He talked about various legislation saying, “We’re trying to make sure that the Congress has to live by the same rules that they foist on everyone else.” I remember my reaction. I was shocked. I had never thought about the fact that government officials often pass laws that we must follow, while living by another set of rules themselves. Incredible. Health care?

Beyond the Booth
Beyond the Booth

One of the cherished notions that typically guides the lives of Americans is that politics and religion do not mix. Of course, there are some areas of overlap that Americans accept and even expect, like a prayer at a presidential inauguration or candidates ending speeches with “God bless America.” But, on the whole, it is taken for granted that there needs to be a clear distinction or even a wall of separation between church and state. People do not want the government telling them what to believe about God, and they do not want the church telling them how to vote. Actually, they do not want anyone telling them how to vote.

October Prayer Partner Thursday
October Prayer Partner Thursday

Prayer Partner Thursday provides a month-long prayer emphasis in one of the four Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty areas of emphasis: Religious Liberty, Sanctity of Life, Educational Freedom, and Marriage as an Institution (family).

Evangelicals lurch leftward, merging the Gospel with political action…in Jesus name? Hardly.
Evangelicals lurch leftward, merging the Gospel with political action…in Jesus name? Hardly.

Join me and Doctor Everett Piper on The Liberty Action Alert as we uncover why America’s Evangelical churches are lurching leftward—and what this means for Christians striving to be faithful 2 Kingdom citizens.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - FASHIONED FOR SERVICE!
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - FASHIONED FOR SERVICE!

It’s always a challenge for me to fully understand what Jesus means in Matthew 5:13-14 when He says that believers are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” I don’t think we realize how inept, yet vital, we are to being conduits of God’s preserving and saving message for the world. In a world of constant refrigeration because of electricity and easy illumination where the lights come on and remain on with just the flip of a switch, being called “salt” and “light” can seem rather mundane. But being described with those terms wasn’t mundane then or now.

How Can You Call Yourself Pro-Life
How Can You Call Yourself Pro-Life

How can you call yourself pro-life and not support free lunches, open borders, socialized healthcare? Well, you fill in the blank. First, off, such talk is a diversionary tactic, disingenuous. Can we simply agree that we ought not to be killing babies, whether they are in the womb or have been born? It really is that simple.

Life is on the Ballot – Christian Citizens rise to the Occasion!
Life is on the Ballot – Christian Citizens rise to the Occasion!

Listen as Nicole Hunt and I discuss the crucial 'Pro-Life' movement and why now is the time for Christians to rise for the culture and the Church!

UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE!
UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE!

In today’s lesson, Jesus talks about some “tough going” that was above and beyond anything we can handle. Every man, woman, and child in this world is on the path that leads to judgment due to our common sin and rebellion against our Creator. It’s a path that even the toughest among us can’t avoid, period. But then here comes Jesus the Christ. Though He was without sin, He chooses to take up our path. And when the going gets eternally tough, the Savior of the world gets going!

The Ethics of Designer Babies
The Ethics of Designer Babies

“Every day in every way, we’re getting better.” This mantra emerged in the first decades of the twentieth century, a hallmark of the optimistic mindset that prevailed in many circles of academia and government. New scientific discoveries and technological innovations seemed to promise a brighter future. However, two world wars, the Great Depression and the Holocaust shattered that positive view of humanity — at least for a time.

October Bulletin Blurbs
October Bulletin Blurbs

The dates identifying the LCRL bulletin blurbs are only suggestions. Please feel free to use any and all of the bulletin blurbs as your ministry needs allow.

October Bulletin Insert
October Bulletin Insert

The Bulletin Insert is designed to be printed and cut in half to fit conveniently inside a Sunday worship bulletin. Each month an insert will offer insight, encouragement, and information from the LCRL on the topics of Religious Liberty, Life, Marriage, or Education.

Fighting the Good Fight: Biblical messaging amidst the culture war for the sake of the culture and the Gospel
Fighting the Good Fight: Biblical messaging amidst the culture war for the sake of the culture and the Gospel

Tune in this week as Dr. Jay Richards joins us to discuss how faith and reason can win the culture war and why Biblical messaging is key in this critical battle!

WHEN THINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLY POSSIBLE!
WHEN THINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLY POSSIBLE!

Our lesson for today comes in the context of another healing event in the ministry of Jesus. It not only demonstrates Christ’s power over all things, but also the power of faith IN HIM amidst all the doubts and struggles that we may be facing. There is so much to learn from the honest confession of the father in this reading. This dad knew what his son needed, but felt helpless in response. He also knew what he needed -- stronger faith. When he meets Jesus, he expresses sentiments something like these:

“I’d like to have great faith, but I know that I’m inadequate, especially now when I need it most. In fact, I’m overcome by circumstances and doubt. Lord Jesus, while I believe, help my unbelief.”

Why Christians Must Vote
Why Christians Must Vote

In his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul writes, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1-2).

With that statement, Paul defines the relationship between Christians and government. Throughout the Book of Acts, Paul invokes his Roman citizenship to make a passionate defense of the Gospel. Instead of shying away from engagement with the governing authorities, he engages them by proclaiming truth. However, he also puts his trust in God’s sovereignty because he knows that the ultimate authority and judge is the Lord, who has allowed those to be in authority so God’s purposes can be accomplished.

Overcoming the growing Biblical Illiteracy of American Christians for the sake of the Culture and the Mission of the Church
Overcoming the growing Biblical Illiteracy of American Christians for the sake of the Culture and the Mission of the Church

Discover why America’s Evangelicals are shrinking in number and influence, and how you can help bring back biblical faithfulness and political engagement by tuning in to The Liberty Action Alert.

Dr. Gregory Seltz
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