A blessed Christmas to all of you next Tuesday!  For “on that Day (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). Increasingly, the world in which we live today seems very unreceptive to that same Gospel, a message that has been such a blessing to the world for over two millennia. Instead of receiving the good news of Jesus like Mary and Joseph, the wisemen, or the shepherds, the world in which we live is violently suspicious of the message of the Messiah like Herod in Matthew 2. In a speech several years ago, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned our nation:

Fickle or faithful? Childlike or childish? That is the question in our text. Jesus confronts a crowd one day and he calls them to account. He basically says that they are missing the whole point. The work of God is not merely for one’s amusement. It is rather for our very lives here and now, as well as for our eternal salvation. He uses the example of children “childishly playing” to point out a brutal fact. Children are often not as “childlike” as we would believe, namely, joyfully trusting and obedient. All too often they are “childish,” that is, fickle, inattentive, and even mean. It’s like when we were kids. One group wanted to play a happy game, but others said it was too silly. Others wanted to play something serious, but the first group thought it was too somber or gloomy. Fickle, never satisfied, childish, unhappy, no matter what. Does that sound like someone you know?

A charlatan sits in power. Division and cynicism have won the hearts of the people. Foes at home and abroad are cunning. The nation feels sullied. Such is the situation facing Tirian, the last king of Narnia.

In C.S. Lewis’s The Last Battle, the beloved land of the famed children’s series is under attack.  Narnia’s enemies, the Calormenes, have taken over the country. Through treachery, they have fooled loyal Narnians into believing that Aslan — Narnia’s Christ figure — is on their side. Fear and confusion prevent Narnians from coming to Tirian’s aid.

One of the reasons that I love the Bible and its teachings is that the message therein is so different from any other message in this world. There are many religious messages out there in our culture, but the others are all the opinions of sinful people like you and me, trying to get us to follow some path for peace or tranquility; some are even brazen enough to speak about it as “salvation.” Unfortunately, like so much of our human posturing, both philosophically and religiously, they all leave us wanting and dismayed. The same can be said for “faith” in our scientific and economic prowess. Despite all the “progress” and material things in our culture today, our lives are just as broken as ever. And no belief in our superiority or some myth about our unlimited potential can change that even a little.

As citizens of this great nation, we use our God-given reason to elect men and women who we believe will most closely rule according to God’s will and Word. But we also know that the U.S. has maintained a perfect record of electing sinners to be presidents and senators and representatives: every single one of them.

As citizens of this great nation, we use our God-given reason to elect men and women who we believe will most closely rule according to God’s will and Word. But we also know that the U.S. has maintained a perfect record of electing sinners to be presidents and senators and representatives: every single one of them.

19:37-40, where the Bible says,   

As [Jesus] was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

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.

Happy “Christ the King” Sunday! On this past Sunday many Christian churches around the world celebrated the reign of Jesus Christ. The last Sunday of the liturgical church year commemorates His rule every year, no matter what is happening at the moment. It reminds us that all things are moving ahead toward the final day when Christ will come again and judge the living and the dead. This coming Sunday Christians who follow a liturgical calendar then enter into a new church year. In so doing, they join all believers in celebrating the fact that Christ’s Kingdom is already now present in this world. His Kingdom is here in the midst of worldly kingdoms that are passing away.

Soft people in the church, those who are double minded and wish to run from the truth, will tell pastors not to preach about abortion. The disconnect is real, surely in the LCMS too. These folks will tell pastors not to bring political issues into the pulpit, and far too many otherwise faithful pastors comply. But, of course, as a popular meme says, abortion is distinctly a biblical issue.

Do you remember the 60’s song by Aaron Lewis, “Tell It Like It Is?” It was smooth and soulful. It invited those in love to “tell it like it is,” and to let “conscience be your guide.” But, truth be told, people as a rule don’t like to “tell it like it is,” and they don’t like to hear the whole truth much either! Why? First, truth often hurts. It reminds us of the reality of the sinfulness of our world and, worse, the deeper reality of our own sinful hearts. The truth shines God’s exposing light on the hidden shadows of our own sinful pride, lust, and selfish desires. Secondly, truth often exposes our incapacity to do what we know we should do. Unfortunately, even when God’s Law guides us and our own consciences rightly also “tell us what to do,” we often don’t do it. Think about the all-too-common failures of our heartfelt New Year’s Eve resolutions!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.”  

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.

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.