Look where true blessings are to be found!

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 on His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s reading is Luke 6:20-23, where Jesus says to His disciples,  

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. [21] Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. [22] Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. [23] “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.

If you are looking for real blessings, even enduring love today, the key is to look in the right place, to look to the right source! That’s why these “Beatitudes,” these “words of blessing,” instruct, amaze, and confuse. Jesus belies looking to personal circumstances as the key to God’s blessing as He blesses the poor, the hungry, and the persecuted. Blessed? What? That certainly doesn’t jive with our view of blessing. Jesus goes further in Luke 6 when he warns us that earthly, temporal blessings can actually be a detriment to the enduring blessings of God. He goes on to say, “But woe to you who are rich…well-fed now…who laugh now… (and those of whom) everyone speaks well” (Luke 6:24-26). Woe? What’s going on here?

Now it’s important to note that God is not against prosperity, laughter, or eating and drinking per se. But He is against people believing that these things are all we need for life or that these things are reliable evidence of God’s blessing. It’s true that where our heart is, there indeed our treasure will be. God wants our heart, our treasure, and our blessing to be rooted and resourced in Him. The key then to receiving and sharing a life of God’s blessing is to look to Jesus, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), as the center and the source for what ultimately matters. Also, the certainty of God’s blessing is not determined by one’s circumstance; instead, the key for God’s blessing is determined by God’s work for you, the bringing of His gracious, eternal kingdom in Jesus Christ into this world for all. That’s why Jesus reminds us later in Luke chapter 12 to “seek [God, the Father’s] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (verse 31).

Today is Valentine’s Day. And many people are looking for the blessings of love in their life. But so many are looking for these things in all the wrong places. Many have reduced Valentine’s Day to Cupids, cards, and candies when the blessings of love for which so many search are rooted in something so much more than mere temporal things. Many don’t even realize that the celebration of Valentine's Day is rooted in the power of faith in Christ, the power of sacrifice to others in His Name, and the power of God’s love in action for others. That’s all “kingdom of heaven” stuff. While it grew out of the natural human yearning for life to be something more than mere surface appearances, something beyond routine, misfortune and mayhem, and beyond the daily grind, observing this day is actually rooted in God’s enduring love for us in Christ Jesus. The ancient legend says Valentine was a priest who defied the Roman emperor's order forbidding Christian couples to get married. Nevertheless, Valentine performed marriage ceremonies (a “this world” blessing) in secret out of his compassion for these people. His service to them in Christ eventually got him imprisoned and put to death. While awaiting execution, legend has it that he healed the jailer's blind daughter. On the day of his execution, he left the girl a note signed, "Your Valentine." What we do know is that St. Valentine was a priest who got into trouble for his efforts to share the love of Christ with others, no matter the cost.

So, on a day when many are searching for the blessings of romance and love, receive the ultimate “Valentine’s card” and look where true blessings are to be found. St. Valentine himself would tell you to seek first and foremost the love of God in Christ, and then to seek to share that with someone, not just for a day, but for a lifetime, even an eternity. St. Valentine would challenge you to look for the things of the “kingdom of God” first, and not to be so concerned about the temporary challenges that occur this side of heaven when trying to share God’s blessings and love. Why? Because being part of Christ’s kingdom by grace through faith is the focus and the source of blessings that last. Then, as Jesus himself reminds us, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because great is your reward in heaven” (Luke 6:23).

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, teach us to seek the things of our heavenly Father’s kingdom first and foremost in our lives so that we might live blessed lives for others no matter the circumstance. And let our struggles and our successes always be focused on the vision of what is yet to come in heaven by Your blessing and Your grace. AMEN.

See Also
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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
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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).

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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.

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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
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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
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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.

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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.”  

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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
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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).

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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.

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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.

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“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.”

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There’s a question that many are asking today. Actually, people have been asking questions like that for almost 2000 years. Here’s another one: “How can you believe that Jesus is the only Savior, the one that is the Savior for all people?” You can believe it because there is no one like Jesus. You could try to give me another name or show me another savior, but there isn’t one.

Dr. Gregory Seltz
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