“Seeing things from god’s “mission-victory” point of view!”

Word from the Center
Written By Dr. Gregory Seltz

When it comes to the things that really matter in life and for life, God has accomplished all of it for us in Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? Well, from the Bible’s point of view, that is the issue. Solving the seminal problems of humanity, our brokenness and sin, is an issue in need of a “God-sized” solution. With the person and work of Jesus— His life, His death, and His resurrection—those issues are overcome for “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” This victory is offered to all those who put their faith in God. Only God himself can redeem us and restore us to Himself, as well as to one another, and he has done so through Jesus, the Lamb of God. Politics can’t save us, technology can’t save us, and economics can’t save us. Only God can do that and He has done so! Revelation helps us see clearly how things are and how things will be when Christ is the center of our lives.

That’s why it continues to amaze me that there are people who think that places like Washington, D.C., can make that “God-sized” solution happen. After five years in our nation’s Capital, I’m even more astonished by the posturing and bodacious promises of certain leaders here. They “guarantee” community and personal fulfillment, even while violating God’s clear commands via their public policies. I even heard one politician calling her party the “Matthew 25 Caucus,” as if government can accomplish what God’s people and God’s church are called to do. Politics becomes the “siren” call to put our trust in them. Unfortunately, we all tend to put our faith in people or things that can’t or won’t come through when it really counts. Today we tend to put our “faith” in government institutions, policies, business, wealth, personal status, and even our own best efforts. The Bible warns us that such things are always a recipe for disappointment and disaster.

As human beings, when all is said and done, people want to love and be loved. We want a life that matters, especially to those who are dear to us. We want to be “bonded” together by someone or something that really holds through thick and thin, for now and forever.

Our lesson for today shouts with a loud voice where that “salvation” is to be found. It is offered to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ and His message of forgiveness, life, and salvation accomplished through His cross and resurrection. This common truth is a reality that not only binds us to God, but also to each other. The offer in Revelation is more than a hopeful thought or wishful thinking. The Apostle John actually reports that He is “seeing” the way things will be in heaven because of the person and work of Jesus. People from every tribe and every nation are seen bonded together in community and love, because “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb,” Jesus. That’s a message of hope for all, and one that we will one day see for ourselves. Amidst all of the broken promises of today, God’s “mission- victory” offers a real community that lasts. Put your faith in Jesus. He won’t disappoint; that’s a promise.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help us to see with “eyes of faith” the reality of community and love that only You can make available to a world that is eternally broken by its selfishness and sin. Help us to see that gift for our lives, and for the lives of those we love and cherish. AMEN.

See Also
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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
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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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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.

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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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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.

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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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