I've had an Epiphany!

Genesis 18:20-32   Then the   Lord   said, “The outcry against Sodom   and Gomorrah is so great   and their sin so grievous   21  that I will go down   and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” 22  The men   turned away and went toward Sodom,   but Abraham remained standing before the   Lord . [ a ]   23  Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?   24  What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [ b ]   the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25  Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous   and the wicked alike.   Far be it from you! Will not the Judge   of all the earth do right?” 26  The   Lord   said, “If I find fifty righteous ...

What an amazing example of prayer we receive from Abraham!  When I ask other people to tell me their first impression of his prayer most people point out the fact that Abraham’s prayer is very bold. Listen to verse 25: Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The second response I receive about Abraham’s prayer is that as bold and persistent as Abraham is, he is also very humble.  And those three characteristics make this the type of prayer our Lord wants from all of us. While what Abraham said may seem to us to be crossing the line, he was only relying on God’s promises about himself. Our God teaches us that he is forgiving, just, and merciful. He tells us that he loves his children and wants no part with the ways of the wicked. This is who our God is and he can’t change. Abraham didn’t say anything that wasn’t true or any...

Artwork: Our Daily Bread Artist: Anders Zorn Worship Theme: God has given most people the wonderful gift of speech. Through words we communicate our thoughts, ideas and feelings. Without words it would be much harder to express ourselves, a frustrating prospect! Our thoughts, ideas and feelings need an outlet, and so does our faith-life! Faith looks for ways to express itself, and one way Christian faith does that is in fervent faith-filled prayer. Old Testament: Genesis 18:20-32   Then the   Lord   said, “The outcry against Sodom   and Gomorrah is so great   and their sin so grievous   21  that I will go down   and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” 22  The men   turned away and went toward Sodom,   but Abraham remained standing before the   Lord . [ a ]   23  Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the ...

Christ In Our Home Devotions 10th Sunday after Pentecost Learning to pray 1. Make the sign of the cross over yourself and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Pray Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer: I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen. 3. Pray the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in heave...

Jesus’ interaction with Mary and Martha teaches us a valuable lesson about putting God’s Word first in our lives. How many of us can identify with Martha? So much to do and so little time! On this side of eternity, it seems like we will never be able to take a break from our busy lives. If it isn’t family activities, it is our job or personal schedules that always seem to take center stage. Even our work for the church can keep us busy with our various areas of service.  These are all tasks that need to be done, and they are not unimportant, but how often do we allow our responsibilities to keep us from sitting at our Savior’s feet and listening to him? Who can blame Martha for wanting to have everything perfect for her Lord? Jesus didn’t scold her for this desire, but what good had her work accomplished?  Instead of feeling joy in serving her Lord, she became frustrated and angry because she wasn’t getting any help. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a ...

Artwork: Mary and Martha Artist: Nathan Greene Worship Theme: Doctors sometimes tell sick, weak people to put on some weight. Their body needs proper nourishment. That is true also for our souls. Even after we become Christians through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit, our faith-life needs daily nourishment to fight against the power of sin inside us and around us. And how is our faith-life nourished? Only through God’s gospel promises in Word and Sacrament. Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am;...