On their way to worship, Paul and Silas were hounded by a slave fortune teller, whom they healed of demonic possession, essentially cutting of a flow of money to her owners. For this, they had Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned.
Take a break. Find respite from the hubbub every day, if you can. It is a great way to honor the First Commandment, to put the Lord first in your day. But certainly take a break on the Lord’s Day.
What is the aim of the gospel? That question will guide you in determining if something is a matter of the spirit or a religious observance.
When we read the law, much less try to keep it, we must also hear the word of grace. The commandments do us no good without God’s grace.
Find a way! Speak their language while proclaiming the word of truth. Teach in different ways. Get through to them, especially as pertains to these first commandments.
This is what The Small Catechism does; it teaches us to put on the only righteousness that is effective. It instructs us to fear, love, and trust in God, who alone is our righteousness.
We do well to entrust ourselves to God. He is faithful to strengthen us and protect us from evil. He is faithful to so in this life and save us for the life to come.
Poor Job was tormented by his friends, shunned by his family, and was of the opinion that God was after him. Did he simply complain about his plight? Was he reduced to whining about his tribulations?
There is no easier way for the works of God to be demonstrated in our lives than by our calling upon the Father. See the different ways we pray it is so. May your name be holy among us.
In this example of Herod, we may quickly observe what is important to God. Herod was full of himself, wanting people to hear his words.
Some people, those relying on their own old nature, cannot bear to hear God’s word, let alone understand it. They will not listen, because they are not of God; they do not have a new nature.
The disciples of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. Some say that this means “little Christs.” If so—if Christians are those who would imitate him—their lying would immediately bring dishonor to the name of the God whom they follow.
The worst way to take God’s name in vain, is to say or believe that favor from God is received in one’s own name, his own reputation—in other words, by the merits of what he does.
Jesus uses the Name in a doubly devout manner. Not only does he teach what his Father sent him to teach, he gives God the credit too. Jesus’ teaching depended on the reputation of the one who sent him.
Jesus taught us in the Fifth Petition of his prayer to trust in God for forgiveness of our sins. Human nature reasons that our suffering is caused by God no longer loving us, and that there must be a reason for the loss of his care.
Why is it that God is so concerned with words, that we speak the truth and use his name, his reputation, with care? Words, true words, create life. They create faith in Christ Jesus, which leads to eternal life.
Fear is a good thing. But we say that we do not want our children growing up, fearing the Lord. We want them to fear hot stoves, bad influences, and other harmful things, but not to fear taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Everywhere one turns, there are lies and deception. In the modern age, we call it spinning the truth, and thereby, we even lie about lying. People claim to no longer lie, but to simply spin the truth.
Wickedness exists because people want things their way. They want what belongs to another, or they want but will not work. They want their own will be done, not, “Thy will be done.”
Have you ever noticed in the Old Testament the convention of capitalizing the word “Lord,” or sometimes “God”? These indicate a place where the consonantal name of God, YHWH...
Name-calling, threats, imprisonment, and murder are bad enough but when they are done under the cover of religion, these things are contemptible.
Micah stole a great sum of money from his mother, then returned it because he feared her curse. She then dedicated it to the Lord, evidently hoping to amend the curse that ended up being upon her son.
Among the crowds was a royal official who believed Jesus. While he took Jesus at his word, the rest seemed to need a show of it: signs and miracles.
As one would imagine, there are stark differences between Samson and Jesus. Samson took whatever his flesh desired. Jesus wanted what his Father willed. Samson killed to get what would not come to him naturally.
See how near the Samaritan woman was to missing the grace of God. Old wounds and deep pride kept her from speaking the truth.