A Christian without prayer...

Wherever there is a Christian, there is none other than the Holy Spirit, who does nothing other but pray without ceasing...a Christian without prayer is just as impossible as a living person without a pulse.

Albrecht Peters, "The Lord's Prayer," page 29 

Share God's Word

 The Word of Good also has a missionary use.  The Word of God is to be shared with all persons who desire to know God's gracious plan to save the world in the person of the long-suffering Messiah, and His completion of that plan in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Rev. Scott Murray, "Memorial Moment." (did not note the date)

Faith plus

 For a faith without love...is not faith at all, but a counterfeit of faith.

Martin Luther, as quoted in "Lift High the Cross," page 99.

Mission is...

Mission is nothing more than the church in motion to dispense the gifts of life and salvation that are in Christ Jesus.

Harold Senkbeil, "The Care of Souls," page 228 

Where we meet God

 One Sunday, the pastor of a church in Florida gathered the children in front of the altar for a children's message.  He began by asking the question, "What does the word, 'holy,' mean?"

After a pause of a moment or two, a little girl raised her hand.  She answered, "Being holy means that you do what your mother asked you to do the first time!"

Children's messages are always fun.  You never know what priceless answer you might get to one of your questions.

But the main reason to be in God's house on Sunday is because it's the place where we encounter our gracious and merciful God.

The psalmist David wrote, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord to seek Him in His temple."

In Psalm 84, a chorus sings, "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere."

As the pilgrims made their way to the Temple during times of religious celebration, they would sing, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'."

Not only is the Lord present in His house, He showers His people with rich gifts of grace - His Word of forgiveness, His very body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Sacrament; the rich renewal of the Holy Spirit who comes to each of us in the Gospel.

May your time spent this week in meditation and prayer lead you to exclaim on Sunday, "I love the house where You live, O Lord, the place where Your glory dwells!"

Jesus is coming!

But Jesus says He's coming.  When He does, it will not be as a judge to strike terror into my sinful heart. He'll come as the "Son of Man," a term Jesus loved to use of Himself.  That expression directs my eyes to a manger of straw, a cross of pain, a grave of victory.  He's the One who came earlier to shoulder my sins, die my death, fill my grave.  That's my Savior who's coming.

"Together with Jesus," November 26 

Words of Encouragement-Write Your Song of Praise

 Ever tried writing a song? David wrote Psalm 18 as a song of praise to God for delivering him from the clutches of Saul.  Join me this morning at 8 am on the Facebook page of Life in Christ Lutheran Church for today's Words of Encourgement.