From my journal...
To the extend we are Christians, we stand above the law and sin. Christ is the Lord of the law. He is present and lock in our hearts, just as a precious stone is firmly mounted in a ring. When the law accuses us and sin terrifies us, all we need do is look at Christ. When we have taken hold of Him in faith, we have the victory over the law, sin and death...because Christ rules over all of these, we won't be harmed.
Martin Luther, "Faith Alone," July 14 devotional
Lutheran Service Book, #556, verse seven
1) EVERY Sunday is Stewardship Sunday
This comes from a devotional book we found in my Mom's home while we were cleaning up after she fell asleep in Jesus. The book is in my office and I believe was published in the early 20th century (although I don't remember the exact date).
Is there anything more precious and joyous than to know that debts which would have rendered us forever unhappy have been paid? In the payment of these awful debts consist the great glory of God's kingdom.
(Jesus) appeared common and ordinary. But ordinary He was not. He lived before His incarnation, before heaven and earth, before plants, animals and mankind. He is curator of all things, the Second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God. Jesus is after Adam but Adam's maker, after David but David's Lord, after Mary but Mary's Savior, after John but John's predecessor. He is before all things and will remain after all things pass away.
How like Noah and his family are we, kept safe by God within the confines of the ark, kept safe from the destruction without. Our ark is His church, where we are sheltered from the wrath of God by the covering of the righteousness of Christ.
Frank Starr, "Light for the Way," Book 1, page 9
Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. Don't know who said it but it's true. We three (including Jake!) arrived home yesterday afternoon. Today we've began the difficult part of unpacking, trying to remember where everything goes and remembering to pace ourselves so that our backs don't give out!
While on the road I had a chance to finish Will Weedon's great book, "Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey." I made note of some insightful writing on the Lord's Supper:
(Re: Words of Institution): They ingeniously allow Jesus Himself to tell us what he gives in the Sacrament and why He gives it. Page 52
He tells us it is His Body and it is the Body He gives us. That would be the same body which was born of the Virgin Mary and was nailed to the cross! He tells us it is His Blood, the Blood that stained the cross and spilled from wounds and wiped out the sins of the world. Page 53.
I highly recommend this book for your edification. You can order it from CPH.