2024 Lenten Devotions

 Easter Mystery Revealed Every Day “…the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of His glory” (Col. 1:27b) St. Paul apparently did not meet Jesus when Christ was ministering during His three-year mission to reveal the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. But Paul did encounter the risen Christ while Paul was on his way […]

Holy Saturday The Mystery of the Visit to Hell on Easter Weekend “And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered and said to him… Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:16, 17a,

Good Friday The Mystery of the Cross Part 2: The Lofty Cedar & the Lowly Cross “This is what the Lord God says: ‘I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and

Maundy Thursday The Mystery of the Eternal Redemption “Everyone living on earth will worship it, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life. That book belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the creation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8 God’s Word Translation) In these Lenten devotions, I’ve shared many memories of

 The Mystery of the Cross Part One: The Lofty Cedar “Thus says the Lord God, ‘I shall also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I shall pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and shall plant it on a high and lofty mountain.’”

 His Torture, Our Forgiveness    “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like

  It’s Hard Not to Use Noah As a Picture of Baptism (But which Noah, and which picture?) “… who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

Continually Growing Stronger “And they continually devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and the fellowship, and the breaking of bread, and the prayers…” (Acts 2:42) I “allegedly” play trumpet. That’s what I tell people. Because, honestly, I don’t “play trumpet” very often, with the result that I don’t play trumpet as well as I could.  

Real Presence – Not Cannibalism An old seminary professor of mine once said in class regarding reception of communion, “If I couldn’t be Lutheran, I’d probably be Roman Catholic.  At least there you get something in the sacrament.” His point was that receiving just a picture of Jesus (for some that is all there is

Unworthy Broken Heart “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” Psalm 24:1-2 We might not think much of verses like this. After all, we all know the Creation account in Genesis. We