David Bahn - Reflections

Jesus put it well, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." Our government officials deserve our respect. God deserves our thanks and praise. All four of our sons have served in the armed forces of the United States. One of them is an officer in the US Navy.  We are proud of them and thankful for the freedoms they protect. So today I am thankfu...

While these physical blessings are least important in my Top Five List of thanksgiving blessings, they do come from God. And it is fitting that we give God thanks for them all. Or as Martin Luther says, " For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. "

The example of Jesus and Paul is for us to seek God's reign and rule, be fully devoted to Him, no matter what our vocation, and live productive and peaceful lives. We'll never do it as perfectly as Jesus did. Not even many missionaries today are as sold-out as  was Paul. But we can all follow the example of obeying God, loving Him and our neighbor, and living a life of repentant faithfulness....

God uses the nuts and bolts of daily living to make a thing of beauty when we take seriously not only our heavenly calling but our earthly responsibilities. One of those responsibilities - which Paul mentions just a few verses prior to these - is to bring the Gospel message to the world. That's by no means a mere nuts and bolts proposition, but however we are able to bring that about is also a par...

You cannot reflect what you do not see. You cannot give God's love if you've not received it. You cannot be steadfast if you're not convinced of Jesus' steadfastness. And even when we've received God's love, and been convinced of Jesus' steadfastness, we need constantly to turn our hearts toward Jesus for his never-ending supply of love and grace. Thankfully it is never-ending. Steadfast. Reliable...

Paul realized that when we are completely dependent on God we are strongest in our faith. So now his prayer is for God's word to be received and honored. His heart is for the people who do not know Jesus, whom God has chosen for him to convert. I wonder if his prayer life is instructive for you. I know it is for me. Open a door for my witness, dear God. Speed your word along through me today! In J...

We often call on our pastors and church leaders to pray for us. That is good and proper. Today, I urge you to pray for your pastor. Maybe also send him a note, telling him that you thank God for him and have him in your heart and prayers today. He needs those prayers. You'll bless him by doing that.

The only way we can obtain the glory of Jesus is by his grace which we receive through faith in Christ alone. And here’s the stunning thing about that: He desires to give it to us. He has called us to this through the gospel message so that we may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s an unimaginable gift. There’s no way we could ever earn it. We simply must receive it by faith.

Even though the validity of the Gospel is not dependent on the one who proclaims it, a lifestyle at odds with the message of Jesus will definitely undercut people's willingness to listen or to hear. And the most competent leader of any kind devoid of character can cause great harm. Jesus commands us to love God and to love our neighbor. These are the two great commandments of God. Not suggestions....

I share five of my favorite church traditions today, and one I do not observe-good as it may be.  What's your favorite tradition? Does it honor Christ? Does it edify the believer? Does it serve the cause of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus? Does it express the reality of Christ's reign and rule in your heart? I think those are good ways to uphold edifying traditions.

Martin Luther railed against the traditions of the church in his day that got in the way of the truth of God's word and obscured the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He believed that traditions can be helpful. But he also knew that they can also easily become more important than the very things they are supposed to uphold. The sale of indulgences, unquestionable Papal authority, relegating t...

The deep and abiding love of God in Jesus for us, the Good News that he forgives us, and the blessing of his steadfast love captures our hearts. Martin Luther spoke of being  called by the gospel.  It’s not through an encounter with the power, might, holiness, and righteousness of God; though that may be the prelude. God may set us up to realize our need for his grace through the message...

Whenever we choose to sin, cave into temptation, get led astray by friend or foe, or fail to do the good we know we should do, we enthrone another god in the temple of the True God. Whenever anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ takes first place in our hearts, we replace the Lord of Life with a cheap, transitory, impotent, ineffectual, deceptive, and destructive imitation. I'd rather not ack...

Paul writes to clarify our knowledge of God and the world, encourage our love for one another, and remind us of God's promises to embolden our faith. Few of us today are distracted by worries of Jesus' Second Coming. More likely we are distressed by the abandonment from the faith of many. We are rightly distressed by the way the world is going. We may even feel like we're under attack for our beli...

We who love the truth, thank God for reminders that we live in a rented world. For our hope is not properly tied to any earthly thing. We’re not there yet. Turmoil, trouble, and confusion is God’s way of inviting us to repent and believe the Good News of Jesus’ love, life, grace, and salvation. Let no one confuse you about that, nor deceive you into believing there is any answer other than God’s t...

Satan is doing all he can to confuse, misdirect, and deceive God's people. He is set on killing, stealing, and destroying everything good and every hope that we have for God's good grace. The answer is quite simple. When God determines it's time to bring things to an end The End will come. When the fullness of God's patience and grace is fulfilled Jesus will return. We may not be most fit for heav...

I believe the Antichrist will come. And I believe he will be overcome by Jesus. I believe there will be no doubt when Jesus returns. And I truly do look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. The real truth is centered in and anchored in and secured in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He loves us perfectly and eternally. He, alone, is worthy of our...

Unbelievers might expect us to praise God when things go well. And well we should! God deserves all the praise for every good and perfect gift: it comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no shadow of change (cf. James 1:17). But in the throes of suffering we offer praise to God it's as though a candle has been lit in the darkest of night. It brings light to all. Fellow believers ar...

Ultimately, the name of Jesus Christ will be glorified. Every tongue in heaven and on earth and under the earth will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God (cf. Philippians 2:11). Will it be a joyful exaltation of God's grace or a cry of utter duress? Thanks be to God who has called us to repentance and faith so that we can experience an eternity of his glorious and gracious presen...

Those who acknowledge their sin and look to Jesus will be saved. This is the promise and the hope held out over against this dire prediction of doom and damnation. It is by the grace of God any of us has hope. And God is clear on this: He wants all people "to be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus is the truth. He sets us free. And although it is very clear here abo...

Because I am a servant of Christ, I have the privilege of using his name in prayer, experiencing his grace in repentance, and living under Christ in his kingdom. That's the privilege of being a son or daughter of the covenant. Then comes the responsibility of being his representative of his reign and rule. We do that when we do the good works God provides for us. We do that when we forgive others...

Starting with thanks is proper,  good, right, and salutary.  We say it in the communion liturgy:  It is good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks go you Holy God..." Good: beneficial, blessing, and edifying. Right: proper, appropriate, and decent. Salutary: beneficial, up-building, and confirming. One of the condemning failures of sinful man...

God sets us aside for his special care. He sets us aside for focused attention when we pray. He sets us aside for his glory and our good. One of my favorite ways to pray for someone is to ask God to set aside the person for his special attention and care. It’s a way of raising the level of attention and care toward one in need. And the promise here is that God is faithful. He will surely do this:...

When I fail, it's not because I want to be a rule breaker. It's because of the weakness of my flesh. I get distracted. I occupy my time with less important or noble things. I don't slow down enough to recognize the need or sense the prompting of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes I skid right off the runway into the mire of sin. One earmark of evil is a refusal to acknowledge our own sinfulness. From...

When God's people are committed to God's mission, to prayer, seeking God's help, looking for his will to be done, and rejoicing in his grace and goodness, there is very little opportunity to quarrel and bicker. Peace flows like a river through such a congregation. If I'm a part of that, then my heart is at peace as well. Focus on the mission. Be constant in prayer. Seek the Holy Spirit's influence...