It would make a great Bible trivia question: “What is the only time mentioned in the Bible where the devil speaks directly to a human being?” The answer: In Genesis, chapter three where the devil speaks directly to Eve: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD…
Romans 8:18-27: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of…
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) The phrase, “the wages of sin is death,” helps us to find Jesus in the Old Testament. On the day of Easter Jesus explained how all the Old Testament was fulfilled in…
Genesis 3:1-21, Romans 5:12-19 and Matthew 4:1-11 are the appointed Scripture readings for the First Sunday in Lent this year. These readings show the power of God’s Word but in different ways. Genesis 3:1-21 is the story of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin. This fascinating story shows the power of God’s Word in a…
This post is the first in a series of posts based on selected one-liners from the Bible. We start with the well-known words of Cain, the Bible’s first murderer, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Still today people will use this phrase when they don’t want to take responsibility for someone’s whereabouts. That was pretty much the…
In the March, 2018 issue of The Lutheran Witness, Dr. Gene Edward Veith shares some information that you have probably already heard – that there has been a decline in religious affiliation in this country – but also some information that you may not have heard – what specific areas of religious affiliation that…
The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree is a fairly minor event, relatively speaking, compared to the other events of Holy Week, but still it is a significant event in the overall picture of salvation. We read in Mark 11: “When they came from Bethany, Jesus was hungry. And seeing in the distance a…
Mirror Neurons 