2020 has been a “revealer year”.
Wildfires, hurricanes, missiles launched in the Middle East, the death of Kobe Bryant, impeachment, COVID-19, stock market crash, quarantine, unemployment, racial tensions, peaceful protests and destructive riots, political gridlock and election campaigns … our inbox and social media posts have all revealed something about us, our neighbors, our country and our world.
Here’s a good exercise …
Pause for a few moments, reflect and take an honest inventory of your life over the first three quarters of 2020. What have the following events revealed about you and your world? Do you like what you have seen?
… in yourself … in others … in the country … in your church?
Use the phrases below as a prompt. Complete the thought that is listed. Take note of the good and the bad. Identify the tension. Think about some solutions.
- nature has revealed …
- tensions in the Middle East have revealed …
- the impeachment process revealed …
- COVID-19 has revealed …
- the stock market has revealed …
- government has revealed …
- the entertainment and news media have revealed …
- race relations have revealed …
- social networks have revealed …
- wealth and power have revealed …
- my family, friends and neighbors have revealed …
- institutions (including churches) have revealed …
- my actions, thoughts, words have revealed …
After I went through that inventory, the only response I could offer was …
Lord, have mercy!
Christ, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
A Day of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance
If 2020 has revealed anything, it’s the fact that we are a sinful people, a rebel race living in a corrupt world, stalked by the devil and all of his demons.
In a world ravaged by such foes and forces, we need to learn where to find and how to receive all of the gifts that only the Triune God can give. As the disciples declare to Jesus …
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
John 6:68 (NIV)_
The good news is that the Lord Jesus tells us where to run …
- His Word
- His Sacraments
- His people gathered around and ready to receive Him and His gifts.
Pastor Asaph James, Pastor Warren Arndt and I (along with the saints that gather at East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit) would like to invite you to a dedicated time of fasting, prayer and repentance.
Consider it a “to whom shall we go?” moment.
Sunday, October 4th at 10 am
East Bethlehem Lutheran Church
3510 E. Outer Drive Detroit, Michigan 48234
On Sunday, October 4th, we’ll hear the Scriptures, confess our sins before God, receive the absolution of Jesus, offer up the prayers of the Church for the world, receive the Sacrament of the Altar and depart with the Lord’s blessing.
Such a call to repentance is not to be taken lightly. This is deep work in dark places. It’s invading enemy territory and an aggressive offensive to take back ground lost to the Evil One. A time of focused preparation will ready us to fight the battle that certainly rages in the heavenly realms and yet is hidden to the eye.
The Truth About Us Revealed in the Mirror of the 10 Commandments
Our world is “loud” and full of varied “voices”. With so many words, opinions, accounts and never ending news (“fake” and/or supposedly “fact checked”), we need to silent our world, be still and brace ourselves to hear the only Voice and Words that really matter.
Ten Days of Preparation
Ten days prior to our day of prayer, fasting and repentance (Sunday, October 4th), I’d like to offer you a way to daily examine your life through the lens of the Ten Commandments.
The “Ten Words” are the Triune God’s words concerning …
true love, fear and trust of Him
love and service toward the neighbor
the institutions of marriage, the family, the Church and State
the place of authority in the God ordained “estates” of daily life
purity in our thoughts and actions
the place of commerce, employment, economy and vocation
charity in our words
and contentment and gratitude in our heart
Each day leading up to Sunday, October 4th, I’ll provide some focused teaching and thoughts on one of the Ten Commandments. I’ll do this either through ….
- blog posts
- vlogcast
- podcast
- and/or ZOOM meetings
- most likely all of the above
If you’d like to be a part of the Ten Day Preparation, the Day of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance and The Receptive Life course and experience, you can just click the blue button below. The link will take you to my online portal called, “eXPlain it”.
When you get to the “eXPlain it” portal look for The Receptive Life course, enter your email, create a password and enroll.
The Ten Day Schedule and Focus
Here’s what the schedule looks like:
- Thursday, 9/24: The First Commandment … no other gods
- Friday, 9/25: The Second Commandment … call upon me
- Saturday, 9/26: The Third Commandment … don’t neglect the gifts
- Sunday, 9/27: The Fourth Commandment … honor the three “estates”
- Monday, 9/28: The Fifth Commandment … help don’t harm
- Tuesday, 9/29: The Sixth Commandment … purity
- Wednesday, 9/30: The Seventh Commandment … improve and protect
- Thursday, 10/1: The Eighth Commandment … build up don’t tear down
- Friday, 10/2: The Ninth and Tenth Commandment … contentment
- Saturday, 10/3: The Close of the Commandments
I’ll also weave through our discussions Martin Luther’s beautiful little resource called, Christian Questions with Their Answers. There is no finer guide for personal examination than these twenty questions.
Here’s the link …
Christian Questions with Their Answers (click here for copy)
Repentance … what does it mean?
In the Scriptures, the call to repentance is used in both a “narrow” sense and a “wide” sense.
The “Narrow” Sense
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15 (NIV)
Repentance in the narrow sense of the word simply means to acknowledge your sin, to agree with God about it, to be willing to amend your life and to desire to live in new, good and godly ways. This is godly sorrow over sin. However, the Gospel must be added so that the terrified and crushed conscience might rejoice in the promise of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.
The “Wide” Sense
… and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:27 (NIV)
Repentance in the wide sense of the word not only means to “repent” of your sin but also to receive the forgiveness of sins in Jesus. It also means to rejoice in all of the gifts that come from reconciliation with God and one another.
And then, it is a call to repeat the process again and again, day by day, moment by moment.
Not Just a Day but a Way of Life!
When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
Martin Luther, 95 Theses, (Theses 1)
As Jesus taught (and Martin Luther noted), the entire life of the Christian is to be one of repentance.
But what does it mean to lead a life of “repentance”? What does it look like? And how does it become more than just a day? How does the Triune God form it into a way of life?
The good news for the remainder of 2020 (and all of our days) is that the Triune God does not keep these gifts to Himself. He superabundantly gives them through Jesus Christ. When sin and all of its consequences are revealed, the Triune God calls us to …
Repent!
Receive!
Rejoice!
(and repeat)
… and He delivers on His promises.
The Receptive Life:
learning how to receive all of the gifts that only the Triune God can give
(12 week course, process and experience)
The day after Sunday, October 4th, I’ll provide a way for you to walk through a twelve-week course, process (and experience) called The Receptive Life.
I’ll act as your guide and provide you with a …
- Map of the Spiritual Territory
- A Spiritual Compass
- A Spiritual Backpack full of tools, materials and skills
- A Spiritual Itinerary that will guide you to all of the places where the Triune God has promised to give to you His gifts
I’ll deliver this material through an online portal I’ve developed called “eXPlain it”. I’ll also support our time together with live (and recorded) ZOOM calls, blog posts, vlogs and podcasts.
Below are two links. The first blue button below is a page outlining the details of The Receptive Life process. The second button will take you to the “eXPlain it” portal.
The second button will take you to the “eXPlain it” portal.
Again, if you’d like to be a part of the Ten Day Preparation, the Day of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance and The Receptive Life course and experience, you can just click the blue button below. The link will take you to my online portal called, “eXPlain it”. When you get to the “eXPlain it” portal look for The Receptive Life course, enter your email, create a password and enroll.
The Lord bless us and keep us. As Martin Luther was fond of saying …
The devil may be the master of 1000 arts but God and His Word are master of 100,000 more.
Paraphrase of Luther’s words in the Large Catechism