The God who Makes Promises

for us

1/ Psalm 84:11

2/ Martin Luther on the Promises of God

I’ve compiled a list of seven profound quotations from Martin Luther on the promises of God. Here’s one:

We Live By the Word in the Heart, Martin Luther on Deuteronomy 8:3 (LW 9:94)

They should know that however hunger may rage, they will be fed if only they believe the Word of promise in the First Commandment, by which God promises to be God to them, just as He says also in Ps. 37:19, 25: “And in a time of hunger you shall be satisfied. For it is impossible that the righteous be forsaken, or his seed seek bread.” He may hunger indeed, but he will not die of hunger; for hunger exercises his faith in the Word, but then faith gains food also for the body. Therefore the splendid word of Moses stands: that God deals with His own by testing them with hunger and exercising them in His Word, and then feeds the believer from the midst of heaven if it cannot be done otherwise. Thus they are to learn by experience that they should not be concerned for their belly, and that life does not lie in the things we possess or in bread but in the Word by which we become rich toward God, as the Gospel says (Luke 12:15). For while we live by the Word in the heart, we force God, as it were, to feed the belly too.

I annotated another one for Twitter.

The rest are here: Martin Luther on the Promises of God.

3/ World Watch List 2024

Reminding us that the persecution of the church is a current reality, and a reminder to pray for the martyrs.

https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/

4/ Care of Souls: A Bibliography

Doxology: The Center for Spiritual Care and Council is continuing to support pastors and congregations through the classic art of the care of souls. They’ve built a wonderful working bibliography on the care of souls.

Pastors, if you haven’t joined in a Doxology retreat, I’d encourage you to consider it.
https://www.doxology.us/classic-program/

For you lay leaders, here’s some information for you to share with your pastor:
https://www.doxology.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Arrows-sheet-rev.1.17.24.pdf

5/ Thy Will Be Done

Here’s a bit of the video explanation of “Thy will be done.”

This video is part of the Lord, Teach Us to Pray teaching resource. Learn more here.

6/ Upcoming (or Incoming!)

• January 27, Austin, TX, Life Magnified (March for Life)

• February 16-18, Austin, TX, Church Interpreter Training Academy (ASL)

• February 24, Houston, TX, Sanctity of Life

• March 2, Herning, Denmark, Luther Study Days

• April 4-6, Seymour, IN, Men’s Retreat

• April 19-21, Camp Lonestar, TX, Texas Men’s Retreat

• July 11-14, Dearborn, MI, International Lutheran Deaf Association Convention

• July 26-27, Austin, TX, Digital Catacombs

• August 1-5, Galveston and Gulf, Lutheran Singles Cruise

• October 22-24, Alberta, Canada, Pastor’s Conference

7/ Aaron, a poem for pastors

by George Herbert, 1881

AARON. 

HOLINESS on the head, 
Light and perfection on the breast, 
Harmonious bells below raising the dead 
To lead them unto life and rest. 
Thus are true Aarons drest.* 

Profaneness in my head, 
Defects and darkness in my breast, 
A noise of passions ringing me for dead 
Unto a place where is no rest: 
Poor priest! thus am I drest. 

Only another head I have 
another heart and breast, 
Another music, making live, not dead, 
Without whom I could have no rest: 
In Him I am well drest. 

Christ is my only head, 
My alone only heart and breast, 
My only music, striking me e'en dead; 
That to the old man I may rest, 
And be in Him new drest. 

So holy in my Head, 
Perfect and light in my dear Breast, 
My doctrine tuned by Christ (who is not dead, 
But lives in me while I do rest), 
Come, people; Aaron's drest. 


*Exodus xxviii. 29-37. 

Source: Herbert, George. The Works of George Herbert in Prose and Verse. (New York: John Wurtele Lovell, 1881. 276-277).

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Thank you, again, for your time and attention, and for your prayers. Please keep in touch. 

Christ is Risen! Pastor Wolfmueller

Psalm 27:4

www.wolfmueller.co

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