“It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8).

We are saved by grace through faith.  But that does not mean that we sit back and do nothing.  If we are on the narrow way of Christ, then we will try to do those things which are pleasing to the Father.  If we are His disciples, having been baptized, we will learn to obey all that the Lord has commanded.  We do not earn salvation by such acts, but willingly reflect by our deeds what the Lord has done, is doing, and the hope of what He will do by the lives we live.

Lord, I see so many around me who seem to do nothing.  But what do I know?  It does not matter what those around me do, it matters what I do.  I say I believe, but I often act as though I do not believe.  You have come to make me become like You, a child of God.  Lord, I know there is much work in me that must be done.  Help me, Lord, to live into the life You have given me by Your grace.

Lord Jesus, Author and Finisher of my faith.  You know all that needs to be done.  May I live my life so that I too may wear the garments of fine linen.  May what I do for the glory of God be evident to others.  May the works I do, which I know are not meritorious, be fitting with all that You desire from me.  Lead me this day as I walk with You. Guide me in the walk of faith You have placed before me.  Amen.

“Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself” (Revelation 19:7).

What in this life do you look forward to?  Many of us look moment by moment for what will fill the void.  That void is the absence of the Lord.  The day is coming when we shall be united with the Lord forever.  He is Sovereign and He shall (as He already does) reign. Has He not told us that His people are like a bride and He is the groom?  Has He not told us to watch and be prepared for when the bridegroom comes?  He told us these things ahead of time.

Lord, these are not new ideas.  This is not some strange thing, but the truth that You have revealed over and over.  We are the bride and You are the groom.  We are Your children and You are the Father.  We are the ones who have been redeemed by You.  Guide the faithful away from the momentary life of this world to live into the new life for which You died.  Guide us by Your grace to walk always in Your ways.

Lord Jesus, my faith is not some idea by which I live occasionally with others of like mind.  You have called me into a new life which is preparing me to be united with You forever.  Guide me into this new life.  Let it be the center of who I am.  Let me not be caught off-guard but help me to watch and prepare as I make myself ready to be united with You forever.  Lead me in the way of everlasting life, now and forever.  Amen.

“Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns” (Revelation 19:6).

Although those who follow the Lord are a minority (many are called; few are chosen), it is still a great multitude.  From every tribe, tongue, folk, and nation, the Lord has called those who are his.  He raises up for Himself those who will choose to walk the way we were created to walk.  Come into the presence of the Lord and walk with Him all the days of Your life.  The Lord does reign; but does He reign in your heart?

Lord God, I hear these words and they fall upon my ears.  I know they are true, but my heart is quickly distracted by my worldly concerns, and I walk in the way of the world.  Guide me away from the attractions of this world and into Your arms of mercy.  You have given me a mind that can understand.  Help me to understand the right way.  It really does boil down to my looking to You and knowing that You provide for all that is needed.  You are the source and sustenance of life.

Lord Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, guide me this day to humbly walk with You, my Lord and God.  Help me to know that in You alone is hope and the only future worth living.  Lead me according to Your goodness to praise and thank You, knowing that Your creation continues to unfold day by day.  You are creating in me the image of a child of the Heavenly Father.  Be the One who leads in my life, Lord.  Amen.

“And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great” (Revelation 19:5).

It all boils down to this: will you praise and thank the Lord?  There are those whose lives center upon themselves, and there are those whose lives become centered in the One who made them.  The latter seem to be the minority.  Are you a part of the minority?  Small or great does not matter.  What matters is whether true life has been revealed to you and is in you.  True life is centered upon the Lord.

The old life is still entrenched in me, Lord.  I think about myself and act according to what is right in my own mind.  Help me by directing me to the true center.  I do not have a reliable internal compass, but I need one.  I need to be pointed at You always.  You have the words of eternal life; for You are the Word made flesh.  Guide me away from myself and direct me toward love for You and others.

Lord Jesus, You have given me the word of life.  You have pointed me in the right direction.  You have put me upon the path of life.  Guide me in the way You know I need to go.  Help me to humbly walk with You, my Lord and God, and know that You alone are worthy of all praise.  It matters not what I think I am; whom You have made me and what You are making of me does.  Lead me in Your truth.  Amen.

“And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” (Revelation 19:4)

Keep your eyes upon the Lord.  Too often, we are distracted by circumstances and forget that the Lord has already prevailed.  Know that in the Lord is goodness and hope.  In the Lord is life and the true liberty He gives to those who walk in His ways.  Come and be led by the One who is worthy of all honor and praise.  We may be living in the pre-dawn that is this age of darkness, but dawn is coming when the light of eternity will reveal all that He has done for us.

Lord, I can become absorbed in this world’s way of living, thinking, and acting, or I can look to You with praise and thanksgiving.  It is really an easy choice in my mind, but living in the filth of this world, it is hard to do day in and day out.  Grant me the fortitude to hold fast to the truth of Your promises and live in the hope You give.

Lord Jesus, You struggled with the principalities of this age throughout Your ministry.  They were constantly confronting You.  By Your strength and in Your grace, lead me to live looking to You.  You are my help and stay.  I need You, for You alone can help me overcome the obstacles that are before me.  Teach me how to praise and worship You throughout the day.  Guide me in Your goodness now and forever.  Amen. 

“And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever” (Revelation 19:3)

The day will come when all the things of this age which tug at you will be removed.  When we are resurrected to be with Christ as well as be like Him, we shall be freed of all the wickedness of this age.  I do not know, but I suspect it is much deeper and more prevalent than even we know.  Look to the Savior and know that goodness will prevail.  The day will come when all the wickedness will be judged.

Lord, move me to the place where what I do in secret is the same as what I do in public.  Let me be consistent so that what people think of me as to who I am, is really who I am.  Although, grant me a lack of excess concern for how people think about me, for it is You who matters above all.  Guide me into the Christ-life so that I may learn from You how to deal with all the nonsense that goes on around me.

Lord Jesus, I do praise You for eternally freeing me from the recompense of sin and death.  Lead me today to live into a life that is pure and chaste.  Do not make me prudish, as some are, but guard my mind toward the garbage of this world and how it pollutes us all.  Lead me into a life of praise and thanksgiving, knowing that only in You is there true joy, hope, and fulfilment.  Amen.

The following is an excerpt from the October Letter from the DIrector of Lutheran Core, Dennis Nelson.

In my Summer Letter from the Director I gave a very detailed account of how Bishop Yehiel Curry of the ELCA’s Metropolitan Chicago Synod committed egregious acts of abuse of power, threatening, bullying, and intimidating against a retired pastor rostered in another synod and lay leaders of a congregation in that synod. 

As I communicated in my August Letter from the Director, on March 15 I wrote to Ms. Judith Roberts, senior director for ELCA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and co-convenor of a task force for addressing the disciplinary concerns of leaders of color. A press release dated March 10 had told of how her task force had made a presentation to the February 28-March 4 meeting of the ELCA’s Conference of Bishops. I told her about the situation with Bishop Curry and St. Timothy Lutheran Church. I described how leaders who are not people of color had been bullied by a synodical bishop, who is a person of color. A leader of color had been the perpetrator rather than the victim of harassment and discrimination.

The next day she wrote back. She said, “Thank you for sharing your concerns, and we will certainly take them into account. The Churchwide Organization takes misconduct complaints against synod bishops seriously; if you believe that a synod bishop has engaged in misconduct, please direct that concern to the Presiding Bishop.”

I knew that I could not write to Bishop Eaton right away. I had to wait until after the three sons of the former pastor who had been maintaining the property and providing leadership and stability for the congregation were safely out of the parsonage. When they were safe, I sent an account of the events at St. Timothy to five ELCA leaders – Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton; Imran Siddiqui, vice president of the ELCA; Tracie Bartholomew, chairperson (at the time) of the Conference of Bishops; and the two members of the task force who made the presentation – Judith Roberts and Bishop Paul Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod. I never heard from any of them.

After an October 4 news release told about a follow up report from the task force to the September 26-30 meeting of the Conference of Bishops, I again wrote to Ms. Judith Roberts. I told her why I had not written right away and then said, “I never heard from anyone, even though you said that ‘the Churchwide Organization takes misconduct complaints against synod bishops seriously.’ And now that Bishop Curry has been elected chairperson of the Conference of Bishops, I doubt that there is any chance that I will be heard.”

I then added, “The only conclusion I can come to is this. Even though the ELCA claims to be an organization that pursues justice, it does not wish to hear and will not hear anything other than the preferred narrative. Even though the ELCA says that it wants to reach out to those on the margins, it will not reach out to those whom it has marginalized. Even though the ELCA desires the role of speaking truth to power, it refuses to realize where it is the power that truth needs to be spoken to.”

I concluded, “The October 4 news release said that your task force has ‘considered a process for community healing and grief.’ The ELCA has caused great grief. It does not seem to have any concern or interest in helping to bring about healing. The recent events in the Sierra Pacific Synod give the impression that it is only if enough people are able to create a big enough groundswell for long enough that the ELCA will stop and take notice and deal with where it has caused great grief, pain, offence, and damage.” I then thanked her for hearing my concerns.

I am very glad to be able to share that on October 12 I received a very cordial response from Ms. Roberts. She said again, “Any concerns related to a synod bishop and issues of abuse are to be directed to Bishop Eaton.” Therefore I will write – again – to Bishop Eaton. Stay tuned.

“[B]ecause His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her” (Revelation 19:2)

One would think that with all the sexuality shoved in our face every day that we were deprived.  Just the opposite is true.  Sex sells and it is being used in our entertainment, advertising, and all over the place.  God intended sex to be intimate and discrete, not something to be used as it is.  But what about you?  Do you strive to look the other way, or are you steeped in the great prostitute’s perversion of what God has created?

Lord, sometimes I do not know what to do.  I am steeped in sex through this culture.  It is everywhere.  Help my eyes to be discerning and my brain to be protective against the wiles of  wickedness in this age.  I know the great prostitute is bound for perdition; but untangle me from her net and lead me in Your way of prudence, modesty, and chastity.  Help me to understand how to live in this age.

Lord Jesus, You knew how to deal with the woman caught in the act of adultery.  It seems adultery is what adults do in our age.  Help me. Lord. to be mindful of Your attitude of what You have created for the human body.  Lead me in the way of goodness and mercy so that I may walk humbly with You in a manner that is chaste and modest.  Lead me to live the same life on the inside as I display on the outside.  Amen.