The Lutheran Hour (Lutheran)

Today, we are reminded of the outward direction of the Christian life. God continues to direct us outward to our neighbor in His love. We are called to be impartial in our willingness to share the Gospel of Jesus with others as we celebrate its acceptance in the lives of people from every tribe, language, or culture.

"All roads lead to Rome." That's no longer true. "�All religions lead to God." That's never been true. Pastor Ken Klaus talks about paths that lead nowhere, this week on The Lutheran Hour.

This is a message proclaiming the utter joy of knowing that Jesus wishes to come to you through His gifts to bless you by the power of His Spirit. The real power of the Christian life is to know that faith's power is the strength of His grip of grace, His hold on your life.

Many today might think of this message of Jesus, His cross and resurrection, as a cruel April Fool's joke from God. But the Bible actually says that this message is God's salvation, God's rescue from this world�s eternal April Fool's reality of sin, death, and damnation.

The Good News that Jesus is offering is God's love as a gift, God's favor by grace, and real forgiveness through a real cross with a real resurrection, a new start for all who trust in Him. The Good News of Jesus Christ is not about religion, at all.

True faith outlasts suffering because true faith is connected to the life, death, and resurrection of the suffering Savior for you. His presence sustains us, His Word guides us, and His promises are sure, no matter what the circumstance. Faith outlasts suffering.

Can you fathom what it means that it required the sacrifice of God's own Son in order that you might live, forgiven and redeemed?

When things seem out of our control, we hate the wait! In fact, we're tempted even then not to wait on the Lord but rather to do something about it, to grab for the gusto, to take what we want, now. Wait? Who has time to wait? Who has patience to wait? Who has faith to wait?

Someone said that the elixir of modern life is the joy of not knowing where you're going, the confidence of not knowing how to get there so that you can have the peace of not worrying about when you'll arrive. Jesus challenges us to wake up from such a purposeless stupor. He called Peter and the disciples to a life of following Him, of taking up the challenge of pursuing others with His gospel message.

In the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus also jumping into the water for you and me. Jesus steps into the River Jordan for a baptism that He didn't need, to save a people who didn't deserve it, for a solidarity with sinners so that sinners might receive God's forgiveness and mercy by grace.

Ponder the cradle and the cross and Christ's empty tomb. Ponder them and know, no matter your worry, your concern, your sin, God loves you enough to have sent His Son to save you, to be with you, to bless you, to restore you.

Relentless love, graciously given, is the reality of God at work towards the world. Relentless lives of grace are the responses of God's people to others in His name. God has a will for you as you wait for Him.

You probably don't understand 'meekness.' That�s because the word 'meek' didn't mean powerless or impotent. No, a person was meek if he kept his power under control and used it for a purpose. That's the way Jesus was meek. Power for a purpose.

In faith, those who trust in Jesus Christ alone can await His coming with joy, for He comes with life, with light. He comes with forgiveness and hope, and He comes to put darkness and sin in their eternal place, once and for all.

Some have heard of Reformation Day, but the vast majority of people don't know why it should be remembered. Most people know about Reformation Day, but very few of them celebrate it. On the other hand, very few people have heard the name Samhain, but almost everybody observes that festival.