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We have one more treasure which is indispensable to us, namely our honour and good name; for it is intolerable to live among people in public disgrace and contempt. (Proverbs 22:1) Therefore, God will not have our neighbour deprived of his reputation, honour and character any more than of his money and possessions; (Mark 14:3-9) He would have every man maintain his self-respect ...

Next to our own person and our spouse, our temporal property is dearest to us. This too, God wants to have protected. He has forbidden us to rob or pilfer the possessions of our neighbour…This includes taking advantage of our neighbour in any sort of dealing that results in loss to him…A person steals not only when he robs a man’s stronghold or his pocket, but also when he take ...

The Fifth to the Tenth Commandments all teach us to guard against harming our neighbour in any way (1 Thess 4:3-5; 1 Cor 6:9-11). They are admirably arranged. First, they deal with our neighbours’ person. Then they proceed to the person nearest and dearest to him, namely his wife, (spouse)who is one flesh and blood with him. In no possession of his can we inflict a greater inju ...

God & government are not included in this commandment. Nor is the power to kill taken away, which God and government have. (Rom 13:4) To punish evildoers, God has delegated His authority to the government, not parents…. Therefore, what is forbidden in this commandment is forbidden to the individual in his relationship with anyone else, but not to the government. Concordia 3 ...

The Fourth Commandment gives a special position to fatherhood and motherhood. (Proverbs 23:22; 15:20; Deuteronomy 21:18-21) All other positions are beneath it. (Mark 7:10-12) In this commandment God does not simply command us to love our parents, but to honour them. (John 19:25-27, Genesis 47:11-12) Regarding our brothers, sisters, and neighbours in general, He commands nothing ...

The Third Commandment, “Why should I go to Church?” Someone might ask.  “I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian!” What answer would you give? Someone I was listening to the other day said, “Because that’s the way I stay a Christian. If I didn’t go to worship, I would wander away from God.” The Third Commandment deals with our need to “hear God’s Word”. “Let the person w ...

The Frist Commandment, (which we learnt last week), urges us to ‘Trust God’; for to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing in Him with the heart; expecting all good from Him and taking refuge in Him in all distress.  Luther teaches us that, “if the confidence and faith of the heart is right, then your God is also true. On the other hand, if your trust is false ...

Today marks a new beginning! The new logo, tagline, name & revamped Bulletin are signs of this. Today, for the first time in 3 months, all our ‘faith communities’ are gathering once again for the Divine Service. As we begin again, I want to encourage you to 1) also to make a new beginning, if your devotional life has been a bit poor, or 2) to recommitment to continue with y ...