Daily Devotion for 19 September 2026 (16th Saturday after Pentecost)

0:00Music Welcome to the Daily Devotions Podcast from Confident Faith. I am Corey J. Moller, a contributor here at Confident Faith. I will be your reader today, this 17th Saturday after Pentecost, the 19th of September. In the year of our Lord, 2026, in the time of the Church. There are no feasts, festivals or commemorations on the calendar today. Our readings for today are Psalm 136. Nehemiah 2.11-20 and chapter 4.1-6.

1:001 Timothy 2.15 and Paragraphs 59.67 of Article 12A of the apology of the Augsburg confession. We will close, as always, with the Lord's Prayer. Today's reading from the Psalter is the 136th Psalm. Make open acknowledgment to the Lord because He is kind, because unto the age is His mercy. Make open acknowledgment to the God of the gods, because unto the age is His mercy. Make open acknowledgment to the Lord of lords, because unto the age is His mercy. appear to Him who makes great wondrous things alone, because unto the age is His mercy. to Him who made the heavens an understanding, because unto the age is His mercy. To Him who made solid the earth upon the water, because unto the age is His mercy,

2:01to Him who made great lights alone, because unto the age is His mercy the sun unto authority of the day, because unto the age is His mercy. The moon and the stars unto authority of the night, because unto the age is his mercy, to him who struck Egypt with their firstborn, because unto the age is his mercy, and who led Israel out from their midst, because unto the age is his mercy, in a might he hand in a high arm, because unto the age is his mercy, to him who divided the red sea into divisions, because unto the age is his mercy. And who led Israel through in the midst of it, because unto the age is his mercy, and who shook out Pharaoh in his force into a red sea, because unto the age is his mercy, to him who led his people through in a wilderness, because unto the age is his mercy, to him who struck great kings, because unto the age is his mercy, and who killed might he kings,

3:02because unto the age is his mercy. The honk King of the Amorites, because unto the age is his mercy, and Og King of Bashan, because unto the age is his mercy, and who gave their land as an inheritance, because unto the age is his mercy, and inheritance of Israel is servant, because unto the age is his mercy. And he ransomed us from a hand of our enemies, because unto the age is his mercy, he who gives food to all flesh, because unto the age is his mercy, make open acknowledgment to the Lord of the heaven, because unto the age is his mercy. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forevermore. Amen. Today's Old Testament reading comes from the book of Niyamaya, and we will be reading the second chapter, verses 11-20, and the fourth chapter, verses 1-6.

4:09And I came to Jerusalem, and was there for three days, and I got up during the night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what God was putting into my heart to do along with Israel, and there is no animal with me, except the animal which I ride upon it. And I went out by the gate of Gohlella, and to the mouth of the fountain of the figs, and to the gate of the dung, and I was crushing in the wall of Jerusalem, which they are pulling down, and its gates were consumed by fire. And I went on to the gate of Aeen, and in the King's swimming pool, and there was no place for the animal under me to continue, and I kept going up in the wall of the wadi by night, and kept crushing in the wall, and I was in the gate of the ravine and returned. And those who were guarding did not know why I went, and what I was doing, and until then I had not told the Judeans in the priests and the distinguished and the generals, and the rest that were doing the work.

5:09And I said to them, you see the trouble in which we are in it, how Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates were given to fire. Come and let us wall after Jerusalem's wall, and we will no longer suffer disgrace. And I reported to them the hand of God that was good upon me, and the words of the King had spoken to me, and I said, let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good, and Sanbalat and Harani and Tobaya the slave, the Amoni, and Gisham the Arabi heard, and they mocked us and came against us and said, what is this matter that you are doing, are you rebelling against the King? And I returned word to them and said to them, the God of heaven, he will give us success, and we are his pure slaves, and we will build it, and you have no share and righteousness and record in Jerusalem. And it happened when Sanbalat heard that we were building the wall, and he was upset and greatly enraged, and he mocked at the Judeans, and he said in the presence of his builders,

6:13is this the power of Somoran, that these Judeans are building the city for themselves? Are they then sacrificing? Will they then be strong, and will they today repair the scorched stones, after they had become the rubbish heap of the land? And Tobias the Amonite came beside him, and they said to themselves, they will not sacrifice or eat in their place, will they? Will a fox not go up and break down their stone wall? For O our God, for we have become despised, and return their taunt to their heads, and give them over to sneering in a land of captivity, and do not cover over their lawlessness. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Today's New Testament reading comes from the book of 1 Timothy, and we will be reading the 2nd chapter, verses 1 through 15. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanks-givings

7:15be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, who is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the nations in faith and truth. I desire them that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling, likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness, with good works.

8:16Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man. Rather she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. That she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Today's reading from the book of Concorde comes from the apology of the Augsburg confession, and we will be reading Article 12A, paragraph 59 through 67. Forgiveness of sins received by faith. Since the adversaries clearly condemn our statement, that people obtain the forgiveness of sins by faith, we shall add a few proofs. From these it will be understood that the forgiveness of sins is received, not by the outward deed

9:21exoprioporato, because of contrition, but by that special faith by which an individual believes that sins are pardoned for him. For this is the chief article that we are debating with our adversaries, and the knowledge we regard is necessary to all Christians. However, we have said enough already about the same subject, and we'll be brief, for the doctrine of repentance and justification are very closely related. When the adversaries speak of faith, saying that it comes before repentance, they understand faith this way, not that faith justifies, but that in a general way it believes that God exists, that punishments have been threatened to the wicked, and so on. In addition to this faith, we require that each one believe that his sins are pardoned. We are arguing about this specific faith, and we contrast it to the opinion that asks us to trust not in Christ's promise, but in the outward act, obosopratum of contrition, confessions at his factions, and so on.

10:24This faith follows terrors in such a way as to overcome them and make the conscience peaceful. We attribute justification and regeneration to this faith, since it frees from terrors and produces not only peace and joy, but also a new life in the heart. With God's help, we shall defend to eternity, and against all the gates of hell, that this faith is truly necessary for the forgiveness of sins, and so place it among the parts of repentance. For does Christ's church believe otherwise, although our adversaries contradict us? Furthermore, we ask the adversaries whether or not absolution is a part of repentance. If they separated from confession, they are clever in making the distinction. We do not see what benefit confession has without absolution. If, however, they do not separate absolution from confession, it is necessary for them to hold that faith is a part of repentance, because absolution is not received except through faith.

11:24However, that absolution is received only through faith is proven from Paul, who teaches that the promise cannot be received except by faith, Romans 4.16. Absolution is the promise of the forgiveness of sins, therefore it necessarily requires faith. Neither do we see how the person who does not yield to absolution may be said to receive absolution. What else is the refusal to yield to absolution, but charging God with falsehood? If the heart doubts, it regards those things that God promises as uncertain and of no account. So it is written, whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God is born concerning his son, 1 John 5-10. And we think that the adversary's recognize that the forgiveness of sins is either a part of repentance or its end, the terminus ad quem. Therefore, whatever receives the forgiveness of sins is correctly added to the parts of repentance.

12:28However, it is very certain that even though all the gates of hell contradict us, the forgiveness of sins cannot be received except by faith alone. This faith believes that sins are pardoned for Christ's sake, according to Romans 3.25, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. Likewise, through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace, Romans 5.2. For a terrified conscience cannot set our works or our love against God's wrath. It is eventually quieted when it takes hold of Christ as mediator and believes the promise is given for His sake, for those who imagine that hearts become quieted without faith, in Christ, do not understand what the forgiveness of sins is or how it came to us. So 1 Peter 2 verse 6, cites from Isaiah 49 23 and 28 16, whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

13:29It is necessary therefore that hypocrites be puzzled. They are confident that they receive the forgiveness of sins because of their own works and not because of Christ. Peter also says to him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins, Acts 10 43, what he says through his name could not be expressed more clearly. He adds, everyone who believes in Him. So we receive the forgiveness of sins only through Christ's name, that is for Christ's sake and not for the sake of any merits and works of our own. This happens when we believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. Our adversaries cry out that they are the church, that they are following the general agreement of the church. But Peter also cites here in our issue the consensus of the church, to him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins, Acts 10 43, the general

14:30agreement of the prophets is certainly to be judged as the general agreement of the church universal. We admit neither to the Pope nor to the church the power to make decrees against this general agreement of the prophets. But the bull of Leo openly condemns this article, repentance, and the adversary's condemnate in the computation. It is clear what sort of a church we must judge these men to be. By their decrees they not only condemn the doctrine that we obtain the forgiveness of sins through faith, not an account of our works, but because of Christ, but they also give the command to abolish it by force and the sword and by every kind of cruelty and to put to death good people who believe this way. This concludes our reading from the book of Concord. I now invite all of you to join me in reciting the Lord's Prayer, one of the most ancient prayers of the church. I do encourage you to say it aloud if you are somewhere reasonable to do so, but praying

15:34it silently is, of course, also fine. The Lord knows what is in your heart. Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Go in peace and grace to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in whatever calling has been given you or tasks that before you until tomorrow. I'll be with you.