And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10-11 ESV) Can you recall any Baptisms that were memorable? Perhaps… Heaven Has Been Torn Open! Read More

DEVOTION – SECOND COMING Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who… Jesus Is Directing Things for His Second Coming Read More

DEVOTION—THE PUBLIC MINISTRY In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, “Hans and Franz” wanted to “pump you up!” Two comedians were mimicking body builder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wearing stuffed sweatsuits, weightlifting belts and gloves, Hans and Franz complained about “flabby arms” and weak bodies. In their comedy routine, they talked about wanting to “pump… Building the Body of Christ Read More

DEVOTION—LORD’S SUPPER A “Why is this night different from all others?” If you had grown up in a Jewish household, you would probably know the significance of this question. Each year, at each Passover, one of the children at the table would have asked this question of the head of the Passover meal. On the night… Union in Communion Read More

DEVOTION—THE CHRISTIAN’S FOE Some of you might be familiar with the motion picture The Ghost and the Darkness. In the late 1800’s, the British Empire was trying to build a railroad across East Africa between Kenya and Uganda. One of the big obstacles they faced was a pair of man-eating lions. The lions would lurk… Alert Against the Adversary Read More

“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15) In the early New Testament church, identifying yourself as a “Christian” (Acts 11:26) was all you needed to say to let others know what you believed. “I am a follower of… The Brief Statement of 1932: A Landmark of Confessional Lutheranism Read More

DEVOTION – GOOD FRIDAY Lent and Holy Week have some very powerful and moving hymns that cause us to pause and contemplate our Savior’s passion. A few hymns that come to mind are, “Go to Dark Gethsemane,” “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted,” “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” and one that captured my imagination as a child,… “Were You There?” Read More

DEVOTION – Stewardship “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) “Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.” (Genesis 39:6) It is a strange course on which the Lord led Joseph.… Faithful Stewards Read More

Jeslyn just looked at me. I had some very important questions for her, but she gave no answer. “Do you renounce the devil and all his wicked works and all his ways?” Obviously, that is a question to which you would hope to hear an unambiguous “YES!” answer. But, Jeslyn said nothing—she just looked at… Answering for Themselves Read More

DEVOTION – JOHN THE BAPTIST Pick one of today’s more “popular” preachers with a large following. Maybe it would be Joel Osteen with his average attendance of 52,000. Or maybe it would be the “Purpose Driven” preacher, Rick Warren, with his average attendance of 22,000. Regardless of the numerically popular preacher’s name, can you imagine… “He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease” Read More

DEVOTION – THE MEANS OF GRACE Ah, summer vacation! Time to get away from the city and enjoy nature around us. There are national and state parks to visit, tents to be pitched, campfires to sit around, and lakes to “get away” to. This time of year it’s not unusual to hear the comment, “I… The Gospel God’s Grace Comes to Us Read More

A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE CLC SNAPSHOTS OF CONGREGATIONS FROM AROUND THE CHURCH OF THE LUTHERAN CONFESSION “Then He said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became… Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Spokane, Washington Read More

DEVOTION – LORD’S PRAYER “Our Father who art in heaven.”  We address the heavenly Father who sent His beloved Son to save us from our sins and in His amazing grace chose us to be His children. Just as a three-year-old child is unafraid to ask her dad for whatever is on her heart, let… A Perfect Prayer from Our Perfect Lord Read More

DEVOTION – ADVENT  “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”  (Mark 13:37) “Place your order today to receive it by December 24.” Modern shipping services are pretty remarkable. Most orders we place online arrive on our doorstep three days later. If we’re in a real pinch, we can pay extra and… On Watch Read More

In our family, there are few things we enjoy more than a freshly picked tomato out of our garden. As I write this article, the soil has been prepared and the tomato plants are in the garden and have been caged. We know that we will have to make sure the plants are watered and… A Fruitful Christian Life Read More

DEVOTION – NEW LIFE The year is 1753, in America. As long as you can remember, you have had to obey every whim of your master. He determines everything you do. He tells you when to get up and when to go to bed. He determines what you eat, how much you eat, and when… Our New Life in the Risen Christ Read More

There are few Old Testament Bible accounts that captivate one’s imagination more than the story of the prophet Elijah. Elijah served as the Lord’s mouthpiece in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. The nation was rife with idolatry. The Lord used Elijah to show the folly… “He is Elijah, Who is to Come” Read More

Election coverage seems as if it has been going on “forever.” But in reality, it was only last spring when candidates began announcing their campaigns to be the next President of the United States. Since then, the news media have been covering the campaigns and discussing things like polls, “favorability,” and “electability.” Such coverage will… Election Coverage Read More

Do you need your tire jack? Of course you do! If you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, you are going to be glad you have that tire jack. We use our tire jacks to lift a very heavy car so we can swap out a flat tire with a spare tire.… “Lord, Teach Us How to Pray” Read More

We are in a season that involves a great deal of preparation. We prepare our homes and our church buildings with decorations for Christmas. In northern climates, the local hardware stores offer “winter survival [or preparedness] kits.” Such kits are suggested for a driver who might become stranded in his car during a blizzard. Such… Prepared by John the Baptist Read More