“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (FIFTH IN A SERIES) Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions Why Can’t CLC Members Join the Lodge? The constitutions of congregations within the… Read More »“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” : Why Can’t CLC Members Join the Lodge?
The answer to our question will ultimately come from the answer to another question: “What is my purpose for visiting the church?” In answering… Read More »Is it God-Pleasing To Visit a Church of Another Denomination?
Joseph, Jesus’ step-father, is mentioned only within the context of Matthew’s and Luke’s “Christmas story” accounts.
After Luke’s account of the twelve-year old Jesus in the temple (Luke ch. 2), we hear no more of Joseph in the record of Scripture.
This minimal information about Joseph from Bethlehem has not prevented any number of people from saying much more than they know about him through fictionalized accounts of the gospel in television, movies, and videos.
From the Holy Spirit’s somewhat scant portrayal of Joseph we should not conclude that he had an insignificant role in the earthly life of Jesus or in God’s plan of salvation. Joseph had no small role, but a large one with weighty responsibility.
“When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him… Read More »“…You give them something to eat”
“The same, but different” is an oxymoron—two ideas that are seemingly contradictory. Yet when one talks about our unchanging, eternal God in the context of… Read More »Graduating with the Spirit
The recording of family histories has changed over the years, from grainy sepia tone, to black and white, to full vivid color, to digital. The storage of these family memories has likewise transitioned from shoeboxes to archival paper with adhesive corners to magnetic pages in bound books to the ethereal album on a smartphone or in the electronic cloud.
Regardless of form and storage, a moment of history frozen in a photograph Read More »The Last Picture
“…The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.” (John 10:25) When He had come to the other side, to… Read More »Victorious with Jesus— Spread the Word!
One doesn’t have to search far to find examples of human life being devalued. The periodic acts of violence in our nation’s schools and streets are regular reminders. So too are the statistics of abuse—physical and chemical—whether self-inflicted or by others. Statistics tell a similar tale in the running record of suicides, assisted suicides, abortions, and what borders on euthanasia.
These sad and sobering realities cut a wide swath with many and varied contributing factors, but they can all be traced back to a fundamental devaluing of life.Read More »The Value of Life
A large percentage of Christians today are Millennialists, eagerly waiting for Christ to return to establish a thousand-year reign on the Earth. This expectation also includes false teachings such as a “rapture” of believers and a “battle of Armageddon” (to name but two).
This millennial outlook concerning the end of time is not supported by Holy Scripture. As all other false teachings, millennialism robs Christ of His glory and His believers of comfort and peace.
Which glorifies God and gives believers comfort—anxiously watching the Middle East as one looks for signs to indicate Christ’s return to the region, OR simply trusting the eternal Son of God’s promises that He will come without signs or warnings?Read More »Readiness for Christ’s Return in Glory
There are milestones, course-changing events, and other momentous days that define our personal histories. These pivotal points may be filled with great joy or great… Read More »ILHS-Mankato Graduation 2013
