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Daily Life

A Conference Opening Devotion

NOTE: A meditation presented to the West Central District Delegate Conference Grace Lutheran Church, CLC, Valentine, Nebraska (May 24, 2011)

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers… So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2:42,46-47Read More »A Conference Opening Devotion

Called To Be Witnesses

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8)

In the first chapter of Acts we read the account of how Jesus, in the weeks leading up to His ascension, appeared to His disciples on various occasions and confirmed for them His great Easter victory. At this time He also informed them that He would soon bless them with power from on high that would enable them to serve as His gospel witnesses. After His departure to heaven He would use them as His instruments to broadcast far and wide in the world the news of His death-destroying, life-restoring work as mankind’s Savior.Read More »Called To Be Witnesses

Living For Christ

When you read the following Bible words, you can be certain they are talking specifically about your heart—that it “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked...” (Jeremiah 17:5).

At first you might feel insulted. It’s normal—just your sinful flesh acting up. The original Hebrew words are frightening (the English is bad enough!). The situation is serious; you may have forgotten how and why.

In your heart there are two religions. Both come from superior beings. Both give revelations. Both have doctrines and writings. Both claim rulership over you. Both talk of sinfulness and forgiveness. Both have a doctrine of justification. Both have commandments. Both of them promise advantages (good) and to ward off disadvantages (evil). Both use the idea of fear, promise to provide knowledge, and promise to give eternal life. And both encourage worship and praise to be directed to them.

You are a Christian, and you believe that things in the previous paragraph pertain to Christianity. And so they do.Read More »Living For Christ

The Blessing Of Fellowship

Just exactly what is “Scriptural fellowship”?

Fellowship may be companionship or an exercise of friendliness toward one another. It expresses what the dictionary defines as a “community of interest.” The exercise of such fellowship serves society. But fellowship as society defines it is quite shallow—certainly a far cry from the scriptural concept.

“Fellowship” in the scriptural sense does not revolve around coffee but around the Word of God. A God-pleasing exercise of fellowship is based upon a common understanding of God’s Word and a Spirit-wrought acceptance and agreement in all that Scripture teaches.Read More »The Blessing Of Fellowship

Christian Service to One Another

(first written for the pastor’s column of a local newspaper)

When someone speaks of menial labor, he’s probably talking about the kind of work that hardly anybody wants to do.

The word menial originally meant household, which brings to mind all the chores that get done because, well, somebody has to do them. Who, after all, really wants to wash the dishes after a meal? Isn’t it better to have someone else do that while you turn on your favorite TV program? Who really wants to mow the lawn and rake the leaves?

I once met a man who really did want to. The lawn on the property of the church I served as pastor was a lot bigger than it looked and involved some pretty steep hills. One hot summer Sunday as he was leaving church, this volunteer told me how he couldn’t wait to get started on the lawn that afternoon. “You’re joking, right?” I asked him.Read More »Christian Service to One Another