The Man In the Fire
GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Any Sunday School student worth his salt knows of the three men in the fiery furnace. They might even remember their names — Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego—and that these three… The Man In the Fire
Christian Crosses are for Your Good
STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations,… Christian Crosses are for Your Good
“What is a sacrament, and how many are there?”
“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (TWENTY-Sixth IN A SERIES) Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions You will not find the word sacrament in the Bible. If you were to do a quick search in a concordance, the closest… “What is a sacrament, and how many are there?”
Christ Loves You with a PASSION
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34, NIV84)
What’s your passion?
Is there a hobby you especially enjoy doing? Cooking? Playing piano? Fixing cars? Long distance running? Most folks have a set of activities they choose to include in their schedules depending on their interests. It’s good to have such diversions. They have a way of adding spice to life. They can also revitalize us for the respective callings in life which the Lord has given us (in the home, at work, at church, and so on).
Speaking of “callings,” we will soon enter the season of Lent.
It’s the time of year when we ponder in a special way the calling God gave to His Son, Jesus. We are reminded how Jesus’ one burning desire—His passion—was to finish the mission His Father assigned to Him for our eternal blessing. For Jesus it was, of course, more than a hobby. It was THE reason He was born into the world. As we meditate on His work for us, it saddens us to think how it was our transgressions that brought such woe on Him. At the same time, it makes us happy. The basis for our happiness could be pictured by an acrostic on that word PASSION, as follows:
The P in “PASSION” stands for PREDICTED. We hear again and again in the passion account that everything took place so the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled (for an example, read Matthew 26:55-56). This is important because it proves that Jesus is our true Messiah, chosen by God to serve us in love.Christ Loves You with a PASSION
“I Will Deliver You No More!”
(For context, please read Judges 10:6-16) “Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 10:6) Again? This cycle continues throughout the book of Judges, but it is not unique to… “I Will Deliver You No More!”
One Sacrifice for Sins
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour… One Sacrifice for Sins
Caught in a Storm (1504-1505)
The ROAD TO REFORMATION In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we are presenting a brief survey of the life of Martin Luther. The series will culminate in the October 2017 issue… Caught in a Storm (1504-1505)
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church White River, South Dakota
A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE CLC Snapshots of Congregations from Around the Church of the Lutheran Confession The nearly hundred-year history of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is one that stands as a testament… St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church White River, South Dakota
Unto Us a Child Is Born
A birth announcement can be one of the more joyful tasks a married couple may complete. Whether the news is published online, with an old-fashioned picture, or with a card in the mail, everyone wants to hear the details—boy or girl? How much did he weigh? How long was he? What’s the name? Who does the baby look like?
When Jesus was presented at the Temple forty days after His birth, it was no mere birth announcement for the delight of relatives and the curiosity of strangers. Rather, it was a fulfillment of God’s Law and a pronouncement of Who Jesus truly is.
The period of Jesus’ life that we refer to as the “state of humiliation”
was continuing. He had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. He spent nine months growing inside of His mother until the proper time had come for His arrival. At eight days old, Jesus had already begun to shed His innocent blood, in the rite of circumcision. Now His mother and step-father brought Him to the Temple for His mother’s purification and His own ritual redemption.Unto Us a Child Is Born
Completed Actions, Abiding Results
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:19-25Completed Actions, Abiding Results