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Devotions

What is a Lutheran (according to Luther)?

You meet a new colleague and to your surprise you discover she is a Lutheran. You are delighted to find you have this in common.

In the course of time, however, after several discussions you realize your colleague does not believe God created the world in six days, as the Bible says. Then, come to find out, she doesn’t really believe the account of Jesus’ resurrection is to be taken literally. When it really comes down to it, she isn’t even sure there is a literal heaven and is pretty sure there is no such thing as hell.

You finally ask, incredulously, “You call yourself a ‘Lutheran’?”Read More »What is a Lutheran (according to Luther)?

What Is a ‘Confessional’ Lutheran?

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” 

(Matthew 7:15)

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you
will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 

 (1 Timothy 4:16)

Jesus emphasized doctrine in His ministry. He went from city to city teaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God, preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Jesus was very adamant about corrupt and false teachings that were being disseminated among the people. “He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29). He possessed the authority of God, for Jesus was and is the Word made flesh. His Word is true, and only by continuing in His Word shall we be set free from sin, death, and the devil (John 8:31-32).

Jesus’ warning concerning the dangers of false teachers and Read More »What Is a ‘Confessional’ Lutheran?

Convention Rain Showers

Pastor Gullerud was asked to share with our readers some “Convention musings.” In this article he nicely captures the thrust of the 31st Convention of the CLC (June 2014). This issue also contains one of the Chaplain’s devotions as well as an abbreviated version of the second Convention essay.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-8Read More »Convention Rain Showers

The Resurrection Difference

“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Read More »The Resurrection Difference

“Turning the World “Upside Down”

CLC President’s Report to the 31st Convention

Dear saints in Christ and fellow workers in His kingdom:

Does it matter? Does what we do here make any real, significant, positive, lasting difference? If it does, we have reason and incentive to get to work; if not, what’s the point? From a human perspective we have little chance of accomplishing anything lasting. We are a small group with no political capital to spend and few material resources. What could we possibly do?

However, that could also have been said of the Apostle Paul and Silas when they arrived in Thessalonica in the course of Paul’s second missionary journey. There was nothing impressive about these two itinerant missionaries of Jesus. Yet before long, the Jews were accusing Paul and the other Christians of “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Sent out from the living Lord of the Church, they upset the status quo. Hearts and attitudes were completely changed. Without question, they made a difference.Read More »“Turning the World “Upside Down”

“God Our Savior Desires All Men to be Saved!”

Jesus is the One  Meditator of that Truth!

The year was 1976, and I was ten years old, growing up just outside of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

The company where my Dad worked was a union shop, and a strike was called because of a disagreement between management and the union. The strike lasted for at least a year. No doubt the union workers were not 100% satisfied with the fact that non-union workers were allowed in the shop. But the mediators, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), had spoken, and that was it.Read More »“God Our Savior Desires All Men to be Saved!”

Happy Pentecost Harvest!

(Please read Acts chapter 2)

Pentecost – This word is derived from the Greek word Pentecoste, fiftieth, because the feast of Pentecost was celebrated the fiftieth day after the sixteenth of Nisan, which was the second day of the feast of the passover. The Hebrews call it the Feast of Weeks, Exodus 34:22, because it was kept seven weeks after the passover. It was the Jewish harvest-home. (From Cruden’s Complete Concordance)

God’s timing can make an interesting case study. We know from the Holy Scriptures that Christ was sent into Read More »Happy Pentecost Harvest!