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Celebrating the Jesus Antipoverty Program

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Basic RGB“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
(2 Corinthians 8:9)

Fighting poverty has been at the forefront of American politics for longer than I have been alive. Every few years a new government program is established to ward off the devastating effects of poverty in our nation. This issue is customarily brought to our attention during December. Well-intentioned efforts are made during the Christmas season to gather food for the needy, winter coats for the underprivileged, and toys so that every child can have a gift under the Christmas tree. Many claim that this is what Christmas is supposed to be about. Surely the volunteers who ring bells at the red kettles across our nation would agree with this assertion. But are we ready to agree that Jesus was born to fight poverty?

Absolutely!

But not the poverty that is described as a deficiency in material goods. The poverty that caused the Son of God to be born into this world was much deeper and far more devastating in its effects than what most Americans would Celebrating the Jesus Antipoverty Program

No Small Role

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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.

MaryJoesphIllustr1No Small Role

ADVENT AGAIN

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Advent is a season of preparation for Christians. Consisting ofthe first four Sundays of the new church year, it is the season during which we prepare to celebrate the birthday of the incarnate Christ. Each year we observe this season by preparing ourselves with prayer and contemplation of the historical fact as well as the significance of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.TheConcertofAngels1534GaudenzioFerrari

The season of Advent prior to the birth of Jesus lasted 4,000 years–through the whole Old Testament period, from the time the first promise ADVENT AGAIN

The PERFECT Present

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Fellow Worshippers of God’s Perfect Christmas Gift—  The cover of a recent Sunday newsmagazine said, “There’s still time to find the perfect present for Christmas.” And then it was said, “Check inside for last minute… The PERFECT Present

‘Going All In’ with Thanksgiving

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‘To the max,’ ‘pedal to the metal,’ and ‘nothing in reserve’
are several more slang terms that express a total commitment
to a cause or undertaking.

If one were to poll Americans as to what that means for them in connection with their Thanksgiving Day activities, no doubt many would answer they were ‘going all in’ with a day of football or ‘leaving nothing behind’ on the dinner table.

King David would have been amazed, if not shocked, for he put high value on actually giving thanks. Many are the psalm verses where he gives praise and thanksgiving to God for His wonderful works and words.

But there is one incident in David’s life when he especially ‘gave it all he had.’ It is recorded in the second book of Samuel (chapter 6), with a parallel account in 1 Chronicles 16.‘Going All In’ with Thanksgiving

Reason to Give Thanks Every Day!

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Thanksgiving Day is not an appointed church holiday but a national celebration. Nevertheless, the church celebrates it for good reason. Surely, when we consider the blessings from our Heavenly Father from whom comes every good and perfect gift, we have reason to say every day: “Praise the Lord. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

“But really?!” 

Yes, there is much happening in this nation that prompts the question. As Christians we are not unaffected by the economic, political, moral, and cultural deterioration. Christians too suffer personal afflictions. On top of all, we are appalled at the terrorism that has the nations of the world on edge.Reason to Give Thanks Every Day!

No Prayer Barrier

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Heavenly Father, hear our prayers and accept our praises for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

seal3What we see and hear this day is a wondrous thing. The fact that this school exists is wondrous. The fact that you are here is wondrous. The fact that there are teachers and staff is wondrous. Most wondrous of all is the fact that this school, its students, faculty, and staff have the Word of God with its gospel of salvation.No Prayer Barrier

The Reformation Blessing Above All Others

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Martin_luther_BWartMany blessings of the Reformation of the 1500’s still affect us today.

We could mention having a Bible translation in our native tongue, having many hymns to sing praises to God, putting into practice the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers (that Christ has given every believer—not just to the pope and his priests—the keys to forgive or to retain sins), and parents and pastors using Luther’s Small Catechism to instruct children in the basic Bible teachings.The Reformation Blessing Above All Others

What is a Lutheran (according to Luther)?

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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’?”What is a Lutheran (according to Luther)?