The Most Responsibility
BEST. JOB. EVER! Are you a young person pondering a career? Have you considered becoming a pastor or a Christian day school teacher? This twelve-part series is meant to coincide with the work of the… The Most Responsibility
The Ebionite Error
ERROR’S ECHO In this new series we take a look back at some of the most notorious errors and heresies that have threatened the church over the centuries, as well as the subtle (and not… The Ebionite Error
TLH 383 “Seek Where Ye May to Find a Way”
Hymn 383 is referenced to Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Clearly, this Bible passage teaches that only Jesus saves. Numerous other Bible verses teach the same thing. However, many today strongly object to that truth. They find it offensive. They acrimoniously challenge us by asking, “Do you really think it’s fair that only Christians are saved? What about those millions of others who are just as faithful and devout in their religions as you are in yours? Or what about all those who have never even heard the Gospel? Would a just and loving God really condemn all those people to eternal hell, just because they don’t believe in Jesus?”TLH 383 “Seek Where Ye May to Find a Way”
Refuge
Many seek refuge in all the wrong places. But because God is our refuge and strength, we can confidently say, “We will not fear—anything.”
Psalm 46:1-3 describes a scene of chaos and upheaval: the earth removed, mountains cast into the depths of the sea, waters roaring and troubled. This may be a cataclysmic event in nature, or the images may symbolize the chaos and upheaval of life. The phrase “though the earth be removed” is more literally “though the earth change.” Refuge
Genuine Faith
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit… Genuine Faith
“Double Honor”
The Christian farmer on his tractor is no less a minister of the Word than the pastor in the pulpit. The only difference is that the Gospel labor of tilling the earth is a little… “Double Honor”
TLH 245, LSB 571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING
Jesus ended His Sermon on the Mount with an illustration involving two men who built houses; one built on rock, the other on sand. The house built on rock withstood the onslaught of rain, flood, and winds and remained standing, while the one built on sand was destroyed. Whoever hears His Word and takes it to heart, Jesus says, is like the wise man who built on rock (Matthew 7:24-27).
The unknown author of our hymn used the same picture of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, describing Him as the “Ground of faith,” (stanza 2) and again, “the firmest ground of faith” (stanza 5). When our trust for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life is in Jesus, it is founded on ground that is rock solid, that will never give way. He is such firm ground for our trust because He is the only Son of God, sent by the Father to save the lost.TLH 245, LSB 571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
Counterintuitive Healing
GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT In my younger days I worked for the US Soil Conservation Service. One of my tasks was to check on the stands of perennial grasses in recently planted fields that… Counterintuitive Healing
Active Listeners
STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man… Active Listeners
1960 and Beyond
THE ORIGIN OF THE CLC One aspect of the discussion surrounding the “Joint Statement,” which will again be before us at our next convention, is how much importance to give to the events that took… 1960 and Beyond