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
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… From Recluse to Scholar: 1506-1507
“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?”
How is your mood on Monday? During the NFL season in the community I call home, the Monday mood of many hinges on what happened the previous Sunday afternoon. If our team won, there are… The Monday After
A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (SIXTEENTH IN A SERIES) I recently saw a social media post in which a Christian from a Reformed church disparaged Lutherans for observing what he disdainfully referred to… Hymn 140 “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now”
(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!”
“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
“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (TWENTY-FIFTH IN A SERIES) Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions Whenever a secular group or organization tries to inject a spiritual component into its activities or purpose, there is cause for concern. A… “What Are Our Concerns about the American Legion?”
A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (FIFTEENTH IN A SERIES)
Sometimes it helps to see a sequence of letters in print to understand what is being said. Consider a-p-a-r-t. When those letters are placed next to each other it means, ironically, that items are separated. They are “apart.” When the first two letters are separated, however, it conveys that items are connected. They are “a part.”
Which of those options applies to our relationship with the people of God?
As a group, we Gentiles—those who cannot trace blood lines back to Abraham—were separate from the covenant people of Old Testament times. Gentiles were apart from God’s chosen people of Israel, apart from those to whom the prophets were sent and the promises given.Hymn 129 Once Far Off But Now Invited
“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
