TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; [ ] = Biblical Events Noted Date Verse Reading Comments [Festivals of the Church Year] Dec 1 WS 796 Jeremiah 31:3-9 God never forsakes His believing children, but nourishes and cherishes His remnant. Dec 2 TLH 493 Ezekiel 2:1-3:4 Although Ezekiel was being sent… Read More »Month Archive Read More
Year/Month: 2016/12
“He’s coming! I’m so excited! It was three years ago that we were engaged, then he was sent overseas. I think about him every day. We text and e-mail, but I long to see him face to face and hold him in my arms. Now he’s coming home. We will be married and live happily… Read More »Month Archive Read More
There are few Old Testament Bible accounts that captivate one’s imagination more than the story of the prophet Elijah. Elijah served as the Lord’s mouthpiece in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. The nation was rife with idolatry. The Lord used Elijah to show the folly… Read More »Month Archive Read More
Imagine yourself as a Jew living in Jerusalem in the year we now call A.D. 301. Roman rule over Judea embitters your life. Your religious leaders—the Pharisees—have burdened you with numerous invented religious “laws” which they say you must follow in order to be righteous in God’s eyes. Sadducees, the other prominent Jewish social/ religious/political… Read More »Month Archive Read More
“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, “Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will,… Read More »Month Archive Read More
(Please read Judges 9 for the setting, people, and events to which this devotion refers.) Sunday school students are fascinated by the characters in the book of Judges—Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Samson. . . . You don’t remember a Sunday school lesson about Abimelech? That’s because Abimelech was not chosen by God to be the leader.… Read More »Month Archive Read More
Fraternal insurance is not provided by an insurance company, but rather by a fraternal benefit society. Fraternals were developed in the 1800’s as a way for people to join with others who shared a common bond and purpose. Individuals who are insured through fraternal benefit societies are members of a fraternity bonded together by what… Read More »Month Archive Read More
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 with an account of his posting of the Ninety-Five Theses. The World into which Luther was Born Martin Luther has been said to have… Read More »Month Archive Read More
What a joy it is to be able to again celebrate the birth of our Redeemer this December! We look around at a world gone haywire and then we look at the infant King and know why we celebrate His coming. Can there be any better answer to this world’s fears and worries than the… Read More »Month Archive Read More
Started as a mission in the early days of the Synodical Conference, St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1909. In March of 1908, the Herman Ferking family was making its way from Greenway, South Dakota, to Lemmon. At Roscoe, South Dakota, there was a layover of several hours between train connections, and Pastor… Read More »Month Archive Read More
The mission work of the CLC in Europe is different from our work in other countries of the world. We have no indigenous church body with whom we are in fellowship. We have contacts with several individuals who, for various reasons, have left their previous fellowships or are in the process of leaving. In the… Read More »Month Archive Read More
Surprises. They make up a big part of Christmas anticipation, don’t they? Packages of all shapes and sizes begin to appear under the tree, and with them the growing expectation of wonderful, exciting surprises. Who knows what might be in that small, square box—perhaps a ring? And it’s not just the presents we give and… Read More »Month Archive Read More