“Mandrakes, Please”
GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT The Bible mentions more than one hundred plants, herbs, and trees; everything from acacia and aloe to wheat and wormwood. Knowing the appearance and properties of these plants can help…
“Mandrakes, Please”
Faith Therapy
STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore…
“Christians can worship together as long as they agree on the fundamentals.”
READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER (FUNDAMENTALISM) Passages that will help you respond when people say… There’s a reason why no one talks about the Ecumenical Movement anymore. It’s the same reason why no one was…
—1530— Luther and the Augsburg Confession
The ROAD TO REFORMATION In observation of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we are presenting a brief survey of the life of Martin Luther. The series continues with major events in the life…
Ascension Lutheran Church Batavia, Illinois
A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE CLC SNAPSHOTS OF CONGREGATIONS FROM AROUND THE CHURCH OF THE LUTHERAN CONFESSION A hymn of glory let us sing; New songs thro’out the world shall ring: Alleluia! Christ, by…
Church of the Lutheran Confession in Tanzania (CLC-TZ)
NOTES FROM THE FIELD In this series, thoseinvolved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors. During a recent visit to our sister church body in Tanzania, I was able to assist…
Third Foreign Missionary Authorized
MISSION NEWSLETTER Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields. “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the…
“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS July 2018
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006
Date Verse Reading Comments
Jul 2 TLH 392 Psalm 32 King David contrasts the torment of unrepented sin with the blessed sweetness of forgiveness in Christ.
Jul 3 TLH 4 Leviticus 11:29-30, 41-47 God put these food laws in place for Israel to teach them about being holy before Him and to prepare them for Christ Who gave them His holiness.
Jul 4 TLH 577/LSB 965; 2 Kings 2:1-14 The Lord will continue to provide faithful ministers of the Gospel until He comes again.
Jul 5 TLH 310/LSB 713; Psalm 80 When we fall into sin and see the sad result of our failure, we call upon the Lord to restore us and revive us again.
Jul 6 TLH 366 Proverbs 8:1-21 Want to be wise? Respect God and trust in Him. That is true wisdom.
Jul 7 TLH 605/LSB 513; Luke 17:22-30 When Christ comes again, His return will be quick and without warning, interrupting the daily routine of life on earth.
Me—a Patriot?
COVER STORY – PATRIOTISM
I urge, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
(1 Timonthy 2:1-4 NIV84)
pa·tri·ot
“A person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.” This is a dictionary definition for the word patriot. Do you think of yourself as one who falls into this category? Perhaps not. When you hear the word patriot your thoughts may turn to American heroes like Paul Revere, who made his daring midnight ride to warn the colonial militia about approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord. Or men like Patrick Henry, the American orator, known for his fiery declaration before the Second Virginia Convention: “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Those men were patriots. But me? I don’t think so.
Think about it
When you think about it more carefully, though, can you see that, as a believer in the Lord Jesus, you are in a position to serve your country as a patriot in the highest sense? You understand, don’t you, that history is not ruled by happenstance, but by your almighty Savior, Who has determined the pre-appointed times and boundaries of the nations. This being true, you may approach His throne of grace, imploring Him to bless your nation with wise leaders who will govern the citizens of your nation well.
Citizens by Birth—and Rebirth
DEVOTION – CHURCH AND STATE
The screaming crowd was ready to riot when the object of their fury was taken into custody by the Roman commander. The commander ordered his centurion to bind the prisoner and stretch him out for a lashing with the Roman scourge, as a quick and dirty means of interrogation. But Paul, who had been testifying of Christ to the people of Jerusalem, still had a significant card to play. He asked, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?” (Acts 22:25)
The officer was skeptical at first, saying “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” Paul, who came from the Roman colony of Tarsus, answered him by saying “But I was born a citizen.” At this revelation the Romans were alarmed and released him, for citizens of the empire had protections and privileges that others did not have, including the right to a trial before being convicted and punished.