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At the End of the Day . . .

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How did it go today?

Some days are a challenge from start to finish. Others seem monotonous. Yet always, it is the Lord Who brings us safely to the close of each day. It’s easy to forget the Lord’s role, to feel that each day just grinds along on its own, somehow dragging us with it; or that by our own powers we have seized the day and bent it to our will.

In his evening prayer, Martin Luther (I mean, the first Martin Luther, 1483-1546, Bible-based reformer of the church in Germany) wrote, “I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me today.” YOU HAVE GRACIOUSLY KEPT ME TODAY! The Father has compassionately gotten you past the humps and bumps of today. He has helped you deal with the problems of your own making, and also with those of others’ making. He has given you strength to expend all, if need be. He has given you wisdom to solve the difficult issues. He has given you courage to deal with matters into which you had to be dragged. And so on, and on. “Father, thank You for bringing me safely to the end of this day.”

Complicating a Simple Ending

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Premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism—these are words that tangle the tongue, and concepts that twist the brain. If there is one thing humans seem to be adept at doing, it is complicating simple situations. God tells us in straightforward language in Genesis 1 that He has created the heavens and the earth, but man invents evolution as his origin. The Lord tells us to simply believe and trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and we will be saved, but man adds his own works and efforts in order to assist God in the work of salvation. Jesus plainly taught that He will bring this world to its conclusion when He returns to gather all believers to Himself, but man says, “Not so fast!”

“Seconds” Can Be Good or Bad

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“Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).

Our family enjoys disc golfing. Over the years and the courses that we played, we developed the practice of allowing each player one “mulligan” per course—one second chance to replay a tee shot. The benefit, obviously, was that if you had a bad tee shot, you got another try at it; the downside was that you had to accept the result of the second throw, even if it was as bad as (or worse than) the first.

CONFIDENT . . .

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That Christ Is in You and at Work through You

“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:9-12).

Whenever we study Scripture, we must always consider the context. Very often the questions that arise in one verse are answered in the verses that follow—if only we would keep reading!

Deborah—a Rare Judge

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Judges Chapters 4 and 5  Many in our “enlightened” society, including liberals among the Christian churches, have mischaracterized the Bible’s patriarchal system as being sexist and discriminatory against women. These detractors decry the fact that… 

THE BELC: Building on the Foundation of Christ (Continued)

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Not all the pastors of the Berea Evangelical Lutheran Church (BELC) are ordained. Most have not studied beyond Martin Luther Bible School or attended a formal seminary. Many had their first extended study in God’s… 

What’s So Bad about Gambling?

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Statistics indicate that eighty percent of American adults gamble, and three to five percent of those struggle with a gambling addiction. In 2007, Americans lost more than $92 billion gambling (www.dailyfinance.com). As with other addictions,… 

John Schaller (1859-1920)

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When Wilhelm Loehe, a mission-minded German pastor and church leader, heard from America of an urgent need for pastors to lead the many emigrants who had come there, he publicized that need, then approached several… 

The Lord of Hosts Is with Us

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The hymn “A Mighty Fortress” (TLH 262), is Martin Luther’s most famous hymn, and one of the most well-known of all Christian hymns. I was reminded of this recently when I heard a character refer to it in an episode from an old TV series. Not many hymn titles make it into popular culture.

“A Mighty Fortress” has long had a place in nearly every Protestant hymnal, and more recently even in some Roman Catholic hymnals. It has been translated into more languages than any other hymn, and there are more than seventy English translations of it.

To say that it is widely known and sung is not to say that it is widely understood or truly appreciated for its message. No doubt many who like it for its majestic tune may not pay much attention to what it says beyond its opening line.