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“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.

Luther’s Catechism — A Treasure of the Reformation

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“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9 NIV).

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to Titus to give him direction for appointing elders within congregations. These are words that are applicable to all of us. Simply change the “he” to “we” where it appears above. How can we achieve this?

What God Has Joined…

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While I write this, I am pondering the upcoming marriage of our daughter, a new experience for my wife and me. Perhaps a brief refresher on the estate of marriage would benefit all of us. First and foremost, marriage is not an invention of humans. God ordained it, and the Bible is the instruction manual. We must then turn to Scripture for guidance.

God’s Institution

Woman was fashioned out of man to be a helper comparable to him, because it was