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The Comfort of Your Confirmation

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DEVOTION – CONFIRMATION

The Comfort of  Your Confirmation

“Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

“This certifies that (fill in your name), having received a thorough instruction in the sacred teachings of the Christian religion as found in the Holy Scriptures and confessed by the Lutheran Church, and having vowed before God and this Christian congregation to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and His saving Gospel, was received into communicant membership by the solemn rite of CONFIRMATION.”

“Let Us Hold Fast Our Confession”

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STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Let Us Hold Fast Our Confession”

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).  

What wondrous encouragement our Lord gives us to remain faithful! To strive to be diligent in all matters of faith. Before God we are laid bare, even molecule to molecule, laid out flat. Nothing can be hidden from our Lord. For many, that brings terror, but for Christ-believers that brings joy. I cannot—even if I desired—hide anything from Jesus. He knows me perfectly and loves me unconditionally. Jesus knows my myriad faults, and yet He forgives me. The fact that our Lord has perfect knowledge of us and still calls us His own is amazing grace!

To Trust or Not to Trust

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GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (SIXTH IN A SERIES) To Trust or Not to Trust “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw… 

Why Can’t Non-Members Be Soloists At Weddings Or Funerals?

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“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (SIXTH IN A SERIES)  Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions Why Can’t Non-Members Be Soloists At Weddings Or Funerals? May someone who is not a member of a congregation in the Church of… 

Down the Switchback Road

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NOTES FROM THE FIELD (FIFTH IN A SERIES) In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one ASPECT of our overseas endeavors. Down the Switchback Road There arises a question, in working overseas,… 

Charles Porterfield Krauth

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HEROES OF THE FAITH (SIXTH IN A SERIES) As we approach the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we take a brief look at the lives of some of the most influential and important Lutheran theologians.… 

THE STARFISH APPROACH

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OUTREACH TAKEAWAYS (SIXTH IN A SERIES) These brief topics were written to help Christians think about the ways in which they share the Gospel with others. Cut this page out if you like and post… 

July 2015 Bread of Life

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July 2015 TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941;   WS  = Worship Supplement 2000;   SC  = Martin Luther’s Small Catechism; [  ] = Minor Festivals or commemorations in the Christian Church Year Jul 1… 

The Christian Pentecost

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“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit”  (Acts 2:4). 

An expression I remember from my childhood is Emma go ‘het. It didn’t make much sense, but I knew what it meant. Forward with zeal and determination! I suppose the words were a rendering of a German-English phrase Immer go ahead! Always forward!

The Jewish festival of Pentecost was named Shavuot in Hebrew—meaning weeks. It fell seven weeks, or a “week of weeks,” after the Passover Sabbath. The festival, by count, was on the 50th day after the Passover Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16). The Feast of Weeks marked the end of the grain harvest and was the time to offer the first fruits (Leviticus 23:20). The name Shavuot later became Pentecost—Greek for fiftieth.

On the first Christian Pentecost, the one after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the promise Jesus had given to His disciples was fulfilled. He had said, before ascending, “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49), and “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, was poured out upon the disciples on Pentecost (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit had already brought the disciples to faith in Christ. Now the Holy Spirit was giving them special blessings to proclaim the saving Name of Jesus—courage, zeal, wisdom, understanding of the Scriptures, ability to speak other languages, power to work miracles—all to further their witness that the crucified and risen Jesus was the Savior from sin.