What Will Happen to Me If I Don’t Attend Church?
Short answer: nothing. Where nothing happens, there is no spiritual growth. No lightning bolt will fall from the sky warning you about spiritual danger. No one will return from the dead to plead with…
Marangu, Tanzania
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world’” (John 17:17-18). It was Saturday. I was near the city…
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther
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. C. F. W. Walther (1811-1887) was the first…
Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church—Red Wing, Minnesota
Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church of Red Wing, Minnesota, began as an independent Lutheran congregation, existing for two years before the formation of the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC) in 1960. On July 24, 1958,…
Reaching People AT WORK
These brief topics were written to help Christians think about the ways in which they share the Gospel with others. FACT: The average North American will spend about ninety thousand hours at work in his…
One+One+One=One
One+One+One=One
Do you understand?
The Athanasian Creed says, in part, “So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.”
Three Persons, each separate and distinct from the other two, each in and of Himself entirely God, and yet not three Gods, but one. Do you understand how that can be? Neither do I. I don’t understand it, but I believe it. I believe it because God has clearly revealed this truth about Himself.
Jehovah Blesses You!
Jehovah Blesses You!
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, “This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: ‘The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.’” ‘So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them’” (Numbers 6:22-27).
We hear those words every Sunday. This is not just the wish of your pastor; God instructed Aaron to use these words to bless His people. When His servants pronounce this benediction, something wonderful happens: God’s name is placed upon you. Remember, when you see the word Lord with all capital letters, that represents God’s personal name. The popular English pronunciation is Jehovah, but most Hebrew scholars believe it was something more like Yahweh.
God gave this benediction to Moses after the people had shown their rebelliousness and worshiped the golden calf. God still wanted to bless His people. That is amazing grace!
Jehovah places His name upon you and identifies you as His own, so that you receive Him and have His promise, “I will bless them.”
There are three parts to this blessing, each coming from Jehovah, the Lord. These blessings can be summed up with the words “protection,” “grace,” and “peace.”
FAITHFUL
DEVOTION – FATHER’S DAY
FAITHFUL
On the third Sunday of June, we are given the opportunity to reflect with thanksgiving on the blessings of our fathers. We buy cards, neckties, and golf balls to show our appreciation to those who worked so hard to raise us, train us, and provide for us.
We are especially thankful for faithful Christian fathers who took seriously the Lord’s call to “. . . bring [their children] up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). In addition to making sure their children had food, clothing, and shelter, these faithful fathers made sure they heard the Word
The Comfort of Your Confirmation
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”
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!