HEROES OF THE FAITH: Valentin Loescher
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. HEROES OF THE FAITH (FIFTH IN A…
HEROES OF THE FAITH: Valentin Loescher
THE BELC: Building on the Foundation of Christ
NOTES FROM THE FIELD (FOURTH IN A SERIES) In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one area of our overseas endeavors. (Note: because of the risk of persecution, the full names of…
The Art of Inviting
Do I doubt that church will be a blessing in someone else’s life, as it is in mine? Perhaps I fear rejection, or being seen as a religious zealot. But remember– we are zealous for…
June 2015 Bread of Life
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; SC = Martin Luther’s Small Catechism; [ ] = Minor Festivals or commemorations in the Christian Church Year Jun 1 Isaiah 6:1-8…
Resurrection Power
“. . . that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10).
Before his conversion, Paul was a man who knew power. He knew the power of a sharp mind and a good education, of high social standing, of friends and allies in high places. He knew the power that goes with confidence in the rightness of one’s cause. He also understood the power of intimidation by the threat and use of force and violence.
It was surely with a sense of power that Paul set out for Damascus to deal with the Christians there (Acts 9), for he had the full authority of the high priest for his mission.
Audio Spokesman
A new addition to the Lutheran Spokesman website is Audio versions of each article. You will find them at the end of each article starting in this issue.
May 2015 Bread of Life
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; SC = Martin Luther’s Small Catechism; [ ] = Minor Festivals or commemorations in the Christian Church Year
May 1 John 6:1-14 PS 61
[St. Philip and St. James, Apostles]
Jesus strengthens Philip’s faith in His redeeming work using five loaves, two fish, and twelve baskets in the feeding of the five thousand.
May 2 Luke 18:1-8 SC Lord’s Prayer Address
Does God forsake His children? No, He hears each and every prayer of the faithful.
May 4 1 John 4:1-11 TLH 346
The great theological test question is “What do you
think of Jesus?”
To Rise from Sin
“. . . just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”
(Romans 6:4).
EASTER
is indeed a joyful time of the year as we celebrate the anniversary of our Savior’s resurrection. He who died for us rose again and lives forevermore! What greater joy for us than to know that our Redeemer lives! That joy comes from comprehending by faith the wonder of God’s love and the forgiveness that is ours in Christ Jesus. So we know a great sense of relief from guilt and we know peace and hope, but do we fully realize the power of the resurrection? Perhaps one’s first thought relating to the power of Jesus’ resurrection is that our mortal bodies too shall rise from the grave,
“I AM the Good Shepherd”
Twenty-three times in the Gospel of John we find “I AM” statements (in Greek, ego eimi). To seven of those are attached metaphors, including the passage in which our Lord states, “I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11,14). Why did Jesus choose this word picture to describe Himself?
The land of Israel had a mostly agrarian population. Sheep herding had a long history in the region. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David had all spent time as shepherds.
ENTERING GOD’S REST
So I swore in My wrath,`They shall not enter My rest’” (Psa 95:11).
Please read Hebrews 4:1-10
It was a tragic story with which every Hebrew was familiar; how, at the brink of Canaan, the Israelites refused to go in. “Our enemies are too big,” they said, implying their God was too small. They wept, whimpered, and faithlessly wished, “If only we had died in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:2).
Furious at their constant rebellion, God granted their request. Instead of marching into Canaan, they spent forty years dying in the wilderness.