Christmas at “Just the Right Time”
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5, NIV).…
Christmas at “Just the Right Time”
“On Earth Peace…”
“…On earth peace…” declared the angels to the shepherds on the night of the Savior’s birth (Luke 2:14). How shall we understand the expression “…On earth peace…”? Does the angelic declaration of peace on…
Re-gifting Encouraged!
Have you ever re-gifted a present? In recent years the practice of re-gifting has been promoted as a way to deal with unwanted or unneeded gifts. After all, what are you going to do with…
New Entrance Sign at Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary
This past summer a new entrance sign was erected for our CLC’s Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary, 501 Grover Rd., Eau Claire, Wis. in memory of Prof. Michael Sydow (left, Dec. 19, 1941-Oct.…
What is Addiction … and is It a Sin?
Dependence is defined as the presence of three or more of the following**: Tolerance: Developing a tolerance to the substance/behavior such that more and more is needed for the same effect Withdrawal: Absence of the substance/behavior…
“Blessings in the Family of God”
First of a 2 part Series An essay titled “What place does the church (small “c”) have in a Christian’s faith-life?” was presented to a CLC Pastoral Conference at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Cheyenne, Wyoming, in September,…
Farewell and God-speed to Pastor Ed Starkey, CLC Missionary
Good friends may be parted by the ocean, but not from our hearts and prayers. That holds true as Ed Starkey, pastor of our CLC congregation, St. Peter’s of Stambaugh-Iron River, Mich., became Missionary Starkey…
“Oh,Give Thanks to the Lord…!”
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!” is a familiar prayer expressing our thankfulness to God for the food with which He has blessed us and reminding us to give thanks to God.
Such reminders are always in place because, quite frankly, we don’t always remember to return thanks to God. I am not just talking about thanking Him for food, but also for the countless blessings He graciously pours out upon us every day. Because of our forgetfulness and our tendency to take things for granted, we are apt to be like the nine lepers who, after being healed by Jesus, did not return to thank Him (see Luke 17:12-19). Lord, have mercy upon us for not thanking You as often as we ought!
The prayer “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” is found in a number of psalms (see psalms 106, 107, 118, and 136). Please take your Bible and read Psalm 136. Do you notice how many times the psalmist encourages his readers to give thanks to the Lord? Why is this? Is it perhaps because we need to be repeatedly reminded to give thanks to the Lord for all His goodness towards us?
A striking feature about this psalm is the refrain at the end of each verse. The worship leader would speak the first part of the verse, and the congregation would respond with “For His mercy endures forever.”
I am not just talking about thanking Him for food,
but also for the countless blessings He graciously
pours out upon us every day.
Readiness for Christ’s Return in Glory
A large percentage of Christians today are Millennialists, eagerly waiting for Christ to return to establish a thousand-year reign on the Earth. This expectation also includes false teachings such as a “rapture” of believers and a “battle of Armageddon” (to name but two).
This millennial outlook concerning the end of time is not supported by Holy Scripture. As all other false teachings, millennialism robs Christ of His glory and His believers of comfort and peace.
Which glorifies God and gives believers comfort—anxiously watching the Middle East as one looks for signs to indicate Christ’s return to the region, OR simply trusting the eternal Son of God’s promises that He will come without signs or warnings?
Appreciating, With Thanksgiving, the Gifts We Have
As children of God we have been richly blessed. If we have to ask how we have been blessed or how richly, that indicates we are taking those gifts for granted.
Above all, we thank God the Father for His love in Christ Jesus. The precious gospel of salvation in Jesus is our greatest blessing, the most secure and enduring. Our salvation is rooted in Christ and His cross; it is sealed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We have the promise that not one of His sheep shall be snatched from Him (John 10:28), and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).