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TLH 245, LSB 571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”

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A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING

Jesus ended His Sermon on the Mount with an illustration involving two men who built houses; one built on rock, the other on sand. The house built on rock withstood the onslaught of rain, flood, and winds and remained standing, while the one built on sand was destroyed. Whoever hears His Word and takes it to heart, Jesus says, is like the wise man who built on rock (Matthew 7:24-27).
The unknown author of our hymn used the same picture of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, describing Him as the “Ground of faith,” (stanza 2) and again, “the firmest ground of faith” (stanza 5). When our trust for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life is in Jesus, it is founded on ground that is rock solid, that will never give way. He is such firm ground for our trust because He is the only Son of God, sent by the Father to save the lost.

Counterintuitive Healing

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GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT In my younger days I worked for the US Soil Conservation Service. One of my tasks was to check on the stands of perennial grasses in recently planted fields that… 

Active Listeners

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STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man… 

1960 and Beyond

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THE ORIGIN OF THE CLC One aspect of the discussion surrounding the “Joint Statement,” which will again be before us at our next convention, is how much importance to give to the events that took… 

Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church Phoenix, Arizona

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A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE CLC Snapshots of congregations from around the Church of the Lutheran Confession In the Phoenix metropolitan area, known as the “Valley of the Sun,” cities border one another so… 

The Serampore Covenant

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NOTES FROM THE FIELD In this series, thoseinvolved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors. William Carey (1761-1834) was a Baptist missionary in India, and is often called the father of… 

The Highest Authority

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BEST. JOB. EVER! Are you a young person pondering a career? Have you considered becoming a pastor or a Christian day school teacher? This twelve-part series is meant to coincide with the work of the… 

Jesus Went Up So That You May Go Up

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COVER STORY – ASCENSION

“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” (Luke 24:50-51)
If you’re acquainted with the topography of the Holy Land, you’ll understand why Jesus, when speaking of His travels to Jerusalem, often described them in terms of “going up.” He literally had to climb uphill to get to Jerusalem because it was situated on Mount Zion, which had a higher elevation than the surrounding terrain. It was on this mountain that He endured the suffering of the cross as the world’s Savior and came alive three days later to show beyond doubt that His mission as Savior had been accomplished.
It was forty days later that Jesus led His disciples to another place of high elevation located not far from Jerusalem—the Mount of Olives. From this mountain He ascended to the greatest of heights! He was carried up to heaven in full of view of His disciples to God’s right hand, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:21)
The ascension of Jesus is a truth we confess each Sunday in the Creed. It’s with good reason that we include it as part of our Christian confession, for it is an event loaded with meaning. Jesus’ ascension gives us the assurance of our own eventual ascension on high. What the two angels told the disciples will assuredly come to pass: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) Then will the promise of Jesus also be fulfilled: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3)

“Be Still, and Know That I Am God”

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FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS ­­— COVID19 PANDEMIC
In the midst of the current global health crisis, we offer the following message of hope, delivered as a morning chapel address by Dr. Daniel Schierenbeck, professor at Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth! (Psalm 46:10)

Over the last few weeks, our nation—indeed, the world—has had to face many unknowns that have stemmed from the coronavirus pandemic. People are wondering about their health or about the health of their loved ones. Will they fall ill? Will they develop fatal complications? People are also rightfully worried and stressed about the economic impact generated by responses to the virus.

The Edible Gift

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DEVOTION – THE LORD’S SUPPER

The Eucharist, Breaking Bread, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper—this sacrament has many names and, unfortunately, many misconceptions concerning it. We ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to His Word as we revisit this gracious gift of our Savior.
At the outset we wish to establish that this precious meal is a sacrament; that is, a sacred act graciously given us by our God. Holy Communion does fulfill the three prerequisites for the traditional definition of a sacrament. Firstly, it is divinely instituted—Jesus Himself gave us the practice on the night He was betrayed. Secondly, the Sacrament gives or conveys the forgiveness of sins, and finally the meal contains earthly elements, namely the bread and wine.