False Endorsements? No Hype In This Book…
I find it interesting that this book has not even been released and I already have unscrupulous people using my name as endorsements for books I have never read. I am surprised by this a bit, but not too much. The genre of books dealing with spiritual warfare are suspect to be sure so I don’t really like the idea of people linking me to their books on the subject. The book I Am Not Afraid is a nonfiction book based on my PhD research. I have taken care to make sure to avoid the hype normally found in such a genre. You will find real stories of real people in this book, moreover the material is presented in a . . . Read All
A Good Deed
May 28, 2013 Daily Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries
The Practical Treatment of the Doctrine of Justification
We must also convince those who hear us why no flesh can ever be justified before God by works of the Law. Scripture demonstrates this with the words: “They are altogether sinners and lack the glory that they should have in God.”
The works of mankind are evil and cannot please God. Man does precisely nothing that God commands of him in the Law. Even the apparent good works of men, the children of this world, are an abomination before God. Because they come from hearts that are estranged from God and enemies of God. And the truly good works that a Christian does are still so weak and frail and imperfect and not enough in God’s eyes. Because God . . . Read All
“Now”
What about the “now”? Candidate, non-candidate, restricted, non-restricted, CCM opinions, overtures, resolutions, floor committees, COP, task forces, reports by the next convention, has anyone simply asked about or even considered the now. Eschatology is fine to meditate upon from a theological perspective, but let’s bear in mind that here are human lives at stake that aren’t malaria ridden, pregnant, or homosexual; they have been waiting for a now. They believed that four years ago perhaps there now had come, but it hadn’t. They believed the campaigning, they believed all it took was the right man, they believed their now had come, that they had a synodical president with a “pastor’s heart,” yet now they are still without a call. Now. . . Read All
From Grace to Joy in the Holy Trinity (Trinity Sunday, 2013)
Trinity, 2013 (May 26, 2013)
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn
John 16:23–33
2013-Trinity.mp3
TITLE: “From Grace to Joy in the Holy Trinity”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for today is the Gospel just read from St. John chapter eight. Today we will be talking about the joy of the Holy Trinity, and how we enter into and receive that joy by faith in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Trinity is a mystery. That is no secret. Once you start talking about one God in three persons, most peoples eyes begin to glaze over, even Christians who understand it. For us sons and daughters of Adam and . . . Read All
2013 placements for graduating pastoral and DPS candidates
CANADA – Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS – Edmonton) and Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS – St. Catharines, Ontario) held their convocation services this past weekend, at which time graduating seminary students received their first calls. The following candidates are listed according to last name.
Pastoral candidates:
Tim Barone (Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri) to Calvary Lutheran (Thunder Bay, Ontario).
Seungwoo (Sam) Choi (CLTS), placement pending.
Tod Guggenmos (CLS) to Our Saviour Lutheran (For Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan).
Perry Hart (CLTS), commended to the Lutheran Church of Australia, Waikerie Lutheran Church (South Australia).
Wesley Hromowyk (CLTS), commended to The …
Ken Ham Angry at ‘Intolerant’ Atheists
A group of atheists posts a video in which they attack Ham’s planned speech at a home school conference.
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In observance of MEMORIAL DAY – USA
“The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”
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Summary: A two-hour video by a group of atheist Internet users has Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis really upset. In the video titled “Home School Abuse by Creationists,” the atheists said they planned to oppose Ham’s planned speech at the Texas Home School Coalition Convention on Aug. 1-3. This conference is intended to promote home education in Texas. “Every pastor, Christian leader, homeschooler, teenager, Christian parent, and, in fact, all Christians need to see this video chat featuring a number . . . Read All
What Struggles Do Former Evangelicals Have With The Lutheran Liturgy?
The journey from American Evangelicalism into Confessional Lutheranism is a long, difficult, and sometimes scary road. The journey is neither something that just happens overnight, nor is it an easy shift. The shift has linguistic, emotional, worldview…
“What Does it Mean to be a Lutheran?”
Intro: The following citation is from Rev. Sasse’s Here We Stand (translated by Theodore G. Tappert), published in 1937 when the armies of the night were marshalling in both Church and State as “light” (cf. Matthew 6: 23 and 2 Corinthians 11: 14). This is from the end of the first chapter entitled, “What Does it Mean to be a Lutheran?” Already in Germany, the unionization and fusion of Church and State had occurred after the “National Socialist Revolution”. This was a continuance of the unionization of Reformed and Confessional Lutheran churches in Germany in the previous centuries. Germany’s history of doing such played right into the hands of the National Socialists (Nazis). The professor warns the Lutheran Church in . . . Read All
Trinity Sunday
3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and. . . Read All
Center stage. . .
Peggy Noonan, noted speechwriter for Reagan and frequent political commentator, penned a piece in the Wall Street Journal that I finally happened to read. It is a good read. The topic is the funeral for Margaret Thatcher but the wisdom is more generic. Let me post one paragraph:
Thatcher’s funeral was striking in that it was not, actually, about her. It was about what she thought it important for the mourners to know. The readings were about the fact of God, the gift of Christ, and the necessity of loving your country and working for its betterment. There were no long eulogies. In a friendly and relatively brief address, the bishop of London lauded her kindness and character. No funeral . . . Read All
Two Pentecost baptisms performed by the Lutheran church in Kazakhstan!
On Pentecost Sunday, the congregation of Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Almaty, Kazakhstan, celebrated the calling to faith through the power of the Holy Spirit through Holy Baptism. Pastor Alexander Burthev baptized two people. The congrega…
The God whom Christians worship
Yesterday was Trinity Sunday, in which we reflect on the One true God who consists of three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That God is a unity of distinct persons means that we can accurately say that He is love, love being at the very essence of God, since love–even human […]
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Memorials
Have a happy, but thoughtful Memorial Day. I know it’s mainly become just the beginning of the summer holidays, the first bratwurst of summer (in the words of Those Darned Accordians). Enjoy that part of it, but the holiday was started as a commemoration of the war dead. It’s been extended for many people as […]
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Close(d) Campfires II
[The following is based up “Homosexuality Reconsidered,” by Richard Dayringer, Th.D., and appeared in The Journal of Pastoral Care, Spring 1996, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 57-71.]
Dr. Dayringer[1] reviews Old and New Testaments, as well as the church fathers, in survey fashion of the history of homosexuality in the church. In my estimation the most interesting portion of his essay comes under the heading of “Therapy for Homosexuals” (67) and “Current Theological Positions on Homosexuality” (67-69).
“Therapy” is an interesting word, it assumes that a person is seeking help to eliminate something or some manner of behavior or thinking, or, conversely, that a person is seeking help in acceptance of the same. It is a mistake . . . Read All
More on the salvation of non-believers
In trying to explain Pope Francis’s statement about atheists that we blogged about, a Vatican spokesman, Father Thomas Rosica wrote a piece entitled Explanatory Note on the Meaning of ‘Salvation’ in Francis’ Daily Homily of May 22: Reflections on Atheists, Christians, and Who Will Be Saved. He nuanced what the pope said, but he didn’t […]
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Thanks to All Who Put Life on the Line!
“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus’ words call to mind a heroic…
The Church is God’s homeless and wandering people on this earth.
“The one Church of God on the march” was Wilhelm Loehe’s designation for heathen missions.[1] It is possible to understand these words in a still wider sense and view the entire history of the Church as the history experienced by the one Church of God in its wandering through countries and continents, through nations and races, through the civilizations and eras of human history. Such a view of church history would correspond with the New Testament where Paul (esp. 1 Corinthians 10:1ff.) and the Epistle to the Hebrews (chapters 4 and 11-13) view the Church as the wandering people of God, typified long ago by Israel’s wandering through the wilderness. Already delivered from the “Egypt” of the old aeon, . . . Read All
LÖHE ON ROMANS 11:33A
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! (Rom 11:33 NIV) Are there secrets and mysteries in religion or not? Well, that’s a question often asked. We Christians can clearly assent as any religion without … Continue reading →. . . Read All
Herrenhuter readings for Monday, the 27th May 2013
“Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.” (Isaiah 51:4 NIV) St. Paul preached: “I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and … Continue reading →. . . Read All
May 27, 2013 – Monday of the Week of Trinity
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 6:1-7
Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 4:1-16; John 7:32-53
And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7)
In the Name of + Jesus. Amen. I…