Lutheran Spokesman

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2023/11/01/god-has-blessed-us-is-blessing-us-and-will-bless-us/

GOD HAS BLESSED US, IS BLESSING US, AND WILL BLESS US “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 kee…

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2023/10/01/a-bible-the-people-can-understand/

A BIBLE THE PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, ‘Do you understand what you a…

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2023/09/01/god-with-us-for-sixty-years-in-eau-claire/

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2023/09/01/what-does-a-disciple-look-like/

WHAT DOES A DISCIPLE LOOK LIKE? - Lutheran Spokesman So much that is truly real we never really stop to consider. The fact that you are reading or hearing these words means that you are a sentient human being, which in turn means that God Himself gave life to your mortal body at your conception. Your conscious thought is not the sum and substance

Your Transfiguration Makeover --

YOUR TRANSFIGURATION MAKEOVER - Lutheran Spokesman "We also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21) Some years ago, a popular television show called "Extreme Makeover" featured ordinary-looking men and women who were dramatically trans...

Hit the Jackpot this Thanksgiving! https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/11/01/hit-the-jackpot-this-thanksgiving/

Audio now available for August articles: https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/08/01/a-tested-faith-is-a-joyful-faith/

A Tested Faith Is a Joyful Faith - Lutheran Spokesman “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus C...

Marriage – A God-Given Social Institution by John Pfeiffer
https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/08/01/marriage-a-god-given-social-institution/

Our Triune God-Glorious, Incomprehensible
Written by Michael Roehl
https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/06/01/our-triune-god-glorious-incomprehensible/

“I shall not want!” Aren’t those amazing, wonderful words? “I shall not want!” I shall not lack any good thing. All my needs shall be provided, or as the Apostle Paul puts it, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) That’s what we receive when we have the Lord as our Good Shepherd. Read more... https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/05/01/good-shepherd/

April 2022 PDF edition of the the Lutheran Spokesman online. Click to read: https://lutheranspokesman.org/spokesman/pdf/202204.pdf

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006 Date Hymns Reading Comments April 1 TLH 339 Psalm 2 Jesus Christ is God’s Anointed One, Whom no earthly power can overcome. He is the very Son of God, and King overall. “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” April 2 TLH 39 Psalm 8 The glory of the human race was lost through man’s fall into sin, but has been regained through Jesus, the God-Man....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/bread-of-life/

BREAD OF LIFE READINGS APRIL 2022 - Lutheran Spokesman TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006 Date Hymns Reading Comments April 1 TLH 339 Psalm 2 Jesus Christ is God’s Anointed One, Whom no earthly power can overcome. He is the very Son of God, and King overall. “Blessed are all who take refu...

West Central Delegate Conference St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Colorado May 24-26, 2022 Agenda: • Is It a Sin to Disobey Illegal Laws, Guidelines, Regulations, Etc.?—Mr. Loren Hansen“Blessed”—Does It Refer to a Preceding Action or Subsequent Action or Both, and How to Tell the Difference—Pastor James Naumann • The Athanasian Creed: Is the Unexplained Use of this Creed, Once a Year, More Hindersome than Beneficial?—Pastor Timothy Daub…...

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/announcements-81/

ANNOUNCEMENTS - Lutheran Spokesman West Central Delegate Conference St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Colorado May 24-26, 2022 Agenda: • Is It a Sin to Disobey Illegal Laws, Guidelines, Regulations, Etc.?—Mr. Loren Hansen“Blessed”—Does It Refer to a Preceding Action or Subsequent Action or Both, and How to Tell the Di...

Items of interest from various sources of religious news and opinion, in print and on the web. Christian Leader Murdered in Liberia. “William Richard Tolbert III, a Baptist pastor and the youngest son of a former president of Liberia, William Richard Tolbert Jr., was murdered in his apartment on November 1. The elder Tolbert was president from 1971 to 1980, when he was assassinated in a coup....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/seen-in-passing-4/

SEEN IN PASSING - Lutheran Spokesman Items of interest from various sources of religious news and opinion, in print and on the web. Christian Leader Murdered in Liberia. “William Richard Tolbert III, a Baptist pastor and the youngest son of a former president of Liberia, William Richard Tolbert Jr., was murdered in his apartment on N...

Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields. With COVID restrictions slowly being lifted, opportunities for international travel are again opening up. This allowed Missionary Todd Ohlmann to visit Tanzania in December 2021. He accompanied Ted Quade, who serves as the Christian School Instruction Supervisor, on a visit to Kenya in February 2022....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/missionary-travel-opportunities-opening-up/

Missionary Travel Opportunities Opening Up - Lutheran Spokesman Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields. With COVID restrictions slowly being lifted, opportunities for international travel are again opening up. This allowed Missionary Todd Ohlmann to visit Tanzania in December 2021. He accompanied Ted Q...

Breaking Bad Habits Does Not Make You a Christian “T hesis XVI—In twelfth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the preacher tries to make people believe that they are truly converted as soon as they have become rid of certain vices and engage in certain works of piety and virtuous practices.” I once met a woman who had been baptized seven times....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/breaking-bad-habits-does-not-make-you-a-christian/

Breaking Bad Habits Does Not Make You a Christian - Lutheran Spokesman Breaking Bad Habits Does Not Make You a Christian “T hesis XVI—In twelfth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the preacher tries to make people believe that they are truly converted as soon as they have become rid of certain vices and engage in certain works of piety and virtuous ...

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Sometimes life seems routine and lackluster, like watching black and white reruns of an old TV series. Would you like renewed appreciation and enthusiasm for this time of grace? Then realize what a gift it is. A COVID patient walking out of the hospital after months in an ICU bed will likely have a keen appreciation for each pain-free breath....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/a-new-appreciation-for-life/

A New Appreciation for Life - Lutheran Spokesman FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Sometimes life seems routine and lackluster, like watching black and white reruns of an old TV series. Would you like renewed appreciation and enthusiasm for this time of grace? Then realize what a gift it is. A COVID patient walking out of the hospital after months in...

What’s New With YOU? Updates from congregations around the Church of the Lutheran Confession “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) In one sense, there’s nothing new in Okabena. The same Lord Who was faithful in the days of Psalm 127 is still faithful year after year and month after month....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/saint-johns-evangelical-lutheran-church-okabena-minnesota/

Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Okabena, Minnesota - Lutheran Spokesman What’s New With YOU? Updates from congregations around the Church of the Lutheran Confession “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) In one sense, there’s nothing new in Okabena. The...

In the closing scene of the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks’s character is standing at a crossroads in Texas. After being stranded alone on an island for four years, he has returned to civilization to find that he has been declared dead and his girlfriend has moved on and gotten married to another man. As the movie ends, Hanks’s character is at a crossroads (both literally and figuratively) and needs to decide what direction he is going to take in his life....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/confirmation-crossroads/

Confirmation Crossroads - Lutheran Spokesman In the closing scene of the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks’s character is standing at a crossroads in Texas. After being stranded alone on an island for four years, he has returned to civilization to find that he has been declared dead and his girlfriend has moved on and gotten married to another man....

“But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men and despised by the people.” (Psalm 22:6) Psalm 22 is a messianic psalm, that is, a psalm which speaks prophetically of the Messiah. Written nearly a thousand years before the birth of Christ, this psalm vividly describes His death on the cross: the ridicule He endured, verses 7-8; His dislocated bones, verses 14-15; His pierced hands and feet, verse 16; and His garments divided by lot, verse 18....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/the-crimson-worm/

The Crimson Worm - Lutheran Spokesman “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men and despised by the people.” (Psalm 22:6) Psalm 22 is a messianic psalm, that is, a psalm which speaks prophetically of the Messiah. Written nearly a thousand years before the birth of Christ, this psalm vividly describes His death on the cross: th...

This series offers an overview of the chief teachings of the Christian church. It takes hard work to become an atheist. Truly denying the existence of any god takes work because it is not what comes naturally. God has placed many witnesses into the world to testify that He exists. Look to the heavens and see the wonder of galaxy upon galaxy....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/the-knowledge-of-god/

The Knowledge of God - Lutheran Spokesman This series offers an overview of the chief teachings of the Christian church. It takes hard work to become an atheist. Truly denying the existence of any god takes work because it is not what comes naturally. God has placed many witnesses into the world to testify that He exists. Look to the heaven...

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (James 5:16-18)...

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/christian-prayer-works/

Christian Prayer Works - Lutheran Spokesman “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our worship service, beginning with the history of Christian worship itself. Liturgy between Reformation and Now Liturgical changes between the Reformation and today were often due to national differences and historical influences. In Sweden, for instance, Gustav Vasa led the revolt against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/lutheran-liturgical-reform-part-2-2/

Lutheran Liturgical Reform, Part 2 - Lutheran Spokesman Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our worship service, beginning with the history of Christian worship itself. Liturgy between Reformation and Now Liturgical changes between the Reformation and today...

Do you ever get tired of looking at pictures of bygone days? Perhaps. It all depends on whose pictures they are. If they are someone else’s pictures of people you don’t know very well or people who have had no impact on your life, then one look is enough. However, if they are your pictures and contain images of people who have been involved in your life, then you might like to look at them over and over again....

https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/04/01/easter-images/

Easter Images - Lutheran Spokesman Do you ever get tired of looking at pictures of bygone days? Perhaps. It all depends on whose pictures they are. If they are someone else’s pictures of people you don’t know very well or people who have had no impact on your life, then one look is enough. However, if they are your pictures

2022 marked the first time the tour choir had the honor of visiting and performing at St. Paul's in Melrose. Interested in learning more about this church and congregation in Melrose that we are blessed to have in our fellowship? Click here. https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/01/01/st-pauls-lutheran-church-melrose-wisconsin/

Seen in Passing - CLC Pastor Installations and recent news https://lutheranspokesman.org/2022/03/01/9105/

March 2022 PDF edition of the the Lutheran Spokesman online. Click to read: https://lutheranspokesman.org/spokesman/pdf/202203.pdf