God's Word to a Post-Modern World

What Now?

2005-09-29T23:07:00.000-04:00

How should the Christian react to news, unexpected news, bad news? Yes, I've had some bad news in my life. In my case, the cancer is winning. The doctor said that this is the time to get in touch with Hospice. He also said that the time frame for my survival is a matter of weeks, and not in months.
Listen to God's Word :
2 Corinthians 4:5-12 ESV (5) For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. (6) For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (8) We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; (9) persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (10) always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (11) For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (12) So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Death is the enemy. Jesus conqured sin and death at the cross. I can look at the future -- even with the likelyhood that I will die -- confident that the power of Christ's cross is here and that I will see God's promises fulfilled. What matters is that each of us knows that God promises are true and reliable. And so we face the future with confidence, confidence in the God who is there for each of us.
Doc Steve

Katrina is not the Judgment of God

2005-09-06T23:15:00.000-04:00

The enormity of the disaster in New Orleans is something that I can't get my "arms around." Literally, one of America's great cities is gone. My brother in law live (s) (d) in New Orleans and lost everything. They have returned to Texas where they lived until a couple of years ago. But to lose everything that you spent your life accumulating, like kids' awards and projects, wedding pictures and so on.

We can debate whether the Federal government acted quickly enough or that the problems were at the state level. I think that no one really knew what was going on and then the levees went. BTW, you remember that New Orleans is actually below sea level.

What is the Christian to do as we see all these crises. First, if you can volunteer and help the Red Cross, etc., in the disaster area, then go. Most of us will have to restrict our involvement by helping to raise money for the Red Cross and so on. My suggestion is that you give through your church's world relief organization or a Christian group such as World Vision or LCMS World Relief, so that the message of Christ is brought to the suffering at the same time that their physical needs are being met.

After that we have to learn to look at disasters theologically , that is, what does the Word of God tell us about such things.
First, this is not a sign of the end of the world. For Jesus promised that we will have to deal with such tragedies.

Matthew 24:3-15 GW As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?" (4) Jesus answered them, "Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. (5) Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many people. (6) "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don't be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don't mean that the end has come. (7) Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (8) All of these are only the beginning pains of the end. (9) "Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. (10) Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. (11) Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (12) And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people's love will grow cold. (13) But the person who endures to the end will be saved. (14) "This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.

Second, Jesus tells us to focus our attention on what is eternal. Notice how Jesus tied the various disasters to the proclaimation of the Gospel. It is as if Jesus is saying that we need to focus on what is important. What is eternal is what matters, not the tragedies of the day. The tragedies of the day are important and are opportunities for Christian love to be shared with the world. But they are only the beginnings of the End. We have to remind ourselves that everything will eventually be destroyed and be lost. That is an old-fashioned point of view, but it is still the truth. The life we have here is only temporary and that our life in heaven with the Savior is eternal.

Matthew 10:28 GW Jesus said, Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

No, Jesus is not talking about the Devil! He is talking about Himself, the Judge of the Living and the Dead before whose throne we must appear on Judgment Day. Our Christian duty is to do what we are able to relieve the suffering, to care for the homeless and the hungry. We need to share clothes, water and the other needs of daily life. In a time like this we have to read the Book of James.

James 2:14-17 GW My brothers and sisters, what good does it do if someone claims to have faith but doesn't do any good things? Can this kind of faith save him? (15) Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman, needs clothes or food (16) and one of you tells that person, "God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough." If you don't provide for that person's physical needs, what good does it do? (17) In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn't cause you to do any good things.

As the physical needs are being met, so must the Spiritual needs be met. The Gospel must be preached even there. People need to have Pastors and Teachers to help them understand and to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This is a vital time and the losses are horrendous. But it is also a time to put our faith into action as we meet physical and spiritual needs of millions of people. The needs of the people effected by this storm have to be met, all their needs.

God's love in Christ reaches down to those in need through His people, the Church. We are Christ's hands who are doing the work of Christ.

Doc Steve

Friends, sorry about asking all the commentators use the 'copy the letters' safeguard on the comments page. I actually got spammed with the usual garbage. That's the webworld we live in. Doc Steve

Problems in the Church

2005-08-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

Does your church have problems? Do the members get along, or do they argue like little kids. Wasn't there a time when the church was different, a time when they got along or resolved their problems like adult Christians? Don't be so naive.

There never was a golden age of the church. There never was a time when the doctrine was pure, the love warm and the fellowship supportive of each other.

I am reading the Apostolic Constitutions as a part of my personal growth. This is a 4th century AD document teaching the bishops how they should operate and how to avoid problems with the distribution of food to the needy, and so on. The church had real problems back then and struggled to deal with them the best they knew how. This long book tries to guide the bishops and Pastors into god-pleasing solutions to everday problems.

Every congregation has its problems and issues. No Pastor is perfect and he has a limited set of gifts to share with his congregation. I'm not being critical of Pastors, but it is a fact that some are better at preaching than working with children, for example. Each Pastor has a set of gifts and abilities he is to use in the congregation for the growth of the congregation and the glory of God. Support your Pastor. Ask him what you can do to help. He will thank you for asking.

The church of Jesus Christ exists to share the Good News with the whole world. It is made up of sinful, faltering, uncertain saints, washed in the blood of the Lamb. And these uncertain saints bring their own biases, their own troubles, their own fears to the church. And they are the instrument God has chosen to reach the world with His love. Just imagine that! YOU are a part of the eternal plan of God to love this fallen, dying, sinful world. YOU -- with all your troubles, fears and uncertainties -- as a baptized Child of God are included in His mission to this world.

Give thanks to God today for your church. Take a few moments and pray for your Pastor and the leaders of your church, ask the Lord to give them wisdom, faith and a vision for the future. No matter how small and weak your church seems, God is at work through it to make a difference in the world with the Word of God.

Doc Steve

A Reliable God?

2005-07-16T20:57:00.000-04:00

Lots of folks wonder about God and the evils in the world. We see disease, poverty, racism, and cruelty of every description. Horrors abound all around and there seems to be no way for things to be different, to be really different. And so we wonder, "why doesn't God do something?
What do we want? I mean, what do we expect God to do? To stop the storm, to make sure no one gets afflicted with diseases.
Great ideas, but that's not what we really want. We want God to make our lives more convenient, more comfortable, more secure. We want our loved ones protected and the people we care about kept safe. The problem is that our God is reliable and that He is hard at work. Yes, trials, struggles do intrude into our lives. Keep in mind a couple of things.
First, we do not have the time perspective that our God works with. It was over 400 years that God's people were slaves in Egypt.
Exodus 12:41 GW After exactly 430 years all the LORD'S people left Egypt in organized family groups.
Yes, over 400 years God was at work and waiting for the right time. They, too, had to have wondered, they too had to have doubted. But our God is reliable. That's why throughout Jewish history their rites remind them what God had done in the past and that He would continue to work.
The other problem we have is that we misunderstand such Bible words as "comfort," that we think of a life of ease, a La-Z-Boy kind of life. But comfort in the Bible is God's help in the midst of the trials of life. It is God's presence in the Word and Sacraments that come to us for strength and hope. This is the cross of Christ that deals with our sins and needs.
Psalms 136:1-4 GW Give thanks to the LORD because he is good, because his mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods because his mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords because his mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the only one who does miraculous things- because his mercy endures forever.
This is where our lack of Bible knowledge, especially our lack of Old Testament knowledge, hurts us. God's plans were for hundreds of years and He accomplished them. This is not me setting one year and five year goals, this is our God whose goals last centuries. This is why God gave us all those long books of history. They are there to remind us of God's past reliability so that we can be sure of His intentions for us today.
And so our God is reliable. He is working for your good right here and right now. We might not see it clearly, we don't see the end, all we do see is what is going on right now. Our God is there for you and He is working. Trust Him in all of life's circumstances and know that He is active and reliable no for you, no matter what.
Doc Steve

At the Wrong Time

2005-06-26T22:51:00.000-04:00

Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach.

2 Timothy 4:2 God's Word Version

When is it ever a wrong time to spread the Word of God? There have been times when I was 'cornered' into teaching the Word of God when the time seemed wrong or inappropriate. These were times at the dinner table, when you are a guest in someone's home, and so on. It was a time when I just felt uncomfortable. It just didn't feel right to get serious about the Word of God and to deal with hard doctrines such as communion fellowship or that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Such scriptural teachings are important, but need to be carefully taught. But they were times when the Scriptures actually reached into hearts and lives.

The Christian is called to be ready to speak the Word of God whenever possible. But notice the third sentence in the Scripture above, "be very patient when you teach." Patience is a gift of God and is needed today as we teach the Word of God.

But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22, 23 God's Word Version

We need patience as we try to teach the Word of God to people who know little about Jesus or even have trouble with the very idea that there is such a thing as right and wrong. Patience is needed as we gently explain the Word of God to people. It used to be acceptable to be harsh when teaching the Bible, to be insistent about what had to be done. Not so today, because people expect gentleness whenever it comess to such topics as faith and the Bible.

This means the Christian must be ready at all times to share the Word of God. It is important to take time to learn the Bible, to listen carefully to the questions being asked, to be open to other ideas, even those contrary to the Word of God, so that the seeker is treated with respect. It is the Bible we are to share, not our own opinions or biases. It is the Word of God, the reliable, errorless, and holy Word, given to us for the sake of Christ and His cross.
Doc Steve

Growing Churches and False Religious Leaders

2005-06-11T20:15:00.000-04:00

The media loves churches, but only certain churches. They love churches who are make pronoucements. The media loves churches make statements and who lead causes. But only certain causes and only certain statements. They better not be conservative statements and causes. If a conservative makes a statement then the conservative is trying to impose their point of view on others, which is something the much loved liberal churches never do -- and then they don't tell us the truth.

Liberal mainline churches are losing members in droves and yet the media doesn't tell you the truth about them. To be blunt, the mainstream media is lying to you about the leaders of these churches. They call them "religious leaders," but they are leaders whose members are leaving them in droves. To be honest about it all, I have to call them false religious leaders. They are false because they do not teach the Word of God. They are false because they want to adapt the Word of God to what some power groups ask for. (Did you hear about the falsified "New" Testament where Jesus is made into a woman? ) This is media dishonesty because the same types that hold out these "religious leaders" don't tell you that their members are leaving in droves. Could you imagine what the media would say about Jerry Falwell or James Kennedy if their ministries were losing members by the thousands. But that is what has happened to the self-appointed "religious leaders."

David Shiflett quotes a Glenmary Research Center study from 2000, the Presbyterian Church USA lost nearly 12% of its members over a decade, the United Church of Christ lost 14% of its members over the same period of time. Some conservative churches such as the Christian and Missionary Alliance grew by 21% and the Presbyterian Church in America grew 42%. This is not to mention the conservative non-denominational churches such as Saddleback. This is not to mention the movement of many conservatives from non-denominational churches to Eastern Orthodoxy, a faith which has sought to proclaim a eternal message for the last 2000 years. This is a trend that has been going on since the 1970s.

The so-called religious leaders of the media represent no one but themselves. They don't even represent their own members. Their churches are stagnating and dying. But their own members reject their leadership by leaving the denominations they lead. Why are people leaving? It is because these "religious leaders" do not give anything but a Christ-less left wing morality.

Yes, my own beloved Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod has stagnated over this same period of time. There are various reasons, some are demographic and some are cultural. But the media doesn't like us anyway. The "religious leaders" seem to make themselves the moral and ethical masters of the elite.

David Schiflett makes the point in a new book that conservative churches are giving people what they want and what they need. He says that people are rejecting the left leaning morality and people want Jesus Christ. And that is what we have to give people: teach people what the Word of God says about morality, about the family. Give people the truth about the human condition and who we are. Our task is to make others know about Jesus Christ and what He did for us. Our task is to teach God's Word.

And so we must give that same message. But not for the reasons you might think. It is vital that we proclaim this message, not because it's what the crowd wants, but because we are called to share the one message that our God has give us. It is His message that we are to make known. We can not alter His message, we can not adapt His message to what the crowd wants, we can not change the Word of God. And that message we must take into our hearts every day. The Word of God is God's message to us, a message to be believed, loved and taken seriously.

As defined by the "religious leaders," I am a fundamentalist. That title does not scare me because anyone who believes the Bible to be the errorless Word of God is called a fundamentalist by them.

Take time to get to know the religious situation in North America because it effects every Christian and every congregation. Understand that the elite is pushing legislation that could make it illegal to teach what the Bible teaches about sexual morality and family life. Get to know the situation that Canadian churches had to be told by their former Prime Minister that they would not be required to do same-sex marriages. Some Canadian churches wondered that if they did not do same-sex marriages that they would be charged under "hate crime" laws.

Yes, share God's Word with everyone around you. Reject the opinions of false "religious leaders" you hear about in the media and listen to Christian Pastors who teach the Word of God. Judge the "religious leaders" and even your Pastor on the basis of the Word of God and not on what the elite tells you that should believe and do.

Dave Schiflett's book, which is I encourage everyone to read, is entitled Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity.

Doc Steve

Rejoice with Me!

2005-06-02T20:02:00.000-04:00

If you had read the post which was drafted a week ago, you would have been reading a very different post. Somewhat down, pretty resigned to death.
Today we saw Dr. Shields, my oncologist. Good news! The last CAT scan shows that the tumor has stabilized and the blood tests show the cancer agents in the blood are decreasing. This means that there may be other reasons for my fatigue. We are looking at non-cancer causes for the fatigue. That means there may be easy ways to get the fatigue under control.

Rejoice with me!
Philippians 2:17-18 GW My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service I offer to God for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you. (18) For this same reason you also should be filled with joy and share that joy with me.

Give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings. What does all of this mean for my future? In the short term it means that we will keep on the same treatment plan, but it also means that I will try to do more. See if I can get the energy levels back up. It might even mean that I could be getting closer to being back in the ministry on a full time basis.

Rejoice with me!
Philippians 2:17-18 GW My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service I offer to God for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you. (18) For this same reason you also should be filled with joy and share that joy with me..

Recently, I have worked my way through Leviticus. Hard book, isn't it? Lots of stuff that seems difficult to get through. One thing I did notice is that the Lord wants His priests to be holy. Remember, we New Testament Christians know that all baptized believers are
"a royal priesthood." (1 Peter 2:9) He has called His priests to be holy, that is, dedicated to Him.

Leviticus 21:6-8 GW "Be God's holy men, and don't dishonor the name of your God. Be holy because you bring sacrifices by fire to the LORD. It is the food of your God. (7) You should never marry prostitutes, those who have lost their virginity, or divorced women because a priest is God's holy man. (8) Be holy because you offer the food of your God. Be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I set you apart as holy. .

We are set apart for the Lord. The way the Old Testament priests showed their "set apartness" was very specific and does not apply today. But they are reminders to us that we are set apart for the Lord today and this includes such things as our choice of spouses. Are we looking at a possible future spouse with God's eyes or just our own. 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5 both have some important things to say about marriage. I know that I am blessed with Sandie, my wonderful wife of 26 years. I give thanks to God everyday for the my wife. She is a fine Christian woman, dedicated to her Lord.

What does this have to do with me today? Easy, the Lord is not going to let me go. He will find ways to use the gifts which He has given me to use them in His service.

Rejoice with me!
Philippians 2:17-18 GW My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service I offer to God for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you. (18) For this same reason you also should be filled with joy and share that joy with me.

Even if I am going home sooner than I might want, the Lord will continue to use me here. And He will use you too. Each of us are blessed with the gifts He has given us to use in His service. Each of us are set apart as priests of God. And so rejoice with me! Now I see that there may be opportunities for service in His kingdom. Now all I have to do is to find them.
Doc Steve

SteveUpdate 5-29-05

2005-05-29T07:43:00.000-04:00

That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly are renewed day by day. Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. We don't look for things that can be seen but for things that can't be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can't be seen last forever.
(2 Corinthians 4:16-18, GW)

Dear ones,

Today I’d like you to hear from a much more learned and talented writer than I, C.S. Lewis.

I am progressing along the path of life in my ordinary contentedly fallen and godless condition, absorbed in a merry meeting with my friends for the morrow or a bit of work that tickles my vanity today, a holiday or a new book, when suddenly a stab of abdominal pain that threatens serious disease, or a headline in the newspapers that threatens us all with destruction, sends the whole pack of cards tumbling down. At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little happinesses look like broken toys. Then, slowly and reluctantly, bit by bit, I try to bring myself into the frame of mind that I should be in at all times. I remind myself that my true good is in another world, and my only real treasure is Christ. And perhaps, by God’s grace, I succeed, and for a day or two become a creature consciously dependent on God and drawing its strength from the right sources.

(The Problem of Pain, Chapter 6)

***********************************************************
Within these past weeks, Steve continues to decline. Even he notices it now. And each day brings more uncertainty.

When a friend asked me how Steve was doing, as he often asks, I answered him in an uncustomarily scattered fashion. Ed then perceptively replied, “Steve is getting worse, isn’t he?” I had to admit he was right. I thought about this some more and the next day I e-mailed Ed with further explanation. I said, What my head has long accepted, my heart denies. This phrase, dear ones, succinctly tells my present state.

Yes, it is much my present state, but not completely. To end this “SteveUpdate” here would not give you the entire story. So I’ll continue.

Wednesday night we saw the new Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith. Although not one of Lucas’ best efforts, for us it made a wonderful outing. We did something normal. Something we’d enjoyed many, many times before Steve got sick. It was a fabulous escape. And a lovely time to treasure.

Then Friday night . . . oh, Friday night! We dressed in evening wear and dined at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn. (The Ritz was our friend’s suggestion, as it would be an appropriate place to wear my little black dress for Steve. Thank you, Tim!)

The evening began with drinks. Steve had a gin martini; I a wonderful single malt, 12-year Macallan, straight.

From there, Steve enjoyed a rich white clam chowder; I puree of roasted fennel.

Then came a gift from our chef: we each received a delicate morel stuffed with truffle and foi gras, and bathed in a rich beef glace´.

Our entrees were a dry-aged New York strip, rare, for Steve; a sautéed Dover sole accompanied by beurre blanc for me.

Coffee and dessert followed: a rich chocolate cake swimming in chocolate sauce for Steve; a petite chocolate soufflé topped with a petite scoop of vanilla ice cream for me.

To conclude dinner, we enjoyed an after-dinner sweet white wine, lighter than a cordial but heavier than a dinner wine, compliments of our server. (A fantasy evening and we have the pictures to prove it.)

Dinner at an elegant restaurant is something we have enjoyed rarely but cherish dearly, especially these days.

*******************
Love, in Christ,
Sandie

The Word on the Web

2005-05-27T22:49:00.000-04:00

Recently I've been taking some time to see what online courses are available on the Web. Lots are not much more than easy Bible studies, others are more academic but can be expensive.
One online source that is worthwhile is also free. Every Christian's computer should have a Bible program on it. The one I use is called "e-sw0rd." Go to their website at www.e-sword.net. You can download the base program and then choose the Bible versions and other helps you want. The only problem is that you can not get New International Version through this site. But the version the Missouri Synod's Commission on Worship has selected for the new hymnal, the English Standard Version, is a choice. I use the God's Word version for preaching and personal study.
Download these materials and use them. We Lutheran Christians say that we love the Word of God. We honor it. So we need to use it the Word. Take some time to read it, take time to explore the Old Testament.
Honestly, there are times when I wonder if we take the Bible seriously or not. Yes, we say that we honor it but it is time for us to actually use the Word of God, the Word we call errorless or inerrant.
The Scriptures are on the web and you can find more resources on the web. Use those resources, allow the Word to work in your hearts and let them guide your lives. It's all there in the Word on the Web.
Doc Steve

The One and Only God -- The Holy Trinity

2005-05-24T18:55:00.000-04:00

The common conception is that all people of faith worship the one and same God. We hear it from religious leaders, from the President of the United States, we hear it from the media. But what is the evidence.
I happen to be an orthodox Christian. That means that I believe in the doctrines of the Christian faith as it has been believed and practiced over the last 2000 years. I believe that the only God is the One God and He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God in Three Persons, the blessed Trinity. We believe this doctrine, as difficult as that doctrine happens to be, because of the Bible.

Matthew 28:18-20 GW When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (20) Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. "And remember that I am always with you until the end of time."
There are other passages, even in the Old Testament, which point to One God in Three Persons. So why is it that we confess that the One God is not the God worshipped by our Muslim and Jewish friends. Honestly, it's because the theologies of Islam and Judaism explicitly deny the Trinity and they say they don't believe in the Trinity.
Take Islam for instance. In the Qur'an (5:73) as it says in the Muslim website Islam 101 ( www.islam101.com) , "They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity, for there is no god except One God." This is not a mere intellectual difference, but they say that we blaspheme against God by the doctrine of the Trinity. They say that we don't agree on who God is and how we are to know Him. To be guilty of blasphemy is to be guilty of breaking the Second Commandment, that of taking God's name in vain. One goes to Hell for a sin such as this.
Why then do Christians so easily pass off the doctrine of the Trinity? There are a couple of reasons. First, the "niceness " factor. We don't want to say that we are right. We don't like to say that we are right and they are wrong. It just seems so wrong that we say that the gods of the other religions are false. We ignore passages such as 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 GW People may say that there are gods in heaven and on earth-many gods and many lords, as they would call them. (6) But for us, "There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from him, and we live for him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through him, and we live because of him." Second, it is the failure of the Pastors in the local congregations. We don't teach the hard doctrines of the faith. Our preaching is so thin, based on keeping people happy, that doctrinal preaching is no longer done. We Pastors have let our people down by not preaching on doctrines. It is vital that we preach on the Trinity and let people know what the truths are.
From the hymn, St. Patrick's Breastplate,
I bind unto myself the name,The strong name of the Trinity By invocation of the same, The Three in One and One in Three, Of whom all nature has creation, Eternal Father, Spirit, Word. Praise to the Lord of my salvation;Salvation is of Christ the Lord!
Praise the Holy Trinity, the one and only God who is and He is the one and only God we worship! Doc Steve

Universities and the Christian Faith

2005-05-18T15:36:00.000-04:00

I've been in the Holy Ministry since 1981 and have served a number of different congregations in different settings. With all the love and respect given to all the congregations I've served, it was the 9 years I spent as a Campus Pastorat the University of Northern Iowa (Go, Panthers!) that I enjoyed the best. As state universities goes, it is a small campus with some 13K students.
Reading the various weblogs, online articles and so on, one gets the impression that universities are the source of all the evil in the world. The authors give the strong impression that the campus is a nest of anti-Christian plots. They are plotting to destroy the faith and to impose a godless worldview. Yes, the typical university is an artifical environment, filled with enthusiastic and idealistic young adults. I was both a "townie" and a part of the university community, so I know that the concerns of the university community are not the concerns of the "townies." There are times when the local community doesn't get along with the campus, times when the university community indulges in riots, drunkness and debauchery. But that is not what a campus is all about.
The campus is also a place of growth, a place where young people struggle with the questions of life, where they need campus workers, campus pastors and people who care for them very much. The students need adults who can understand their lives and a willing to struggle with the students as they deal with the hard questions.
My campus congregation was a "gown-town" church whose ministry was to the campus. Our small congregation knew the importance of its ministry and loved the students. Our district -- that's the regional church in my denomination -- generously supported us. They knew the need and was willing to financially support us. The congregation and the district knew the ministry challenges and the opportunities to work with students and to bring them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is why it is so important that we put resources -- that means money and people -- onto the campuses of our nation. Looking at it from a missiological approach the typical campus has to be seen as a group of people who are 70% unchurched. To put it in more technical terms, a campus is a people group that is 70% without Christ. It is a mistake to see the campus as a place of evil and debauchery. The campus is a place to be reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The campus is a cross-cultural ministry, just as cross-cultural as a village in Africa or a city in China is a cross-cultural ministry.
Read Acts 17 to see how Paul shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with a pagan community (Athens) .

Acts 17:17 GW He held discussions in the synagogue with Jews and converts to
Judaism. He also held discussions every day in the public square with anyone who
happened to be there.

This is the model we can use to reach the campus. It takes time to reach the students, it takes time to be where they are and to talk with them. Sure, there are lots of weird stuff happening on your local campus. But it is a place where God is also at work! I hope that you are a part of the fun. Doc Steve
p.s. Please pray that I can get back into serving students. Even with my illness I would love to be back on campus. This is the fire in my belly. SME

How Important are traditions to your faithlife?

2005-05-14T21:55:00.000-04:00

One of our Lutheran Traditions is Confirmation. On Sunday, May 15th my congregation will be confirming five 8th graders in the Christian faith. For Lutherans this is a tradition with a capital "T" as it is one of those key activities that really forms our faith life.
It is usually the culmination of two years of intensive doctrinal study using an explanation of Luther's Small Catechism. For we Missouri Synod Lutherans we use the "Blue Catechism" as this is the normal color for the cover. We think that this book is so important that we give out these hardcover books -- not softcover -- and encourage the students to keep the book and use it as a reference book in the years ahead. I still have my Blue Catechism from when I was confirmed back in 1970. After my Dad's death, I inherited his 1912 edition of the Catechism.
By the way, this was a brown catechism, something that people of his generation always mention. My edition was the 1943 and the one we use right now is the 1986 edition.
Why I am talking about this since a number of our readers are not Lutherans? Every Christian tradition has key books -- in addition to the Bible -- and key events that shape the faith life of the growing Christian. What was important to you as you grew in your faith? Where there people, books, pictures and so on that were important to you.
I grew up in a rather liberal congregation for our Missouri Synod, so much so that the congregation I grew up in left the Missouri Synod back in 1977. We really didn't use the catechism much, but as I went to High School and College I read the Cathecism again. It was then that I realized what a blessing that this book actually is. It is such an important resource that I keep a copy of the 1986 catechism on my desk at all times. It seems to me that we appreciate these things more as we get older. I did not appreciate it back in the 1970s, but I do now.
Go back to those old sources and see what they can offer you today. Go back and see what God can be saying to you. What matters is that you find those aids for your growth as a Christian. Hear His Word.

Ephesians 4:11-16 GW He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts to his church. (12) Their purpose is to prepare God's people, to serve, and to build up the body of Christ. (13) This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God's Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard. (14) Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. (15) Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. (16) He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Keep growing as a Christian all the days of your life. Use whatever resources that are available to you. Stay in the Word of God. Use the Sacraments. Stay in prayer and praise with other Christians as you meet the new daily challenges of the Christian life. Growth as a Christian continues until you go Home to be with the Lord. Growing as a Christian is important because we have to face new challenges. Keep growing wherever you are. The Lord is there for you.
If a tradition is helpful to you, if it leads you to the Word of God, if it leads you to the Gospel, then use them. But if it distracts you from our God and His Word, if it "adds" some so-called truths or makes odd claims, then get rid of it. The Word of God must be central to our whole Christian life.
Doc Steve

SteveUpdate 5-8-05

2005-05-08T08:36:00.000-04:00

Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God's peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, God’s Word)

Dear ones,

In this cancer journey, there have been many stressful and worrying times. The daily rollercoaster of good days, bad days. The uncertainty this rollercoaster throws into daily schedules. Steve’s slow decline.

I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t worry. I do worry. This monster cancer has shredded our married life, a life we’ve shared together for more than a quarter century. It has meant new roles, new adaptations, new responsibilities. It is knowing that I will be losing my best friend.

Yet if I would stop there and just live in the worry, I would be paralyzed. I wouldn’t be able to run my business. To have friends and to be a friend. To care for Steve.

I wouldn’t be able to live. I would merely exist.

I rage against the “not living.” I want to live! And I do.

What keeps me living is a living God, a heavenly Father, who loves me, who guides me, and who protects me. He speaks to me through His Word, the Bible, and He sustains me through the Sacrament of the Altar. And this same God lifts me up through my many brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been fervently praying for us since Steve’s diagnosis in ’03.

Yes, this cancer journey continues. I don’t know what lies ahead. I don’t know how long we must journey. But I do know that by God’s grace, we will make it.

Love,
Sandie
(Daniel 3:16-18)

**********************************************************

A little about this past week and a half: some days Steve’s chemo fatigue is so bad that all he can do is lie on the couch. Yet he courageously works through it, getting up enough energy so:

We can take a friend to dinner for his birthday.
He can mow the lawn – the first time since his diagnosis.
He can take me to breakfast at Frank’s Diner.
We can enjoy a gelato.
He can conduct a wedding.

And other days are nearly “pre-diagnosis normal.” Steve can spend half a day working in his office at church, come home to relax and have a normal dinner. My friends, such is our cancer journey. --SE

True Unity in the Church

2005-05-07T19:36:00.000-04:00

I hate slogans. Someone said that a slogan is a replacement for thought. Some slogans especially drive me nuts. "Can't we Christians just get along?" is one we sometimes hear. That is to say, why can't all the followers of Jesus focus on what we agree on instead of paying too much attention to our disagreements. The problem is that we we Christians do have real differences, we have real disagreements. And many of these disagreements are not minor, "denominational" or human made differences.
Among the doctrines that people who call themselves Christian have disagreements about include: Is God the Trinity, what is the authority of the Bible, whether Jesus is the One Savior of the world, what is the mission of the Church, whether one is saved by faith or works? And the list goes on. I am not going to try to resolve the problems, but I will say that it is important that we deal with the disagreements in a direct and honest way.

Too often the response is to find a way that both "sides" can agree without having to admit that they are wrong. This is like a married couple who have arguments but can't agree about what the problem actually is. This ensures that the problem will never be resolved. Listen to Jesus,

John 17:21 GW I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the
way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united
with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me.

The unity that we Christians share must be the unity of the Father and the Son. United in love, united in truth, united in the Word of God. Our unity must be for the sake of reaching the world for Christ, for planting churches in every culture and society, for the sake of changing lives by the power of the Gospel. Notice what I have just done, these last two sentences will make some people unhappy. In this post-modern world I have the nerve to assert that there is truth and that the truth must be held, must be proclaimed and taken to the unbelieving world. But that this the truth held by the Father and the Son in the Word of God.
What should we Christians do? We need to hold each other accountable. Yes, you need to hold your fellow Christians accountable to keeping the Word of God. Yes, you need to hold your Pastor accountable for the doctrinal promises he made to your congregation. Yes, you yourself need to be accountable for your growth and obedience to the Word of God. We are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. We are not volunteers. See Jesus' reaction to volunteers in Luke 9:57-62!
Luke 9:57-62 GW As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus,
"I'll follow you wherever you go." (58) Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes, and
birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep." (59) He told another
man, "Follow me!" But the man said, "Sir, first let me go to bury my father."
(60) But Jesus told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go
everywhere and tell about the kingdom of God." (61) Another said, "I'll follow
you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye." (62) Jesus said to him,
"Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."

We are called to follow! This is no game, but it is the way of life that leads to eternal life.

Doc Steve

Is the Church Dying?

2005-04-29T18:06:00.000-04:00

This is the dirty unasked question many of us in traditional churches don't want to ask ourselves. Over the years there have been various "fixes" for churches. Go back to the50's and you will find a whole series of books on bus ministry. Yes, the churches would send out buses to pick up Sunday School kids and bring them to church. There were whole programs with songs, etc. Then high church services, charismatic services, dialogue evangelism, seeker services and so on. But inspite of glowing references from so-called experts, how much good did it do?
When did the slide begin? In the book, the Culture of Disbelief, the author (whose name I forget) asserts that the slide began in the 19th Century. His theory is simple: the problem is that the church would constantly change. First it was against something and now it was for it. For example, the church was against Christmas trees and the celebration of Christmas, and now it was pushing it. People began to wonder, what would change next? What did the church believe in?
How should the church react to demands for change? It is all too easy to simply let the culture determine what they wanted and then are we the church? Are we the consumer driven church or are we the church motivated by the Gospel of Christ? The problem is that we are not even asking the right question. Programs do not save people, Christ working through His people is what reaches the world.
Some of you will give the "I'll do anything in my church to save a soul!" answer, but what about making a commitment to someone. Programs don't reach people, people reach people. What the programs of the past mentioned but soon lost, is the need for personal involvement with someone else. Will you take time -- yes, your precious time in this overstressed time -- to commit to another person. Take time to take Christ to them and not just the ritual fellowship during the Divine Service. So before you ask someone the "Kennedy Questions," get to know them, their needs and fears, get to know what is important to them. And then growth happens, happens to everyone and even the church itself. Doc Steve

2005-04-27T13:09:00.000-04:00

God saved you through faith as an act of kindness.
You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.
It's not the result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it.
(Ephesians 2:8-9, GW)

Dear ones,

I thought I'd begin this SteveUpdate with these verses, because these updates are now sent to more than 60 people who make up a very diverse group.

Some of us have long walked with Christ. Some of us are just getting started on that walk. And others of us are seekers, looking for answers to difficult life issues. But we all share a concern for Steve, as he courageously battles Stage IV colon cancer. And I share a concern for each of you, so that I earnestly and honestly convey to you both the reality of our “new normal” with its many ups and downs, and the eternal reality of God’s Word and work in our lives. From the very beginning of these updates I’ve wanted to give each of you something of value for your own lives, and not just a few self-centered, “it’s-all-about-us” paragraphs.

A remark that I’ve heard from time-to-time goes something like this: “You must be so very ______________(fill-in-the-blank: holy, special, full of faith, etc.) to bear this burden as you do.”

Nonsense! A well-meaning remark, yes, and definitely a caring remark, but nonsense all the same.

Just because we are on this cancer journey . . . we ourselves are not special. We ourselves are not more holy. And we are definitely not better than anyone else.

We – like all of us – are saved sinners. And we’ve been saved not by anything we’ve done, or by who we are, or by whom we are erroneously perceived to be, but purely, simply, we are saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. It is God’s unearned gift to Steve, to Karl, to me – and to each of you.

And that’s how Steve & I can face the many ups and downs, joys and sorrows, hopes and uncertainties of this cancer journey. Not always successfully, because we are still human. (And we thank each of you for your love and understanding about that.) But with the assurance that there’s a power greater than us who is keeping us going. And that power is God’s work in us through Jesus Christ.

************************************************************
We continue on the good-day/bad-day rollercoaster.

The good days mean: no bad reactions so far from this new third concoction of chemo; Steve’s love for his family compelling him to fight hard to beat the disease; having the energy to give a husbandly kiss and embrace; laughter with friends; feeling good enough—not too tired—to attend a fundraiser for a pastor’s widow; celebrating a friend’s son’s 16th birthday; helping Mom move into her new apartment; seeing our nephews; seeing our son; enjoying some coneys on a Friday night; becoming mallrats for a precious hour; hearing Steve preach; vacation anticipation.

The bad days mean: Steve confined to the couch with a 10+ fatigue level; sudden onset of pain & discomfort; more morphine; feeling generally blah that can only be attributed to “the disease”; cancelled and postponed meetings; a growing caretaker role; a sense of “trending downward.”

With love and prayers,
Sandie

Family: What is God's Will?

2005-04-23T12:33:00.000-04:00

Your Family is a gift of God. Our God considered the family -- husband, wife, children -- so important to humanity that He gave it to us in the Garden of Eden, that is, before the Fall into Sin. This is why our God made the 4th Commandment the one about the family, and it is the first one with a blessing attached to it. The family is not just for Christians and Jews -- those who hold to the Old Testament, but for all of humanity. And every family in the world needs to be protected and supported in light of the Word of God.
Take a look at the plague of divorce now sweeping our nation. The Bible gives reasons for divorce to protect the family, to protect children and adults. What is interesting are the reasons not given, reasons oh so common today. We don't get along. We don't meet each others needs any longer. Or my favorite one from rabbinacal traditions, for burnt food. Yes, we all can find reasons to do what we really want to do. Oh, yes, it seems for many people, that divinely given reasons simply do not count.
Violence in the home, adultery, sexual abuse are all causes for divorce. These sins -- yes, they are sins in the sight of God -- have already broken the marriage bond. The first step in solving the marriage problems in any family is repentance. Repentance is taking sin seriously and honestly.
The family must be protected at all times. For the sake of children, the aged and infirm, yes. For the sake of everyone in the family and outside of the family. For the sake of our society. Family is the heart and root of our society. It is time for the Christian to reject the common idea that marriage is simply a piece of paper, and so on. By the way, all the research shows that living together before marriage actually harms marriage. This is the information not mentioned on the evening news "health" or "family" segments on local TV for all to hear. Strong marriages are built on a biblical base,. Built on God's purpose for all of humankind given in the Garden. A marriage dedicated to life-long service to each other, a marriage built on love and dedication to each other, just like our God intended it to be before the Fall. This is for everyone in the world, not just for Christians or Jews, but for everyone. And so if your neighbor is a Muslim, a Wiccan (look it up) or a happy pagan, pray for their marriage, for their family, and their needs. That is the will of God in this situation. Doc Steve

Worthwhile Websites

2005-04-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

Everybody's has opinions about websites, which ones are interesting, and so on.

Christian news source : Christian Post www.christianpost.com

My denomination: The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod. www.lcms.org

My university: Concordia, Ann Arbor. www.cuaa.edu

My seminary: Concordia, Fort Wayne. www.ctsfw.edu

an interesting site by the Nation of Islam: www.noi.org

An interesting international newswebsite by the BBC. www.bbc.co.uk

A pro-life, pro-family weblog. www.worldnetdaily.com

By the way, I can't guarantee anything on these sites, but I often find them interesting.

Doc Steve

New Blog

2005-04-13T23:40:00.000-04:00

It always interests me how much things change. At the course I am teaching at Concordia, AnnArbor, MI tonight, I used a DVD through my laptop computer. When I was a student in the same school back in 1974, the most we had was overhead projectors. Now I have a wireless network in my home.
The challenge for the Christian is that we have an eternal message but one that needs to be taught in new ways. No, technology is not a problem, but a means. Back in the 1930s there were those who wondered if radio was too "secular" to be a means of sharing the Gospel. When is technology a "god" in the sense that we put our fear and trust in it. Technology must be a servant of the errorless Word of God, not its master. Don't allow the means to be more important than the message. But use the technology, but do so with a sensitivity for those who find it frightening.
Please pray for your own Pastor. He feels the pressures of the society at large and pressures from his congregation. Pray that he will have the faith, wisdom and courage to do what is right.

Some of you have tried to post comments and were kicked out. I corrected the setting, so please respond.

WELCOME TO THE INVASION

2005-04-10T18:50:00.000-04:00

Odd title, isn't it. Not if you are a C.S. Lewis fan. One of C. S. Lewis' books described the Christian faith in terms of an invasion. Christ -- not the church -- is invading the Devil's territory. Right now we are landing here and there and there will be a big DDay -- that's the End.
What fascinates me about this idea is that it reminds us that the world is captive territory and that the Devil is the Enemy. Too often does the Church want to be 'nice' and 'acceptable' to the world around us. No, this doesn't mean that we forget the mission of taking Christ to the nations, for the mission is central. But it does remind us of the task and why the world seems so evil and disgusting.
Lutheran liturgies and theology like to talk about the world as a world of sin and death. Both are our enemies.
(1Co 15:53-58) This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever. When this body that decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture will come true: "Death is turned into victory! Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?" Sin gives death its sting, and God's standards give sin its power. Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, then, brothers and sisters, don't let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.

Yes, we are in a war. But the victory is ours because of Christ. And only because of Christ -- Christ is the Victor already. Doc Steve