Reclaiming Our Heritage

Differences On The Basic Questions - How does the Muslim Faith differ from the Christian Faith?

alandsylvia@comcast.net — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:08:00 GMT

Issue 11, Aug 2008
How does the Muslim Faith differ from the Christian Faith on the basic questions of life and death? We continue to explore some of the fundamental differences. Our prayer is that we will see clearly the differences and be strengthened in our Christian Faith.

This month we ask: How does God connect with me?

The Qur’an reveals that Allah has chosen some to life and some to death. One is totally dependent on the determinate will of Allah (Surah 39:68-69). However, a person is also held accountable. Allah reveals himself through the Qur’an. One’s final destiny is in great uncertainty.

The Bible reveals that the Lord God of Abraham “connected” with me by himself becoming a human being. He passionately pursued me while I was still far from him. The great wonder is that God’s heart is filled with such intense love for me that he gives his one and only Son that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, came seeking, saving, calling, and beckoning me as his sheep to come back to him. This he did long before I came to faith or did acts of obedience, piety, or charity. As the Lord God says, “I was found by those who did not seek me. I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Rom 10:20).

This great love for me, expressed in the Shepherd becoming the sacrificial Lamb, is so powerfully seen on the cross that, as a magnet, it draws me to himself in faith (Jn 12:32).

Here is how it works.

In the Gospels, I view the acts of those who betray Jesus, deny him, condemn him, abuse him, speak ill of him, and fail to defend him. In their acts I see the greatness of my own sin. Nevertheless, in the person of Christ, in his resolute love, in his patient suffering, in his strong determination, in his offering himself as the atoning sacrifice, in his words, “Father forgive them,” I see that “where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Rom 5:20 NIV). Drawn to that cross, I am moved to repent of my sins and trust in Jesus as my Savior. The love of Christ becomes known to me personally and, in knowing that love, I know the love of God, my Father.

Through faith in Christ I am welcomed into a close personal, intimate relationship with God as my Father and I become “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19). God is my Father and I am his child and heir of eternal life. In the person of his Son my restless heart finds rest, pardon, peace, purpose, wholeness, and hope. Nothing in this life or the next can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior.

Because of Christ I now look upon myself and all other human beings differently. Now we are not only precious because we are special creatures of the Lord God, but we are doubly precious because we are redeemed with the priceless blood of the Lamb of God.

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Rev. Rick Richter is the author of “The Qur’an and the Bible – A Comparison.” www.Churchpress.com.

The Beatitudes - Part 4

alandsylvia@comcast.net — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:06:00 GMT

Issue 11, Aug 2008
In the previous three issues of this ezine, we examined the first six of the Eight Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-10.

In the Seventh Beatitude (Matthew 5:9) Jesus proclaims the Good News: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (NIV).

We live in a world where concepts like mutually assured destruction, truces where centuries old hatred remain, genocide, civil wars, and the like fill our news reports and political philosophies. It is hard to find a real definition and experience of “peace” in this world today and especially in the lives of the people of this world. Since no mere man has ever brought a truly lasting peace to even a part of this world, we have to ask ourselves the question of “Who is the peacemaker of whom Jesus speaks?”

We must look to definitions given by God in His Word to determine the meanings of the words used by God in the Scriptures. In the Scriptures, we do find that there are times where the Scriptures identify peace only with an absence of war or conflict, as in Luke 14:32 and Acts 12:20, for example. But does Christ only point to people who settle the conflicts that break out in this world as those of whom He speaks in this Beatitude?

In Ephesians 2:14-15, Jesus Christ Himself is named “our peace”, while in verse15 He is described as one “making peace”. How can it be that He is “peace” who “makes peace”? Above all else, “peace” is the tranquility of being absolutely certain of our salvation before the One True God through Jesus Christ alone, knowing that we, through Him alone, have nothing to fear under God’s righteous Law, and therefore are completely content with our earthly lot, whatever that may be. Accordingly, “peace making” is, above all else, being in Jesus Christ through faith and witnessing Christ our Peace by word and deed to others.

While a Christian’s life is a life in Jesus Christ, our Peace, and a life proclaiming that Peace to others, the Eighth Beatitude proclaims “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, NIV)

Note first of all that the promise contained within this Beatitude is set forth in the present tense “is” just as the promise in the First Beatitude is also presented with “…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV)

The promises we found in the second through the seventh Beatitude are presented in the future tense of “will be”. Those living in and by the true Gospel have both the assurance of the “now” and the “not yet” but forever eternal life in and through Christ Jesus. But, the life we live now on this earth is a life under the cross.

Because this world is bound up in the complete domination of sin, Satan and death, it will always reject God’s Way. The life of a believer is truly a life of sorrow and tribulation. We bear our crosses under His cross as we exercise our God-given vocations in this world. We live a life of serving others as Christ serves us even though the world rejects us as it opposes Christ as the One Way unto salvation.

He is the Way of our salvation and through faith worked, strengthened and preserved by Word and Sacraments, we rejoice in His Way of our salvation.

I urge you to read and reread all Eight Beatitudes hearing the entire Gospel message proclaimed therein.

Grace alone. Faith alone. Christ alone. Scripture alone. To God be the glory!

By Larry D. Harvey

The Role of Women In The Life of The Church - Part 3

alandsylvia@comcast.net — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:04:00 GMT

Issue 11, Aug 2008
We continue this month our discussion of the role of women in the church, focusing particularly upon why the church for two thousand years did not permit women to be pastors and bishops. As promised last month, we turn now to the question of why Paul and the other apostles forbad women to teach publicly. Why was the public ministry, the office of pastor, reserved for the male sex? We look at this particularly against the background of what is taught in many Lutheran circles in our day, namely that baptism makes us all equally prepared for public ministry. Baptism is viewed as a kind of ordination, giving men and women equal rights to occupy the public office.

In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul claims that the headship of a man must be emphasized. This is a revealed truth that must be lifted up. It is God's Word. The passage in question reads as follows:

"As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

"Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored." (vv.34-38).

We know our human nature in the qualities of maleness and femaleness. These are binary modes of being human. There are two sexes and no such thing as an abstract human nature exists. Being a male is a mystery. Being a female is a mystery. Both maleness and femaleness must be discovered and revealed. The genders are not the same and consequently there is something to being a man and something to being a woman that demands an ordering in the church assembled for worship and service.

In the Bible men and women are both equally human. Both share in the image of God. In turn, male and female are both to support and care for those of the opposite sex. Men and women share common feelings. They love, laugh, cry, hurt and hate. They have common interests. Men and women may both love beautiful creations, enjoy tasteful foods together and so forth. But in all of this a man remains a man and a woman remains a woman.

In our day, especially in the discussions about women's ordination, there is confusion. There is even a tendency to do away with these distinctions between male and female or cancel them out altogether. In this critics follow the example of ancient false teachers who denied that even Christ Himself took on human flesh. They were called Docetists--from the Greek noun meaning "seem to be." They believed that human flesh was a lower form of life, that matter was in fact evil. Therefore Christ would surely not have assumed human nature. He only appeared to do so.

Modern critics are docetic in the sense that they suggest that the distinctions between men and women have been erased by the "order of redemption." That is to say, in Christ we are all one, there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:26-28). Our baptism into Christ has eliminated all distinctions, including gender.

The problem is that we are nowhere told in the Bible that the distinctive identities for men and women in their relation to each other has changed. Such identities were assigned by God at creation and remain so today. This is commonly known as the "order of creation."

Let's look carefully at what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14 about the role of women. When he says that women are not allowed to speak he uses the Greek word lalein, a technical term for what we call preaching or public teaching. This is supported by other biblical passages:

"While he (Jesus) was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, 'My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live,'" Matthew 9:18 (Jesus was preaching/teaching -lalein. The ruler merely spoke - Greek legein.).

"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him, Matthew 12:46 (again Jesus was teaching, but his mother and brothers stood outside ready to instruct him instead -lalein in both cases. Jesus was unwilling to accept such teaching from his family, emphasizing the importance of all hearing the Word of God that He alone was preaching. To hear that Word is what truly makes people members of Jesus' family).

"No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began," 1 Corinthians 2:7 (again the word lalein).

"Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening," 2 Corinthians 12:19 (once again lalein -what Paul did as he spoke in the sight of God to strengthen their faith).

In Genesis 1:27 we read that “God created the man (Hebrew: adam) in His own image, in the image of God He created him (singular), male (Hebrew: zakar) and female (neqebah) He created them.”

Here is our first clear indication of how central to the biblical vision the distinction of gender actually is. Of course “adam” can refer to our common humanity, but are we humans first and male or female in a secondary way? Not at all.

The Hebrew text at the word him has an athnach, a mark inserted by the ancient scribes that creates a pause in the narrative, a “that is.” So we might render the text: “In the image of God He created him and by this we mean male and female . . .” Thus, from the very beginning, it is evident that maleness and femaleness constitute concrete aspects of humanity. There is no humanity, no personhood, apart from male or female humanity or personhood.

Likewise in spiritual matters there is no spiritual monism. There is no melding together of the sexes. We remain male and female. Our sex roles are not a bondage from which we are freed by virtue of our baptism. How else can the fundamental differences between genders be expressed? Galatians 3:28 does not obliterate the continuing distinction of the “order of creation” within the “order of redemption.” Notice that in the very next verse Paul introduces the terminology of human sexuality, calling believers the seed (Greek: sperma) of Abraham, heirs of the promise. A patriarchal story (Abraham) is used to clarify and explain the Gospel of Christ.

Notice further that the Scriptures speak of God and those who represent him in both testaments through masculine imagery: Adam, Abraham, Moses, the kings, David, first-born son, Passover lamb, scapegoat.

Similarly the people of God and their relation to God are portrayed by means of feminine imagery. We cannot speak in the same way about Jesus’ Jewishness. Being a Jew is not what makes one distinctly human, but being a male or a female is and Jesus was a male.

Does the masculinity of Jesus have anything to say to us about the ordination of women? The Confessions (Ap.VII.28; AC XXVIII,21f; Ap.VII.47; XII.40-41) do teach that the pastor represents the person of Christ. In the words of the minister one hears the words of Christ.

But what is this meaning of Christ’s masculine humanity? Some would suggest that His maleness has no significance whatsoever. The biblical position is that it has great significance. I'll take up that question in next months discussion of this topic.

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By Dr. Al Franzmeier, editor

All God’s Promises Are Yes In Christ - Part 2

alandsylvia@comcast.net — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Issue 11, Aug 2008

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the Amen is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Cor. 1:20

Last month we began a two part Bible study of God's promises. We learned there are over 7,500 promises by God to mankind. We looked at the words for promise in the Bible, provisions of the promises, promises about afflictions and promises about physical life.

This month we conclude our brief study with a look at promises about daily life and promises concerning prayer, We pray this meditation upon God's Word will bless you and those with whom you may share it.

Promises About Daily Life

1. Promises about sleep

Eccl.5:12 - sleep of a laboring man sweet

Ezekiel 34:25 - dwell safely and sleep in the woods

Proverbs 3:24 - sleep shall be sweet

Psalm 121:4 - He that keeps Israel never sleeps

Psalm 127:2 - He gives his beloved in sleep

Proverbs 20:13 -love not sleep, lest you come to poverty

I Thess.5:7 - they that sleep, sleep in the night

I Corinthians 15:6 - but some have fallen asleep

2. Promises about accidents

Ruth 2:3 - as it turned out

Luke 10:31 - a certain priest happened to be going

Prov. 16:33 - lot into lap, but every decision is from Lord

Gen.45:4-15 - God sent me ahead to preserve your life

Rom.8:28 - all things work together for good to those who love God

Promises concerning Prayer

In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalm 11.

The answer to this ancient doubter is given in the same Psalm and in many other places of the Bible. The righteous can pray: "Upright men will see his face."

Matthew 7:7-11 - Ask, seek and knock.

Philippians 4:6 - Let the Lord know your desires

I Thessalonians 5:17,18 - Pray without ceasing

Hebrews 4:16 - Pray boldly

Hebrews 11:6 - Believe in His rewards

James 1:5-7 -Ask in faith

James 4:8 - Draw near and He will too

James 5:16 - Effectual prayer

Luke 11 - Jesus' Teaching on Prayer

1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

2He said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name,   your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread.   4Forgive us our sins,  for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. "

5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

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The Holy Spirit is indeed the best of all the gifts. It is the Spirit who has called us to faith in our Baptism. It is the Spirit who continues to call us to die with Christ and rise again daily to a new life. It is the Spirit who strengthens our faith in the Lord's Supper. It is the Spirit who grants us gifts to share with those around us, enabling us to serve and care for one another in body and spirit. It is the Spirit who works through the Word of God to sustain and encourage us until that day we enter into the glory of God in the Father's house.

All these and many more are the promises of God's Word.

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By Dr. Al Franzmeier, editor

The Importance of Family Gatherings and Family History

alandsylvia@comcast.net — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:56:00 GMT

Issue 11, Aug 2008
The wind was still this morning, so the air is heavy and harder to breathe. But it was 103 in Killeen, TX. That makes our 97 degree weather seem less 97-ish.

It is human nature to rejoice at the misfortune of another though we seem to sympathize. Schadenfreude the Germans called it. Literally the word means joy over the harm or pain of another. It is that perverse pleasure from others' misfortune that we try to hide under a coat of empathy. And the more we enjoy their mishap, the more syrupy our sympathy gets. No, never happened to you. OK.

Wife Ruth’s side of the family has held an annual family reunion since she was a little girl. Back then her brothers decided it would be nice to spend some time together as a family each year. So they decided on the third Sunday in July and that date has never changed.

I remember watching cousin Margaret trying to convince her two sons, eight and ten or so, to enjoy the day. They were ‘bored’, as most young people are at such gatherings. So I suggested they ask their uncle Ed how he ever got to raising seed corn or another uncle how he managed to farm and run a milk route. They did and learned a lot about their family and, as Margaret told me later, really enjoyed their day with the family.

That’s just it, Isn’t it? When we are young such things as family get-togethers are a bore. We have other more pressing things to do. Later, after uncles and aunts are taken from us, we would like another chance to sit down and ask about things in our family history. We get interested in why something happened or what happened to make such and such a result. But then it’s too late to get the news we long for.

So, my word to you is to make use of the time and ask NOW.

It is interesting that the Book of Chronicles gives chapter after chapter of names, of descendants etc. And the Bible also points out that certain ones could not serve as priests because “their name was not found" (cf. 2 Chronicles 31).

So family history if important. The psalmist says,

“For the Lord is good, His love endures forever,

His faithfulness continues through all generations” Psalm 100,5.

Reunions, reminders of where we came from, our history, our ancestry, all important to our well-being, Cherish them. And may the Lord bless the work.

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By Reverend G.P. Dobberfuhl