Search Results

Jim Frantti | 2007 LLC Phoenix Winter Services - February 23 -- Of That Day and That Hour Knoweth No Man The text from the gospel of Mark that is the theme for this presentation contains the words of Jesus. Jesus was speaking about the end times. Although he gave many signs of the end times, he also concluded that no person knows the day and the hour of the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus. For that reason, Jesus instructed, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark, 13:33-37). Nobody knows when the end of the world will come Likewise nobody knows the day and the hour of their own death. For that reason, it is of utmost importance to be watchful. Watchfulness To be watchful means to be ready. It means that we expect that what we are awaiting could happen at any moment. Prophet Ezekiel described the watchman’s role: “But if the watchman see the sword, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezek. 33:6). God has placed those in His kingdom who are responsible for the spiritual care of His children. They watch on the walls of Zion and warn of dangers. As a young man, I enjoyed being in the woods and hunting for deer. I was once given advice by an experienced hunter. He said that you should always hunt as if there is a deer very near. That way you are always careful and alert and watchful. It is good if we can in the same way remain alert for the enemy of souls. He is always going about “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). And he is always near, even in our own flesh. As prophet Ezekiel instructed, we want to watch for dangers to our brothers and sisters in faith. We indeed are one another’s keepers and help each other to preserve faith and a good conscience. For that reason, if we see that the enemy is tempting a brother or sister in some matter, we want to warn them in love for their undying soul. Personal Watching Watching in faith is also a personal matter. We know that there are many dangers and temptations in the midst of this world. The dangers are to the right and left of our path. There are dangers of self-righteousness, and there are dangers of leniency and permissiveness. We often say that we have a threefold enemy. That includes the devil, the world, and our own flesh. Luther has said that of the three he fears his own flesh the most. We also remember how Apostle Paul wrote of himself, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. . . O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:18-20, 24). Don’t we often feel the same way? Today, the world is a cold and dark place in many ways. The ungodly life in the world surrounds us. At times, the world can feel so close to us. The enemy of souls is so clever and deceitful. The believers have often said that the enemy is the master of a thousand tricks. Already centuries ago, Apostle James wrote, “. . .whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God . . . submit yourselves therefore unto God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:4,7). Also, life today is so busy. In our age of communication, transportation, and entertainment, we can get caught up in the busy pace of life. Then we can become unwatchful or sleepy in our faith. Jesus took the disciples James, John, and Peter with him when he went to the garden. He left them to watch while he went a little farther to pray. When he returned, he found the disciples asleep. Jesus said, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:40-41). Like the disciples, we can become sleepy. It is not always easy to be watchful in faith. Though we have the desire to preserve faith and a good conscience and our spirit is willing, our flesh is weak. How then can we remain watchful faith? Remaining Watchful Believers experience temptations and trails in their lives. Apostle James writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience. … Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:2,3,12). Thus we see that we are not exempt from temptation. Jesus said to His own, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Nevertheless, the child of God often feels weak in the face of temptation sand doubts of his or her own salvation. We know that the enemy wishes, through temptations, to draw us into sin and to lead us away form God’s kingdom. James writes of this. “Let no many say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:13-15). What then can help us to resist temptation and sin? We know that the source of strength for the endeavor of faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the gospel that frees us from sin and gives us power to believe. Yet, God also helps us in other ways to resist temptation. Listen to God’s Word. God’s word is the bread and water of life for a child of God. It is our source of strength and comfort. It is the light that enlightens our pathway. Through His word, God instructs us and guides us. Today, God blessed us with many opportunities to be in the hearing of His word. We want to treasure those opportunities. Discuss our temptations with other believers. God’s word teaches us, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). Our brothers and sisters in faith are our escorts that help us in our endeavor of faith. When we are burdened or tempted, we can seek out a trusted brothers or sister with whom we can speak about our temptations. Such trusted friends will listen and understand. They will keep our confidences, and they will give us counsel. Apostle James encourages us, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). Care for the conscience. Apostle Paul encourages his younger brother Timothy to hold faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:19). The conscience of a believer is an inner voice that warns us about sin. The conscience can become dimmed by sin. When sin accumulates on the conscience, the conscience becomes less sensitive to sin. For that reason, the child of God wants to care for the conscience. How does one care for the conscience? It is by putting away sin and believing sins forgiven in the names and blood of Jesus. God’s word encourages us, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the rate that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). When we feel the weight of our sinfulness, we can ask to hear the gospel. In the hearing of the gospel, we can believe that our sins are forgiven. Sometimes, we carry such a sin upon the conscience that is especially troubling to us. Then, we have the grace privilege of confession. We can go to a trusted brother or sister to whom we can speak of those particular sins that trouble us, and we can hear the forgiving message of the gospel for even that particular sin. Apostle John writes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Choose a believing, and soundly believing, group of companions. In Ecclesiastes it is written: “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up” (Eccl. 4:9-10). The “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us that is mentioned in the letter to the Hebrews consists of our fellow believers. They can lift us up with the gospel when we fall into sin. they can also warn us of the dangers of sin and help us to avoid temptation and sin. That is why it is so important that our close companions are themselves sincerely believing. Then we can freely speak of faith and of our trials. They will not encourage us to do sin but will help us to resist the temptations of the devil. Such friends are great treasures. When Apostle Paul wrote to his believing brothers and sisters in Philippi, he addresses them, “My brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown” (Phil 4:1). Haven’t you also felt that way about your believing friends? When we have had difficult times in our lives, then we have especially known the value of sincerely believing friends. Choose only good reading and listening materials. Apostle John warns “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15). He especially warns about the “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). We have experienced how the enemy can try to approach our flesh through reading, listening and viewing material that arouses our flesh. For that reason, the believers have felt that there is a special place of watching in these matters. On the other hand, wholesome reading and listening material can serve to uplift us and to also teach us about life. Often such material can help us pass our free time and to uplift and comfort us in times of need. For that reason, we consider the availability of good reading and listening material as a gift of God. It is important to choose wisely and in keeping with our goal of holding faith and a good conscience. Choose good and developmental hobbies. Luther taught that idle time provides the devil opportunity to do his work. A significant part of our lives is spent in recreational, or free time, activity. The “hang-outs” of the people of the world are not good places for believers to spend their time. Rather, it is beneficial to have good and developmental hobbies that we can enjoy in our free time. Such hobbies might include playing musical instruments, a variety of health recreational activities, handwork, art, and wood work, among many other choices. God gives different talents to each of us. Such free time activities allow us to use and develop the talents He has given. They also allow us to pass our free time in ways that we can enjoy and help us to avoid temptations. Believing for Today The believers often say that faith is one day old. Yesterday’s faith is past and cannot save us. We cannot believe for tomorrow. It is therefore important that we are believing today. When Jesus spoke of His second coming, He said “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when he think not” (Luke 12:37-40). If you knew today that this was your last day on this earth, wouldn’t it be your main concern today that you are believing. Everything else would become unimportant in comparison. You would want to have the assurance of the gospel that all of your sins are forgiven and you are a child of God and acceptable to Heaven. For that reason, we say that it is important to remain personally watchful in faith and to help each other. Remember the destination and the reward. I remember learning to cross country ski and how difficult it was to go uphill. The skis always seemed to slide back. One experienced skier told me that you need to keep your eyes on the top of the hill and not look down at your skis. That keeps you properly balanced and helps to prevent slipping back. I have thought that it is likewise important on our journey of faith that we look toward the destination. Our destination is Heaven. Our treasure is there; our hearts are there. There we want to be one day. It pays to believe. Remember dear brothers and sisters, that the power to believe is found in the gospel. We cannot boast that we have been such watchful travelers. Many times, the enemy is successful in causing sin to beset and slow our journey. But God’s grace is abundant. By grace, through faith, by the power of the gospel, the weak traveler can continue the journey. Faults and sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus. The home in Heaven awaits.

Lawrence Byman | 2007 LLC Toronto Summer Services Youth Discussion --

Walt Lampi | 2007 LLC Toronto Summer Services - Ministers and Board Members Meeting - July 6 -- “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”(1 John 1:7). Here the Apostle John reveals the central reason for the unity that is a unique trait of the children of God. With these words he has linked the personal endeavor of faith (“we walk in the light”) to both the Word, that is Jesus Christ (“as he is in the light”), and to life and unity with the congregation (“fellowship one with another”) wherein “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” The endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace has long been a major emphasis of God’s kingdom. Unity is always a reason for joy and we are often reminded of the psalmist’s exclamation: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1). This spiritual unity is inspired by love for God’s Word, of which Jesus said: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). It is a unity realized when individuals discard personal understandings and opinions that are not supported by the Word. There can be no true unity or love in the congregation of God without the light of the Word. God’s Word is the hope and foundation of our salvation. Faith of the heart and a conscience bound to the Word of God give us the hope of eternal life. The Tabernacle of God Is With Men A good beginning point for any discussion about unity of faith and understanding in God’s kingdom is a personal one. “What is my relationship to God and His kingdom?” The state of human relationships and questions of unity within the household of Christ can be traced back to the way that this question is answered. One must believe that the kingdom of God is here on earth with men. This truth was declared unto the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:3). One must also believe, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, that it is united in body, Spirit, the hope of salvation, and faith (Eph. 4: 4, 5). As our brother Olavi Voittonen has written, Christ’s exhortation to first seek the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33) gives a child of God that basic direction on which he can daily make his important decisions. (ATW II, p. 85) It teaches us to think about the kingdom in its entirety instead of merely ourselves. Thus when we apply these words in our life, we have a compass that always points us heavenward even when we are surrounded by issues that may cause doubt and confusion. The “standard of truth ” to which we must compare all doctrine and thought is the Word of God, for it is unchanging. Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). The Word is eternal truth and as such does not change with the times or norms of society. When the light of grace and truth shine into man’s heart, he joyously unites with God’s children around the Word. When our affection is set on things above, and not on things on the earth (Col. 3:2) many vain questions disappear and unity is strengthened. The Work of the Holy Spirit In the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed we confess our belief that the work of the Holy Spirit is to call, unite, enlighten, and sanctify the Christian Church on earth and preserve it in union with Jesus Christ in the true faith (M. Luther, Small Catechism). Therefore unity of faith and understanding is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work within both the congregation and the hearts of it’s individual members. It is not the result of an outward, forced compliance to a catalog of activities, some prohibited and some permitted. Even when our understanding is weak, God’s Word teaches us to obey in faith: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev. 2:29). The Experience of the Early Church The apostles understood well the blessing of unity and were keenly aware of the dangers of division, and thus often exhorted Christians to “be ye all of one mind” (1 Pet. 3:8). This has not changed and we must still work to maintain the unity of faith and understanding. It is an endeavor that is undertaken with love, patience and the exhortation of the Word. When there is unity of Spirit and faith the energy and resources of God’s kingdom can be used to bring the message of the gospel to those yet in darkness or to strengthen the faith of the believing rather than be consumed by warfare within the congregation. History shows that our “adversary the devil” (1 Pet. 5:8) works diligently to destroy our unity and peace by causing division. If discontent over the understandings or decisions of God’s kingdom continue long enough heresy may result. By the middle of the eighth-century the Early Christian Church had cataloged 103 heresies. The causes of dispute ranged from arguments for a more permissive lifestyle, to disagreements over either the divinity or humanity of Christ, to legalistic dryness that arose from despair over openly sinful life and the wish for a congregation in which there were no great sinners, to heresies that formed as the result of over reactions to other heresies. (1) Over the last one hundred years, the Zion of North America has experienced heresies centered on either the Law or the love of this world. 1 The Fathers of the Church Fathers, An Introduction to the First Christian Teachers, Aquilina, M. pg. 38 The Desire for Change and Choice So how then is the unity of faith and understanding lost? In a recent article, Juhani Alaranta raised a series of questions that asked whether time has changed the understanding of believers on various previously discussed and decided issues (Siionin Lähetylehti, No. 10, 2006, 20, 21). He used as examples the matters of TV, birth control issues, cosmetics, and divorce. He asked: “Does time change us? Does the mind of the listener change? Do our interpretations of right and wrong change?” The questions arose because a believing mother had been asked whether she was a liberal or a strict Laestadian with regard to childbearing issues. Such a question points to a disunity of faith and understanding within the kingdom. We live in a time that emphasizes individuality and personal freedoms. One result of this emphasis is the nowadays commonly held and accepted notion that each individual has the right to define his/her own concept of right and wrong and that others have no right to interfere with it. This view is characterized by phrases like “to each his own.” This line of thought, so prevalent in our day, poses a threat to God’s children for it separates the discussion of conscience and the definition of right and wrong from God’s Word. Our freedom was purchased by Jesus Christ and is freedom from sin, not a freedom to sin. A common cause for disunity, and eventually heresy, is the desire for change, that is, a desire to choose a different direction. At such times individuals depart from God’s kingdom because they want to pick and choose from the doctrine of salvation those teachings that are compatible with their own understanding and lifestyle and to leave behind those that are incompatible. The English word ‘heresy’ is based on the Greek word ‘hairesis’ which together with its derivatives mean to be able to choose or the act of choosing. Are we again living a time when some individuals believe that it is right to choose or reject the teachings of God’s Word and kingdom as it suits their own desires and notions? Danger of Carnal Mindedness What happens in the life of an individual believer that he/she chooses to turn away from the Word of God? The Apostle James answers: “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:13, 14). For an example of this we don’t need to go any further than the Fall, the occasion upon which Eve and Adam first fell into sin. Satan started with a question that both he and Eve already knew the answer to: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” By posing this question, he successfully placed the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind and the warfare between the mind and faith began. This warfare has continued throughout history. The enemy then proceeded to paint a picture of reduced punishment for disobedience by stating: “Ye shall not surely die.” He thus tried to make sin appear harmless or at the very least minimize its consequences. Eve felt assured of the serpent’s claim because the tree and its fruit were pleasant to the eyes. She perhaps wondered what harm could come of such a beautiful and useful thing. Finally, Satan promised a level of knowledge and understanding the equal of God’s. Eve and then Adam ate of the tree and they fell into unbelief. Throughout time the enemy has worked in the same way and with the same results. Carnal mindedness is the application of human reason to spiritual issues with no regard to the Word of God or teachings of the Holy Spirit within the congregation. With Carnal Mindedness Comes the Breakdown of Unity What happens when carnal mindedness prevails in a congregation? In order to answer this we can look at the Scriptures and examples it gives from Corinth and Rome and also to our own experience during the heresy of the 1970s. In Corinth: Corinth was a congregation faced with a number of divisive issues. They included the evaluation of servants and their gifts, the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, moral laxity, confusion concerning the resurrection of the dead, and abuses during celebration of the Lord’s Holy Supper. Paul taught that there was a difference between earthly and spiritual wisdom and that spiritual matters could not be resolved with a carnal reason. He wrote, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritual discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). On the issue of following preachers, Paul pointedly writes, “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul and another, I am of Apollos: are ye not carnal?” (1 Cor. 3: 3, 4). In Rome: In Rome dissension arose between the Jewish and Gentile believers over the eating of meat. Paul warned the believers about the danger and consequence of carnal mindedness, and also contrasted those dangers with the blessings of being spiritually minded: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can be” (Rom. 8:5–7). In trying to turn the focus of the Roman believers to that which is most beneficial for congregational life and away from the polarization caused by the dietary laws of Moses, he proclaimed: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). In the Zion of North America: Many of us remember the last heresy on this continent. At that time the enemy of the soul was found to have breached the walls of Zion and waged war against the children of God from within. Where carnal reasoning prevailed there was a falling away from the truth of God’s Word and His kingdom was viewed carnally instead of spiritually. It was no longer seen to be the “pillar and ground of truth.” Direction and action was based on the opinions of individuals and the local congregation was regarded as the spiritual mother instead of the kingdom of God in its entirety. The work of the Holy Spirit was seen as the actions of certain men. Understanding of the need to care for one’s own conscience and to care for the souls of others had dimmed and was rare in practice. Where sin abounded and governed the heart true love disappeared (Matt. 24:12). Carnal love replaced spiritual love. Sins were overlooked or considered only a weakness. Carnal reasoning made sin seem relative to the individual and some tried to justify their inappropriate actions by stating “it is not sin for me.” Others excused the violation of their own conscience with the rationale that “everybody else is doing it.” It was discovered that at some point many had left their place of watching on the wall of Zion and as a result had been taken captive by the enemy of the soul. They had forgotten, or perhaps never clearly understood, that the first place of watching for a believer is to put away sin as sin attaches and believe the gospel. In God’s kingdom, the exhortation to hold faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:19) is a fundamental teaching. Without living faith and a conscience bound to the “measuring stick” of God’s Word many were overtaken by the sin of “worldliness” as they loved the things of this world more than they loved God. Worldliness demonstrated itself in specific issues which included TV in the home, birth control, believers courting unbelievers, movies, sports, fornication, and generally seeing how far one could go and still be considered “in faith.” While many fell away into the sins of the flesh, the enemy caused others to fall into equally destructive self-righteousness or law-mindedness. This demonstrated itself in the form of false watching, faultfinding, evil surmising, dryness, legalistic demands and other such errors. The end result was that the unity of faith and understanding given of the Holy Spirit was gradually displaced by the disunity and tension created by carnal mindedness and unbelief. Congregational Decisions and Carnal Mindedness The God of grace has always enlightened His Holy Congregation to dangers peculiar to the present time. When the Holy Spirit reveals to God’s congregation that partaking of some activity will cause the heart to fall away from God, it preached as sin because one cannot partake of it and maintain faith and a good conscience for “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). TV was and is one such matter. Other matters may not themselves be sin but entail danger. They may, for example, easily lead to unwatchfulness and then eventually sin. In such instances the Holy Spirit works through the individual conscience and God’s children to warn that there is a place of watching in the matter, or that there is a point beyond which one cannot go without wounding the conscience. The children of God don’t have a rulebook, but rather face the issues of their time guided by God’s Word and a sincere desire to keep faith and a good conscience. During the time of the last heresy, carnal mindedness prevailed in some individuals who then placed their own understanding and conscience above the understanding of God’s congregation as a result fell from God’s kingdom. It is no small matter when an individual or group, either secretly or openly, begins to believe that the house of God is not necessarily “the pillar and ground of truth” in all matters of soul and conscience or that there is more than one saving faith. Paul warned the Thessalonians the carnal mindedness and self-exaltation that will precede the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess.2: 3, 4). Paul then stated that the reason for this falling away and condemnation was that “they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:10–12). Paul advised Timothy as to how one should live in the congregation of God saying: “That you mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Paul wanted to put things in perspective for Timothy and for us. In God’s congregation we have been encouraged to listen to what the Spirit says in the congregation to consider how our position affects other believers. After all, it is the house of God, the church of the living God that is the pillar and ground of truth, and not our individual conscience, the norms of society or our own opinions. Let Each Remain in Their Place of Watching The walk of each individual believer directly influences the unity or lack of unity within the family of God. Knowing this helps us understand both how disunity originates and also what might be done to encourage unity. Unity of faith and understanding will not result if one receives the Word of God and teachings of the Spirit with a carnal mind. Unbelief is always a danger. Many of the children of Israel began the journey to the Promised Land but never arrived, having died spiritually on the way. What was the cause? Of this it was written: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into this rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Heb. 4:1, 2). To encourage unity of faith and understanding we need to continue to exhort each child of God to remain at his or her place of watching on the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah describes the manner in which God’s children in ancient times, using both tools and weapons, built the wall of God’s city: “They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me” (Neh. 4:17, 18). Those of us old enough to remember the last heresy know that the walls of our North American Zion were breached and broken down. Since then years of peace and work have allowed the walls to be rebuilt and fortified. Let each child of God make new promises to be faithful to Him who has called us and to remain in our own place of watching, a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other, working to maintain the walls. “Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:10, 11). 38

David Anderson | 2007 LLC Longview Summer Services - Youth Discussion - July 7 -- What Is the Kingdom of God? "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. " (Romans 14:17) The Kingdom of God is a refuge from the temptations and evil that are in the world, a sheepfold where the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. It is a spiritual home where travel friends share that which is most precious in life, and a place where believers can together trust in the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ. We have Jesus' own words that speak to us of this kingdom: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in afield; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Matthew 13: 44-46) These words from the Gospel of Matthew show us two examples of something found after being diligently sought after. In both cases all other possessions were given up so that great treasure could be owned. In these parables Jesus compares personal faith to a great treasure. You and I own this great treasure. It is a treasure, which, once owned, should be guarded with special care and watchfulness so that we would not loose it. Can this treasure of living faith, once found, be lost? How is this possible? Can one who has been born into a believing home, or perhaps has come into this marvelous light from the outer darkness loose that great treasure, or gift, that God has given? Unfortunately yes, it can happen. There have been cases where the threefold enemy has overcome those who have not been diligent and watchful travelers. "The Christian Doctrine of our church teaches about the condition of sorrowlessness, the call of God, the time of visitation and the rejection of God's call. If the Holy Spirit cannot care for one after being baptized as a child in the unity of Christ, the spirit of the world overcomes the heart of that person. He but faintly longs for God and eternity. He may feel the emptiness of his life, and at times sin may bother him, but he does not sense that the most important matter to him should be salvation of his soul. Such a condition is called sorrowlessness. Sometimes the Holy Spirit can awaken a sorrowless sinner through experiences of life, suffering, and the example of others, but especially with the Word of God. There are times in the life of man when God especially draws a person to him. Such a time is called a time of visitation. But this time of visitation does not apply only to unbelieving people who God calls from darkness into light. This call can also be heard by the child of God who travels with a divided heart in the dusk between darkness and light. Will the call be accepted or rejected? The decision is in man's power. Many defenses may come to mind to avoid being placed in the light before the face of God. Thus one can sink ever deeper into sorrowlessness and the heart can become hardened. Hardening is a condition of soul where one has closed their heart to God's Word. Often this hardening can be permanent and final. Today, a time for making repentance is still given, but if the time of grace is not taken seriously the conscience can become darkened forever." God is not always to be found, as the prophet Isaiah says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. " (Isaiah 55:6) God's Kingdom Has Borders Why do we say that God's Kingdom has borders and why is this important? The example has been made of a sheepfold where the Good Shepherd watches over his sheep. If the sheep remain close to the shepherd they know they are safe. But if one strays to the outside of the flock, close to the edge, or the border of the sheepfold, there can be great danger because one strays far away from the Good Shepherd. To the one who strays too close to the outside the grass can look much greener and more tempting on the outside of the sheepfold. There are many things beyond the border of the sheepfold that could entice and tempt one who strays. The things of this world will entice and tempt the child of God. Our own corrupt flesh is too often ready to stray. The enemy of souls will whisper that a little fun and enjoyment with those tempting things will be OK. We would do well to remember that the enemy is a liar and those things that tempt a believer can be very dangerous. This is especially true in the time in which we live. How much better to remain close to the Good Shepherd and in the care of His Kingdom! What Does God's Word Tell Us About Associating With Those Outside of the Kingdom? "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? " (2 Cor. 6: 14) This portion of Scripture may cause us to wonder about relationships we may have with those on the outside. Does this mean that we must shun those who are not believers and associate only with brothers and sisters in faith? Not at all. But there is here a place of watching for all of us. We are reminded here that there are in this world two kingdoms: That of light and that of darkness. There is certainly nothing wrong with having friends outside of God's Kingdom. To be unequally yoked together, however, means that there is a danger of becoming too close to those on the outside and beginning to partake of things that would be a danger to one's life of faith. We could use as an example those who departed years ago when a great heresy swept God's Kingdom. Most of you perhaps were not even born when that heresy took place. You may know children of some of those who left the Kingdom. It's possible that they may live much as we do, they may say "God's Peace" to one another and live relatively decent lives. They may seem very similar to us, but yet we must remember that they are on the outside. There are not two kingdoms of God, only one. They are either with us, or they are not. There can be no other way, even if our flesh would wish it to be so. There is here a place of watching for a child of God when thinking of these former travelers: A young child of God may see those who belong to a heretic church who live much as we do, but who partake of things in this world that we do not. One may begin to wonder: If they can do these things, why can't I? If they do not have burdened conscience by partaking of the things in the world, why should I? Here is where we need to remember the words of the Apostle quoted previously. Too close association with unbelievers, whether they have once been in living faith, or are in a heresy or have always been in the world can result in believers being led into sin. We may, for instance, begin to question the position taken in Living Christianity in the past concerning such things as: bowling, hunting and fishing on Sunday and playing cards. We may also begin to follow the world too closely in the clothing we wear, our hairstyles, and so on. Issues that may cause questions in the minds of believers who associate too closely with unbelievers are: 1. Sexuality: God's children condemn premarital sex, common law relationships and extramarital sex as being in opposition to the teachings of the Bible. 2. Children: Are gifts from God. Birth control is a sin of this time in this world. 3. Television: Due to bad programming, this should not be in a believing home. 4. Alcohol and drugs: Defile the entire body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 5. Sports: Competitive sports are not acceptable, but we should maintain fitness through various forms of exercise. 6. Videos: Always a concern in God's Kingdom that they would be appropriate. 7. Internet: Has dangers to believers, but is a working tool for many of us. It is also appropriate to consider tobacco use in this connection. People outside of God's Kingdom notice that some underage members of God's Kingdom use tobacco products. Schoolteachers and principals, as well as others who work in close association with our youth especially notice this. This can shed a bad light on God's Kingdom, since they wonder why believing youth would indulge in behavior that the law of the land is trying to actively discourage. An Open Door We have now spoken of the Kingdom of God, of how the Kingdom has borders, and of not being unequally yoked with unbelievers. Now we must also speak of maintaining an open door to those on the outside. Does this seem contradictory? How can we remain safe from the many temptations in the world and yet maintain an open door? To begin with, we can trust that the Heavenly Father will care for us if we, through prayer, humbly ask for His protection. He has given us escorts to help us here on the way and the journey. If we keep faith and a good conscience God will keep our footsteps on the road of life and our priorities will remain in the correct order. Our Heavenly Father did not mean for His children to hide themselves away, but to spread that good message to all who may wish to hear. The Kingdom of God is not like some exclusive club that offers membership to some but not others. Associating with those on the outside in school, at work, and so on is acceptable. We can treat the people we see each day decently and with respect. We can all do our part in the mission work of the Kingdom. It is not easy to confess one's faith. It is no easier for us older ones than it is for you younger travel friends. But how important it is that we would do so. None of us know who may be seeking true peace. Who can say but that even one that would ridicule and make fun of a believer may be the one who has a restless conscience. There are many among us today, and I include myself in this group, who would never have known of God's Kingdom if it had not been revealed to them by believing friends. Not only through being spoken to, but also by seeing how believers live. Jesus gave good instruction concerning this: "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. " (Matt. 5: 15) Also, the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. " (2 Cor. 4:13) Think of all those from many areas of the world who have received the gift of living faith. Who could have ever imagined the things we have seen in this last short time? There is good reason to continue doing the work of the Kingdom while it is yet day and the grace doors remain open. Jesus said: "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. " (John 9:4) The above words of Jesus are such a good example for us. No one knows how much longer the grace doors will remain open. God yet calls, gathers and enlightens. Today He yet does His work through His children. Confessing our faith is so important. The Fellowship of the Saints God's Kingdom is made up of pardoned sinners. We share those things that are most important in life. We are united in that goal to reach Heaven's home. We care for one another as we travel this narrow road of life. Does it seem strange to think that a host of poor and unworthy sinners could be called the fellowship of the saints? Remember child of God that our Father in heaven sees us through His Son. When we have our sins forgiven God see us as holy and unblemished and completely acceptable unto Him. In this fellowship of saints we are encouraged to remain steadfast until we are called from this life to eternity that awaits all people. How can we do this? A brother in faith who has long ago received his reward put it so simply and preciously: "True standing fast is that we brothers and sisters await and are ready at every moment. This manner of waiting is possible only in the Lord. When we believe, momentarily, in child-like faith, that our weaknesses are forgiven in His blood; and also trust momentarily that the Lord has redeemed us on the cross – then we are fit for heaven. God sees us as holy and unblemished through His Son. We are then prepared for the wedding of the Lamb, may that call come at any wink of the eye, even at this moment! We stand, travel friends, departure ready in the Lord. We know not when the scythe of death severs our lifeline, also we cannot foretell when the eastern sky flashes with the lighting of the Son of Man, and the cry is heard: The Bridegroom cometh, go forth to meet him!" References: The Bible The Voice of Zion He entrusted us with the Word of Reconciliation - Waino Havas Christian Doctrine Bible Reference Material He Who Hath an Ear, Let Him Hear - Heikki Kankkonen Additional input received from Duane Pirness If possible, have certain individuals speak briefly on the following issues during the discussion period: Why do some members of God's Kingdom lose the gift of faith? God's Word encourages us unto watchfulness in these matters. Specific examples of how heresies are different from God's kingdom. Specific examples of sins believers can be led into by associating with heretics and unbelievers. (Participating in competitive sports and attending sporting events or watching them on T.V., evil music, video use, T.V., theater going, etc.) Things like bowling and fishing and hunting on Sundays and how some have begun to question previous positions in Christianity about these matters. Personal experiences / recollections of the cause of the last heresy would be good. One caution in this regard: Frame the experiences in such a way that they are not unintentionally glamorized. Sometimes youth can be impressed in a wrong way about the things their parents did. How can we help unbelievers to understand that God's call unto his Kingdom is for all? What might be some experiences that unbelievers might have had that would have given them a negative impression of believers? What can we do to ensure that negative impressions are not being consciously or unconsciously given? Unbelievers looking negatively at believers for the underage smoking that is taking place. Worldly dress and hairstyles.

Brian Johnson | 2008 LLC Phoenix Winter Services -- “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” Gal.3:28 Would they accept me? I wondered as I entered the hotel’s hot tub in which a few Orthodox Jews were already relaxing. Traveling around Israel, the Orthodox Jews seemed to avoid us non-Jewish American tourists. But soon my doubts about them as normal people disappeared as a heart to heart conversation began. Our common humanity came forth as we discussed our different lifestyles, cultures, and even religions. It struck me that the child of God cannot predetermine who might be open to hearing about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our own fears, prejudices, or negative attitudes can be obstacles to sharing the precious gift of living faith. All People Have Undying Souls Paul’s letter, from which our theme is taken, reminds us of God’s impartiality and love towards all humankind. God’s love is seen in His Son: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth upon him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God created us in his own image (Gen. 1:27) and gave each person the gift of an undying soul (Gen. 2:7). In God’s infinite wisdom, all people were created equal, yet they are different, each an individual. No two people are exactly alike. Each of us here has our own inward and outward characteristics. These consist of various ages, sizes and shapes, differing facial features, voices, color of hair, eyes, and skin. There is a wide range of physical and mental abilities as well as degrees of wellness and so on. This variety is the spice of life, which makes for a rich and interesting society and world. Racism Dwells in the Flesh To look down on God’s created man on the basis of the characteristics God designed for him is wrong. It belittles the work of our Maker, who does not err. “And God saw everything that He made and behold, it was very good” (Gen.1:31). God saw the goodness of His undefiled creation before Adam and Eve fell into sin. When the Fall happened everything changed: All went astray, there is not one that is good, no not one (Ps. 53:3; Rom. 3:10,12). As a result of the Fall, racist tendencies also exist in our flesh. But we have to stop to think, that we degrade and insult God’s creative work, and His Word—the power with which He made us all—when we think of, treat, or refer to those of other races or circumstances of birth as inferior. Racism is a corrupt tendency in us, just like greed, inordinate lust, jealousy, and the like. Thus, the behaviors that arise from racism are sin. This, too, we must fight against and put away. Racist behavior reflects on the person displaying such behavior. And if we as believers are overtaken by this sin, the resultant behavior, by association, reflects on the kingdom of God. Thus, this sin can become an obstacle to believing for those who might know that we are believers. Our attitudes and demeanor all help to define us and give others a perspective on us. We know that we are faulty, made of corruptible material, so we are susceptible to this sin. “But by the grace of God, I am what I am,” apostle Paul said. It is true; we are God’s children by His grace, not because any of us are of any superior design or creation. Scripture also teaches that God does not judge us on our outward appearance, but He looks at the heart: “For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1Sam.16:7). In addition to racism, there other forms of prejudice not covered in depth in this presentation. Examples include our attitudes toward those of other nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures. If desired, these areas of prejudice could be covered in the discussion period. Respecting Differences Differences, more or less, are first experienced in our homes among the family. We learn to accept each other for who we are. If taught to treat others in a respectful way, then we will more likely have a healthy attitude of being open and accepting others. The “golden rule” still applies to all of us and is the “gold standard” in every human relationship. It teaches us to treat others how we ourselves want to be treated (Luke 6:31). Even with all of our differences we are alike. We all have the same basic essential needs: food, water, shelter, family, and friends. We also have the needs of being wanted and loved, of having a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and self-worth. Regardless of our race, nationality, ethnic background, strengths, or weaknesses, Jesus loves and cares for us. He also instructed us to do likewise. “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). This applies also to the ultimate love, love for undying souls of all people. Our Melting Pot America, sometimes called the “melting pot,” is a country of immigrants. People from all over the world have wanted to come here to seek a better life. Our forefathers immigrated in times past, and the immigration process continues today. Our many ethnic groups, and nationalities have helped to shape this country into what it is today. Not only did they contribute their skills, talents, and energy for the good of society, many have made the ultimate sacrifice fighting to defend freedom and liberty for all. To have such a mixture of people, who wish to contribute to the good of our country, is a positive asset. The Latin motto E Pluribus Unum found on the Great Seal of the United States, means “out of many, one.” Originally suggesting that out of many colonies or states emerges a single nation. It has come to suggest in our times that out of many people, races, and ancestries has emerged a single people and nation, thus illustrating the concept of the “melting pot.” It seems unavoidable that with a mixture of people there is the phenomenon of class and division. People often tend to congregate with like people. This tendency, however, can result in exclusion of others, intentionally or unintentionally. Not only do groups often discriminate against others for the wrong reasons (race, appearance, economic status, etc.) individuals do as well, and none of us is immune to falling into such behavior. It’s true that we need to discriminate on the basis of right and wrong activities, between those who would have a bad influence on us that would endanger our faith or safety, but we still want to show love to all people. Scripture Exhorts Us The Bible gives many examples of negative behavior as James writes of how the poor experience discrimination and the rich are treated favorably: When a rich man enters wearing fine apparel he is invited to sit in a good place, but the poor man, in vile garments, is commanded to stand or sit under the footstool (James 2:2–6). He further says, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well (James 2:8, Matt. 22:39). Who is our neighbor? Is it not everyone of our fellowmen? Scripture further instructs, “as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). This image of doing “good” to all men is in stark contrast to what some people have endured, even in our own land. A memory from childhood brings this home to me. Sitting in the dim room I was fascinated by the old neighbor man’s stories and his experiences in the Deep South. Blacks were not allowed in many places and restricted from certain activities. “Tell some more, granddaddy!” exclaimed my friend. “I done told you enuff for now, you’ all best be gettin on outside and play some ball,” he replied. The struggles this old man endured due to the color of his skin were unfair and unjust. Why was it so? The reason: prejudices, greed, biases, and fears of others due to color, race, nationality, social status, etc. can run deep in a society. This kind of mentality undermines what is best about America; a society marked by generosity, liberty, and freedom. Racism can take guarded or less noticeable forms. Perhaps one may think that name-calling is not such a big deal—especially if they are not said in front of the person—but degrading terms such as; “nigger,” “spic,” “honky,” “chink,” etc. have no place in a child of God’s vocabulary. They don’t do anyone any good. On the contrary, they are hurtful and damaging. As God calls more people of different backgrounds into His kingdom, we see the blessings and joy it brings. These terms and attitudes cause offenses which we strive to avoid. The Battle Starts on a Personal Level This striving begins on a personal level. I also have needed to battle such attitudes arising from my own flesh. September 11th, 2001 was bewildering and surreal as the day’s events unfolded. Planes were hijacked and flown into buildings by terrorists who were Islamic extremists. It affected people’s perceptions—mine too. Upon entering the University of Minnesota’s computer lab, I became highly suspicious of a certain individual. He was of Middle-Eastern descent and wore traditional Muslim attire. I watched him carefully. From out of my flesh, came forth evil thoughts toward him and others. Nevertheless, we soon came to know and appreciate each other. Just like me, he was studying in hopes of getting a job in order to support his family. Just as we don’t judge all Muslims as terrorists, neither do we want to classify races, nationalities, and ethnicities—“Blacks are lazy,” “Jews are tightwads,” etc. Individual behavior, or that of some, should not label a whole race. I needed to see my Muslim classmate as an individual. The concept of God meant something different to each of us, and while I wanted to remember apostle Paul’s reminder to keep separate from those in darkness to avoid sin (2 Cor. 6:14–17), I still needed to recognize that we believers live in and are sent forth to participate in society. Scripture exhorts us away from prejudice; James writes, “My brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons” (James 2:1). Christ Calls Through His Own We endeavor to keep peace with all people, even though we do not share the fellowship of spirit with them. Some who have repented and come into God’s kingdom have related how caring the believers were to them when they were yet outside of God’s kingdom. When believers show love and friendliness to unbelieving people and remember them with the mind of Christ, the goodness of God may draw them to His kingdom and the gospel of forgiveness. Friendliness is a fruit of faith, not a work. Scripture further exhorts us, “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32.) The richness of God’s creation, in all its variety, is a gift from God. What we think and say and how we treat others require watchfulness on our part. We carry flesh and blood and are prone to err. The gospel is our means of forgiveness and is readily preached to the sinful. Dear brothers and sisters you have permission to believe all sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood.

Hannu Kallunki | 2008 LLC Cokato Summer Services - Presentation at the Speakers’ Meeting At Oulu, Finland on December 28, 2007 -- "I Will Seek That Which Was Lost, Bring Again That Which Was Driven Away and Bind Up That Which Was Broken" (Ezek. 34:16) The subject of the presentation is from the Book of Ezekiel (Ezek. 34:11-16), which contains the following words: “For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” Introduction This prophetic word of God leads us to behold the essence of God’s seeking and caring love. God created man in His own image. However, the fall into sin corrupted the perfection of God’s work of creation and man became corrupted by sin, prone to evil and condemned to perdition. In the Book of Isaiah is stated, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:6). God loved and loves man whom He created so immeasurably, that He gave His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, to be the reconciliation for our sins and those of the entire world. It is God’s will that no person would perish, but that all would once receive eternal life with God in Heaven. In spite of the fall into sin, all children born into this world are righteous and believers, children of God, because of the redemption work by Jesus. According to the words of Jesus, their angels always see the face of the Heavenly Father. Baptism does not make them children of God, but in baptism God establishes with them the covenant of a good conscience. Baptism is not the place of new birth as it is often taught in our time. It is God’s will that all people would remain in unity with Him, but the enemy of the soul, as God’s opponent, has accomplished and continues to accomplish the fact that the childhood faith of many persons dies because of the destructive power of sin. The child lacks that care which only the mother, the kingdom of God can give. God Dwells in the Kingdom of God God has a Kingdom here upon earth. In the Epistle to the Galatians, it is described as, “Jerusalem which is [from] above is free, which is the mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26). Apostle John was able to see that kingdom in his Revelation on the Isle of Patmos and to write, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:2, 3). One enters this kingdom through the door. Jesus, Himself, says “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). In His parable of the vine, Jesus teaches of the importance of the living relationship between the Lord Jesus and the kingdom of God. He says whoever does not remain in Him will be thrown away as a branch, and it will dry up, and they will be tied up, thrown into a fire and they will burn. At the beginning of the parable, Jesus states an important fact which emphasizes that the kingdom of God is in question. Jesus says “I am the true Vine and my Father is the husbandman.” God cares for His kingdom and its residents. God provides this care primarily through His gospel. Jesus says, “Ye are now pure because of that word which I spoke unto you.” It is important that we are still able to hear those cleansing words of Jesus in the kingdom of God. God had opened this understanding to Luther in his time, and Luther illustrates clearly the proclamation of the word as the work of the Holy Spirit in explaining the Third Article of the Creed: “The Holy Spirit leads us first into the fellowship of the saints, the bosom of the congregation, through whose mediation He preaches to us and leads us to Christ. You see, neither you nor I can truly know the least bit about Christ and receive Him as our Lord unless the Holy Spirit offers it to us through the gospel and lays it into our bosom as a gift.” God lives in His own through His Holy Spirit. For this reason Apostle Peter can give such a high testimony of the children of God: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). God Wants to Seek Those Who Are Lost God has sent His Son to free the sinners of the world. Jesus, Himself, says, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep and Who knows His own sheep and Whom His sheep also know (John 10:11,14). To show that even one lost sheep is important to him, Jesus related the parable of the person who had a hundred sheep. If he loses one of them, he will leave the other ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one and seek for it until he finds it. And when he has found his lost sheep, he puts it upon his shoulder, takes it home and invites all his friends together to rejoice that he found one lost sheep. Jesus says that in the same manner, God’s angels in Heaven rejoice over one sinner who turns unto repentance. (Luke 15:4-). Think, dear brothers: Even one person is important to Jesus. In the work of the kingdom of God large groups of listeners are not most important. Considering the matter with the mind of man, God performs an inordinate amount of work for the sake of one person. In the same passage of the gospel according to Luke, Jesus also relates a moving narrative about the Prodigal Son and his return to his father’s home. The father lovingly receives the son who had wasted all his inheritance from his father’s home and had committed a complete bankruptcy in his life, and gives his servants the task to dress him in the best robe. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:11-). Through the Holy Spirit God has given us, His children, the office to preach about reconciliation, and for that reason we are servants to proclaim in Christ’s behalf this work of reconciliation to all people. We, ourselves, have permission to believe and also to relate to others that God has made Him, Who knew no sin, to be sin in our behalf, so that we would become that righteousness in Him that is acceptable before God (2 Cor. 5:18-21). The mission command given by Jesus is in effect, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). A Child of God Can Get Lost A child of God can get lost from the kingdom of God and the care of the Good Shepherd. There are examples of this in Scripture. Saul was repeatedly disobedient to the advice which was given him through the prophet. In his disobedience he became hardened in heart and did not humble himself to be obedient and to be as a child. Saul lost the gift of faith and did not receive the grace to return (1 Sam. 13 and 15). Even David, who became king after him, fell into serious sins and lost the portion of a child of God. God rebuked David through the prophet and David recognized his condition and humbled himself to repentance (2 Sam. 11 and 12:1-13). Two of Jesus’ own disciples lost their way from the kingdom of God. Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was a disciple whom Jesus had selected. He had seen the godly power of Jesus and the miracles and had been able to share in His merciful love. In spite of all this, sin overcame the heart of Judas to the extent that he betrayed Jesus. We do not know what took place in the heart of Judas, but Jesus knew. Penitence came too late so that he no longer found a place for repentance. Apostle Peter also fell away from the place of a child of God when he denied Jesus on Maundy Thursday night. Although he had sworn to follow Jesus even unto death, he did not have strength to confess his Savior when the threat from the world was great. Apostle Peter’s heart was not hardened, but he knew and felt what he had done. Peter saw the loving face of Jesus and His gaze. The resurrected Jesus sent greetings with His disciples to Peter. Peter received forgiveness for his fall and was able to become a child of God again (Matt. 26). These few quotations from Scripture remind us that the danger of getting lost and falling is real. For that reason Apostle Paul advises Timothy by saying “the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” Apostle Paul’s warning continues to be timely that you would “hold faith, and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1 Tim. 1:5, 19). We are in the world although we are not of the world. There has always been much in the world which can take away peace from the conscience and the freedom of believing. In regard to our faith, the dangers of our time are especially connected to the pursuit of entertainment and pleasure and to such individuality in which a person wants to be self-sufficient and independent. Sinful life comes near through all of our senses. In addition, the ideal of our time is the emphasis on success and especially economic success, whose actual price sometimes may be the well­being of oneself and of people close to us. It is important that we take care of tasks of our temporal life and develop ourselves and get an education. Our time requires that we remain up-to-date and continually develop. That is required in business and in all types of work life. The conditions set by work life and economic life are at times so hard that there is reason to ask, are the demands for success so great that, under such demands, some of our young people and parents become exhausted and grow weary? Is there time left in families for children and young people and generally for each other as people and as close ones? What is really important to us? Even as children of God, we can get lost in these matters to such an extent that our priorities dim. The goal of the enemy of the soul is to make all that acceptable which serves our desire for pleasure and enjoyment, as well as success in life. The heart easily becomes attached to visible and temporal things and without our noticing they become matters which dominate our lives. The temptations of the enemy of the soul, with which he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, are familiar and timely temptations even today: Tempting God by seeing how far we can go without losing our faith, or seeking power and one’s own glory, as well as the concerns over daily bread. The enemy of the soul continues to preach the sermon of unbelief and asks, “Has God really said that which the Spirit of God teaches in His kingdom? Will death actually be the result of eating the fruit of the forbidden tree?” The sermon of unbelief and the temptations of the enemy are directed to the heart. The enemy wants to conquer the heart and bring about a change there. The reminder by Jesus is timely and important: Where your heart is, there also is your treasure. In the midst of a good time and success, however, we still are corrupted by sin and need the entire grace and grace care of God to remain as children of God. May the simple gospel sermon still nourish the hearts of us, the servants of the word, and of the listeners of the word. The gospel is powerful to cleanse us from deadening deeds to serve the Living God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). During our present time, there is a desire for taking positions on important matters. The positions must be based on researched and scientifically valid knowledge. Truth is considered that which can be proved to be true scientifically. On the other hand, truth is considered to be relative and often bound to a period of time. This type of thinking can reflect even in life in the kingdom of God. Matters related to life and faith are examined as dependent upon time, thinking that that which was taught sometime in the past, based upon the word of God, may not hold true any longer. Even Apostle Paul had to defend the simple sermon of the gospel against the wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 1:17-). The Wounded One Needs Care Sin wounds the child of God. The battle against sin is never so successful that we would not be wounded in battle. At the final stage, the battle is fought within our own hearts. When all influences of sin and, actually, sin itself, dwell in our flesh and blood, we are inclined toward sin. For this reason, the enemy of the soul often overcomes and wounds our soul so that the Holy Spirit of God becomes sorrowful and our conscience begins to hurt. These wounds of soul and pains of conscience cannot be cared for or healed by oneself, but they need God’s kingdom’s two pence of care – grace and truth. Grace above all, so that the wayfarer wounded by sin, bleeding and just barely alive, would be refreshed in the care of the Good Shepherd to believe and journey in faith endeavoring to keep a good conscience. It has been written in the Bible that the grace of God is wholesome and that it teaches us to reject all ungodliness and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11, 12). It is important that we retain our trust in the grace of God and its caring and teaching power. The advice of the kingdom of God also is grace care. The position of the kingdom of God and the significance and power of its grace care are not diminished even if the caretakers are not always skillful in the work. This unskillfulness has been discussed during recent times especially referring to the so-called caretaking meetings in the 1970s. The recent discussions have been public and they were initiated by sources outside the kingdom of God. The goal of the discussion does not appear to be limited only to the analysis of past events, but to make changes to the position and authority of the kingdom of God in the lives of believers. Support is sought by the discussion for such a way of life which is against the Word of God. On the other hand, it is important that the wounds to the soul, offenses, and injuries between people that come about during caretaking situations be openly discussed and cared for among those people to whom they pertain. The grace of God has not taught and still does not teach one to treat any person in a manner that offends his human dignity. We can pray for such a mind from God that we would have strength to see our neighbor in every person and to relate to him as Jesus teaches with the example of the merciful Samaritan. The kingdom of God always has been and is a kingdom of grace, in which all sins are forgiven by the commandment of Jesus. The grace of God and forgiveness is immeasurable—not only seven times a day, but seventy times seven. As often as your brother returns and repents, forgive him. As we, ourselves, have received a debt of ten thousand talents forgiven, we are obligated to forgive each other our offences (Matt. 18). The gospel of the kingdom of God is the medicine by which God cares for the person who has been wounded by sin. He performs the care through us the children of God, who are unskilled on our part. It is important that we have the tenderness to listen when a brother or sister opens his heart and relates about matters that have wounded the soul. In that situation we are caretakers of the soul and the means for care are the grace and truth of God. In that sequence. The poet of a Song of Zion has clothed into poetry the attitude we need to go to a friend who has been deceived and wounded by the enemy of the soul: 1 Savior, give me Your compassion; give a mind of tenderness to approach a wav’ring trav’ler With a voice of friendliness; give me words of truth and wisdom to approach a stubborn pilgrim. 2 Help me overcome impatience. Give me words that free and heal. When I think the cause is hopeless, Give me faith that will not fail. May I speak the words that sever Bonds of bitterness and anger. 3 Give me strength that I could boldly Speak the Word of grace each day; Let me never cause offenses Or demand, or push away. Lord, preserve us all in mercy On the way to heaven’s glory. (Siionin Laulu 291) God Strengthens the Weak The kingdom of God acts according to the condition of the weakest one. Apostle Paul also advises to do this by saying, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification” (Rom. 15:1,2). Apostle Paul considers it to be important, also in such matters which relate to one’s manner of living and outward endeavor, that we should act so that we will not cause offence. He warns that freedom should not become an offence to the weak and begins from there, “If food offends my brother, then I would never eat meat so that my brother would not be offended.” According to the Bible, love will not cause any evil to one’s neighbor. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. But, because we are of the earth and earthly, we do not always have the strength to comprehend this and cling to it. The apostle says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7). God’s strength is powerful in the weak. The security of the weak children of God is in what the Bible says about the Savior, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16). When God is able to keep us as one poor in strength, then we have the desire to live according to the counsel of the Word of God, and God will protect us even in the midst of temptations (Rev. 3:7). A person who has become rich in himself and feels his own strength does not experience the need for the grace care of God’s kingdom. God loves even such a person and speaks to him personally as the Book of Revelations teaches us in regard to the servant of the Word in the church of the Laodiceans. May the sermons of the servants of the Word lead the hearers of the Word to behold the sacrificial work which Jesus performed in our behalf, and may the Word of God and the gospel spoken by the power of the Holy Spirit encourage the children of God in their endeavor of faith. The sermon of faith and the strength of the gospel are needed by mothers and fathers, who ask in the midst of a growing family, “Do we have enough strength? Do we have strength to believe?” That strength is also needed by the young person, who is powerfully tempted by the world. The strength of the gospel is needed by the person who struggles against doubts of the mind and human wisdom. It is also needed by him, whose life in faith is threatened by the rush and the demand for success of our time. The strength of the gospel is also needed by our children and young people that they also would see that it is most important to dwell in the kingdom of God and reject the temptations of this world. It is important for all of us that God is able to open our eyes of faith to see by what power we believe. The words of the Good Shepherd give security and encouragement: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 10:27-30). Suggested Topics for Discussion: 1. God’s seeking love 2. Respect for human dignity and the care of the soul 3. Success and God’s blessing 4. Care of the mind and the soul 5. Trust in God’s grace 6. Knowledge shall disappear—The Word of God shall remain

Dave Anderson | 2009 LLC Phoenix Winter Services - Congregation & Youth Discussion - February 21 -- Sin and Its Consequences The boundary between right and wrong, between that which is permitted and that which is forbidden, has dimmed to a great extent in the way people commonly think about matters today. At the same time, people’s morals have become relative. Many are of the opinion that sin no longer has significance for modern man. The question regarding sin and release from its guilt, however, is at the same time the most painful problem of life for many people. Sin closely connects with the concept of man and his salvation. The Perfection of Life Was Broken According to Scripture, God created man in His own image. He gave a mind, will, and conscience to man. Man received everything from God and lived in unity with Him. Everywhere there was perfection, harmony: everything was good (Gen. 1:27, 31.) Man had three basic relationships: a relationship with God, a relationship with other people and a relationship with nature. Man’s committed sin broke the harmony. In the fall into sin he became attracted to evil, he wanted to become as God and thus broke God’s will. When he consented to commit sin, man did not care about what God had said. The image of God in man was corrupted and he lost the peace of conscience. He lost his righteousness, his free will, and immortality. Accusations and distrust arose in the relationship between Adam and his spouse. The ground became cursed: Creation groans in pain (Rom. 8:19–22). The “law of sweat” descended upon man’s being, the sweat and furrows of the brow (Gen. 3:17–19, 24). To correct the destruction brought about by the fall into sin God gave the promise of the seed of the woman, which would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Christ would crush the power of the opponent of God by His remission work. Man is responsible to God and other people for his acts even after the fall into sin. Original Sin and Actual Sin The fall into sin brought original sin into the lives of people. Everyone bears the heavy inheritance of the fall. According to the teaching by Paul, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:12). Sin is followed also by guilt, “All the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3: 19). The inclination of man to evil is customarily called original sin, which could also be called inherited sin or innate sin. It is stated in the Confession of the Lutheran Church that original sin is “so deep and difficult a corruption in our nature, that it may not be recognized by a rational process, but must be believed based on Scripture’s revelation.” Original sin is not counted as perdition for a child. He has received by faith the righteousness of life as a gift through the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 5:12, 18, 19). A child is righteous by faith because of the merits of Christ. Luther has written: “Original sin has been removed through Christ and will not condemn anyone after the coming of Christ, except him who does not want to believe.” The inborn corruption in our beings continually tries to present itself in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Our sinfulness brings about individual sinful deeds, actual sins. Man, by nature, is not good. After the fall into sin, he could not and cannot be without committing sin (1 John 1: 8, 10). Evil lust ignites like fire (Finnish Bible‐Ecclus. 9: 10). Lust tempts and seduces a person into sin, to fulfill his corrupt nature, his being defiled by sin (Matt. 5: 28; James 1: 14, 15; 2 Pet. 2: 14). What Is Sin? As an answer to the question, what is sin? We usually receive a list of individual acts: murder, theft, lying, adultery, etc. In confirmation class, one hears that young people think that sin is primarily the breaking of God’s commandments. Repeatedly, the thought is connected with the concept, “If I can live without breaking the Ten Commandment Law, I will be acceptable before God and will be able to enter heaven.” This mode of thought is not the understanding of just a few young people. However, sin presents a question of more than doing certain deeds or leaving them undone. The roots of sin are in a person himself (Isa. 59: 2; Luke 5:8; Rom. 3: 23). He not only commits sin but is a sinner. Sin dwells in him (Rom. 7: 17). The essence of sin is not revealed until it is seen reflected in Christ, in His sanctity and deeds. Above all else, sin is unbelief and mutiny against God (John 16: 9). Sin is like a wedge, like a break in a wall, which separates man from God (Isa. 30: 13). Man wants to be his own master, to depend on himself, separate from God. His sin is defiant pride. Sin is always sin before God (coram Deo, Luther; Ps. 51: 6) and affects the entire personhood of man. Man loves himself and the world, and hates and opposes God and His will. Sin is the denial of the basic relationship of our life, the breaking of the first commandment. “We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.” Temporal and Eternal Consequences All mankind have encountered sin and its consequences. Sin corrupts a person’s relationship with God: Sin separates man from God. Sin takes a person into immense debt and subjects him to condemnation (Matt. 18:23–32). A person must one day account for what he has done. The history of sin will then come to its conclusion. Sin is able to deeply corrupt a person’s own life and the life of his close ones. Sin brings misfortune into the lives of individuals, into homes, nations and all of mankind. Lustful sensuality, worldliness, and selfishness disintegrate and break up society and its foundations. Changes brought on by the enactment of laws that make possible the realization of one’s own needs erode the bonds of marriage and break up homes. It has been forgotten that “God did not intend marriage to be a shackle, but a source of blessing, happiness, and strength.” ([SRK] Annual Meeting, Ranua 1973). We must always remember the Bible’s teaching (Prov. 14:34): “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” As a consequence and punishment for sin, death came to the God‐created earth. We speak about three kinds of death: spiritual, physical, and eternal. According to the Old Catechism, spiritual death is the separation of a person from God, physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body, and eternal death is the person’s eternal separation from God (Christian Doctrine 1923, 23). Sin Demands Reconciliation With the concept of reconciliation, the New Testament illustrates the atonement for the broken relationship between sinful man and the Holy God. God, in His love, gave His Son Jesus Christ to be the reconciliation for our sins and the offenses of all mankind (1 John 2: 2, 4: 10). Christ was the God who would fulfill the reconciliation, and it was man who needed to be reconciled. The essential foundation for man’s salvation is found in the atoning death and resurrection of Christ. As their fruit we can experience the forgiveness of sins in the congregation of God. God’s forgiveness frees man from the bonds of sin and guilt. The core of the gospel is the forgiveness of sins. Unconditional and complete forgiveness separates genuine Christian faith from other religions and other piety. Sins Are Forgiven The message of God’s kingdom is, “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1: 15). The message is to call people to repentance, to conversion from sin. Man is unveiled as a sinner when he must account for himself, face to face with the holy will of God. Man becomes conscious of sin through the Law (Rom. 3:20). Standing before the sanctity of God, it is revealed, “I am a sinful person” (Luke 5:8; Isa. 6:5). Man’s prayer before the Holy One becomes, “God, be merciful unto me.” (Ps. 51: 3; Dan. 9: 8; Luke 18: 13). There is only one possibility—pardon. Unless there is grace, there shall be no faith in Him who is our help from God, Jesus Christ. Faith is brought about by the gospel whose proclamation is the office of the Holy Spirit. It is the duty of those who believe in Christ to proclaim grace and forgiveness so that unbelief and the power of sin would crumble and obedience of faith would be born. Sin and the Child of God A believer is—as the reformers revealed—simultaneously righteous and a sinner (simuliustus et peccator). It is not easy for one endeavoring in faith to accept the lot of a sinner as the Christian’s position before the face of God (Rom. 7: 14–24). In the faith life of a child of God, bad and good moments alternate—consciousness of one’s guilt and of the grace of God. The child of God wants to retain the correct tenderness of a good conscience. He wants to avoid and flee from sin and to live in the care and love of God’s kingdom. The gospel is the power for the journey (Rom. 1: 16). In the grace of forgiveness, he experiences the liberating and uplifting blessing of Christ’s death and resurrection. Sin and death have lost their power. We have hope of eternal life. Olavi Voittonen Translated from Oikea ja väärä: Vuosikirja 2006, SRK Possible Discussion Questions: 1. Many today are of the opinion that sin no longer has significance in their lives. Does this attitude affect our society? 2. In this presentation it is stated, "Man, by nature, is not good." How then do we explain the actions of the so‐called Good Samaritan on the road to Jericho? (Luke 10: 30‐36) 3. If someone said to you, "I am able to live without breaking the 10 Commandments“, how would you reply? 4. How can one be both righteous and a sinner at the same time? 5. A child of God wants to travel with a clean and undefiled conscience, to avoid and flee from sin. Why is this so important? 6. The author stated in the end, "We have hope of eternal life". How can we hold unto this hope?

Keith Waaraniemi | 2009 LLC Longview Summer Services - Youth Discussion -- We have had this discussion now in a few places, and there have been some Voice of Zion articles covering the topic of music in the last year or so and in recent years. As we prepared for tonight, many people talked about how music is a timely matter--and it is and always is; it was when we were young and is today, and it will continue to be. So without any further ado, we will get started. Music has been described by one Finnish brother as a language which portrays various tones of mood with the help of the tunes and words. Music makes us feel different things. Our father in doctrine, Martin Luther, wrote a lot about music. Music was precious to him. He said that “music has been implanted in all creatures in nature, for nothing is without sound or harmony.” We were just discussing with brother John Stewart here this afternoon about birds and the music and sounds that they make in the woods. All these sounds have different purposes. Some are beautiful sounds; some are sounds of warning, and so forth. And so Luther saw this how nothing is without sound or harmony. Luther said that “next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise.” He enjoyed music in his home, sang songs, wrote songs, and gathered family together and enjoyed music. Luther said of music: “The gift of language, combined with the gift of song, was only given to man to let him know that he should praise God with both word and music, namely by proclaiming the word of God through music.” This is the purpose of music. But we know that music is also a tool of the enemy of soul, and I don’t have to explain that to any one of you. I am sure you have experienced, in your life, the dangers of music and how the enemy wants to draw us away through bad music. He uses music very effectively. Just as music is a gift to believers, it is a tool of the enemy to draw us away. The enemy of the soul weaves a very fine net so that the dangers of music aren’t readily seen. Sometimes when we have a discussion on different kinds of music, we hear “this doesn’t seem so bad; this is okay.” There is really reason seen. In recent decades, we have been really happy with this, how music has become a more precious matter to American believers, and we have developed gifts of music. And I would say that the opisto program, in which many of you have participated, has been one very effective tool in helping us appreciate good music. In the 1980s and ‘90s we experienced a time of enlightenment. I think it is safe to say, at least my experience is that we in American Zion have become more enlightened about music. We have learned much from our Finnish friends, brothers and sisters in faith, about music. But there are also dangers from this time of enlightenment. We have discussed from time to time with various believers that it seems like we need to ask the question and ask it again and again: Has the line between wholesome and unhealthy music become blurred? That can easily happen. In learning about classical music, learning about different kinds of music, the line easily can become blurred. When I was growing up--I was going to haps in the 70s and 80s--I would say this, that we had Songs of Zion that were precious to us, as they are precious to you today. But other than that, many of us--and I think it’s safe to say most North American believers--didn’t know too much about classical music. So we sang songs of Zion, of course. Other than Songs of Zion, it seemed like the only music that many listened to was inappropriate music--country western music, rock music. So there wasn’t a lot of understanding about classical music and other forms of appropriate music. But then as we became more enlightened, it seemed like the lines between appropriate and inappropriate music became more blurred too. Things that were thought to be classical, appropriate music started to push the envelope and were what we’d describe as borderline music. This easily happens. Luther understood music’s power. He said, “Whether you wish to comfort the sad, to terrify the happy, to encourage the despairing, to humble the proud, to calm the passionate, or to appease those full of hate, and who could number all these masters of the human heart, effective means than music could you find?” So good music ennobles our emotions and feelings, but bad music awakens sensuality and carnality and wears away our faith. So good music ennobles or uplifts our emotions and feelings. It dignifies our feelings. It lifts us up in a positive way. But bad music awakens our fleshly desires, our desires to do sin. And bad music that awakens fleshly desires wears away our faith. Evil music can awaken the lowest and most shameful human instincts and wars against faith and good conscience. Evil music of this world--what does it speak of? It speaks of drinking, it speaks of drug use, it speaks of sex outside of marriage and so forth. And it only gets worse and worse. God’s children reject music which embodies ungodly life. Some examples: rock music, heavy metal, hip hop, rap, and country. And I confess I don’t even know what all the kinds of music are today. This is a very important matter to discuss because God’s children have seen what a detriment, what a destructive force bad music is to the life of faith. When we look at the performers and we hear about the concerts, performers use all manner of synchronized lighting and technology of today, and people at these concerts become wild. This music awakens all of those lusts and desires for sin, shameful desires. And that’s why we see that the activity at rock concerts, for example, is very vulgar and the life of sin is very rampant there. The followers of musicians try to copy or emulate their behavior. We’ve seen the hairstyles, clothing styles, the morals and values of musicians. Those that follow musicians eventually start to adopt their lifestyle as well. Someone might say that, “No, I wouldn’t do that; I just like to listen to the music.” But the constant message of the music and the beat and the melody of the music all works together to push a person in that direction. And it’s really true. So Luther instructs to reject the devil’s evil offerings, and I’ll read this quote and talk a little bit about it. “Take special care to shun perverted minds who prostitute (or who steal) this lovely gift of nature and of art with their erotic rantings, and be quite assured that none but the devil goads them on to defy their very nature which would and should praise God, its maker, the enemy of nature and of this lovely art.” I note here that Luther was not cursing, but he was using a term of his time which did not have the connotation that it does today, the term “bastard.” He was using it to mean that those who have this kind of music are illegitimate users of this gift of music. Luther had very colorful language. But then, I mentioned in the beginning that the enemy weaves a real fine net in this matter of music. He wants to disguise good forms of music together with the bad, and of course the goal is to inject bad music into our lives. So there is a combination of serious music and light music, religious and secular--for example, Christmas music. On other occasions with this presentation we have talked specifically about different musicians and their music, which we won’t do tonight in this presentation. But considering Christmas music, for example, I came across on the internet that a believer had downloaded a video to their Bebo site. It had a Christmas song on it, O Holy Night, a beautiful Christmas carol. But the video clip had scantily clad women singing O Holy Night. As I looked at that and I heard that and I saw that, I thought, I’m not thinking about the manger where Jesus was born; I’m not thinking about the Christ child; I’m thinking about this performance. Another example regarding Christmas music is when it is put to all forms of rock, country, what have you. So just because it is a Christmas carol doesn’t mean that it’s appropriately done. So that’s one example. Patriotic and country music is another mixture of good and bad. Children’s music is another example. Some will say, “What’s the problem with Disney music?” But much of Disney music has rock themes or beats that just are not appropriate, even if the words might be innocent children’s songs. A combination of classical and rock is yet another example. New age music poses another danger. The new age movement which emphasizes Mother Earth and pagan values. We can talk more about that during the discussion. So this is what I meant by the enemy weaving a real fine net by mixing the good with bad. So good words might be in a song but the melody or the beat might be bad. There might be a decent melody, decent music, but the words are bad. And so we need to consider both people that are here tonight (and we are so glad that there are so many of you here). The question is, “Does this music draw me to the world and away from the pathway to heaven? We want to get to heaven. That’s our goal. And when we look at everything through that lens, it answers our questions about music. We’ve heard at these services already, quoted from the epistle of John, “Love not the world.” I already mentioned the internet, that there are possibilities to download music performances. I don’t have a Bebo site myself, but sometimes I’ve gone on with my kids and looked at their Bebo sites and navigated around with them to see some of their friends’ sites and so forth, and I have to say that I was bothered by some of the music clips that I see on believers’ sites. It just didn’t feel appropriate. Most of it, I would say, is in this area of borderline music. Jon Bloomquist couldn’t stay here for tonight, but he gave me a copy of an article that he wrote some time ago. I guess I don’t remember just when; I think it was published in the Voice of Zion. He wrote to this effect about borderline music: “Some music is clearly acceptable. We can listen to it with good conscience. On the other hand, some music is clearly unacceptable. It is alarming and offensive. Music that falls between these areas is the so-called borderline music. It is not easily identified by a label. So just because it’s classical or put in the classical section doesn’t mean that it’s appropriate music. In such cases, we must listen to the voice of our conscience and the advice of other children of God. If we ignore the initial warnings of our conscience, it may quickly become numb and we get used to even unsuitable music. The fact that a person becomes accustomed to such music does not, however, eliminate its evil influence in us.” So think about what you put on your sites. And this possibility to download music has many different, among them copyright issues and just the fact that material is so available. At the click of a mouse, you can get almost anything off the internet. So think about what you feature on your Bebo site or, as one grandma called it, “bebop site.” I think Bebo is probably think about the fact that your site says something about you. What you put on there, not only music but whatever you put on there, is a statement about yourself and about your faith. So again music that draws us to the love of the world--that awakens fleshly thoughts and images--is a danger to our faith. Jon wrote also in the same article about the effects of music. “Rhythm is the dominant element in today’s popular music. It is characterized by an overemphasized, pulsating beat. In recent years, even many popular classical melodies have been recorded in this modern style. The pulsating beat of such music tends to agitate and arouse sensual or fleshly and even belligerent feelings. This kind of music disturbs the conscience of a child of God and is unsuitable for him.” So when we consider this matter, let’s always return to seeking the path to heaven. The apostle writes, “Love not the world neither the things that are in the world.” Seek the path which leads to heaven. Just like a farmer, if we sow seeds that will grow bad fruit, that is what we will reap. If we sow seeds to our fleshly desires, we will reap corruption. It will bring us eventually away from faith and away from the path to heaven. But if we sow to the spirit, if we do that which helps us in our life of faith, we will reap life everlasting. So then how do we decide what’s good and bad music? When considering what’s good and bad music, the believer needs to ask some questions--and we do this subconsciously. Why would I select this music? What feelings does it create in me, listening to this music? Will it lead me away from the path of heaven? Am I able, in this music that I am listening to, to taste with wonder God’s absolute and perfect wisdom, as Luther has said? Then, am I comfortable listening to this music in a gathering of older or younger believers? When we have looked at this presentation in other gatherings, smaller gatherings, we have actually listened to some of these borderline music clips. I remember when I did it at one gathering for some middle-school believers in Minneapolis--when I played one clip that some felt was appropriate and some felt was inappropriate--one young girl, she kind of went like this (plugged her ears), “Don’t play any more. I don’t want to hear any more.” I thought that when music is questionable. Then as we heard in Jon’s article, listen to the voice of the believers. Listen to what other children of God say. Even if you don’t understand, listen. And the grace of God teaches us. As the writing in the letter to Titus says, “The grace of God that has appeared to all men teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world.” The teacher, the home teacher within us, teaches us in this area, too. Listen to the voice of the spirit, dear brothers and sisters, and drive the enemy away with good music. Again, Luther has said and encouraged young believers to cultivate the gift of music. “You, my young friend, let this noble, wholesome and cheerful creation of God be commended to you. By it you may escape the shameful desires and bad company.” Someone in the sermon here this weekend mentioned, fill your heart with the good music, the songs of Zion, the precious music of Zion and other music which ennobles your feelings. The songs of Zion are most dear. Again, Luther has said, “It’s not without reason that the fathers and prophets wanted nothing else to be as closely associated with God’s word than music.” Therefore, we have so many hymns and psalms where the message and music join to move the listener’s soul. Haven’t you many times, in singing a Song of Zion, been moved by the message? And the music helps to move you to hear the message of God’s word in those songs. Songs of Zion refresh us in faith, they teach, they comfort the child of God. They are a gift of God and a weapon against the enemy. Sometimes we encourage one another. If the enemy is attacking you, sing Songs of Zion. Even if you can’t sing them out loud, sing them in your mind and drive the enemy away, the temptations of the enemy. The book of Psalms in the Bible is the songbook of the Old Testament travelers. It’s like our hymnal. And we all have rejoiced of this new hymnal that we have. Many, many precious new songs also, along with the old songs. God has given gifts to the American Zion also so that we have been able now to renew our songbook and add many things to the work of the former believers who have produced our songbooks in the past. So songs are songs of praise, songs of penitence and sorrow. The feelings that believers go through in life are all reflected in our songs, just like they were in the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. So sing Songs of Zion, young brothers and sisters. Sing at haps, sing when you’re together. Cultivate this precious gift that we have. Let us teach, instruct, admonish, and comfort one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. The music and singing has been beautiful here at services. It has warmed our hearts. But just think one day, when we reach heaven, the music there will be so beautiful that we can’t even imagine it here. Already in time, in faith and hope already here on earth, we sing of heaven, where our hymn will ring as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thunder and as the voice of harpers harping with their harps, a new song before the throne. That’s the kind of goal that we as believers have, to reach heaven where we can sing and hear that music that is so beautiful, and it will never end. So then for the discussion period, I’ll put up a few points. Feel free to discuss whatever you like with regard to music. How can we battle in our hearts against bad music which we can’t avoid hearing? Sometimes at work, in stores, wherever we hear music. Sometimes it bothers us. How can we battle against becoming attached to this music? What is good classical music? I’m not very knowledgeable at all about classical music, so if some would like to comment on this, feel free. Is all patriotic music acceptable? Can you share a personal experience when music became a problem for you in your faith? Can you share a personal experience about singing or hearing a song of Zion?

Matti Kontkanen | 2009 LLC Longview Summer Services - Ministers and Board Members Meeting - July 3 -- 1. Why Do We pray? Statistics show that people in general pray more as our physical safety or our financial security is challenged. It is quite obvious that also believers turn to God more in times of distress. In Christianity we do not boast about our praying, but rather say that we are poor petitioners. This is based on God’s word. We teach, diverting from the teaching of many other churches, that prayer is not the way to become righteous or to have sins forgiven. Thus prayer is not necessary for salvation. Many unbelievers pray because they want to establish connection to God through prayer, or they may pray because they believe that God forgives their sins in prayer. Believers tend to follow Luther’s attempt to free prayer from all formal rituals. Luther, however, never meant that prayer in itself is a formal ritual. Why do then we who are God’s children pray, and why did Jesus and the apostles ask us to pray? It is faith that we are saved by. It is faith that our relationship with God is based on. For the strengthening of our faith we have sacraments. Confession of sins serves as a grace privilege for believers. Through confession of sins we become released of the burdens on our conscience. What is then prayer for? What is prayer? 2. The Essence of Prayer Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer. The first petition reads: “Our Father who art in heaven.” Jesus himself used the word “father” in his prayers. The very familial form of the word in Aramaic is “abba,” daddy. Jesus used this word once in Gethsemane. “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). The apostle uses the word as he says that our spirit says “abba,” dear father, as we are not under the bondage of the law but children and heirs of the father (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6). Turning to the dear father as his beloved children, saying “abba” is the essence of prayer. Little children often turn to their father. They may have found something interesting and want to tell their father about it. They may have hurt themselves and crying look for the safety of the father. They may just want to express their gratitude of being able to be with father. They may protest the will of the father. They may bring their siblings distress to the attention of the father. Christian Doctrine defines prayer as “a humble and sincere conversation with God” (CD 78). We may also define prayer as uplifting our heart unto God. In the light of the following picture we can form an understanding of what a humble and sincere conversation with God would look like. A father stands in the house. His own children dwell in the same room. Some children play. Yet, even then, they have father in their minds. One child walks to the father in excitement. Another child has a grief and holds unto the father for comfort. One child is in the father’s lap. One of the children wants the father to pay attention to the child in the corner. A neighbor’s child may look through the window and make a petition to come in. Another neighbor may express his gratitude to him for his neighborly love. While the illustration of prayer with a picture of a human family may help us understand some principle characteristics of prayer, we have to be aware of the limitations of the picture as well. In the picture we are looking at a human father and human relationships. A father may or may not know what the children need. He may or may not listen and understand. He may or may not answer. God, however, always knows what we need and he always hears and understands. He will answer us. In this introduction we mostly consider personal prayer. I do not touch on praying together very much. That may be a topic for another introduction. In discussion we can feel free to bring up any aspect of prayer. 3. The Spirit Prays in Us Jesus reminds his disciples about the true prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus warns not to pray like hypocrites and gentiles. Hypocrites pray because they want recognition of their praying from people. Gentiles think that they are heard because of many words. Jesus teaches us to pray in private and expect God to answer in public. Then Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer, which begins with the words “Our Father who art in heaven…” (Matt 6: 5-9). Speaking to the woman at the well of Sychar Jesus speaks about true prayer in the spirit: “ God is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The apostle Paul joins in Jesus’ thoughts about a private and humble prayer, when he writes “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom 8:26-27). Going back to our picture, the children do not feel that only when they have a formal speech to their father are they connected to him. They are constantly aware of the presence of their father. The love between father and children guide when and how the beloved children approach and speak to their dear father. In Hebrews, the writer defines faith as the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). God is unseen and the one upon whom we lay our hope. When a child of God turns to God in prayer, it is evidence that he believes in a God to whom he can speak. While in the storm, the disciples doubted for a long time before turning to Jesus. In their doubt they failed to believe that Jesus can help. Finally, they cried for help. Jesus rebuked their unbelief. He also took their cry for help as a prayer of a distressed child unto God, and he calmed the sea. In our picture, the father expects the children to always turn Him as needed. Although God knows all our needs, He still expects us to pray and let our needs be known unto him. 4. Petitions With Thanksgiving and in Humble Faith The Apostle Paul writes to Philippians, “Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God” (Phil 4:6). The psalmist writes, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). We have worries and needs. Jesus instructed us not to carry worries: “Therefore take no thought, saying what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matt 6:31-32). In the parable of the sower, Jesus warns about dwelling in the cares of this world because they may choke faith. Peter instructs us to cast all our cares upon him who careth for us (1 Pet 5:7). Again, what would a child do in need? He would not sorrow by himself but run crying unto the bosom of the father with all his cares. And there the father comforts him with the assurance that he is a dear son of the beloved father. In writing to the Philippians, the apostle makes another point as he says, “With thanksgiving let your request be known unto God.” When you are in need, how then do you pray with thanksgiving? When making our request known unto God, we need to keep in mind that God already knows what we need. Secondly, we need to keep in mind that we cannot control God. He has the right to say no to our request. The point the apostle makes by “requests with thanksgiving” is a prayer in humble faith. “Thank you God that you already know what I need, thank you for taking care of me.” The children turn to their father with trusting hearts. The psalmist writes: “I lift mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1,2). More important than receiving what we pray for is that the prayer is said in faith. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). The privilege of approaching God in prayer in itself is a matter of thanksgiving. 5. God Hears and Answers We defined that prayer is reciprocal, a humble and sincere conversation with God. Sometimes it may seem like God doesn’t hear us. The reason is not in God’s poor hearing or our unclear message. God has promised to hear, and He always keeps His promise. He will also respond, but maybe in a different way than what we expected. We already discussed one immediate way of God responding to us while we pray. God answers with peace in our hearts. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6,7) This is what the father does when a child comes to him in distress, “O, dear child, I hear you crying.” Another immediate benefit of a prayer may be that we are protected from temptation at the very moment. Jesus said to his disciples in Gethsemane, on the night in which he was betrayed, “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). Prayer is a way of fleeing from temptations of this world and our flesh. Many believers have experienced this in the times of temptation. “And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). Again going back to our picture, we can imagine a child being tempted in secrecy will be less tempted if he turns to the Father for a conversation. God may not answer immediately. Maybe, over the years we realize what was best in our life. Maybe, finally in heaven we will realize why certain things happened in our life. For one thing we can be sure that the Heavenly Father knows our needs and provides what we need. Sometimes children come up with requests that the father does not feel comfortable fulfilling at that point. We need to practice patience and trusting as the Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8: 28). When in tribulations with no immediate deliverance, we may believe like the Apostle Paul did, “Tribulations worketh patience, and patience experience; and experience hope” (Rom. 5:3). Our faith may be tried but God will never forsake us. In Jeremiah 31:9 we can read a promise that God will lead and guide our life when we journey prayerfully. One of God’s answers to our prayers is the blessing that He has given us in our life. Our life may look different in the eyes of God than it looks in our own eyes. When we discuss the needs and wants of life with our own children, we realize how different our perspectives may be. Children may have all kinds of needs and cares, but in the eyes of the parents everything is fine. In his explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, in the petition of the every day bread, Luther reminds us to count our blessings. With the help of the Holy Spirit we may at times just pause to reflect in amazement how much God has blessed us. The most evident answer God gives for our prayer is in the voice of the gospel. This is how we have understood Jesus’ words when he says that God will answer openly (Matt 6:6). We hear the Father’s voice in the gospel preaching in His kingdom. Applying this to the family picture we can imagine when the children hear the voice of the father they rejoice, knowing that this is our dear father speaking to his beloved children. The essence of the gospel is the message of the Lord Jesus who died on behalf of our sins. Through faith we can be God’s children. 6. Examples of Those Who Have Prayed in the Bible Moses prayed to God when the Egyptian armed forces approached the people of Israel dead-ended by the Red Sea. Moses received an answer to raise his staff. The waters opened for the people to walk to the other side of the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s troops drowned in the sea. Often, the staff of the gospel is God’s answer in situations that look impossible to us. In Babylon, Daniel kept on saying his daily prayers despite the law of King Darius which had illegalized praying to any other god but the king. Daniel’s praying was reported to Darius by Daniel’s jealous fellow officers. The king was bound to his decree and therefore ordered Daniel to be thrown into the den of lions. God protected Daniel in the den. The next morning, as the king came to the den, Daniel shouted to him: “O king, live forever!” From the OT time both unbelievers and believers have prayed on behalf of the authorities as God-given means of keeping order. The apostle writes to Timothy, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Tim 2:1-3). While in the hands of his persecutors, Stephen prayed on behalf of his executioners: “Lord lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60). According to the example of Jesus and the apostles the believers have endeavored praying on behalf of their enemies. The Apostle Paul prayed that God would take away the thorn that was in his flesh. Not knowing what he meant by the thorn, we learn what the apostle learned from God, “My grace is sufficient to you” (2 Cor 12:9). Many times we as believers have to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and just continue to believe our sins forgiven in Jesus name and blood, and not think why certain trials are given to us. The apostles often mentioned praying on behalf of other believers. God’s children yet today often request of each other, “Remember me and my family in your prayers,” “When you converse with God about your own matters, please add myself in your prayers,” and “I will remember you in my thoughts and in my prayers.” We may remember each others in prayer without asking. Sometimes some family members may cease wanting to listen to us speaking to them about faith matters. Even then, we still have the privilege of speaking to God about those family members. Even when our intercessions fall short, Jesus prays on behalf of us in heaven. “He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebr 7:25). Church history relates that Martin Luther spent a lot of time praying during his time of distress fighting the powers of the Catholic Church. In prayer we may leave matters in God’s hands. We do not always know what the best thing to do is. Nevertheless, when we leave our matters in God’s hands, we can trust that He will bless and guide us as we do our best. When comparing our praying to some of the believers mentioned in the Bible or Luther, we may feel inferior. However, we need to remember that the essence of prayer is not the outward, conscious practice of prayer. The essence is the spiritual, sometimes subconscious groaning of the spirit and turning to the heavenly Father. In this way the spirit in us prays constantly. A couple of weeks ago I learned about a car accident in which our dear brother and sister were seriously injured. I called to the father of the dear injured sister. I listened to what the current status of the patients was. I promised to keep the family in my thoughts and prayers. “Thank you for remembering us,” was the response. I never consciously took time to pray for them. However, the same day on my walk I noticed that I am constantly thinking about the family groaning something to this effect, “O, dear heavenly Father what happened to the family. Thank you for taking care of them.” The words of God encourage us to “pray without ceasing,” and “giving thanks in every circumstance” (1 Tess. 5:17,18). 7. Unbelievers’ Prayer God’s word does not teach that God justifies man in prayer. This means that an unbeliever cannot reach God through his own deeds in prayer. God needs to reach out to the unbeliever. This happens when the gospel of forgiveness of sins in the name and blood of Jesus is preached from God’s kingdom to a penitent sinner. The Bible, however, records many examples how God heard the prayers of unbelievers when they prayed for their salvation. The Ethiopian Eunuch, Saul of Tarsus and the centurion Cornelius exemplify unbelievers whose prayer God heard and answered publicly by allowing his kingdom come to them (Acts 8,9 and 10). This was their hearts’ humble and sincere speaking with God. God’s word does not teach that prayer is a merit. Of those who pray in order to gain merit the word of God warns, “I will hide mine eyes from you, yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear” (Isa 1:15). We already discussed Jesus’ comment on the hypocrites’ prayer on the streets. They have received their reward (Matt 6:5). Humble prayer of those outside of God’s kingdom is a good matter. In many circumstances we may be invited to situations where a prayer is said by an unbeliever. Joining in prayer with unbelievers does not mean that we unite with their faith or their spirit. The spirit of humble faith will guide us how to conduct ourselves in each situation. 8. Always Pray Although God is high and holy, in Jesus’ name we are allowed to approach Him. Although God knows what we need we are encouraged to let him know of our needs. Although God is almighty and decides what he does and what not, we are asked to pray for our matters, the matters of other people and those of the authorities in our country. Prayer is neither a means to salvation, nor a sacrament. Prayer is a privilege of God’s child and a sign of that connection that has been established through faith. Prayer is part of our endeavor in faith. Through prayer we gain strength, prayer gives peace, and prayer protects in temptation. Although we may ask the forgiveness of sins in a prayer, we receive the forgiveness through faith in the gospel from God’s kingdom. More important than the formal aspect of prayer is that prayer is the heart’s humble and sincere conversation with God. Prayer does not necessarily need words. The spirit in us says unuttered groanings. God hears our prayers and provides us with spiritual needs and temporal needs. The apostle writes, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). Questions 1.Why do you pray? 2.What makes a prayer a true prayer? 3.How have the former believers prayed? 4.How has prayer helped you or someone you know? 5.How were you taught to pray? 6.A prayer that I will always remember. 7.How do you teach your children to pray?

Neil Waaraniemi | 2010 LLC Phoenix Winter Services --