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Allen Pirness | 2024 LLC Summer Services - Speakers’ and Board Members’ Meeting – July 5 -- “ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. ”  – 1 Peter 5:8   Introduction Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples the “Mission Command” that was for their generation as well as for all succeeding generations, identifying the clear purpose of God’s kingdom. He told them, “ All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen ” (Matt 28:18-20).   These words of Jesus help to frame the parameters of where to approach this topic from. This command teaches us that the place and purpose for God’s kingdom in the world is for preaching the gospel, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and then instructing and living in the way of Jesus among the believers, rejecting ungodliness and worldly passions (Titus 2:12).   We are comforted in the same promises Jesus gave to His disciples. Firstly, He assured them that all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth. He then promised that He will be with His own until the end of time wherever God’s kingdom is. Jesus had won the victory over sin and death already when He gave this mission command. Our battle remains the internal struggle against temptation brought to us by the three-fold enemy; Satan, our flesh and the world. Jesus has promised that He will never leave us. When we fall into sin there is still power in the Gospel to wash away all our sins. The temporal realm is not our battle ground as it was for the 12th century Crusaders who attempted to restore Christ’s kingdom in Jerusalem by force, rather it is the spiritual realm in which Christ’s kingdom calls sinners to Him and sends us to preach the gospel.   The Early Christian Church Our theme for this introduction comes from the first Epistle of Peter. Much of Peter’s life is well noted in the New Testament. We relate to Peter as a brother in faith and as a servant in God’s kingdom. We experience the same adversary, The devil, trying to snare us away from God. I think we would all have to admit that our workday is quite uneventful and peaceful when we consider Peter’s workday. He, like us, didn’t do the work with His own strength. He needed to be uplifted and encouraged with the same gospel that he preached. He experienced many things in his apostleship, including Jesus’ transfiguration, his own denial of Jesus, Jesus’ death and resurrection, his own repentance, walking a few steps on the surface of the water, Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the shedding of the Holy Spirit, the gospel being opened to Gentiles, the persecution of Christians, and many other things that are recorded in Scripture. He experienced that his adversary was the devil. Peter wanted to encourage those early Christians that nothing was more important than possessing the name of a child of God. A martyr’s death was experienced by many believers in that time. The encouragement among the Christians was to accept this kind of death if it came entrusting themselves into the resurrection victory that Jesus had accomplished.   The Acts of the Apostles records the martyrdom of Stephen. When the stones continued to strike his broken body, he said “ Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep .” (Acts 7:59-60) He was forgiving of his murderers as he slipped away into the sleep of the righteous. We don’t have these kinds of examples in our lived memory. There have been anecdotes from the former Soviet Union believers who faced the reality that their confession of faith might lead to this level of persecution. Many, if not most, countries today protect religious freedom. We pray that it would always be so, but if it isn’t God’s plan, we ask for faith to endure unto the end. Not only do we ask for faith, but even as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, we would ask for a forgiving heart toward those who would persecute us, as Stephen did. The spread of the gospel has not been slowed in times of persecution. It moves as God wills.   The Gospel spread to the cities where the believers lived. Those who were granted grace to believe their sins forgiven, brought the message of the gospel home with them. We know that even at the time of the shedding of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost festival in Jerusalem there were believers from many different lands who heard the gospel in their own tongue. The gospel quickly traveled home with them. The apostles soon began to travel to these areas to teach and baptize.   God Guides His Kingdom through Changing Times It is important to keep the correct and scriptural understanding of the believer’s place in society. We live in a time that the humility becoming of a child of God is despised. Meekness is considered to be weakness. In Jesus’ mission command, we see the clear purpose for believers in society. We experience that the intent of God, in establishing His kingdom here on earth, through His Son our Lord Jesus, is to bring the gospel to all people. We have witnessed the spread of the gospel in our time. We marvel and rejoice over the continued spread of the gospel around the globe. Much of the focus of current discussions among those who serve our central organizations is in how we can fulfill all the requests for services and support those who wish to endeavor in faith. The proclamation of the forgiveness of sins is yet done with the same power and authority that Jesus gave the disciples. It still has free course from heart to heart. Nothing can prevent someone from believing if God has opened their heart as a sinner and granted grace to believe their sins forgiven. Conversely, we also see that unless God can open the heart, it is impossible for someone to believe. We experience these things when we are at the frontier of the spreading of the gospel. It has given me considerable comfort to witness these things and to also witness the peaceful reality that Jesus truly won the victory. The earth and all creation are His. The times and eras of humanity are His. The proverb instructs us, “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov 9:10). It is a timeless truth.   In the spread of the gospel, we see how everything is possible for God. We also see how nothing is possible with man, unless God blesses it. This holds true for all areas of life. Technological breakthroughs often bring progress to humanity, and we experience the benefits that God provides through this. These periods can also bring societal shifts that are not all positive. We see, for example, the mixed blessing of the Internet after its 30 years of existence. Times of change also bring upheaval and push against previously accepted ideas that have later been proved inaccurate. Consider the relatively recent hesitations over the correct use of Internet technology in our church. It wasn’t a quick and easy discussion to decide that we should have a church website. There was much caution and prayerful discussion.   Consider how God has allowed this technology to serve the work of His kingdom. There were many hundreds of repentances around the world during the global shutdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel stopped abruptly and gathering together became almost impossible. God had a plan to use that time and technology to bring the gospel to many people. English language WhatsApp sermons were sent weekly to various places in Africa and Asia and were forwarded on by those who received them. Many people heard and believed. Now they travel with us as brothers and sisters in faith. Spanish language services by Zoom gathered the believers in South America together, strengthening the bond of Christian love among them. These efforts have continued post-pandemic, and we experience how God continues to bless this work.   I remember listening to a sermon from the 1970s where the minister spoke about how impressive it was, because of the advances in modern communication, to be connected via telephone to the other side of the world in only a few minutes. He then went on to remind how this is very insignificant when we consider how God’s word assures us that the sighs of His children are instantly heard in His ears. I remembered the above-mentioned sermon as I was standing on a roadside in 2019 above the city of Badou, Togo sending video clips to my co-workers in Canada and answering their questions in real-time about what I was experiencing on my trip. There are really no bounds on our Heavenly Father’s possibilities!   Technological innovation, scientific discovery, and encounters with new cultures can often raise difficult and challenging questions. These don’t have to trouble a believer so deeply that they are rejected as workings of the devil. God’s Word and experience show us that God’s Spirit helps and guides His congregation to a correct understanding, one in harmony with His Word.   In the first years of the New Testament God opened the hearts of non-Jewish people to believe that Jesus died for their sins also. Remember Cornelius the Roman Centurion whose heart was invited to call Peter from Joppa to hear what God would say to him. When Apostle Peter was in Joppa, God prepared him to go to the home of the Cornelius, a Gentile. This presented a cultural barrier to Peter. This was a new and unexpected development in the work of the gospel. God gave Peter a vision. In it he saw a sheet lowered from heaven. On that sheet were all manner of animals and he was given instruction to take any of them as food. Since Peter was a Jew, he resisted eating anything ceremonially unclean. He was informed that he should not call that which God has cleansed unclean. Peter did not understand the vision but when the Spirit directed him to go to the house of Cornelius he went. There Peter was shown the meaning of the vision when salvation was opened to the Gentiles, such as Cornelius and his household. They believed when Peter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit came upon them. They were baptized with the same baptism that the Jewish Christians had been baptized with. When word of this spread, Peter was asked of it when he returned to Jerusalem. The brothers who met with him and heard his account peacefully concluded that the same Holy Spirit was with the Gentile believers as it was with the Jewish believers.   Jewish believers in Christ and Gentile believers in Christ received each other as brothers and sisters in faith. They came together and worshipped together. The accounts in the Acts of the Apostles and the New Testament letters relate how they marveled at the power of the Holy Spirit and witnessed God’s grace through the gospel of Jesus. Peter and the other apostles experienced the same matter that Jesus expounded on to the woman at Jacob’s well some years earlier when He explained to her that God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Peter experienced that the way was also opened for the Gentiles if they believed their sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. God was able to be worshipped in spirit and in truth, or in other words, in the gospel of Jesus. The enemy of souls did not leave them in this blessed unity of spirit. The temporal differences between them were sometimes successfully used by the enemy to create division and discord.   The Dangers of Fundamentalism One issue that has troubled Christianity from time to time in recent decades, and is a concern again today, is the influence of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism arose out of a proper concern about the teachings of liberal theology. It started from a right concern but soon veered into wrong teachings. One of the main causes of fundamentalism’s errors is its view of the nature and message of God’s Word.   The traditional Christian view of the Bible has been the salvation history view. This view acknowledges that the Bible has both human and divine aspects. Men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). The human aspect may appear, for example, in the Bible’s descriptions of historical events and explanations of the natural world. Those descriptions and explanations are shaped by the knowledge and view of the natural world that existed during the writers’ time. The view of fundamentalism is different. It does not recognize a human element in the writing of Scripture. It insists that the written word cannot have errors of any kind in it because the writers were only “scribes of the Holy Spirit”, and their humanness was not involved. This leads fundamentalists to view the Bible as a divine document even in matters that are not its purpose and message. Fundamentalists don’t read the Bible centered around its core message of salvation history, but rather read it as the source of divine arguments and make it a handbook for life rather than the message of salvation history.   This view of the Bible is not enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and it steals peace. One is, for example, faced with a constant struggle between his or her interpretation of God’s Word and new discoveries that increase our knowledge of the natural world which God has created. Our knowledge and understanding of the natural world is constantly growing and changing. Science presents some theories which are with time proven to be true and others which are proven to be false. These do not change our understanding of God’s salvation plan and salvation history. When we acknowledge the human element in God’s Word, we recognize that when God’s Word speaks of the natural world in a different way than new discoveries have illuminated, it simply shows us that the author’s understanding of the natural world wasn’t complete. We recognize as well that our own knowledge of the natural world is incomplete. It makes us curious about other discoveries that God might allow before the end of time. This gives us peace and comfort and reminds us that the Bible is not a science book and should not be used as one.   Because fundamentalists don’t read the Bible centered around its core message of salvation history, but rather as the source of divine arguments in all things, it becomes a handbook for life rather than the message of salvation history. It confuses the roles of the spiritual and temporal realms. Fundamentalist ideology also easily leads to legalism and to the “third function of the Law,” which wrongly teaches that God’s Law belongs to a Christian as a moral guideline. God’s kingdom recognizes but two functions of the Law. The first function is its civil law, which is to preserve order and peace in society. The second is its spiritual function, which is to be a “schoolmaster” to give man knowledge of sin and drive him to Christ. But, as Paul writes, “ after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster ” (Gal. 3:25).   Humility of a Child of God We have noticed, especially in the last 10-15 years that politics is particularly polarizing. In reality it has moved beyond polarizing all the way to demonizing. Those with different political views, shaped by their world views and experiences, are viewed as “the enemy.” It’s a good thing to remember that in politics as in other areas of life, people may have different views of how to solve problems and administer finite resources. Likewise believers freely vote in different ways for any number of reasons. God has protected His children in the endeavor of faith regardless of the political situation in the country He has placed them. It’s not useful to consider that somehow another believer is your enemy because of their views on world affairs, for example . We need the care of God’s children, regardless of how they vote in elections. We may not know the political views of the servant of the Word who is preaching from the pulpit, yet we hear and believe the proclamation of the gospel as though we are hearing it from our Lord Jesus himself.   Consider the reality in Jesus’ time. Jesus called His disciples from a spectrum of political beliefs. On one end of the spectrum there was Matthew the publican who loyally collected taxes for the Roman Empire. On the other end there was Simon the Zealot. His title indicates that he belonged to the Zealots, a party that held to the view of expelling the Roman Empire from the Holy Land. Yet God gave them grace to believe, and Jesus called them both to be apostles. How did Jesus teach the disciples to care for each other? Jesus took a basin of water and a towel and proceeded to wash their feet. His instruction was to continue to wash each other’s feet.   I experienced how impossible it became during the time of the pandemic for those who were of a fundamentalist persuasion whom I interacted with in my former workplace, to accept the doctrine of the two regiments. They could not accept Luther’s teaching that the earthly regiment is God’s, and it is our duty to obey temporal authority. It became their mission to wrestle away the God-given authority of temporal governments, all the while pointing to God’s Word as their guide. We encounter the same sentiments from podcasters and pundits. In recent times, we have seen that if our political views, whatever they may be, become the prism through which we interpret God’s Words we can soon become frustrated, angry, and lost. We are drawn into a mindset that pits us against authority. It forces the hypothetical thought of how oppressive it must get before we resist authority. These are not edifying places for us to go. The Mission Command of Christ reminds us that Jesus is the Lord of both Heaven and Earth. We err if we think we are doing Christ’s work by rebelling against temporal authority. We err further if we try use God’s Word as a defense of our rebelliousness.   There are examples in God’s Word that tell us how we ought to behave and what our attitude toward those who are in power should be. A very familiar example is Jesus, especially in his final hours when he rebuked Peter for cutting off the soldier’s ear in the garden. He reminded Peter that he was subject to the temporal law pertaining to the injury or death of his fellow man (Matt 21:51-52). Several hours later we again observe Jesus’ quiet submission to the temporal authority before Pilate. Consider also the example of the Hebrew lads in Babylon.   When Daniel and his friends wanted to remain obedient to God and avoid the royal diet, they respectfully made their request to the king’s servant. He granted a trial period to compare results of the diets of the other boys and the Hebrew boys. God blessed the believing boys, and contrary to reason they fared better than the other boys. The king’s servant accepted their diet. God blessed the believing boys’ studies and granted them wisdom that exceeded everyone else’s, so they were placed into the king’s service. Later, Daniel quietly, yet openly, prayed to God during the time that was decreed to only pray to King Darius. As a result, he was put into the lions’ den. When he was released unharmed, he honored the king. “ O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. ” (Dan 6:21-22).   What was the example for us in the attitude of Daniel? He was a humble servant of the king of Babylon while he lived in this foreign land. He prayed that God would bless the king and the country he was in. He did not rebel against the king, yet he did not stop quietly and humbly worshipping God alone. God blessed his obedience and humility. God showed the kings of Babylon, in Daniel’s time, that He was the only one true God. Daniel didn’t show the kings anything but respect and honor. Daniel believed that even the kings of strange lands were not hidden from God. It was never in his heart to disobey the rulers that God appointed. In our time we yet truly live in a time of unprecedented religious freedom. We can only thank God for this time and do our part to live obediently and humbly in accordance with the laws of the land.   Love in Truth We read in the mission command that God gave the authority for the kingdom of heaven to Jesus also. The kingdom of heaven is here on earth as a spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of grace. Jesus is with the kingdom of grace, His body, as His church. We experience the continued work of Jesus in His congregation through the power of the Holy Spirit. In His mission command, Jesus promised to be with His own until the end of the world. If one wishes to find Christ, he or she must not look for Him in the “desert” or the “secret chambers” or anywhere other than in His congregation, for as Jesus said, “ Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together ” (Matt. 24:28).   Two years ago, the discussion at the LLC Annual Meeting, openly recognized that a heresy had formed in our midst. As an effect of this heresy, many personal relationships were changed with the recognition that the Holy Spirit is no longer with the other person. This has affected spousal relationships, parent/child relationships, sibling relationships and many other relationships. The “wall of salvation,” as Isaiah called it, has now been placed between us and them (Isa 26:1, 60:18). God’s Word very clearly warns against trying to continue spiritual fellowship where there is no longer the same spirit. Paul wrote to Titus “ A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself ” (Titus 3:8). We have had to allow these relationships to change to avoid being drawn away in our own weakness. This hasn’t meant that we wouldn’t continue to be civil towards those who have departed in heresy or try to maintain respectful family ties. We don’t want to lose hope for their undying souls. It has made us consider that the most fervent prayers on their behalf are now that God could grant repentance and living faith could be theirs again.   We can only marvel that somehow God has preserved each of us in faith. It certainly hasn’t been because we have been less sinful or that we have been more wise. In our conversations about the realities of this heresy, we may sometimes be judgmental. In our desire for clarity, we may sometimes be impatient. It is good that we can freely continue to visit about how it has affected us with our believing friends and receive the encouragement to continue on the narrow way. When questions linger whether someone is with the believers or not, it’s good that we have the mind of Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves. In this, we desire to love in truth because we recognize that, without truth, leniency is close. All matters will be made known in God’s time.   The Threefold Enemy The enemy of souls approaches us today with temptations of today’s world. We are no different than our predecessors, in that they were also tempted in the day they lived. We may no longer covet our neighbor’s ox or donkey, yet we are still told by the enemy of souls that we don’t quite have enough. We might look longingly at the boat in our neighbor’s driveway and begin to wonder if we are getting our share of blessings. It is tempting to love money, even though God’s Word clearly tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils.   It would be tempting for a person interested in following sports to begin to click the advertisement links when checking the sports news and start to bet on the games. It’s not only the lust for excitement that can tempt us. It may be somehow satisfying for our flesh to see a black tire burnout mark through the rainbow crosswalk, when we are feeling troubled by the celebration of shameless sexual freedom in our community. It might easily be tempting to a person who is worried about human-caused effects on climate change to think that it would be irresponsible to get married and have a family.   For young adults and older single adults there are pressures to conform to worldly thinking, especially when there is much time alone. It’s easy to begin to follow and attach to the world in a variety of interests that draw one into the world. With less of an expectation to interact with other believers and encouragement from the world to be independent in thought and action, it’s easy to be drawn away from God’s kingdom by today’s temptations.   For parents of young and growing families, especially where the ages range broadly, the stress and immediacy of the pressures of the world are felt closely. Technology has brought temptation to busy fathers and mothers as well. It’s tempting for a busy mother with an app that monitors her monthly cycles right on her smartwatch to deliberately deny her husband when the likelihood of conception is at its highest. A busy father can also be tempted to try plan the family. God’s Word teaches husbands and wives to not “defraud” one another and rejection of each other in disobedience causes hurt. Hurt causes distance. Distance makes it easier to hide things from each other. Sin begets more sin. Unbelief is the mother of all sin and sin wars against faith. Unbelief eventually overcomes faith if sin isn’t put away from the conscience.   The enemy wants to steal our peace through worry about the current issues in the world. When we lose our peace and become restless about fears of the world, Satan wants us to start to look for peace in other ways. He tempts us to seek how the world around us looks for peace. We begin to research the answers for our questions in the world. We become tempted by the solutions that the world has for inner peace, and we spiral away from the care of God in His congregation. The believers start to look and sound too out of touch, too simple and too old fashioned. One begins to reject the congregation mother and her care.   We face an enemy that is causing us to be quiet about our struggles and put on an appearance that everything is fine. It is sometimes hard to think that our friends would love us anymore if they knew how big of a mess we’re making in our life. It begins to feel like the easiest thing to do is to keep it all bottled up inside and not share our lives. We need to be able to open our messy homes and imperfect lives to our brothers and sisters in faith so we can find the strength and encouragement to continue traveling on the narrow way that leads us securely home.   The Final Leg of Our Journey Jesus has promised that there isn’t peace in the world, only tribulation. Yet He has also promised that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). While the world rages outside, a child of God is invited to securely believe. Can we put it all aside and just believe that Jesus sacrificial death and victorious resurrection is all that we need to make it home?   It does not matter if the earth is 4.5 billion years old or if the fossil record reveals creatures that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible. It just doesn’t matter! We can remain secure in Jesus’ promise that He made to His own before he departed. “ I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also ” (John 14:3).   Dear brothers and sisters don’t be troubled by the state of the world. Our travel in this land is as a stranger and a pilgrim who increasingly feels at odds with the mindset around us, whether it is the coldness of legalistic fundamentalism or the chaotic acceptance of all manner of sin. Remember the instructions of Jesus when He related of all the trouble in the world before the end will come. “ And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh ” (Luke 21:28).   Jesus will come again! God’s Word assures us that His reward will be with Him. One day, when we least expect it, the sky will brighten in a way that hasn’t happened before; in a way that announces to all people that Jesus is coming again to gather His own. Nothing will matter anymore. In an instant, time will be meaningless, questions will no longer be asked, answers will no longer be offered. The only thing that will matter is faith of the heart. Continue yet for a little while!

Jacque Raisanen  |  The Shepherd’s Voice June/July 2024 - Home and Family Article – Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 In this Bible verse, we are reminded of the preciousness of living faith. Even though we all have times when we are sad, we are fortunate to be God’s children. When we go through hard times, we feel the loving comfort of the believers around us. In our sadness, God finds ways to show us that He loves us. The Bible is full of examples of believers who mourned or suffered sad events in their lives. One that stands out is the Old Testament story of Job. Everything was taken from him: his family, home, and livelihood. He mourned the losses, but God sent friends to comfort him, and he was reminded of his human pride and sinfulness, and he repented. He was blessed again with a new family and many more temporal blessings, but most importantly, God blessed him by allowing him to keep faith. We can always pray to God that He will remember us when we are sad. He will not forget to comfort us! Things to visit about: What things can make you or others sad? What things help comfort you when you are sad? How can we help others that are sad or missing loved ones?

Tim Niskanen | The Voice of Zion May 2024 - Home & Family Article -- The times we live are busy and perhaps it seems that we are going in all directions. Our first and foremost thought is that we are here to serve God and His kingdom. When our lives slow down we may find more time for our interests. Yet young people, too, benefit from hobbies and interests. It is good to avoid a sedentary lifestyle and our entire well-being benefits from having an active mind. Many areas of pursuit could be used in God’s kingdom, such as photography, music, writing, and the love of cooking. In whatever hobby or project we set out to do, we do it to not only please ourselves but also our heavenly Father. As we work on our interests, it is good to prioritize gatherings of God’s children. Let us remember to give thanks for all that we’ve received. Fresh Vegetables, Smoked Fish and Dried Apples Tim Niskanen Many people have developed some sort of hobby. At a younger age, I built model airplanes, cars, trucks and tanks. I liked playing baseball, football and basketball with the neighbor kids. I liked walking in the woods, going fishing and hunting. I remember damming a small creek so we’d have a bigger area to ice skate on. One of my hobbies now is gardening. Fresh-grown vegetables taste better. Sometimes I plant the seeds in the ground or have them germinate in small containers. I have also bought plants in containers that are ready for planting. I have a rototiller and I overturn the ground. I check for nutrients such as potash, nitrogen, phosphorus, and the PH of the soil. I then try to get the right amount of nutrients into the soil. I also compost and add that to the garden beds in the spring and rototill it into the ground. After I’m sure the frost period is over, I start to plant. I take time to weed around the new plants to keep them clear and healthy. When the garden gives its yield, it is a happy time to enjoy the vegetables, especially the tomatoes and cucumbers. It’s also nice to share the yield of the garden with neighbors and family. Gardening gives a small taste of what farmers go through every year; God gives the increase even in these matters. Another hobby I have is smoking fish. If I am fortunate to catch any king or silver salmon on Lake Michigan, they taste good smoked! Often we’ll get sockeye salmon and I’ll smoke that too. The salmon should be fileted and cut into four to six-inch pieces. I wash the fish with salt water for 30–45 minutes. This helps remove oil or loose scales. I then let it air dry for 30 minutes. I coat the filets with kosher flake salt and let them rest another 30–45 minutes. After they are rinsed and air-dryed again, I put them into tins and spread brown sugar over the fish in a thin layer. Depending upon the thickness of the fish and the type of wood chips used for smoking, it takes 60–90 minutes at a temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit. The fat should come to the surface and this assures it’s reached the proper temperature. Right off the smoker, the fish tastes very good. I also enjoy drying apples. I wash them and use a manual peeler to remove the skin and the core. It takes 5 to 15 seconds to peel the skin off each apple. I load slices onto the dehydrator racks and that runs for 8 to 10 hours. I sometimes add seasoning like cinnamon or other flavors. Dried apples keep in plastic bags for weeks. Many different types of apples can be dried this way, and they make healthy snacks. Hobbies keep me moving and my brain engaged. It is a joy to share with others! I like to hear other gardeners’ stories. We share the steps we take each spring and then we can adjust or tweak what we do. Through hobbies I have learned many things, such as patience, sharing and thankfulness. Even these blessings come from the heavenly Father! Birding Is for Everyone Amy Laitala When my husband had to be connected to medical equipment, going outside was not an option. Bird feeders and bird baths were moved so they could be viewed from a window inside. Squirrels, nature’s acrobats, are athletic and can be destructive. Baffles on the poles had to be applied. We marveled with thankfulness at our heavenly Father’s natural creatures and their seasonal backdrop. Even now, as my husband is passed, I continue to watch closely the activity around the feeder and birdbath. It brings me comfort. Oft their memory brings a longing; we are yearning there in heaven to abide. (SHZ 140:1)  Φ Peace and Contentment – and a Camera Ruth Salminen Mueller I am retired and a widow, so I have much time to do as I wish. I can garden, read, paint, do puzzles and travel. And, especially on road trips, I can photograph it all. My home is in the northwest corner of Illinois and my house is on a hill that overlooks the Mississippi River. This area is the most scenic part of the state, in my opinion, and I love living here! Here, on the river, I get many opportunities to take my camera out and get pictures of wildlife, towboats, paddle and cruise boats as well as a variety of homemade vessels. A couple times, I saw the USS LST 325 as it toured up and down the river. This historic ship participated in the Normandy landing in WWII. It is the only one left in operation today. That was pretty exciting! The most wonderful subjects to photograph are the eagles that migrate up and down the river in the spring and fall. I have been able to get fairly close to these majestic birds as they rest on branches and in the grasses of the river’s backwaters. One day, an eagle sat on a branch of a small tree not far above my head. The day was so very windy that any bird had difficulties flying straight. I imagine that was why my eagle was such a willing patient subject and let me take photograph him for quite some time. All my interests, my passion for photography and the others I dabble in, give me occasion for reflection and thankfulness. I am grateful to our heavenly Father for blessings bestowed on me. In Him, I find great peace and contentment. Why Not Metal Detecting? Karl Niskanen Since 2001 I have been metal detecting. Things that I find are old pennies from the 1890s, rings, watches, even a cell phone. One of the most disappointing findings is garbage buried at the beach. I wanted to have a hobby, so my nephew bought the metal-detecting equipment for me to get started. The more I search for things the more I get into it, and it gives me the opportunity to get out in the fresh air. The beaches are the easiest to search because I can dig quickly with a sand scoop. If I search at a park, the swing set areas usually have coins to be found. I am always careful when searching as there can be broken glass, screws and nails. When I am outside, I get to see God’s handiwork. Depending on the time of day it can be quiet and peaceful, and if I get tired I can sit and rest. Even if I find nothing after four hours, I can enjoy the stillness of the day. Puzzling Electronics Jacob Niskanen The puzzles that I enjoy the most are broken electronics. Looking them over, I gain a sense of growing intrigue as I methodically check and cross off what issues may be causing the problem. I am careful to keep a humble heart; many a time I have let pride take hold of me because I thought I had the solution, only to be humbled with the actual one being revealed before me. There are lessons and blessings in hobbies of all kinds. For someone like me who has been studying electrical engineering, I want to connect the bridge between learned theory and practical application to widen my learning experiences. Questions: What kinds of hobbies or interests are worthwhile for a person who already leads a full life? How can you use your interest or special skills to help and serve others? What kinds of volunteer roles could you pursue? There are those with people skills and gifts in networking and connecting with others, rather than in hands-on crafts and hobbies. What kinds of pastimes can these people pursue? How do we maintain a balance so that hobbies and interests don’t overtake other areas of life, including our faith life? How can your hobbies and interests serve your home congregation?

The Voice of Zion June/July 2024 - Doctrine and Life Article -- This writing is an excerpt from Miten minä uskon (How I Believe), edited by Ari-Pekka Palola and published by SRK in 2020. The writings are not attributed to a certain author since they are compiled from a variety of texts originally published in Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine (LLC 2022), which was translated from the original Finnish version published in 2018. Installment 16 of 19. The word fundamentalism doesn’t leave anyone cold. Based on the news and current discussion, the first things to come to mind are religious and political extremist organizations, terrorism, narrowmindedness, absolutism and opposition toward anything modern. A closer look reveals that the concept has many different meanings depending on the context. Fundamentalism speaks above all of the attitude that fundamentalists have toward their religion and ideology, and of the way the fundamentalist defines his or her doctrine. In practice, however, the term fundamentalism has become a superficial label used to quieten and silence supporters of traditional Christian faith, even if they in fact have nothing to do with fundamentalism. Fundamentalism’s Origin – Adhering to the Foundations Underlying the term fundamentalism is the Latin word fundamentum, which means foundation. The early history of the concept was connected to this understanding of and remaining in the foundations of Christianity. The way of thinking referred to as fundamentalism emerged within Reformed Christianity in the 19th century to resist liberal theology and critical biblical studies, and to defend the foundations of Christianity. It fought for the right cause but did so with the wrong methods. The central mistake was linking the Bible and revelation together based on the doctrine of inspiration of the Word. The Bible began to be seen as infallible in all matters it addresses. Differences between Fundamentalist and Salvation-Historical Doctrines Christianity’s traditional concept of the Bible is referred to as a salvation-historical biblical concept. According to this concept, the Bible has both a human and divine aspect. Its writers did their work under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). The Bible contains abundant description of historical events and explanations of the world and nature related to the writers’ own worldview, but its central message is salvation in Jesus Christ. The revelation of the Bible is connected to its message of salvation. When the Bible addresses, for example, events of history and questions related to a worldview, it should not be read as an unerring document, but as a writing that reflects ways of thinking at the time the text was originally written. As such, there may be factual errors in the Bible. Despite these, the Bible is the highest authority of faith. The Lutheran understanding of the Bible can be summarized in principles: Scripture alone, clarity of Scripture, and interpretation of writings by other writings. The Bible is the source and norm of Christian doctrine. All teachings are examined and evaluated based on the Scriptures. Nothing contrary to the Scriptures or beyond the Scriptures may be taught in the church. According to the second principle, the Christian congregation understands the message of salvation in the Bible as clear and distinct and commits to it. The third principle reminds that the basis for interpreting the Bible lies within the Scriptures themselves. The Bible must be read with primary focus on its core, which is Christ. Fundamentalists also want to defend the Bible and its message. However, they draw conclusions beyond that which the Bible texts give reason for and they build a rational model to defend the principles that the salvation-historical concept understands as given. For example, according to the fundamentalist concept, considering the Bible to be God’s Word is based on the fundamentalist’s doctrine of Word inspiration. According to this, the Bible writers have acted as the Holy Spirit’s scribes in such a way that the writer’s human portion has been switched off. The Bible therefore has divine authority also in questions of history and natural science. Fundamentalists don’t read the Bible centered around its core, but rather consider the Bible to be a collection of divine arguments. In this way, the Bible also becomes a handbook of life and not a textbook of salvation. According to the biblical understanding of salvation history, Jesus condensed God’s law into the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37–40). The commandment embodies above all the second use of the law, which means that no person can be acceptable to God on the basis of loving one’s neighbors. A fundamentalist, meanwhile, considers the commandment to be above all a moral guideline on the basis of the so-called third use of the law. Adhering to the Foundation is Necessary without Fundamentalism The basis of faith is the revelatory truth of the Bible which describes the main doctrines of Christianity. Without the preservation of the truth, the Christian testimony does not remain authentic nor does it carry the gospel with it. Nonetheless, adhering to the foundations does not require fundamentalism. Fundamentalism leads to rationalism and deconstructs paradoxes in a way that is impossible to defend theologically. The discussion on the basics of doctrine is also muddled by liberal theology, which is a strong influence in the Lutheran Church. Liberal theology blurs the line between the salvation-historical biblical concept and fundamentalism by interpreting all doctrinal certainty and permanence as “fundamentalism.” Here it operates on the basis of its own understanding, in which the core of Christianity is thought to be religious experience. In Laestadianism, fundamentalist themes have emerged when discussions have addressed e.g. the authority of the Bible and the third use of the law, i.e. whether the law belongs to Christians. Conservative Laestadianism has adhered to the understanding that the law is not the spiritual teacher of a Christian, but rather that the Christian is taught by God’s grace. Fundamentalist influences have also made it difficult to distinguish between culture and doctrine. Cultural issues may then give rise to doctrines that begin to be demanded as conditions of righteousness. The discussions concerning both the third use of the law and the relationship between faith and culture are related to the understanding of the Bible. The danger of fundamentalism is countered with clear biblicism. In preaching and teaching, the Bible is the highest authority. The Bible is read in the illumination of the Holy Spirit, starting from its center, which is Christ. This principle protects against both doctrinal errors and the extension of biblical norms into the realm of secular authority. In these matters, Christians make choices guided by living faith so that they can live with a good conscience.

Erkki Joensuu | The Voice of Zion June/July 2024 - The Sabbath Word 4 Article -- He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. – Psalm 18:16–19,25–28 David’s life and battles were historical truth. More importantly they have a spiritual meaning, teaching us how he endeavored as a believer throughout the stages of his life. We can also have an inner glimpse into the heart and feelings of David. David praised God in 2 Samuel 22. This victory song to God is included in Psalm 18 as well. God delivered David a victory from the hands of his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. David’s mind was filled with thankfulness and praise. During his life, David had found himself in many great, deep waters: “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God” (Ps. 69:1–3). He was surrounded by the enemy: “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me” (Ps. 18:5,6). David fought against individuals like Goliath, Absalom, Saul and Joab and battled also against several nations like Philistine, Moab, Ammon, Syria, Arameans, Edom and Amalek. He also had his personal battles when his son died, when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, when he arranged the death of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah, when Bathsheba’s child died, when he was raising his children, and when his nation was infected by a deadly plague after the national census. During those dangerous stages of life David felt that God had forsaken him, and sin and doubts were taking over. The road of sin is like “a horrible pit” and “the miry clay” (Ps. 40:2), a lake of quicksand, which will slowly swallow a traveler if there is no one near to help. David was struggling in his faith life and even fell into unbelief. He needed help. Today, a believer can face many kinds of dangerous battles. It can be dangerous to engage in fruitless debates trusting one’s own wisdom and knowledge. Human curiosity, pride, and enthusiasm can pull a person deeper and deeper into the surging waters of religious pondering and debate. The old believers used to caution young ones: “Do not go into deep waters. The water might reach over the shafts of your boots and your steps will get heavy.” For that reason, the Bible also cautions believers of the rich, all-pleasing, and seducing false prophets (Luke 6:24–26; 1 Kings 22:8; Mark 13:12), of fables and jangling, which provoke controversy and debate, and of those misrepresenting the law with intention to oppress the righteous. “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isa. 57:20). The Bible also acknowledges the need to protect the weak faith of God’s children. Scripture instructs to avoid “foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law.” We are also instructed to leave alone those who do not receive the Word of God or admonition after they have been reprimanded a few times (1 Tim. 1:4–9; Titus 3:9–11). How should we then live with heretics, unbelievers or our spiritual enemies? David gives us a good example. Despite all the spiritual battles against King Saul, David was given a respectful and loving heart toward Saul. After Saul’s death David said, “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death, they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!” (2 Sam. 1:22–25; Luke 6:27,28). God gave David miraculous strength and courage during his battles and led him to victory. Often, a child of God feels fear and vulnerability when the enemy surrounds. Do I have strength? How do I proceed past stumbling blocks? Temptations are intense. The waves and surges of this world swirl around. Faced with such, a believer remembers, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). The source for help is the same as it was for David. The heavenly Father calls a sinful person near to Him in His kingdom. God’s Word exhorts believers to cling to “the godly edifying which is in faith.” He offers His hand, He wants to take you to His haven, to His kingdom from deep waters, from the ways of sin and unbelief. He wants to light your candle and enlighten your darkness with the message of forgiveness of sins (Ps. 18:28).

Andrew Hotari | The Voice of Zion June/July 2024 - The Sabbath Word 2 Article -- How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. – Psalm 13 Psalm 13 originates in the depths of severe trial. It is the prayer of a struggling soul that has turned to the heavenly Father for answers. The psalmist feels that he has suffered for a long time and in this perceived absence of God’s help we hear the repeated cry: “How long, O Lord, how long, how long, how long?” This psalm of David has not been linked to any given event in his turbulent life. When we recognize the thoughts contained in this passage, we see how it portrays aspects that can apply more generally to the constant battle of living faith. Many have pointed to that time in David’s life when he fled for his life from King Saul. We remember that Saul hunted David for many, many years. “Saul became David’s enemy continually” (1 Sam. 18:29). This period began in earnest when David’s wife Michal helped him escape through the window of their house into the night after Saul’s servants had been ordered to go and slay him. He left everything behind; his country, his home, his wife, family, and everything that he possessed. Here was a young man in the prime of his life; highly acclaimed; a champion of the Lord God of Israel whom songs were sung about, now living as a nomad in hiding. David lived in constant fear of death, fleeing from place to place, country to country. The wrath and anger of his determined pursuer was fueled by the resources of an entire nation. At times there were thousands of soldiers seeking him amongst the rocks and caves of the wilderness. Even when David would have had opportunity to retaliate and slay his enemy while he slept, he found himself unable to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed. Some historical accounts estimate that this period from David’s first departure until the eventual passing of Saul lasted close to a decade. Surely this kind of fearful, wearisome and lengthy trial could give cause for such a psalm. One can very easily begin to think that God has forgotten him or her. Job, like David, faced shockingly difficult trials. Job also asked of the Lord, “Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?” (Job 13:24). Both David and Job described an enemy that seemingly had free reign over them and caused them to suffer greatly. David feared in this psalm that the enemy would prevail and that he might be permanently cut off from the Lord through death. Isn’t this the greatest fear of a child of God, that we would be separated permanently from God our Father? Eternal death is the greatest tragedy possible for humans, far greater than any temporal suffering or fatality. Sometimes we too can feel that our three-fold enemy is an overwhelming adversary. But God has promised to be strong in the weak. David did the right thing: in time of trouble he turned to the Lord. “Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help” (Ps. 22:11). He continues, “But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him” (Ps. 37:39,40). In a time of heavy suffering, we might confront God with impatience and resentment. He becomes responsible for our conflict. He is not protecting us from misery. He has forsaken us. Dear travel friend, have you ever felt this way in your life? Do you sometimes feel as if your heavenly Father has forgotten you? As if He has left you to fight an impossible battle alone? In our own personal life of faith, we can experience similar thoughts, fears, accusations and questions expressed by the psalmist. We can feel much sorrow, bitterness, helplessness and worry in the midst of tribulation. We often become weary and discouraged. But has He really forgotten us? Does God make mistakes? Or have we simply lost our trust? Isaiah wrote that the Lord “will not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hand” (Isa. 49:16). He has inscribed the image of His chosen ones into His hands. We can read further, “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer” (Isa. 54:8). We remember the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20). Dear child of God, let us always remember that we will never be forsaken or forgotten! When we read from holy Scripture about the lives of the former travelers, does it not bring into focus our own personal endeavor? We find that we are all but faulty sinners who fight the good fight of faith day by day, moment by moment. We are carried by the power of the gospel message. And like David, we need to simply trust in God’s mercy. Have you ever spoken to a journey friend about difficult trials experienced in the past? It’s often a very healthy conversation because it brings to light the wonderful grace and love of God. When one is able to reflect that God has helped in the time of trouble and by His grace alone, we can again say, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12). With joy we join with the writer of our text and “sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”

Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion June/July 2024 - News & Notes Article -- In June, many young people and young adults finish their schooling, at the high school and college levels. We wish all this spring’s graduates God’s blessings at this milestone and in days and years to come. You can proceed with joy into what comes next in your life, praying that God would show the way and bless your steps. Summer months are busy, especially for families with a confirmation student. This year there are eight camps throughout North America. A lot of work has gone into planning and staffing these camps. Thank you to all who will set aside some of your summer to serve at camps. It would not be possible to have these camps without the hundreds of staff who commit to camp work. Camp generates many lasting memories for students and staff alike. It also, through the relating of positive camp experiences, creates a continued expectation for meaningful events. Please take the time to ask for and listen to your children’s camp stories. We will soon gather in Longview to celebrate our annual Summer Services. We ask our heavenly Father to bless our travel and our gathering. We look forward to the LLC Annual Meeting which also happens that weekend. It is an opportunity to meet delegates from all LLC congregations and to hear your thoughts and input on our operations and plans for 2025. Oh! Summer swallows, come and sing and larks beneath the heaven, you nightingales whose voices ring within the care of Zion, now trill with happiness and soar with hearts that long for heaven’s shore, the land of peace eternal. – SHZ 564:6 Update on LLC Activities Summer mission trips to North America will be made by Tapani Kirsilä of Toholampi, Finland, and by ministers traveling with the Language Camp group. We look forward to hosting these guests from Finland in the month of July. The language camp group includes nearly 50 campers traveling with group leaders Jukka and Sirpa Kolmonen of Oulu, Finland, and Pekka and Heidi Tuomikoski of Liminka, Finland. The group will begin their visit at Summer Services and then head to Hasscib Lake Camp in Michigan for a week. After camp, the group will travel through Minnesota, South Dakota and Colorado before ending their trip in Arizona. We wish the whole group God’s blessings as they prepare for their trip to the United States. The application period for opisto scholarship applications for the 2025–26 year ended May 15. We are happy to note that once again there was wide interest in applying for an opisto scholarship. Recipients will be selected later this summer. If you didn’t apply for a scholarship but are interested in a self-pay spot at one of the opistos for the 2025–26 opisto year, please contact Ruth at rdelacey@llchurch.org to get your name on the list. In its April meeting, the LLC Opisto Scholarship Committee approved disbursal of $6000 from the Opisto Fund to benefit 2024–25 opisto scholarship recipients. This amount will be divided evenly among the recipients and paid directly to opistos to be applied toward the amount the students pay in tuition. The Opisto Scholarship Committee, currently consisting of members from Minnesota, also discussed adding members from other mission areas, the northwest and southwest. Plans are being finalized for the 2024 LLC International Choir Camp to be held in Reisjärvi and Espoo, Finland, August 4–13. Matthew and Liisa Keranen will serve at the camp on behalf of LLC. Other staff members include Viena Kontkanen, Sheldon Ylioja and Heikki Penninkangas. There are 57 campers, of which three are from Sweden, seven from Canada, 28 from the United States and 19 from Finland.

Seppo Särkiniemi | The Voice of Zion August 2020 -- Installment 17 of 20, translated from the book Christ Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine.(Ed. Ari-Pekka Palola, SRK, 2018) The word fundamentalism leaves no one cold. Based on the news and current discussion, the first things to come to mind are religious and political extremist organizations, terrorism, narrowmindedness, absolutism and opposition toward anything modern. A closer look reveals that the concept has many different meanings depending on the context. The definition of the concept has also changed over time. Originally, fundamentalism referred to the unchanging, enduring contents of Christian faith and its defense. Nowadays the word speaks above all of the attitude that fundamentalists have toward their religion or ideology, and of the way the fundamentalist defines his or her doctrine and correlates it to the rest of society. Fundamentalism has also become a superficial label some use to silence and quieten supporters of traditional Christian faith who in fact have nothing to do with fundamentalism. In my article, I will review some characteristics of fundamentalism and how it is manifested within Christianity. I will also review what discussion has taken place around fundamentalism and what each Christian should know about it. First, I will briefly describe the history of this concept as part of reformed thinking, and then I will describe its doctrinal significance, which also pertains to Lutherans. Adhering to Foundations Underlying the term fundamentalism is the Latin word fundamentum, foundation. The term then primarily refers to adhering to, valuing and returning to foundations. The early history of the concept was in fact connected to this understanding of and remaining in the foundations of Christianity. The history of fundamentalism is connected to the phases of the Reformed and Evangelical revivalist movements in England and especially in the United States. A reformed spiritual revival led by John Wesley arose in England as early as the late 18th century. Wesley criticized the Anglican Church, which he considered spiritually dead, and taught Christianity focused on spiritual experience which also emphasized practical sanctification. Faith was thought to show in the life of a Christian as clear external signs that distinguished the Christian from the world. Evangelical theology was based on nine principles: biblical inspiration, the Trinity, human corruption, Christ’s position as God’s Son and mediator, justification by faith, conversion and sanctification effected by the Holy Spirit, Christ’s second coming and judgment, the office of the Word and the sacraments of baptism and communion. When the evangelical movement spread to New England in the United States, it gained a strict Calvinist emphasis. Its teachings emphasized the complete corruption of human nature and, as its opposite, the sovereignty of God’s grace as the sole basis of salvation. It also included double predestination, i.e. the notion that God has predestined each human either to salvation or eternal perdition. Its essential aspect was the fact that it joined the Bible and revelation together on the basis of the doctrine of the inspiration of the Word. The Bible began to be viewed as an infallible source in all matters it addressed, even history and natural sciences, for example. A Defensive Reaction against Biblical Criticism and Liberal Theology At the turn of the 20th century, the societal and religious movement called liberalism or modernism created a need to defend the foundations of biblical faith. New research methods in language, history and literary studies were applied in biblical criticism. It was thought that the Bible should be studied with the same methods as any other cultural document. This resulted in research findings that many felt deviated from traditional Christian instruction, thus threatening the foundations of faith. Meanwhile, liberal theology wanted to reshape the basic concepts of Christian faith in a new way so that they could be more easily combined with research findings in the natural sciences. Traditional Christianity includes the notion of revelation, in which God’s will is revealed to people. It involves the idea of doctrine as a describer and interpreter of the content of Christianity. Liberal theology rejected both of these. According to liberal theology, the Bible no longer shared or conveyed a message from God, but rather it should be read as a narrative of human religiosity. The Bible thus lost its normative character. Since the Bible was not considered to contain a divine message, the doctrine based on it was no longer considered an expresser of true faith. Revelation was replaced by human experience, which rose above the Bible to examine and evaluate its teachings. The Bible was not rejected per se, but rather it was interpreted in a new way. All religions were thought to fundamentally express different forms of the same feeling of religiosity, and it was thought that a divine spark dwells in all people. This conclusion was reached when Jesus was stripped of His divinity and also the role of Redeemer. Jesus was simply a “fantastic person,” and the religious movement He created the best so far. Because Christian faith was no longer seen as representing the knowledge of one true God, mission work did not include a demand for conversion, but rather the aim was to achieve fruitful interaction. Values were also a basis on which grounds for cooperation between religions were sometimes sought. The most genuine and valuable nature of Christianity was no longer connected to Christian doctrine but rather to morality. Atonement and the forgiveness of sins was not necessary because following Christ became a movement of morals and leading a good life. The effects of liberal theology are still felt today. In order to oppose liberal theology and biblical criticism and in order to defend the foundations of Christian faith, a way of thinking and a movement called fundamentalism emerged within Reformed Christianity. From the perspective of traditional Christianity, the actions and teachings of fundamentalism were to a large extent valid and justified. Fundamentalists emphasized the significance of doctrine and the doctrinal practice of using the Bible to explain faith’s most fundamental ways of thinking. Fundamentalists correctly identified the dangers that liberal theology and doctrine based on new biblical research posed to traditional Christianity. They used their own fundamentals, or doctrine, to defend the inspiration of the Bible, Jesus’ divinity, the virgin birth, miracles, the existence of sin, the atonement death, new birth and Jesus’ second coming. However, fundamentalists gradually drifted to the sidelines, first societally and then also theologically. When fundamentalists tried to block the teaching of the theory of evolution in American schools in the 1920s, unrest and controversy ensued. These alarmed a large number of supporters of reformed churches and they distanced themselves from fundamentalism. In the 1950s, a significant portion of American evangelicalism broke away from fundamentalism. Meanwhile, however, fundamentalist ideology spread even more clearly to also pertain to Lutheran churches. Next I will briefly examine fundamentalism as a theological question to the extent that it has influenced Lutheran churches. Differences between Fundamentalist and Salvation-Historical Doctrines Historical-critical biblical research has also forced the Lutheran Church to discuss the concept of the Bible. The debate continues to be heated and it centers on how Lutheran Christianity’s core message and content are explained. Classical Christianity’s concept of the Bible is commonly referred to as a salvation-historical biblical concept. According to this concept, the Bible has both a human and divine aspect. The Bible is written by people, and its texts must be read in the context of the time period in which they were written. The Bible contains a wealth of descriptions of historical events, explanations – based on the writers’ worldview – of how the world and nature function and, most importantly, the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. The existence and consistent manifestation of this message of salvation throughout the Bible connects to the book’s divine nature: its writers did their work as guided by the Holy Spirit. However, there existed a far greater number of texts like those in the Bible than the texts that were selected for inclusion in the Bible. The editing and selection of these texts took place amidst the Christian congregation through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the salvation message of the Bible reveals God’s revelation. The Bible is the highest authority of faith. The revelation of the Bible is connected to its message of salvation. When the Bible deals with events of history and with questions related to a worldview or e.g. the field of biology, it should not be read as an unerring, divine document, but as a writing that reflects mindsets at the time the text was originally written. As such, there may be factual errors in the Bible. The Lutheran concept of the Bible can be summarized in three expressions handed down from the time of the Reformation: by Scripture alone (sola scriptura), the clarity of Scripture (claritas scripturae) and Scripture interpreted by Scripture (scriptura sui ipsius interpres). The first principle refers to the Bible’s position as the source and norm of Christian doctrine. All teachings and teachers are examined and evaluated on the basis of Scripture. The church cannot teach anything contrary to or beyond the Scriptures. According to the claritas principle, the Christian church has always understood the Bible’s salvation message clearly and unambiguously and remains committed to it. The third principle reminds us that the basis of biblical interpretation is found in the Scriptures themselves. The Bible must be read in terms of its essence, Christ. Through this reading approach, the Bible remains internally intact and serves the reader with a clear message. Fundamentalists also want to defend the Bible and its message. However, they draw conclusions beyond that which the Bible texts give reason for and they build a rational model to defend the principles that the salvation-historical concept understands as given. For example, according to the fundamentalist concept, considering the Bible to be God’s Word is based on the doctrine of Word inspiration. According to this doctrine, the Bible writers have acted as the Holy Spirit’s scribes in such a way that the writer’s human portion has been “disenabled.” The Bible therefore has divine authority also in questions of history and natural science. Fundamentalists don’t read the Bible centered around its core, but rather consider the Bible to be the source of divine arguments that establish and create Christian morality. In this way, the Bible also becomes a handbook of political life. Of course the salvation-historical concept of the Bible also maintains that the Bible has a connection to morality. Here, however, moral is thought to belong within the realm of general revelation. This means that in creation, God has placed His law into the hearts of all people, and therefore all people regardless of religion have a similar sense of morals. It is altogether a different matter whether people listen to those morals and whether they honor its principles. Morality is Christian in that it is based on natural law instated by God. Nonetheless the Bible has not been written as a textbook of morals, but rather to enlighten Christ. Meanwhile each Christian wants to honor the moral law ordained by God such that he or she can live keeping a good conscience. According to the biblical understanding of salvation history, Jesus condensed the natural law into the Great Commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37–40). The commandment embodies above all the second use of the law, which means that no person can be acceptable to God on the basis of loving one’s neighbors. A fundamentalist, meanwhile, considers the commandment to be a moral guideline on the basis of the so-called third use of the law. It is difficult for fundamentalists to understand the doctrine of two regiments, i.e. kingdoms or governments. According to the doctrine of regiments, God cares for His creation with “His left and His right hand.” The earthly regiment or kingdom is based on the God-given gift of reason. Good temporal life is maintained with the help of obligations imposed by authorities and, ultimately, by force. As members of the earthly kingdom, humans also study God’s creation. The means and methods of research are determined by human understanding and judgment. It is difficult for a fundamentalist to accept that research and revelatory truth form two different worlds. For example, in matters of the age and phases of the earth, a representative of the biblical understanding of salvation history trusts that if the result of the study is incorrect, the scientific community will correct itself in due time. The fundamentalist bears a heavy burden of proof because he or she thinks that science must also arrive at the same position as the writers of the Bible in questions related to their worldview. Adhering to the Foundation Is Necessary Without Fundamentalism The basis of faith is the revelatory truth of the Bible which describes the main doctrines of Christianity correctly and truthfully. Without the survival and preservation of the truth, the Christian testimony does not remain authentic nor does it carry the gospel with it. Nonetheless, adhering to the foundations does not require fundamentalism. Fundamentalism leads to rationalism and deconstructs paradoxes in a way that is impossible to defend theologically. The discussion on the basics of doctrine is also muddled by liberal theology, which continues to be a strong influence in the Lutheran Church. Liberal theology blurs the line between the salvation-historical biblical concept and fundamentalism by interpreting all doctrinal certainty and permanence as “fundamentalism.” Here it operates consistently on the basis of its own understanding by which religious experience is thought to be at the core of Christianity. When an experience is genuine to the one who experienced it, there is no criteria external to the experience by which one could evaluate the truthfulness of the experience and its adherence to classical Christianity. Based on its own viewpoints, liberal theology builds its own model of Christianity that, like fundamentalism does but from a different approach, breaks the foundation of classical Christianity. In Laestadianism, fundamentalist themes have emerged when discussions have addressed e.g. the authority of the Bible and the third use of the law, i.e. whether the law belongs to Christians. The Lutheran confession distinguishes between the law of the Ten Commandments (natural law) and the Old Testament cult law, the law of holiness and purification regulations related to worship. Natural law is still in effect and still applies to all of us, but the cult law and rules are no longer in effect in the new covenant and therefore do not apply to Christians. This distinction has not always been noticed when according to the Creed the role of the Bible as highest authority in faith and life has been emphasized. These issues have also caused schisms in the history of Lutheranism. Conservative Laestadianism has adhered to the understanding that the law is not the spiritual teacher of a Christian, but rather that the Christian is taught by God’s grace. Fundamentalist influences have also been visible in the difficulty of distinguishing between culture and doctrine. Cultural issues may then give rise to doctrines that slowly begin to be demanded as prerequisitesfor salvation. Both the discussion on the third use of the law and the discussion on the relationship between faith and culture are connected to the question of the Bible. The danger of fundamentalism has been recognized among Conservative Laestadians and there is a desire to battle against that with clear biblicism. In proclamation and teaching, the Bible remains the highest authority. The Bible is read as illuminated by the Holy Spirit centered on Christ. This principle protects against both doctrinal errors as well as the extension of biblical norms to the realm of the secular regiment, to which political and cultural issues inherently belong. In these matters, the Christian makes choices guided by living faith so that he or she can live with a good conscience. Bibliography Martikainen Eeva Oppi – metafysiikkaa vai teologiaa? Lutherin käsitys opista. Suomalaisen teologisen kirjallisuusseuran julkaisuja 156. 1987. McGrath Alister Kristillisen uskon perusteet. Kirjapaja 1999. Pokki Timo Evankelikalismi ja uskon tuntomerkit (teologia.fi/component/content/article?id=571) Pöhlmann Horst Georg Dogmatiikan pääkohdat. Kirjaneliö 1974. Ruthven Malise Fundamentalismi. Into 2013. Vainio Olli-Pekka Postmoderni filosofia, kulttuuri ja kristillinen teologia. Suomalaisen Teologisen Kirjallisuusseuran julkaisuja 276. 2013 Väisänen Matti Fundamentalismin raamattukäsitys (luterilainen.net).

Derek Mattila | The Voice of Zion May 2024 - What Does the Bible Say? Article -- Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. – Matthew 5:6 The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin word beatus, which means “blessed,” and one who knows blessing feels divine joy and happiness. In each Beatitude, Jesus describes the heart of a child of God and provides a promise with it. What are the two parts of a Beatitude statement? For this fourth beatitude, Jesus mentions familiar physical yearnings, common to all people. Hunger and thirst are temporal, bodily urges that we all have experienced and understand. We know that whenever we have gone without sustenance – food or water – for an extended period, our minds are consumed with filling the need. We will do anything in our power to end this longing. This metaphor adds power to Jesus’ statement. God has blessed us in recent times with the possibility to listen to online services, sermon archives and songs and hymns of Zion from our personal devices. This is a great blessing of our time, because we know that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). How are you affected when you cannot regularly attend services? I recall a time when as a young man, circumstances were such that my companions and I were not able to hear the Word of God for a while. Then, when we finally returned to our vehicle, we put in a tape of congregational singing. Our hearts were overjoyed to hear God’s Word even in poetic form, and we sat in silence listening to the sermons in song. Hearts had hungered for God’s Word. Another time there was a different set of circumstances that prevented me for long periods of time from attending the gatherings of God’s children. My heart began to grow cold. I complained to my wife that I was not happy with the congregation we were part of, and I made excuses to not attend church, even when I had the opportunity: too busy, tired, things to do and so forth. Only God can open the eyes of one in such a condition, and He opened mine. The hunger to hear His Word and be in the assembly of God’s congregation returned. Why does Jesus use an example of bodily needs? God’s Word provides the daily manna for which our souls hunger. We need this manna every day; it is not something we can gather enough of to spread out over the weeks, months, or years. Matthew writes in chapter 6, verse 33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This seeking is not a one-time matter. A child of God always wants to hear with believing ears what the Holy Spirit teaches. We humble ourselves before our heavenly Father and the mother congregation and accept what they teach. Through faith, we own the righteousness of Christ; it is not our own to bring with us outside of God’s kingdom. What does “being filled” mean? When Jesus refers to being “filled,” He is referring to everlasting life. Jesus speaks in John 4:14 of the water of life. “But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” We can think of a well. Getting water from a well requires work. We must lower the bucket, fill it, and pull the bucket back up. But this water of life is not available through works; it is given as a gift by faith in the merit works of our Lord Jesus Christ. It flows as a fountain in each believer, as the forgiveness of sins preached freely one to another. When we endeavor in righteousness of faith, carrying a clean conscience, our faith will one day carry us to heaven, where we will never hunger nor thirst. Discussion Questions • What is righteousness? • Why might we hunger after it? • How will Jesus fill those who hunger or thirst in the right way? • How does righteousness, which is not any of our doing, nonetheless show in our lives?

Kimmo Puolitaival, Sam Roiko | The Voice of Zion May 2024 - Article -- The biennial meeting of sister organizations LLC, SFC and SRK took place April 4–10, 2024, in Monticello, Minnesota. The purpose of these recurring meetings is to update the cooperative work document related to mission work, child and youth work, confirmation school work and publications. The first days of the meeting focused on timely topics of each sister organization. One discussion topic was the pressures for change experienced in the Finland’s national church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Additional topics that were discussed were the Christian and government and timely topics related to alternative spirituality and faith. Over the weekend, meeting representatives attended the LLC Ministers Camp at Stony Lake Camp. God blessed the camp. God’s word and the gospel refreshed the participants. Participants experienced palpable brotherly and mutual love. In many speeches, it was noted that we believe the same, no matter if we are from North America, Sweden, or Finland. The third portion of the meetings discussed issues related to expanding foreign mission work. The sister organizations have cooperated closely in foreign mission fields since 2000. God has allowed a time of visitation among many nations. Currently, mutual mission work is carried out in twelve foreign countries. The number of service guests that attend weekly is estimated at over 7,000. In addition, service requests have come from several new countries. We noted that in addition to the staff employed by the central organizations, there is a greater need to use volunteers to share the responsibility of planning and implementing the work. It is especially important to support the activities in foreign mission countries so that they too could participate in the work to a greater extent on the local level. The cooperative work meeting representatives agreed to establish a working group to prepare a proposal for an organizational model, division of responsibilities and timetable for progress which would be presented to the board of directors of each sister organization. The new website kingdomofpeace.net also received much interest. The purpose and goal of the website is to direct people who are seeking to find the fellowship of God’s children. God alone knows what the future of mission work is. Our duty is to sow the word. God gives the increase. The introduction presented by LLC representatives about Christian education, especially Sunday school, was also felt to be very important. Sunday school has a significant role in Christian education in North America, and the extensive efforts of local congregations in this work has a tradition going back decades. The final topic for discussion addressed publications activities. Publications have an important function in the work of all the sister organizations. During the discussion, it was noted that technological developments bring both challenges and opportunities. The share of digital communication is increasing. Mutual work of the sister organizations in publications has been deep and extensive, and it is hoped that this cooperation would continue. These face-to-face meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the mutual work and underscored how we can continue to do this work together. God knows what tomorrow brings, and it is secure to trust that His will will be done. It was comforting to conclude our gathering with this perspective.