Bible passages that describe the love of God or the grace of God are
the most comforting statements one could hope to find in the Word of
God. Consider as an example: "We have known and believed the love that
God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God,
and God in him" (1 Jn. 4:6).
An Amazing Contrast
Here the Bible plainly says that God is love. Unfortunately, people of
our day will take this passage and use it to support ideas that are
not true. They say that because God is love He would never condemn
anyone or send anyone to hell.
We have to realize that God has another "side." God is also holy. We
cannot think of the Lord Almighty as a big "softy" in heaven who looks
the other way when people sin. The holy God has a real sense of
justice. When people sin against Him, the sin has to be punished.
That's exactly what God declares in certain parts of His Word. He not
only tells us how to think, speak, and act. He passes judgment when we
fall short of His perfect standards. And that judgment means
punishment.
The holy God is talking when the Bible says: "The soul that sins, it
shall die" (Ezek. 18:20). "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in
all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal.
3:10). In these passages of Law, the holy side of God makes it clear
that He cannot arbitrarily choose to "write off" the debt of our sin.
He must condemn it and carry out the full punishment that His justice
requires.
Scripture gives us opportunity to examine the amazing contrast between
the holy nature and the loving nature of our God. The God of love
shows His face in the Gospel. We hear in the psalms that God "forgives
all our iniquities" and "heals all our diseases" (Ps. 103:3). It seems
as if we have a contradiction. On the one hand the holy God cannot
forgive sin. On the other hand the loving God does exactly that: He
forgives the sins of all people.
Look To The Cross!
Here's where the cross of Christ comes into play, providing the common
ground where the expectations of God's holiness and God's grace are
met with harmonious satisfaction. On the cross of Jesus the holy God
had opportunity to punish all the sins of all the sinners who will
ever live in this world. Yet in that same event of the Savior's
crucifixion, the loving God was able to make the atonement necessary
to forgive all our sins and expunge them from the record.
Don't miss the big point. It was the God of undeserved love who put
Jesus on the cross instead of you. At the same time it was the God of
holy justice who punished Christ for what you did.
When you look at the cross of Calvary, two facts become evident. The
cross shows you had bad your sin is. Your sin offends God. Your sin
was so bad that Christ had to die because of it! But the cross also
shows you the reason why God forgives you. He did not choose to
overlook your guilt. He judged and punished your sin to the fullest
degree.
On the basis of that punishment, He now renders a new judgment. His
"Supreme Court" ruling is the verdict that you are not guilty of any
transgression. Like the man acquitted in the courtroom, you are free
from the guilt and penalty of sin.
Forgiveness of sin means that the punishment is out of the way, no
longer an issue. Forgiveness of sin means eternal life instead of
eternal death. We can thank the God of love who found a way to punish
our sin without punishing us.
We can also thank Jesus Christ as the One who was so willing to pay
the awesome price.
--Pastor Steven Sippert
One of these days a new computer icon will replace the Help resource;
with a flutter of cyber wings this electronic genie will encourage the
keyboard novice to at least give Angel a try. Television moguls have
already exploited angels for entertainment, and script writers have
created brash/coy, flamboyant/humble, or wise/confused angel
personalities, as the story-line directs. We regret that God's holy
angels have been prostituted to bolster network ratings, leaving only
Bible readers with the authentic (God's own) version of "guardian
angels."
Let's put aside the glitz for a few moments with the truth. First of
all, angels were not created for human entertainment. They are charged
with a serious calling: to Help in preserving God's children amid the
dangers of earthly life, as Psalm 91 reminds us: "For He shall give
His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." We recall
that our Savior's resolve to maintain His course of self-sacrifice was
strengthened by this assurance. Since all His ways were dedicated in
humble self-denial to procure the salvation of sinners, He could draw
upon the support of the holy angels. His heavenly helpers were ready
and willing, as the account in Matthew 4 asserts: " . . . and behold,
angels came and ministered unto Him."
The guardian angels, humble servants as they are, often come and go
unnoticed. That's the way it was when Elisha received heavenly
protection against the king of Syria (2 Kgs. 6:16-17), at least until
the servant needed his fears allayed by seeing them with his own eyes.
The angel that shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel's protection
(Dan. 6:22) seems to have come and gone rather privately. In Herod's
jail, Peter's guardian angel carried out his work so well that the
guards never awakened, and even Peter thought he was dreaming a
vision. When cousin Lot and family had been hand-delivered from the
fallout at Sodom and Gomorrah, the conscientious angels promptly
disappeared (Gen. 19). In other words, angels don't hang around for
acclaim, for they desire only to serve God and God's children. Their
attention is so keenly attuned to their great privilege of service
that Jesus pictures the angels being constantly on red alert, awaiting
the nod from our Father to intervene in our next moment of crisis (Mt.
18:10).
Your guardian angel has carried out such missions in your life, and so
has mine. An elderly gentleman has been known to relate one such
experience he had as a teenager. It seems that he and his younger
brother had missed the morning school bus, so Dad let them use the
family Plymouth to get to the local Lutheran high school. It was still
dark on that rainy November morning when the angel got his assignment
to intervene at the junction of the town road with the county trunk
that would take them south into the city.
Our young driver came to a full stop at the intersection, looked left
and right, saw no headlights, shifted into first to cross the
north-bound lane, intending then to hang a left to go south. At that
moment the steering wheel was so forcibly torn from the driver's grip
and the car was directed into such a very sharp left turn that they
didn't get as far as the south-bound lane at all, but had been turned
into the wrong lane (OH! NO!). Our young man, struggling with all his
strength, was utterly unable to get that perverse steering wheel to
straighten out . . . until - - WHOOSSHH - - a car traveling above the
speed limit with no headlights and no horn of warning sizzled through
the intersection on the south-bound lane and disappeared in the spray.
"Did you see that guy coming?" "Nope." "Neither did I." What had
prevented a horrendous collision right in the middle of that
intersection? What saved the two boys plus whoever was in that
speeding car? Just an angel taking control of the steering wheel for
one or two seconds to leave a little passing space on the highway.
They drove the rest of the way to school in awed silence, each
realizing that the near miss had been no accident at all.
They had learned first-hand something very wonderful about guardian
angels. I know. I was there.
--Paul R. Koch
In this interesting Old Testament account from the book of Numbers we
are introduced to Balaam and his donkey. Balaam is a false prophet.
His donkey is just a donkey. Unlikely spokesman of God? Perhaps, but
both were used by God to get His message out.
After refusing to heed the faithful advice of Joshua and Caleb to
enter the land "flowing with milk and honey," the children of Israel
wandered in the wilderness for 38 years. Despite their frequent
complaints and rebellions, God protected His covenant people from
their enemies. He provided a means of protection from the deadly
"fiery serpents." He also gave them victories over the heathen
Canaanites and their king Arad, the Amorites under king Sihon, and the
people of Bashan and their king Og. God did not want His people to
fight against Moab and Ammon, the descendants of Lot (Judg. 11:17-18).
Yet Moab was afraid of Israel. Balak, the Moabite king, saw the
destructive power of the Israelite forces and was filled with dread.
This fear led him to desperately seek the services of Balaam, a
prophet of Mesopotamia.
God's Purposes
Balaam was an opportunist. Apparently he was renowned for his ability
to communicate with "the gods" and pronounce blessings and curses on
people. So when Balak's messengers approached him about cursing the
Israelites he was, no doubt, hoping for some generous compensation.
Balaam's plans, however, did not coincide with God's plans. God used
this false prophet to accomplish His purposes. God spoke to Balaam and
told him not to go with the messengers. He said: "You must not put a
curse on those people, because they are blessed."
Balak then sent more distinguished messengers to Balaam and promised
him a handsome reward for his services. Balaam told them that he could
only speak what God would tell him to speak. This time God gave him
permission to return with the messengers but warned him to speak only
the words He would give him.
God wanted to make sure Balaam got the message. The following day
while traveling to Moab, Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord on
the road and refused to pass through Him. The first time the donkey
veered off the road. The second time Balaam's foot was crushed against
a stone wall as the donkey pressed close to it. The third time the
donkey sat down and refused to go any further. After each incident
Balaam beat the donkey in anger. Finally the donkey spoke and asked
Balaam why he was being beaten. Balaam answered that the donkey had
made a fool of him and he would have killed him if only he had a
sword. Then Balaam's eyes were opened and he saw the angel of the Lord
with His sword drawn. The talking donkey had saved his life! Balaam
got the message. For when Balak came to greet him as they reached
Moab, Balaam clearly pointed out that he could only speak God's words.
While in Moab, Balaam received several more messages from God which he
then passed on to Balak. Instead of cursing the Israelites, Balaam
brought further blessings to them. Included in the blessings was a
promise of the coming Savior: "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him,
but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; A scepter will rise out
of Israel" (Num. 24:17). Balaam also prophesied the utter destruction
of Israel's enemies. Finally, Balak pleaded with Balaam to go back
home and speak no more. Before turning home Balaam did give Balak some
advice which could cause harm to the Israelites. He encouraged the
Moabites to seduce the Israelites away from their God through adultery
and idolatry. This advice was taken and used somewhat effectively.
Lessons For Us
So what does a story about a talking donkey and a false prophet have
to do with us? It clearly demonstrates the great love our God has for
His people. The Israelites, sinful as they were, deserved no blessings
from their God. They received them anyway. We do likewise. It also
warns of the destruction that will come to the enemies of God. The
worldly might of the enemies of God's people would prove ineffective
in preventing the Israelites from settling in the Promised Land.
It also demonstrates how God can use a variety of people, not only
Christians, in carrying out His will. Balaam, a false prophet, was
used to speak the words of God. We can also clearly see the ability of
our God to look into our hearts. In contrast to Jonah, another
spokesman used by God, who clearly disobeyed the orders of God, Balaam
appears to outwardly follow God's instructions. We know, however, that
God was not pleased with Balaam's attitude. Don't we "obey" in a
similar way at times? Don't we sometimes outwardly go through the
proper motions, but our hearts are in rebellion? May God help us to do
the right things for the right reasons.
We can also learn from the donkey. Perhaps we have had donkeys in our
lives--people God has used to alert us to the reckless path in which
we are heading. Oftentimes we don't appreciate the guidance of those
who see our paths more clearly than we do. We may "beat" them for
their attempts to thwart our plans. It is only when our eyes see
clearly once again that we realize how God uses others to direct our
lives. May our covenant God continue to bless us, His people, on our
paths homeward.
Oh, guide and lead me, Lord,
While here below I wander
That I may follow Thee
Till I shall see Thee yonder.
For if I led myself,
I soon would go astray;
But if Thou leadest me,
I keep the narrow way.
(TLH 417:6)
--Prof. Joseph Lau
"Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the
congregation of the saints." -- Psalm 149:1
There is no question about it, Martin Luther is the father of all
evangelical hymnody. God gave this man a special gift and love for
music and through him the lost art of congregational singing was
restored and the Christian hymn was given a special place in public
worship.
For almost 900 years what music there was in the worship services of
Christianity was generally reserved for professional choirs. There
were no hymn books. The worship service was primarily a spectator
experience with little or no individual involvement. As one man puts
it, "They were doomed to passive silence." (The Story of Christian
Hymnody, E.E. Ryden, p. 58).
The Council of Constance (1414-01418) decreed: "If laymen are
forbidden to preach . . . much more are they forbidden to sing
publicly in the churches." (Same ref. p. 58)
Then came the Reformation. The people heard the wondrous Gospel of
forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus Christ alone. They
recognized themselves as a congregation of saints cleansed in the
blood of Christ. Their hearts overflowed with joy and they wanted to
cry out in praise. They wanted to sing to the Lord a new song. And
Luther gave them songs to sing.
>From his childhood Luther was passionately fond of music. You
remember the stories of young Luther singing at the windows of wealthy
citizens for his livelihood. It was his singing that attracted the
attention of Ursula Cotta, that gracious woman who gave him a home
during some of his school years.
Luther was very vocal about his appreciation of music: "I give music
the highest and most honorable place." "For music is a gift and grace
of God, not an invention of men." (Same ref. p. 58)
He realized that spiritual song could be enlisted as a powerful ally
in spreading the wondrous blessings of God's love in Christ as well as
inspiring the people of God to stand firm in the Word. 36 hymns have
been attributed to him.
Probably the best known of all is what came to be called the "Battle
Hymn of the Reformation": A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. In the heat of
the battle for the truth Luther found refuge in the words of Psalm 46:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." A
fortress was a place of refuge and safety built high on a mountain top
where all could see and where all could find safety and peace in the
midst of trouble--A Mighty Fortress is our God, a trusty Shield and
Weapon!
Satan was in the very midst of the visible church threatening to
destroy the salvation of Christ. Yet, Luther taught the people to sing
with confidence:
Tho' devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They shall not overpow'r us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
Luther looked upon the Papacy and Islam (which Luther called the Turk)
as the two greatest enemies of the Christian faith. In 1541 when the
Turks had overrun all of Hungary and parts of Austria and were
knocking at the gates of Vienna, all of Germany trembled with fear.
Special days were set aside in the church for prayer and intercession.
German parents, remembering the scriptural promise that out of the
mouths of babes and sucklings the Lord ordains strength, brought their
children to the services that they might add their "amens" to the
prayers.
It was for one of these services in the Wittenberg church that Luther
wrote the hymn "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Thy Word." It was arranged
for the boys' choir and carried the title "A Hymn for the children to
sing against the two arch-enemies of Christ and His holy Church, the
Pope and the Turks."
The original first verse was much more pointed and went like this:
Lord, keep us in Thy Word and work,
Restrain the murderous Pope and Turk,
Who fain would tear from off Thy throne
Christ Jesus, Thy beloved Son.
But yet this man, who sounded the trumpet and fought the battle of the
Lord valiantly with the sword of the Spirit, could sit with his
children and tell them the story of God's love and teach them to sing
the words of the angel:
To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
This little Child of lowly birth
Shall be the Joy of all the earth.
And then he taught them to pray:
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
Thank you, Lord, for this gentle and courageous spirit--this very
special gift to your Church.
"Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His
salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His
wonders among all peoples" (Ps. 96:1-3).--Pastor L.D. RedlinNOTE: This material was originally prepared for a tract at the request
of the Pacific Coast Pastoral Conference, October 1997. Part One
appeared last month.
"THE MILLENNIUM"
--Let's Enjoy It Now!
(Part 2)
What would this divinely controlled period (of the "millennium") be?
What would be its beginning? Its end?
Think Now!
Recently a Bible student was heard to exclaim with delight, "Why, we
are in Revelation 20 right now!" With such understanding this
Scripture becomes a much needed assurance of what is in place now
rather than a dream of a wonderful time in the future, some time
before the end of the present age.
Does it work? Do the things spoken of here fit into the present?
Consider:
1) Satan bound and kept from deceiving the nations. It is done! In
chapter 12 we hear the voice from heaven say: "Nowhave come the
salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority
of his Christ.For the accuser of our brothers . . . has been hurled
down.They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony. Now, in these last days, Satan is already defeated, bound and
controlled. Like a dog on a long leash. He cannot deceive the Gentile
world where the word of their testimony sheds its light of gospel
truth. When speaking of his death, Jesus declared: "Now is the time
for judgment on this world; now the prince of the world will be driven
out" (Jn. 12:31).
Praise God, the victory is now!
2) "They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev.
20:4b).
When do these saints, who loved not their lives unto death, "come to
life"? The Apostle Paul assures all believers that "God made us alive
with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions" (Eph. 2:5).
Praise God, we do not need to wait for that "first resurrection."
And this "reigning with Christ." Is this not already a reality, though
the glory of it is hidden until the day of Christ's revealing? In
Ephesians 2 we also read: "God raised us up with Christ and seated us
with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (2:6). The Apostle
Peter is bold to term all believers in Christ "a royal priesthood" (1
Pet. 2:9).
The gospel assures us that Christ rules over all things now ("All
authority in heaven and earth has been given to me . . . I am with you
always, to the end of the age" (Mt. 28:19-20).
Praise God, we are living and reigning with Christ now!
3) At the end of our "millennium," "Satan will be released from his
prison" to mount a final assault against "the camp of God's people,
the city he loves" (20:9). The outcome of this Armageddon is quick and
sure: "But fire came down from heaven and devoured them." The devil
and his cohorts are "thrown into the lake of burning sulphur" (v. 10).
Then the climax, the glory of the Lord's judgment. The opening of The
Book of Life. The Lord's people are finally safely separated from the
lost and condemned (v. 15, as in Matthew 25:31-46).
Note that this follows the "millennium" as the blessed and glorious
conclusion. It is the giving of the crown to those who, by the grace
of God, have stood firm until the end (Mt. 24:13).
Praise God that such glory awaits us after the serving years of the
"millennium." Meanwhile our risen, reigning Lord is even now giving
all we need for the living of these days!
Now!
Oh that we might catch and keep the spirit of Psalm 118 as it looked
forward to the time when Jesus would inaugurate the "millennium" with
His first coming at Bethlehem!
With shouts of joy and victory resounding, the believers confess:
"THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!"
(Ps. 118:24)
Truly, the "Millennium" is NOW. Do let us enjoy the peace and promise
it affords us now!--Pastor Rollin A. Reim
Once a young pastor, discouraged by the burdens of the ministry, asked
an older, more experienced fellow-pastor if he ever felt like
quitting. Leland Grams replied, "No, except for every day!" There was
a twinkle in his eye as he said it, but he also remarked with all
seriousness, "What else is there?"
To preach the gospel of his Lord and Savior was the one thing Leland
Grams most wanted to do with his life. The work of the ministry was
not something he either took up lightly or laid aside easily. Because
his father died when Leland was a young teen he was very much aware of
the sacrifices his mother made so that he could attend prep school,
college, and seminary.
But the sacrifice that moved him most was the one his Savior made. So
when the Lord made it plain some forty-one years after his ordination
that it was time for Leland to step down from the parish ministry, he
did not step down from the pulpit. He continued to serve as a Mission
Festival speaker and vacancy pastor, nine times, throughout the CLC.
The second of a family of seven siblings, Leland Lewis Grams was born
November 23, 1919 to Lewis and Anna Grams at Mackford Prairie, near
Markesan, Wisconsin. Received into the Kingdom of God through Holy
Baptism, Leland spent his childhood years on the farm in Green Lake
County. He received his elementary education in the Lone Cedar country
schoolhouse and was instructed in his baptismal faith by the Rev.
George Kobs at St. John's Lutheran Church in Markesan. Leland was
confirmed in 1934 and headed off to Watertown for seven years at
Northwestern Prep school and College. Upon college graduation he
entered Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary at Thensville to prepare for the
public ministry.
In a busy June 1944 Leland graduated from the seminary, married Myrtle
Mathweg of Markesan, and with his new bride traveled across the
country to begin his pastoral labors at Trinity Lutheran Church in
Omak, Wash. He served there on a temporary basis and then went on to
Faith Lutheran Church of Tacoma ('45-48) and St. James Lutheran Church
in Spokane. In the spring of 1953 Pastor Grams accepted the divine
call that brought him and his family to South Dakota, where he served
First Lutheran of Faulkton and Zion of Ipswich until his retirement
from the fulltime ministry in 1985.
In the late 50's, in faithfulness to the Word of his Lord, Leland
Grams left the fellowship in which he had grown up and served so long
and became, along with the congegations he pastored, a charter member
of the Church of the Lutheran Confession. Since the Lord blessed the
union of Leland and Myrtle with nine children, this move made for some
financial hardship. But there were no complaints, as the pastor
supplemented his income with woodworking, agricultural endeavors, and
an antique business.
While Leland served the CLC as Conference Visitor and as a member of
the Board of Missions he is most remembered in the West Central
Conference for the down-to-earth advice and encouragement he would
give younger pastors at conferences and study clubs.
We thank our gracious God for the strength of faith and purpose and
especially for the Gospel Word by which He enabled our brother to be
His tool for blessing for so many years.
The Lord graciously and suddenly called Leland to His side on December
15, 1997 at the age of 78. A memorial service was held at Zion
Lutheran Church in Ipswich on December 19, where Pastor David
Fuerstenau brought comfort and encouragement from 2 Timothy 4:6-8. A
committal service will be held at Mackford Prairie in June.
Among those finding strength in remembering the divine promises of
which Pastor Grams so often spoke are his wife, Myrtle; his children,
Kathleen and Pastor Walter Schaller, Michael, Steven and Kathy, Eileen
and Pastor Paul Tiefel, Evangeline Olson, Joel and Cheryl, Nancy,
Debra, John and Liza--along with 35 grandchildren and 12
great-grandchildren.
Myrtle has asked that the Lutheran Spokesman express her thanks to the
overwhelming number of people who have remembered her with words of
encouragement at this time.
(Submitted by Pastor Walter Schaller)(The following article is by Cara MacDonald, writer for The Morning
Star newspaper of Vernon, British Columbia. It first appeared June 29,
1997. Used by permission. The picture is a recent family photo.)
Building a New Church
David Reim is the first pastor of the new St. Paul Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Vernon.
Reim arrived May 1 from Marquette, Michigan to take on his duties with
the congregation which meets in Halina Centre.
"The church grew out of a group of people who had serious concerns
about growing liberalism among Lutheran churches and who wanted to
remain faithful to God's word and have God's word taught in its
truth," he said.
The new church has been having meetings for about a year with pastors
from Seattle and Spokane. It is associated with the Church of the
Lutheran Confession (CLC) which is based in the United States.
The Vernon church was granted mission status last year which means
that the CLC will help the new church to get established. Members hope
to purchase a building or build a new one within a couple of years.
Reim, whose father was a pastor, attended seminary and went on to
serve in churches in Colorado from 1984 to 1989 and in Marquette from
1989 to 1997. He and his wife, Julie, have four children.
"The move to Canada has been very interesting," he said. "I had been
to Canada before and it is pretty much what I expected. This is a
beautiful area and we have found the people to be very friendly."
St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church offers services in German at 9
a.m. and in English at 10 a.m. Summer children's programs are planned
and Sunday school and women's and youth groups will start in the fall.
"I think there are two reasons why people like to hear a service in
their own language," said Reim. "They feel more comfortable in their
mother tongue and they want to hold on to their German heritage for
their children.
"Our primary concern and desire in all our service is to be faithful
to God's word. There is a tendency to change to suit the circumstances
but God doesn't change and his word doesn't change. I think a lot of
people are seeking a lot of things in life but after a time they find
that it is still rather empty and what they are missing is a spiritual
relationship with God."
Everyone is welcome to come to St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church
services whether they were raised in the Lutheran tradition or not.
For more information call Reim at 250-549-5250.
LOCATION PASTOR IN CHARGE LAY
PERSON TO CONTACT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona, Gold Canyon Warren Fanning Gerald Gehling
602-983-8518 602-983-9052
California, Stockton Michael Sprengeler
510-886-3252
Colorado, Colorado Springs Delwyn Maas Chuck Seelye
303-278-7216 or 719-685-5848
800-777-4316
(statewide,Peter Reim)
Colorado, Southeast Denver Delwyn Maas Edwin Trapp
303-278-7216 or 303-805-0300
800-777-4316
(statewide,Peter Reim)
Florida, North Port John Lau (Vacancy) Bob Peters
941-474-4385
Florida, Orlando John Schierenbeck Paul Kuehne
941-299-4084 407-277-2183
Florida, Coral Springs John Lau (Vacancy) Bob Doriot
(North Ft. Lauderdale) 305-429-0063
Georgia, Atlanta area Jay Hartmann (Vacancy) Wayne Everhart
904-364-1851 706-654-4645
Michigan, Cadillac, Reed Walter Schaller Bob Remus
City, Traverse 616-791-7552 616-832-2687
Michigan, Grand Rapids Walter Schaller Harald
616-791-7552 Schillinger
616-453-6609
Minnesota, Kimball Daniel Fleischer Reuben Streich
(St. Cloud area) 612-784-8784 320-453-7562
New Mexico, Albuquerque Norbert Reim Robin Vogsland
602-974-8911 505-892-6934
North Dakota, Fargo Theodore Barthels Gary Pansch
218-847-2080 701-277-1727
Texas, Amarillo James Naumann Local Contact
719-336-5773 806-358-3717
Texas, Killeen Thomas Schuetze Richard Ehret
972-733-4535 817-526-7697
Virginia, Fairfax Timothy Holland David Loop
(Washington DC area) 704-692-7731 703-250-2020
Washington, Withrow Terrel Kesterson
509-327-4203
Wisconsin, Fairchild Gordon Radtke
715-834-6280
Canada, Calgary, Alberta Horst Gutsche
403-207-1725 (hm)
403-569-9239 (ch)
Canada, Vernon, David Reim
British Columbia 250-549-5250
Colloquy
Rev. Kevin McKenney, formerly a clergyman in the Wisconsin Evangelical
Lutheran Synod, now a member of Messiah in Hales Corners, Wis., has
applied for colloquy with the desire to serve in the ministry of the
Church of the Lutheran Confession. Correspondence relative to this
application should be sent to the president by Easter of 1998.
--Daniel Fleischer, PresidentNomination -- ILC President
The Board of Regents for Immanuel Lutheran College invites voting
members of CLC congregations to nominate an individual or individuals
to serve as president of Immanuel Lutheran College. The person called
will serve from June 1, 1998 to May 31, 2000.
The person(s) nominated must currently be a member of the ILC faculty.
The individual(s) nominated should be qualified to be the chief
administrative officer of the school. Please send your nominations,
postmarked no later than February 1st, to:
Mr. Tom Beekman
ILC Regents Secretary
8410 Rambil Rd.
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Change Of Address
The Rev. Wayne Eichstadt
37 1/2 Marquette Avenue
North Mankato, MN 56003
Phone (507) 344-0898
The Rev. Warren Fanning
4415 South Desert Dawn Drive
Glen Canyon, AZ 85219-5831
Phone (602) 983-8518
Alberta, Canada Services
The address of Resurrection Ev. Lutheran Church, Horst Gutsche,
pastor, is 1102 37th St. S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2A-1E3. Both German
(9:30 a.m.) and English (11:00 a.m.) services are conducted on
Sundays. See phone numbers for Pastor Gutsche in the table in this
issue.
Periodic services are also conducted in Wildwood, Alberta (60 miles
west of Edmonton). The contact person here, a member of Resurrection
Lutheran, is Dr. John M. Cobb, Box 86, Wildwood, AB T0E 2M0, Canada.
Dr. Cobb's phone is 403-325-2247.
Cover Acknowledgement
We thank Hope Luurtsema, Faith Lutheran Church, Coloma, Mich. whose
artistry appears on this month's cover. Hope explains the meaning of
the cover's symbolism, based on Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man is come
to seek and to save that which was lost," as follows:
Notice how the "k" in "seek" reaches up toward the heart to remind us
that God the Father loves us so much that He sent His Son to come to
earth to die for our sins. Jesus is symbolized by the cross also
extending upward from the "k." After Jesus arose and ascended into
heaven, He did not leave us comfortless, but sent the Holy Ghost to
keep us in the true faith. He is represented by the dove swooping down
from the "s" in "seek." The Triune God sought us! " . . . to save that which was lost." Discover how Christ encircles us
with His love. Visualize this with the "v" in "save." Follow the line
of the "e" up to the right, through the hand, down the wrist, and up
again to form a heart. We were lost and falling farther away from God
when Christ caught us. He saved us the only possible way, when our
sins nailed Him to the cross. Through His precious, innocent blood, we
are washed clean. "It is finished!" We are saved through faith in
Christ. Praise be to God!May we, out of gratitude, spend our lives in joy, telling others of
Christ's love for them.The CLC FoundationTo: "inform the members of the CLC of the existence and purpose of the
Foundation"
Which is: "to provide the means for the CLC to administer special
gifts and bequests given by members of the CLC for the Work
of the Kingdom of God," usually for longer-range rather
than current purposes.
Gifts to the Foundation of cash and other assets convertible to cash,
such as financial instruments and real estate, will ordinarily flow
into the Foundation Endowment, with principal kept invested, and
earnings disbursed annually for CLC purposes and projects as needs
determine.
The Foundation was formed to be a potential part of CLC members'
estate planning. Thus, those interested in material reviewing options
for giving to the Foundation are urged to ask for "Ways of Giving"
from:
CLC Foundation Chairman,
c/o Immanuel Lutheran College,
501 Grover Rd.,
Eau Claire WI 54701
or E-mail: jnnlau@juno.com"Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply
and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your
righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all
liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
2 Cor. 9:10,11