The Secret Wireless

In the great vision that is known as Revelation, Saint John sees an angel flying through the sky and proclaiming an eternal gospel.   This angel proclaims that the judgment of God has come.   While that might not sound much like “gospel” or “good news” to our ears, it is.                 In the book of Revelation the judgment of God is only on those who have no faith, who do what is evil in the sight of God.   In other words “judgment” is synonymous with “justice”.   The angel declares that the justice of God has come, and His faithful people, those who trust in Him will receive all that He wishes to bless them with.                 What I want to focus on is the fact that this message is called the “eternal gospel”.   The Gospel, the good news that justice comes to God’s people by faith in the death a...

                I am going to begin with an apology.   You see, there is a general consensus out there that Church is for girls, or women.   The average person in the USA thinks that spirituality is better left to mothers and grandmothers.                    The congregation I serve has a better view of things, I think.   We have a good number of men in leadership positions.   We have men teaching Sunday School and leading Bible classes.   We have men attending worship weekly.   Our Church is not girl-ish in the slightest.                    But this message is going to have a slightly feminine bent to it.   I’m sorry guys.   Not all of my posts can be about football and war and snakes, snails,...

What is it?  It is the benefit of the doubt.  Everybody wants it to be given to them.  If you screw up you want people to assume that you tried your hardest.  If you say something mean you wish everyone took it as a joke.  When you send an e-mail that might possibly be taken in a sarcastic light, you want the recipient to take it with a grain of salt. Yet, when someone does something I don't like, I jump to the conclusion that they are an evil, sadistic personality who wants to ruin my life.  They must by intentionally making my life miserable.  They are the devil in disguise, all evidence to the contrary.  A slip of the tongue becomes an insult.  A gentle reminder becomes nagging.  A friendly suggestion becomes a hate-filled critique.  It was not intended that way, but that is the way I took it.    The older wording of the 8th Commandment stated that "we should fear and love God so that we ... put the best constru...

"It is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian church that uniform ceremonies, instituted by human beings, be observed everywhere."  Augsburg Confession VII "At the same time, however, the people are taught that such external worship of God does not make them righteous before God and that it is to be observed without burdening consciences, that is, no one sins by omitting it without causing offense."  Augsburg Confession XXVI The one thing that is necessary for a Christian to believe about the liturgy or pattern of worship which they follow, in order for it to be true worship, is that it is unnecessary. This is not to say that baptism or the Lord's Supper are unnecessary.  These sacraments are instituted and commanded by Christ Himself.  But rites and ceremonies created by human beings, even pious saints, are not necessary. And to say that they are is idolatry.  To say that a pattern of worship drawn up by man (or even the one, holy, Chri...

  So, a few months ago an actor named (Chris) Ashton Kutcher won an award at the Teen Choice Awards and after winning that award he gave a nice little speech to the teens who had voted to give him that award.  The speech was basically three pieces of advice.  His advice, however, was so "not your typical Hollywood" advice that it caught a lot of attention. The first piece of advice was simply that in order to get ahead in life you have to work hard.  Don't be lazy and expect good things to fall into your lap. Second, it is better to be smart, thoughtful, and generous than to be "sexy". (Thus far I pretty much agree.  Hard work and generosity, who can argue with that?  But number three took things off the deep end.) Third: "And you can build your own thing, you can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life – don’t live one, build one – find your opportunity, and always be sexy."  Build a life that other people can li...

          "Joy means sweet thoughts of Christ, melodious hymns and psalms, praises and thanksgivings, with which Christians instruct, inspire, and refresh themselves.  God does not like doubt and dejection.  He hates dreary doctrine, gloomy and melancholy thought.  God likes cheerful hearts.  He did not send His Son to fill us with sadness, but to gladden our hearts.  For this reason the prophets, apostles, and Christ Himself urge, yes, command us to rejoice and be glad.  'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee.' (Zech. 9:9)  In the Psalms we are repeatedly told to be 'joyful in the Lord'.  Paul says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always.'  Christ says, 'Rejoice, for your names are written in heaven.'"  An extended quote from Dr. Luther Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians