1. Gift Planning & Taxes

2. "Real Treasure" Bible Study

3. WELS Civilian Chaplaincy

4. F = FISH

5. WhatAboutJesus.com REDESIGNED

6. Don't call Abortion 'murder'?

7. Seven Gifts of the Spirit

8. Forgiveness - God's Way

9. Hearts and Hands Joined to Carry the Gospel

10. Witnessing

11. Advent

11a. The Advent Wreath

12. By Faith

13. A New Year, A New You

14. G = Gottesdienst

15. H = Hymnal

16. A Gift that Keeps On Giving

17. Boaz

18. The Apostles' Creed

19. Common ? Questions

20. Proclaim!

21. WELS Launches Purchasing

22. Search Engine Generates Money for Charities Program

23. WELS.Net Offers Variety of E-Mail Subscriptions

24. Confessing The Athanasian Creed

25. Endowment Fund Emphasis Introduced At Conventions

26. Multi-Language Publications Celebrates 10th Anniversary

27. What you can do...a Prayer for Our Nation28. The Safest Place

29. What We Are To Do

30. World Missions News Briefs

31. Elevation

32. Fathers

33. A Drug Problem

34. Evangelical and Evangelistic

35. United Way

36. Ministry-By-Mail

37. Hymns and Songs of the Liturgy

38. The Christmas Log

39. The Testimony of a Great Scientist

40. Baptism: A Divine Washing

41. "No One Can Be Saved Outside of Rome" - NOT TRUE

42. WELS Constitution Updates Available

43. Calvary Academy

44. Eternal Joy

45.  Benefits Congregations Receive being Members of WELS

46.  Hypocrites - John A. Braun

47.  No Need for an Alternate Ending

48.  Symbol of the Holy Blessed Trinity

49.  "Judaizers Review Old Testament:  When Preaching Stinks the Synod Shrinks"

50.  Postmodernism

51.  Come Holy Ghost God and Lord

52.  WELS Committee On Relief

1. Gift Planning & Taxes

Did you know you have a friend? A Christian friend to help you be a better manager? God's people want to be good stewards but often do not know their options. Gerry Heckmann is our gift planning counselor here at Abiding Hope. He sells no products and is available to assist our members in making tax smart gifts in life and at death. Whether for our church, our area Lutheran high, or for WELS. He can be reached at gheckmann@sab.wels.net or 1-800-827-5482.

2. "Real Treasure" Bible Study

As directed by the Synod Convention, a Bible study called "The Real Treasure of Every Treasured Soul" has been prepared for presentation to every member of the synod. "The Bible study asks me to value what my heart's greatest delight really is," said Pastor Richard Gurgel, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary who produced the study. The study focuses on parts of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus assures us that God will provide for our needs. We should not worry, but should rather "store up for [ourselves] treasures in heaven. [MT 6:20]

The study is unique in that it is intended to be used for one on one encouragement with every member of the synod. President Karl Gurgel is meeting individually with each member of WELS Conference of Presidents, along with their wives. These pastors are asked to meet with one pastor and spouse from each WELS circuit. Each pastor, from the circuits, is encouraged to have the study with other pastors/spouses in his circuit. Finally, pastors at the local level can share the study with leaders in their churches, who can then assist in discussing it with fellow members.

"I think the ultimate goal is to help God's people in our country, who have so many of the resources of this life, not get caught up in living as if that's what it's all about. The real danger is not budgets that don't get met, but hearts that get focused on what cannot satisfy." said Professor Gurgel.

3. WELS Civilian Chaplaincy

How can they preach...unless they are sent? Bringing God's Word to those who serve in our nation's armed forces.

Bringing the word of God to WELS members in the military, to WELS civilians living overseas, and to WELS members temporarily living away from their home church. Whenever possible, we also extend our ministry to the unchurched!

125 military contact pastors serve WELS military personnel stationed in the U.S.

2 civilian chaplains serve WELS military personnel and civilians living in Europe. (For worship site locations and schedules or to contact a WELS chaplain, visit our web page at: http://welseurope.org/).

A ministry-by-mail program serves WELS military personnel and civilians living anywhere in the world. This free service provides monthly worship service, Meditations, and Forward In Christ magazine.

We depend on you to help us! Please send the names of those entering the Armed Services. Here's how:

Online: Go to www.wels.net/csm/

Then click on WELS Military Services for an electronic referral form.

Telephone: (414) 256-3241 (Special Ministries office).

Write: Commission on Special Ministries, 2929 North Mayfair Road, Milwaukee, WI 53222

Send e-mail letters of support to our troops: To learn how you can express Christian friendship and offer spiritual support for someone in the military, go online for a set of e-mail guidelines: www.wels.net/csm/

Click on the picture labeled "Military Services." (Or request a copy of the e-mail guidelines from the Special Ministries office.)

The WELS Civilian Chaplaincy is a ministry of Parish Services/Special Ministries/Military Service Committee.

4. F = FISH

Why are there sometimes fish symbols in Lutheran churches? And how about those letters that don't seem to spell any recognizable words? Lutheran churches use symbols that extend all the way back to the time when Jesus walked the earth. When you find out what they mean, they remind you of precious biblical truths.

The fish symbol is one of the most interesting. The Greek word for fish is Ixthus. Each letter of that word is fthe first letter of the Greek words for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior," so the Greek word for fish is an acrostic. It's used as a confession of faith.

Here are the meaning for some other symbols:

Alpha-Omega: The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega in the Bible (Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) Jesus has existed for all eternity and will continue to exist to all eternity.

Butterfly: Symbol for the ressurection of the dead. Although a caterpillar does not die when it goes into its cocoon, it does look a lot different when it comes out! Although our bodies will still be our bodies when we rise from the dead, we will be a lot different because the effects of sin will be gone entirely.

Chi-Rho: The x (chi) is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ. The p (rho) is the second letter.

Chi-Sigma: The x (chi) is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ. The c (sigma) is the last letter.

Crown: Reminds us that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Crown of thorns: Was placed on the Savior's head before the crucifixion and reminds us of our Lord's Passion.

Grapes and a sheaf of wheat: Reminds us of the earthly elements in the Lord's Supper.

IHC or IHS: The first three letters of the Greek word for Jesus.

INRI: The first letters of the Latin words for "Jesus (of) Nazareth, King (of the) Jews." This is what the Roman governor Pilate had written on the cross.

Iota-Chi: The I (iota) is the first letter of the Greek word for Jesus. The S (sigma) is the last letter of that same word.

NIKA or NIKE: The Greek word for victory. With Jesus' resurrection, death has been swallowed up in victory.

Palm branch: To remind us how Jesus was praised as He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Shell: The shell, with three drops of water, reminds us of the water used in Baptism.

Triangle, triangle in a circle, or triangle with three-leaf clover or three circles: Symbols for our God, Who is Three Divine Persons, but One God.

There are also many different cross symbols. Most churches use a traditional Roman corss and it's likely, but not absolutely certain, that the cross on which Jesus was crucified had that shape. But the shape is not important. More important is that people who see a cross know and trust that Jesus won forgiveness for them when He died on it.

5. WhatAboutJesus.com REDESIGNED

"WhatAboutJesus.com," a web site developed by WELS Commission on Evangelism four years ago, is undergoing a redesign. Intended as an improved layout structure, a search feature to recall past articles and a revamped question/answer and prayer request section. The site asks people to give us their honest questions.

6. Don't Call Abortion 'Murder'....

Assume for a moment that the usual pro-life arguments are right. Suppose that based on evidence like DNA, heartbeat and brain waves - abortion takes a human life. The word "murder" is still misleading when aplied to abortion, including the mid- and late-pregnancy abortion that the U.S. Supreme Court now has under examination.

Pro-lifers greatly oversimplify the nature of abortion when they call it "murder," as in the assertion that 99% of the murders in America are abortions. The typical event that the word "murder" calls to mind is a lethal act against an adult stranger. Abortion, even late-term abortion, does not fit this image. Abortion is not a single act and the fetus is neither an adult nor a stranger.

Abortion is not an act, but a destructive process. In mid- and late-pregnancy, it is commonly a process of dismemberment. Through traction or suction, the limbs of the living fetus are pulled off and delivered, with the body following thereafter.

Again, the fetus is an "unborn child," not yet an adult. When we read of Russian troops slaughtering helpless human beings in Chechnya - the very old, the very young, the very disabled - this strikes us as even more horrific than the killing of vigorous adults. There is something in most of us that responds to weakness with special compassion and respect. When a blind man is robbed of his wallet, our humanity is more deeply injured than when a sighted person has a purse stolen. Tearing a small child limb from limb is more brutal than the murder of an adult.

It is still worse to kill a dependent. When someone is killed by her caretaker, the evil of betrayal is added to the evil of violence.

Parental duties of care are among the most fundamental. The bond between mother and child is one of the strongest we can imagine. An unborn child is a fellow human being, then that child is betrayed in the worst possible way when he/she is dismembered upon their mother's request.

By authorizing abortion throughout pregnancy, current American law tempts and enables mothers and fathers to turn violently against little lives that utterly depend on them. This is a deeper wound to society than ordinary murder, even more serious than the wound to Russia left by its atrocities in Chechnya.

Killing strangers errodes human community from the outside in. When families kill their own helpless children, society destroys itself at its very core.

The late-term abortion now being examined by the Supreme Court is thus not equal to murder. It is either less or far more. If pro-life claims are correct, it is a violence so brutal, a betrayal so profound, a cancer so destructive that it cannot adequately be described by an ordinary word like "murder."

Letter Writing Campaign

It has been suggested that we should write to the Republican National Committee and voice our opinions on the following issues:

a. President Bush must appoint judges who respect all innocent human life.

b. Appoint pro-life individuals to the Cabinet and other political positions to be filled.

c. Appoint ambassadors whose respect for life will motivate other countries around the world to stop the practice of promoting abortion and encourage them to seek pro-life solutions to their social, cultural and economic problems.

d. Reverse Clinton's pro-abortion executive orders and ban the production and sale of RU-486 and the killing of embryonic babies for their stem cells.

e. Prohibit abortions in federally funded facilities including military bases and re-establish the pro-life "Mexico City Policy."

f. Appoint a pro-life director of a new division in the White House Office of Domestic Policy to deal with the many scientific and medical life issues we are now facing.

7. The Seven Gifts of the Spirit are Found in Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him;

the Spirit of wisdom

and of understanding;

the Spirit of counsel

and of power or might;

the Spirit of knowledge

and the fear of the Lord

and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

8. Forgiveness - God's Way

Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

a. Friends let you down [and vice versa].

Friends and family let you down from time to time. They don't follow through on their word. They may break their promises. They may do something that hurts you emotionally or physically.

You and I also let friends and family down. Sometimes we don't keep our word or do some things that hurt someone else.

You and I let God down every time we do not do what He wants us to do. God has guidelines for life and when we don't follow them, we let God down.

b. God did something despite our letting Him down.

God knows and sees that you and I are imperfect. What we do or think everyday sometimes hurts God. Despite our imperfection, God did something about it.

God is a just God. He established consequences for those who do not follow His guidelines for living. The result of our imperfect thoughts and actions is separation from God. We have a broken relationship with Him now and after death we are eternally separated from God.

God is also a loving and caring God. He came to live the perfect life for us in the person of Jesus. Jesus then took the judgment that was ours and bore the punishment that we deserved for our imperfection.

God forgives, takes punishment away and creates a new relationship with Him because of one's faith and trust in Jesus.

c. How do I forgive?

Forgiving someone is giving up your right to pay him or her back. So often when others hurt us we want them to hurt just as much as we hurt. Forgiving those that hurt you does not necessarily mean that you are going to forget your pain or that you forget the action that occurred. Forgiveness is letting go of that desire of getting even or paying back hurt for hurt.

d. Forgive as the Lord forgave.

God forgives us continually through Jesus. He doesn't stop at a certain quota. We offend God a huge amount of times, but His capacity to forgive is more huge. As God has forgiven us, so we will forgive those who hurt us.

e. How can I forgive when I hurt so deeply?

You can forgive...give up your right to pay back...when you focus on God, His love and His forgiving you. The hurt may not go away right away. That usually takes time to heal. However, you can dispense forgiveness because of the forgiveness that is dispensed to you from God.

9. Hearts and Hands Joined to Carry the Gospel

Someone asked that we explain the mission designation on the right side of the envelope. This is part of it:

When we lived in Colombia, Connie and I helped Lutheran couples from the U.S. adopt Colombian children. One day Connie and I were at an orphanage with a couple from Minnesota who had just adopted a 6 year-old girl, Maria. The orphanage was giving a little party for Maria complete with balloons and a cake and a few modest presents. This was to be a festive occasion in which Maria could say 'good bye' to her orphanage family. All you had to do was look at little Maria's face to see how excited she was. She would proudly pull her new mommy and daddy by the hand first to one friend and then another always with the breathless words: "This is my new mommy and this is my new daddy." Maria finally had parents. She was part of a family. Maria now belonged. I watched from the sidelines sharing in Maria's joy.

But my joy soon turned to heartache. In the group there was a boy, not particularly good looking, who I guessed to be around 11 years old by orphanage standards. He came to me and asked: "Will you be my daddy?" He too wanted to belong. I still remember the look on his face. I also remember that I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. Almost all of us have grown up with at least one parent, many of us, maybe even most of us, with both. Even though our family life may not always have been perfect and we may not always have appreciated it, still all of us had a sense of belonging. We were part of a family. But we have also enjoyed a still greater blessing. We are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. John 1:12, 13. For most of us, our adoptive moment was when we were baptized as infants. Most of us cannot remember a time when we were not a part of God's family. What a blessing!

In Colombia, I had the opportunity to share with many people the message of Good Friday and Easter - what Jesus did to make us part of His family. And I continue to share that same message at our present mission in Miami. We would not be able to do that without the help of people like you who support mission work. I thank you now. But one day there will be people in heaven thanking you for your part in bringing them the message that made them a part of God's family for all eternity.

10. Witnessing

I Peter 3:15

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Some of the best opportunities that we have for witnessing about Jesus are with people we know, our friends, relatives, acquaintances and neighbors who don't know Jesus as their Savior.

Write the names of these people on a piece of paper and place it on your refrigerator, desk or Bible. When you see it each day, say a prayer that God will give you an opportunity to speak to them about Jesus and when He answers, remember what you prayed for and tell them what a wonderful friend Jesus is!

Prepare Yourself...What do I say when they say, "If there is a God in heaven, why does He allow men to suffer and have so many troubles and problems?" Remember this verse Psalm 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor Me.

Say, "Troubles and problems are a part of our lives because of sin. The greatest consequence of sin is death. In His love for the world, God sent Jesus Who died to free us from the hold of eternal death. Therefore, believers in Jesus will not be separated from God through death, but have everlasting life with God. Even the bad experiences of life serve God's loving purpose for us. Our faith is strengthened in God our Savior as He answers our prayers to help us through times of difficulty and to defend us from trouble. We are led to praise God Who always guards and protects His precious children who will live with Him forever in heaven."

11. Advent

It is great to start this new church year. We welcome all of you in Jesus Christ your Savior. We begin this church year with the season of "ADVENT" which means coming. We celebrate our Lord's coming in final judgment and turn our celebration to Jesus coming into the world in the flesh to be our substitute. It is a joyous time of year when we consider our God's greatest present to all mankind, but a time to search the remembering that He came to remove our terrible sin.

a. The Advent Wreath

Christmas is all about the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to light a world of darkness and sin. Advent reminds us there is still much darkness in the world and even in our own imperfect lives. To remind themselves of the power of Christ, the Light of the World, Christians have long made use of Advent Wreaths.

The wreath is covered with evergreen. Just as this particular species of tree is always green, so our hope for eternity is always sure because it is based on Christ. Green is the color of our life and growth as Christians. Around our wreath we will pray God brings us closer to Him and helps us grow in faith and love.

The wreath is also made in the form of a circle. A circle has no beginning and no end. What a wonderful way to picture eternity for us. Our life with God is everlastin.

The candles are significant in both their color and light. On the edge of the wreath there are 5 candles - 4 blue, the color of Heaven and our Lord's coming to take us home with Him and the middle one is white for Christ. Each blue candle signifies something special.

The Prophecy Candle is the first one lit, which reminds us of all God's promises and prophecies in the Old Testament about the Savior Who was to be born.

The Angel Candle is the second. As at His Birth, so on the Last Day the Angels will join Jesus to take us to heaven. Our anticipation is signified by this candle.

The Bethlehem Candle is third and keeps us mindful that God's promises are exact, Jesus was born in Bethlehem as promised.

The Shepherd Candle is fourth and marks our faith and the faith of the shepherds as we go to Bethlehem and all of Scripture to see our newborn Savior.

The CHRIST Candle represents the baby born in a manger. God becoming flesh and the fulfillment of the four blue Advent candles.

We light one candle a week until all the candles are aflame just before Christmas. The light these candles put forth may be small, but these flames, growing brighter each week, stress the growing power of Christ within us.

On Christmas Eve, the candle within the circle, the large white one in the middle is lit. This Christ Child Candle tells us that He Who is the Light of the World has come!

12. By Faith

Nothing so causes sides to form - for and against - as does the story of JONAH and the Whale. Nobody goes to sleep when the subject comes up. This little book of four chapters has become something of a battleground. There are scoffers who dismiss the Scriptures in general and the story of Jonah in particular as sheer nonsense.

The largest Lutheran church body in America, in its official publication, pronounced the story of Jonah to be pure fiction. This doesn't tell us a whole lot about the Bible, but it speaks volumes about the sickly state of Lutheranism in our country today. If Jonah is a myth, then Christ is a liar, for He told the story and drew lessons from it, on no less than three different occasions.

In fact, Jesus singled out of honorable mention many of the very Old Testament stories that seem to be an embarrassment to His followers today. He fondly recalled God's goodness to Naaman the leper, the widow of Serepta, the Queen of Sheba and the lost souls of Nineveh. He marked the story where "Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness" as the definitive explanation of His own mission on earth.

In Noah's ark, Lot's wife and the fiery overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jesus saw evidence that judgment is at the door once again. But almost as bad as the blatant unbelief of our day is the pathetic and misguided attempt by many to "prove" the stories of the Bible. "Case histories" from the whaling industry and "documented evidence" of sea monsters are suppose to prop up our belief in the Jonah story.

Do we really need to locate wreckage from Noah's ark in order to believe that it once happened? (Remember Doubting Thomas?) Or see shreds of Jesus' death shroud or splinters from the cross of Calvary to bolster our faith? (Oh to have the faith of a little child.) No geological evidence, however impressive it may be, can take the place of childlike faith in the Eternal Word.

Jesus saw no need to make Scripture plausible or explain the ways of God to man. (Where were you when I created the heavens and the earth? Genesis 1:1) "Heaven and earth shall pass away," He said, "but My Word shall NEVER pass away." "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God." PERIOD! Believe it or don't.

13. A New Year, A New You

A new year, 2006! How many New Year's Resolutions did you make? Many resolve to be a new person, to lose weight, to quit smoking, to spend more time with family, to quit worrying, etc. And they mean to keep those resolutions, too. And they do, for a day or two, or a week, but usually the sincere resolution to become a new person, a new you, falls by the wayside in the midst of a myriad of other things that crowd their way into our lives.

But fellow redeemed, the good news for the New Year is that you are already a new you! You are already a changed person and definitely for the better, too. But you had nothing to do with the change. God had everything to do with it. He resolved to make you a new person, to change you from an unbeliever who was headed to hell because of your offenses against God, to a believer who is headed for heaven. In His grace the Holy Spirit brought you to faith in Christ Jesus as your Savior from sin. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ." II Corinthians 5:17-18

We are God's children, by His grace. Have a "Happy New Year" living in God's grace, because He has given us a new life.

Have a blessed New Year of 2006, in Christ!

14. G = Gottesdienst

Gottesdienst is a German word that means "service of God." It's the word that German-speaking people use to describe their church service. It's a very fitting word for worship, because it means both "God's service to us" and "our service to God."

Most Lutherans worship using a standard format called a liturgy [from a Greek word that means "service"]. In some parts of the liturgy, God serves us with His Word and sacraments. In other parts, we serve Him with our prayers and praise.

The next time you are in church, pay attention to each part of the service. See whether it is God serving us with the Gospel or our response to that Gospel in word or song. You will notice that the rhythm of the service is God giving us His Word followed by our response of prayer or praise. Notice also that there is more coming from God than there is going to God. The emphasis is on God, not on us.

That emphasis on God's Gospel coming to us is one way to identify good Lutheran worship. If there is a lot coming from the people but not much coming from God, the emphasis shifts to the human part of worship, and we miss out on the better, divine things. But in the majority of time an effort is spent on what God says to us, the emphasis is just where it belongs.

Most Lutheran churches tell you in a little folder called a bulletin which Scripture readings are being read and which hymns are being sung. Often an adult volunteer, called an usher, distributes the bulletins and can help you find a seat.

15. H = HYMNAL

That big book that Lutherans have in church with the songs printed in it, that's called a hymnal. The songs inside are called hymns [from a Greek word that means "song in praise of God"]. The book also contains the liturgies, usually in the pages just before the hymns.

How were the hymns chosen to be in the hymnal? Well, to be honest, there was usually just a committee or an individual that made the choices. But why did they choose the songs they did and decide they are fit for the hymnal?

Fortunatley, some committees have put into writing what they looked for in a song for a hymnal. The committee that chose the hymns for Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal [CW] listed a few qualities of a good hymn: liturgical, doxological [from a Greek word that means "bringing glory to God,"] makes use of the Word of God, poetic, has emotional content, is influenced by the "year of our Lord," and has a melody that supports the scriptural message and touches the heart of the worshiper.

The CW committee also wrote, "A good hymn has doctrinal content, if the praise of God speaks of the great things God has done, this will almost always appear in a form that teaches. The chief doctrine Christian hymnody should proclaim is mankind's redemption from sin through Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior" [Christian Worship: Manual, page 231].

Good hymns come in all kinds of musical styles and they can be accompanied by all kinds of musical instruments. There are no specific rules about musical styles and instruments in the Bible. Most Lutheran churches accompany hymns with an organ, because that instrument is one of the best for supporting the singing of large groups. Lutheran churches strive to use musical styles and instruments that help worshipers focus their thoughts on the message of God's Word.

Many Lutheran churches form choirs to practice music ahead of time and help the congregation with it. The custom of having a choir dates all the way back to the Old Testament. The Bible describes the elaborate musical preparations for worship in the temple in Jerusalem [I Chronicles 15, 16]. A choir of angels sang at the birth of Jesus. The book of Revelation describes the choirs of believers in heaven. A good church choir can give you a little musical taste of the joy that goes along with those events.

Most Lutheran hymnals have other useful parts: special arrangements of the Bible's psalms, prayers for individuals and groups and charts to help in worship. Look through your hymnal the next time you are in church, if you have not already thought of it, consider buying your own hymnal and using it in worship, both in church and at home.

16. A Gift that Keeps on Giving

As far as the work of the church is concerned, we too can give a "gift that keep on giving." This gift is our financial offerings to the Lord's church.

Our financial gifts keep on giving by supporting called workers who share the Word of God in both their preaching and teaching.

Our financial gifts keep on giving by making it possible for people to hear, read and learn God's Word through the many different Bible studies that are conducted in our synod. What a privilege to be able to hear and learn about God's Word!

Our financial gifts keep on giving as our synod sends missionaries out to the four corners of the world, sharing Jesus with as many people as possible.

Our financial gifts keep on giving as our ministerial schools train future called workers who will share the unconditional gospel with the people they serve.

The Lord has certainly been very generous with each one of us!

He give us "the gift that keeps on giving" in Jesus our Savior, then He compels us through Word and Sacrament to give our money to His church so it can keep on sharing the gift of the Savior.

17. People Close to God: BOAZ...A People's Hero

Who are your heroes? Who do you look up to? Admire? Imitate? As a grade scholar you may have had heroes plastered all over the walls of your bedroom. Having walked through a college dorm recently, I'm not sure that "this is my hero" applied to many of the wall hangings used to decorate.

Posters or no posters, we admire with special qualities and often hope to imitate those qualities in our own lives. That's the point of this study. God didn't record the lives of people in the Bible so we could forget and ignore them. "Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised," and "imitate thier faith" is the way the writer to the Hebrews encourages us to look at heroes of faith. There is a candid picture of one such individual in Ruth. We are often inclined to focus on the Moabite woman as we read this book. This time, however, we focus on Boaz.

Men are often charged with being rough, crude, domineering and overbearing. John Belushi and the Animal House gang didn't do much to erase that stigma for college men either.

That charge can't be made against Boaz, though, he was a "man of standing" (Ruth 2:1) Look at the many ways it showed. He was an employer that workers loved and respected; their response to his "hello" testifies to it.

Consider how he treats the Moabite woman who has, by divine guidance, found her way into his fields (Ruth 2:5) A "sexual harassment" charge would be hard to nail on him. Or consider that silent and sultry evening when he slept at the threshing floor to protect his harvest (something customary for field owners of that time). While he slept, a woman came to sleep by him (an appeal to Boaz's kinsman obligation). A woman. A man. All alone. At night. In a secluded spot. Yet, he made no advances.

Then there is the whole matter of the Levite principle and the kinsman-redeemer principle. You can learn more about how God dealt with His people in these matters by reading Deuteronomy 25. Boaz was willing to go out of his way to make sure that the will of the King of Israel would be done in the matter of protecting a family name, even though it was not primarily his responsibility.

Do you see why he was so kind and honorable? It was his love for the Lord, the God of his fathers, the Promiser of a Savior. The faith God created and strengthened day after day because Boaz was in God's Word, is a promise for all of us. Be a hero to your Savior! Be in and read His Word.

18. The Apostles' Creed

from 2005 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.

I believe...FAITH...I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

An old legend says that the twelve apostles once tried to summarize the message of the gospel. Each contributed a statement. When they finished, they had created the Apostles' Creed. Really! It may be an interesting legend, but it couldn't possible have happened. The creed as we know it didn't come into existence until after the apostles died.

Nevertheless, it is named after them because it so beautifully summarizes what they taught and what they wrote in the New Testament.

The Apostles' Creed is a personal creed. It's what I believe. It's not just what others believe. It's not just what the church says we all should believe. It's what I believe.

What do I believe? I believe in God. I believe that there is a God who exists apart from everything He has made. I believe in a God in whom I live and move and have my very being. I believe that this God is good, that is what the word "god" implies.

I believe that this God is not just some impersonal force, some superior being, who resides in a mysterious realm somewhere and keeps the universe running and takes very little interest in me. No, I believe this God is my Father. Like a father, He loves me. Like a good father, He cares for me and provides for me. He wants to be close to me and He wants me to be close to Him. But unlike an earthly father, my Father in heaven is not limited in strength or ability. He can do absolutely anything, because He is almighty. He has more power than the atom, more power than we can find in the entire universe.

...my Father in heaven is not limited in strength or ability. He can do absolutely anything, because He is almighty.

He is, after all, the "maker of heaven and earth." He made the sun, moon and stars. He made air, fire, water, the earth and all the earth brings forth. He made me and everything I am, my body, my soul, my mind, my personality. He is the Creator of the food I eat and the water I drink. He provides all physical and temporal blessings, good government, peace, security. And besides, every day He guards and protects me from evil and misfortune.

Shall I brag and boast about who I am and what I have? How can I? Everything, absolutely everything, is from my loving Father, my God, the One who is the maker of heaven and earth. Instead I will thank Him and praise Him. And I will strive to be a good manager of all the gifts He has given me!

I believe...FAITH...I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord...

His names say it all.

I believe in Jesus. Jesus is a name that means "savior," not "example," not "good man," not "leader," but "SAVIOR." As Joshua delivered God's people from their enemies, so Jesus saved me from my enemies. Joshua delivered God's people from armies and from people intent on destroying them, but Jesus delivered me from the more powerful spiritual forces of sin, death and hell. I believe in Jesus. The price He paid was not gold or silver but His holy precious blood and His innocent sufferings and death.

I believe in Christ. Christ is a name that means "the anointed one." Messiah has the same meaning: "the one God said would come," "the one all the faithful of the Old Testament awaited," He is the one who was anointed to carry out three special tasks, my Prophet, my Priest and my King. As my Prophet, He speaks to me, He comforts me, He inspires me in His Holy Word. As my Priest, He brought the perfect and complete sacrifice for all my sins. The sacrifice He offered was Himself. As my King, He rules in my heart and life. He assures me that I am in His kingdom now and will reign with Him in heaven. So I believe in CHRIST.

Because He came into this world, I am now God's child who will live with Him forever.

I believe in His only Son. That's who Jesus is: God's one and only Son from all eternity, equal with the Father in every respect. No father ever loved a son so much, yet God sent His Son into this world to become like me, except without sin so that He might live and die for me. Because He came into this world, I am now God's child who will live with Him forever. He is the one I believe in, GOD'S ONLY SON.

I believe in our LORD. There was a time when I had no lord. I was a captive of the devil. I was bound in sin's chains. I was condemned to death, eternal death. But my Lord Jesus rescued me. He redeemed me. He released me from sin, death and the devil and brought me under His care and protection.

He is not only my Lord; He is our Lord. I find myself in the blessed company of all those who look to Jesus in faith and call Him Lord. He is also the Lord of my family and my friends who believe in Him. The bond that He creates between us is stronger than any other human ties could ever be.

I believe...FAITH....I believe in Jesus who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary...

I believe in JESUS. I believe He is the Son of God from all eternity but became a human being. The Bible says, and I confess in this creed, that He "was conceived by the Holy Spirit." Never before and never since has there been a conception like this. Joseph was not His father. He simply did not have a human father.

Human experiences and common sense say such a thing cannot happen! But God can do things that defy our knowledge and understanding. He is God, after all. His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts.

When did Jesus' life begin? Clearly it was at conception. From that instant He was a human being come to save me. Together with David, I must confess that I am "sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). Not so Jesus. He was sinless from the moment of His conception. As amazing and wonderful as was His conception, so is the comfort it brings me. Because He was sinless, when I am connected to Jesus by faith, God views me as though I was so conceived.

At first Mary's pregnancy caused great problems. She was unmarried. People soon knew and began to talk. Yet her pregnancy also became a cause of great joy. Not just the joy of a mother expecting her first baby. Oh no! It was much more than that. It was the joy that her baby was the long-awaited Savior from sin. Here was the seed of the woman promised to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). The time had fully come. God was sending His Son, "born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4).

Because He was sinless, when I am connected to Jesus by faith, God views me as though I was so conceived.

Born of a woman. Nothing unusual about that. It happens all the time. But this woman was different. She was a virgin. She had conceived without the aid of a husband. How that could be I leave to God. He says it happened, and so I believe it and confess it. I also find comfort in it. I have been a sinner from the moment I entered this world, but by His sinless birth, Jesus atoned for my sinful birth.

Mary was the mother of God. What a high honor! What a wonderful privilege! Yet in all humility she confessed that her baby was the Savior who had come to redeem her too. Along with Mary, I believe and confess that Jesus is the Savior who came to redeem me.

I believe...FAITH...suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

I believe that the Son of God came to suffer and die for me. That belief doesn't come naturally. There's a dark side of me that wishes He had come in glory to right the wrong, punish the wicked and enjoy great popularity and success. Then that dark side of me could claim to be part of a winning team. Like my glorious leader, I could be powerful, famous and successful.

Thank God it didn't happen that way. If it had, I would still be lost in sin and awaiting my punishment in hell.

Instead, Jesus came to suffer. Picture a baby bouncing uncomfortable along on a dusty road in the arms of frightened parents fleeing from a cruel king. Imagine trying to instruct disciples who were so painfully slow to understand. Try to comprehend what it must have been like to be despised by people you thought were your friends and even to be rejected by members of your own family. Think how it must have hurt to know that the respected religious leaders of the day were plotting to kill you. Try to grasp how horrible it must have been to have your closest friends desert you at the moment of your greatest need - having one of them betray you and another deny you.

The suffering that Jesus endured throughout His life reached its end in the excruciating agony of Good Friday. Falsely accused and condemned, He was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to have His death sentence pronounced. The governor has found a place in histroy; the mention of His name guarantees that these are historical facts. For Jesus the sentence meant a crown of thorns, ridicule and being spit on, scourged, publicly humiliated and then forced to carry His own instrument of torture to the place of execution. There He was left to die.

Jesus suffered the punishement I deserve. Jesus died the death I had coming.

And die He did. He didn't just fall into some unconscious state. He didn't just appear to be dead. The soldier's spear in His side guaranteed that He was really dead. Friends took His body from the cross and buried it in a newly hewn tomb.

This is what I confess. This is what I believe. And, oh, what comfort is mine! Jesus suffered the punishment I deserve. Jesus died the death I had coming. He experienced the wrath of God in my place. The sin that pervades every fiber of my being was buried with Him. It's gone. It's forgotten. God sees it no more. Therefore, I will gladly take up my cross and follow Him.

I believe...FAITH...I believe in Jesus...who...descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

A dead savior would be no savior. Thank God, my Savior did not remain dead.

Having paid the price for the sins of all, hell could not hold Him. Jesus descended into hell-not to suffer but to proclaim His victory. The old serpent could only cower in defeat. Satan could not hold Jesus. The eternal penalty for sin had been paid. Punishment in hell for sin was gone for all who trust in Jesus.

Then Jesus arose from the dead and showed Himself alive to His disciples. Before He died, Jesus clearly said that His enemies would kill Him but that He would rise up again. On the third day, it happened just as He said. When the disciples saw Him on the evening of the resurrection, they were filled with joy. A week later Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." I too am amazed by the resurrection of Jesus as I confess the words of the creed.

For 40 days Jesus appeared to His disciples. He spoke with them. He ate with them. He appeared to more than five hundred at once. There was no question but that He was alive again. The One who had been delivered for their sins had been raised again to assure them that His work was complete. The disciples had the assurance, as I do, that because Jesus arose from the dead, they too would live beyond the grave.

My Savior is with me. He lives in me. He gurads and protects me at all times.

Eventually, it was time to leave His disciples. In ascending to heaven, Jesus paved the way to the Father's house for all believers and me. Presently, He sits at the right hand of the Father-not in a throne room somewhere in heaven. Rather, His is a position of power and glory whereby He rules all things-and fills all things. My Savior is with me. He lives in me. He guards and protects me at all times. He makes everything serve His good purpose for me.

As Jesus ascended visibly into the clouds of heaven, so He will come back someday to take me to Himself. Maybe I will still be alive when He comes. Maybe I will be lying in some grave. Regardless, I will see Him come in the clouds of heaven with all His holy angels. I will hear the shout of the archangel and the trumpet call of God. And so shall I ever be with the Lord. This I firmly believe. This I gladly confess.

I believe...FAITH...I believe in the Holy Spirit...

By my own ability or strength, I could not confess this creed. I could not imagine Christ as my Savior by myself and I wouldn't know God as my loving, heavenly Father. And I couldn't live a God-pleasing life. None of this would be possible if it were not for the Holy Spirit.

Who or what is the Holy Spirit? Some think that Holy Spirit is just a reference to the energy force that streams from God. Some say it's just one of the masks God wears. Sometimes, they say, He appears as Father, sometimes as Son and sometimes as Holy Spirit. The Bible, however, clearly says that the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the triune God. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as almighty, all-knowing, always present everywhere and eternal. The Bible says He does things only God can do. Things like creating the universe and people. Things like giving people new birth and empowering them to live for God. Therefore, when I say I believe in the Holy Spirit, I am saying I believe He is God.

But do I really need the Holy Spirit? Don't I have a free will to accept or reject Christ? No, I don't!

Luther puts it this way in the Third Article of the creed: "I cannot be my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel..."

The Bible compares my sinful nature to a hard stone, to a block of wood and even to a wild, ferocious beast. By nature I'm a corpse. By nature I am totally opposed to God. That I believe Jesus is my Savior and that I want to live for Him is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit in me.

Every time I bear, read or even just think about the gospel, the Holy Spirit is at work in me.

How does the Holy Spirit do His work? Does He come in some strange, mysterious way to those fortunate enough to be sought out by Him? No. The Bible says He uses the gospel in Word and sacrament. Every time I hear, read or even just think about the gospel, the Holy Spirit is at work in me. The Holy Spirit works through the gospel. The gospel comes to me in words, certainly, but it also comes to me through Baptism and the Lord's Supper in visible, tangible ways to strengthen my faith.

Yes, I gladly confess my faith in the Holy Spirit. I wouldn't be a Christian without Him.

I believe...FAITH...I believe in....the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins...

In another place, Luther defines the church as "a holy little flock and a community of pure saints." How can that be? I'm not holy. My life is not pure. The people I know aren't holy or pure either. How could I, how could anyone, ever be part of this holy little flock, this community of pure saints?

But Luther is referring to believers in Jesus. They are holy and pure because they trust in Jesus who washed all their sins away. You see, God has declared them holy because of Jesus. They are saints not because their lives are without sin but because Christ was holy in their place.

That's why this church is also called Christian. It is based on Christ. The church is made of people who place their entire hope not on who they are or what they have done but on Christ. Not surprisingly, synonyms for the church in the Bible express this tie to Christ: the bride of Christ and the body of Christ.

A synoym for the church in the creed is "communion of saints" or, as Luther put it, "community of saints." A community consists of people. So the creed is not talking about a church building or a denomination or any kind of outward organization. Rather, it is talking about people. People like Adam, Eve, Abraham, David, Paul, Mary, Martha, Lydia and others. They are the people the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies and keeps in the one true faith. People like you and me.

The church is made of poople who place their entire hope not on who they are or what they have done but on Christ.

You won't find the directory for this community anywhere on earth. You will find it in heaven though. That's because the Lord knows who are His. He sends the Holy Spirit to create and preserve faith in Jesus through the gospel in Word and sacrament until He brings His people home to heaven.

What is the message I cling to until then? It is, as the creed says the forgiveness of sins. I am a sinner from birth. I sin daily by thought, word and deed. What I need more than anything else in all the world is the forgiveness of sins. Thank God I have it! In Christ I have full and free forgiveness, because He paid the price for all my sins by His death on the cross. And I'm not alone. God has made others believers too. Together we are His church on earth. This is what I believe. This is what I confess.

I believe...FAITH...I believe in...the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Death is the great equalizer. Young or old, male or female, rich or poor, famous or unknown, lawabiding citizen or criminal-eventually, all must die. I may wish it were not so. I may try to postpone it in every way imaginable-diet, exercise, safety precautions, clean living-but eventually death will knock at my door. What then? Is death the end? Is there life beyond death?

I don't have to wonder. I don't have to speculate. I don't have to be afraid. My Savior rose from the dead. He guarantees that I will too. He promises that at the moment I die, my soul will be with him in heaven. He assures me that on the Last Day, my body will be raised from the dead to be reunited with my soul forever.

On that Last Day, God will remake my body to be like Christ's glorious resurrection body. In my present existence, I am constantly subject to pain, disease, aging and death.

At the resurrection, I will have an imperishable, immortal, glorified body. With these eyes I will see God. With these ears I will hear the sounds of heaven. With this voice I will worship Him. With these feet I will stand in my Savior's presence. With these hands I will serve Him. With every fiber of my being I will praise and glorify Him. In my resurrection body, I will stand together with family and friends who also trusted in Jesus for their salvation. Believers from across the pages of time will be there too.

At the resurrection, I will have an imperishable, immortal, spiritual body.

And so I will ever be with the Lord. My existence in heaven will never end. I won't want it to end. And it won't. All the problems and sorrows of life will be gone, replaced by eternal joys and pleasures. Best of all, I will be in the presence of my loving, heavenly Father forever.

Is mine a pie-in-the-sky kind of faith? Am I just dreaming and hoping for something that may or may not happen? No. I am convinced it will happen. I will be raised from the dead. I will live in heaven forever. I'm certain about it, because my Savior has promised it.

The Apostles' Creed concludes with "Amen." Everything the creed says is true; everything it promises will happen. And if people should ask me why, I will be glad to tell them. I am ready to share what I believe.

19. Common ? Questions: How Do You Know Your Church is the Right One?

from 2002 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Sometimes people grow up in a church and never think about whether they are in the right church. They get married in a church perhaps because their family always belonged to the church. Perhaps they liked the way the church looked. Maybe they liked the pastor or priest. Maybe the church was warm and friendly. Maybe it was just down the block from their house. Which church is the right one? Before we answer that question, don't we need to find out what is meant by "the right one"?

Does right mean what is right for you? If it's right for you, does that mean it might not be right for someone else? If we mean which church is right for you, then what is right means what you decide is right. With that thinking, churches become like flowers. All you have to do is pick the one that looks the prettiest to you. You decide which pastor or priest you like the best and which group of people makes you feel the most welcome. People decide what is right and what is not right-one church is right for you and another is right for someone else.

But what if right means something different? What if right means "correct" or "true"? Then we are asking which church has the right teaching. That changes things, doesn't it? When we ask which church is the correct church, we want to know something about what the church stands for and teaches. We can skip over how beautiful the church is or how large it is. Those things may be important, but something mnore important is at stake.

People don't decide which church is right, God does. He says the church is right when it teaches the truth of His Word.

In order for a church to be right, it has to teach what God wants. People don't decide which church is right, God does. He says the church is right when it teaches the truth of His Word. Remember Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). If a large, beautiful church doesn't stand for the right things, it can't be true or right.

Only the Bible teaches what is right about Jesus. Our church teaches what the Bible teaches. So we know that our church is right because it teaches the truth about Jesus. We might not be the largest church or the most impressive on the outside. We try to make everyone feel welcome, but sometimes we fail. We're sorry about that and promise to do better. But people come to our church because that's where they hear the truth about Jesus. Without Him, nothing else matters.

20. Proclaim!

Proclaim Peace through Jesus. Equipping God's people to tell more people about Jesus. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us. I John 5:14

Some people are special to us. Our lives closely interact with them. As Christians we have a great concern if those special people are not believers in Jesus or if they have drifted away from the relationship with Christ that they once had. Pray for them!

Pray regularly. Think of those special people in your life and pray for them over and over again. Make a list of their names and put it in a prominent place where you will see it daily and be reminded to pray for them regularly. Ask God to work in their lives to create opportunities to bring them into contact with the Word of God.

Pray specifically. Try to learn more about each person so that you can pray more specifically about them and their unique circumstances. Pray for people by name, asking for the blessing and working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and lives. You may even tell them that you are praying for them and about their needs.

Pray dangerously. Pray, "Lord, use me to tell my friend more about Jesus!" Praying dangerously means that you ask God to provide a situation in which you have no choice but to witness to the person for whom you are praying. Perhaps the person will ask you something about your faith and church. Possibly the person will initiate a spiritual conversation about some aspect of Christian faith and life. When you pray, trust that the Lord will help you and open ways for you toshare your faith.

21. WELS Launches Purchasing Program

WELS has officially launched a new synodwide purchasing program called ShopWELS that can provide churches, schools, organizations and individual members with discounts on certain products. The synod has agreements with Hewlett Packard, Software Spectrum, Tech Depot, Office Depot and various communications providers. Discounts typically range from 5-25% based on the volume purchased. For more information or to participate in the program visit: < www.shopwels.net>.

22. Search Engine Generates Money for Charities

GoodSearch.com is an Internet search engine - powered Yahoo! It enables users to help fund non-profit organizations or schools (i.e. Martin Luther College) through the simple act of searching the Internet. You use GoodSearch.com like any other search engine. Each time you search a penny is generated for your favorite cause (you can view the total amount raised with the click of a button). WELS is listed at the site also. When visiting GoodSearch.com to begin your search, type in "Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (Milwaukee, WI)" or "Martin Luther College."

At the site you can also download a toolbar that appears inconspicuously at the top of your Explorer window so that you can use Good Search from any Web page.

23. WELS.Net Offers Variety of E-Mail Subscriptions

WELS.net offers free e-mail subscriptions to a veriety of devotions, prayers, news items, regularly published newsletters and e-mail discusswion groups. See a listing online at www.wels.net/jump/subscribe. Select a topic, then visit the page and use the "subscribe" box in the upper right of the Web page to enter your e-mail address. These pages also contain archives of past content. Here are some highlights of what's available:

- DEVOTIONS: A general daily devotion or one designed for teens is sent Monday through Friday. A weekly e-mail is available for college students.

- PRAYERS: Receive an e-mail wsith a daily prayer and a short list of requests Monday through Friday. Or subscribe to a monthly printable calendar page of daily prayer requests submitted by WELS called workers around the world.

- EVANGELISM TIPS: Proclaim! is released bi-weekly with Bible-based, practical tips for sharing your faith.

- NEWS: Communication Services puts out timely WELS News Releases on a regular basis. Learn what's happening in our home and world mission fields through the electronic version of the quarterly Mission Connection publication.

- OTHER: Worship helps, education opportunities, monthly interest rates from Church Extension Funds...take a look to see what interests you.

24. Confessing The Athanasian Creed

Trinity Sunday - That is the day all WELS Congregations should be confessing the Athanasian Creed during their worship services. This Creed, to which all WELS congregations and pastors have sworn to believe, teach and confess, begins: "Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic [i.e. universal, Christian] faith."

It ends with the following words: "This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved."

Some of the wording in this Creed sounds like we get to heaven by good works.

Over the Internet someone asked, "What do these words at the end mean?" 'Those who have done good will enter eternal life and those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire.'

"Every year when my congregation confesses this Creed and we get to this sentence, I am puzzled because I do not know what I am actually confessing in that sentence. My understanding from the Bible and from what I've been taught is that I cannot earn salvation by good works. So, why is the sentence in the Creed? I couldn't find anything in the Book of Concord that explains it. My search on the Internet for information hasn't revealed anything so far.

"Does that sentence refer to faith by itself, it is not accompanied by action, is dead [James 2:17] and really means that good works are evidence of faith? If so, why wasn't that plainly stated?

"Could someone please enlighten me on this sentence in the Creed" Also, where could I find information on who really wrote the Athanasian Creed, how and why it was written?"

Dear Someone:

The following verses explain how we are saved by grace alone and not by works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 - Yes, by His grace you are saved through faith. It was not your own doing; it is God's gift. It is not the result of anything you have done; and so no one may boast. For He has made us what we are, creating us in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

However, Pieper writes as follows: "But even on the Judgment Day the righteous are judged only according to their good works because these works are the proof of their faith in Christ; the evil works of the believers are not brought to light again because through the believer's justification You will again love us, subdue our wrongs, and throw all our sins into the deep sea. [Micah 7:19], that is have been forgiven." Chrisitian Dogmatics, Vol. III, page 540.

The following Bible passages apply: [Matthew 25:44] "Then they also will ask, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn't help You" [Matthew 25:45] "Then He will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did not do for one of these, even the least important of them, you did not do for Me.' [II Corinthians 5:10] We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, each to receive what he deserves according to what he did with his body, whether good or evil." The point is that we are saved by grace alone, but we will all be judged by our works. The Judgment is about works through faith, not just faith, or else how will God judge the heathens?

The scales of justice must be equal for Christians and non-Christians on Judgment Day. Otherwise, there would be two different standards of judgment, the Christians being judged by their faith and the heathen being judged by their works.

The heathen can't be judged by faith because they don't have any faith. Both Christians and the heathen will be judged equally by their works.

Both the heathen and the Christians will be judged by their works at the Judgment. The heathen will have no good works because they have no faith! [Hebrews 11:6] It is impossible to please God without faith. Yes, if anyone comes to God, he must believe that God exists and rewards those who search for Him.

The Christians will have good works because they have the full righteousness and work of Christ given them by grace alone through faith in Christ. Christians will also have actual good works in which they participate because they are in Christ and their 'good works' now please God according to Ephesians 2:10 above.

Therfore, the end of the Athanasian Creed is absolutely correct. It presupposes the faith of the believer and the unbelief of th the heathen. The existence of, or lack of, good works will be evident to all at the Judgment. Not only without faith is it impossible to please God, it is impossible to be saved, according to [Mark 16:16] He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be damned.

Think of it this way: Good works come as standard operating equipment on every Christian that God makes.

Saving faith is also a faith that does good work. Faith doesn't save because it does good works, rather, good works are evidence that faith is alive, just like breath proves the heart is beating.

25. Endowment Fund Emphasis Introduced At Conventions

As directed by the 2005 Synod Convention, WELS Ministry of Christian Giving in partnership with WELS Foundation has begun emphasizing giving towards two $150 million endowment funds. The emphasis was rolled out in June at the district conventions by Christian giving counselors. They will follow up with training at the local level to help members understand the benefits of synodical endowment funds as well as endowments for churches.

There are two main funds, WELS Ministerial Education Endowment and WELS Missions Endowment. The Ministerial Education Endowment has a sub-fund for each of WELS' four ministerial education schools. The Missions Endowment Fund has two sub-funds - one each for home and world missions.

WELS' endowment funds should provide financial stability, during fluctuations in the economy and inflation, to ministry programs depending on continuous and predictable financial support.

26. Multi-Language Publications Celebrates 10th Anniversary

This summer marks the 10th anniversary of WELS Multi-Language Publicatins. The program and its committee were established by the Board for World Missions to provide a comprehensive listing and to assist in the production of confessional Christian literature or other mass-media in the languages of countries where WELS is working and in other areas or language groups where we may never work. The goal is to use the printed word to reach out way beyond available manpower to bring many more people to faith in Jesus. Since 1996, the total print count has been more than one million copies in 40 different languages.

Multi-Languate Publications has involved the work of many people in cross-cultural missions in the United States and other countries. These people have aided the development of books, pamphlets, CDs and videos that have been distributed around the globe, many times by mission agencies of other church bodies. They have also conducted workshops and seminars on translation, English as a Second Language, Sunday school, writing and Bible storying (verbally telling Bible stories).

Multi-Language Publicatinos plans to move forward with a focus on materials for the 60 percent of the world's population considered illiterate. Also, whereas past materials were meant for evangelism and instruction, next they would like to release doctrinally-focused literature to serve as a foundation for future generations.

27. What you can do...A Prayer for Our Nation

Please feel free to pass this prayer out to your friends and neighbors and use it as a comfort in our national sorrow and a plea for God's forgiveness, saving Grace and protection. You may use this for multiple people by having each take a paragraph and follow it with the Lord's Prayer.

Almighty and Merciful God, we know that as a nation we have sinned greatly in our immorality, ungodliness and lack of thanks for all of the peace and safety our nation has enjoyed from enemies. We also repent for having trusted in our armed forces, technology and weaponry which in reality could never keep us safe.

Forgive us these sins in Your Mercy and for Jesus' Sake. It is You alone, Almighty Protector, Who has kept us safe all these years, guarded our land and kept the terroists and enemies from carrying out their destructive deadly actions.

Heavenly Father, Lord of the nations, a crucial moment has come for our courtry as terrorists have leveled attacks against this land. There was much loss of life and severe injury. There is much comfort and help that is needed which You alone can give.

We flee to You for refuge and plead for Your strength. Many families have been touched by the loss of loved ones and we are reminded that the world in which we live is so sinful. Nothing is hidden from Your eyes, Dear Lord. You know who was responsible. You know who was hurt. We ask that You deal with each according to Your Will.

You promise that You make all things work together for the good of all who love You. Forgive us for our doubts and for wondering how all this was possible. Give us the faith to hold on to the promises of good coming from this all. Give us faith to be led by You. Give us faith to know that You can accomplish all things.

We humbly bow before You and seek Your guidance during the heavy days that are ahead. Direct President Bush and Congress and all who are responsible for the nation's future course along paths pleasing to You. Teach us individually to understand that we might be called on to sacrifice much for the defense of our country, even our possessions, maybe our sons and daughters. Please keep this from happening again to others.

Dear God, You can break the bow and cut the enemies' spear in two. We commit this cause of justice and righteousness into Your Hands. We confess that we have been given so much and have appreciated so little what You have given to us. Turn hearts to You. Lead us to come to the cross of Jesus where we have full and free pardon and strength and the assurance of Your love.

Help us in this crisis to declare, "If God be for us, who can be against us!" Therefore, Lord of the nations, be with us now as You have been with our fathers in the past. We humbly bow before You and say, "Your Will be done." In the name of Jesus our Savior.

We praise and thank You for Your Saving Word and for Your Son's suffering and death which opened heaven's door. I believe that He is my Savior from sin. Send the Holy Spirit into our hearts and unite us to Jesus and to the whole Christian Church on earth. Amen.

28. The Safest Place

- Avoid riding in an automobile because it is responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents

- Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home

- Avoid walking on street or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians

- Avoid traveling by air, rail or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation

- Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in hospitals so above all else, avoid hospitals!

BUT you will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church. AND Bible study is safe too. The percentage of deaths during church Bible study is even less. So for safety sake, attend church and come to Bible study. It could save your life.

29. What We Are To Do

Through wisdom is a house built; and by understanding it it framed: And by knowledge all the rooms be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. [Proverbs 24:3-4]

This is a wonderful picture of what we are to do. A man builds a house and then he fills that house with furniture, with lovely pictures and tapestries, with beautiful personal items and valuable things. It is a pleasure to see a home like that, a beautiful home that is tastefully furnished.

You and I ought to be building us a house down here, a house of wisdom, a house of knowledge. We should begin to store our minds and our hearts with all kinds of wonderful furniture, vases, pictures and lovely things. This was the thing that Paul admonished Timothy: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." [2 Timothy 2:15] And you and I should be filling our hearts and lives with the Word of God. People! Lets's be working toward a beautiful mansion; let's not be satisfied with a hovel.

In South America visiting with a missionary, he took me to some of the homes in his area. Many of them were what we would call a "lean-to" made out of old boards. Many of them were decaying, dilapidated places. Inside there was no place to sit, not even a chair. There would be a blanket or a sheepskin in a corner where the family would sleep; there was no bed. The cooking was done on the outside. I thought how tragic it was! Frankly, it made me sick just thinking of the poverty of those people down in South America. But dear friend, up here in North America, I know many Christians who should have spent their lives building a lovely home - a spiritual home - and filling it with all kinds of wonderful treasures out of the Word of God. Instead, all they have is a little hovel. And when I look inside - oh, the ignorance! There is nothing there; it is absolutely bare.

In talking to a group of pastors lately, they agreed with me on this: the greatest tragedy in our churches today is the ignorance of the church members. Oh, the poor little empty houses they have. "Through wisdom is a house built; and by understanding it is framed: and by knowledge shall the rooms be filled with all precious and pleasant riches from the Lord's storehouse.

30. World Missions News Briefs

Lutheran Church of Central Africa-Zambia: A seminary class of 16 men completed their first year of studies in May. This is one of the strongest classes ever. The present vicar class of five students also graduated in May 2006.

Russia: There are four organized congregations and several preaching stations serving the Russian state of Siberia. Outreach efforts in Russia include radio devotions broadcasted in Novosibirsk, the distribution of publications and a Russian informational web site. The most effective outreach, however, has been done when church members invite people to worship.

Mexico: Mexico recently adopted an aggressive five-year plan for ministry that calls for three more exploratory mission efforts. Mexico currently has six congregations, two established mission congregations and five exploratory missions. Four students are training in the seminary in Torreon.

Hong Kong: Asia Lutheran Seminary will complete its first year of teaching soon and rejoices in its first graduate.

31. Elevation

Most Lutheran churches have ceilings higher than you find in an average home. By making the space where we worship a little bit different from the space where we do normal, everday things, we are trying to give a sense of the awe we feel in the presence of God. God is present everywhere, but He is present in a special way when we worship. He comes to us in a special way in the sacraments. He speaks directly to us in His Word. We give elevated attention to these things, so we elevate the roof of the building where we find them.

Most Lutheran churches also elevate various symbols, particularly the cross. The cross on which Jesus died was on a hill and if we lift up our eyes to that particular hill, we sense that something special is going on. Here we see a person who did not deserve to die but died anyway, in the place of others. We lift up our eyes to see perfect love in action. Some day we will lift up our eyes again when we see Jesus return, elevated and glorified.

Some Lutheran churches have a empty cross in the front of the church to remind us that Jesus is no longer crucified. Rather, He is risen from the dead. Others have a cross with a representation of Jesus' body on it [called a crucifix] to remind us that Jesus was a real human being Who suffered a real death.

Some Lutheran churches elevate the bread and wine on the altar when the words of institution are spoken to show that we are celebrating the Lord's Supper. Most Lutheran pastors elevate their hands when they use the Word of God to bless the people who have come to worship. A few Lutheran churches even elevate the Bible when it is being read.

What you may have noticed about Lutheran worship is that the people even elevate themselves. There are times when they stand and when they sit. At some Lutheran churches there are even times when they kneel. The kneeling shows humility; the standing shows respect. Lutherans stand during worship - whether singing, praying or listening--when they want to indicate their respect for God and His Word. The sad thing is that rising, kneeling or folding of hands traditions which show our relationship to God are too often easily set aside as unimportant actions.

There is a custom of rising when someone important enters the room or is about to speak and no one is more important than our SAVIOR. He has something important to say to us.

32. Fathers

Does the Bible have a "job description" for fathers? In Deuteronomy 6, God tells us, "Impress (these commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

It gives us an opportunity as Christians to examine the role of a Christian father in families today. One of the most frequent images that God has given us of Himself is that of a "Father," but that sometimes clashes with the reality that many of us have had with our own fathers!

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it."

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)

To fathers, Paul says, "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect." (I Timothy 3:12)

Proverbs 13:24 says, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." (Also see Proverbs 19:18, 22:15, 23:13.)

"Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." (Colossians 3:21)

Even more than mothers, God has chosen fathers to lead, guide, discipline, teach and be examples to their children of Christian behavior, words and attitudes. After all, children remember only 10% of whay you say, but 100% of what you do!

God has called Christian men to the high calling of serving Him as Christian fathers. As heads of their households, they are to set the standards for the nurturing environment of their children instead of dumping that responsibility on their wives.

Occasionally when I call the home of one of my confirmation students to discuss an assignment or issue, the father answers the phone. As soon as I mention that I'm calling about his son or daughter's class, he says, "Honey, it's for you," and hands the phone to his wife. But I wanted to talk to him, as the spiritual head of the family.

In Luther's Small Catechism under the section of "The Ten Commandments," the subheading says, "As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household." In fact, after each heading of the Six Chief Parts, the same subheading is written. Clearly for Luther, the Small Catachism was not to be taught to the children by the pastor, but by the child's own fahter! Somehow over the last century, we have shifted the responsibility of Christian education from the father and mother and laid it on the church.

What we need today are more Christian fathers who take up their role as the spiritual leader in their family and lead. Many fathers are more than willing to let their wives carry their responsibility, but GOD still holds men accountable for the task of raising their own children.

What do Christian fathers do to raise godly children?

a. They attend Adult Bible Study to know themselves what God wants them to teach their children about pleasing God and being saved.

b. They read Bible stories to their children every night and pray with their children about the things that concern them.

c. They bring their children to Sunday School and Church each week, not just drop them off at the door and then go out to eat breakfast. (Remember actions speak louder than words and they will do 100% of what they see YOU do!)

d. They give their children good examples of honesty, respect, love, obedience to God and Christian service to His church. (Having that radar detector in the car teaches them that it's okay to speed as long as you don't get caught!)

e. They put their wives and children before their jobs, hobbies, leisure, car and recreation. (When YOUR life is in balance, God brings all else together.)

f. They spend time teaching their children important lessons about life and eternity and work with their children doing chores around the house.

g. They show their sons how to treat women by loving their wives, mothers and daughters and by being kind, considerate and gentle with them. They show their daughters, by example, what qualities to look for some day in a husband!

May God bless families!

33. A Drug Problem

I had a "drug" problem when I was a young person and teenager.

I was "drug" to church on Sunday morning.

I was "drug" to church on Sunday night.

I was "drug" to church on Wednesday night.

I was "drug" to Sunday School every week.

I was "drug" to Vacation Bible School.

I was "drug" to the family altar to read the Bible and pray.

I was also "drug" to the woodshel when I disobeyed my parents.

Those "drugs" are sill in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say and think! They are stronger than cocaine, crack or heroin and if our children had this kind of a "drug" problem, America would certainly be a better place.

34. Evangelical and Evangelistic

Christ, our Lord, has opened a sure door into eternal life by His Holy Sacrifice. He Himself is the Door. Many do not know that the door has been opened. It is our primary task to share with all people this exciting news. This is the high commission and sacred charter which the Lord has given to His Church. God wants saints on their way to heaven to be disturbed about sinners on their way to hell and share with them that Jesus is their Savior. Once this thinking grips the conscience of the royal priesthood, the church will be more than a field where the called workers and a few others labor. It will be a mighty force of gathered believers who are passionate and persistent about doing the Lord's work.

We call ourselves evangelical. The word "evangel" comes from a Greek word meaning good news. Evangelical means that we are possessed of, imbued with and committed to the good news of Christ's forgiving grace. All of us kow that the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ is the best news that has ever been announced to the world. This gospel alone has the power to give to mankind that which it offers, forgiveness through faith in our divine Redeemer.

We must also be an evangelistic church. That means that evangelism is to be the heartbeat of the church. Soul saving should be the leading theme on all fronts of the church's work, for all age levels, in all festivals and in all services and activites of the congregation. All that we do in every area of congregational ministry must be comprehended in this single purpose, to save souls, our souls and the souls of others.

We are blessed to be an evangelical church where all things are centered on the gospel. We are also called to be an evangelistic church. We are the messengers of the gospel through which God does His marvelous work of rescuing souls from hell and brings them to heaven.

35. United Way

Most communities have a "donor Option" program in which you may designate a qualified 501c(3) agency to receive your donation.

Wisconsin Lutheran Child & Family Service receives gifts from different United Way agencies throughout the U.S. as a qualified 501c(3) non-profit agency.

Questions about your participation in such a program can be answered by checking your local U.W. guidelines, asking your Human Resource Director at work, calling WLCFS toll free 1-888-685-9522, ext. 225 or e-mailing: info@wlcfs.org.

36. Ministry-By-Mail

Ministry-By-Mail offers spiritual guidance for those away from their church home. Have you ever been away from your home congregation? It can get lonely without your church family and it sometimes can be difficult to find a new congregation. Maybe there isn't even a WELS church in the immediate area. When you need spiritual support, where do you go?

Several WELS areas of ministry offer ministry-by-mail programs that provide spiritual guidance and support when people are unable to attend their home congregation.

The Commission on Special Ministries sends written sermons, e-mail devotions, Meditations and Mission Connections to individuals who are in the military. It also notifies one of its 125 civilian chaplains in the U.S. or its European chaplain, who may be able to offer spiritual services personally.

The Commission on Special Ministries also serves inmates through the mail. Prisoners receive devotional worship folders and Meditations for free. In addition, he or she will have the opportunity to receive Bible correspondence courses and other Christian materials from the WELS Prison Ministry Distribution Center. "Our mission is to support those who are unable to benefit from the local ministry of the Word," says Pastor Carl Ziemer, administrator for Special Ministries.

In order to support these people, Special Ministries needs to know who they are. One of the only ways to discover this information is by referral from family members, friends or congregation members.

"We need their names and their current addresses so that we can bring them the comfort and encouragement that only God's Word can provide," says Ziemer. "Without those addresses we can only wish that we had known of their whereabouts."

37. Hymns and Songs of the Liturgy

The liturgy provides an opportunity for God's people to actively join together in worshipping our Lord. Hymns and songs are the easiest ways for people to express worship. The apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesians [5:19] and the Colossians [3:16] to use "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" with gratitute in their hearts. Music is used in worship to give expression in reverence, adoration, praise and prayer. Most important hymns should serve as both confession and response to the glorious working of the Triune God, for us and in us.

Early Christian churches continued the Jewish synagogue practice of using hymns and psalms in their services. Then, in western Europe, hymn singing by congregation members was removed during the Middle Ages and even after the REFORMATION by the reformed. During the Reformation, congregational music was restored to worship by Luther.

The music of the worship service has fundamental importance. The songs of the liturgy enhance the major components of worship - confession and absolution, the reading of the Word, the sermon and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. By singing, worshippers prepare themselves to receive and respond to God's abundant grace.

The Lutheran order of worship begins with the confession of our sins. With our confession, we sing the reverent words "Lord have mercy," and express our humility before God and our need for a Savior. The pastor proclaims absolution of our sins and all praise the Lord for His forgiveness. We joyfully respond to the Triune God by singing "Glory be to God," as the angels rejoice at the birth of the Savior and clearly express joy in what Christ has done for us.

The ancient hymns and liturgical songs used in our services today give all people an opportunity to share in praising the Lord. The words and melodies prepare our hearts and minds with the receiving of God's Word and Sacraments by an appropriate response of prayer and praise.

38. The Christmas Log

The Christmas Log is a special adaptation of the traditional "Advent Log," or "Yule Log." We call it the Christmas Log because it represents the Christmas Cycle of the church year, which includes three seasons: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. The nine candles named below are explained in the course of the service.

It should be a simple matter to construct a Christmas Log for use during the Christmas Eve Service (or also for use in your own home during your daily family devotions from December through January). The log may be made of traditional birch, oak, pine, ash or of any other available wood. You may find it most convenient to affix the candles by means of spiked candle holders. It is also possible to use a florist's wax or to drill holes into the log. For extended use in the home, however, the spiked holders are most conveninet since it will be necessary to replace the candles from time to time.

The Christmas Cycle of the Church Year

The Advent Season - December 3 - December 24 BLUE

The Candle of Prophecy (The First Sunday in Advent)

The Bethlehem Candle (The Second Sunday in Advent)

The Shepherd Candle (The Third Sunday in Advent)

The Angel Candle (The Fourth Sunday in Advent)

The Christmas Season (December 25 - January 5) RED

The Nativity Candle (Christmas Day)

The Candle of Adoption (The Sunday after Christmas)

The Candle of Thanksgiving (New Year's Eve)

The Jesus Candle (New Year's Day)

The Epiphany Season (January 6 - Feb. 18) WHITE

The Epiphany Candle (Ephiphany and the Sundays after Epiphany)

39. The Testimony of a Great Scientist

The following testimony is by Francis Bacon, one of the world's greatest scientists. It stands as a witness against those today who deal in "science falsely so called" and who despise faith:" 'A Christian is one that believes things his reason cannot comprehend and hopes for things which neither he nor any man ever saw. He believes three to be one and one to be three; a Father not to be older than His Son and a Son to be equal with His Father. He believes himself to be precious in God's sight and yet he loathes himself in his own right. He dares not justify himself, even in those things wherein he can find no fault with himself and yet believes that God accepts him in those services wherein he is able to find many faults.

He is so ashamed that he dares not open his mouth before the Lord, yet comes with boldness to God and asks Him for anything he needs. He has within him both flesh and spirit and yet he is not a double-minded man. He is often led captive by the law of sin, yet it never gets dominion over him. He cannot sin, yet he can do nothing without sin. He is so humble as to acknowledge himself to deserve nothing but evil, yet he believes that God means him all good.'

40. Baptism: A Divine Washing

"So what's the big deal? I don't understand why Grandma is so upset about this. She keeps telling me it is a baptism and not a christening. What's the difference? A church rite is a church rite. Besides, he's our baby and Grandma shoud quit pressuring us to have him batpized so quickly. I'd rather plan for a weekend when the whole family can get together for dinner."

Sound familiar? Is baptism more than a simple church rite? Yes! In Baptism, God works a creation miracle at the font. The apostle Paul explains what this miracle means to us when he writes: "It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Corinthians 1:21,22). Baptism is clearly an important part of God's plan for the church. Jesus showed that as well when He commanded the church, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...and teaching them" (Matthew 28:19,20).

What makes Baptism a divine washing? The water is not special. How we apply the water is not an important issue either. The word baptize simply means to use water in any of a variety of ways. The practice of washing with water was an integral part of Old Testament ceremonial worship life. Jesus took that rather well-known custom and gave it a special place in the New Testament church. He told the church to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).

What makes Baptism a divine washing and what gives Baptism its power is the connection of water and the Word - the name of the one saving God. As the Catechism teaches, "God's Name is everything God has revealed to us about Himself in His Word" (Small Catechism, David Kuske, page 59). It's no wonder Luther says, "For God Himself here puts His honor, might and power on the line...this Word contains and transmits all of God's fullness" (Large Catechism, Janzow translation, page 100). God places His Name upon us in Baptism and welcomes us into a family, the family of God Himself.

One final reminder: Because Baptism is a divine washing, any Christian can baptize. The power is in God's Word, not in the officiant. Normally, for the sake of good order and to prevent confusion or jealousy in the congregation, believers entrust this responsibility to pastors. However, in an emergency any Christian can use water and the Word of God and can be an instrument of God's amazing grace to save.

41. "No One Can Be Saved Outside of Rome" - NOT TRUE

Many of the Roman Catholic popes have proclaimed "ex cathedra" meaning "from the throne" that no one can be saved apart from the Roman Catholic Church. These declarations are considered infallible by Roman Catholic dogma and cannot be overturned.

Pope Innocent III, speaking at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 said, "There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside of which no one at all can be saved."

Pope Boniface VIII, in his Bull Unam Sanctam of 1302 said, "We declare, say, define and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."

Pope Eugene IV, in his Bull Cantate Domino of 1441 stated, "No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and unity of the Roman Catholic Church."

But any called Evangelical, Lutheran, Protestant or Baptist today who affiliates with the Roman Catholic Church is a traitor to the faith once delivered to the saints by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

42. WELS Constitution Updates Available

The WELS Committee on Constitutional Matters has completed its revision of WELS' Constitution and Bylaws. Amendments approved at this summer's 2007 convention have been incorporated and copies may be downloaded at www.wels.net/jump/constitution. A limited number of printed copies are also available. Contact Carla Martin at 414-256-3202 or carla.martin@sab.wels.net.

43. Calvary Academy

Calvary Academy has a new home in Mulberry, Florida about 30 miles west of Tampa. "It is Calvary's purpose to provide Christ-centered assistance to families who have children that are displaying behavioral problems." It was decided to move Calavary from Wisconsin due to the fact that the State of Wisconsin would not allow the school to stay open year-round. For more information call Calvary Academy-Florida at 863-428-2071 or visit www.calvaryacademy.net.

44.  Eternal Joy

“He is not here. He is risen from the Dead.”

ETERNAL JOY

Death

Physical Death – is separation from God’s physical blessings to us.

Spiritual Death – is separation from God’s spiritual blessings.

Eternal Death – is separation from God’s eternal blessings.

Two teens were drag racing in the Atlanta area. Neither won! Both lost their lives. The officer on the scene said, “Death is the last thing that should have happened to these two young men.”

It is not unusual to hear: “Death is the last thing that ‘should happen’ to a newborn infant or a teenager in the prime of life. It’s the last thing that ‘should happen’ to a newly married husband or wife. It’s the last thing that ‘should happen’ to a person who just retired to enjoy life.” Death may be the last thing we want to have happen to a friend or loved one or ourselves. Death is not what God wanted for us, but the first two people brought it on us. It should not have happened! We should all be enjoying an endless trouble free life!

Mark Twain gave the odds on death: “One out of every one dies.” We know why. All die because all have sinned. Even the Son of God died because of sin, Our sin! But death was not the last thing that happened to Him. He rose from the dead. He returned to heaven to prepare a place for us. He will come again to take us to be with Him. There we will enjoy an endless life of joy free from death and where it won’t ever happen.

The glory of heaven; seeing Jesus face to face; reunion with our loved ones; everlasting joy…that’s the last thing that will happen to us!!

What a wonderful LIFE Jesus has given us! What a wonderful HOPE Jesus has given us!

LIFE

Reception of God’s blessings, Physically, Spiritually and /Eternally all

through Faith in Jesus Christ.

Physical Life – is reception of God’s physical blessings to us.

Spiritual Life – is reception of God’s spiritual blessings to us.

Eternal Life – is the reception of God’s eternal blessings to us.

through faith in Jesus Christ.

45.  Benefits Congregations Receive being Members of WELS

What benefits do our congregations receive by being member of WELS?

1.  IDENTIFICATION:  Churches affiliated with WELS are identified as members of a conservative, Bible-believing church body.  The WELS logo helps people quickly identify a congregation as a member of the WELS church body.

2.  TRAINING:  Our pastors, teachers and staff members all have been trained by the same ministerial education system that focuses on proclaiming God's word in its truth and purity.

3.  OVERSIGHT:  Our Conference of Presidents serves as an oversight committee of our congregations and all called workers as far as doctrine and practice are concerned.

4.  MISSIONS:  Our World Missions division carries the gospel throughout the world.  Our Home Missions division strives to assist congregations with the opening of new missions and daughter congregations in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

5.  FINANCES:  WELS Church Extension Fund provides grants and low interest loans to mission congregations that are purchasing land and building church structures.  The WELS Foundation provides financial services to our congregations in the area of special and deferred gifting.  Most of this work is done through the Gift Planning Counselors who provide services to all our congregations in the U.S. and Canada.  Some of the gift planning tools include: Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Life Estates, Insurance Trusts and Donor Advised Funds.  The Foundation is also the manager of the WELS Investment Funds, the money management skills which are available to all congregations and affilitates of the WELS.

6.  PUBLISHING:  Northwestern Publishing House produces literature that is true to God's Word.  This includes Bible Study materials for all ages, Bible commentaries, devotional books, Sunday school materials, etc.  WELS Parish Services provides Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Jesus Cares, Christian Day School, Lutheran High School, youth ministry, elder ministry, special ministry, worship, evangelism and stewardship services at a reasonable cost.

7.  CALLED WORKER SUPPORT SERVICES:  WELS VEBA provides health, disability and pension coverage to all our called workers.  WELS VEBA strives to produce results that are advantageous to our called workers and financially prudent for our congregations and synod.  WELS Human Resources is available for advice as congregations strive to display the "double honor" we are to show our pastors, teachrs and staff ministers.

The above are just a few of the things our Congregational Mission Offerings support.  Our abundant, overflowing offerings allow these and other ministries to exist.  The Congregational Mission Offering is intended to be the fuel that fires the WELS engines so the synod can deliver ministry to us and the world.  Our Congregational Mission Offerings are the way we say "Yes" to the programs and ministry of WELS.

46. Hypocrites by John A. Braun 

Studies suggest that the unchurched consider Christians to be hypocrites.  They see Christians going to church on Sunday morning and then during the week they see something different.  The news media are quick to point out that hypocrisy.  Lead stories announce that people who were members of a church have committed unspeakable crimes from pedophilia to murder.

Yes, such events do occur.  Christian marriages collapse because one partner decides to find sexual excitement outside the marriage.  Christian families explode with domestic violence, drugs or a host of other problems.  Personal integrity and honesty disappear before the temptations of money, power, prestige and ambition.  When such things happen - make no mistake they do - they give all Christians and especially Jesus a black eye.

The perception that Christians are nothing but hypocrites is not new.  Christian failure and sin have accompanied the Christian witness throughout history.  One might even be so bold as to suggest that the history of the church, like the history of the secular world, is filled with arragance, greed, bloodshed and a struggle for power.  Even if we look at our own lives, we find that we are not perfect.  I know the gaps and holes in my Christian life.  Yes, to those outside I am a hypocrite.  I keep my failures hidden most of the time, but I pray that my mistakes will not become so evident that they keep someone else away from Jesus.

I have a couple of observations about the accusation that Christians are hypocrites.  First, Christians do fail.  Lutheran Christians too.  We fail to live out our faith in countless ways every day.  Living a life worthy of the Savior who has claimed us is a struggle.  Sometimes we fail miserably and bring disgrace to ourselves, our faith and our Savior.

But the Savior has achieved a full and complete forgiveness for me and for all.  We have been declared holy and righteous.  We have not been made holy and righteous.  That step is yet to come in the perfection of heaven.  Now we struggle just to make progress.  This is not an excuse for failure; it's only a realization of where we are in our walk with Jesus - our discipleship.

We are saints and sinners at once.  We turn from the failures - those we hide and those we cannot hide - and look to Jesus for the assurance of His forgiveness.  We repent.  That's a Christian's daily exercise.  The assurance of His full and complete forgiveness sets our failures behind us and also gives us power to make progress in our behavior.  By His forgiveness, we go on one more day, grateful that His blood cleansed us and that He permits us to live for Him.

Those outside the church - the unchurched - will notice our contradictory behavior and conclude that we are nothing but hypocrites.  One more observation:  how seriously should we take the criticism of those who do not know Jesus?  They see no reason for accepting the Christian message.  Is the criticism just another excuse to continue without Jesus?  How can they understand the way forgiveness works in the Christian life if the gospel remains foolishness to them?  Don't they also resent Christians for being too good and too moral?  Don't they look down on us when we fail to go along with their immorality?

I'm saddened by the criticism because I'm saddened by every failure Christians make - my failures included.  But I'm pleased to be a disciple of Jesus.  The outsiders accused Him too.  Yet He welcomed sinners and ate with them.  So, Lord, may I sit with you, unworthy though I am.

47.  No Need for an Alternate Ending 

We watched a good movie the other night but unlike most movies, the hero dies.

People don't know how to deal with that.  I mean, we've become so conditioned to expect that at the end of every good movie the hero will rise and triumph, that we don't know what to do when the hero dies.  Is the whole scene just a dream where, at the very end, we'll be brought back to reality and the movie's hero is again alive and well?

Is this particular movie, under the DVD's "Special Features...," there is - you guessed it - an alternate ending.

I think I can understand why many of us would usually prefer that our movies have happy endings.  It's because we consider movies to be a little vacation from reality.  We understand that danger, diaster, disease and death are the tragic consequences of sin and the heartbreaking reality of living in a sinful world, but for an hour and a half we want a movie that will transport us to a place where truth and justice prevail and the good guys win.

There are others, I suppose, who see movies as an extension of their idea of realism and therefore are thrilled by all the blood and guts and violence and vulgar talk and foul language.  For such viewers, the more people who die, the better the movie.

Some folks, I suspect, use movies as some sort of escape mechanism, hoping against hope that real life will be life "in the movies" where, in less than two hours, all the problems are solved and all the good guys live happily ever after.

Sorting fact from fiction, truth from falsehood and reality from fabrication, becomes fuzzy on the big screen.  So you can have it both ways.  Those who can stomach the death of the hero can accept the original ending.  Those who want the hero to live can switch to the alternate ending.

We are reminded of a scene - not from the movies but from the Bible, where the Hero both dies and lives, without the benefit of "Special Features" or "Alternate Endings!"  Amazingly, the whole scene is absolute, true reality without any suggestion of fiction or fabrication.

The scene begins on a cross where our Hero dies.  We wish it were not so.  We cry.  We didn't want it to end this way.  But as quickly as the Friday scene ends, the next scene transports us to a "Happy Sunday" where our Hero is fully alive.  His death is real, just as the forgiveness in which we now live is real and His living again is real, just as in reality we too will live forever in heaven.

We don't have to go to the movies to view this incredible scene.  Yes, it has blood, it has death and it has shocking suspense.  There is a Hero who dies and who lives but there's no need for an alternate ending.  There's justice, too.  He died for our sins and in our place.  He rose again and declares His victory our victory!  What an ending.

Because of this real-life scene from our real-life Savior, we don't have to click on "Special Features" and search for the "Alternate Ending."  Because JESUS both died and came back to life again, all people are invited to enjoy an "Alternate Ending" to their own lives.  This alternate ending transports us from time into eternity, from death into life and from earth into heaven.  But unlike "in the movies" this transport is reality-based.  In other words, it's true.

48.  Symbol of the Holy Blessed Trinity

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.  They are represented as being equal parts of a triangle whose sides are all equal.  As the triangle would be incomplete without one side, so the Holy Trinity is incomplete unless we worship all Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  The colors are green for the triangle and gold for the leaves.  The green means ever-living.  The gold means precious.

49.  "Judaizers Review Old Testament:  When Preaching Stinks the Synod Shrinks"

The rise of Judaizers in American Evangelical Christianity is due to the search for God's Grace without the New Testament Means of Grace:  Baptism, The Lord's Supper and Preaching.

More and more "GROWING" churches in America have pastors without a seminary education.  The Detroit Free Press recently featured the fast-growing "church" started in the inner suburban ring of Roseville.  It's called Paradox Church.  They have grown from 60 to 300 in two years with a non-seminary graduate, praise bands and no written doctrine! 

The ultimate example is found in the nation's largest church, "Lakewood Church" where Pastor Joel Osteen (with only one year of college) promotes "God-Blesses-Those-Who-Try-Hard-Religion."  From TBN to PTL, the airways are filled with preachers who claim God's Blessings for those who bless the Jews.

Yes, the Gospel, not preaching, is usually identified as a Means of Grace, but Christ's primary activity and the primary activity of the New Testament is preaching the Gospel.  Without the verbs:  baptize, eat & drink and preach; the MEANS OF GRACE have no value!  When preaching ends the Gospel becomes a museum piece and there will be no more Gospel. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come"  Matthew 24:14

50.  Postmodernism

Today we live in a postmodern world.  Postmoderism is a worldview characterized by the belief that truth is created rather than discovered.  The information below reveals how today's post-Christian world stands in direct contrast to Biblical Christianity.

TOLERANCE - Former Definition:  Accept others without agreeing with or sharing their beliefs or lifestyle choices.  Today's Definition:  Accepting that every individual's beliefs, values, lifestyles & truth claims are equal.

RESPECT - Former Definition:  Giving due consideration to others.  Today's Definition:  Wholeheartedly approving of others' beliefs or lifestyle choices.

ACCEPTANCE - Former Definition:  Embracing people for who they are, not necessarily for what they say or do.  Today's Definition:  Endorsing & praising others for their beliefs and lifestyle choices.

MORAL JUDGMENTS - Former Definition: - Certain things are morally right & wrong, as determined by GOD.  Today's Definition:  We have no right to judge another person's view or behavior.

PERSONAL PREFERENCE - Former Definition:  Preferences of color, food, clothing, style, hobbies, etc., are personally determined.  Today's Definition:  Preference of sexual behaviors, value systems, & beliefs are personally determined.

PERSONAL RIGHTS - Former Definition:  Everyone has the right to be treated justly under the law.  Today's Definition:  Everyone has the right to do what they believe is right.

FREEDOM - Former Definition:  Being free to do what you know you ought to do.  Today's Definition:  Being able to do anything you want to do.

TRUTH - Former Definition:  An absolute standard of right and wrong.  Today's Definition:  Whatever is right for you.

51. Come Holy Ghost God and Lord 

There are many in our day who think that the Holy Ghost comes to men in the same manner as then, on the Day of Pentecost, only without the tongues of fire.  They expect the Holy Ghost to fall on them or come to them directly from heaven without any intervening media such as Word and Sacrament. 

However, since the first fiery and visible outpouring for the founding of the New Testament church on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost does not come to men anymore in such a direct and visible manner, because since Pentecost the Holy Ghost is in the world and with Jesus disciples constantly to the end of time as Jesus has promised.  John 14:16

Since the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes to men through the Word and writings of the apostles and the Sacraments instituted by Christ, and in no other way! This is evident from the life and work of the apostles.  On the very Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came into the hearts of more than 3,000 through Peter's preaching and the sacrament of Baptism.  Later on the holy Ghost fell upon the people assembled in the house of Cornelius while Peter preached the word to them.  St. Paul reminds the Galatians that they had received the Holy Ghost "by the hearing of faith."  In his letter to Titus the same apostle calls Baptism "The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost."  The work of the apostles show that after Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given through the apostolic Word and the Sacraments ordained by God to convey His grace and Spirit.  All who have received the Holy Ghost since Pentecost have received Him either through Water Baptism, or by hearing or reading the Word of the apostles of the Lord.  The heathen do not have the Holy Ghost because they don't have the Word and the Sacrements; and the unbelievers do not have the Holy Ghost beause they despise Word and Sacraments.

On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost came suddenly and unannounced.  The Holy Spirit also comes today, not in response to the will of