Words of Encouragement for Oct. 6, 2010

Meditations in Genesis

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Genesis 3:1-13

The paradise which God created in the first two chapters of Genesis did not last long, for chapter three tells of the temptation of the devil, a fallen angel, who came to Eve in the form of the serpent.

“Did God really say that that you should not eat from any tree of the garden?” he asked, creating question in the woman’s mind. And when Eve said the prohibition and warning that disobedience would bring about death – alienation and separation from God – was only in regard to the tree in the middle of the garden, the devil distorted the truth by saying, “You will not surely die; for God knows that it in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” Thus, he caused her to think that perhaps God was somehow holding out on her and keeping from her and her husband something good and desirable.

Of course, this still happens every day. The devil comes to us through friends and coworkers, through the media and entertainment industries, and in our own thoughts and minds and says, “Does God really expect you to keep all those commandments in the Bible?” And he works hard to convince us that God is trying to keep us from having fun and enjoying life, or that He is placing an impossible burden upon us, that He really doesn’t expect us to keep all of His commandments, or that breaking just a few of the commandments now and then won’t really alienate and separate us from God – after all, everybody does it.

And, like Eve, when we look at the thing we are being tempted to do, it looks good and desirable to us. We think it will be fun or pleasurable; it will work out for our good; it won’t hurt anything; no one will know.

And so, we rationalize and give in to the temptation and to our own sinful desires, and the result is death! We recognize our nakedness and guilt before God. We may attempt to cover it up or even learn to cope with it, but the guilt remains. We are afraid to stand in His presence. We would rather not hear God’s Word or walk into His house of prayer. Why? Because our sin and disobedience, though it may have appeared to be good at the time, brought about spiritual death and separation from God. When confronted with the presence of God and His truth, we hide ourselves. When questioned about our sin, we make excuses and blame others.

As a result of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, we are all born into this world sinners – our very thoughts and desires are turned away from God and His holy commandments. What David wrote is true of each of us as a result of that first sin: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Instead of loving God, trusting Him and desiring to honor and glorify His name, we think only of ourselves, disbelieve God’s Word and seek our own honor and glory. We are born in spiritual death and are alienated from God.

That is why we so desperately need God’s pardon and forgiveness. We need Him to find us, forgive us and give us life again. And God has come to us and reached out to us in love and forgiveness. He desires to free us from our guilt and shame and give us life everlasting with Him. He did this by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to overcome temptation and sin for us and then go to the cross to be condemned, forsaken of God and die in our stead that we might have God’s pardon and forgiveness and not be afraid of God or troubled by guilt and shame any longer. In Christ Jesus, the sin of the world has been taken away; and in Christ Jesus, your sin and mine has been pardoned.

O dearest Jesus, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon me, find me and wash away the guilt of my sin in Your shed blood. And, dear Jesus, grant me a place in Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

My Dear Children

Our Good and Loving God

O LORD God, You have loved us with an everlasting love, and with lovingkindness You have drawn us (Jeremiah 31:3). Graciously grant that we come to know Your great goodness and Your everlasting love toward us in Christ Jesus, that we might trust in You, love You and show Your goodness and love to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

My Dear Children,

We think that we know true goodness and true, self-giving love; but we do not find true goodness or perfect love in this world, except in God. As Jesus said, “there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17); and as John writes, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Human goodness and human love (even among Christians) fails and comes short. It is infected by our sinfulness and fails to reflect the perfect goodness and love of God, our Father. To know goodness and love, we look to God; for God is good (Psalm 86:5; 118:1 ), and “God is love” (1 John 4:16). We see in Christ Jesus, the sinless Son of God, the goodness and love of God.

1. In Psalm 145:9, the Bible says, “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” What does this passage say of God’s goodness? Read also Matthew 5:43-48. How is God good to all?

2. Psalm 33:5 says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.” How is this so? What examples can you find in Psalm 33?

3. In Psalm 86:5, David writes: “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” How does this passage describe God’s goodness? What comfort can we sinners find in this passage of God’s Word?

4. Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” What does this psalm encourage us to do? How can we do this? Read verses 9-10 of this psalm. What do these words tell us of the LORD’s goodness.

5. Read Nahum 1:7. “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” How is the goodness of the LORD toward us described here? What comfort can we take from these words?

6. Read Romans 2:4. To what is the goodness of the Lord to lead us? Why is God good to us and to all people?

7. In Jeremiah 31:3, the LORD Himself says: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Does God’s love ever run out? How does God draw us with lovingkindness?

8. Read John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9-10. What do these passages teach us of God’s love? What did God’s love for us sinners move Him to do?

9. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Are we deserving of God’s love or of Christ’s death for our sins? Why did God send His Son, and why did Christ die for us?

10. Read Ephesians 2:1-10. What else did God do for us because of His great love?

11. Read Romans 8:31-39. What does this Word of God tell you of God’s love for you in Christ Jesus?

12. Read 1 John 3:1. What does this passage say of God’s love for us sinners?

13. Read 1 John 4:7-11. What should God’s great love for us move us to do?

GOD

We believe that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; I Corinthians 8:4). This God (called the LORD or JEHOVAH) is one divine Being or Essence, but three distinct Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (thus the name, Triune or Three/One God), each being eternal and equal in power and majesty, because each Person is the LORD God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; I John 5:7; Isaiah 48:16-17; John 1:1; Colossians 2:9; I Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 4:14). We believe that no one can worship or serve the Triune God except he believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the Savior of mankind from sin and its consequences (John 3:18,36; 5:23; 14:6; I John 2:23; 5:11-12). Hence, all who deny the Trinity of God (that God is three Persons) or the Unity of God (that God is one divine Being), or who do not trust in Jesus Christ, the Son, for salvation, do not worship and serve the true God.

Please Memorize: Psalm 145:9; Psalm 34:8; Psalm 86:5; 1 John 4:10; Romans 5:8.

The Augsburg Confession

Article XIV: Of Ecclesiastical Order

Of Ecclesiastical Order they teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called.

The Distinction between Orthodox

and Heterodox Churches

by Dr. Franz Pieper

Editor’s Note: Dr. Franz Pieper was professor of theology at Concordia Seminary (1878 to 1887), became president of the same institution in 1887, and was also president of the Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other states from 1899 until 1911. He served as editor of Lehre und Wehre, the faculty journal of Concordia Seminary. From 1882 to 1899, Pieper served on the Board of Colored Missions for the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America. He is the author of Christliche Dogmatik (3 vols., 1917-1924; translated as Christian Dogmatics, 1950-1953). He died in St. Louis in 1931. This essay was delivered by Dr. F. Pieper in 1889 to the Southern District Convention of the Missouri Synod. The original essay was translated by three former Synodical Conference pastors: G. Schweikert, P.T. Meicher and E.L. Mehlberg and appeared in a 1948 issue of the The Okabena Lutheran.

Introduction

In accordance with God’s Word, we firmly maintain a twofold doctrine: first, that God does not only have His children in the orthodox Church, that is, in the visible fellowship where God’s Word is preached in all its truth and purity; but that children of God are also to be found in heterodox fellowships where God’s Word is not preached in all its purity, but truth is mixed with error. Secondly, however, we also maintain the great difference between orthodox and heterodox churches. What a great difference, according to God’s Word, exists between orthodox and heterodox churches will be more exactly set forth in the following Theses. Even we forget this difference only too easily. Indeed, it also happens in our own midst that people who move to other areas and find no orthodox church there, join heterodox churches. Why is that? One cannot always say that these people have already fallen away from the true doctrine in their hearts. But they have forgotten the difference between orthodox and heterodox churches. By taking up membership in heterodox churches, they commit sin and place their souls in danger. Even Lutherans join sectarian churches, or would like to do so, because the sects, for example, have more beautiful churches, are more popular people, and the like. Why? These Lutherans do not rightly and faithfully take note of the existing difference between orthodox and heterodox churches; they do not see the wonderful glory of an orthodox church. Even we pastors and teachers of the Church at times lose courage for work within the Lutheran Church when we observe the greater number and the externally more attractive conditions within the heterodox churches. That happens also because we view these things on the basis of our reason instead of judging the orthodox and heterodox fellowships according to God’s Word. Therefore, it is very timely that in these sessions we consider the theme:

The Difference Between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches

I. Every man’s first and principal concern should be, that he belong to the Communion of Saints, that is, to the Invisible Church.

II. The Divinely ordained external form of the Church is its orthodoxy. Heterodox church bodies have their existence only by God’s permission.

III. It is, therefore, not a matter of indifference which church group a Christian joins; but he has God’s earnest command strictly to distinguish between orthodox and heterodox churches, and, avoiding all church fellowship with the heterodox, to adhere only to the orthodox Church.

IV. Likewise, only in the orthodox Church is God given the honor which He requires; and, only in it are souls rightly cared for. Fellowship with heterodox churches militates against God’s honor, and is a constant danger for the soul.

V. We should, therefore, regard membership in the orthodox Church not only as our duty, but also as the greatest privilege and highest honor, even when the orthodox Church outwardly bears a very humble form.

VI. The reasons which have been advanced for joining heterodox church bodies, and for remaining in them, partly sound very pious; but they are considered in the light of God’s Word, altogether invalid, and originate in our blind, conceited, self-willed, and presumptuous flesh.

Thesis I

Every man’s first and principal concern should be, that he belong to the Communion of Saints, that is, to the Invisible Church.

All people are by nature under God’s wrath because of their sins, and are therefore children of eternal damnation. A terrible condition! But a part of mankind is delivered out of this terrible condition. Although they, too, are sinners, they are, nevertheless, no longer under the wrath of God, but they have God’s grace. And, because they have God’s grace, or forgiveness of sins, they are also no longer children of damnation, but heirs of eternal life. Who are these fortunate people? They are those who believe in Christ, in a word, the believers, the members of the Christian Church.

This is the Communion, the Church, outside of which there is no salvation. Why? Because without faith in Christ nobody can be saved, as it is written: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36. Again: “He that believeth on Him (God’s Son) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already.” John 3:18.

Whoever, therefore, desires to escape the wrath of God and eternal death, which he has incurred by his sin, and become partaker of the grace of God and eternal salvation, which have been gained for him by the incarnate Son of God, he must let it be his first and principal concern, that he belong to the Communion of Saints, to that blessed class of people who from the heart believe in Christ as their Savior. This faith is kindled and maintained through the Gospel by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who have acknowledged themselves before God as sinners.

These believers are scattered locally over the whole earth; they are found wherever the seed of the Gospel is sown. They are very different according to education, culture, language, and customs. They do not know each other personally. And yet, they are most intimately connected with one another; they are more closely related to each other than the closest relatives; for the One Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of them all. All have the same faith, namely, that they are saved by God’s grace in Christ; all have the same mind, they are one and all subject to Christ. Daily they make the same discoveries, namely, that they are lost sinners, and that God for Christ’s sake richly and daily forgives them all sins. They will afterwards also in eternity all have the same experiences, for their lot will be the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore at the right hand of God. This is the wonderful fellowship of the Christian Church. This Church is invisible in this life. Why? Because we cannot see that which makes a person a member of the Church, namely, faith. Only God, who knows the hearts, can see that. Visible this Church will some day be in yonder life, where its members will walk no longer by faith, but by sight, where they will be glorified by seeing God, and where they will shine as the brightness of the firmament.

This is the Christian Church spoken of in Matthew 16:18, where we read: “On this rock (namely, on the confession of Christ) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Again, Eph. 1:22-23: “God set Him (Christ) to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” So also in Eph. 2:19-22, the members of this Church are described as “fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Corner Stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.”

The only, absolute requirement for salvation is membership in the Invisible church. In this essay we will deal with the difference between the orthodox and heterodox churches, and in that connection, also of the necessity of outwardly affiliating with the orthodox Church. But this affiliation is not absolutely necessary, indeed, under certain circumstances not at all possible. Take the case of a man who just before his end comes to faith without being able to join a visible church as a member. This circumstance, then, that he did not belong to a Christian congregation, does not at all deprive him of his salvation. Furthermore, it can happen that a Christian lives in a locality where no orthodox church can be found. To join a heterodox congregation is forbidden him by God’s Word, but love hinders him from leaving the locality. A prisoner can also be in such a situation, that he must forego fellowship with an orthodox Christian body; and yet, he has, if he is in the faith, God’s grace and salvation. The outward membership in a Christian congregation is not absolutely necessary, as if thereby faith first would become true, saving faith. But under certain circumstances outward membership is necessary as a confession of faith.

John Gerhard recognizes a twofold entrance into the Church. The one is the joining of a visible Christian fellowship through the outward confession of faith; the other is the joining of the Invisible Church. The latter occurs through faith in Christ, and is accomplished in that moment when faith in Christ is kindled in the heart of a person by the operation of the Holy Ghost. The latter must occur in every person who wants to be saved, the former need not.

Yes, without saving faith in Christ all outward fellowship with the Church, even with the orthodox Church, avails nothing. Moreover, all outward fellowship without faith makes one a hypocrite. Also those who outwardly belong to the orthodox Church, who have zeal for it, who with their reason strictly distinguish between orthodox and heterodox fellowship are, if they do not truly believe, an abomination to God; they are outside of the Church of Christ and in the domain of the devil. This, too, we must constantly preach; of this we must also constantly remind one another. As also the Apostle Paul exhorts the members of the Corinthian congregation: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” 2 Cor. 13:5. And, when in this document we insist that a Christian should stay away from all false churches and adhere alone to the orthodox Church, then this also serves the purpose: that we by no means suffer shipwreck concerning our faith, and thus fall away from the fellowship of that Church outside of which there is no salvation.

Of the One Invisible Christian Church it is said in the 7th Article of the Augsburg Confession: “Also they teach that One Holy Church is to continue forever. The Church is the congregation of all saints.” (Trigl., p.47.)

Luther wrote (V.1792) on Psalm 118: “Whoever does not have the right faith and is not holy and righteous, he does not belong in the Holy Christian Church.” He who has living faith belongs to the Church; he that does not, whoever or wherever he may be, does not belong to the Church.

Our Confessions warn us not to regard the Church as an earthly association with religious rites, so that all, even the godless, who take part in these rites would be members of the Church.

The Apology says: “For it is necessary to understand what it is that principally makes us members, and that, living members of the Church. If we will define the Church only as an outward polity of the good and wicked, men will not understand that the Kingdom of Christ is righteousness of heart and the gift of the Holy Ghost, (that the Kingdom of Christ is spiritual, as nevertheless it is; that therein Christ inwardly rules, strengthens, and comforts hearts, and imparts the Holy Ghost and various spiritual gifts).” (VII, VIII, Trigl., p.231.)

The Large Catechism says in the Explanation of the Third Article, especially of the words, “I believe in the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints”: “This is the meaning and substance of this addition: I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms.” (Trigl., p. 691.)

In this Communion of Saints there is only one faith and no schism. All Christians are united by one faith and one love. We not only admit that there are children of God in heterodox church bodies, but we maintain also that these children of God are one with us in the faith. They are agreed with us in the central doctrine of Christianity, namely, they believe that they are by themselves lost, but are God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. Therefore, it says here: “In one faith, mind, and understanding.” If you ask: how, for example, is this possible under popery, then Luther replies, that in the Pope’s church, besides Baptism, there remained also the text of the gospels. Whoever now in faith grasps and holds the Word of the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake, he belongs to the children of God. If the priest afterwards comes with his preaching of papistical errors, the believer does not accept them.

In his commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, Luther says: “The Church is everywhere in the world, wherever the Gospel and the Sacraments are.” And shortly before: “Therefore the Church is everywhere holy, also in those places where even the Enthusiasts and factious spirits rule, insofar of course as they still do not utterly deny and reject Word and Sacrament. For those who altogether deny these things are no Church anymore. But wherever Word and Sacrament essentially remain, there remains a Holy Church.” (On Galatians, VIII: 1588ff.)

John Gerhard says, concerning the necessity of joining a visible communion: “If such a time comes, when the visible glory of the Church is lost, then it is not absolutely necessary for salvation to join a visible local congregation; but it suffices that by true faith a person is a member of the universal Church, for of this Church alone it is said properly that outside of it there is no salvation.” (L. de ecclesia, par. 101.)

If one claims that for salvation more is necessary than faith in Christ, then the central doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of justification by grace, is denied. For what does this mean, to become righteous, and gain salvation by grace? It means to be declared righteous, and gain salvation through no work done by man, no matter what it is called. Whoever therefore says that the outward joining of a visible church body is unconditionally necessary for salvation, he says thereby, that man becomes righteous and gains salvation not only by grace through faith, but also through this work (joining a church). Thus the Pope ties up salvation with belonging to his realm. Similarly, they err who think that for salvation more is necessary than this, that one by faith belongs to the Communion of Saints.

This first Thesis, it was yet stated, is of the greatest importance. If it is not rightly taken to heart, everything else will do no good. Yes, then one will apply everything that follows in the other theses to his harm; For this we have terrifying examples. At a colloquy in Buffalo the followers of Grabau were confronted with the charge, which was also admitted, that they always proclaimed an unconditional necessity of belonging to the orthodox Church. To clarify the matter, Dr. Walther said to a Buffalo colloquist: “If I heard correctly, you hail from the United Church (a union of Reformed and Lutherans in Germany). You claim that already therein you came to faith.” The person addressed acknowledged this. Then, Dr. Walther added: “If you had died at that time, would you not certainly have been saved?” The answer was “No.” Most terrible? According to that, faith in Christ would avail nothing unless a man would complete his outward joining of the orthodox Church.

(To be continued next week with Thesis II)

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings appointed for Sunday are Psalm 111; Acts 15:1-41; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Luke 17:11-19. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday.

The Adult Bible Class will continue in the Gospel of John at chapter 12:1ff. Where did Jesus come six days before the Passover? What did they do for Him there? Who served? Who sat at the table with Jesus? What did Mary do? Cf. Luke 10:38-42. What was the value of this ointment? Who objected to Mary’s gift? On what pretense? What was his real reason? What does this indicate about Judas? Was Judas alone in his objection to Mary’s gift? Cf. Matthew 26:6ff.; Mark 14:3ff. What did Jesus say about what Mary had done in the Matthew and Mark accounts? How would it be remembered? In the Matthew and Mark accounts, what did Judas do after this event? When else had a woman anointed Jesus? Cf. Luke 7:36ff. Did Jesus accept Mary’s gift? What did He say of it? How does this account have application to gifts given to the Lord Jesus even yet today? Why had many people come to Bethany? What did the chief priests consult to do? v. 10. Why? What does this indicate about them? Did they know the truth? Were they willing to accept it? Against whom were they sinning? cf. Matthew 12:31-32. What happened on the next day when Jesus came to Jerusalem? Cf. Matthew 21:1ff.; Mark 11:1ff.; Luke 19:28ff. What were the people saying of Jesus? Cf. Psalm 118:25ff. What other prophecy did Jesus fulfill? How? Cf. Zechariah 9:9. Did Jesus’ disciples recognize this at the time? When did they recognize this? Why did the people come out to greet Jesus with these words? What were they really saying of Jesus? How did the Pharisees react to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem? What truths can we learn from this today?

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Dawn Hiebert, who is recovering from knee surgery; Dick Stueland, also recovering from knee surgery; for Sam Rusch, who has had repeated stays in the hospital; the mother of Dick Rusch; for Dick Rusch who is recovering from shoulder surgery; for Regina Wood (the sister of Lonnie Moll), who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is recovering from surgery and starting chemotherapy; for Vernon Rooker, the brother of Bonnie Hawes, who is very ill and hospitalized in Wichita; for Pastor Moll, who is recovering from Rocky Mountain spotted fever – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families and for Christians who are alone and have no congregation. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Events and Announcements

Our evening congregational Bible study will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. A light supper will precede the study, beginning at about 6:15 p.m.

Anyone wishing to help with costs involved for Sam Rusch to visit the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota may place a gift in the offering with the designation: Sam Rusch.

The choir will be practicing after church on Sunday. More voices are always welcome.

Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at goodshepherdrogers@yahoo.com.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” Psalm 111:10

[Except in direct translation from the German Scripture quotations, Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.]