Words of Encouragement for November 3, 2010

Meditations in Genesis

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5 (Read Genesis 5:21-24)

The Bible tells us of Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, that he “walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). At the relatively young age of 365, Enoch was taken directly, without seeing death, to be with the LORD God in heaven. Enoch was translated; that is, changed from a temporal, earthly existence to an eternal, heavenly one. His body and soul were taken from this earth into his eternal and heavenly home.

Such a translation is hard for us to understand. In all of human history, Elijah the prophet is the only other human being to escape death and be taken directly to his heavenly home (cf. 2 Kings 2:11). Even the Lord Jesus Christ first died for the sins of the world before He rose again on the third day and then 40 days later ascended into heaven.

Enoch walked with God by faith, trusting that God’s ways are right and that God would send the promised Seed of the woman to redeem him from sin and eternal death. In the book of Jude, we learn that Enoch also testified in his time of God’s coming judgment upon all who continued in their ungodly and rebellious ways (v. 14f.).

To walk with God by faith is no different today. Believers know and believe that God’s ways are true and right and trust in God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day. Believers walk in fellowship with God the Father, agreeing with Him about their sinfulness but trusting in Him to graciously forgive their sins and accept them as His own dear children for the sake of Jesus Christ, who lived a righteous and holy life in mankind’s stead and made full atonement for the sins of all when He suffered and died upon the cross (cf. 1 John 1:7 – 2:2).

Like Enoch, believers are pleasing to God and righteous in His eyes because all their sins have been washed away in Jesus’ blood. Their works too are pleasing in His eyes because they flow from faith in Him and are made pure through the blood of Jesus.

Believers have already been translated. The Bible says of believers in Jesus that the Father “hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14). God has graciously translated His children from the kingdom and rule of darkness and sin into the kingdom of grace and forgiveness – the kingdom of His own dear Son, Jesus Christ.

Believers will be translated into God’s eternal and heavenly kingdom when Jesus returns. The Bible says to all who believe: “Our conversation [way of life] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

And so, as Enoch walked with God by faith and was translated directly into heaven, all who today walk by faith in the Son of God, trusting in Him for mercy and forgiveness, have been translated from the kingdom of darkness and spiritual death into God’s kingdom of grace and life and, on the last day, will be translated – their earthly body will be changed into a glorious and heavenly body like that of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus, let me ever walk with You by faith so that, as Enoch was translated from this world into your heavenly kingdom, so I may arise and live with You forever in Your eternal and glorious kingdom for the sake of Your innocent sufferings and death in my stead. Amen.

The Augsburg Confession

Article XVIII: Of Free Will

Of Free Will they teach that man’s will has some liberty to choose civil righteousness, and to work things subject to reason. But it has no power, without the Holy Ghost, to work the righteousness of God, that is, spiritual righteousness; since the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2:14; but this righteousness is wrought in the heart when the Holy Ghost is received through the Word. These things are said in as many words by Augustine in his Hypognosticon, Book III: We grant that all men have a free will, free, inasmuch as it has the judgment of reason; not that it is thereby capable, without God, either to begin, or, at least, to complete aught in things pertaining to God, but only in works of this life, whether good or evil. “Good” I call those works which spring from the good in nature, such as, willing to labor in the field, to eat and drink, to have a friend, to clothe oneself, to build a house, to marry a wife, to raise cattle, to learn divers useful arts, or whatsoever good pertains to this life. For all of these things are not without dependence on the providence of God; yea, of Him and through Him they are and have their being. “Evil” I call such works as willing to worship an idol, to commit murder, etc. They condemn the Pelagians and others, who teach that without the Holy Ghost, by the power of nature alone, we are able to love God above all things; also to do the commandments of God as touching “the substance of the act.” For, although nature is able in a manner to do the outward work, (for it is able to keep the hands from theft and murder,) yet it cannot produce the inward motions, such as the fear of God, trust in God, chastity, patience, etc.

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.

Thesis 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.

This thesis is a simple conclusion from the foregoing. If God has commanded fellowship with the orthodox Church — and that is the case, as we have seen — then this fellowship is our duty, a duty under all circumstances, and a duty for every Christian. God has, under no circumstances, given us a dispensation from the First Commandment, and has said to no Christian: You, for yourself, may cultivate church fellowship with false teachers, as though they were your brethren in the faith. Rather, God simply says: “Avoid them,” that is, avoid all who “cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned.” Rom. 16:17. Accordingly, whoever has church fellowship with the heterodox is disobedient to God.

But we should look upon fellowship with the orthodox Church not merely as a duty, in the sense that it would be a bitter must for us; simply because a true Christian, who has learned to know God as his dear and gracious Father, is happy when he knows that in a certain matter he is doing God’s will. When he does what God commands him, the Christian walks as in a paradise, as Luther says. Thus, as we have learned, only in the orthodox Church is God given the honor which He demands, and only there are sinners rightly served, so that they reach the final goal set for man, salvation. Therefore, we should look upon membership in the orthodox Church as a most glorious privilege, as a great proof of God’s grace, for which we can never sufficiently thank God. For we ourselves have not provided this treasure for ourselves, but it is the grace of God which has led us into this Church. Therefore we must, if we only reflect a bit, daily thank God on our knees, that we are members of the Church of the Reformation. Think of those Christians who are found within the heterodox Church. Compare our condition with theirs. Note how the souls of those who sincerely seek their salvation are hindered and tortured there, for example, by the false doctrine concerning the identification marks of a Christian, and by the false doctrine which makes the grace of God uncertain for sinners.

But now, even when a soul has found peace in the fact, that God, through His special grace, prevented error from getting a foothold and saw to it that the truth which was still preached in the heterodox Church was impressed upon the heart, there still remains something which must not be underestimated. Heterodox churches are such who cause divisions and offenses in Christendom (Rom. 16:17). Such Christians who are found in the heterodox churches support, without intending to do so, those evil works so strongly condemned in God’s Word. The heterodox churches, as such, are in a state of rebellion against God, because they will not follow certain parts of God’s Word. Now, those Christians who are in them strengthen, though unknowingly, this rebellion against God.

Finally: heterodox churches are in a continuous state of warfare against the orthodox Church, against that Church which, in conformity with the will of God, confesses all parts of the truth. Heterodox people revile and persecute those who abide by God’s Word. Surely, an evil work! For Christ says that He will regard that which is inflicted upon those who confess Him as being done to Him. Now, those Christians who are in heterodox churches take part in this evil work and persecute Christ in His confessors of the truth. It is, for example, very terrible that the Lutheran Church, because it has the true doctrine of Baptism and Lord’s Supper, is decried as “Catholic.” This attack against the true Church is no small matter. The Apostle, too, at one time before his conversion persecuted the confessors of the truth in ignorance, as he himself admits. But when he came to the knowledge of the truth, this grieved him very much; yes, it plagued him until his death. He says: “I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” I Cor. 15:9. Therefore, we truly have every reason to thank God daily, to thank Him on our knees, for leading us into the orthodox Church, and for preserving us from the heterodox Church. We must regard it as the greatest favor of God, next to having come to faith in Christ at all when we find ourselves in the orthodox Church.

In the discussion, this also was said: That we are in the orthodox Church by grace and not by merit, everyone should easily understand. What has anyone done about being born of Lutheran parents, educated in Lutheran schools, and acquiring a knowledge of the truth? That this is grace, everyone will understand; but that it is the highest gift of grace, all will perhaps not see. That one enjoys good health, and the like, is, of course, also a gift of God’s grace; but what is all grace in earthly things, compared to the grace, that we, as members of the true Christian Church, are virtually overwhelmed with spiritual treasures, and thus rightly provided for in respect to the soul? False Christians, of course, ridicule us when we glorify our membership in the orthodox Church as the greatest gift of grace; our reason often does the same; but the time will come when people will not laugh about this.

Indeed, even the orthodox Church is not in every respect a Pure Church. There are also godless people mixed in with it. Also in it there are hypocrites, people who use the expression “pure doctrine” only with their mouth and only outwardly act as Christians, but in their heart are far from God. These are also in the orthodox Church an abomination to God and to the Church, and when they become manifest, a disgrace for the Church.

Also the upright members of the orthodox Church are and remain poor sinners, who must daily pray the Lord’s Prayer, especially the Fifth Petition. But in spite of this, the orthodox Church is clothed with a glory by which it distinguishes itself above all other churches. It has God’s Word, pure and unmixed. In the face of all error, it firmly clings to the truth which God has revealed to man in the Holy Scriptures. It continues in the Word of Christ in every point, as Christ requires of the Church. It can, to the glory of God, boast of itself, that the words of Christ are being fulfilled in it: “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). It is free from the ugly spots which disfigure the heterodox Church before God; it is free of false doctrine. It is therefore — taking the word in the spiritual sense — the precious one among the visible church bodies. To belong to it, we should regard as the highest honor — again taking the word in the spiritual sense. Is such talk offensive to you? If so, you do not realize how glorious the true doctrine, and how detestable false doctrine is to God!

To be sure, the orthodox Church outwardly often bears a very humble form. And this can, even for Christians, when they are not on their guard against their flesh, become an inducement to be ashamed of their Lutheran Church and to hanker after sectarian churches, standing there in outward splendor. But, we ask, what is the reason? Why does the Lutheran Church outwardly often appear so decidedly in the form of a servant? Is it not just because of its faithfulness to God’s Word? Is it not the circumstance, that the orthodox Church primarily in its doctrine is serious about God’s Word; that it, because of God’s command, does not remain silent in the presence of error, but condemns it; that it does not deal traitorously with the Divine truth, does not look upon truth and error as having equal rights? Is it not, furthermore, also a fact that the orthodox Church takes the Word of God seriously in regard to this life, that it impresses upon the poor, as upon the rich, that all who claim the Name of Christ have the duty to depart from iniquity, and that whoever conforms to the world will also be lost with the world? Yes, that is the practice of the orthodox Lutheran Church, and therefore it must often bear a servant’s form. Would it not be disgraceful if we would be ashamed of this Church because of its outward lowliness, which under these circumstances is an honor for it? Would it not be disgraceful if we would rather want to hold to heterodox churches, because outwardly they are more attractive and of greater value in the eyes of the world? By what means have the heterodox churches, for the most part, purchased this outward greatness and honor before the world? By their unfaithfulness to God’s Word. They deny the truth by not insisting on the exclusive validity of Divine truth, but honoring all kinds of opinions. They flirt with the wisdom of this world, and its godless manner of life.

Some time ago, a respected Presbyterian preacher in St. Louis confessed that if he in his congregation would try to have God’s Word rule as it does with us, in four weeks his whole congregation would scatter. The sects owe their outward size mostly to this, that they play church instead of actually conducting themselves as God’s Church. Neither do they rightly bear witness of the Law of God to man, nor do they act as true witnesses of God’s grace. But, this is what the Lutheran Church does. By God’s grace, it is a faithful, incorruptible witness of God here on earth. Let us, therefore, not be ashamed of the external lowliness of the Lutheran Church, otherwise we are ashamed of Christ Himself, and of His holy Gospel! Christ the Lord also walked about on earth in the lowly form of a poor man. And yet, at that time all were supposed to follow Him. We condemn the scribes and Pharisees, and all those in Israel who did not want to follow Christ because of His outward lowly appearance. Now, let us be careful not to commit the same sin! What Christ taught, that the Lutheran Church teaches; and as He in the days of His flesh bore a servant’s form, so also the Lutheran Church. Thus, we dare not let the servant’s form of the orthodox Church keep us from joining it with joyful confession. Otherwise, we deny Christ in denying it.

Let us learn more and more to look upon the Lutheran Church with the right kind of spiritual eyes: it is the most beautiful and glorious Church; for it is adorned with God’s pure Word. This adornment is so precious, that even though an orthodox congregation were to consist of very poor people — let us say, nothing but woodchoppers — and met in a barn (as the Lord Christ also lay here on earth in a barn, on hay and straw), every Christian should much, much rather prefer to affiliate himself with this outwardly so insignificant congregation, rather than with a heterodox congregation, even if its members were all bank presidents and assembled in a church built of pure marble. Let us be sure that our flesh, and the talk of others does not darken the glory of the orthodox Church, or crowd it out of our sight.

Also within the Lutheran Church one meets people who, although they still belong to it, nevertheless look upon their Church as a kind of second rate Church, because they have a great respect for the outward prestige of the sectarian churches. The Lutherans in the General Synod, and in part, also those in the Council, consider themselves honored when they are treated by sectarian churches as a “denomination” of equal rank. Whether the sects recognize us or not, we should not think of ourselves as a second rate Church, nor allow ourselves to be pushed into a corner as outcasts who must first apologize for taking the liberty of existing alongside of sectarian church bodies. We should and must remain conscious of this — for God desires it of us — that we alone, as the orthodox Church, have an express charter from God for our existence.

The sectarian church bodies exist only by God’s permission. Therefore, our whole heart should belong to our orthodox Church. We should be glad to belong to it as a member, even under the most humble outward conditions; gladly serve it as preachers and teachers, and, with joyful spirit and restless zeal, work for its extension. We should most earnestly strive, and daily pray, that our descendants may be the heirs of the Church of the Reformation.

Luther confesses of himself, and of the whole church body named after him: “No man can deny this, that we have the ministry and God’s Word pure and rich, that we use and teach it diligently, without any addition of our own new human doctrine, just as Christ commanded, and as the Apostles and all Christendom have done. We invent nothing new but rather hold to and remain with the old Word of God, as the old Church had it. Therefore, with it we are the true old Church, a one-of-the-same-kind Church, which teaches and believes the one Word of God. Therefore the papists again blaspheme Christ Himself, the Apostles, and all Christendom, when they call us Modernists and heretics. For they find nothing about us except only the same old things of the Ancient Church, and that we are like it and one Church with it.” (Against Hans Wurst, 1541. E.A. 26,14.)

Luther states further: “The impurity of doctrine which is not God’s Word, or is without it, is such a poisonous evil thing that even if St. Peter, yes, an angel from heaven would preach it, it would still be accursed, Gal. 1:8. Therefore false teachers and Anabaptists or fake masters of the Sacraments cannot be or remain in the Church, as Psalm 1 says, for they not only undermine the life, which the Church must bear, especially where this goes on under cover, but also the doctrine is undermined, which must openly be bright and shine, so that the life can be regulated according to it.” (E.A. 26,37.)

(To be continued next week with Thesis VI)

Need We Fear in Times of Trouble?

“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour…” Isaiah 43:1-3a

There are many who would have us believe that the Christian’s life in this world will be one without trouble and suffering, but God never makes such a promise. In fact, God tells us that our lives in this sinful world will be full of suffering.

Not only will we be hated and persecuted because of our faith, we must suffer pain, sorrow and even temporal death because we are sinners living in a sin-filled world which is under God’s curse (cf. 2 Tim. 3:12; Gen. 3).

But need we be afraid in the troubles of life? God’s Word tells us, “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”

While God does not promise us a trouble-free life in this world, He does promise to be with us and keep us through all the sufferings of this life!

As Christians, we can draw on the comfort of Isaiah 43. Each of us has been created by the LORD God; and He has redeemed us with the holy and precious blood of Jesus, shed upon the cross for our sins. Through the preaching of the Gospel, God’s Spirit called us to faith in Christ Jesus and has made us the beloved children of God (cf. 2 Thess. 2:13-14; Gal. 3:26-29; 1 John 3:1-2). We are God’s own special people (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9-10).

God, who has both created and redeemed us, promises us: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour…”

We can think of the examples of Israel passing safely through the waters of the Red Sea and the flooded Jordan (Ex. 14; Josh. 3-4); and we can think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, whom God preserved in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3); but this promise of God’s Word applies to the troubles and problems we face in our lives as well.

Our Savior, Jesus, is with us always as He promised in Matthew 28:20. He will never leave us, nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). Even though troubles may be all around us, God promises us that “there shall no evil befall” us (Ps. 91:10; cf. Ps. 121), and that all will work together for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Even in the valley of the shadow of death we need not be afraid, for our God is with us and will bring us safely through that we may dwell with Him in the house of the LORD for ever (Ps. 23).

Why does God do this for us? He tells us: “For I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” He is JEHOVAH our God. He is the Holy One of Israel, and Israel includes all who share in the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And He is our Savior. He has redeemed us from our sins and from everlasting death by His holy life and innocent sufferings and death for us upon the cross; and He will return to take us to dwell with Him forever.

As The Bible says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

As we suffer in this world, we also remember that “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

Dear LORD God, our Maker and Redeemer, we give Thee thanks for the comfort of Thy Word and for the assurance that Thou wilt be with us and bring us safely through this vale of tears to Thyself in heaven. In the name of Jesus, our Savior, we pray. Amen.

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings appointed for Sunday are Psalm 149; Revelation 7:9-17; Acts 17:16-34; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12. 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 12:44ff. What did Jesus cry out at the feast? What does this mean? Cf. John 14:6ff. How is Jesus the light of the world? Will the one who believes on Jesus walk in darkness? What does this mean? Cf. 1 John 1:3 – 2:2. What does Jesus say of those who reject His Word and do not believe on Him? What will be their judge on the Last Day? How does this apply to us and people of all time? Whose Word did Jesus speak? What message and word did Jesus proclaim? How does this relate to what ministers and teachers proclaim in the church? How is it that Jesus’ word will judge us and all people on the Last Day?

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, as well as for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. 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 is back 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 undergoing chemotherapy – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families and for Christians who are alone and have no congregation. Continue to pray for Lutheran congregations which desire to remain faithful to Christ and His Word, 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

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.

Our Monthly Evening Bible Study will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10. For those who wish, a light supper will precede the study and begin about 6:15 p.m.

The Church Council will meet at 7 p.m., Nov. 17, at the church.

The Annual Congregational Voters’ Meeting is planned after church on Sunday, Nov. 21. A pot-luck dinner will follow the service.

A Special Thanksgiving Service is tentatively planned for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24.

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 LORD taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

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