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O Holy Night

25 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in Compendium Posts

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Bible, christian, Christianity, Christmas, faith, God, holidays, Jesus, Lutheran, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, religion

Christmas2017“O Holy Night…” **

How I see Christmas:
The secular Christmas takes Christ out but emphasizes good works and sharing. The world takes that as the central theme of Christmas. Yet the Bible clearly says that all of our good works are like filthy rags.
(Isaiah 64:6English Standard Version (ESV)
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.)

 

Non-Christians also see “peace” as a theme. Yet, Jesus said he came to bring a ‘sword’.
(Matthew 10:34English Standard Version (ESV)
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.)

Christians see Christmas as Emmanuel, meaning God with us. With this in mind, Jesus’ birth is simple and a miraculous gift from God. His birth makes us humble and we fall on our knees.

We repent of our sins and receive His forgiveness. We partake of the Eucharist and receive life. Only then can we share and pass on His gifts of love, joy, and celebrate in Jesus as a result of the Holy Spirit within us.

**
“O Holy Night…” **

How I see Christmas:

The secular Christmas takes Christ out but emphasizes good works and sharing. The world takes that as the central theme of Christmas. Yet the Bible clearly says that all of our good works are like filthy rags.
(Isaiah 64:6English Standard Version (ESV)
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.)

 

Non-Christians also see “peace” as a theme. Yet, Jesus said he came to bring a ‘sword’.
(Matthew 10:34English Standard Version (ESV)
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.)

Christians see Christmas as Emmanuel, meaning God with us. With this in mind, Jesus’ birth is simple and a miraculous gift from God. His birth makes us humble and we fall on our knees.

We repent of our sins and receive His forgiveness. We partake of the Eucharist and receive life. Only then can we share and pass on His gifts of love, joy, and celebrate in Jesus as a result of the Holy Spirit within us.

**
“O Holy Night
O holy night the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angels’ voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine o night
O night divine

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angels’ voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine o night
O night divine”

(Picture above From SELC -Siberian Ev. Lutheran Church)

 

 

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A Primer We Need

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS

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Bible, Christianity, faith, hope, LCMS, love, Lutheran

YES, AT OUR WEDDING THIS WAS READ! IN 1992…

Concordia and Koinonia

Today’s appointed New Testament reading in the Daily Lectionary is the “Love Chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13:

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love…

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The Bible = God’s Word

12 Saturday Nov 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS

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Bible, Christ, encouragement, faith, Jesus, LCMS, Lutheran, Lutheran Church-MS, Pastors, Trinity, Word of God

Wonderful message!

Pastor Reeder's Blog

14As for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

As we reflect on these words of our Lord today through the sainted apostle, I would like to read some words from a document entitled, “Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod.” This document, written and adopted by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the year 1932, might seem a bit dated, and perhaps not well known, but succinctly states what we…

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“Making a Stand”

27 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in LHM-Lutheran Hour Ministries

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Christianity, Jesus, LCMS, Lutheran

(REBLOGGED WITH PERMISSION)

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

October 27, 2016

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who … in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:4-5, 8

Milliken University is a fine private school in Central Illinois.

At their football game on September 24th, some of the members of the team decided to “take a knee” rather than stand for the national anthem. In doing so, they followed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who, in his protest against racial injustice, has also not shown respect for the anthem.

The reaction of the local community was one of outrage.

In response the Milliken football team decided on another course of action: they would remain in the locker room until after the anthem had been played, and then they would all spend a moment in personal reflection on those who had made sacrifices for the country and how they can live up to the idea of “liberty and justice for all.”

And that’s what they did… except for Connor Brewer, a defensive lineman.

The picture of Brewer, standing alone on that football field while the anthem was being played, was picked up by the news media. Some said he was a hero, while others complained he had betrayed the solidarity of his team. Brewer, himself, out of respect for his coach and fellow players, declined to be interviewed.

So there you have it: Americans making use of their freedom of speech to convey a message.

No one can doubt they are acting according to conscience, nor dare we think those protesters have proceeded without first having searched their hearts. Still, the responses to what they have done have not been especially positive.

That is because most have forgotten you do not right a wrong by doing another wrong. You cannot help someone you feel has been mistreated by mistreating the values of someone else. In this case, discussion has revolved more around the protest than the cause which motivated it.

St. Paul makes the point better than I ever could when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:23: “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up.”

Now I don’t expect the world will pay much attention to the inspired words of the apostle. People outside the Christian community will continue to indiscriminately use their “rights” to correct all manner of real and imagined wrongs.

But we believers should be different. Following the Savior’s example we should, in humility, look to the interests of others. Following Jesus, we should bring about positive changes, by reaching out to others and encouraging them to be better than the world.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior who gave up heaven and humbled Himself so that all who believe on Him might be forgiven, saved and be changed for the better. May my Christian life be conducted in a way that will strengthen others rather than tearing them down. In the Savior’s Name I pray it. Amen.

 

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Encouragement in the Time of Sennacherib

13 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in PRAYER, REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS

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Bible, encouragement, faith, God, LCMS, Lutheran, Pastors, Triune God, Word of God

REBLOGGED FROM : PASTOR SCHROEDER

https://concordiakoinonia.com/

sennacherib-pr-schroeder-091316

2 Chronicles 32 is part of the narrative of the Assyrian armies attacking Israel.  King Hezekiah was one of few good Kings of Israel who destroyed idolatry and lived by God’s Word.  Sennacherib was the Assyrian king and in  the media of their day: he wrote letters (vs. 17) “to cast contempt on the LORD…” and he even had his soldiers shout  their contempt on the LORD, “…with a loud voice in the language of Judah”(verse 18).   Again, Sennacherib used the media well.  His argument was simple:  all the other gods were ineffectual in saving them so what will be different about Israel’s God?  He will also be ineffectual to save.

We are living in a Sennacherib world in which daily, hourly and minute by minute on TV, the internet, blogs, radio, printed world with a loud voice saying your God won’t save you.  The Assyrian King tried to demoralize Israel. The Sennacherib world does the same. Hezekiah encouraged Israel.    What did Israel do?  “Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven.” (vs. 20).  Can we do less when so surrounded as was Israel by the mocks, taunts and lies of our Sennacheribs?  The LORD delivered Israel then.  He is strong to deliver His saints in His Church. The LORD will deliver.

Hold Fast…

08 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS

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Bible, Christ, encouragement, Gospel, hope, Jesus, LCMS, Lutheran, Lutheran Church-MS, Pastors, Triune God, Word of God

REBLOGGED FROM PASTOR REEDER

https://pastorreeder.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/hold-fast/

“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:13, NKJ)

 

In the Name of Jesus.  Amen.

How easy it is to be distracted from the things of God to the things of men, to neglect the One thing needful, and to take for granted God’s grace and favor!

St. Paul, writing to Timothy, writes the words above (2 Timothy 1:13), because, as he indicates in v15, “all those in Asia have turned away from me.”  In other words, “those in Asia” ceased listening to Paul and stopped following the words that Paul preached.

Though many do the same thing concerning the very Word of our Lord, and though many view such diversion from the truth as of little significance, for the Christian, the Word of God has more than importance.  The Word of God is life (John 6:63, 68; 2 Timothy 3:15-17), and directs towards Christ Jesus.  The Law shows us our sin.  The Gospel shows us our Savior, Jesus Christ.   Only Christ saves from sin and hell.  The believer believes this, and desires, seeks, and strives to remain in this faith.

The text from this past Sunday speaks about the challenges of being a disciple of Jesus (Luke 14:25-35).  “Holding fast” is such a challenge, for we, of ourselves, are not strong enough to do so.  We are sinners.  But “holding fast the pattern of sound words” is continuing to believe in the Jesus who saves and not in our strength that falters.

God gives strength to remain “in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” by means of His Word and Sacraments.  God has not forsaken you.  Rather, He continues to call you, preaching His Word of forgiveness and salvation through the death of His Son.  So hear, and hold fast to, Christ, who holds you even more strongly (Philippians 3:12).

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, direct us ever to Your Holy Word which gives life, that we live and not doubt, nor reject Your forgiveness and mercy won for us on the cross.  Keep us fast to you, that we live confidently in and by Your grace alone.  Amen.

The Importance of Distinguishing Law & Gospel

08 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in Books, REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS, Uncategorized

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Bible, God, Gospel, Law, LCMS, Lutheran, Lutheran Church-MS, Pastors, salvation, Triune God, Word of God

thelutherandifference

REBLOGGED FROM PASTOR REEDER

https://pastorreeder.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/the-importance-of-distinguishing-law-gospel/

[NOTE: THIS BOOK AND OTHERS ARE AVAILABLE FROM CPH.ORG]

“For Luther, a proper distinction between Law and Gospel opened the door to a right understanding of God’s Word and, therefore, a right understanding of God’s will for humankind and our salvation.  Throughout its history, the Lutheran Church has continued to maintain that rightly distinguishing between Law and Gospel is absolutely necessary in this regard.  The Law shows us God’s will and reveals our sin; the Gospel proclaims our salvation in Christ.  To confuse these two doctrines is to remain confused about ourselves and about our God.  To misunderstand them is to misunderstand the reason for the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  In short, Law and Gospel are the means by which we can rightly understand the whole of the Christian faith.” [Edward Engelbrecht (ed.), The Lutheran Difference (St. Louis: CPH, 2010), p40-41)]

The Plague of Sin

06 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in LHM-Lutheran Hour Ministries, Uncategorized

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Bible, Christ, encouragement, God, Gospel, hope, Jesus, Lutheran, Lutheran Church-MS, Word of God

REBLOGGED FROM The Lutheran Hour with permission
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hou
“The Plague of Sin”
September 6, 2016
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. Romans 5:12
You’re going to have to stay with me on this one. It’s a bit complicated.

This past month a video came out of Siberia which showed scientists dressed in HAZMAT suits incinerating an animal carcass. They were getting rid of a long-dead reindeer carcass, which had been frozen in permafrost. Recently, that permafrost melted and the reindeer carcass began releasing anthrax bacteria.

That got the scientists to thinking. Could that kind of thing happen elsewhere?

In this case, the “elsewhere” was a Siberian village where 40 percent of the town died in the 1890s. The cause of death was smallpox. The villagers who died were buried in the upper permafrost layer on the bank of the Kolyma River.

And wouldn’t you know … the Kolyma River is flooding and eroding the river banks.

The bottom line is this: those frozen bodies probably have done a great job of preserving that virus. If the corpses thaw and float away, there’s no telling the global damage that might be caused by this virus which we thought had been eradicated.

In short, it could be a very bad thing.

Now I tell you that story not to frighten you — nor was it to urge you to go to your local pharmacy and ask for a smallpox shot. Drug stores don’t stock the stuff, and they can’t get the stuff. In case there ever would be an outbreak the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they have enough of the remedy to inoculate all those who need it.

No, the purpose of the tale is to remind everyone that the world is an evil, sinful place. As Paul explained in the text above, the sin of Adam and Eve has permeated this world and condemned all of us. Now the world may think it can fix itself, but it can’t. Sure, we can try to stifle our sins and make the world a better place, but it doesn’t work.

Sin — like the anthrax which is coming from that long-dead reindeer — will keep coming back.

Truly, if we are to be saved, it will not be because we eradicate sin. It will happen only when we confess our sins and fall on the mercy of the Lord. When the Holy Spirit calls us to faith, sin can no longer destroy us.

As St. Paul wrote, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11b). Because of the Savior we can rejoice. Death and grave have lost their sting and victory.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, “Jesus sinners doth receive; oh, may all this saying ponder, who in sin’s delusions live, and from God and heaven wander! Here is hope for all who grieve — Jesus sinners doth receive. We deserve but grief and shame, yet His words, rich grace revealing, pardon, peace, and life proclaim. Here their ills have perfect healing, who with humble hearts believe — Jesus sinners doth receive” (The Lutheran Hymnal, “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive,” verses 1 and 2). This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int’l LLL (LHM).

 

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Read: NO WORD OF GOD… How appropriate this is for today’s world. We thank our LCMS pastors and all those who preach from The Bible! Compendium

24 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS

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Bible, Christ, God, LCMS, Lutheran, Pastors, Triune God, Word of God

Rejoice this Sunday morning and every Sunday morning that you are being fed God’s Word not the fast food of false feel good pastors.

via No Word of God — Concordia and Koinonia

The Widow’s Son

09 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by thegardensofboxwoodmanor in REBLOGS FROM LUTHERAN PASTORS

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Bible, Christ, encouragement, faith, Gospel, Jesus, LCMS, Lutheran, Pastors, Resurrection, Son, Word of God

(Reblogged from Rev. William Willenbrock, Pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church, Medford, NJ)

The village of Nain—the backdrop for today’s story–is about 10 miles from Jesus hometown of Nazareth, that’s about from here (Medford) to Pemberton or here to Cherry Hill. It’s nestled at the foot of a small mountain. Nain in Hebrew means charming, beautiful, lovely. You’ve driven through a charming little village before haven’t you, they’re not the biggest or the greatest towns, they’re just quaint—lovely. That would be Nain on any other day… But on this day, Nain has lost it’s charm, all of it has fallen into the casket of this widow’s son. Not only has this woman buried her husband, now she has to bury her one and only son as well. A whole village is moved by this grief upon grief. Verse 12, “a considerable crowd from the town was with her.” Are you not deeply moved when someone you know has just one tragedy after another after another. That is this woman. What you have to understand is it’s not just her son who is lying in that casket…that is unspeakably tragic in itself. But her 401k is also in that casket, her assisted living facility is lying in that casket, her police department is lying in that casket. Her housing remodeler, her plumber, her repairman is lying in that casket. Her Netflix, her 8 o’clock evening news, her comedic sitcom is lying in that casket. All these things and many, many more were done by a woman’s sons. How would a retired woman eat? There is no Bank of Galilee with a ride through ATM. If you will eat when you are seventy you had better have a son to break his back in the fields or on a boat and this widow now has none. Her all her past and all her future is gone with the death of her son…

“And when the Lord saw her, he σπλαγχνίζομαι. If you joined us Thursday night for Bible study you know what this word means. Σπλαγχνίζομαι comes from the Greek word σπλαγχνα the Greek word for guts. The internal organs around the stomach were seen as the seat of compassion, affection, emotion. When you first met you spouse your σπλαγχνα were all jittery or when you see someone in pain don’t you feel it in your σπλαγχνα. When Jesus sees this widow it is gut-wrenching for him, he σπλαγχνίζομαι. Isn’t that amazing? God feels pain…that’s what compassion or sympathy literally mean. Com means “with”, passion means suffering in Latin, that’s why the movie is called the Passion of the Christ… Sym means together, a sym-phony literally means together sound, well symPATHY means together feeling. Jesus is feeling this woman’s pain together with her. Are we compassionate, are we sympathetic? Don’t we often we hit the mute button. We try to shut down or numb ourselves from feeling compassion and sympathy…why? Because it hurts…to be compassionate means you are going to join their passion—their suffering and that hurts, it’s burdensome, it’s annoying and so what do we do? We hit the mute button, we don’t let out minds or our hearts or our splagchna take on their pain, we turn a deaf ear, we keep an emotional distance. We’ve become really good actors. When someone shares their pain we put on a compassionate face we furrow our eyebrows to convey concern all the while thinking about what we’re going to make for dinner and hoping the conversation is over soon. One of the most loving and comforting things we can do for people is have authentic compassion. We know the difference. Do you know what young people are athirst for? Authenticity. Why do so many in their twenties and thirties not come to church? The church is seen as inauthentic–fake. We may be inauthentic, but our Lord is not. Our lord, σπλαγχνίζομαι. He suffers with the widow.

And he suffers with you. Do you think that Jesus’s compassion is limited to the people who lived around 30 AD in the area of Judea? Of course it is not. In the midst of your pain, your loss, your death, a promise rings true…his last promise in the Gospel of Matthew… “lo I am with you always even unto the end of the age” We think during the most difficult and tragic moments in life that God is far off, learn from today’s Gospel reading that this is not so. God, σπλαγχνίζομαι.

But that is not all he does….”and [he]said to her, “Do not weep.” The God who said let there be light and there was light now says to this widow’s heart, and to yours as well, “do not weep”. Why should widow’s heart not weep? Why should your heart not weep? Because of what he does next. “Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.”

This is a foreshadow of what Jesus comes to do on his bier. He comes to trample down death by death. Death is the greatest enemy because it takes everything from us. If ever there was a time to weep it is in the midst of Death, but as St. Paul says we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope.” As our Lord says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”. Wipe away your tears…death has been vanquished. Christ will say to you arise. He will say to your loved ones who have died in him arise. Is this not true? If it is false there is no reason to be here. But indeed it is true. So we are right to have hope even when we meet tragedy like this widow……..

Can you imagine what this would have been like? A man lying in a casket becomes alive again?!?! I’m not sure we can. But the peoples’ reaction is recorded in today’s text, “Fear seized them all” it says. Why are they afraid? Because they realize they are in the presence of the ultimate power, the power over life and death. In the sight of such power one realizes their powerlessness and that is scary. Then they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” That second statement is more true than they realize. Jesus is not just a prophet. You might think Jesus is just doing the same trick Elijah did in our Old Testament lesson, right? No, there is one big difference… “Elijah stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah.” Jesus does not pray…he does not petition God to raise this widow’s son, he says arise and the widow’s son obeys. In today’s text you see Jesus for who he really is to again quote St. Paul, “in Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”. That is who we worship this day, that is who is in our midst even as I speak this sentence, that is who comes to spiritual heal us this day like he physically healed the widow’s son. And if we have not rejected spiritual healing from this good physician we will certainly participate in a resurrection even greater than this widow’s son, we will be raised to eternal life in God’s kingdom which has no end. That is the good news—the hope of Christ and now may we do as the people of Nain. Verse 17. “And this report about him spread through…all the surrounding country.” Amen.

 

 

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