2007 Spring - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)

D A R E

T O

B E

L U T H E R A N

igher Things

Inside this issue:

• Is

Christianity a Disease?

• Are Lutherans “Left Behind”?

• Being a Lutheran on a Non-Christian Campus

W W W. H I G H E RT H I N G S . O R G

/ SPRING / 2007

We’ve compiled a sampling of some notable blurbs from the Higher Things blogs. Check them out and read more online at http://blog.higherthings.org/.

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T A B L E

O F

Contents

Volume 7/Number 1 • Spring 2007

HigherThings Volume 7/Number 1/Spring 2007

FEATURES

COLUMNS

4

16 Christ on Campus: The Strange Land

Is Christianity a Disease?

By Rev. Tim Pauls A well-known celebrity has claimed that Christianity is a dangerous disease. Is it true?

What’s his proof? And are you in danger of being infected? Check out Pastor Pauls’ article for all the answers.

6

God’s Will and Me

By Rev. George F. Borghardt III Thinking about the future can be a little overwhelming—even scary—at times.You may be unsure, and there may not seem to be many answers. But take heart.Your Savior has a plan for you. He’ll work it all for your good.

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On Being Lutheran: Common Culture or Common Confession

By Betsy Schroeder Have you ever wondered what it really means to be Lutheran? Are we defined by our beliefs or just our infamous potlucks and Jell-O? To get a more detailed study on the matter, look at Betsy Schroeder’s article.

10 Mind Out of Control

By Seminarian Dustin Anderson Because of sin, no one was created with a perfect mind and body. But we know that they will be just right one day in heaven. Until then, what’s the best way to deal with mental illnesses like ADD? Read this article to learn more.

12 Dare to Be Boring

By Aaron Wolf Aaron Wolf reminds us of the Left Behind books and the trend they started. What do Lutherans believe about the end times? And how do we respond to Christians who disagree with us?

This article explains it all.

By Rev. David Kind You’ve gone to church your whole life.You know your Bible and catechism. But now you’re in college, and teachers are telling you that Christianity isn’t true, the Bible is a sham, and Jesus is no better than Ghandi. Are you ready for this? How do you react? Read this article, and be better prepared.

20 Mining the Riches: Take, Eat!

By Rev. J. Bart Day Is there a right or wrong way to receive the Lord’s body into your mouth at Communion?

Should you be given it from your pastor’s hand or take it from your own? Is one way more Lutheran? Pastor Day explains the importance of reverence during Communion, what the Church has said about it through the ages, and the gifts we are given by receiving it.

22 Pride and Prejudice

By Kathy Luder Kathy’s got herself in a bind. She’s told a lie, the cops are involved, and now her guilty conscience is getting the best of her. Read more to find out how it all ends.

26 Pulse: Pray . . .

And Pass the Ammunition

By Seminarian Doug Taylor Many adults say video games aren’t healthy because they’re so violent. But what about Christian video games that aren’t healthy because they’re so non-Christian? If technology is your thing, this article by Seminarian Doug Taylor is for you.

28 Dare to Be Lutheran: Pentecostalism

By Zelwyn Heide Do you have Pentecostal friends who speak in tongues? What do they really believe about the Holy Spirit? They’re both important things to know more about, and Zelwyn Heide’s done all the research for you.

30 The Goodness of the Law

By Rev. David Petersen We’re always hearing about the Gospel, but what about the Law? Is it good for us? Why should we pay attention to it? Wouldn’t we be better off without it? If you’re interested in the benefits of the Law, read Pastor Petersen’s column to learn more.

Also in this issue: 2 Blurbs from the Blogs 9 TalkBack 25 News and Notes

Executive Editor

REV. TIM PAULS Managing Editor ADRIANE DORR Assistant Editor

JULIE BECKWITH Art Director

STEVE BLAKEY Editorial Associates

REV. PAUL BEISEL REV. DAVID PETERSEN REV. ERIK ROTTMANN Bible Studies Editor REV. DAN MACKEY Business Manager LYNNETTE FREDERICKSEN Coolest Name in This Issue:

PHILOXENUS OF MABBUG ____ Christ on Campus Executive REV. MARCUS ZILL Conferences Executive REV. BRUCE KESEMAN Internet Services Executive REV. GEORGE F. BORGHARDT

III

Retreat Executive LANDON REED

_____ Board of Directors President REV. KLEMET

PREUS

Vice President REV. WILLIAM Secretary SANDRA

CWIRLA

OSTAPOWICH

Treasurer LYNN FREDERICKSEN Fiesta Bowl Final

BOISE STATE: 43 OKLAHOMA: 42 REV. BRENT KUHLMANN MARK PFUNDSTEIN BRUCE PARADIS REV. RICHARD RESCH DR. BEVERLY YAHNKE ___________ Higher Things Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc., 5009 Cassia, Boise, ID 83705. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2007.

Printed in the United States. Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-448-2359 or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org. (This phone number is only used for subscription queries.)

For letters to the editor, write letters@ higherthings.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@higherthings.org.

Please check http://higherthings.org/ magazine/writers.html for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.

___________

Higher Things Magazine is available in Braille and on audiocassette tape for the visually impaired. Contact Lutheran Blind Mission at 7550 Watson Road, St. Louis , MO 63119; call toll-free 1-888-215-2455; or e-mail at blind.mission@blindmission.org.

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Is Christianity a Disease D

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 4

By Rev.Tim Pauls

r. Richard Dawkins says you’re sick, and he ought to know. He holds two doctorates and a prestigious chair at Oxford University. He says you’re sick with a disorder that often leads to intolerance, ignorance, and violence.

But before you get too worried, consider that Bill Maher and Elton John agree with him. If Bill and Elton think you’re sick, maybe you’re not doing so badly after all.

Of the three, Dawkins is by far the most formidable. He’s been labeled “Darwin’s Rottweiler” for his defense of evolution and is perhaps the world’s most prominent “professional

atheist” of our time. Bill Maher, a talk show host who believes in some sort of “higher power,” makes up for his lack of credentials with plenty of face time on TV. And Elton John . . . well, he plays a really mean piano. It’s a diverse trio. I somehow doubt you’ll find them spending time together, munching Tostitos and playing on an X-Box 360. But they’re in solid agreement about your sad state. According to all three, you’re infected with a terrible disease called “religion,” and your particular viral strain is “Christianity.”

As Maher puts it, religion is a disease—a “neurological disorder.” It leads to violence, since so many wars have been fought for religious reasons; and Dawkins holds that nonviolent religions are no better, because they pave the way for violent religion. Further, religion leads to intolerance, since religions have laws that say what people can and can’t do.

Finally, it leads to ignorance, because it seeks to stifle scientific inquiry and exploration.

You violent, ignorant sicko, you.

At face value, these guys sound like we should be worried. No one, after all, wants to suffer a neurological sickness that leads to ignorance, intolerance, and violence.

But let’s examine these arguments a little closer. And since all three men would reject Scripture as an authority, we’ll use the common ground of logic.

Does religion lead to violence? It certainly can. The Middle East is on fire right now, and the rest of the world threatened by terror, largely because of one religious group.

But does that mean that all religions lead to violence? Not at all! That’s hardly a rational argument. It would be like saying, “Since science brought us the nuclear bomb, all scientific experiments lead to the annihilation of mankind.” Is religion responsible for violence more than atheism? In our local paper, a self-proclaimed atheist has written that all religion should be abolished because religion is responsible for so much death and destruction. On the one hand, consider that it’s usually religious groups that provide vast amounts of aid to those who suffer from war or natural disaster. On the other hand, consider twentieth-century history: over one hundred million people died at the hands of Communist and Fascist governments, regimes that sought either to abolish religion or change it to serve their cause. The argument that abolishing religion would lead to peace is nonsense.

Does religion lead to intolerance? This is where Elton John makes noise. In late 2006, he declared that all organized religion should be abolished because religion promotes hatred against homosexuals. The irony is laughable: those who want to ban intolerant people should therefore ban themselves, since they don’t tolerate people who want to ban things. Still, religion—and especially, it seems, Christianity—is chastised for intolerance. The argument’s flaw is obvious: at some point, everyone is intolerant. Everyone believes that some behaviors are acceptable and others are not. Elton John has one opinion of homosexuality, one that disagrees with Scripture. He’s

?

operating by a different set of rules, which he believes to be better than God’s.

Does religion lead to ignorance? Critics say yes, and one example they use is stem cell research. Stem cell research holds immense possibilities for improving health and lengthening life, but Christians object to it. Right? Wrong.

Many Christian groups oppose embryonic stem cell research; they oppose the killing of unborn children for the purposes of research. Stem cells are available from other sources like umbilical cords and fat cells.There’s little need to take human life for the research, and even if there is potential there, it’s still wrong.This isn’t an attempt by religion to stop progress or cast a veil of ignorance on the masses; rather, it’s defending the belief that life begins at conception, that unborn children should be protected.

So do you have a neurological disorder called Christianity?

No. By the work of the Holy Spirit, you have a confession of faith.You believe that God is the Creator of all things.You believe that He has given us His Law that stipulates right and wrong.You believe that He is the Author of life.You believe He sent His only Son to save you from sin.

Dawkins, Maher, and Elton John each have a confession of faith. Dawkins believes that there is no God; therefore, religion is useless—except for his atheism, which is a religion whether he admits it or not. Maher believes in a “higher power” who doesn’t communicate with us; therefore, God doesn’t tell us what is right or wrong. And Elton John . . . well, I don’t know what he believes, other than that his god believes that homosexuality is a good thing.The point is that each one has a faith, and their faiths disagree with yours.That doesn’t make them right; it means they don’t believe what God’s Word says.

It doesn’t make you diseased; it means you’re a Christian who walks by faith, and you can expect the world not to like that very much.

Criticism of Christianity is nothing new. When I was in high school, we Christians were accused of being narrow-minded, shutting ourselves into a tiny box instead of opening our minds to great possibilities. In our tiny box, however, is the God who created all things and still preserves them. With us also is His Son, who died and rose again so that we might be forgiven. In our tiny box, the living Lord still comes to us in His Word and Sacraments, keeping us in the faith until He raises us up for eternal life.

You tell me. Is that narrow minded, especially when compared to those who deny a personal God and say that this accidental life is all there is?

Hardly. Our tiny box is infinitely bigger than the world’s open minds.

Rev.Tim Pauls is associate pastor and acting school administrator at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Boise, Idaho. He is also the Higher Things Executive Editor. His e-mail address is tpauls@goodshepherdboise.org.

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God’s Will

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The Incredulity of St. Thomas, Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, Vatican Museum, Vatican

and Me

By Rev. George F. Borghardt III

pperclassmen get a funny look about this time of year. It’s part stunned deer-in-the-headlights and part crippling terror.“What does God want me to do with my life? How do I know? What if I do the wrong thing?”

U

These are difficult questions. When I was in middle school, I wanted to be a meteorologist. In high school, I wanted to become a chemical engineer. But when I learned in college that they didn’t wear cool black and white striped hats like train engineers, I had to reevaluate my career choice.

How do you go about answering this question? If God would just give you bread crumbs to follow, signs from heaven, or arrows along the road, you could figure out His plans for you. But God is holy.You and I are not.

We’re so sinful that we don’t even know what holy is, which makes figuring out God’s will a bit difficult.

We all learned in confirmation that God teaches us what to do and not to do in His Law. What does God want you to do? Read the Commandments. Pray them.

Sing them.They will tell you what God likes and what God doesn’t like.You’ll find that the things that we do, He hates. Our thoughts, our feelings, even what we want for ourselves, are so twisted by sin that it is completely different from His will.

But don’t stop with just that word from God.Yes, God hates the evil things you do. But there is another word of God, and. it’s all about what God has done for you in Christ. Hear the Gospel. Listen to how the Father has sent Jesus, His only-begotten Son, to live the holy life that you and I have no clue how to live and to die the death we deserve for all the times we fail to live holy lives before Him. God’s will isn’t a mystery to you in Christ.You’ve heard it in church.The will of God is that you believe in Him whom He has sent. He has washed away your sins in Baptism, delivering the life and death of His Son to you. He is as pleased with you as He is with Jesus.Trust His promise.That is the good and gracious will of God. Well, that’s all fine and good, but we still have to make these decisions that affect the rest of our lives.

How does this Law and Gospel business help? It

answers everything. Keep the commandments on your lips; those are God’s stop signs.You know you shouldn’t do something that breaks a commandment. But after that, remember the Gospel.

Because of it, you don’t need to worry about what God wants you to do. In Christ, He has freed you from fear. He is pleased with you because of Christ.Work, apply, and strive. And trust all the more that God is going to work out the plans He has for you. Remember that what He has for you is good. How could it not be? He’s given up His Son for you.

Make every important decision prayerfully. Seek the advice of your parents.Talk to your pastor, friends, and family.Then, live in Christ, who died for you.

I never expected to be a pastor, and I never thought I’d be working with youth. But the Lord in His great mercy had some use for me as a pastor, and He’ll use me as one for as long as He wants.Then, if it’s His will, He’ll move me on to something else. He’s working it all out for my good in Christ. He’s doing the same for you too.

Don’t fear the future. Jesus has taken your sins upon Himself. In Baptism, you died with Him and rose with Him to new life, one without fear. So, pray, study, try, and do. He’s going to work it all out for you in Christ, and it will be better than you could possibly imagine.Then, after it is all over, you’ll marvel at all He did to make you who you are.

Rev. George F. Borghardt III is the Assistant/Youth Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Conroe,TX. He serves as the Internet Services Executive for Higher Things. He is also the Asheville FOR YOU conference coordinator. His e-mail address is revborghardt@higherthings.org.

Visit Bloghardt’s Reflector, his blog, at http://blog.higherthings.org/borghardt/.

S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 __ 7

I

Lutheran:

Common Culture or Common Confession?

It became clear to me that there were indeed differences among the Lutherans.

As the years passed, I was shocked to find out that some Lutherans supported abortion, that others believed the Bible is full of myths and errors, that many believed homosexuality is okay, and worst, that to most who held those views, none of these points of disagreement mattered, even though their beliefs were in direct conflict with Scripture. In reality, these discrepancies are major points of doctrine. One of the most significant differences is the disagreement on the inspiration of Scripture.

The orthodox Lutheran position is that the Scriptures are inspired by God in the sense that, though He certainly employed the background and education of the writers, He gave them the very words penned in the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts of the Holy Bible.There are no errors or contradictions in the teachings of Holy Scripture because God is the author.This is also the position of the Book of Concord, which orthodox Lutherans believe to be the correct exposition of God’s Word.The inerrancy of Scripture is only one of the many points of doctrine on which the different Lutheran circles disagree. But it is the issue on which all other points of doctrine rest. After all, if we can’t trust the Word of God to be inspired, inerrant, and true, what do we have to base our faith on?

If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain! As orthodox Lutherans, we place our trust in what God tells us in His Word, that He has saved us from the consequences of our sins, through faith, for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ.

What does it truly mean to be a Lutheran? It means that we are simply a continuation of the Church catholic, teaching what the Christian Church has correctly believed, taught, and confessed from the time of the apostles. It means to hold fast to the Word of God, to accept the Book of Concord as the correct exposition of that Word, and to embrace the Sacraments and historic liturgy as they were passed down to us. Most of all, it means to cling to Jesus Christ as the full atonement for our sins.Through faith, we can look forward to eternal life with Him in heaven.This is most certainly true!

Betsy Schroeder is a May 2006 graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin with degrees in Parish Music and Business Communication.

She can be reached at Betsy.Schroeder@cuw.edu.

’m Lutheran. But what’s the big deal about that? For many who have been baptized, confirmed, and raised in the Lutheran Church, being Lutheran is often hardly distinguished from having a German or Scandinavian heritage. It has become merely a label for an identifiable culture and set of customs. In the American Midwest, they are: hot dishes—especially the legendary tater tot hot dish here in Minnesota, potlucks, Jell-o in the liturgical color of the Church Year, always sitting in the back of the church . . . all those clichés so comically portrayed by Garrison Keillor in his popular radio show “A Prairie Home Companion.”

Lutheranism has become more about enjoying a common culture than about holding to a common confession of faith.

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 8

This confusing of identities has resulted in church members who do not understand what it really means to be Lutheran or the differences between the Lutheran Church bodies. Although Lutherans of different synods have some doctrine and practices in common, we are not tied together by our common love for beer and brats (that’s German sausage, not naughty children) or lefse and lutefisk. It is a common confession of faith that unites Lutherans.The fact that the term Lutheran encompasses more than just one confession can be confusing.

The United States is home to many subsets of the Lutheran Church. Why the divisions? Because of disagreement in doctrine.

It is no different from the reason why there are Roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and so forth.

Again, it is a common confession of faith that brings people together into a Church—not a common ethnic heritage or family tradition. Issues that divide the Lutheran Church at large range from whether Scripture is the inspired Word of God to the role of women in the Church to the issues of abortion and homosexuality.

As I went through grade school, I was surprised to learn that not all other people calling themselves Lutheran believed the same as I did—as I had been taught through my parents, the Divine Service, Sunday School, and confirmation.Through one discussion with a friend after school, I came to find out that one of the Lutheran churches in town had a woman pastor. I had never even heard of that before. Not long after, a conversation with one friend of my brother’s brought out that he was a Lutheran PK (pastor’s kid). However, as the tale unraveled, it came out that not only was his dad a pastor, but his mom was too!

This was the second “Lutheran” church in town that I had heard had a woman pastor.

By Betsy Schroeder

On Being

The Weimar Altarpiece (1555) Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger

TALKBACK We want your feedback, so start the conversation already!

Send your e-mails to: letters@higherthings.org.

Higher Things reserves the right to edit for content, clarity, and length.

Dear Editor, I have to comment on one of your articles in the Winter 2006 issue of Higher Things. While I enjoy your magazine and give it out to those teens and adults who I think could best benefit, I must protest on the lack of research by Anthony Sacramone, as well as the lack theological oversight for an article such as “The Five Greatest Movies Never Made.”

The very first suggestion for a movie that should be made . . . is“Sufficient for You.The Life of George Muller.”I happen to know a great deal about George Muller, having researched this man‘s life a few years ago. He is NO model churchman and he is NO Lutheran either. He is not someone I wished for my young people to look up to or emulate.

I would please suggest caution in the future.

This is the very thing that attracts people, especially the impressionable young, to chase after a God who acts now, rather than one of the Word alone, by faith alone, hidden in the mundane things of water, bread and wine alone. Our flesh would always rather see than trust by faith mere word—even if God’s very own. We are children of Adam and Eve, remember, and usually prefer to

listen to another source of truth, rather than in His Word alone.

By His Grace alone, Pastor David Emmons Dear Pastor Emmons, You make a valid point. However, we believe that an important part of being Lutheran is having the ability to realize that God can use people to do good things, even if their doctrine is a bit dodgy.We published the article describing Muller for the same reason that we allow our youth to read C.S. Lewis.

Lewis isn’t Lutheran, but he does have good things to offer. In other words, we believe there is good to be found in the work of each, and we encourage discussion on those topics.

In the end, we didn’t publish the article with the intent of showing public approval of Muller’s doctrine. Instead, we wanted to emphasize his civic work—what he did for his neighbor—specifically that of caring for orphans and the less privileged.

We are thankful there are men like you who are concerned about the youth in the Church and for your faithful catechesis that will enable them to make distinctions like these.Thanks!

__________________ To the Editor: I’m confused.The article on Joel Osteen was interesting, but I don’t see what the big deal is. My youth group leader has gone to Joel Osteen’s church before, and he says the people there don’t believe that much differently than us. I guess I just don’t understand what’s so bad about believing in a nice Jesus. Isn’t Jesus supposed to be nice? I’m confused.

Sincerely, Samantha Dear Samantha, There’s nothing wrong with being nice. But there is something wrong when that’s the only definition of Jesus that Osteen is willing to give. By focusing on Jesus’ niceness, Osteen implies that He is willing to overlook everything we do simply because He is just so huggably and kissably sweet.

As a result, we as Lutherans simply want to remind our readers that while Jesus is indeed forgiving and caring, He is also a wrathful God who hates sin and evil. He’s jealous and won’t tolerate false gods. He’s disciplined and can’t stand it when we backtalk to our mothers. He’s angry when we lie to our friends. He is repulsed by our greed.

In other words, God isn’t so polite that He just turns a blind eye to our sins. He recognizes them for what they are—horrible, evil thoughts and actions.

But He doesn’t stop there. He offers forgiveness because of His crucifixion.

So if you only talk about how nice Jesus is, you ignore a lot of what the Bible says about Him.Worse, if you only talk about how sweet Jesus is, you’re not going to talk about the cross.The cross isn’t nice or pretty; it’s God’s wrath poured out on Jesus for our sins. And that is your salvation.

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Mind Out

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By Seminarian Dustin Anderson

of Control: Dealing with ADD as a Christian

he pesky little housefly zips through the classroom unnoticed by the students busily working on their math lesson—except for one. In the back corner of the room, the fly gains the attention of Zack, who was already gazing out the window daydreaming about anything and everything. In his head, there flashed the wonders of yesterday’s hot dish during lunch, tonight’s basketball game, the dread of having to sit through another Wednesday of catechesis, and the question of whether or not Jamie really winked at him in the hall between classes.

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For most, none of this would be a big deal, but not for Zack. He has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

None of what he is thinking about or experiencing is abnormal, but Zack can’t control any of it. Everything is a potential distraction: the fly, the rustling of the leaves outside, the buzzing of the lights above him, even silence itself.You see, even when there is silence, the random thoughts of his mind are distracting him from whatever it is he is suppose to be doing. It is a real problem. It is a problem that he can’t completely fix by himself.

Medically speaking, ADD is considered a mental illness, but this doesn’t mean that those with it are to be put in a straightjacket and locked up.They have a disorder, and just like we would not blame someone for being born with diabetes, we are not to blame them either for having ADD. Nor are we to think that they are weaker or less capable than someone without the disorder.To think like that would be like thinking Jerome Bettis is a weaker football player because he has asthma.How Zack got ADD is unknown. It could have been a number of things, but the reality is that he has it. For some with this disorder, a daily routine can be very helpful in teaching how to manage the symptoms, but sometimes this isn’t enough. For those who need more help, there are medications. Just like those who use insulin or an inhaler, those who use medication to control their ADD are not to be looked down upon either.

In the grand scheme of things, ADD is itself only a symptom of a deeper and greater problem. We are

sinners, and because we are sinners, things are far from the way they should be. We all have our problems. But Christ came into the world to endure all things, and because of His innocent suffering and death for us, what we endure does not even compare to the blessings we have in Christ’s gift of forgiveness. For it is in the forgiveness of sins that we have the promise of the resurrection of this now sinful body.This body will be made perfect on the Last Day, just as Christ’s body is perfect.

In the meantime, we can, with Zack, find comfort in the words of Christ to St. Paul,“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV).The body is weak and the battle is difficult, but as the thorn of ADD remains in Zack’s side, the strength of Christ, found in His Word and Holy Sacraments, keeps him ever secure in Christ’s saving arms.

The realities of Christ’s redeeming work touches each of us in our lives, no matter what our ailment is.

As we live in a fallen and broken world, Christ comes to us and touches us with His Word in Baptism, in the sermon, in Holy Absolution, and in His body and blood. In these mysteries of God, we receive the forgiveness of all our sins.This is the medicine we all need and have in Jesus.

Seminarian Dustin L. Anderson is in his fourth year of study at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN. He lives each day, as one only can, in Christ’s forgiveness. His e-mail address is mrlawgospel@hotmail.com.

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Lutherans and the

Dare to n my day, as we over-the-hill thirty-somethings like to say, video games were simple. As a kid, I loved to shoot those chugging, descending rows of square aliens in Space Invaders in the big stand-up machine next to Pac-Man and Donkey Kong at the laundromat. Today, there’s splattering blood, death, and mayhem on your computer or TV at home. The deep darkness that brooded inside the Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris was at least amplified, if not inspired, by DOOM, the first first-person shooter game.

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The good news about Left Behind: Eternal Forces, released a few months ago, is that killing (one of the objectives of the game along with converting) is not without cost. Every time you, a member of the Tribulation Force, blast a member of the Antichrist’s evil minions (the Global Community Peacekeepers), you lose Spirit Points. So, you have to maintain a balance of converting (through streetcorner preaching) and killing. Thankfully, the Spirit Warriors (Christian rock singers) are around, and one dose of praise and worship will boost your Spirit Points.

The media thinks that this “Christian” game promotes intolerance, bigotry, and a “Crusader mentality.” Newspapers from the Los Angeles Times to the New York Times have blasted the game for teaching kids that Christianity means “Convert, or else!” rather than the love-and-snuggles message of the Unitarian “Jesus.”

What’s really wrong with this game, other than the fact that the game itself is just plain lame, is what’s really wrong with the entire Left Behind series, which includes several best-selling books, a handful of movies, and a host of knickknacks: they promote a view of the End Times that is contrary to Scripture—disguised as a “literal” interpretation of Scripture. And this false and misleading view of the end times takes such great pains to notice every detail of the Book of Revelation that, well, you can make a video game out of it. You may find it difficult to take some of these overly silly manifestations of premillennial dispensationalism (the theology behind Left Behind) seriously. On the other hand, it can be equally difficult to deal with questions raised by our evangelical friends when they quote chapter and verse and then accuse us of not taking the Bible seriously.

Lutherans, you may have noticed, are very narrow-minded, but sometimes this is a good thing, as in the way we look at the Bible. For when we open up its pages, the first thing we look for is Christ.

“Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ beside me,” as St. Patrick liked to say, or “Christ on every page,” as Martin Luther liked to say. When Jesus met those bewildered disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24), He began with Moses (as in Genesis) and showed them all “the things concerning Himself.” Then, they looked at the prophets and the psalms and found Jesus there too.

End Times:

Be Boring

by Aaron Wolf

In John 5, our Lord tells the Jews that the Scriptures “testify of me,” and in Luke 4:21, He says,“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”This seems kind of simple and obvious—that Christians should see Christ as the center of everything, including God’s Word (He is the Word made flesh, after all), but in practice, it isn’t. In order to do this, we have to come to the Bible with a certain understanding of who Jesus is (not just God but specifically Jesus) and what He did.

Our Catholic and Orthodox friends would sum it up in the word incarnate—Christ in the flesh. And truly, that God became man is a great mystery to ponder. But we Lutherans don’t stop there. We know with St. Paul that it is the Christ incarnate and crucified who is on every page of Scripture, even those tedious genealogies and rules about sacrificing animals, the blood-and-guts battle stories of the Jews, and the poetic prophecies about a Lamb brought to slaughter.

That’s where we start with when we approach the Bible: the Gospel, from the first promise of Christ in Eden to the Last Day, when Jesus raises us from the dead. We read through the creed. We know that Jesus is the subject of all prophecy, Old Testament or New. And when we say “Jesus,” we mean “Christ crucified.” All roads lead to the Gospel.

Our left behind friends may not realize it, but their approach to the Bible is very different.

For them, Christ incarnate and crucified is not the focus of all Scripture.

Before me is a musty-smelling copy of Dispensational Truth by Clarence Larkin (1918), one of the foundational books that established the left behind mentality among evangelicals in America. On page 13, we find, with lots of capital letters, that “The Second and Premillennial Coming of Christ is the ‘Key’ to the Scriptures.” And a few lines later, Larkin continues,“The moment we grasp this idea of prophecy . . . the Bible becomes a new book, and doctrinal and prophetical truths at once fall into their proper place, and our theological system is no longer a chaos but an orderly plan.” So, according to Larkin, the main message of the Bible is to prophesy the second coming of Christ.

For the Dispensationalists, Christ incarnate and crucified for sinners is not the center of the Bible, so they are able to chop up the Bible into different parts aimed at different audiences.

Are you studying the Sermon on the Mount? Stop!

That was written for the Jews in the thousand-year Kingdom, not for Christians! And the Book of Revelation? Hey, just because S it was P

addressed to seven firstcentury churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) doesn’t mean that all of those details were really meant for them. No, it is a manual for those who become Christians after the rapture, during the

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H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 14

seven-year tribulation, so they can fight the Global Community Peacekeepers (or whatever their actual name will be).

What’s deceptive about the left behind mentality is that it claims to be a very literal approach to Scripture—taking the Bible very seriously. But because this literal approach does not start with the Gospel, it looks at all of the promises God made to Israel and concludes that those promises can only be fulfilled in the ethnic Jewish people—specifically in the modern state of Israel. And since for them the Church is absolutely distinct from the modern state of Israel, they have concluded that the Church will be raptured away before the events of Revelation take place. Why, then, was this book written for seven churches?

Lutherans know the answer to that question.

All Scripture is for God’s people, whether they are called the Church or Israel. And because we know that the Gospel is the center of Scripture (not the premillennial second coming), we know that the promises God made in the Old Testament were not to those who were racially or ethnically Jewish, but to those who looked forward to the coming of their Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the (whole) world. The Revelation of Jesus Christ (the book’s full title) was written to comfort churches who were actually experiencing tribulation or persecution and who looked forward to “living and reigning with Christ for a thousand years” (millennium) in heaven when they faced the martyr’s death. (What could be more relevant for us today as Christians?) Each vision in Revelation is a literal picture of that reality, not a sequential series of future events that have no bearing on our lives today and only serve as fodder for sci-fi novels or video games.

For Lutherans and other traditional Christians, the Bible’s teaching on the end times might look boring. We don’t need to read the day’s headlines with Pat Robertson and try to figure out which Middle Eastern or E.U. politician lines up with which horseman or horn or golden bowl and predict how soon the rapture will come. We can sum it all up with the words of the old liturgy, which proclaims the mystery of faith:“Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.”

Actually, that’s not so boring after all.

Aaron D.Wolf, a Lutheran layman, is the associate editor of Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture and the author of a chapter in the book Peace in the Promised Land: A Realist Scenario that deals with dispensationalism and the end times.

Higher Things Announces Lutheran End Times Video Game PLEASANT PRAIRIE (HT): Higher Things announced plans today to develop a video game for Lutherans about the end times.“Ve haf been studying der market trends uf der Left Behind gruppe,” said software development boss Siegmund Von der Vander at a press conference,“und ve believe ve haf a vinner idea.”

The video game, tentatively titled “Still Here!”, is based upon an orthodox, amillennial understanding of the books of Daniel and Revelation. While playing, Christians will be able to roleplay situations that will confront believers in the days just before the Lord’s Second Coming. When asked for an example, Krumm was happy to respond.“Take, for instance, der typical high school student. Ze game is built on calendar veeks, so der first scene opens in church. Der player gets to listen to ze sermon, und zing hymns using ze karaoke mic provided, etc.

After zat, he role-plays going home vith his family, eating lunch und vatching football.That night, he verks his vay through an algebra 2 assignment. Der next morning, he gets up und goes to school. He can then either go to a literature class or dissect a frog. Later, as he avaits ze Last Day, he goes to his after school job und flips burgers.”

Asked if the excitement level increases, Krumm heartily responded,“Ach, ja! As ze game progresses, players interact with others at car washes and bake sales in order to earn money toward a Higher Things conferenz. Once zere, they get to verk, vership und play.”

Dispensational Millenialist reporters appeared confused at the press conference. When one asked about the Rapture, Mr. Von der Vander wrinkled his forehead. When asked about the Tribulation, he responded,“Of course zere ist tribulation in ze game. Players vill be hounded by ze devil, ze world und zere own sinful flesh throughout ze game.”When one reporter asked when the game ends, Mr. Von der Vander shrugged and said,“No one knows the day or the hour.”

Ultimate Event

The

C

hrist Academy is a two-week residential program for high-school-aged men, founded by Concordia Theological Seminary. It is a place where students can study about Christ who is present in His Word and Sacraments and who died that their sins would be forgiven.

It is a place where students can experience seminary life. It is a place where students can explore the possibility of some day becoming a pastor. ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠

Worship, the Center of the Experience Life-Changing Studies Clarity of Direction Fun Activities June 17-June 30, 2007

For more information, please call:

1-800-481-2155 www.ctsfw.edu ChristAcademy@ctsfw.edu

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Minneapolis, MN ✠ University Lutheran Church & Student Center, Champaign, IL ✠ University Lutheran Church, Bloomington, IN ✠ Zion Lutheran Church, Alva, OK ✠ Zion Lutheran Church, Morris, MN

✠ CHRIST ON CAMPUS CHAPTERS ✠ All Saints Lutheran Church & Student Center, Slippery Rock, PA ✠ Christ the King Lutheran Chapel, Mt. Pleasant, MI ✠ C

Campus: The Tr W ut h

H I G H E R T H I N G S __

e live in a world that is increasingly and radically opposed to the will of God. Nowhere is this more apparent than on a college campus. Universities are usually on the cutting edge of societal movement, decision making, and change. Not only is this evident in the classroom—where scientific, historic, cultural, and ethical ideas are introduced and discussed—but also in the laboratories and hospitals, in the think-tanks, in the researcher’s studies, in the students’ social and political forums, and in the policy maker’s board rooms. What is taught, researched, and considered here eventually (and almost inevitably) creeps out into the larger world. So be prepared for the fact that when you get to college, you may possibly be bombarded with anti-Christian thought.

Your biology professor will teach that you evolved from a tadpole.Your history teacher will use the Crusades to prove that Christians are insensitive, domineering, and bloodthirsty.Your philosophy teachers will try to convince you that there is no such thing as truth. And your ethics professors will claim that life is yours to keep or do away with. In short, everything you know to be true, they will probably claim is a lie.

Kn

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Church, Chico, CA ✠ St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church & Campus Center, Laramie, WY ✠ St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel, Iowa City, IA ✠ University Lutheran Chapel,

As a student, these cutting-edge ideas promoted on the university campus and in our postmodern world will confront you every day.You will be embroiled in discussions and debate.You will be called upon to compromise your beliefs and morals. And if you refuse to do so, you will be the subject of ridicule as one who is hopelessly small-minded and judgmental.Your other option is to give in to the predominate idea of the moment and then find yourself living a life of worldly conformity, a life lived in opposition to God. Sticking to your guns will be hard in college; and you will feel like a stranger in a strange land if you do so. And you will be.

For this reason I often compare the Church to a foreign embassy. It is the place where the citizens of Christ’s kingdom find refuge and help. It’s a little taste of the homeland (heaven) away from home; a place where you need not feel like a stranger.

The task of the Church is not so much to change the world but to rescue people out of this world with all of its destructive illusions and bring them into the biblical world, a realm where God’s Word and grace are formative and foundational.This is more than a philosophy or a worldview. It is a real world, one centered on Christ and His Gospel, lived in His grace, and ruled by His loving and gracious will. While it is true that it is a world that, for the most part, is beyond the comprehension of our senses, it is no less real because of it.

As the baptized, we already have citizenship in this other world, the Kingdom of heaven, and yet, we continue to live in this temporal world as well. It is a difficult state in which to exist. We live and work and study in a world that is in opposition to God. And yet, we live in this world in faith, a faith that must be confessed in both our speaking and our doing. All the while that same faith is under attack by the world, by the devil, and even by our own doubting and sinful flesh. So how do we manage to maintain our citizenship in the Kingdom of heaven when we are under such continual pressure and temptation to give in and conform to this world? How do you keep yourself grounded in the faith?

e g d e nowl

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17

Fellowship at

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Shorewood, WI ✠ Lutheran Campus Ministry, Knoxville, TN ✠ Lutheran Student Fellowship at Berkeley, CA ✠ Lutheran Student Fellowship of Pittsburgh, PA ✠ Lutheran Student

Strange Land

By Rev. David Kind

Concordia Lutheran Church & Student Center, Vermillion, SD ✠ Grace Lutheran Church, Muncie, IN ✠ Luther Memorial Chapel & University Student Center,

Stanford, Palo Alto, CA ✠ Lutheran Student Fellowship at Wright State University, OH ✠ Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Gunnison, CO ✠ Redeemer Lutheran

Our Lord Jesus is not unaware of our predicament.

When praying for His disciples, He said to the Father,“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth.Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:14b–18). Our Lord prays that we would be kept safe in the faith, that we would be sanctified, and that we might be sent as witnesses to the truth.

And herein lies the key to maintaining your citizenship in the Kingdom of heaven and to giving a faithful witness in the world, whether at the university, the workplace, the home, or anywhere.The key is the Lord working through His Word to sanctify you. When you hear God’s Word proclaimed in preaching, when it is spoken over you individually in Holy Absolution, when you receive that same Word through Holy Communion, the Holy Spirit is at work building and strengthening your faith, making you holy and renewing your citizenship in heaven.

When you step into the Divine Service, you step onto holy ground, into heaven itself where Christ is present with His grace. It is literally an outpost of the Kingdom of heaven in our world.There you receive the Word.There the Spirit is active.There you have fellowship with God the Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit.

There you find the grace and strength necessary to live your life faithfully in this world. And this doesn’t just happen on Sunday morning. When you go to the church during the week for Bible Study, for discussion about God’s Word, for counsel, for Confession, and for prayer, you encounter that same life-giving and sanctifying Word that builds and strengthens your connection to Christ and gives you the knowledge and ability to make a faithful confession.

University life is cutting edge, posing real challenges for you every day, but it is not nearly so cutting edge as the truth. So while you are hard at work studying and working and trying to be faithful in the midst of hard opposition, take advantage of the opportunities our Lord puts before you to give you the strength, courage, and knowledge to do so.

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Rev. David Kind is the campus pastor at University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis, Minnesota serving students of the University of Minnesota. He is a member of the Christ on Campus Team.

Christ on Campus is: ✠ The campus ministry arm of Higher Things ✠ Pastors and laity interested in confessional Lutheran campus ministry ✠ A great source for campus ministry resources ✠ Discussion forums for college students and campus ministry workers ✠ College retreats and service opportunities ✠ A growing and developing network of campus ministry chapters

Christ on Campus Chapters Twenty one strong and growing daily!

The ten newest chapters include: ✠ All Saints Lutheran Church and Student Center, Slippery Rock, PA ✠ Christ the King Lutheran Chapel, Mt. Pleasant, MI ✠ Luther Memorial Chapel and University Student Center, Shorewood, WI ✠ Lutheran Student Fellowship at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA ✠ Lutheran Student Fellowship at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN ✠ Lutheran Student Fellowship at Wright State University, Dayton, OH ✠ Redeemer Lutheran Church, Chico, CA ✠ Redeemer Lutheran Student Fellowship, Dickinson, ND ✠ Zion Lutheran Church, Alva, OK ✠ Zion Lutheran Church, Morris, MN

Christ on Campus V Staff Conference Make plans to join us in Milwaukee.

More details to come and online registration to open on March 31, 2007!

June 12–14, 2007 Luther Memorial Chapel and University Student Center, Shorewood, WI Speakers include: Dr. Angus Menuge Associate Professor of Computer Science & Philosophy Concordia University Wisconsin Rev. Dr. Harold Senkbeil Associate Professor, Pastoral Ministry and Missions Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN Dr. Beverly Yahnke Director of Christian Counseling Services, Milwaukee,WI

Learn more about Christ on Campus http://christoncampus.higherthings.org Contact: Rev. Marcus Zill, Christ on Campus Executive: zill@higherthings.org or (307) 745-5892

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MINING THE RICHES

Take

n the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

I

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said:“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said:“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

(Isaiah 6:1–7)

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The Prophet Isaiah, TIEPOLO, Giovanni Battista (b. 1696, Venezia, d.

1770, Madrid)

hat joy we have in singing the glorious words of the seraphim in the Communion liturgy.

The Sanctus soars to the heavens as our voices are blended together with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven. But for Isaiah and for us, there is more than a song. In the throne room, Isaiah was confronted with his sinful flesh and his unclean lips. He would surely die.Yet, God is merciful.

One of the seraphim gathers a burning coal from the altar and touches it to Isaiah’s lips.That coal is a burning remnant from the daily offering of the whole burnt offering; the male lamb slain granting the penitent access to God’s favor and acceptance in His sight.The gift was forgiveness and peace with God.

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In the holy liturgy, we confess our sins and eagerly await the word of Absolution. Surely we, like Isaiah, should die. Yet, God is merciful. From the altar, under the bread and wine, comes the burning coal, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18–19), Jesus the once-for-all burnt offering, the body and blood of Christ offered for the life of the world.

Christ into us, our guilt is taken away, and our sin atoned for.

What a true joy that so many come to receive the precious body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. But how should we receive this burning coal of salvation? Some receive the body of Christ directly into the mouth, while others receive Him in their hand. Is one right and the other wrong? Is one form of receiving the body of Christ more appropriate than the other?

The two manners of receiving the Host—directly in the mouth and in the hand—both reflect a genuine theological piety and tradition within the Church and deserve our careful attention. First, let us look briefly at the history of the Church.

The earliest surviving liturgical texts tell us that the holy people of God in both the Eastern and Western Churches received the body of Christ (the Host) in their hands. The practice was abandoned near the start of the Middle Ages partly out of fear that persons receiving the sacred body in their hands might carry it off for some frivolous purpose, or even for some darkly sacrilegious purpose, and partly because of the increasingly widespread idea that respect for the holy body of Christ precludes our touching holy things with unconsecrated hands.

Perhaps most important for us is how, from the earliest times, they received the precious body of Christ. Cyril of Jerusalem has left us his famous instructions on approaching Communion with hands extended and fingers closed, the left hand serving as a throne for the superimposed right hand

e, Eat!

By Rev. J. Bart Day

whose palm is to receive “the king,” the body of Christ. Philoxenus of Mabbug gives us instructions that when you have extended your hands and taken the body, bow, put your hands before your face, and worship the living body whom you hold.Then, say: “I carry you, living God who is incarnate in the bread, and I embrace you in my palms, Lord of the worlds whom no world has contained.You have circumscribed yourself in a fiery coal within a fleshly palm—you Lord, who with your palm measured out the dust of the earth.You are holy, God incarnate in my hands in a fiery coal which is a body.

See, I hold you, although there is nothing that contains you; a bodily hand embraced you, Lord of natures whom a fleshly womb embraced. Within a womb you became a circumscribed body, and now with a hand you appear to me as a small morsel.”

The Host was not picked up by the fingers, placing it into the mouth. Rather, both hands, serving as the throne, were raised to the mouth, receiving the body of Christ.

This reverence for the presence of Christ is still reflected in such great Communion hymns as “Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face” (LSB 631). In the first stanza, we sing: Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face; Here would I touch and handle things unseen; Here grasp with firmer hand the eternal grace, And all my weariness upon Thee lean.

Equally significant is the rise of receiving the Host directly into the mouth. Despite the abuses, which led the Church to place the Host directly on the tongue so that people might see it being consumed, this was not the common understanding among the laity for such a change in practice.

The act of being fed by another person is a very intimate act. We might ever think of a newly married bride and groom feeding each other the wedding cake. Receiving the body of Christ directly into the mouth came to symbolize the Christian’s complete dependence on receiving all things from the hand Christ, even His own body. The particular pastor at the time of the distribution then becomes insignificant.

The pastor is there to serve only as a table steward of God’s mysteries and is privileged to feed God’s children with the very bread of life.

This reverence for the presence of Christ is reflected in another great Communion hymn “O Living Bread from Heaven” (LSB 642). In the second stanza, we sing: My Lord,You here have led me To this most holy place.

And with Yourself have fed me The treasure of Your grace; For You have freely given What earth could never buy, The bread of life from heaven, That now I shall not die.

In the most ancient liturgies of the Church, immediately before the Communion the celebrant would raise the gifts and say aloud, “The holy things for the holy people.” How blessed we are through our Baptism into Christ to be holy people. It is as holy people that we joyfully approach the presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper.

At the altar, He invites us to come and receive the most precious foretaste of heavenly bliss. Here the coal touches our lips, and the cup marks the doorpost of our heart. Whether received upon the throne of our hand or placed upon our lips, our posture for receiving these heavenly gifts will always be reverent, and our attitude always one of thanks and praise.

Rev. J. Bart Day is associate pastor and headmaster of Memorial Lutheran Church and School in Houston,Texas.You can e-mail Rev. Day at revday@mlchouston.org.

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Pride and

Prejudice

by Kathy Luder

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A

s I sat in the back of the police car, hands cuffed in my lap, I was mildly surprised at how clean everything was.The car was immaculate.There wasn't a pebble on the floor, no dust on the back ledge or bars, and the vinyl seat was slippery with polish, as shiny as my cuffs. I sat in the back alone as the car whisked smoothly through town toward the police department.

“How you doing back there, Kathy?” the driver asked, glancing at me in the rear view mirror.

“Fine,” I said.

“It is not very pleasant, is it?” the other cop said, twisting around to give me a big grin that somehow made me nervous.

“It is okay,” I said, grinning back weakly.

“People don't realize how good it is to be free, to have control of your hands, to be able to get out of a car if and when you want,” he said, snorting, and turned back to the front.

“I guess.” I looked down at my shackled hands.“It’s not that bad. It’s almost kind of nice. Quiet.”

“Yeah,” the driver continued.“Locking a person up is the worst thing you can do to someone and still call it humane.

Man was meant to be free.”

“Freedom is just a word,” I said quietly.

“But that is what happens when you can't play nice,” he continued.“Some people can't live in society.”

The passenger interrupted him, twisting around to face me again.“Don't worry. We'll get you out of there in a minute.You can ride back in the front.”

His face broke into even a bigger smile, almost wicked looking, as he winked and chuckled, saying,“Hope this scares you straight.”

In fact, I didn't want to go back to school.

I felt like I should be locked up. It was a ridiculous feeling, drama queen style, but the guilt I felt in my lower back needed relief. It seemed like bars and separation from the world would better alleviate my suffering than confession, and I knew that as badly as I tried to hold it in,

confession was coming. So I was somewhat glad for the delay, but the delay was making me nervous.

It had all started a week ago at lunch when smarty-pants Lindsey was bragging about how she didn't read Clique books or watch American Idol.Those things were for the unwashed masses. She also dismissed the latest and most popular movies and music. She liked Casablanca and Beethoven and thought Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracey were the real dreamboats. Justin Timberlake was just scuzzy and immature.

“Dreamboat? Who says dreamboat?” I thought to myself.

Lindsey was pathetic. But Molly was completely taken in by it. She even asked Lindsey what she recommended.

Then, I stuck my pride in my mouth alongside my spork. I said,“I bet I've read more classics than you.”

Lindsey was twirling her classic, straight, long brown hair around her index finger. She tipped her head back and laughed.“Oh, Kathy,” she said, placing a hand on mine and looking me in the eye.“It doesn't matter who has read more.”

“No,” I said, pulling my hand back and looking across the sea of freshman stuffing themselves on burritos and fries.“It doesn't matter.”Then I looked her in the eye.“But I bet I've read more,” I said.

“You are incorrigible!” she said.

Incorrigible? Who says incorrigible? Dreamboats rafting down the Amazon in black andwhite movies maybe, but not us. Not me. And not Lindsey either, not without sounding horribly fake or without the bile rising in the back of my throat as Molly grinned ear to ear, basking in the Lindsey's natural beauty and superior intellect.

Lindsey turned to Molly.“Why is everything a contest with her?”

I interrupted.“Have you read King Lear?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.“Have you read The Grapes of Wrath?”

I smirked.“Of course. What about Slaughterhouse Five?”

“No. I haven't. Sounds gross,” she admitted.“Animal Farm?”

“Please. We had to read that for school. What about David Copperfield?”

“No, I haven't read that either. I did read A Christmas Carol but everyone has read that.” She twirled her hair more tightly and looked up at the ceiling.

I sipped my milk, feeling very pleased. I'd stumped her.

Molly was still grinning, but there was a tinge of disgust in her eye. She said,“You two are pathetic” as she got up and left.

Lindsey raised her eyebrows and the pitch of her voice.

She asked,“Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice?”

“Yes! Come on. Everyone has read that,” I said. I even slapped the table to demonstrate my disgust, so that she would know that I was insulted, as the bell rang.

“Yeah, I suppose,” Lindsey said as she rose with her tray, shaking that long brown hair like a movie star from the forties.“Maybe you have read more classics.That is swell.”

Swell? Who says swell?

As she walked away, she threw “I'll just have to put my

S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 __ 23

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 24

nose to the grindstone and catch up” over her shoulder.

Nose to the grindstone? Aggggghhhh! She made me so sick.That affected nostalgia and phoney grandmother vocabulary could make me puke. I felt like listening to the Backstreet Boys and quoting SpongeBob just for spite.

Molly came back to get my notes for biology.

I said,“That Lindsey is a total fake. What a witch!”

But as the afternoon wore on, I felt the urge to puke from more than disgust with Lindsey. I'd told a bold-faced, fully conscience, deliberate lie. And it was a good thing Molly had left, because Molly knew I'd never read Pride and Prejudice since it was her all-time favorite book. As soon as Lindsey talked to her, I was sure to be busted. It would then be revealed that I was a completely vain and idiotic fool who boasted about reading books that I hadn't read and called girls who were trying to be nice to me names. Once again, Lindsey would look classy and sophisticated. And I would be shown as the phoney I really was.

I waited for the bomb to fall all afternoon. I worked silently but furiously on excuses to cover up the lie. By the end of fifth period, I was ready to pretend that I thought she had said Light in August by William Faulkner. When I saw Molly after school, I left it drop how much I loved Light in August to sow the seed and make sure she knew I'd read it, but Molly didn't seem to be paying much attention. By the next morning, I had half-convinced myself that I really did think she had said Light in August. But the sickness and the pain in my back wouldn't go away.

I had no appetite that night and didn't fall asleep until after 2:00 a.m. I was a mess the next morning and almost stayed home sick. I felt plenty sick. But I knew I had to face the music.

Then, I figured out that the conversation that so obsessed me meant almost nothing to either Lindsey or Molly. It was obvious that morning that they had never talked about it. It was also far enough away that the details would be fuzzy. If it came up now, my excuse would be quite believable. Besides, I figured, it was such a stupid thing. I am more widely read than Lindsey. I deserve the credit. If they weren't worried about, why should I be? But the sickness and the pain remained.

During first period, I determined I would read Pride and Prejudice over the weekend, figuring if I did read it, it would soften the lie and remove my guilt. I told myself that would make everything fine, but my back wouldn't listen.

Just before lunch, hiding in a bathroom stall on pass, I decided that I simply had to confess to Lindsey. I had to come clean. But then at lunch, not wanting to do it in front of others, I procrastinated again.Then, during the last period, the D.A.R.E. cops came, and I got hauled away in a faux drug bust. I would not only get home late, but I would also not get a chance to talk to Lindsey and I didn't want to do this over the phone.

When we got the station, the cops asked me to wait in the break room while they did some cop thing.There was coffee and pop in there, and, of course, donuts.There were also magazines and a Gideon's Bible on an end table. I picked up the Bible and started flipping around. After a few minutes, I read these familiar words from the liturgy in Psalm 32 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is

covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

I knew just how David felt. My bones were growing old. I was weary. I sat there dumbfounded, on the verge of tears, eager to confess, when who should fall through the door laughing? Molly and Lindsey. Molly's dad is a cop and works at that station.

“Hi, Kathy.” Molly said.“I figured you'd get stuck here, so we came to pick you up. Lindsey just told me a great joke about cops and donuts.”

“Yeah,” I said, suddenly very happy they were there, surprised at the coincidence and eager to get rid of the weight on my heart.

I stood up.“Look, Lindsey,” I said.“I have something to confess.”

“Oh?” she said, her face growing sober and half-squinting at me.“Something about me?”

“Yes. I mean, no. Not about you. About me.” I took a breath.

I looked her right in the eye and said,“I never read Pride and Prejudice.” I was suddenly felt very scared and was afraid I would burst into tears.

“Really? Well, you should. It’s fabulous,” she said. She looked at Molly who was shoulder deep in the refrigerator and said, “That wasn't much of a confession. Lots of people haven't read Pride and Prejudice.”

I insisted,“But I told you I had.”

She arched her eyebrows and started twirling her hair, looking me right in the eye.

“Look,” I said.“I lied to at lunch yesterday.”

She did not react. She just twirled her hair, eyebrows burrowing into her forehead.

“I am sorry,” I said. I was confused by her reaction and growing frustrated.“Really. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” she said.“I know. But I don't get it. Molly and I already laughed about that.”

“What?” I asked.

She put a hand on my shoulder and flipped her hair back. She said,“Very silly of you, dear. But so what? Didn't she tell you?”

Molly was coming toward us with soft drinks. Lindsey must have seen something in my face. She suddenly grew serious and her voice came out naturally for once.“I mean, really,” she said.“It’s no big deal. If it is forgiveness you want, you have it.

I've already forgiven you.You are forgiven. It’s no big deal. I just want to be your friend.”

There was no stopping the tears then. But I didn't care. I felt completely free. I hugged Lindsey, flipped my hair, and said, “Now, darling, that is truly fabulous.”

Kathy Luder is grateful she has any friend despite her one shortcomings, and you can e-mail her at KathyLuder@hotmail.com.

HIGHER THINGS

News & Notes Higher Things Welcomes a New Publications Executive Higher Things welcomes Carolyn Cockey as our new Publications Executive! Carolyn Davis Cockey, MLS, is a leading communications expert and Associate Director of Publications of the international nursing association, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (www.awhonn.org). She has more than twenty years of publishing experience at all levels from writing and reporting to executive management. She also currently serves as Editor of Every Woman magazine (www.ewmag.com) and Executive Editor of the nursing journal Nursing for Women’s Health. Carolyn holds a master’s degree in liberal studies from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Loyola. She is married to Pastor Joe Cockey, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Glenwood Springs. Together, they have two boys, two cats, and two dogs that keep them busy!

She also leads her church’s youth group and teaches the teen Sunday School class.

As Publications Executive for Higher Things, more than anything, Carolyn wants to hear ideas and feedback from those who read the magazine and interact with the organization—no idea is too zany for this lady. Write to her at cockey@att.net.

We’ll Miss You, Julie!

After five years of service to Higher Things Magazine, Managing Editor Julie Stiegemeyer has resigned from her position in order to spend more time with her family as well as pursue other writing interests. Assistant Editor Adriane Dorr will be taking her place. The official passing of the, um, homemade scepter took place on Friday, February 17, as did the rewarding of the retirement tiara and cape.

Julie began work at the magazine several years ago and initially served as a proofreader. She started taking on more and more editorial tasks and wound up working as one of the head editors, which she has done for several years.

Although Julie’s editorial expertise is irreplaceable, we are thankful for her years of dedication to her work and her faithful service to Higher Things and look forward to some future articles in Higher Things Magazine.

Julie Stiegemeyer (left) and Adriane Dorr pose at Julie’s retirement party. Other attendees may or may not be bowing on one knee behind the camera.

Welcome, Julie!

After nearly thirty-six hours of attempting to edit a magazine without a Julie on staff, Higher Things welcomed Julie Beckwith on board to serve as Assistant Editor to Adriane Dorr. Mrs. Beckwith currently lives in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where her husband Carl teaches at Thiel College. They have two daughters, Paige and Madeleine.

We Also Welcome Rev. Daniel Mackey Rev. Daniel Mackey, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Appleton, Missouri, has graciously offered to serve as the Bible studies coordinator for Higher Things Magazine. He will be overseeing the writing and editing of Bible studies which can be accessed on the Higher Things website.

Higher Things Editor Tim Pauls Authors New Books Our very own editor, Tim Pauls has written two new books for teens, entitled, You Ask about Relationships! Questions Teens are Asking and You Ask about Life! Questions Teens are Asking. Check out these new resources, published by Concordia Publishing House. Go to www.cph.org or call 1-800-325-3040 for more information.

Higher Things Hosts Party at Concordia Theological Seminary Symposia Were you there? If not, you missed the party! Higher Things hosted a reception in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on January 16 during Concordia Theological Seminary’s annual Symposia where hundreds of pastors and laity gather each year. Pastor Richard Resch, professor and kantor at the seminary, spoke briefly to nearly one hundred people about the benefits of being involved in Higher Things.

If you weren’t able to attend, please contact Development Coordinator Erika Preus at ecpreus@higherthings.org to learn more about Higher Things as well as how to support the organization. Be sure to watch for another Higher Things reception in Fort Wayne in 2008!

Higher Things Debuts Toll-Free Subscription Number Just when you thought Higher Things Magazine couldn’t make it any easier for you to subscribe to the magazine, we did. As of March 1, you can now order your magazine subscriptions online at http://higherthings.org/magazine/ subscriptions.html or by phone at 1-888-448-2359, which is also 1-888-HI-TADLY or even 1-888-GIT-A-FLY. Start dialing!

S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 __ 25

Pray... And Pass the T

he phrase “in the world, not of the world” has been used for a long time to summarize Jesus’ message to the eleven in John 17. It’s fitting. We have been born anew in the waters of Holy Baptism, but we weren’t taken from the earth when that occurred. We still live in a violent and sinful world. In response, many “Christian” products have popped up as alternatives to secular ones, like Christian romance novels, Christian television channels, and even Christian candies.The world of video games is no different. So-called Christian video games (CVGs) have been around about as long as video games themselves have been around, starting with the Bible Adventures series for the old Nintendo, which came out in the early 90s.

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 26

Ammunition

by Seminarian Doug Taylor

Games such as Baby Moses, Noah’s Ark, and David and Goliath sold well in Christian bookstores as an alternative to games that could spiritually harm young children, like Super Mario Brothers with its lustful pursuit of a princess, or the endless gluttony of Pac-Man, or the pro-witchcraft agenda of The Legend of Zelda. OK, those examples are probably going a little too far, but you get the idea.

As the technology has gotten better and better, more of these games have come out, including The Bible Game, where a portion of the game on one system involves hitting demons on the head with Bibles to trigger Bible trivia questions. (What? You didn’t hit demons in the head with Bibles during confirmation? Sorry.You missed out.) There’s also Dance Praise, which, you might have guessed, is a Dance Dance Revolutiontype game that and I quote,“turns your computer into a dance arcade with Christian hits.” I don’t know about you, but the one time I played DDR, I don’t remember hearing any objectionable lyrics, probably because I was too busy stepping on the wrong arrows, tripping myself, and falling to the floor in embarrassment.

One CVG has been in the news in the last few months: Left Behind: Eternal Forces.The game takes its story from the Left Behind series of books, which has made millions and millions of dollars, with thirteen books in the series, and a new series on the way. It’s a strategy game a lot like Age of Empires with realistic cityscapes of New York City for the characters to fight the “Global Community” (read: United Nations), who are the forces of the Antichrist. Instead of finding canteens or food for health, players use the power of prayer and worship to embolden their forces to fight, using real military weaponry.There are strategic units to control, which range “from Prayer Warrior and Worship Leaders to Spies, Special Forces and Battle Tanks!” (Throughout the research for this article, I found a lot of exclamations, so, remember guys, if you want to sell a CVG, use exclamation marks.) The game has been criticized by both Christians and nonChristians, the non-Christians saying it was offensive and violent, and the Christians saying it was . . . offensive and violent, as killing of non-

Christians runs rampant throughout the game.

The main reason these games are out there, as we’ve heard from the makers of CVGs, is that most video games are too violent and immoral for kids to play. In many cases, they’re right. It’s time to be honest: Grand Theft Auto is fun, but it’s horribly un-Christian, with zero respect for God’s creations of life and good order. Other games fit under the same criteria: it is not good for us to play games that violate the commandments and our Christian consciences. With that principle in mind, I resolve to never play Christian video games. Wait. What?

Yup, you heard me.These games seem to be forgetting something, something so important that it violates at least this Christian’s conscience.

They’re forgetting Jesus Christ, the bloody sacrifice for the sins of the world, because we are not saved by our own doing but by His working faith in us. It’s easy to create a world where we are supposedly free from sin through creating our own media or baptizing secular styles, like contemporary Christian music does. But it doesn’t work. It becomes all about us and not about Jesus Christ and becomes sinful as a result.

A game should not be considered Christian if it is merely lacking senseless bloodshed or sexual innuendos, nor should a game be considered immoral if there is violence in it. A game with a policeman or soldier defending his country from lawlessness, genocide, or any other evil upholds the government that God has put in place.The college football dynasty set up in a game like NCAA Football could be run by a man who is a humble witness to our Lord doing his job to the best of his ability in the station of life that God has given to him. When we are in those stations, serving God, we witness to He who was, is, and will come again. Being in this world and not of it points to the cross more than being in our own worlds and not of this world.

Doug Taylor is a student at Concordia Theological Seminary, where he is preparing for the Holy Ministry. He follows way too many sports and enjoys playing just a couple of them. He can be reached at douglasjtaylor@gmail.com.

S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 __ 27

R

ecently, a religious movement called Pentecostalism has been gaining strength.

It has been in existence for over a hundred years, and now approximately one hundred fifty million people consider themselves Pentecostal.

What started in Topeka, Kansas in 1901 has grown into the third-largest segment of Christianity.

Pentecostalism is the fastest growing movement in the world. Church growth experts figure that every year some nineteen million people join the movement, and there is no sign of its slowing down. It is no exaggeration to assume, then, that you have probably met at least one or more persons who say they follow this movement.

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 28

F

A Matter of

Who are these Pentecostals? More importantly, what do they believe that makes them different from us? Here we must follow the exhortation to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God� (1 John 4:1 ESV). Only by a careful study of God’s Word compared to what the spirit of Pentecostalism teaches will we discover the truth.

Pentecostalism can be easily defined by two doctrines: the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Both are vital in understanding the whole movement.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? It is the belief in Pentecostal circles that the Holy Spirit bestows a second Baptism upon a believer. All Pentecostal churches believe that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is essential, that God wants everyone to have it, and that without it we cannot receive the full Gospel.This Baptism supposedly comes without means (without the Word of God) and only after much effort on the part of the believer.

Speaking in tongues is related to this second Baptism. Speaking in tongues, according to

cus

By Zelwyn Heide

Pentecostal belief, is speaking in unknown languages, especially ones that no one (even the speaker) can understand.These are often thought to be heavenly languages. All Pentecostal churches also believe that speaking in tongues is a necessary sign as proof of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other words, if you haven’t spoken in tongues, you haven’t received this second Baptism. If you don’t have this second Baptism, you don’t have the full Gospel. If you don’t have the full Gospel, you aren’t a full Christian.

With these most basic beliefs of Pentecostalism in mind, we must compare them with the Word of God, our only rule and norm of faith. While the Bible does speak of a Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Pentecostalism has an incorrect focus. Christ promised the apostles that they would receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:4–5).This outpouring of the Spirit came, however, without any effort on the part of the apostles.They were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4 ESV).The only thing Christ had commanded them to do was to wait.

Pentecostal churches would have us believe we have to wrestle with God until He bestows the Holy Spirit.

However, the work and all gifts of the Holy Spirit must not be looked upon with scorn, because through them, He brings us to faith in Christ Jesus.Their purpose is to glorify Christ, not to be the center of attention. Just as He did with the apostles during Pentecost, He fills us with Himself and gives us all His gifts as we trust in Him. He is the helper and the “Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive” (John 14:17 ESV).“He will glorify [Christ], for he will take what is [His] and declare it to you. All that the Father has is [Christ’s]” (John 16:14–15 ESV).

Instead of focusing on the perfect work of salvation found only in Christ Jesus, Pentecostal teaching focuses upon the work of the Holy Spirit. And yet the true work of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.The Spirit works among us to spread the Gospel of Christ. When they should be focused upon the Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross, they choose instead to focus on spiritual gifts that were intended to point to Christ alone (1 Corinthians 12).

So when members of Pentecostal churches come knocking on your door telling you that you must fervently pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, tell them that the Holy Spirit already dwells within you because you trust in the Word of God, which says that Christ came and died for your sins. He has given you all His gifts that are yours in Christ Jesus. Keep your focus on the cross of Christ.

Zelwyn Heide is a student at Dickinson State University who prays that the focus upon Christ will not be lost. He intends to attend seminary after graduation.You can reach him at lutherische@yahoo.com.

S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 __ 29

The

Goodness of the Law

by Rev. David Petersen

T Close of the Commandments What does God say about all of these commandments?

He says,“I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:5–6).

What does this mean?

God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 30

oo many choices can disable even the keenest of minds. Don’t tell her I told you, but my wife cannot order at a nice restaurant until the waiter is standing over her. As long as there is time to consider the possibilities, she will. If the waiter actually waited for her to be ready, we’d never order. She needs the deadline, the threat of the waiter’s annoyance, to make up her mind.

A deadline is a positive function of the Law. God uses the Law not only to accuse us but also to guide and teach us.The Law serves as external discipline and provides an objective standard.The Law’s primary function is to accuse fallen men, and it always does. Even when the Law is guiding and teaching us, it accuses us. It establishes a perfect standard.The contrast of our reality, the thoughts of our hearts, if not always the works of our hands, with this standard shows us our sin and our desperate need for a Savior.That is God’s ultimate purpose with the Law: to show us that we need a Savior.That Savior is given in the Gospel, the Good News of God’s forgiving love for men in Jesus Christ.

But the Law does not only accuse us.The Law is not merely accusations; it is also God’s wisdom.

Along with accusing, it also guides and teaches us.

It shows us the mind of God and therefore the best and most fulfilling way to live. It helps us to see the needs of others and places us into reciprocal communities of duties, responsibilities, rights, and relationships.Thus, the Law also provides an external discipline conducive to good works, which flow from faith.

Sometimes the Law is easy to keep. It is easy to love your mother when she has just made your favorite meal and given you a present. When all is well we can sometimes feel good works and good motives as quickly and easily as we feel our desires for pleasure. But not always. Not even mostly. Mostly our fallen flesh infects our thinking. It is not so easy to be nice, to feel good inside, when things don’t go our way.The new man and the old man are at war inside of us. We do not always do the good that we want to do. Sometimes we don’t even know what is good. Between Satan’s trickery and our own internal battlefield, we can easily become confused. It is not that the new man needs coercion. God has borne him anew in the waters of Holy Baptism. He is morally and spiritually perfect. But he is not omniscient. Even the new man can learn from God’s Wisdom, from the Law. But we can’t separate the old and new man inside of us. We, concrete men, still abiding in this living death, still waiting for the good work God has begun in us to be completed in the day of Jesus

Christ, we need all that God gives. We need the Law’s guidance, accusations, and instructions even as we need the Holy Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, Prayer, and the Bible.The day will come when we won’t need these things the way we now do, but until then our life depends upon them.

In terms of the Law, mostly what we need is to be exposed and driven to our knees. We need to know and feel our need for a Savior so that we will flee to God’s mercy in Jesus Christ. But God gives us more than that. He also gives us guidance and instruction. Sometimes we just need a curb, a deadline, a mild threat to keep us on track, like a waiter tapping his foot or a school bell that establishes the start of class. We certainly don’t enjoy that discipline. We’d rather get out of bed when we feel like it. We’d rather the whole world waited on us. A waiter can actually make my wife nervous. She feels under pressure. But the reality, whether she’ll admit it or not, is that she needs a little push. By such means, God directs and guides us. He chastens those whom He loves. He cares about the details of our lives. And He uses the Law to help us.

The Law in all its functions is good and is good for us. Even its accusing is good. We are not under the Law. We are free. But we still benefit from the Law. For nothing in God, and nothing from God, is evil, and everything in God, and everything from God, is for us and for our good, for He Himself is good and His mercy endures forever.

I hope, therefore, that you will have some sympathy for my sometimes indecisive wife, for the Law, even its positive functions, can be hard to bear.

Not everything that is good for us is as sweet as Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. But as much as I hope for that sympathy for her, I confess that even more, I am hoping that Mrs. Stiegemeyer and Pr. Pauls, to whom this article is given a full three weeks after the deadline, will remember that God desires mercy and not sacrifice.

Rev. David Petersen is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is also on the Higher Things editorial board. His e-mail address is David.H.Petersen@att.net.

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The Gospel is not just that Jesus died. The Gospel is that Jesus died FOR YOU. The Good News of Easter isn't only that Jesus rose, but that Jesus rose FOR YOU. On the Cross, Jesus won forgiveness, life, and salvation FOR YOU. Then, as if that wasn't enough good news, on the third day, He rose FOR YOU. It's not just a nice idea; it's personal. FOR YOU makes the Good News very good news indeed!

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Join us in Minneapolis or Asheville!

In the World, But Not of the World Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Benjamin Harju

I. Seminarian Doug Taylor bases his discussion on video games on the famous passage in John 17:14-19. Through God’s Word preached into our ears, and poured over us in Baptism, we are sanctified (set apart as holy) in Christ Jesus. Now that we have died with Christ in Baptism, our life is no longer of the world, but is now Jesus’ own immortal life, fed into us in the Lord’s Supper. He is the Vine and we are His branches (John 15).

A. Read Matthew 5:14-16. What does Jesus say about His disciples in the world? If this is what we are to the world because we belong to Christ, then what condition is the world in?

B. Read the following passages: Matthew 13:22; John 15:19; Romans 12:2; James 4:4; and 1 John 2:15-17. What do each of these passages say about a Christian’s relationship to the world?

C. What are some of your favorite video games? What video games do you think are “of the world?” When does “worldliness” in a video game get to be too much, do you think?

II. Sem. Taylor points out that even “Christian” video games are not very Christian, in that they seek to create a sin-free zone in the world, instead of receiving the gift of faith and salvation through Jesus’ “bloody sacrifice for the sins of the world,” given to you in Word and Sacrament.

A. Read the following Bible passages: John 1:9-13; John 12:44-50; 2 Cor 5:19; 1 Tim 1:15; and 1 John 2:1-2. What does Jesus do in these passages?

B. Sem. Taylor says, “Being in this world and not of it points to the cross more than being in our own worlds and not of this world.” Compare his statement with what St. Paul says in Galatians 6:14. What does it mean that the world is crucified to me, and I to the world?

In the World, But Not of the World Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Benjamin Harju

I. Seminarian Doug Taylor bases his discussion on video games on the famous passage in John 17:14-19. Through God’s Word preached into our ears, and poured over us in Baptism, we are sanctified (set apart as holy) in Christ Jesus. Now that we have died with Christ in Baptism, our life is no longer of the world, but is now Jesus’ own immortal life, fed into us in the Lord’s Supper. He is the Vine and we are His branches (John 15).

A. Read Matthew 5:14-16. What does Jesus say about His disciples in the world? If this is what we are to the world because we belong to Christ, then what condition is the world in?

B. Read the following passages: Matthew 13:22; John 15:19; Romans 12:2; James 4:4; and 1 John 2:15-17. What do each of these passages say about a Christian’s relationship to the world?

C. What are some of your favorite video games? What video games do you think are “of the world?” When does “worldliness” in a video game get to be too much, do you think?

II. Sem. Taylor points out that even “Christian” video games are not very Christian, in that they seek to create a sin-free zone in the world, instead of receiving the gift of faith and salvation through Jesus’ “bloody sacrifice for the sins of the world,” given to you in Word and Sacrament.

A. Read the following Bible passages: John 1:9-13; John 12:44-50; 2 Cor 5:19; 1 Tim 1:15; and 1 John 2:1-2. What does Jesus do in these passages?

B. Sem. Taylor says, “Being in this world and not of it points to the cross more than being in our own worlds and not of this world.” Compare his statement with what St. Paul says in Galatians 6:14. What does it mean that the world is crucified to me, and I to the world?

Campus: The Strange Land Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Eric Brown

I. Sent to a Strange Land (read Genesis 12:1-9) A. God often moves us from places where we are comfortable to give us blessings unimagined by us. What does Abraham give up at God’s Command? How is this similar to going to college?

Abraham left what was familiar to him, and he even left his family and friends behind. The Promise land would be a strange place, and many comforts of his past would be gone.

Likewise, college is a transition – family is left behind. New responsibilities are taken up.

Things are different at college – yet in that journey to college God blesses us.

B. In spite of the changes that Abraham sees, God does indeed remain with him. What do we learn from this? How is this a comfort to us?

In spite of the differences we face in the college setting, one great thing remains – God is still our God who has won us forgiveness by Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Wherever we go or whatever challenges we face, God is indeed with us.

II. The Dangers of a Strange Land (read Genesis 19:1-14) A. Lot was living in Sodom, a place where there was much wickedness, and it was displayed openly. Does that oftentimes describe the college environment? What sorts of wickedness are openly promoted on the college campus?

Many different things are promoted in college. Discuss which ones impact the students more so. Also, point out not just the wickedness that is sanctioned by the college, but also what happens in the dorms and the like.

B. Lot had been living among the folks in Sodom for a while. Does he stand up to their wickedness as he ought? How do we sometimes poorly handle the wickedness that surrounds us?

Lot doesn’t completely oppose the people of Sodom. He offers to exchange one evil for another (giving over his daughters). Lot tries to deal with the people of Sodom on terms that they like. Sometimes we are tempted to try to find an acceptable middle ground with the wicked, to fit in better. This falls short for a little bit of wickedness is still wickedness.

C. When Lot learns of Sodom’s destruction, he tries to warn his son-in-laws, but to no avail.

Like Lot, we are to warn our friends as well. Will we always convince our friends and neighbors of what is right? Was there a time when you did convince someone? A time when you didn’t?

Lot here does what is right – he speaks out of love to warn his son-in-laws. Likewise, we are called to righteousness. The results of our speaking what is right may not always be great, but we are called to speak and live rightly nonetheless. We do not know how God may work through us.

III. Surviving in a Strange Land (read LSB 656, LW 297, or TLH 262) A. In reality, all the world is a strange land, not just college. How does Luther describe the dangers of this world we live in? How does this describe college?

It is a world where Satan seeks to defeat us. It is a dangerous place. Satan is this world’s prince – devils fill the world, people constantly ignore the Word. You might discuss signs that Satan is still running amuck and ways in which people ignore the Word.

B. Christ Jesus is indeed our fortress? How do we rest secure in Him at college?

Ultimately, surviving the trials of college is the same as surviving any trials we face in this life. Our life is in Christ Jesus. We rest secure in His salvation, and we remember in the face of the opposition of the world that Satan is “judged, the deed is done, one little word can fell him.” Even at college we know “our victory has been won, the Kingdom ours remaineth.”

Campus: The Strange Land Bible Study Pastor Eric Brown

I. Sent to a Strange Land (read Genesis 12:1-9) A. God often moves us from places where we are comfortable to give us blessings unimagined by us. What does Abraham give up at God’s Command? How is this similar to going to college?

B. In spite of the changes that Abraham sees, God does indeed remain with him. What do we learn from this? How is this a comfort to us?

II. The Dangers of a Strange Land (read Genesis 19:1-14) A. Lot was living in Sodom, a place where there was much wickedness, and it was displayed openly. Does that oftentimes describe the college environment? What sorts of wickedness are openly promoted on the college campus?

B. Lot had been living among the folks in Sodom for a while. Does he stand up to their wickedness as he ought? How do we sometimes poorly handle the wickedness that surrounds us?

C. When Lot learns of Sodom’s destruction, he tries to warn his son-in-laws, but to no avail.

Like Lot, we are to warn our friends as well. Will we always convince our friends and neighbors of what is right? Was there a time when you did convince someone? A time when you didn’t?

III. Surviving in a Strange Land (read LSB 656, LW 297, or TLH 262) A. In reality, all the world is a strange land, not just college. How does Luther describe the dangers of this world we live in? How does this describe college?

B. Christ Jesus is indeed our fortress? How do we rest secure in Him at college?

The Lutheran Difference: Staying the Same Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Benjamin Harju

In her article, Betsy Schroeder identifies five things that define Lutheran identity: belief in the full inspiration of Scripture, continuing the Faith that comes to us from the apostles, the Sacraments, the historic liturgical life of the Church, and (standing at the center as chief cornerstone) Jesus Christ crucified to make complete atonement for our sins. This study will explore each of these. [Suggestion: employ in 3-4 sessions.]

I. Scripture and Continuity of the Faith A. The cross and resurrection of Jesus are the root of the Christian Faith. Read Luke 1:1-4; John 19:28-37; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Peter 1:16-19; and 1 John 1:1-4. What basis do these writers give for believing their testimony about Jesus?

These writers are eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from the dead. We can believe what they write, because they saw it themselves and verified it themselves.

B. Did Jesus directly write any of the books of the New Testament? Who did, then?

No, He did not. Only His disciples wrote.

1. Why should their testimony carry such weight, that we should base our faith on what they preach? Read Romans 1:1-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1, 11-12; Rev. 1:1-2. What roles do Ephesians 2:19-22 describe?

God Himself gave them authority to teach, and God Himself gave them the message. Ephesians 2:19-22 teaches that the apostles and prophets are the foundation of our Faith, with Jesus being the One who holds all things together. Their word is God’s word, and God has designed that our faith should be built on their testimony.

2. Read John 16:12-16, Acts 1:8, and 2 Timothy 3:16. Why is the apostles’ testimony about Jesus, about His death and resurrection, and about what it all means so reliable?

Jesus promised that He would send them the Holy Spirit from His Father. The Holy Spirit would remind them and inspire them for the task of proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sin in Jesus’ name to all nations. The certainty and reliability of our faith rests on eyewitness accounts and the God-breathed message of forgiveness of sins and life in Jesus’ name.

C. What is so important, then, about keeping continuity with what the apostles handed on to us in the Scriptures? What is at stake?

The importance lies in receiving and passing on the message that sinners are saved by grace, through faith, for Christ’s sake alone. Read Galatians 3:1-6 and Romans 10:10-17 to the group. What the apostles taught and handed on to posterity is of faith: it is to be believed, trusted in, and bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. If the message becomes corrupt, changed, or obscured, then faith is harmed. What is at stake is our very salvation.

D. The Lutheran reformers write in the conclusion of part one of the Augsburg Confession (the chief Lutheran document that explains what we believe from the Scriptures), “As can be seen, there is nothing here that departs from the Scriptures or the catholic [i.e. universal] church….” Read Matthew 16:18 and 1 Timothy 3:15.

1. Do you think, then, that the true Faith existed only at the time of the apostles, or did it continue to live out in Christian communities down through history?

The true Faith continued to live out in Christian communities throughout history (though not necessarily every community), because the Church and Jesus’ Word are never separated. Jesus promises that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against His Church.

2. Why is it so important, then, to demonstrate that Lutherans teach nothing new in this way?

So that it is clear we are not inventing a new faith, offering a false faith, or mishandling God’s gift of salvation for Jesus’ sake. We make a point of teaching nothing new so that people have confidence and certainty in the gift of forgiveness and life in Jesus’ name.

II. Sacramentally Constituted A. Consult your Small Catechism. What are the Lutheran Sacraments?

Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar. Confession is often considered a third Sacrament, as in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession XIII: “Therefore the sacraments are actually baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and absolution (the sacrament of repentance).”

B. Using the Scripture verses and answers supplied by Dr. Martin Luther in the Small Catechism, what does God do in each of the Sacraments?

Baptism – We are saved by receiving forgiveness, redemption from death and the devil, and eternal salvation through faith. In this Sacrament we die with Christ and a new, regenerated man rises up within us to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Absolution – Our baptismal relationship with God is carried out by receiving the forgiveness of our sins at Christ’s command (John 20).

Lord’s Supper – We receive the forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation.

C. Does God intend His Sacraments to be optional for the Christian?

No, for they are part of His design and plan for us to be saved. Since we are both physical and spiritual, God uses physical things that (by His Word and Spirit) are made participants in His spiritual kingdom to distribute salvation to you. The Sacraments are no more optional than being born and eating/drinking are optional for living in the world.

[Under exceptional circumstances God can accept and save people apart from the Sacraments, like the thief on the cross. However, the exception is not to become the rule. There is a difference between never having an opportunity for Baptism and/or Communion and rejecting these means of salvation. Faith governs here; such faith does not reject God’s gifts in the Sacraments, but gladly receives them as they are offered.]

D. Read Romans 6:3-11, Matthew 26:26-28, John 19:33-35, and 1 John 5:6-8. If Jesus accomplishes our salvation by His life, death, and resurrection, then what do the Sacraments do?

The Sacraments convey, apply, and distribute to you (and in you) everything Jesus has become, done, and accomplished for you. The Sacraments are the living extension of the Jesus’ cross and resurrection for you, being the means by which you are united with Christ (Baptism) and that Christ lives in you (Communion). These gifts all are based in and flow from the forgiveness of sins, won for you by Jesus’ cross, as demonstrated by the blood and water flowing from Jesus’ side.

III. Liturgically United A. Read 1 Corinthians 4:15-17 and Hebrews 6:11-12.

1. St. Paul speaks of imitation. How might the historic liturgy be a teacher we are to imitate?

The liturgy faithfully expresses the Faith received from the Apostles. What it says of Christ, how it teaches us to receive His gifts of salvation, how it forms our conversation with our Triune God, all this models for us the Faith we believe. It deals with the heart, but also instructs our physical selves (kneeling, making the sign of the cross), our relationships with each other (sharing in Communion), and how we comprehend the kingdom of heaven by ourselves and together.

2. If we are to imitate those who inherit the promises, does that include the way they pray and worship?

Yes. What is believed and what is prayed are not separated, but only distinguished. The two feed into each other. The Athanasian Creed specifically states, “Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith. … And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity….” Here the Christian Faith is defined in terms of worship. So, for example, the Book of Psalms is included in the Scriptures, so that we may pray as our Hebrew forefathers did, appropriating the same faith in our hearts as was in theirs. The same is true of our Christian fathers, brothers, and sisters whose faith we desire to share, and whose fellowship we wish to share in the eternal kingdom. We pray as they did because we have the same faith/Faith.

3. Is there a connection between what you believe and how you pray/worship?

Yes. The Christian Faith is not just stuff for your brain. Neither is it just stuff you do. The Faith encompasses the entire person: faith in the heart, which follows through in confession of the truth, worship and prayer, and the fruit of love to our neighbor. Just as Christ died and rose to save the entire person, so it is that this salvation effects the entire person and the person’s entire life.

B. Read Isaiah 6:1-7 and Revelation 4.

1. What activity is going on in these passages?

The angels and saints in heaven are worshiping God. Their worship is characterized as ongoing. This means that always, at all times, there is a constant worship of God in the heavenly places.

2. Using your hymnal, consult the liturgical service used in your congregation.

Find the Hymn of Praise, the Proper Preface, and the Sanctus. Based on these, what do you think Lutheran worship seeks to do: offer its own unique praise, or does it seek to participate in the ongoing worship of heaven?

The historic liturgy seeks to participate in the ongoing worship of heaven. It is understood that because Christ’s death atoned for our sins, that which separated us from God’s presence in the Most Holy Place has been removed.

Now, through Christ our High Priest, we always have access to God. Lutheran worship seeks to participate in the joyous reality of our salvation as it is lived out among the saints in heaven, confident that we are one with them in Christ through faith. Worship that does not seek to participate in this heavenly reality has missed the goal of Christ’s death and resurrection: our reconciliation with God through Jesus’ blood, and the life of peace and joy that springs forth from it.

3. How might this be the same or different from other churches you’ve been to?

Tactfully help the youth discuss differences in worship between different congregations (Lutheran or other).

IV. The Cross of Jesus Review the questions and answers given above. How would you describe the place that Christ’s death and resurrection have in the Christian Faith according to Lutheranism?

Help the youth see that everything revolves around and flows from Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The Lutheran Difference: Staying the Same Bible Study Guide Pastor Benjamin Harju

In her article, Betsy Schroeder identifies five things that define Lutheran identity: belief in the full inspiration of Scripture, continuing the Faith that comes to us from the apostles, the Sacraments, the historic liturgical life of the Church, and (standing at the center as chief cornerstone) Jesus Christ crucified to make complete atonement for our sins. This study will explore each of these.

I. Scripture and Continuity of the Faith A. The cross and resurrection of Jesus are the root of the Christian Faith. Read Luke 1:1-4; John 19:28-37; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Peter 1:16-19; and 1 John 1:1-4. What basis do these writers give for believing their testimony about Jesus?

B. Did Jesus directly write any of the books of the New Testament? Who did, then?

1. Why should their testimony carry such weight, that we should base our faith on what they preach? Read Romans 1:1-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1, 11-12; Rev. 1:1-2. What roles do Ephesians 2:19-22 describe?

2. Read John 16:12-16, Acts 1:8, and 2 Timothy 3:16. Why is the apostles’ testimony about Jesus, about His death and resurrection, and about what it all means so reliable?

C. What is so important, then, about keeping continuity with what the apostles handed on to us in the Scriptures? What is at stake?

D. The Lutheran reformers write in the conclusion of part one of the Augsburg Confession (the chief Lutheran document that explains what we believe from the Scriptures), “As can be seen, there is nothing here that departs from the Scriptures or the catholic [i.e. universal] church….” Read Matthew 16:18 and 1 Timothy 3:15.

1. Do you think, then, that the true Faith existed only at the time of the apostles, or did it continue to live out in Christian communities down through history?

2. Why is it so important, then, to demonstrate that Lutherans teach nothing new in this way?

II. Sacramentally Constituted A. Consult your Small Catechism. What are the Lutheran Sacraments?

B. Using the Scripture verses and answers supplied by Dr. Martin Luther in the Small Catechism, what does God do in each of the Sacraments?

C. Does God intend His Sacraments to be optional for the Christian?

D. Read Romans 6:3-11, Matthew 26:26-28, John 19:33-35, and 1 John 5:6-8. If Jesus accomplishes our salvation by His life, death, and resurrection, then what do the Sacraments do?

III. Liturgically United A. Read 1 Corinthians 4:15-17 and Hebrews 6:11-12.

1. St. Paul speaks of imitation. How might the historic liturgy be a teacher we are to imitate?

2. If we are to imitate those who inherit the promises, does that include the way they pray and worship?

3. Is there a connection between what you believe and how you pray/worship?

B. Read Isaiah 6:1-7 and Revelation 4.

1. What activity is going on in these passages?

2. Using your hymnal, consult the liturgical service used in your congregation.

Find the Hymn of Praise, the Proper Preface, and the Sanctus. Based on these, what do you think Lutheran worship seeks to do: offer its own unique praise, or does it seek to participate in the ongoing worship of heaven?

3. How might this be the same or different from other churches you’ve been to?

IV. The Cross of Jesus Review the questions and answers given above. How would you describe the place that Christ’s death and resurrection have in the Christian Faith according to Lutheranism?

Is Christianity a Disease?

Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Daniel Mackey

To counter the claims of Dr. Richard Dakwins, Bill Maher, and Elton John, Pastor Pauls employs “the common ground of logic” in his article Is Christianity a Disease? While that works for an article, it doesn’t quite work for a Bible study, now does it? So, let us examine God’s inspired and inerrant Word, for it is, according to Saint Paul, “folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV).

I. The first charge against religion is that it leads to violence. Read Matthew 26:47-54 to determine if this is the case with Christianity.

A. How does one of Jesus’ followers respond to His impending arrest?

The disciple responds with violence, cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant.

B. What does Jesus of Nazareth say in reaction to His disciple’s violence?

Jesus says, “For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” This means that violence only begets more violence, destroying the one who uses it.

C. Jesus points out His authority to summon angels to protect Him. Why does He not do so?

He refrained from calling upon the angelic hosts in order to fulfill the Scriptures.

Moreover, Jesus shows His reliance on the will of the Father, as He prayed earlier that evening, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).

D. What does the disciple’s act of violence say about his faith?

It displayed a lack of faith on the disciple’s part. True faith, which Jesus shows us in this passage, places all things into the hands of the Father.

E. What is our response to the charge that the Christian religion leads to violence?

We reject any such charge, showing Jesus Christ as our righteousness, who did not resort to violence when we would, but rather relied on His heavenly Father on our behalf.

II. The second charge against religion is that it leads to intolerance. Read Matthew 8:1-17 to determine if this is the case with Christianity.

A. Jesus heals three particular people in this passage. Who are they?

Jesus heals a leper (v3), the servant of a centurion (v13), and Peter’s mother-in-law (v15).

B. All three were looked down upon by society for their position or condition. How does Jesus show His love for them?

He embraces the leper (v3), praises the faith of the centurion (v10), and goes to Peter’s mother-in-law (vv14-15). Jesus’ actions show His compassion on the “unclean” leper, His acceptance of the Roman soldier and his household, and His mercy on women, which were looked down upon in general.

C. Does Jesus tolerate the illness and disease of these people? What does He do?

No, Jesus has no tolerance for illness and disease; rather, He removes the illness and disease by taking them upon Himself. In verse 17, Matthew cites Isaiah 53:4 (ESV) – “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

D. What does this passage tell about Jesus’ tolerance of people and things?

Jesus is shown to be truly compassionate, tolerant of even those rejected by society; but He is intolerant of their sickness, removing it.

E. What is our response to the charge that the Christian religion leads to intolerance?

We reject the charge that Christianity is intolerant of people, for Jesus has taken “our illness and bore our disease”—that “our” meaning all of humanity; however, we also recognize that Christianity is intolerant of sin, just as Jesus was intolerant of their sickness, for Christ has borne our sin to the cross.

III. The third charge against religion is that it leads to ignorance. Read John 1:1-18 to determine if this is the case with Christianity.

A. What is the relationship between light and darkness in this passage?

Light and darkness stand in opposition to one another (v5).

B. When looking at something, is it better to look at it in the light or in the dark? Why? It is better to look at it in the light, because then you can see it clearly.

C. “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (v9). What is the light revealing to humanity?

The true light has come into the world to give us “grace and truth,” making the God “no one have ever seen” known to all people (vv17-18).

D. What does Jesus’ act of becoming flesh and dwelling among us say about His desire that humanity should not be ignorant (v14)?

Jesus wants no one to be ignorant (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4). This desire is so deep that He became man in order to give us true knowledge of God and of the Father’s will that we be saved by His only-begotten Son (John 3:16).

E. What is our response to the charge that the Christian religion leads to ignorance?

We reject the charge that Christianity leads to ignorance; rather, Christianity reveals the true knowledge of God in the person of Jesus Christ, who took on our humanity, suffered and died in our place, and rose again to give us eternal life in Him.

Is Christianity a Disease?

Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Daniel Mackey

To counter the claims of Dr. Richard Dakwins, Bill Maher, and Elton John, Pastor Pauls employs “the common ground of logic” in his article Is Christianity a Disease? While that works for an article, it doesn’t quite work for a Bible study, now does it? So, let us examine God’s inspired and inerrant Word, for it is, according to Saint Paul, “folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV).

I. The first charge against religion is that it leads to violence. Read Matthew 26:47-54 to determine if this is the case with Christianity.

A. How does one of Jesus’ followers respond to His impending arrest?

B. What does Jesus of Nazareth say in reaction to His disciple’s violence?

C. Jesus points out His authority to summon angels to protect Him. Why does He not do so?

D. What does the disciple’s act of violence say about his faith?

E. What is our response to the charge that the Christian religion leads to violence?

II. The second charge against religion is that it leads to intolerance. Read Matthew 8:1-17 to determine if this is the case with Christianity.

A. Jesus heals three particular people in this passage. Who are they?

B. All three were looked down upon by society for their position or condition. How does Jesus show His love for them?

C. Does Jesus tolerate the illness and disease of these people? What does He do?

D. What does this passage tell about Jesus’ tolerance of people and things?

E. What is our response to the charge that the Christian religion leads to intolerance?

III. The third charge against religion is that it leads to ignorance. Read John 1:1-18 to determine if this is the case with Christianity.

A. What is the relationship between light and darkness in this passage?

B. When looking at something, is it better to look at it in the light or in the dark? Why? C. “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (v9). What is the light revealing to humanity?

D. What does Jesus’ act of becoming flesh and dwelling among us say about His desire that humanity should not be ignorant (v14)?

E. What is our response to the charge that the Christian religion leads to ignorance?

The Goodness of the Law Bible Study Leader’s Guide

Pastor Eric Brown I. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (and Chapter 11 if necessary) A. Prior to Nathan coming to David, David was engaging in all sorts of wild sin. What kind of man was David, and what did he deserve?

David had fallen into gross and open sin. He had become an adulterer, a murderer, a deceiver, and quite angry. Sin had gotten the upper hand. As David himself says in response to Nathan – this type of man deserves death.

B. Nathan confronts David using the Law of God. For whose benefit was this?

Nathan comes to David for David’s benefit. The Law is not used simply to point out David’s failures, but to show him his need for repentance. When the law accuses, this is not simply to point out hypocrisy or for mocking, but to prepare one for repentance.

C. The Law here was harsh and painful for David to hear. Yet was it for his good? How so?

By hearing this Law, David benefited temporally and eternally. In time, his kingship would have been more difficult if he continued living as he had. More importantly, David’s relationship with God was restored. The Law is good for us both now in time and also for eternity.

II. Read James 3:13-18.

A. When we deal with the Wisdom, where does that come from?

All wisdom that is true wisdom comes from above – that is from God. When we deal with the Law, we must remember that it is God’s Law – and God does indeed reveal wisdom to us through it. God’s Law leads to good things for us – it is given for our benefit, to cause us to grow in Wisdom.

B. Does following God’s Law always seem “wise” to the world? Can you think of some examples where doing what is right in God’s sight is foolish to the world?

The world’s wisdom is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” The wisdom of the world is to love one’s own self above all others. This produces all sorts of pain and conflict. Any example where a person places his or her own interests above another person’s well-being demonstrates this. Wars, arguments, and any disagreement can be a good example of this.

C. Christ Jesus made peace with His death upon the Cross. How is the harvest of this peace made known in our lives?

God has not only revealed wisdom to us, but in our Baptism He has indeed made us a new creation, granting us the New Man that strives to do God’s will. Christ lives us in, and through us does the works of the Law, so that we daily learn to drown sin and show forth love. When we do what we ought, this is indeed Christ living within us and bringing forth a multitude of good works. This is His work, not ours.

III. Read the hymn “The Law of God is Good and Wise” – LSB 579, LW 329, or TLH 295 A. God’s Law shows us righteousness and dooms transgressors to death. Do we need the Law to do both these things for us? When and why?

Yes indeed! There are times when we become comfortable in sin – at these points we need to be reminded of our need for Christ Jesus our Savior, lest we abandon Him. Also, in our daily life we need guidance, because on our own, we are not holy and righteous.

The law provides direction for us, a guide toward holy living.

B. As good as the Law is – it has its limits. What can the Law not do for us? Where must we flee for salvation?

The Law cannot save us. It has no power to justify, and as we have already sinned, the Law cannot earn us salvation. Therefore we must look to Christ alone for salvation, apart from our works of the Law, to win us salvation, for we are “saved by His grace through faith alone.”

The Goodness of the Law Bible Study

Pastor Eric Brown I. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (and Chapter 11 if necessary) A. Prior to Nathan coming to David, David was engaging in all sorts of wild sin. What kind of man was David, and what did he deserve?

B. Nathan confronts David using the Law of God. For whose benefit was this?

C. The Law here was harsh and painful for David to hear. Yet was it for his good? How so?

II. Read James 3:13-18.

A. When we deal with the Wisdom, where does that come from?

B. Does following God’s Law always seem “wise” to the world? Can you think of some examples where doing what is right in God’s sight is foolish to the world?

C. Christ Jesus made peace with His death upon the Cross. How is the harvest of this peace made known in our lives?

III. Read the hymn “The Law of God is Good and Wise” – LSB 579, LW 329, or TLH 295 A. God’s Law shows us righteousness and dooms transgressors to death. Do we need the Law to do both these things for us? When and why?

B. As good as the Law is – it has its limits. What can the Law not do for us? Where must we flee for salvation?

A Matter of Focus Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Daniel Mackey

Mr. Heide writes in his article, “The true work of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Spirit works among us to spread the Gospel of Christ.” This Bible study will explore the work of the Holy Spirit, who focuses us on Jesus.

Read in John 16:4b-15 what Jesus teaches concerning the Holy Spirit.

I. In verses 8 through 11, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

A. What does it mean that He will convict the world “concerning sin”?

The Spirit does not act as another Moses. Rather He convicts the world “because they do not believe in [Jesus]”(v9) – therefore, the Spirit’s work is to confront the world with its unbelief in Jesus. The Spirit focuses us on Jesus.

B. What does it mean that He will convict the world “concerning righteousness”?

The Spirit’s work is to convict the sinners in this world of the fact that true righteousness is available for them only in Jesus, who has passed from the cross to His Father’s side, in Him who once came from the Father and is now gone from our sight (v10; cf. Acts 2:36; 4:12). The Spirit focuses us on Jesus.

C. What does it mean that He will convict the world “concerning judgment”?

The Spirit is pointing to the judgment of the world’s ruler, the devil, and thus also to the world’s own fate. That judgment, once accomplished, stands fixed and permanent forever. In God’s judgment of the devil (John 12:31; Rev 20:1-3), the world sees something concerning judgment for itself. It is judgment accomplished in and by Jesus Christ. The Spirit focuses us on Jesus.

II. In verse 13, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will “guide you into all the truth…and declare to you the things that are to come.” What truth will He speak?

Not on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak (v13). Meaning, the Holy Spirit speaks not of His own, but it is all connected to the revelation of God in the flesh of Jesus Christ. The Spirit focuses us on Jesus.

III. In verse 14, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus Christ. How will the Holy Spirit glorify Jesus Christ?

“He will take what is mine and declare it to you” (v14). This means that the Spirit’s work is to place Jesus before the eyes and into the hearts of men. The Spirit will accomplish this by declaring the gift of eternal life that the Father possesses in Jesus and that Jesus owns because of the price He paid for it on the cross (v15). We can only receive this gift by focusing on the Son; therefore, the Spirit focuses us on Jesus.

A Matter of Focus Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Daniel Mackey

Mr. Heide writes in his article, “The true work of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Spirit works among us to spread the Gospel of Christ.” This Bible study will explore the work of the Holy Spirit, who focuses us on Jesus.

Read in John 16:4b-15 what Jesus teaches concerning the Holy Spirit.

I. In verses 8 through 11, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

A. What does it mean that He will convict the world “concerning sin”?

B. What does it mean that He will convict the world “concerning righteousness”?

C. What does it mean that He will convict the world “concerning judgment”?

II. In verse 13, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will “guide you into all the truth…and declare to you the things that are to come.” What truth will He speak?

III. In verse 14, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus Christ. How will the Holy Spirit glorify Jesus Christ?

God’s Will for Me Bible Study Leader’s Guide Pastor Eric Brown

I. Don’t Worry About the Details (read Luke 12:22-31) A. We are instructed by Jesus not to worry about our life. Is work part of our life? When we work, who is providing that work and its benefits to us?

Fundamentally, God is in charge. We don’t need to worry about where our money or stuff will come from (i.e., our jobs), because God provides for us. When we work, we work because God provides us things to do.

B. Jesus points to ravens and to lilies. How does a raven know what it is supposed to do?

How does a lily know what it is supposed to do? How will you know what you are to do?

God creates us to be whom He wants us to be. He makes ravens to be ravens and lilies to be lilies. Likewise, God blesses each of us with unique talents and interests. He will provide ways for us to put them to us. Moreover, He will be pleased with the tasks He gives us and bless us through them.

C. Rather than the details, we are to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. Has Christ provided for your spiritual righteousness? Likewise, will our Righteous King send you His servant to do something righteous?

God has indeed provided for us all that we need for salvation and life. In fact, He is our life, for He is risen from the dead! His salvation is not just something spiritual but extends to all parts of our life. If he has won us salvation for eternity, He will certainly be our King here in time. As our Lord, He will send us to work where He wills. Like a servant, we may not always see our Lord’s plans until they come to fruition, but we trust in His goodness for us.

II. God Uses Us in the Strangest Places (read Genesis 45:1-15) A. God intended that Joseph would serve Him best in Egypt. How did Joseph get to where he was at? Was this a pleasant trip? While uncertainty about our own future is unpleasant, do we know that God is putting us where we need to be?

God puts Joseph in Egypt through slavery, false accusation, and prison. While some college courses are difficult, they aren’t that bad. While our lives may be uncertain, we see from Joseph that even though we may not see where God is leading us, we know that He is leading us.

B. Joseph, in his position as the Pharaoh’s steward, provides for his neighbors and also his family. In wherever you end up, God will use you to serve your neighbor. Examine several majors and/or careers. How does God use people in these vocations to serve their neighbors? If Christians in these vocations show love to their neighbors, are they good and God pleasing?

God can use us in many different ways. There is no one right place for us to serve God, but rather God will put us to work in serving the neighbor wherever we are at. Look at different fields and see how they support the neighbor in his body and life. This is good, and when the Christian does so, God is pleased with where He has placed His servant.

III. God Prepares us For Life (read LSB 617, LW 238, or TLH 313) A. According to the hymn, what does God give us in His Supper? How many of these things apply to our daily life, whatever our vocation in that life?

His Body and Blood. Nourishment for our souls. Help in all trials and need. Life. Love that binds us to Him. We are sustained. We are forgiven and at peace with God. We have grace and favor. We follow Christ. We live in love and unity. We are given peace and unity. These all apply and can describe multiple aspects of our life in Christ in whatever vocation.

B. Fundamentally, our vocations are gifts from God where He gives us His own strength to show love to our neighbors through us. How does attending Church and receiving the Supper prepare us for the trials of our daily life? Can you think of examples in your own life where God has strengthened you for tasks in the coming week?

The discussion will be varied. Forgiveness lets us move past guilt that bogged us down.

Receiving Christ’s love helps us to show love when it is difficult to show love. Just as food strengthens our bodies for the coming day, the Supper strengthens us for the living of the Christian life – wherever Christ happens to take us in that life.

God’s Will for Me Bible Study Pastor Eric Brown

I. Don’t Worry About the Details (read Luke 12:22-31) A. We are instructed by Jesus not to worry about our life. Is work part of our life? When we work, who is providing that work and its benefits to us?

B. Jesus points to ravens and to lilies. How does a raven know what it is supposed to do?

How does a lily know what it is supposed to do? How will you know what you are to do?

C. Rather than the details, we are to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. Has Christ provided for your spiritual righteousness? Likewise, will our Righteous King send you His servant to do something righteous?

II. God Uses Us in the Strangest Places (read Genesis 45:1-15) A. God intended that Joseph would serve Him best in Egypt. How did Joseph get to where he was at? Was this a pleasant trip? While uncertainty about our own future is unpleasant, do we know that God is putting us where we need to be?

B. Joseph, in his position as the Pharaoh’s steward, provides for his neighbors and also his family. In wherever you end up, God will use you to serve your neighbor. Examine several majors and/or careers. How does God use people in these vocations to serve their neighbors? If Christians in these vocations show love to their neighbors, are they good and God pleasing?

III. God Prepares us For Life (read LSB 617, LW 238, or TLH 313) A. According to the hymn, what does God give us in His Supper? How many of these things apply to our daily life, whatever our vocation in that life?

B. Fundamentally, our vocations are gifts from God where He gives us His own strength to show love to our neighbors through us. How does attending Church and receiving the Supper prepare us for the trials of our daily life? Can you think of examples in your own life where God has strengthened you for tasks in the coming week?