Many, even today, would have us believe that we cannot be saved unless we keep the laws given to the children of Israel through Moses. They say trusting in Jesus’ perfect righteousness and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead is not enough. You must be circumcised; you must observe the Sabbath and other Old Testament holy days; and you must follow the Old Testament dietary laws, they say.

This, of course, is nothing new. Those exact demands were made upon the church of God at Antioch when Paul and Barnabas were there. Certain men came down from Judea and taught the believers, “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (v. 1). As a result of the dissension which followed, Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles about the matter. And, there too, were certain believers of the sect of the Pharisees which said it was necessary for Gentile believers to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses (v. 5).

The temptation to add to the Gospel is one we all face. We tend to think we must do something, or add our works to those of Christ, if we are to be saved. We fail to remember that we are indeed complete in Christ Jesus. He fulfilled all righteousness for us, and He paid in full for the sins of the whole world when He suffered and died upon the cross. His resurrection is proof that God accepted His sacrifice for sin and justifies and accepts us for Jesus’ sake (cf. Rom. 4:25; Col. 2:6ff.).

What did the apostles in Jerusalem say? Peter said, “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”

In fact, the apostles and the church in Jerusalem, at the direction of the Holy Spirit (v. 28), determined to lay no other burden upon the churches than to abstain from meat offered to idols, from blood and things strangled, and from fornication – and that was because of the offense it would cause to the Jews and those who had been taught the law of Moses.

Do we add to the Gospel? Must we do more than trust in Christ Jesus to be saved? As the Bible says, “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

We are complete in Jesus. We were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands when we were baptized into Christ and became partakers of His death and resurrection – receiving through faith forgiveness for all our sins and new life with Him (cf. Col. 2:10ff.).

Therefore, we let no man judge us “in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17).

Thank you Christ Jesus for granting to us full and complete salvation. Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible]

Why do I believe in Jesus? Why do I follow after Him and continue in His Word? I believe in Jesus because I am a sinner and because Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

There is no doubt that I am a sinner! I haven’t kept all of God’s commandments perfectly as He demands. I haven’t loved God with all my heart, soul and mind; and I haven’t loved my neighbor as I have loved myself. I haven’t always put God first in my life, and I haven’t always used God’s name in an honorable way or eagerly listened to God’s Word. I’ve disobeyed my parents. I’ve hated and spoken evil of others rather than loving and helping them in their needs. I’ve had evil thoughts and desires, and I’ve desired things which were not mine to have.

God’s Word is right when it says of me: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). I know I am a sinner and, in God’s judgment, deserve to be condemned to eternal punishment in hell for my sins!

But I believe in Jesus because He came into the world to save sinners! The Bible says that God provided a way for sinners like me to be saved when He sent His only begotten Son into the world, a true man, to keep God’s commandments and then to die upon the cross and bear the punishment for the sins of the whole world. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures … He was buried … He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2).

I believe in Jesus because, for His sake, God has forgiven all my sins and made me, a sinner, acceptable in His sight. The Bible says: “He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6,7).

Yes, I am a sinner and have come short, but I am “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

When I stand before God in His great judgment on the Last Day, I need not be afraid. Though a sinner, Jesus shed His blood for me! His cleansing blood will be my only plea!

I pray that you, also, will believe in Jesus, for He came into the world to save sinners like me and like you, too!

Pastor Randy Moll

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible]

The Pharisees were outwardly very respectable people. They upheld the Law, and were proud of it. They were perhaps not the first, but they were certainly the most important of the “holier than thou” groups. Their idea was that they would build a fence, so to speak, around God’s Law, to prevent people from breaking it. Most of the practices of modern Judaism derive from the practices of the Pharisees in one way or another.

For example, God’s command is not to take his name in vain. The Pharisees said that in order to prevent using God’s name in vain, we shouldn’t say his name at all. This tradition became so widespread that we are not entirely sure how the Hebrew name of God should be pronounced.

As another example, God actually gave a command to the Jews that they should not boil a baby goat in its mother’s milk, in Exodus 23:19. To prevent that from ever happening, the Pharisees introduced a tradition that kept Jews from eating milk and meat at the same meal.

God gives the command to honor the Sabbath, to keep it holy, and not to work on the Sabbath day. The Pharisees set up an elaborate list of traditions to define what did and did not constitute work.

The Pharisees started out with good intentions, the intention to uphold God’s Law. But despite their intentions, they missed the whole point of the Law. Once Adam and Eve fell in to sin, it became impossible for us to keep God’s Law. Even if we could keep the letter of the law, we know that we could not keep the spirit of it. The Law demands perfect obedience in thought, word, and deed, and even the slightest deviation from that standard is enough to condemn us forever. Have you ever even thought about hurting someone else? That’s enough. Have you ever spoken harshly, or in anger? That’s enough. You have broken God’s Law, and you are subject to God’s eternal punishment.

The punishment for breaking the Law is quite clear – eternal damnation, separation from God for all eternity. As God says through the prophet Ezekiel, “the soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:13). As Paul says, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Thankfully, though, there is hope, because God came to live among us and fulfill the Law that we could not. As often as we break it, we know that Jesus was tempted just as we are, but instead of yielding to that temptation he resisted it, and kept the Law as we could not. That is why his suffering and death were innocent – because he never sinned, he could offer himself as as sacrifice on our behalf. And so we trust in that perfect life, and his innocent suffering and death to cover our sins, and that will be our plea when we face God in the end. When Satan (which means “accuser”, by the way) accuses us before God, we can plead that we are not guilty because Jesus’ blood covers our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

But now that we know what Jesus has done for us, does that mean that the Law has no meaning? That we don’t need to follow it? Is that what Jesus is saying here, to these Pharisees, that the Law is optional for us?

First off, we definitely want to say that following God’s Law is not optional for anyone. We were saved from sin, not so that we could sin more. But we have to understand what God’s Law actually requires of us.

In our text for today, Jesus puts the Pharisees to the test. A man is sick with the dropsy, which is called edema today – an abnormal swelling with fluid. And so Jesus asks, “Is it legal to heal someone on the Sabbath?” The Pharisees cannot answer, because their framework of traditions does not include the notion of miracles.

So Jesus heals the man, and in so doing, teaches us an important lesson about the Law. Not all of the Law of the Old Testament is on the same footing. We use different terms today to refer to these classifications of the Law – moral, ceremonial, and civil. The ceremonial and civil laws were introduced by God primarily through Moses.

The moral law is binding for all people at all times. We recognize elements of the moral law because it is written on our hearts in the form of conscience. Almost every society, even the pagan ones, has laws against murder and burglary, and promotes marriage and family. There are exceptions, but it is common enough. We see evidence of this in Scripture because Cain is punished for murdering Abel, long before the actual giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. We recognize these as the definitive statement of the moral law, but they certainly were binding before they were given and are still binding today.

The ceremonial and civil laws were the laws God gave through Moses for Israel to govern itself until the Messiah, Christ, came. They were binding for the people of Israel but are not binding on us today. We know this because Scripture tells us so directly – in recent weeks, we have studied Acts 10, where God tells Peter to kill and eat. Peter refuses, because the animals in his vision are ceremonially unclean. Three times, God tells him to kill and eat, to understand that the Jewish law that he had lived under his whole life has been set aside. Similarly, Paul tells the Colossians that they are not to allow anyone to judge them with regards to food or Sabbath or holy days (Col 2:16) – all things very distinctive of the Jewish ceremonial law. Even for those to whom the ceremonial law was binding, there were circumstances where they could break it without sinning. Jesus mentions one here – if an ox or donkey falls into a pit on the Sabbath, it is not a violation of God’s law to get it out. In the same way, Jesus uses the example of King David’s men eating the showbread when they were on the run – according to the ceremonial law, only priests could eat the showbread – but David’s men were running for their lives and that was the only food available, so they ate it. In the Gospel of Mark, when the Pharisees criticize Jesus’ disciples for eating grain on the Sabbath, Jesus says “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” When we allow ourselves to think or believe than man was made for the Sabbath, we are perverting the Law, and making it an end unto itself. The point of the ceremonial law is to foreshadow Christ, and point us to Him. As Paul says (Col 2:17) “Which are a shadow of the things to come – the body is in Christ.”

All of this stands in very stark contrast to how Jesus handled the woman who was caught in adultery, which we recently discussed in adult Bible class. In that case, there wasn’t any question that she had done wrong, and there really wasn’t any question whether she deserved to die for it. There is a big difference between deserving death and being shown mercy and not deserving death at all. As we can tell from Jesus’ final words to her – “Go and sin no more” – this is another example of the moral law that applies to everyone.

So, you might wonder, what good do the Jewish civil and ceremonial laws do for us today, if they do not apply to us?

For one thing, they help us to understand the world that the New Testament was written in. We may not understand the implications of the Jewish laws, but Peter and John sure did. How can we understand the importance of Peter’s vision in Acts 10, where God told him to kill and eat, without understanding the Jewish ceremonial law? How can we understand John the Baptist’s cry, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, without knowing about the Passover and the Jewish ceremonies tied to it? How could we understand the importance or necessity of the sacrifice of Jesus, or the value of his blood, without knowing about the daily sacrifices that were carried out in the ceremonial law?

The earliest Christian church sure believed it had to understand the history of Israel. It was very important to the church to preserve the entire Old Testament for us to read and understand, including the ceremonial law. Perhaps most importantly, we need to understand that the ceremonial law was temporary from the very beginning, that it was never meant as a way for us to earn God’s favor. Paul points out that God gave Abraham the Gospel first, long before the law of Moses came into play. And from this we learn that while God’s law is good, the Gospel is a greater and more important word. At the same time, the Law is important – it shows us how to live out our lives of gratitude. Let us keep each in their proper place, until we face God in joy and thankfulness. Amen.

- Martin Jackson

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” Luke 10:25-37

We are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18), but who is our neighbor? With this parable, Jesus teaches us that our neighbor is not only the man next door, our friends or even those whom we might consider worthy of our love and respect. Our neighbor includes anyone with whom we in some way have contact or the ability to help and serve. Our neighbor includes all men.

Like the good Samaritan, we should care for the stranger in need even if he is our enemy! We should not be as the priest or the Levite in this parable who, probably out of fear for their own safety, passed by the man who was in need and failed to be a good neighbor to this man who had fallen among thieves. If we truly love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we will use every opportunity and do all that we can to help those in need.

Jesus told this parable to a certain Jewish lawyer who was testing Jesus with the question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus asked him, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?,” he answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Jesus then told him, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” If a person were able to do this perfectly, he could earn his way into heaven; but “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (EccI. 7:20). No one has such perfect love for God! And while men may think they love their neighbor, this parable reveals our failures here too!

But all who have come short of the demands of God’s perfect Law are also “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). We cannot justify ourselves with God’s commandments as this Jewish lawyer sought to do; but through faith in Christ Jesus we stand forgiven and justified in God’s sight (Rom. 3:28). As a fruit of our faith, we seek to love our Lord and Savior above all things and to love our neighbor as ourselves (I John 4:19ff.).

Oh, teach me, Lord, to love Thee truly with soul and body, head and heart, and grant me grace that I may duly practice fore’er love’s sacred art. Grant that my every thought may be directed e’er to Thee. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn #399, Verse 5)

“Confused about Jesus”

John 7:25-53

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. 30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? 32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 43 So there was a division among the people because of him. 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 53 And every man went unto his own house.

There was much confusion about Jesus during His days on earth. Some thought He was the promised Messiah and others thought He was just a deceiver of the people. Some believed Jesus when He said He had come down from God the Father in heaven, and others argued that they knew Jesus’ origins in Nazareth of Galilee and no prophet was to come from Galilee. The Jewish rulers sought to arrest Jesus and have Him put to death, but others argued in His defense, citing the many miracles He had done as proof that Jesus’ claims must be true.

Not much has changed in 2,000 years. People are still confused about Jesus. Some believe He is the Christ, Son of God in human flesh and the Savior. Others think He was just a prophet or significant religious figure. Some see His miracles as proof of His claims, and others doubt His miracles altogether. Some would seek to silence Jesus and have any reference to Him or His teaching removed from public view. Others still proclaim Him as one who should be heard in our day.

Jesus warned His hearers that their time was running out. “Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.”

Of course, our time, too, is short. We live in this world only a little while and then must stand before our Maker and Judge (cf. Hebrews 9:27). If we continue to put off the invitation of Christ Jesus in the gospel and refuse to believe and trust in Him, time will run out and we will never find Him and know Him as our Savior. We will not go to be with Him in the mansions of His Father’s house. Where He is we will not be able to come!

We read that “in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Do we hunger and thirst for the living God? Do we desire to be right with Him and walk in fellowship with our Maker and Redeemer? Jesus offers and gives life-giving water to quench our thirsty souls. He offers and gives the Holy Spirit who, through the Word of God, creates faith in Christ Jesus and raises us up from spiritual darkness and death to life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit assures us that Jesus is indeed God’s Son in the flesh, the Messiah and Savior, and that in Him and for the sake of His blood shed upon the cross all our sins are cleansed away and forgiven.

Jesus pours out upon us His Holy Spirit and saves us, “by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed[s] on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 3:5,6).

As God says in Isaiah 55:1-3: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

Jesus, David’s Son and David’s Lord, has won for us mercy and peace with God our Father. For His sake, God accepts and receives us as his own dear children. He calls us to believe on Him and come to Him and drink.

1 John 1:1 – 2:2

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Augsburg Confession

Article II: Of Original Sin

Also they teach that since the fall of Adam all men begotten in the natural way are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice of origin, is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing eternal death upon those not born again through Baptism and the Holy Ghost.

They condemn the Pelagians and others who deny that original depravity is sin, and who, to obscure the glory of Christ’s merit and benefits, argue that man can be justified before God by his own strength and reason.

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings for Sunday are Psalm 41; Acts 6:8 – 7:60; Luke 10:25-37. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday.

The Adult Bible Class will continue in the Gospel of John at chapter 7:19ff. Who was seeking to kill Jesus? Cf. John 5:18. Why? What law were they breaking by seeking to kill Jesus? Did the Jews regard it a sin if one was circumcised on the Sabbath? What had Jesus done on the Sabbath (cf. Chapter 5)? Was this right or wrong? Why? Do people today ever get so focused on one commandment that they neglect other weightier commandments? How? Do the words of Hosea 6:6-7 have application here? Did the people think they knew Jesus’ origins? What did they believe about Christ? How were they mistaken in their understanding? What did Jesus say of His origins? Did the Jews recognize Jesus for who He is? Did they know the Father who sent Him? Cf. John 14:6. Can one know God if he doesn’t know Jesus? Why did many of the people believe on Jesus? What did they say? Why were the Jews unable to arrest Jesus at this time? What did Jesus say to His enemies? What did He mean? Of what was He warning His hearers? What did Jesus say on the last day of the Jewish feast of tabernacles? What does this mean? How does it apply yet today?

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Dick Stueland, who is recovering from knee surgery; for Sam Rusch, who is back in the hospital; and for the mother of Dick Rusch – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families, for Christians who are alone and have no congregation, and for our adopted soldiers. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Events and Announcements

The Congregational Evening Bible Study for July is set at 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 14.

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

Hebrews 9:27-28: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

Read Luke 16:19-31

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

We should note first of all that Jesus’ illustration of the rich man and Lazarus may be much more than a parable, for it is told by Jesus as if it is a true and factual account. Whether an actual historical event or a parable, we can still learn much from Jesus’ telling of it.

The rich man is not identified by name; but the poor beggar’s name was Lazarus, which means “God is help.” Even though Lazarus was poor and full of sores, we know that he was a true believer in God, as his name indicates, because he was taken to heaven when he died. Even though the rich man was greatly blessed by God in material things, he did not believe or listen to the Word of God (Moses and the Prophets). This can be seen by the fact that there were no fruits of faith in his life in regard to poor Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, and by the fact that his soul went to hell when he died.

In addition to teaching that one’s soul goes either to heaven or to hell when he dies, Jesus warns against living life solely for the enjoyment of the good things of this world. One’s first concern should be to heed the Word of God and repent, turning away from sin and the selfish use of this world’s goods to faith in Christ, who died to redeem us from sin and death. As a fruit of true repentance, we will then put to death our selfish and sinful desires and use the goods of this world to help those in need. We will not close our hearts to the poor and needy, but will do all we can to help them.

One more important truth should also be learned. If one does not heed the Word of God during his lifetime, there is no other hope for repentance; for the Holy Ghost works through the Law to convince us of our sin and the punishment we deserve and through the Gospel to reveal our Savior and to assure us of eternal salvation through faith in Him. If one, during his lifetime, refuses to turn from his sins to Christ Jesus, his Savior, there will be no more opportunity for repentance. His torment in hell will be forever! But when one, by the grace of God, heeds the Word and repents, trusting in Christ for forgiveness and life, his soul, at the time of death, will be transported by angels to the bosom of Abraham.

O Jesus, who my debt didst pay and for my sin wast smitten, within the Book of Life, oh, may my name be also written! I will not doubt; I trust in Thee, from Satan Thou hast made me free and from all condemnation. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn 611, Verse 5)

“Jesus’ Doctrine”

John 7:1-24

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. 9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. 14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Though they later came to faith in Christ Jesus, His own brothers, at this point in His ministry, did not believe in Him. They did not trust that Jesus was God the Son in human flesh and the Savior of the world.

In fact, when the feast of Tabernacles was at hand – a high feast of the Jews at which all the males were required to appear before the LORD (cf. Exodus 23:14-17; Leviticus 23:39-43) – Jesus’ brothers even mocked Him, telling Him to go to Jerusalem and show Himself to the world. They questioned Jesus’ miracles, and they did not believe His Word.

The Bible tells us that Jesus’ brothers told Him: “Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.”

We know from the Scriptures that Jesus did not do as His brothers said because the Jews were trying to kill Him. At a previous feast, Jesus had at the pool of Siloam healed a man who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years; but Jesus did this miracle on the Sabbath Day, and the Jews sought to kill Him for breaking their Sabbath laws and for claiming to be the Son of God (cf. John 5:1ff.).

As Jesus said, His time had not yet come. Though He had come into this world to suffer and die for the sins of the world, His teaching ministry was not yet complete and God’s time for His Son to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of the world was to come at another feast, later in Jesus’ ministry.

Though Jesus’ time to die and make atonement for the sins of the world had not yet come, the time for Jesus’ brothers to repent of their sin and trust in Jesus was at hand. Their time, as Jesus said, was “always ready.”

And so it is with us also. Our time is ready. Now is the time to repent of our sin and rebellion against the LORD our Maker and to put our trust in Christ Jesus, God the Son.

The Scriptures say, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Though Jesus’ brothers basically told Him, “If you really do the works we hear you are doing, go show yourself to the world,” notice what Jesus said when He later did go to the feast and was teaching in the temple to crowds who were questioning whether or not Jesus could be the promised Messiah. Jesus said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. ”

Was Jesus seeking to advance His own popularity? Was He seeking His own glory? Was the doctrine – the teaching – He was proclaiming His own invention and a lie, or was it of God the Father?

The one who wishes to do God’s will, Jesus said, will know and recognize that Jesus’ teaching is the teaching and doctrine of God the Father who sent Him. This remains true today as well. Those who seek to do the will of God and search the Scriptures will know and recognize that Jesus’ doctrine is the doctrine and teaching of God. It’s not a new teaching. Rather it is the same message God has revealed in His Word down through the ages – Jesus was and is the fulfillment of that Word!

The one who speaks his own doctrine – his own ideas and beliefs – seeks his own glory, Jesus said. And how true this remains in our day! Teacher after teacher has come up with some new doctrine, some new vision, but they are not in agreement with the message of God’s Word announced and proclaimed from the very beginning. The “new revelations” are not in agreement with what God has revealed and preserved for us in the Scriptures. And the new teachers do not seek God’s glory and honor. Rather they seek to gain a following for themselves.

We can apply Jesus’ words yet today to churches and church bodies. Those who tout themselves and concern themselves with numbers and fancy buildings probably won’t be seeking to build Christ’s kingdom by preaching His pure and unadulterated Word and doctrine. Rather, they preach themselves and their programs and activities and seek to build up their own little kingdoms here in this world.

How different this is than the preaching and teaching of Jesus! He did not seek His own glory, but the glory of God the Father who had sent Him. He did not seek to gather a large following for Himself here in this world. Rather, He unreservedly proclaimed the law of God and the sinfulness of man that He might call upon all to repent and look to His atoning sacrifice for pardon and life eternal. His concern was not with an earthly kingdom and following, but to do His Father’s will and save souls for an eternal, heavenly kingdom!

Should not this truth say something to us today about church-growth programs, building programs and mission work? Who are we to proclaim as the Help and Savior of the world? Ourselves? Or Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Those who seek to build up “their own” church and “their own” group will miss Jesus’ point even if they answer with the right words, but those who will to do God’s will will know!

As many times happens in churches and denominations where people hold legalistically to one point but ignore other even more important articles of the faith, so the Jews held legalistically to the prohibitions against working on the Sabbath and were ready to condemn Jesus for healing a man on their day of rest. Jesus pointed out that, to obey the law of Moses requiring circumcision to be performed on the eighth day after birth, they circumcised on the Sabbath (cf. Genesis 17:9-14). How much better is what Jesus did! He made a man entirely whole on the Sabbath! Instead of believing all of the Word of God and recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah and Savior who would suffer and die and make atonement for the sins of all mankind, they were ready to kill Him for doing good – for obeying God’s commandments – on the Sabbath.

And do we still do so today? Sad to say, we do. I remember discussions with one group of Lutherans which so emphasized the Scripture’s teaching that a minister of the Gospel should be supported by his hearers that they would not allow a small congregation to call a minister to preach the Gospel among them if they could not pay a full-time salary. So, for the sake of obeying the principle of hearers supporting their ministers, they prevented believers who desired to have a minister and hear God’s Word from obeying what the Scriptures elsewhere command.

And, of course, the list of even more grave offenses could go on and on if we spoke of all the times the Word of God and faithful preachers were rejected because someone took offense at some infraction against traditions or practices which are not even required by Scripture.

The point of it all is that Jesus Christ, God’s only-begotten Son, came into this world to do the will of His Father, proclaim the doctrine of God His Father, and to accomplish the salvation promised from the very beginning by God the Father. If we seek the will of God, by the grace of God we will see from the Scriptures that Jesus is God the Son and the Savior of the world. We will see that His doctrine is that of the Father. And will see that Jesus was not seeking His own glory and an earthly kingdom but was and still is seeking the glory of God the Father. He seeks to rescue lost and condemned sinners from everlasting condemnation and to bring them into a heavenly and eternal kingdom made up of those who have had their sins washed away in the blood of Christ and who, as a result, seek the glory of their heavenly Father. He went to the cross and suffered and died for the sins of the world to bring glory to His Father, and He was raised up to the glory of God the Father. He also calls us to trust in Him and receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life He won for us, and on the Last Day He will raise us up from the grave that we might forever give thanks and praise to the Father for graciously granting us salvation in the Son.

Jesus will one day soon return in glory and show Himself to the world as the Son of God and the Judge of all the earth, but His time is not yet. He graciously bears with this wicked world a little longer that He might call yet more sinners to repentance and faith in His shed blood (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). But soon He will come!

Until He does so, our time is “always ready” to repent of our sin and look to Him and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our eternal salvation! That is the will and doctrine of God the Father. And, when we believe on Jesus, it will be to the glory of God the Father who so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son! Amen.

“Psalm 57”

1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. 7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

The Augsburg Confession

Of God

Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and power, who also are co-eternal, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And the term “person” they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself.

They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article, as the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other Evil- also the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all such. They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new, who, contending that there is but one Person, sophistically and impiously argue that the Word and the Holy Ghost are not distinct Persons, but that “Word” signifies a spoken word, and “Spirit” signifies motion created in things.

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings for Sunday are Psalm 66; Acts 6:1-7; Galatians 6:1-18; Luke 10:1-20. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday.

The Adult Bible Class will continue in the Gospel of John at chapter 7:1ff. Which Jewish feast was at hand? What did Jesus’ brothers tell Him to do? Why? Did they yet believe? How did Jesus respond? What does this mean? Why did the world hate Jesus? Does the world still hate Jesus? Why? Why does the world hate true believers? Cf. Matthew 5:10ff. If the world does not hate a church or group of believers, what might that say of their testimony to the truth of God’s Word? Should churches seek to be loved by the world or to be faithful to Christ and His Word? Is it possible to do both at the same time? Cf. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. Did Jesus go to the feast? What were the people saying of Him? Is this any different than what people say of Him yet today? How did Jesus answer their objections to His teaching? Is this true for us yet today? How? Why did some people argue that Jesus could not be the Christ? Did they really know from where Jesus came? Who did Jesus say had sent Him? Did His Jewish audience know Him? Why not? Were those who wished to arrest Jesus able to do so? Why? Why did some believe Jesus was the Messiah? How is their argument still true?

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Dick Stueland who is recovering from knee surgery, and for the mother of Dick Rusch – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families, for Christians who are alone and have no congregation, and for our adopted soldiers. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Events and Announcements

The Rite of Confirmation is planned for our July 4 service. Josie Jackson will be confirmed. A pot-luck dinner will be held following the service in honor of this special day in Josie’s walk with her Savior.

The Congregational Evening Bible Study for July is set at 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 14.

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

Psalm 66:8-9: “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.”

[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

Before our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven to His position of authority at the right hand of God the Father, He commanded His disciples: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). He told His followers, to the end of this world: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20).

After the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them at Pentecost, Jesus’ followers held back nothing but proclaimed all the words which Jesus had given them. We read that when they were arrested by the rulers of the Jews and put in prison, “an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught” (Acts 20:19-21).

Even after they had been beaten and warned not to preach any longer in the name of Jesus, they not only rejoiced at being counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ sake (cf. Matthew 5:10ff.), “daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42). They obeyed the command of God – of their Lord Jesus – rather than men (Acts 5:29).

What does this say to us today? Are we to hold back any of “the words of this life”? If rulers and governments tell us not to speak in the name of Jesus, do we become silent and await the day when Gospel preaching is legalized and acceptable? If people in general – or even churches – do not want us to preach the Law of God in its full severity or do not wish to hear of the grace and mercy of God which He offers and gives only in Christ Jesus and for the sake of Jesus’ blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world, do we hold back? What did Jesus command His disciples to do? What did the angel of the Lord say to the apostles as he opened the prison doors? Who do we obey: God or man?

We have work to do. By the grace of God, we have come to know our sinfulness and the punishment we truly deserve but we have also come to know that in Jesus, and for the sake of His cross, we have forgiveness for all our sins and life everlasting! Others too need to know, and time is running out. Let’s not hold back but speak to everyone “all the words of this life”!

O dearest Jesus, You have given us forgiveness and life in Your name. Move us to hold back nothing but speak all the words of this life to people everywhere that they too may come to know You. Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible]

THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD

Read Matthew 20:1-16

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

The disciples of Jesus saw the rich young man go away sadly because he was unwilling to give up his riches and follow Jesus, and they had heard Jesus’ words about how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Peter then asked Jesus what he and the other disciples would receive since they had left all to follow Him. The last verses of Matthew, chapter 19, record Jesus’ answer. Here, Jesus describes the gracious reward which will be given to all who deny themselves and follow Him; but He also adds the words: “Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”

The parable of the laborers in the vineyard illustrates these words of Jesus and warns against the assumption that those who work harder, longer, or give up more for Christ deserve a greater reward. In this parable, even those who were hired and began working in the vineyard at the eleventh hour received the same wages as those who had toiled for the full day. The householder graciously paid them for a full day’s work.

God also rewards those who deny themselves and labor in His kingdom; but God’s rewards are rewards of His grace and are not earned or deserved. As sinners, we do not even deserve to be in His kingdom. It is only by God’s grace in Jesus Christ–because Christ died for our sins and rose again–that we are forgiven and brought into God’s kingdom. The rewards given for labor and sacrifice in God’s kingdom are also God’s gracious gifts for Christ’s sake. If we assume that we have earned a greater reward because of our hard work in the kingdom, we are in grave danger of losing, not only God’s gracious reward for our labor but also our place in God’s kingdom as well; for all of this is ours by grace alone! If one becomes a Christian late in life, works only a short time in God’s kingdom and receives a great reward, we should rejoice and praise God for His grace rather than grumble because we did not receive more.

O Father, God of Love, hear Thou my supplication; O Savior, Son of God, grant me Thy full salvation; and Thou, O Holy Ghost, be Thou my faithful Guide that I may serve Thee here and there with Thee abide. Amen. (TLH, Hymn #417, Verse 7)

“Jesus, the Bread from Heaven”

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. John 6:52-59

How can one eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood? The Jews did not grasp Jesus’ meaning, nor do many in our day.

Jesus is not indicating that Christianity is some kind of cult in which the faithful literally eat human flesh and drink human blood. Even in the Lord’s Supper, participants do not chew Jesus’ flesh and drink and digest His blood. Rather, as they partake of the bread and wine, they partake of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all the world – His body given into death for our sins and His blood shed for the remission of our sins.

Though certainly related to the Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ words in John 6:52-59 are not a specific reference to the supper Jesus later commanded His followers to observe in remembrance of Him and His innocent sufferings and death on their behalf. If He were referring specifically to partaking of the Lord’s Table, then those not able to partake of Christ’s Supper, regardless of the reason, could not be saved and have life in them.

Rather, Jesus refers to partaking of His body and blood by faith. The children of Israel ate of the manna from heaven and yet died. Those who partake of Jesus’ body and blood – of His sacrifice for the sins of the world – by faith in Him have eternal life and Jesus will raise them up on the Last Day!

Jesus says in no uncertain words, “For my flesh truly is food, and my blood truly is drink” (John 6:55 literally translated from the Greek).

The one who partakes of Jesus, the Bread of Life, by faith – trusting in Christ Jesus who gave His body into death for our sins and shed His blood upon the cross to make atonement for all our iniquities – has the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. As Jesus said, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.”

People look to Jesus for earthly bread. They come to Him in hopes that He will provide them with all their earthly wants and desires. But few recognize that Jesus came into this world to provide us with heavenly food – with food which nourishes our souls unto life eternal.

Jesus came into this world to fulfill the righteous demands of God’s law for us. And He came to be our sacrifice for sin – to offer up Himself on the cross as the Passover Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He gave His body into death upon the cross in full payment for your sins and my sins. He shed His blood upon the cross as our sacrifice for sin and made atonement for us and all the world before the very throne of God.

The question is this: Do you partake of Him? Do you trust in His holy life and His innocent sufferings and death for the forgiveness of all your sins? If you do not partake of Jesus, you can have no life in you; you are eternally lost and condemned. If you do, through faith, partake of His flesh and blood, you have the forgiveness Jesus won for you when He gave His body into death and shed His holy and precious blood to make atonement for your sins and redeem you.

When we, in this way, eat His flesh and drink His blood, Jesus dwells in us – not in the sense that He enters our mouth and passes through our digestive system, but in the sense that He comes into us and gives us life in fellowship with the Father.

It’s really as simple as this: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12). If we partake of Jesus’ holy life and His bitter sufferings and death for all sin by placing our trust and confidence in Him, we have life. Jesus Himself comes to us, dwells in us by His Spirit and gives us spiritual and eternal life in fellowship with the Father. If we do not partake of Jesus and His sacrifice – if we go it alone and on our own, so to speak – we remain dead in our sins and under the wrath and condemnation of God.

In John, chapter three, Jesus says it this way: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (15-18).

Those who believe and trust in Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God made flesh, are saved and have life because Christ gave His body and shed His blood for the remission of all sins. They partake of His body and blood and of the benefits Jesus won for them through faith.

On the other hand, those who do not trust in Christ’s body and blood given and shed for all mankind are condemned. Why? Because they reject the only way of salvation God has provided for them – in His Son!

Even in the Lord’s Supper, those who partake of the bread and of the cup unworthily – without godly sorrow over sin and faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice – are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord because they have rejected and taken lightly Jesus’ giving of His body into death and shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins. They do not consider what He offers and gives them in the Supper when He says, “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you” and “Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (1 Corinthians 11:23ff.; Matthew 26:26-28) They, in the words of Hebrews 10, have trodden under foot the Son of God, and have counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith they were sanctified, an unholy thing, and have done despite unto the Spirit of grace.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

Jesus gave His life for you. His body was nailed to the cross to suffer for your sins and mine. He shed His blood for you when He made atonement for the sins of the whole world. His flesh is food indeed and His blood is drink indeed to nourish our souls and to give to all who partake of Him through faith everlasting life!

God grant you to partake of Jesus, the Bread of Life, and to drink of His blood shed for the remission of your sins through faith in Him! Then, you will have life!

O merciful Father, grant us faith in Messiah Jesus, the Son. Grant that we eat His flesh and drink His blood through faith, trusting in His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Amen.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The Brief Statement

of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod as adopted in 1932

(Editor’s Note: This remains the official position of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod yet today, though in practice, many have departed from it.)

Of Open Questions

44. Those questions in the domain of Christian doctrine may be termed open questions which Scripture answers either not at all or not clearly. Since neither an individual nor the Church as a whole is permitted to develop or augment the Christian doctrine, but are rather ordered and commanded by God to continue in the doctrine of the apostles, 2 Thess. 2:15; Acts 2:42, open questions must remain open questions. Not to be included in the number of open questions are the following: the doctrine of the Church and the Ministry, of Sunday, of Chiliasm, and of Antichrist, these doctrines being clearly defined in Scripture.

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings for Sunday are Psalm 3; Acts 4:32 – 5:16; Galatians 3:23 – 4:7; Luke 8:26-39. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday. Marty will preach on Galatians 3:23ff.

The Adult Bible Class will continue in the Gospel of John at chapter 6:60ff. Did the people understand Jesus’ words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood? What about Jesus’ own disciples? What about us? How did Jesus answer His disciples? Who is it who gives life? What does Jesus say of His words? How is this true yet today? Can anyone come to faith in Jesus or believe in Jesus’ name of his own will or decision? Can anyone understand the truths of Scripture by his own reason or understanding? Whose gift and working is it when one come to believe in Jesus? Why did a number of Jesus’ disciples turn back? Does this happen yet today? How? What did Jesus ask the twelve? How did Simon Peter answer Jesus? Is there any other that we can turn to for eternal life? What did Peter confess for all the disciples? Who had chosen Jesus’ disciples? What does Jesus say about one of them? Why?

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Dick Stueland who was scheduled to undergo knee surgery today, for Sam Rusch who was hospitalized, and for the mother of Dick Rusch – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families, for Christians who are alone and have no congregation, and for our adopted soldiers. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Events and Announcements

A Baby Shower will be held at the church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, for Sarah Hardigan, the daughter of Jim and Betty Mayer. The congregation is invited to attend.

A Pot-Luck Dinner is being planned following the service on Sunday, June 20, in honor of Father’s Day.

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

Psalm 3:8: “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: Thy blessing is upon Thy people.”

[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

THE NOBLEMAN AND THE POUNDS

Read Luke 19:11-27

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? 24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Jesus spoke this parable as He was nearing Jerusalem to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Many followers of Jesus expected Him to set up and establish an earthly kingdom when He came to Jerusalem, a kingdom in which He would reign over the nation of Israel. With this parable, Jesus sought to teach His disciples that His visible presence would be taken from them for a time and that they would be expected to carry on His work of seeking and saving the lost (v.10) until He returned.

Jesus is like the nobleman in this parable. After Jesus suffered and died upon the cross to redeem all people, He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. From this position of power and glory He continues to build His kingdom. Before ascending to the Father, Jesus entrusted to His disciples the saving Gospel and the task of preaching this Gospel in all the world, to every creature (Mark 16:15-16).

Like the citizens who hated the nobleman, many of the Jews, who had the Old Testament Scriptures and should have come to faith in Jesus Christ and inherited the kingdom, rejected Jesus as their Christ and King. They rebelled against Him.

When Christ Jesus returns on the Last Day, He will examine His servants in regard to their faithfulness in carrying on His work of discipling the nations. Those who have faithfully used the Gospel and sought to gain others for Christ’s kingdom will receive a gracious reward in addition to the blessings of forgiveness and eternal life which they already possessed through faith in the Gospel. Those servants who knew their Lord’s command and will, but were unfaithful and disobedient, will lose even that which was entrusted to them. All who have rejected Christ and rebelled against Him will be condemned to eternal torment in hell on that Day!

This parable provides a very important lesson to us. We have the pure and saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the good news of forgiveness of sins and everlasting life for Jesus’ sake. It may be a temptation at times to keep it to ourselves, to wrap it up and hide it lest we lose it; but our Lord not only requires us to preserve it in its truth and purity, He requires us to faithfully use it to seek and save lost souls!

Raise up, O Lord the Holy Ghost, from this broad land a mighty host; their war cry, “We will seek the lost where Thou, O Christ, wilt come.” Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn #506, Verse 6)

Except the Father Draw Him

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:41-51

Sometimes it happens that people know all about Jesus but do not know Him.

This was the case with the Jews from Galilee who had seen many of Jesus’ mighty miracles and had heard His preaching. They came to Jesus because He had provided food for the multitudes in the feeding of the 5,000, but they did not understand or believe Jesus when He told them, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”

In fact, they murmured against Him, saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?”

Sad to say, the same is true today. Though it’s hard to think one could be too familiar with the facts about Jesus to know Him, it happens all the time. From little on, people are taught that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem and that He died on the cross and rose again, but somehow those great truths are not translated into a true knowledge of Jesus and the great sacrifice He offered for our sins and the sins of the whole world.

Thus people go through their whole lives knowing about Jesus, but not knowing and trusting Him for the forgiveness of all their sins and eternal life. Often, they are content to know only the basic facts and never really take the time to read and study God’s Word and come to know and trust in Jesus.

Why is this? Why is it that the Jews of Jesus’ day who saw His mighty miracles and were able to see Jesus with their own eyes and hear Him with their ears never really did see, hear and believe?

Why is it that people today – even people who have attended church services all their lives – can recite the facts about Jesus but yet do not know Him and trust in Him?

Jesus tells us why: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

The truth is that no one can come to Jesus unless God the Father draws him, and the one whom the Father draws to the Son will be kept and preserved in faith and raised up by Jesus on the Last Day.

Jesus quotes from the Scriptures – from Isaiah 54:13, a verse describing the blessings upon the church of Messiah Jesus – to point out the necessity of being taught by God: “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”

Unless the LORD God opens our eyes and reveals to us Jesus as His Son and our Savior, we will never come to know Him. We may know many things about Him, but Him we will not know; nor will we trust in His holy life and innocent sufferings and death for the sins of the world for our pardon and peace with God the Father.

Jesus told Nicodemus he could not even see the kingdom of God unless he were born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-8).

Jesus also describes the working of the Holy Spirit in this way (John 16:13-15): “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

Martin Luther, writing in his Small Catechism about The Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed, explained this same truth of Scripture with the words: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life.”

The Apostle John, in his first epistle, writes to believers (1 John 2:20-27): “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

Unless the Father draws us – unless the Holy Spirit, through the reading and hearing of God’s Word, enlightens us and reveals to us who Jesus really is and what He has done for us – we will not come to know Him or trust in Him for forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. Yes, me may know about Him, but we will not know Him and His lovingkindness toward us.

But, on the other hand, when we are taught of God and God’s Spirit, through the Scriptures, opens our eyes and brings us to know and trust in Jesus, we have everlasting life.

Indeed, Jesus is the Bread of life. He is the true bread from heaven, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Unlike the manna given to Old Testament Israel in the wilderness – the bread of which the people ate and yet died – Jesus is a living and life-giving bread. He gave His flesh, His body, up unto death on the cross as full payment for the sins of the world. He shed His blood to redeem us. He gave up Himself and suffered and died for your sins and mine. And all who trust in Him – who partake of His sacrifice by faith in Him – will live forever and never die. Those who partake of Jesus, the Bread of life, have everlasting life.

As Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

God graciously grant us to be taught of the LORD God and know Jesus and partake of His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world through faith that we might also be raised up of Christ Jesus on the Last Day unto life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

LORD God, in your mercy, draw us to the Son. Open our eyes that we might see our utter sinfulness but also see the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of Christ Jesus in our stead. Grant us the Holy Spirit and teach us to know Messiah Jesus as our Savior from sin and death. Renew us and regenerate us. Create and preserve in us true faith Christ Jesus, the Bread of Life, that we might partake of Him through faith and live forever with You. In the name of the Son and our Savior we pray. Amen.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The Brief Statement

of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod as adopted in 1932

(Editor’s Note: This remains the official position of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod yet today, though in practice, many have departed from it.)

Of the Antichrist

43. As to the Antichrist we teach that the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2: 3-12; 1 John 2:18, have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion. All the features of the Antichrist as drawn in these prophecies, including the most abominable and horrible ones, for example, that the Antichrist “as God sitteth in the temple of God,” 2 Thess. 2:4; that he anathematizes the very heart of the Gospel of Christ, that is, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by grace alone, for Christ’s sake alone, through faith alone, without any merit or worthiness in man (Rom. 3:20-28; Gal. 2:16); that he recognizes only those as members of the Christian Church who bow to his authority; and that, like a deluge, he had inundated the whole Church with his antichristian doctrines till God revealed him through the Reformation these very features are the outstanding characteristics of the Papacy. (Cf. Smalcald Articles. Triglot, p. 515, @_ 39 to . 1; p. 401, _ 45; M., pp. 336, 258.) Hence we subscribe to the statement of our Confessions that the Pope is “the very Antichrist.” (Smalcald Articles. Triglot, p. 475, @_ 10; M, p. 308.)

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings for Sunday are Psalm 32; Acts 4:1-31; Luke 7:36-50. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday.

The Adult Bible Class will continue in the Gospel of John at chapter 6:41ff. Why did the Jews murmur against Jesus? How do people murmur yet today? Who will come to Jesus? How? What does Jesus promise in regard to those who come to Him? How is that comforting to us? What is the Father’s will? Can anyone come to Jesus of his own will and decision? How is Jesus, the bread of life, like the manna which God gave in the wilderness? How are they different? What is Jesus saying in verse 51? How do we eat of Jesus’ flesh and drink of His blood as Jesus describes it in this discourse?

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us; for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families, for Christians who are alone and have no congregation, and for our adopted soldiers. Pray for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. Continue to pray for the Lutheran Churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Events and Announcements

The Choir is practicing for upcoming services. More voices are always welcome.

Congregational evening Bible studies will continue again tonight, June 9, at 7 p.m. A sandwich supper will precede the study and begin about 6:20 p.m.

For those who like garage and yard sales, Ray and Bonnie Hawes will be having a huge one at their home Thursday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

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

Psalm 134 – A Song of degrees

Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

Few preach repentance and Biblical conversion in our day. Rather, most preach a message of love and peace apart from repentance and faith. They do not preach the Law of God in all its severity, nor do they preach the true comfort of the Gospel. In other words, preachers proclaim peace and love to the impenitent and fail to offer comfort to those who are troubled over their sins.

That, of course, was not the message of Peter and the apostles of our Lord Jesus. Peter and the apostles, like John the Baptist and like Jesus Himself (cf. Mark 1:4, 14-15), called upon all to repent and be converted – to acknowledge the wickedness of their hearts and lives and to look to the crucified and risen Christ in faith for pardon and peace everlasting.

This used to be the message of the Lutheran Church as well. The Augsburg Confession, Article XII: Of Repentance, states: “Of Repentance they teach that for those who have fallen after Baptism there is remission of sins whenever they are converted and that the Church ought to impart absolution to those thus returning to repentance. Now, repentance consists properly of these two parts: One is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of absolution, and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors. Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruits of repentance.”

Preaching the Law of God, Peter pointed out the sin of his hearers in denying and rejecting their Messiah and Savior, Jesus Christ. But to those troubled over their sins, he preached the Gospel and offered pardon – the blotting out of all their sins – when the times of refreshing came from the Lord.

In faithfulness to God and His Word, we still preach the Law of God that the Spirit might convince sinners (all of us included) of the wickedness of their ways; but through the preaching of the Gospel, we offer hope, forgiveness and eternal salvation for the sake of the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, in our stead.

O dearest Lord Jesus, Son of God and our Savior, forgive us for our sin and rebellion against You and grant that we live in continual repentance, acknowledging and turning from our evil ways to You for mercy, forgiveness and life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

How is it that a person can truly come to know Jesus and what He has done for all by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross and His glorious resurrection on the third day? Who teaches and reveals to us the truth of God’s Word and assures us of forgiveness and life everlasting in Christ Jesus?

It is as Luther explains (in his explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed), “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him.” And why not? Because we are by nature spiritually dead, blind and unable to comprehend the Word of the Gospel which tells us of God’s mercy and our salvation in Jesus Christ (cf. Ephesians 2:1ff.).

Luther further explains that “the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

And this is what our Lord Jesus teaches us: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

The Holy Spirit not only gave to us the Holy Scriptures by inspiration, He uses the Scriptures – the very Word of God – to teach us the truth about God’s will, our sinfulness and God’s salvation in the Son, Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who opens up the Scriptures to us, enlightens us and gives us understanding of the truth. And He glorifies the Lord Jesus, for the Scriptures testify of Him and the Holy Spirit reveals the true Christ to us through the Scriptures. He takes the things of Christ Jesus and shows them to you and to me through His Word.

As Jesus said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” ( John 14:26).

John also writes in his first epistle: “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things … But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2:20, 27).

The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus poured out upon us and all believers, reveals to us Jesus – the true Jesus of the Bible – and what He has done for us by His death upon the cross. The Holy Spirit assures us that, though we are sinners who have come far short of God’s expectations revealed to us in the law, in Christ Jesus and for the sake of His innocent sufferings and death in our stead we have forgiveness for all our sins and a place in Jesus’ everlasting heavenly kingdom.

O Spirit of the Living God, open up my heart and mind and let me understand Your Word. Show to me Jesus and all He has done for me and my salvation. And grant me faith to trust in the risen Lord Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture Quotation are from the King James Version of the Bible.]