August 2017 VOL 60 NO. 2 “. .The Scripture Cannot Be Broken.” ( John 10:35) th Anniversary500 The Road To Reformation Online Version at www.lutheranspokesman.org Lutheran Spokesman – VOL 60 NO. 2 – August 2017 1 Page 4 Page 10 Page 12 Get and give the gift of the Gospel In This Issue Subscription to the Lutheran Spokesman is $18.00/year. VOL. 60 NO. 2 — August 2017 ORDER SUBSCRIPTION ONLINE AT: www.lutheranspokesman.org Remember Your Baptism ............................... 3 Or mail subscription to: A Fruitful Christian Life ................................. 4 Mr. Benno Sydow, Business Manager 2750 Oxford Street North CW Hymn 147, TLH Hymn 207 Roseville, MN 55113 “For Your Baptism Which Has Saved Me” ...5 Postmaster: Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN 55113 and additional offices (825-580). ISSN#0024-7537. Send address corrections (Form 3579) Who Alone Answers Prayers? to Lutheran Spokesman, 2750 Oxford Street North, Roseville MN 55113 The Lord, He is God! ........................................6 The Lutheran Spokesman is published monthly by the Church of the Lutheran Confession, 2750 Oxford St. N., Roseville, MN 55113, and is an Heroic Acts of Faith .........................................7 official organ of the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC). Website address: www.clclutheran.org. “Is it okay to use music by groups Editor: Paul Naumann, 3732 Claymore Lane, Eau Claire, WI, 54701, E-mail to [email protected]; Assistant Editor: Craig Owings; Art Director, such as Casting Crowns or Mercy Me Graphic Designer, Print Production: Matthew Schaser; Proofreaders: David in our worship services?” ...............................8 Lau and Paula Naumann; Staff: James Albrecht, Theodore Barthels, David Bernthal, Timothy Daub, Wayne Eichstadt, David Fuerstenau, Frank Gantt, Luther Finds the Pearl of Great Price Norman Greve, Mark Gullerud, John Klatt, Ross Kok, Joseph Lau, Delwyn Maas, Bruce Naumann, Nathan Pfeiffer, David Reim, John Reim, Michael 1514-1515 ..........................................................9 Roehl, Thomas Schuetze, Chad Seybt, Steven Sippert, Mark Weis. Material submitted for publication should be sent to Editor Paul Naumann St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church three months before date of publication. Announcements and other short Iron River, Michigan ......................................10 notices should also be sent to Editor Naumann. Business Manager: Benno Sydow, 2750 Oxford St. N., Roseville, MN 55113. E-mail to Bennosydow@ For God or Mammon? yahoo.com. Individual subscriptions {foreign-U.S. currency only}: $18.00 {$22.00} for one year; $34.00 {$42.00} for two years; $50.00 {$62.00} for Mission Work in East Africa ..........................12 three years; sent in bulk to congregations: $15.00. Spokesman Online Version at: www.lutheranspokesman.org Printed in Bread of Life Readings, August 2017 ..........14 U.S.A. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Mission Newsletter Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. CLC Project KINSHIP Update ........................15 Used by permission. All rights reserved. Lutheran Spokesman Art Direction and Design by MschaserLLC 2017. Any Announcements ............................................16 use of the images and/or graphics in part or whole without permission is prohibited. Contact Matt Schaser at: [email protected] for terms Seen In Passing ..............................................16 and usage. 2 Lutheran Spokesman – VOL 60 NO. 2 – August 2017 COVER STORY – BAPTISM Remember Your Baptism “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36) hen the Ethiopian heard live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of the message of Jesus as God, who loved me and gave Himself for Wthe Christ, Who willingly me.” (Galatians 2:20) gave His life for the sins of the world, When you are tempted to sin, he desired to be baptized into Jesus’ remember your Baptism, for “how shall name. Would anything hinder him we who died to sin live any longer in it?” from receiving this great blessing and (Romans 6:2) Therefore “consider from being received by God? Would yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in the color of his skin, his nationality, or Christ Jesus.” (verse 11) his past sins make him unacceptable to the Lord? What joy and relief when Do you ever fear that you are not Philip took him down into the water fit to be a child of God, that perhaps and baptized him! Nothing would something might hinder you from being hinder him from receiving the grace of with Him forever? Remember your God in Baptism and being made a child Baptism, for that is the day upon which of God. No wonder “he went on his way Christ clothed you with His perfection. rejoicing.” (Acts 8:39) Would anything hinder him “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were Do you want to go on your way rejoicing from receiving this great baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” today, tomorrow, every day? Then (Galatians 3:26-27) Nothing can hinder remember your Baptism! Whether you blessing and from being you from being in God’s presence now can actually remember the day you were or forever. baptized or simply know that you were received by God? baptized as a child, remember the fact Would the color of his skin, Remember your Baptism! That is that you were baptized. For that is the the day you were connected to Christ, day when you were connected with Jesus his nationality, or his clothed with His righteousness, saved, and everything He did for you. and given new life. We remember past sins make him because we want to continue with Him Whenever you sin you deserve to die, unacceptable to the Lord? forever. “And you, who once were alienated for “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans and enemies in your mind by wicked works, 6:23) Remember your Baptism and yet now He has reconciled in the body of rejoice, for that is when you were united with Jesus in His His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and death. “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope buried with Him through baptism into death.” (Romans 6:3-4) of the gospel which you heard.” (Colossians 1:21-23) Remember His death counts for you, and all your sins were paid for. your Baptism and continue in that glorious new life with Jesus Your Baptism also connected you with Christ’s life. “We Christ. With Jesus in our lives, we can go on were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as our way rejoicing. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so David Reim is pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in we also should walk in newness of life.” (verse 4) We now have a Vernon, British Columbia. new life with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now Lutheran Spokesman – VOL 60 NO. 2 – August 2017 3 DEVOTION – SANCTIFICATION A Fruitful Christian Life CW Hymn 147, TLH Hymn 207 “For Your Baptism Which Has Saved Me” n our family, there are few things told that His perfection is given to us we enjoy more than a freshly picked through faith! In the Gospel, we also Itomato out of our garden. As I write hear of how innocent Jesus laid down this article, the soil has been prepared His perfect life to pay off our debt of sin and the tomato plants are in the garden to God. In the Gospel we are assured and have been caged. We know that we that because of Jesus, God remembers will have to make sure the plants are our sin no more. In Holy Communion, watered and protected from little hands our Savior feeds us with Himself—His over the coming months. Our hope is body and His blood. that by the time this August edition of Our Lutheran Confessions put it the Lutheran Spokesman arrives, we will this way: “First faith is kindled in us be harvesting some of the first-fruits in conversion by the Holy Ghost from from our tomato plants. the hearing of the Gospel. This lays However, those fresh tomatoes are hold of God’s grace in Christ, by which not going to magically appear in our the person is justified. Then, when the backyard. Nor are those plants going to person is justified, he is also renewed survive if they are not regularly watered. and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, We need the plant first, and then we need from which renewal and sanctification to take care of the plant in order to enjoy the fruits of good works then follow.” those delicious, vine-ripened tomatoes. If you can understand (Formula of Concord, Thorough If you can understand this simple this simple gardening Declaration, III, 41) gardening illustration, you can understand illustration, you can The Gospel is the essential nutrient that what Jesus is teaching us about the our faith needs. It is the Water of Life which Christian life in John 15. In John 15, understand what Jesus keeps our faith alive and active. Abiding in Jesus talks about good works in the life of is teaching us about the Jesus, in His Gospel, He promises us that a Christian. He compares the Christian Christian life in John 15 we will be fruitful Christians, producing life to a grapevine. As with tomatoes, you all sorts of good works.