Jesus Christ says: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Mt 19:29). A while back, I was reviewing the basics of Christianity with a young Iranian man preparing for his asylum … Continue reading Why Are You Talking about Jesus?
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). At the end of last Sunday’s baptismal class, I asked our Persian catechumens whether they had any questions. One Iranian fellow, about 20 years old and who has been living here in Germany for … Continue reading Still Five Minutes to Play
[Jesus said:] “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Every so often, I travel to Wolfsburg (about three hours away from Hamburg by train) to fill in because of a pastoral vacancy. Sadly, Germany’s rail system has become notoriously unpunctual (a relatively new phenomenon—unheard of up to the 1990s…) and … Continue reading Do Not Judge by Appearances
[Jesus said:] “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name’” (Matthew 6:9). I recently met with one of our young Persian congregants. He works seven days a week and can only occasionally come to church but wants to stay in touch. He asked whether we might go to KFC, which we … Continue reading No Compass Required
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Last week we talked about how important it is for Christians to mature in their understanding of the Christian … Continue reading To the Ends of the World-Farsi Bible Study
“Solid [spiritual] food is for the mature, for…discernment…” (Hebrews 5:14). “Mohammad” is one of our best catechized Persian Lutherans. “I met some very interesting people the other day,” he recently told me. “Two young Americans, maybe 18 or 19 years old. But I have some questions…” “Tell me about them,” I offered. “I was riding … Continue reading Isn’t Salvation a Free Gift?
“And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:16-18). It’s hard to believe that another year is ending. … Continue reading Dear Friends,
“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2). A few years ago, here in Hamburg, Germany, I regularly taught baptismal preparation classes for Persian immigrants at a nearby Lutheran (SELK) church. The fellowship hall where … Continue reading Going Home
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). Last week I attended a German service at one of our Hamburg SELK churches—as a parishioner. As I walked into the narthex, … Continue reading I Need Four Things
“So the tribune came and said to [the Apostle Paul], ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ The tribune answered, ‘I bought this citizenship for a large sum.’ Paul said, ‘But I am a citizen by birth’” (Acts 22:27-28). I recently accompanied one of our Iranian Lutherans, “Ali,” to his immigration … Continue reading Why Do Christians Say He Is God?
The Tiews in Germany 