In 1530, Lutheran theologian Philipp Melanchthon wrote: “Our [Lutheran] churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By his death, … Continue reading Justified Through Faith
“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will … Continue reading It Is True!
Jesus Christ says: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mt 22:21). Last week in our baptismal class at Zion Lutheran Church, Hamburg, I explained to our Persian immigrants the Christian “Doctrine of Two Kingdoms.” According to the Bible verse above, God has created two … Continue reading The Two Kingdoms
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:] “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
“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?
“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?
“If we say we have fellowship with [the Father] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John … Continue reading Symbols of Dark Forces
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day…” (Ephesians 6:12-13). … Continue reading Something Strange
The Tiews in Germany 