Fools for Christ
Dear
friends: as you no doubt know, Easter happens to fall on April 1st
this year—April Fools’ Day! When I first looked at the calendar for this year
and saw that, I winced, because I knew that there’d be plenty of critics of the
Christian faith who would use the opportunity to mock our belief in what Christ
has done for us. These would be the supposed “intellectuals,” the
“reality-based” folks who, in their
own minds, have so cleverly refuted Christianity by comparing Jesus to a
hypothetical “Flying Spaghetti Monster” (Why is it these same critics don’t
claim that they’ve refuted Islam by comparing Mohammed to a bizarre conjecture?
I suppose that’s a question for another time). That, or they spend lots of time
repeating easily-refuted claims about the origins of Christianity.
It
can be a little frustrating—it’s one thing to reject the Gospel, but quite
another to reject it on the basis of some silly notion about what Jesus
“really” said or did. But then, this is nothing new. In his first letter to the
church in Corinth, St. Paul wrote, “For the word of the cross is folly to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it
is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the
discerning I will thwart.’ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the
world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through
wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who
believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is
stronger than men” (I Corinthians 1:18-25).
There’s
really nothing new under the sun—man has always scoffed at God’s love. That’s
the sin-marred nature, the old Adam, still in us, fighting against the plans of
the Lord. Even as believers, we may think we know better than God. However,
Paul also says, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he
is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise” (I
Corinthians 3:18).
So
let the world scoff at you for your Holy Spirit-worked faith in Christ Jesus;
it’s what it does,
egged on by the devil. Don’t be surprised that you may face mocking or worse
for naming the name of Jesus. After all, Jesus did warn us that we would have
trouble in this world. But He also promised us, “Take heart, for I have
overcome the world” (John 16:33). So we know that our
crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus lives and reigns to all eternity. We
are fools for Christ because the tomb is empty; death no longer has dominion
over Him, nor does it have any lasting power over us, either. Joyfully, we are
fools for Christ's sake (I Corinthians 4:10). Christ is
risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
In Christ
–
Pastor Humphrey
Isaiah’s Signature
Uncovered in Jerusalem
By Megan
Souter, Biblical Archaeology Review
Excavations in Jerusalem have unearthed what may be the first
extra-Biblical evidence of the prophet Isaiah. Just south of the Temple Mount,
in the Ophel excavations,
archaeologist Eilat Mazar and her team have discovered a small seal impression
that reads “[belonging] to Isaiah nvy.” The upper
portion of the impression is missing, and its left side is damaged.
Reconstructing a few Hebrew letters in this damaged area would cause the
impression to read, “[belonging] to Isaiah the prophet.”
If the reconstruction
stands, this may be the signature of the Biblical prophet Isaiah—the figure we
encounter in the Books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah. Eilat Mazar of the
Hebrew
Mazar’s team found the
seal impression in an undisturbed area of Iron Age debris (dated to the
eighth–seventh centuries B.C.E.) right outside the southeastern wall of the
royal bakery, a structure that had been integrated into the city’s
fortifications and had operated until the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem
in 586 B.C.E. All of the excavated dirt from this area of the Ophel was
wet-sifted, meaning that it was placed on a sifting screen and washed with
water. This process revealed multiple finds—including Isaiah’s seal impression
and an impression of the Judahite king Hezekiah—which had been
missed during traditional excavation methods. Since each of these impressions
has a diameter of about half an inch and is the same color as the dirt, it is
easy to understand why they were not spotted in the field.
Isaiah’s seal impression—called a bulla—was
created by first placing a soft piece of clay on top of a ligature tied around
a linen bag. Isaiah’s seal was then pressed into the clay, thereby sealing the
parcel with his personal signature. The clay hardened and survived through the
centuries, thereby preserving Isaiah’s signature.
Although most of the
upper half of Isaiah’s bulla is now missing and its left side is damaged,
archaeologists have been able to identify its imagery and inscription from what
remains. The bulla is divided into three registers. The remains of a grazing
doe, a symbol of blessing, can be seen in the top register. Written in ancient
Hebrew, the name Yesha‘yah[u] (the Hebrew form of Isaiah) appears in the middle
register, and the letters nvy are visible in the lower register. If the Hebrew
letter aleph were added to the end of the word nvy, it would then become the
word nvy’ (“navy’”), which means “prophet” in Hebrew. It is likely that the
Hebrew letter vav appeared at the end of the middle register, representing the
final letter of “Isaiah” (the “u” of “Yesha‘yahu”). Further, if the definite
article heh (“the”) were added to the end of the name Isaiah (after the vav),
the seal impression would read “[belonging] to Isaiah the prophet.”
“Because the bulla has
been slightly damaged at end of the word nvy, it is not known
if it originally ended with the Hebrew letter aleph,” explains
Mazar, “which would have resulted in the Hebrew word for ‘prophet’ and would
have definitively identified the seal as the signature of the prophet Isaiah.
The absence of this final letter, however, requires that we leave open the
possibility that it could just be the name Navi. The name of Isaiah, however,
is clear.”
The close relationship between the prophet Isaiah
and King Hezekiah is reflected in the Hebrew Bible. Hezekiah, who ruled from c.
727–698 B.C.E., relied on Isaiah’s counsel throughout his reign—and especially
when Jerusalem was besieged by Assyria.
When Hezekiah assumed the throne at age 25,
Judah was a vassal-state of the Assyrian empire and paid tribute to Assyria
regularly. Hezekiah stuck with this program for many years, but eventually he
rebelled and stopped sending tribute. Anticipating an Assyrian attack, Hezekiah
refortified Jerusalem. He strengthened its walls and, memorably, carved a
1,750-foot-long water tunnel from solid rock that ensured the inhabitants of
Jerusalem would not be without water during a siege (2 Chronicles 32:2–4).
The Assyrian king Sennacherib responded to Hezekiah’s
rebellion with force. He campaigned against Judah—destroying many Judahite
cities, such as Lachish (depicted on the Lachish
reliefs, panels from Sennacherib’s palace in Nineveh, now on display at the
British Museum in London), and ultimately besieging the capital city of
Jerusalem in 701 B.C.E.
The prophet Isaiah said that Jerusalem would not
fall to the Assyrians, and it did not—despite the Assyrians’ military might.
This victory helped solidify the idea of the city’s invincibility. Even on the
Sennacherib Prisms, where King Sennacherib recorded his victories, he never
claims to have conquered Jerusalem—only to have besieged it, received tribute,
and locked up Hezekiah “like a bird in a cage.” 2 Kings 18:13–19:36 records
that the Assyrians continue to assault Jerusalem even after Hezekiah pays them
tribute; they do not withdraw until God sends a plague among them. The
Sennacherib Prisms make no mention of a plague.
The seal impressions of Isaiah and King Hezekiah
were found less than 10 feet apart in the Ophel excavations. If the recently
identified bulla does indeed bear the prophet Isaiah’s signature, it seems
fitting that it should be found so close to Hezekiah’s personal seal
impression. Their legacy—together—continues even after death.
LCMS Stewardship Ministry
Newsletter Article- March 2018
Hudson Taylor, a Nineteenth Century
British missionary to China, is reported to have said, “God’s work, done in
God’s way, will not lack God’s supply.” To know God’s way, we need to know His
Holy Word. Or to say it another way: you need to know your Bible.
St. Paul, before he spends two chapters
on giving, wrote that every thought is to be taken captive to the obedience of
Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
Doctrine matters. And doctrine matters
because the Scriptures matter. And the Scriptures matter because this is where
we learn the teaching of Christ. Our thoughts must be brought into line with
the teaching of Scripture so that our work is what God wants done and so that
we do this work in His way.
A good tree bears good fruit. A bad
tree bears bad fruit. We have been made good trees in holy baptism. We are
fertilized and pruned for bearing good fruit by constantly hearing God’s Word
preached and taught in sermon and Bible Class and in receiving the life-giving,
faith-sustaining food of the Lord’s Supper. Remember your doctrine, hold on to
the Lord’s teaching, and your thoughts will be taken captive to the obedience
of Christ.
Bringing every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ is recognizing that God does provide. The Lord’s Prayer
teaches us to pray for daily bread. Praying this day in and day out reminds us
that the Lord is the giver of our daily bread, and that we are to gives thanks
for His daily provision of it.
God is rarely early and never late in
His work, as Abraham learned, “on the mount of the Lord it will be provided”
(Gen. 22:14). The Lord’s generosity forms our generosity in return. Thus, we
set aside for the work of God a generous, first-fruits, proportion of the daily
bread that God has given to us. This act of trust in the Lord’s provision is
the working out of our faith in Him.
When budgetary discussions pop up, our
natural reaction is to point fingers. But remember your doctrine, and what your
mother taught about pointing fingers. Our first natural reaction is not always
right. In fact, when our thoughts are brought into captivity of Christ, our
first reaction should be repentance.
It should raise questions in our own
lives. As good trees in Christ who are to bear good fruit, we should ask
whether our thoughts are taken captive by obedience to Christ. Have we given
generously? Have we given our first-fruits? You know. And God knows. “For the
eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself
strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9).
God will provide. He always has and He
always will. He gives His meat in due season. He has not left you as orphans,
but has grafted you into His own family. You belong to Him. Remember this,
letting this thought dwell in you richly. And you will then be rich toward
others.
Council Meeting
2/15/18
The February Council meeting was called to order by Chairman
Don Bowlin.
Pastor Humphrey opened the meeting with a devotion from
Matthew, The Temptation of our Lord.
The minutes from the November 15, 2017 Council meeting were
approved as read.
The Treasurer’s report was approved as presented.
Pastor’s Report:
Gary Williams, Julie Alkire and Pastor went through old
materials in the office and disposed of
unneeded items. A new backup drive was installed on the
office computer. CenturyLink cannot
provide anything faster than 10Mbs for Internet service to
the church. Further research would be
done to see if anyone offers a better deal and more Mbs. Pastor
contacted Rev. Neugebauer, Rev
Strawn and President Hill about information on an inactive
member list. They suggested contacting all inactive members regarding their
status and then either leaving them on the roles or removing
them based on their wishes. The secretary has almost
completed compiling information for Trinity’s annual report to Synod.
St. James and Mount Calvary continue discussion on a dual
parish.
Upcoming services: Lenten Midweek service theme “Return to
the Lord”. Easter is April 1, 2018,
with Sunrise service at Faith in Gering at 6:30.
District Convention: At the Ramkota in Casper, May 3-5.
Delegate forms have been received by the
District secretary.
Spring Pastor’s Conference: At Casper, April 16-17 at
Trinity to discuss matters primarily touching
on biblical inerrancy which will be presented at District
convention.
Elders Report:
Continuing their Bible Study, “Why Am I a Lutheran?”.
Trustee Report:
The insurance agent had no problem with the Church Usage Policy. The trustees
also visited with the insurance agent with regards to the
premium and deductible. The agent felt
there might be a possibility of lowering the deductible as
we hadn’t had a claim in the last three
years. Plumbers were called to check on the furnace unit
that has been leaking in the fellowship hall.
The plumber tightened a clamp and ordered a gasket. They
suggested that the church start considerreplacing the units which could cost
approximately $12,000 each. There was
discussion about the
church speakers. Pastor and Levi Bowlin were to check on
volume. Trustees will be cleaning the
supply room. It was also reported that the LWML was
organizing a spring cleaning to be completed
during the month of April. The trimming of bushes will be
done at that time as well.
Sunday School Superintendent Report: Attendance has dropped
off. Most Sunday’s Jonathon
Humphrey is the only student.
Old Business: None
New Business: None
There being no other business to come before the Council, it
was moved by Pastor Humphrey and
seconded by Wes Bowlin to adjourn the meeting. Motion was
carried. Meeting was closed with the
Lord’s Prayer.
Susan Williams, Secretary Pro Tem
LWML NEWS
Trinity
Lutheran Women’s Society LWML Minutes
Tuesday,
February 13, 2018
Trinity Women’s Society
met Tuesday February 13, 2018. Karen Ritz led the group through a Holy Week
based Bible Trivia.
The meeting was called to
order by President Sandy Heine in the name of our Triune God with 8 members
present. Minutes from the January 10, 2018
meeting were read and approved as corrected.
Karen Ritz read the Treasurer’s Report with a society balance of $710.48
and Morrill Elementary Backpack Program $3,976.07. The Treasurers report was filed for audit. It
was noted that the annual assessment to Zone LWML was due and would be paid.
Committee Reports: None
Correspondence: A
thank you from the local food pantry for our $150 donation was read.
Unfinished Business: No one had the opportunity to check on tablecloths. Members were reminded to check on pricing and
types of tablecloths available if they happened to be shopping.
Valentine’s Day gift cards
were sent to the 3 college students.
The soup gathered for
Souper Bowl Sunday will be taken to the area food pantry.
New Business: A
thank you card was sent to Wayne and Betty Batt for delivering all or our
collected items to the area food pantry over the last few years. A thank you card was also sent to Bob Boorman
for his consistent donations to LWML.
There was a suggestion
that we ask the entire congregation to prayerfully consider contributing to our
mite box to assist with LWML mission projects.
Information would be put in the bulletin.
After discussion, it was
decided to have a church spring cleaning during the month of April. A sign-up
sheet would be set-up. Individuals will
be asked to sign-up for a room and would be responsible for thoroughly cleaning
that room by the end of April.
Closing Devotions: Sandy
Heine provided closing devotions.
The meeting was adjourned
with the Lord’s Prayer and common table Prayer.
Hostesses: Karen Ritz and
Susan Williams
The next LWML meeting will
be Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Hostesses will be Lisa Kaufman and Kylie Wilson.
Joanne Kurtz will lead Closing Devotions.
Yours in Christ,
Susan Williams, Secretary
WORKING PARTNERSHIPS: Dual/Multi Parishes
Contributed by the Rev. Richard Boring LCMS Executive
for Mission and Revitalization — LCMS Nebraska District
“I thank my
God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all
making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the
first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in
you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:3–6).
Today in our
rural churches, we hear more people talking about partnerships. The motivation
that
often drives
that discussion is numbers: smaller church attendance, fewer financial
resources to pay a pastor or church worker and fewer pastors and church workers
to call. These are all valid reasons to talk about partnership ministries, but
the conversation has to be centered on the partnership of the Gospel. The
partnership of the Gospel needs to be the center that connects ministries to
work together. It needs to be about strengthening the body of believers and
being Christ’s salt and light to the disconnected and unchurched.
Partnership
means:
•
Relationship between two or more people or organizations that are involved in
the same activity • Cooperation between people or groups working together
• A group of
people working together for some purpose • A company owned by
partners where people put money into the partnership and share financial risk
and profits • Partners are people who make up a partnership collectively
In the past,
dual and multi parishes were usually arranged to share a pastor, and there was
very little partnering together to do ministry and mission. The definition of
partnership gives us five words to think about when we develop working
partnerships. They are relationships, cooperation, purpose, share and
collective group. Partnerships only work when they are held together by strong,
personal relationships.
Ministries that
are looking at working partnerships need to develop relationships before they
decide to be partners. Some examples could be joint worship services, joint VBS
— perhaps hosting it in a neighboring community where there is not an LCMS
church — a joint mission trip or a joint youth group. The sky is the limit for
different activities that can be done to build relationships with each other.
We are reminded in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 that “Two are better than one, because
they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his
fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift
him up! … And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will
withstand him — a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
