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You have perhaps read or heard someone say that the life of a Christian looks exactly the same as the life of an unbeliever. Some even say that the life of pagans is often externally more righteous than that of … Continue reading
Pastor Johannes Nieminen
We live in a world obsessed with numbers. We count everything. The year just rolled over from 2016 to 2017, as we count years after the birth of Christ. This New Year, we may decide to sit down and look … Continue reading
Eli was derelict in his duties as high priest. He did not keep his sons in check. Working as priests under Eli’s supervision, his sons Hophni and Phinehas stole offerings from God, threatened worshippers with violence, and fornicated with women … Continue reading
We have both the command from God to pray, and the promise that He will hear us. Sometimes it is easy to pray. Words come easily and we know what to say. Sometimes, prayer is more difficult. We struggle with … Continue reading
3Sometimes we struggle to forgive. When someone sins against us, we can have trouble forgiving. Especially when we have been really badly hurt, we feel that the offending party doesn’t deserve forgiveness from us. Even when we try to forgive, … Continue reading
We have Moses and the Prophets, isn’t that enough? If Holy Scripture is God’s infallible Word and the only source and norm of Christian doctrine, what need do we have for the Lutheran Confessions? If Scripture is the ultimate authority, … Continue reading
The doctrine of election or predestination is of great comfort to Christians. This doctrine tells us that our salvation is in God’s hands. If salvation was in our hands, we would never be saved. Thus, we are comforted that it … Continue reading
Are you willing to die on that hill? This is a question that often gets asked when pastors face bad doctrine and practice in the congregations they serve, especially when they first arrive. This question is well-intentioned. It normally indicates … Continue reading
Sermon for Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion based on Luke 23:1-56 Dear sinners for whom Jesus died: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. “Father, forgive them, for they … Continue reading
The Apostle Paul instructs the young pastor Timothy to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” (I Tim. 1:18-19) and to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (II Tim. 3:14) while enduring suffering … Continue reading
William’s accountant retired, so he met with the new accountant who would be his replacement. When William met with the new accountant, he brought his accounts. “So here are my receipts, and here are the new memberships in my organization … Continue reading
Shock Jock radio hosts have come and gone over the years. Their whole shtick is to be offensive and provocative in their discussions. The goal is to be shocking and outrageous to improve ratings by breaking taboos and focusing on … Continue reading
A spirit of universalism and toleration which is indifferent to doctrine suggests that the Lutheran church, while confessing the truth, need not condemn other church bodies or their various errant teachings. Such condemnations are deemed to be insensitive and … Continue reading