Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Praise the Lord for angels. In Mark 16:6 we hear the wonderful words from the angel spoken to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome who were going to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. “And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.’ ” Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! What that means for us is that He will bring us also through death into eternal life. Jesus is risen for us. In Christ we have the victory!
This TLO Disciple thanks the Lord for his angels who guard us from every evil that would hurt or harm our soul and who will join us in worship before Throne and before the Lamb in His Kingdom.
Pastor James Kroonblawd
|
|
“… I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” Luke 15:10b
|
|
The Adoration of the Trinity
by Dcs. Carolyn S. Brinkley
In his oil painting, “Adoration of the Holy Trinity,” Albrecht Dürer gives you, the viewer, the opportunity to see a dazzling vision of Heaven with your very own eyes as it is happening at this very moment….
Looking up from the mundane earth, we are transported to Heaven! This is the reality that we experience in the liturgy of the Divine Service “with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your holy name evermore praising you and saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest!'” The center and focal point of the entire artwork is the Holy Trinity.
|
|
Blessings, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia. This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, Alleluia!
|
|
Listen to God’s Voice
by Rev. Dr. Benjamin T.G. Mayes
God laid it on my heart.”
“God said to me . . .”
“I saw words appear in my breakfast cereal, and I knew it was a message from God.”
Does God really speak to people in these ways? Some people do experience a feeling in their heart while they pray, or they even hear words in their heart. But who is speaking?
First, even though Scripture says that we must “listen to [God’s] voice” (see Jer. 11:4; John 10:16), if you don’t hear any voices when you pray, nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is just fine. When the Scriptures say we must listen to God’s voice, this really means listening to God’s Word being preached and listening to what the prophets and apostles have written in Scripture.
Click to read the entire article.
|
|
From Lutheran Hour Ministries,
click to view The Truth about Angels.
(note: message begins at minute 3:00)
|
|
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him; and He delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
Guardian Angels
Martin Luther
If we have a promise, then it follows without fail that angels are round about us. This is why Psalm 34:7 states: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.” Likewise Psalm 91:11: “He will give His angels charge of you.” This [Isaac and his family] believe firmly and without doubt. Therefore, we, too, cannot lie. Then we are surely under His protection, and it is also certain that angels are with us. But if any evil befalls us beyond, or contrary to, this trust and protection, this happens because of a special purpose that is hidden from us and especially from our adversaries. But the godly should comfort themselves in this manner: “I know that I have guardian angels; but that I have to bear some misfortune, this I leave to the will of God. For I am in the camp of the angels. God is not a liar. Therefore He will not forsake me.”
—From Lectures on Genesis (Luther’s Works 5:62)
|
|
Yes, Virginia. There Are Angels!
by Rose E. Adle
Angels must be some of the most misunderstood creatures in existence. And while it’s probably unfair to blame
everything on Hallmark and Hollywood, they have played a large part in causing the confusion.
Cutesy cards pretty well miss the mark. (Your best friend might help you out a lot, but that doesn’t make her an angel sent from above.)
Inspirational movies are similarly unconcerned about what Scripture teaches. (I don’t care what you’ve heard. An angel does not require a ringing bell to grow wings.)
Angels are created beings. Genesis doesn’t say exactly when, but it’s safe to say it was sometime between Day 1—when it all got started—and Day6—when it all got done. Angels are not animals, and they are not human. They are spiritual, not physical (Heb. 1:7). They are mighty, but they don’t possess divine characteristics like omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence. Angels remain angels for all eternity, and humans remain humans for all eternity.(That means no human will become an angel after dying, another common misconception, even among Christians.) Scripture contains information about countless angels, but only a few are known by name.
|
|
Angels are mentioned throughout the book of Revelation including: The voice of many angels numbering myriads and of myriads and thousands of thousands (5:11); The Four Angels at the four corners of the earth who have been given power by the fifth angel to restrain or hold back the destruction of the four winds (7); The Seven Trumpet-Angels (8:6-11:19); Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon (12); The Seven Censer-Angels (15:1-8); The Twelve Angels at the Twelve Gates (21).
To assist in your personal study of Revelation, Armon Gottberg wrote A Journey Through Revelation: An Aid on Our Journey Through Life as a devotional book for lay-people. The book is published on the Grace Lutheran Church, Hudson, Colorado website.
Click for access.
|
|
God Sent Angels
People who lived through Hurricane Katrina were so grateful for the help.
|
|
The Great Deceiver
It should come as no surprise that an adversary fit to be called the "god of this world" and the "power of darkness" is a force to be reckoned with. And so he is. In
The Great Deceiver explore a being so diabolical he will stop at nothing to separate us from God.
|
|
Proclaiming Liberty to Souls in Prison
By Kevin D. Robson
“I was in prison and you came and visited me.” Matt. 25:36b.
These words of Christ, spoken on the Mount of Olives just prior to His betrayal, arrest, suffering and crucifixion, no doubt held a place of special honor and comfort among the earliest saints of the New Testament era. Many joined their Lord Jesus in knowing what it was to suffer for their faithfulness to the sure Word of God, often in unjust, terrifying ways. They experienced imprisonment, torture and death simply for being baptized into Christ and making the good confession before the authorities. But then they were received into the hope and glory of heaven. The angels rejoiced.
Every missionary visits souls in prison. Sometimes they are behind intimidating walls and bars. Yet, more often than not (as can be seen in the vivid, diverse narratives in this issue of
Lutherans Engage the World), our darkest and most foreboding prisons are absent of any such physical constraints. Instead, they are addictions, religious persecution, the crippling challenges of poverty, hostility to Christianity, families wounded or split apart, or legitimate anxieties over the most basic aspects of day-to-day survival. All these are signs and symptoms of our universal brokenness in sin and death.
Thankfully, coming to those in prison was exactly what Jesus did in coming into this world: “The Spirit of the Lord … has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18). What Jesus did, in words and deeds and in the bearing of His cross unto death to destroy sin and death, the Church does today, through every one of its members. Through
you— the Church proclaiming the all-powerful Gospel given freely, God’s gift to mankind. Through
you— united to Jesus in His death and resurrection, “that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom. 6:6b).
Rev. Kevin D. Robson
Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
|
|
Luther’s Evening Prayer
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
|
|
EDITOR'S NOTE
TLO Disciple, with a topical study in each issue, is distributed primarily via email on the first of every month. Print copies are available by contacting the TLO Church office at 651-454-7235 or the Church Office via email.
Calendars, volunteer information, serving groups and the like will accompany the TLO Together, on the last Wednesday of the month.
Click here to subscribe to TLO Together
. This publication is also mailed upon request.
Soli Deo gloria
|
|
Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran
651-454-7235
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
