Wrestling with Theology

''Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Matthew 24:29).'' The Bible is filled with the image of the heavens being shaken when God comes down from Heaven. St. Peter culminates the great list of passages, saying, "But he Day of the Lord will com...

''Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather (Matthew 24:28).'' Vultures seek out death. It seems as though they were created for this purpose. But we know that God created everything "very good" (Genesis 1:31). When God created the vultures, they had an entirely different purpose. How do we know? There was no death in the Garden of Eden. God created the world so that there would be no...

''For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:27).'' For those who are waiting for a secret rapture of Christians to take them away from the troubles of the Great Tribulation, I have to say that Jesus says otherwise. "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west." Everyone will be able to see...

Liturgical Date: Fifth Sunday in Lent B Calendar Date: March 21, 2021 Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL Order of Service: Divine Service 3 Hymns: #594, "God's Own Child, I'll Gladly Say It" #430, "My Song Is Love Unknown" #697, "Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death" #620, "Jesus Comes Today with Healing" #617, "O Lord, We Praise Thee" #436, "Go to Dark Gethsemane" Sermon Theme: The New Covenant Sermo...

''Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (Matthew 24:23-24).'' Is it possible for someone who is saved to fall from God's grace? Unfortunately, it is. While Jesus says, "No one will snatch them out of my hand" (...

''For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short (Matthew 24:21-22).'' As the days until the Last Day become fewer, the world will be getting worse and worse. The Great Tribulation, whic...

''Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath (Matthew 24:20).'' St. John Chrysostom writes on this morning's verse (''Gospel of Matthew, Homily 76'' 1): :Recall that this discourse is addressed to the Jews. He is speaking here of the ills that should overtake them. He is not speaking primarily to the Apostles, who did not keep the Jewish Sabbath day. They were nowhere around when V...

Psalms 7-8 give us great resources for prayers as we live our lives. Psalm 7 speaks of our self-awareness as we cry out to God against those who are railing against us without cause. While asking God to judge them, we also acknowledge that we are by no means acquitted of any wrongdoing that we might not be aware of (1 Corinthians 4:4). Psalm 8 serves as the basis for our praise to God by rememberi...

''"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.  And alas for women who are pregnant and for those...

''And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).'' Much ink has also been spilt about what Christians have to do so that Jesus will come back sooner. This verse is often used for mission festivals that Jesus cannot come back until the Gospel has been preached to every nation on earth.  Thi...

Liturgical Date: Fourth Sunday in Lent B Calendar Date: March 14, 2021 Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL Order of Service: Divine Service 1 Hymns: #420, "Christ, the Life of All the Living" #686, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" #702, "My Faith Looks Up to Thee" #422, "On My Heart Imprint Your Image" #918, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" Sermon Theme: Looking Up for Salvation Sermon Text: Nu...

''"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be...

''As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.  For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See t...

''Jesus left the Temple and was going away, when His disciples came to point out to Him the buildings of the Temple. But He answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:1-2).'' Buildings don't matter to Christians. It's not the building that makes us the Church. Because '''WE'RE''' t...

Opening Round Matches in the World Heavyweight Title Tournament Great Kabuki vs David von Erich Iron Mike Sharpe vs 'Dangerous' Doug Gilbert Billy Gunn vs Rasta the Voodoo Mon Mance Warner vs Ross von Erich Marshall von Erich vs Eric Embry Television Title Match: Brickhouse Brown (c) vs Buzz Sawyer American Heavyweight Title Match: Great Muta (c) vs Jesse James Armstrong The beginning of a new feu...

''[Jesus said:] "For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'" (Matthew 23:39).'' Jesus speaks these words as it was becoming evening on Holy Tuesday. He would not reappear in Jerusalem until Thursday. As He begins to leave Jerusalem for the night, He focuses Jerusalem's attention further on the fact that she has turned her back on her...

''"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37).'' Jerusalem was God's capital city. The place where He desired His name to dwell. Where Melchizedek, "the king of righteousness", served as king and priest of th...

Liturgical Date: Third Sunday in Lent B Calendar Date: March 7, 2021 Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL Order of Service: Divine Service 1 Hymns: #645, "Built on the Rock" #425, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" #539, "Christ Is the World's Redeemer" #622, "Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared" #623, "Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray" #850, "God of Grace and God of Glory" Sermon Theme: The Temple...

''You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, w...

''Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets (Matthew 23:29-31).'' Many people, when they...

"Lastly, it was very foolish for the adversaries to write that people who are under eternal wrath merit forgiveness of sins by an act of love, which springs from their mind. For it is impossible to love God unless forgiveness of sins is received first by faith. The heart, truly feeling that God is angry, cannot love God unless He is shown to have been reconciled. As long as He terrifies us and see...

''"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:27-28).'' Jesus takes the last woe one step further with this one. Not only are the Pharisees and sc...

''"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean" (Matthew 23:25-26).'' The Pharisees looked wonderful on the outside. They looked righteous and clean. However, they were dirty inside. The...

''Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24)'' In American Christianity, especially the mainstream denominations, there is a...

Liturgical Date: Second Sunday in Lent B Calendar Date: February 28, 2021 Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL Order of Service: Service of Prayer & Preaching Hymns: #437, "Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed" #436, "Go to Dark Gethsemane" #708, "Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart" #685, "Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus" Sermon Theme: Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Sermon Text: Mark 8:27-38 Other Lectionary Rea...