“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” 2 Kings 5:13-14 (Read 2 Kings 5:1-15a)

Through a servant girl who had been taken captive from the land of Israel, Naaman, commander of the Syrian Army, heard of a prophet in Israel who could heal him of his leprosy. And so, with the blessing of the Syrian King, he sets out to Israel in hopes of being cured.

He expects that Elisha the prophet will come out to him, call on the name of the LORD, wave his hand over the infected spot, and cure him; but what happens? Elisha doesn’t even personally come out to meet Naaman but sends a messenger to him, telling him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would be cleansed of his leprosy.

Naaman is furious. He was an important man and had come all this way, and the prophet doesn’t even come out to see him; and the rivers of his homeland are far better than the Jordan. And so, Naaman begins to return home in anger and disappointment – that is, until his servants remind him that he would have done some great thing if the prophet had asked, so why not this small thing?

You know what happened. Naaman dipped himself seven times in the Jordan and was cured of his leprosy. His diseased flesh became again like the flesh of a little child.

What do you expect of God when you come to Him for help? Do you expect a special appearance and a spectacular miracle? Are you unwilling to believe when He offers you help through humble means?

What if He tells you to trust in the shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? What if He says to just look to Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross and you will be saved?

What if He offers to wash away your sins through the waters of Baptism? What if He says He will cleanse you and make you clean in His eyes through simply washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost?

What if Christ offers and gives to you His body and blood and the assurance of forgiveness of sins and life everlasting by means of eating and drinking ordinary bread and wine used in accord with His Word in His Supper?

What if God’s Spirit speaks to you and works faith in your heart through the reading and hearing of the Bible? What if He encourages and comforts you through the simple preaching of a minister in a little church?

Will you go off angry, expecting something better and more spectacular? Would it be better if we met in a great cathedral, if the minister wore papal vestments and if there were special ceremonies to forgive sins and create faith? Would it be better if we had some role in the process, some good work to add?

Or, will you believe what God says to you and trust that He can and does work mighty miracles through simple means? Through the faithful preaching of His Word? Cf. Romans 1:16-17; 10:17. Through the washing of water with the Word? Cf. Ephesians 5:26: Titus 3:5; John 3:5. And, through eating and drinking bread and wine consecrated and set apart by the Word of God? Cf. Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29.

If God told you to do some great work to be helped of Him, wouldn’t you do it? Why not, if He offers to heal your body and soul through hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His Son? Through being baptized in His name? Through partaking of the body and blood of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper?

O gracious and merciful God, forgive us for failing to believe Your Word and make faithful use of the humble means You have given us to create and preserve faith in Christ Jesus and to grant to us forgiveness for all our sins and life eternal. Grant that we not turn away from Your Word and Sacraments but make diligent use of them. Amen.

[Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28

Have you stopped to think about what Jesus Christ offers and gives to you in His Supper? It is certainly no ordinary food, no mere bread and wine!

Like the Passover meal in which God’s people ate of the unblemished lamb which was sacrificed that they might live, with its blood smeared upon the doorposts and lintels of their homes (cf. Ex. 12:1ff.), so Christ, when we partake of the bread and the wine, gives us to eat and drink of His very body and blood which were given and shed in our stead upon the cross to make atonement for our sins.

The Bible tells us that “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7); and that “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18).

In Hebrews 7:26-27, we read of Christ Jesus: “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” And, in Hebrews 9:28, we read: “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

And by His sacrifice upon the cross for the sins of all, Jesus put in place a new covenant, one promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 (cf. Heb. 8:6ff.), one in which God forgives our sins and remembers them no more.

When Jesus gives us to eat His body and drink His blood of the new testament (or new covenant), our partaking of His sacrifice signifies that we are partakers of the new covenant and recipients of the blessings Christ won when He established that covenant by giving His body into death and shedding His blood to redeem us and atone for our sins.

Thus, when we partake of Christ’s Supper and eat and drink of His body and blood given and shed for us for the remission of our sins, all who partake of that covenant through faith in Christ receive the blessings Christ won for them. They have forgiveness for all their sins. They are acceptable in God’s eyes for the sake of Christ’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross. They have the promise of life everlasting in heaven for Jesus’ sake.

However, those who partake of Christ’s sacrifice in impenitence and unbelief count “the blood of the covenant,” by which we have been sanctified, “an unholy thing,” and do “despite unto the Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29). Therefore, instead of receiving blessing, they receive cursing and condemnation (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23-29).

Partaking of Christ’s body and blood, of His sacrifice for the sins of the world to establish a new covenant of grace and mercy, is indeed a wonderful blessing, for in it Christ offers and gives to us, and we receive by faith, the blessings of forgiveness and life He won for us when He died on the cross and rose again. But, for those who count it as a common and unholy thing and partake in impenitence and without faith in Christ’s words, it becomes for them a witness against them and a cause for damnation because they fail to repent and look to Christ for pardon and forgiveness.

And so, I ask you before God, are you truly sorry for all your sins, in thoughts, words and actions? As you partake of Christ’s sacrifice and receive His body and blood given and shed for the remission of your sins, do you look in faith to Christ Jesus and His cross for mercy and forgiveness? And, do you desire, with the help and aid of God the Holy Spirit, to amend your sinful ways and live for Your God and Savior in accord with His Word?

If so, I, in the name of the Triune God, announce unto you the grace of God and forgive you all your sins for the sake of Jesus’ holy life and innocent sufferings and death in your stead. Go in peace! Amen.

“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” John 2:11 (Read John 2:1-11)

Jesus’ presence at a wedding feast in Cana and His turning water into wine has troubled some. Why would Jesus attend a wedding feast where wine was served? And why would Jesus turn water into wine, making some 120-180 gallons of it?

Jesus’ presence at this wedding – and we do not know precisely why He was invited – shows His respect for the divine institution of marriage between a man and a woman (cf. Gen. 2:18ff., Matt. 19:4-9). And His making wine, as well as drinking it, shows that drinking wine or alcoholic beverages is not of itself sinful. What is sinful is the overindulgence in it and drunkenness (cf. Matt. 11:18-19; 1 Tim. 5:23; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:19-21).

But far more important in this account is what His miracle reveals about Him. Even though it was not yet His time to be revealed as the Son of God in human flesh and the Messiah and Savior of the world, Jesus used the divine power He possessed to come to the aid of a wedding party in an embarrassing situation – they had run out of wine. And not only did Jesus turn water into wine; it was the best wine served at the feast. And this miracle, of which many at the feast had no knowledge, revealed the glory and power which Jesus possessed as the Son of God.

The result was not only a wedding feast without the embarrassment to the hosts of running out of wine; it was a revelation of His person to His disciples, causing them to believe that He indeed was and is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel.

The Apostle John, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, records this miracle for us that we too might see and believe that this same Jesus who humbled Himself and lived among us as a true man is more than just a man or even a great prophet and teacher. Jesus was and is Jehovah God Himself in human flesh!

This miracle is but one proof of that fact. He also healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, fed the multitudes, raised the dead, and rose from the dead Himself after being crucified! Through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit reveals to us Jesus’ divine glory and might; and through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that Jesus redeemed us and all mankind from sin and death by His own innocent sufferings and death in our stead. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that atonement for our sins has been made – we’ve been redeemed by the blood of “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”!

And, through faith in Christ Jesus, God the Son and our Savior, the forgiveness and life He won for all when He paid the price for our sins upon the cross becomes our own. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting!

O that all would see and believe that Jesus is God the Son and that He has paid the price and redeemed us from all our sins!

As we think about this miracle worked by our Lord Jesus, I invite you to also think about the Lord’s Supper, of which we are about to partake. I can’t turn water into wine, but Jesus can and did. I cannot cause Christ’s body and blood to be present, distributed and received in the Supper (in, with and under the bread and wine), but Jesus can and does.

Through His words of institution, He offers and gives to all who partake of His Supper to partake of His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world – of His body which was given into death for our sins and of His blood which was shed for the remission of our sins. And, through faith in Christ’s life-giving words, we also receive the blessings He won for us when He was sacrificed for our sins. We are assured of and receive forgiveness for all our sins and life everlasting for Jesus’ sake!

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, grant that I see your divine glory and believe that You indeed are my God and my Savior. Amen.

Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.

While many churches and denominations are seeking to update their doctrine to accommodate the modern views of our society and culture, our doctrine remains archaic.

It is the same doctrine professed by Dr. Martin Luther in the Reformation of the 1500s. It is the same doctrine preached by Paul and the other apostles. It is, plain and simple, the teaching of Jesus Christ, who called all to repent of their erring and sinful ways and offered them grace and forgiveness through faith in Him and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross. It is the teaching of Moses and all the Old Testament prophets. Our doctrine is the plain and clear teaching of the Bible which was given by inspiration of God and revealed to mankind over the past 6,000 years. And, so yes, our doctrine is archaic!

We unapologetically proclaim the message God has given to us in His Word over the centuries, nothing more and nothing less. It may be archaic, but it remains the truth even if some consider it outdated.

Rather than change our doctrine to accommodate the modern views of our culture today, we prefer to hear and know the truth given us by God who created us and will be our judge on the last day. We prefer to be confronted with the truth, repent of our sins and look to Christ Jesus and His cross in faith because only in Him is there salvation!

YHWH (Hebrew name of God, usually spelled out LORD, but sometimes pronounced Jehovah or Yahweh)

KURIOS ‘O THEOS (Greek name of God, usually translated the Lord God)

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:1-2

1. Who is God and what does the Bible tell us about Him?

Isaiah 42:8: I am the LORD: that is my name.

Jeremiah 10:10: But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king.

Psalm 90:1-2: Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

The true God is the LORD God – or Jehovah God – of the Bible. He is the living and eternal God who always was, who is and always will be.

2. How many true Gods are there? How many Persons are true God?

Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.

1 Corinthians 8:4: There is none other God but one.

Matthew 28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost….

2 Corinthians 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.

Isaiah 48:16-17: Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Numbers 6:22-27: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

1 John 5:7: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

There is only one true God, but the one true God is three distinct Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one; for God is one. This teaching of the Three/One or Triune God is taught throughout the Bible, beginning in the very first chapter of Genesis and continuing through the last chapter of Revelation. (Study your Bible and find out for yourself.)

3. What else does God tell us of Himself in the Bible?

John 4:24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Malachi 3:6: For I am the LORD, I change not….

Psalm 102:27: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Genesis 17:1: I am the Almighty God….

Luke 1:37: For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Matthew 19:26: With God all things are possible.

Psalm 139:1-4: O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

John 21:17: Lord, thou knowest all things….

Jeremiah 23:24: Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Proverbs 15:3: The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Leviticus 19:2: I the LORD your God am holy.

Isaiah 6:3: Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Deuteronomy 32:4: He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

2 Timothy 2:13: He abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Psalm 145:8-9: The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Exodus 34:6-7: And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

1 John 4:8: God is love.

The Bible teaches us much about the true God. We call some of these qualities and characteristics of God the attributes of God. God, Himself, tells us in His Word that He is eternal, unchangeable, all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere, holy, just, impartial and fair, faithful, good, merciful, kind, gracious and loving.

SUMMARY
We believe that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; I Corinthians 8:4). This God (called the LORD or JEHOVAH) is one divine Being or Essence, but three distinct Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (thus the name, Triune or Three/One God), each being eternal and equal in power and majesty, because each Person is the LORD God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; I John 5:7; Isaiah 48:16-17; John 1:1; Colossians 2:9; I Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 4:14). We believe that no one can worship or serve the Triune God except he believes that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the Savior of mankind from sin and its consequences (John 3:18,36; 5:23; 14:6; I John 2:23; 5:11-12). Hence, all who deny the Trinity of God (that God is three Persons) or the Unity of God (that God is one divine Being), or who do not trust in Jesus Christ, the Son, for salvation, do not worship and serve the true God.