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Liisa Keranen | The Voice of Zion November 2019 -- First Advent Sunday is only a few weeks away, so we can start thinking of music on that theme to listen to and sing in our homes. In our hymnal, the first eleven songs are Advent songs. Two of them are special to me. The first of these is, fittingly, song number 1: Hosanna, Son of David. This song has a captivating melody and lots of repeats. Even little children seem to learn it quickly and sing it festively. It helps that the words are easy and repeat often. In the words and soaring melody, it is easy to imagine the crowd in Jerusalem clamoring for Jesus as He rode a donkey through the city. When this song is sung at church on First Advent Sunday, there is a jubilant feeling: the new church year is starting! The Christmas season begins and we are reminded of the hope of heaven we have through Jesus’ work. The other Advent song that holds many memories and much feeling for me is number 11, A Candle We Are Lighting Now. I grew up in Finland where we followed the church year even at school. On the Friday morning preceding the First Advent, we sang the first verse of this song. The next Friday we would sing two verses, and so we continued all the way until Christmas, when school let out and our holiday started. The song’s hopeful, bright melody reflects the message of the words very well. There is an abundance of classical music that has also been inspired by the season of Advent and Christmas. Many composers wrote variations of and compositions based on well-known Advent and Christmas hymns and debuted them in their churches. The first song in the Christmas section of our hymnal is number 12, Savior of the Nations, Come. This melody is from the Middle Ages, and its special quality is due to the Dorian mode in which it is written. It is not quite major, not quite minor, so it has a special sense of longing in it. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) has written numerous pieces on this theme, mostly organ chorales and church cantatas. Search for them wherever you listen to music using the German name of the hymn: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland. My very favorite is an organ piece which is BWV 659 in Bach’s work catalogue. This piece poignantly depicts the period of waiting and then joy at the arrival of our Savior. Another nice Christmas song is number 24, Silent Night. It was written by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. He brought the lyrics to Franz Gruber, who was the organist in the neighboring village. Gruber set the words to the tune we know. The song was sung by the congregation on Christmas morning accompanied by a guitar, since a flood had destroyed the church organ. This song is such an essential part of Christmas that is has been published in over 550 hymnals all over the world. In fact it was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011! It amazes me how a musical picture of the miraculous events in Bethlehem on that holy night can so powerfully pull people together to quieten in worship. This song exudes the peace and joy of Christmas quite perfectly. Many in Christianity have requested a recording of instrumental Christmas music. This month we are releasing an album of piano music recorded by Saana Johnson in Phoenix, Ariz. One of the melodies on it is a version of Silent Night composed by German composer Max Reger. May the spirit of Christmas spread in your home as you listen to this beautiful music. Sources: Hymnary.org, Wikipedia ‍

Brent Huhta | The Voice of Zion November 2019 -- Angels are God’s messengers. There are many examples in the Bible of angels bringing messages to people, such as God’s promise to Abraham, to the virgin Mary, and to the shepherds caring for their flock by night. More than two thousand years ago, the angel Gabriel appeared before Mary, a young believing woman, with an astonishing proclamation. God had selected her for a very special role, unique in all the history of humankind. She, a virgin, would give birth to a son who “shall be called the Son of God,” of whose kingdom “there shall be no end.” Be Not Afraid Humans can be startled and even afraid when an angel appears. That is why the angel first says, “Do not be afraid.” But when the angel departs, the believer is reassured and comforted. Our daughter Katie was the bravest person I’ve ever known. She was diagnosed with cancer at seven years of age. She endured many surgeries, radiation treatments, medication and therapy in her short life. During the day she enjoyed lots of attention from family and friends, but at night she was lonely and fearful. An angel kept her company through the long nights, she reported. To her, congregational singing sounded like “the angels in heaven.” Angels exist not only in Bible stories; they also protect and guide us in our daily life. Martin Luther related that angels are truly around us in this life, providing for and guiding our affairs, if only we would believe it. “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Ps. 91:11). We can be assured that God’s angels are protecting us every moment, from that first spark of life in our mother’s womb to, indeed, “all thy ways.” This is so even beyond our last breath, when we finally reach our destination in heaven. Shining and Clad in White The stereotypical mental image I have of an angel is a tall, handsome figure clad in pure white, with a graceful aura of quiet majesty. A typical artist’s rendering would perhaps show the angel with wings, hovering above the ground. Wings or no, angels appearing in this way are mentioned in the Bible. When the women found Jesus’ grave empty on Easter morning, an angel dressed in white with a face shining like lightning was sitting on the stone that had once blocked the door. The angel relayed a message of hope to the women: “He is not here: for He is risen” (Matt. 28:6). At times, however, we may not recognize an angel for what they are. I think the Ethiopian eunuch would agree, puzzling over the book of Isaiah in his chariot by the side of the road. The Holy Spirit led Philip to talk to him, a conversation which led the seeking eunuch to see the way to heaven and believe. After the eunuch’s baptism, “when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). From the eunuch’s perspective, Philip certainly must have been an angel! “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2). These angels on earth – our brothers and sisters in living faith – are escorts that help keep us on this narrow pathway to our mutual destination. With words of encouragement, comfort or rebuke, they bring the most comforting of all messages, that of the living gospel of Christ: “Believe all your sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and precious blood!” Angels of All Ages Human reason might lead us to think that a guiding angel would be an adult, perhaps an elder with advice formed from many decades of life experience. This may be the case, but just as often the angel comes as a little child with a simple comment or reminder. Perhaps it is your own child, or perhaps it is the youngster in the next bench over. Jesus reminds that a child is the most important in His kingdom on earth and has a special link to the Heavenly Father: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 18:10). Our heavenly Father uses his angels in heaven and those angels that live among us to bring messages, support and comfort as we travel through our temporal life. We thank Him for this and all the gifts He bestows! God Cares for His Own through Angel Escorts John Stewart | The Voice of Zion November 2019 -- The clay road was red and dusty under my feet. The tropical sun’s morning rays were already warming the earth, edging the day toward the hot afternoon ahead. I was not alone. My believing African escort, who had labeled himself my bodyguard, walked alongside me. As we ambled along, we visited. Sometimes we were trailed by laughing children, other times it was just the two of us. I was more than 7,000 miles from home in a country and culture that was strange and new. Yet in the midst of my worries and uncertainty, it was comforting to have my African escort nearby. We uplifted each other. Even though the label of “bodyguard” had been assigned lightheartedly, to me he felt like an angel. In his company, I was secure. Intermediaries between Heaven and Earth The Bible comforts us with the fact that angels do indeed exist both as intermediaries between the realms of heaven and earth, and also as earthly escorts on our journey (cf. Heb. 13:2). Although experiences in our time with angels of the “supernatural” type are exceedingly rare, there are numerous accounts of such throughout the Bible, from the book of Genesis to the Revelation of John. For example, many experiences with heavenly angels during the dawning moments of the New Covenant are described in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts. These confirm to us that God, in certain times and in certain places, has accomplished His work though heavenly angels according to His purposes. As travelers in faith, we often hear and sing about another kind of angel. These angels are our earthly companions who, through faith and mutual endeavor, take steps hand in hand with us on our journey. Have you, dear child of God, met such an angel? When doubts were heavy and sin pressed on you, were there angels nearby? Can we not rejoice that earthly angels were able to relate greetings from heaven? God Sent an Angel Escort Time passes, bringing a ceaseless flow of change to creation. Yet even after a decade, faded thoughts of that walk over reddish-clay earth still come to me. I lay on a hospital bed, hoping and praying for recovery after life-threatening, emergency surgery. My wife has been by my side every moment, day and night, but has finally taken a few hours to go home to see the children. In life, moments of worry, sorrow or despair occur along the way. This is one such moment: I’m alone now, and I’m down, way down. The room is so chilly. I close my eyes and try to doze. A moment later, I hear someone enter the room. I open my eyes, and though my vision is dim, I see a nurse approaching my bedside. The nurse gently and quietly spreads some heated blankets over my legs and feet, the warmth quickly penetrating. It feels good, but I’m still down. I look up at the nurse. His face lights with the joy of serving. In weakness, I beg the nurse to reassure me with the gospel, and vivid memories of the dusty road come flooding back. Through no strength of his own, the same angel who walked with me along those dusty African roads ten years earlier, preaches uplifting words: “All your sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood.” Joy and peace return. God cares for His own through angel escorts. Φ Ignace Hounwanou, originally from Togo in west Africa, was granted a student visa in 2004 to study in the United States. He completed his Registered Nurse training and subsequently earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Washington. Ignace currently works at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. He and his wife Katie, née Niemela, live in Snohomish, Wash., with their four children. Discussion Points: Psalm 103:20 says: “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Whom do you suppose the angels are, in the writer’s eyes, and why? The writer to the Hebrews speaks much of angels. Read the first two chapters. How does the writer compare Jesus with angels? What other examples of angels are there in the Bible? Have you ever experienced help or a message from an angel in your life?

Veli-Matti Heikkinen | The Voice of Zion November 2019 -- You who are sitting and listening here in the sanctuary or out in the yard. Or perhaps you are sitting at a computer in some other place listening to this. Have you pondered the meaning of life and what faith will mean the moment you close your eyes for the last time? Faith Is an Assurance that Promises Eternal Life in Heaven The eleventh chapter of Hebrews explains faith as follows: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (verse 1). Through faith it is possible to see much more clearly than with our temporal eyes. Through faith we understand that one day we can go to heaven. This hope has carried God’s children in all times. Those who have died before us have reached the shore of heaven. They are waiting for the resurrection. A little later in the same Bible chapter we find the sentence, “Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6). The words remind us that one day we must stand before the righteous Judge. When Jesus came here 2000 years ago, He came to atone for the sins of the world. The next time He comes, He will judge the living and the dead. It is a day which we children of God do not need to fear. Jesus will tell us, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). Then eternal life in heaven will begin. It is surely safe to know that there is a life beyond this and that everything has a meaning. The only thing that is required is that we believe. Jesus has promised that no one can pluck us out of His hand. Faith Is a Gift of God In recent years I have thought quite a lot about what faith means to me. We have had a lot of trials in our family. And I have learned that when faith is tried, God draws us closer. During trials, faith has felt extra important. Just over three years ago, I was able to accompany my mother and father to Heidelberg in Germany, where my mother underwent a surgery to treat her cancer. She was unable to receive treatment in Sweden. On the morning of her operation, I escorted her to the door of the operating room. She had a long, risky operation ahead of her, but she seemed calm. After translating the nurse’s final instructions into Finnish, my mother took my hands, looked into my eyes and whispered, “God’s peace, Veli-Matti.” Amidst all that was happening, there was security and an indescribable sense of peace. Jesus’ words came alive: My peace I give unto you, be not afraid! Before this my mother had assured us that she had only two good options before her: “I hope the surgery is successful and I will get well, but if I don’t survive it, I will get to go to heaven.” After seven very long hours, my mobile phone rang and the surgeon told us that all had gone well. We cried and I hugged a young doctor out of sheer happiness! When a person is young and healthy and life rolls onward of its own accord, it’s easy to forget what the most important thing in life is. The disciples once asked Jesus what they would get in exchange for having forsaken their former lives to follow Him. Jesus answered their question, “Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matt. 19:29). The disciples were people just like you and me and they needed to be reminded that faith is more important than everything else. Faith is the foundation of everything; it gives security and the hope of eternal life in heaven. It’s the greatest gift a person can receive! The Bible and the preached Word are like road signs, showing the way to heaven. God’s children are escorts that can support us and show us the way. But no one other than yourself is responsible for choosing the right path. Jesus says that there are two paths, one narrow one that leads to heaven and one wide one that many walk on which leads to perdition. Jesus encourages us to choose the narrow path, which only a few follow. It’s easier for people to follow the larger mass of people, but the flock of God’s children has always been small. Jesus says, “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47,48). Jesus does not judge anyone. Instead He places the responsibility on you and me. He reminds us of the importance of listening to God’s Word and taking advantage of the faith we have received as a gift. It is as if He wishes to tell us, “The choice is yours, but please take the narrow path! Not the broad one that most people choose.” Faith Gives True Happiness and a Meaning to Life When I was confirmed, I received a confirmation Bible from my mom and dad. They wrote a song verse in it. The words have become etched in my mind: “You, Jesus, show a meaning for life, You give a clear destination, You use me in Your duties. Jesus, bless my hopes, my studies, my work. Enclose my days and nights in Your peace” (translated from SL 178:5, Finnish version of SHZ 471). My parents wished to remind me of the importance of building my life on the firm foundation of faith and to trust in God’s promises in all things. That I don’t have to worry. That God knows better than me what I need. Faith gives life a meaning. Many people lack meaning in their life and seek in vain for happiness. Some people deny God. Others say that they believe in God, but not that there is only one faith that is the true faith. Some people, in their quest for happiness, want to live a life of complete freedom, completely without limits. I have barely ever longed for a life with parties, worldly music and alcohol. Nonetheless I have fallen into sin. Afterwards I have felt complete emptiness and regret. When I have then been able to hear the forgiveness of my sins, I have felt a tremendous relief. I want to be a believer, but why do I fall? I want to go to heaven. Today I am glad that I am yet a believer. Humans have always sought freedom, the freedom to do as they please. Humans have sought knowledge, success and power. But in the pursuit of happiness, many have been enslaved by sex, alcohol and drugs. In the pursuit of knowledge, people have always been faced with new questions. In the pursuit of a carefree life, people have discovered that their life is empty and meaningless. In the pursuit of power, money and success, people are never satisfied and the pursuit just continues. I can assure you that this is true. I only need to look at myself. Everything the world has to offer can bring happiness for a moment, but in the long run it is emptiness, just emptiness. The Old Testament believer Asaph was jealous of unbelievers who were fortunate and became successful. But in the end, when he realized that the world cannot give him what his soul actually longed for, he exclaimed, “It is good for me to draw near to God” (Ps. 73:28). The only thing that can give a person true joy is living faith. God’s peace is a peace that the world cannot give. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Life in God’s Kingdom Remember Moses? He who became the adoptive son of Pharaoh’s daughter, one of the richest and most powerful persons of his time? When Moses became an adult, he was given the opportunity to choose between staying in Pharaoh’s court or moving away and living a simple life with believers. Imagine being extremely rich, having your own servants and always being able to have fun. Moses was offered all of this, but he still decided to leave Pharaoh’s palace with all its riches and pleasures. I think that it was not a sin to live in the house of Pharaoh, but Moses felt that sin was too close in that house, and if he were to stay there, he’d lose his faith. “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Heb. 11:24–26). It was surely not easy to leave everything behind, but Moses wanted to go to heaven. One characteristic of the congregation of God is that the gospel of the resurrected Christ is preached here in accordance with the Bible. And here the sacraments are shared in accordance to Scripture. It is the Holy Ghost that opens the Word and upbuilds the congregation. We base life and faith on the Bible. We cannot and must not choose pieces of it and think that this piece suits me, but I don’t care so much for that piece. That would be like seeing a road sign that shows the way to the place you are going, but still choosing a completely different road that leads to a completely different destination. Whoever wants to go to heaven must believe according to the Bible and the teaching of the Holy Spirit. A believer’s teacher is not the law, and we are not forced to live a certain way. Our teacher is grace. It teaches us to renounce all wickedness and to live as children of God, according to God’s Word. As children of God we want to live as the Holy Spirit teaches and we thrive with other believers. Unity of the congregation means that we must never look down on the preaching of God’s Word, but rather that we hold it sacred and listen to it and learn from it. It is not enough to call yourself a believer and be part of the community, though that in itself can be nice. I have heard people that live and teach like unbelievers say that no one can take away my faith. But such a belief is not worth much at the last judgment. Jesus says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Of course everyone is welcome into our community, even those who are not able to believe. We gladly take them to services of God’s children and to youth evenings. And when we are given the opportunity, we gladly discuss faith with them. I recently read a blog written by one of the bishops of the Church of Sweden. On the question of who will go to heaven he answered, “Maybe it is so that the very point of being a Christian is not to have a guaranteed ticket to heaven. Who can go to heaven – to that great and indescribable union with God – is up to God. Perhaps the very point of being a Christian is to live as a human in this world for the time we have been given.” Can you imagine a bishop writing like this, even though the Bible is so clear on this point? The Bible says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19). Human wisdom cannot show the way to heaven nor can it ever give assurance of life after death. All religions and congregations outside God’s kingdom are dead and the people in them are spiritually blind. If you are unsure of something related to faith, always speak to other believers. Do it with humility with the intention of remaining in faith. Ask, but don’t question. If you want wise advice, seek out an elderly believing woman or man. They know more than all the world’s bishops combined and they can tell how the children of God have believed in all times. Faith is not a science and the secrets of faith are not revealed by human wisdom. Taking Care of Faith The Bible encourages us to keep faith and a good conscience. Otherwise we risk becoming shipwrecked in faith. If we do not take care of faith, we risk losing it. Faith thrives and is nurtured in a clean conscience. When a person denies faith, he or she confesses with the mouth that which probably happened in the heart a long time before. The thought that I can deny faith and go out into the world and come back later is dangerous. No one can know if the grace to return will be given. Some day it may be too late. God hates sin but loves the sin-fallen human. To fall into sin or to live in sin are two different things. Whoever consciously lives in sin is on a dangerous path. But as believers we often feel as Paul did: “The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:19). The goal of the enemy of souls is that no one would make it to heaven. He says, try a little, it probably won’t hurt you. Take one glass, you won’t get drunk. Click the link, it doesn’t matter. Watch this movie, it’s not dangerous. Stick around and watch hockey, everyone else is doing it too. He thinks up things and does all he can to lure you into places where sin is at your fingertips. The enemy of souls wants to make you fall because he knows that unless you put sin away, it will eventually become too much to bear. He wants your conscience to harden so that it no longer warns of dangers. All too often we hear of friends who have denied their faith. The explanations for their giving up faith vary but underlying all of them is sin that led them away from faith. For that reason, always put away sin when it attaches. Never deny your faith. We have received the gift of confession to take care of our faith. In confession we can approach a believing friend, a sister or brother whom we trust. We can then, in confidence, tell them about the things that really weigh on our conscience and have them forgiven. When we unburden our conscience, it becomes easier to walk in faith. In my youth, I fell into such serious sins that I didn’t even know if I would go to heaven if I died. Thankfully I never dared to deny faith. I prayed to God, and He helped me! I was first able to believe my sins forgiven in the general gospel preached at Bible class. Then I told my sister what sins I had fallen into. She blessed me with the gospel. You can be sure I slept well the next night. A good conscience is the best pillow. The Bible encourages us to take care of one another, to come to the gatherings of God’s children and to talk about faith. This has always been important! “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24,25). Come to services, Bible class and youth evenings. Speak to one another about faith, which is the most important thing. When you see someone at risk of being on the outside, make them part of the group. Go get the one who does not have strength to go to services by himself or herself. Encourage others to repentance. These are the reasons we have each other. It is safe to be a believer. Jesus promises us, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Jesus promises to hold you in His hand all the way to heaven! All you need to do is believe. Dear child of God, you can believe all your sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood, unto peace, freedom and joy. Is there anyone listening who is not a believer yet? Even you have permission to believe your unbelief and all other sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. In this way you also can make it to heaven. The gospel is a wonderful gift, it allows you to forget the sin that made the journey difficult, and it gives new strength. When we believe this way, we can one day make it to heaven. We can be absolutely sure of that!

Duane Pirness | The Voice of Zion December 2019 -- Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Matthew 11:11–19 John the Baptist, the preparer of the way for Jesus, was in prison. He was imprisoned by Herod because he rebuked him for taking his brother’s wife. When he was in prison, he heard of the works of Christ (v. 2) and began to doubt that Jesus really was the Messiah. He wondered if they should still wait for the Messiah. John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, and Jesus replied by reminding John of the miracles that He had performed, concluding by saying that the poor have the gospel preached to them. Jesus reminded him of the work he had been sent to do, to preach the gospel of the forgiveness of sins to penitent sinners. He also assured him that whosoever is not offended in Him is blessed. The Kingdom of the Weak and Poor After Jesus sent these words of comfort and assurance to John in prison, He began to talk about John the Baptist to the multitudes gathered. Jesus said that John was that prophet of whom Malachi wrote in chapter 3, verse 1, saying that he was God’s messenger to prepare the way. Jesus testified of John that no one greater than him had been born, yet he emphasized that he who is least in the kingdom is greater than he. He explained that God’s kingdom consists of those who find themselves to be weak, poor and unworthy rather than those who are proud and mighty. God’s children depend on the merit work of Jesus for their salvation, not their own works. Jesus warned in verse 12 that throughout time, the kingdom of God has suffered violence and that the violent take the kingdom by force. Then, as now, the kingdom of God was attacked by those who consider themselves to be stronger and more powerful and to have more knowledge and understanding. They will not succeed, as God’s kingdom is for the weak, poor and lacking. These weak ones need the gospel of the forgiveness of sins continuously in their endeavor of faith. Prepare Hearts for the Coming of the Lord Jesus said that for those who receive John’s message, he is Elias who was to come. This also refers to Malachi’s prophesy, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (4:5). When the angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son, John, the angel also told him the same thing. “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). Those who heeded John’s message of repentance, believed the gospel and began to follow Jesus were acceptable to God. The same is true today. Jesus warned His listeners by asking whom He could compare this generation to. He compares them to noisy children in the markets who pay no heed to anything but themselves and what interests them and pleases them. They ignore and belittle the message that comes from God’s kingdom. They also ridicule the bearer of the message, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus, however, taught, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Jesus approached and visited with the poor and unworthy, and this offended the self-righteous. We Have Peace Jesus said that wisdom is justified of her children. God’s children, who have no wisdom or understanding in themselves, depend entirely upon their Savior, who suffered and died on their behalf and took their sins upon Himself. We believe the gospel of the forgiveness of sins for our salvation. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Matthew Keranen | The Voice of Zion December 2019 -- In my living room, the Christmas tree spreads its familiar light. The tree lights are faint, like a distant inkling of those that already shine in that land of eternal joy. Their light brings to mind that light that shone from the manger. In my living room, a star-shaped lamp shines in the window. On that first Christmas night, the starlight was bright. The star of Christmas shone above the stable. Its light shone into the manger, lighting the baby’s face. But brighter still shone the light from the manger. Jesus brought light into the world’s darkness. In my mind, I hear Mary sing a lullaby. On the hay he sleeps, an innocent baby. What would I have brought him as a gift? I am too poor to bring anything but my heart. You will sprinkle grace on my pathway, I marvel. Do I hear the whisper of angel wings in the stable? Angels watch over the child of heaven with gentle love. They worship with joy. Mary picks up her baby, holds him to her chest. She has a tear in her eye. A faraway cross casts a shadow on mother and child. They will build him a cross, she thinks. Little one, are you too cold? This world is so cold. But that boy loves the world so warmly. He sleeps on, cuddled in his mother’s embrace. The Son of God sleeps. I, too, feel the warmth from the stable. My heart-frost melts. Did Mary know? I wonder. What did Mary know? Mary and Elizabeth are well-known mothers in the Bible. Bearing new life and becoming a mother is always special and precious. It was especially precious, even miraculous, on the part of these two mothers. Elizabeth was an elderly, childless woman. The angel Gabriel told her husband Zachariah in a vision that she would have a child, one who would make ready a people prepared for the Lord. When Elizabeth became pregnant, she avoided other people for five months, but she was thankful nonetheless. Some months later, the same angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would also bear a child, one who would be the Son of the Highest. Mary was chosen by God to fulfill this duty, and she obeyed God’s invitation. Mary pondered the repercussions of saying yes. She could lose Joseph, lose the respect of her family and community for carrying a child out of wedlock. Mary trusted God would take care of her. She likely knew and understood the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 7:14. In the first chapter of the Gospel According to Luke, we read how these two mothers met. The child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped. Elizabeth was joyful. She wondered aloud how she could be so fortunate that the mother of the Lord would come visit her. Both women were part of God’s salvation plan, a plan which was perhaps both thrilling and confusing. They likely had the need to be together, share experiences and discuss what was happening to them, what would happen to their foretold sons. Mary stayed with Elizabeth three months. Perhaps she was even present when John was born. The Bible tells that neighbors and cousins rejoiced when Elizabeth’s baby was born. Six months later, the time was fulfilled that the Son of the Highest should be born. Joseph and Mary were not with neighbors or cousins that night. They were alone, sleeping the night in a stable, far from home. Jesus was born. Mary pondered those words Elizabeth told her some months prior: “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). The circumstances of Jesus’ conception and birth were foretold in the Holy Writings that Mary was familiar with. The prophesies had come true, she knew. Angel Gabriel had told her many things concerning her son: “that holy thing which will be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). It is probable that Mary’s husband Joseph told her what the angel of the Lord said to him in a dream. The angel told Joseph not to hesitate in taking Mary as his wife, because the baby within her was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and that furthermore the baby Jesus would “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Mary herself acknowledged in her magnificent song (Luke 1:46–55) how she would be remembered by all future generations. When Mary was in Bethlehem, caring for her newborn baby Jesus, the stable was not empty of other people for long. Soon shepherds appeared from the fields, bringing joyous news of a heavenly proclamation. They told her what they had seen and heard, how the heavenly beings had told of their Savior. They called him “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Yes, Mary knew. She was told all throughout her pregnancy and at the time of the holy birth. She believed the Word of God and its promises. The promises of salvation that God gives us are firm and everlasting. They carry us yet this Christmas and every day to come. On behalf of the LLC Publications staff, I wish you a blessed Christmas. May the light from the manger light your pathway all the way to heaven’s home!

Ron Honga | The Voice of Zion January 2020 -- Olli Rantala, of Siilinjärvi, Finland, and I felt great joy after our Togo and Ghana mission trip in early October, 2019. Our dear heavenly Father had prepared hearts there to receive the precious water of life unto undying souls. We pray that the seed that is sown takes root and thrives till that day the ripened sheaves are harvested and taken to the granaries of heaven. The morning after we arrived in Lomé, Togo, we gathered at the church for a Sunday school lesson and services. My lesson from the journey of the children of Israel during the time of Moses was on quail and manna. Olli’s sermon was translated into English and Ewe. As we visited afterward with congregation members, we were told that two men who had come from Benin wished to speak to us. Seek First the Kingdom of God We met in the church with these brothers. A man named Phillipe had two questions for us: First, what is the foundation of your faith, and what temporal benefits may we have if we would join your faith? We attempted to explain that the only foundation we can have is the Lord Jesus, as Holy Scriptures explain. We also told Jesus’ words, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). It happened that Phillipe is a cousin to Nicholas Deh’s wife, whom he earlier met at a family gathering. He noticed that she was different from what he had remembered, and he asked her, “What has happened to you, Cecelia?” She was able to open her heart to him and relate of the treasure she had found, that she is now a believer in God’s kingdom and has her sins forgiven. Just One Question Before this mission trip the men had been notified of the services in Lomé. Phillipe came by motorcycle with his friend Edmond. He shared that he had been going from church to church seeking for peace but had not found it. Now sitting at services in Lomé he felt he was being drawn toward God and the congregation. We discussed with them the matters of living faith. Phillipe then had just one question: could he also receive his sins forgiven? His friend also wished to believe. These men were truly happy, and they said they would return to Benin – two and a half hours from Lomé – and speak to others of their newfound treasure. With great joy they mounted their motorcycle and waved goodbye to us. God’s Grace Reaches Those Who Wish to Believe Before we traveled to Ghana, Olli and I wanted to thank a young lady who had served us so well in the small restaurant in the hotel where we stayed. As we visited with her, Olli asked her if she knew why we were there. She had served us many mornings and evenings and had also been there when we were working on our trip reports. She acknowledged that we were on a mission trip. Olli explained that God’s kingdom is now here, and we have come to forgive people their sins. After further discussion she also wished to have her sins forgiven. One of the local brothers, Orlando, was also there and when Nicholas arrived to pick us up, the brothers spoke with her. Olli had a copy of the LLC confirmation booklet, which we left for her to read. The local brothers promised to be in contact with her. Olli and I often felt on this trip that we were sitting at the feet of Jesus learning of the matters of God’s kingdom. God’s grace truly reaches out to those who wish to believe. We can rejoice together of God’s miracles.

Raimo Österberg | The Voice of Zion January 2020 -- Installment 11 of 20, translated from the book Christ Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine. (Ed. Ari-Pekka Palola, SRK, 2018) In all cultures, people have always sought God, for God has placed the longing for eternity in people’s hearts. The Christian Doctrine [of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland] states: God has created humans to live in His fellowship. Thus a human’s heart finds peace only in God (Christian Doctrine, item 1). In the world of our time, materialist ideas prevail, but material wellbeing is incapable of providing security to people. Even a person who is estranged from God needs something to believe in and worship. It can be a high standard of living, some ideology, one’s own body or something else. Such idols are as far removed from the living God as ancient idols made of stone, clay, wood or gold. Repentance and justification are matters of which one hears less and less spoken. In the latest [Finnish] translation of the Bible these words appear much less frequently than in the older translations. Repentance and justification, however, are core questions of Christian faith. Therefore, it is necessary to examine and study them on the basis of the Bible, Confessional writings and Luther’s writings. What kind of repentance is right according to the Bible? What kind of righteousness is acceptable before the almighty God? Can a modern human, who in his or her distress seeks God, find Him and be saved? Many people with a bothered conscience yearn for answers to these questions yet today. What Does Repentance Mean? The Finnish word parannus [repentance in English] can be understood in many ways. It can mean a physician’s intervention to heal the patient. The atmosphere at a workplace or revenue of a business can be improved. However, the Finnish word parannus is still most often understood as a concept associated with spiritual life. When Jesus began His public ministry, He said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Nonetheless, repentance according to the Bible is not a human’s work, but rather it is God’s work and His gift. True repentance occurs when God strips a person of his or her own possibilities and affects such that the person consents to accept the gospel that is offered to him or her. This is a grace gift, the grace of repentance. Jesus left His disciples the authority to forgive sins and promised, “He that heareth you heareth me” (Luke 10:16). Apostle Paul wrote, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). The Greek word for repentance means a change of mind, a change of direction in life and conversion. It is not a question of a person himself or herself correcting his or her life to be more according to God’s Word, avoiding sin and doing good works. Such an attempt only leads to self-righteousness. Instead, repentance means a complete reversal, going in the opposite direction and building on a whole new foundation. In fact, it means even more than that: new birth. Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). According to the Augsburg Confession, repentance consists of two parts. The first of these is contrition, meaning terror afflicting the conscience through the knowledge of sin. One feels he or she has transgressed against God and feels that he or she has no possibility to gain peace in one’s heart on one’s own: “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4). The other part of repentance is faith, which is born of the gospel when a person hears the absolution: “Faith cometh by hearing” (Rom. 10:17). When one hears the absolution, one can trust that sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. This gives comfort to the troubled conscience, frees a person from fear and brings peace and joy into the heart. As a fruit of repentance, a life change follows: the person renounces sin. Penitence is necessary, but it in itself does not yet signify repentance. Penitence without faith is despair. Luther had experienced that in his life as well. Only when the gospel is believed is one freed from beneath one’s burden of sin and led to new life in fellowship with God and His congregation. Then the person can experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Luther described his own experience: “Under the authority of the Pope, I was a beaten-down monk and always in the greatest distress. Finally I was able to receive comfort from one brother by these very words, ‘He Himself [Christ] has offered hope. Our salvation is faith in God: why would we not trust in God, who asks and commands us to hope.’ With these words he made me alive again” (Table Talk, spring 1539). The gospel was conveyed to Lars Levi Laestadius by Milla Clemensdotter, whom Laestadius called “Mary of Lapland.” Repentance and Confession Due to the merit of Christ’s perfect atonement work, all people are born as God’s children despite the fact that they are partakers of original sin due to the fall into sin. Original sin affects such that no one can avoid sin. If the Holy Spirit is unable to care for a child’s faith in the fellowship of the congregation, sin eventually leads the child to unbelief and separation from God. God, however, can awaken such a one and through His Spirit and Word call him or her back into fellowship with Him (Christian Doctrine, item 70). According to Christian doctrine there are times in a person’s life when God is especially calling the person to Him. This is called a time of visitation (Christian Doctrine, item 68). God often calls a person in his or her youth, but He can speak to a person later as well, even into old age. Prophet Isaiah nonetheless admonishes, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near!” (Isa. 55:6). A believer knows that sin attaches. It takes the form of evil thoughts, words and deeds. Therefore the believer needs forgiveness. At times there are matters that especially weigh on the conscience. Then the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer exhorts him or her unto repentance, i.e. to mortify the deeds of the flesh in order to preserve the gift of faith in a pure conscience. This kind of repentance, in which the sin-fallen one confesses his or her transgressions to another believer and is able to hear the absolution, is called confession. It is the everyday endeavor of a Christian in fellowship with the congregation. Confession does not mean that a person should try to list all his or her sins in order to have them forgiven. Rather, confession is a grace privilege in which the most important thing is to hear the assurance of the forgiveness of sins from the confessor father. The Message of Repentance Narratives in the Bible In both the Old and New Testaments there are many examples of people who were able to experience the grace of repentance. These include a variety of different people who had grown up in different cultures and in different levels of society – from a high priest to a thief (Zech. 3:1–7; Luke 15:11–24; Luke 23:40–43; Acts 8,9). Bible narratives show that a Christian deceived by the enemy of souls can go astray to the “right” or “left” – into self-righteousness as easily as ungodliness. Repentance, meanwhile, is always God’s work. God calls and awakens a person’s conscience. He is a merciful and forgiving Father to one who acknowledges his or her sins and feels remorse over them. God has always used His servants – believing people – to help Him and deliver messages. During the Old Testament time they were often prophets who warned people of a sinful life and proclaimed the sermon of faith, the message of salvation, to remorseful listeners. When Jesus proclaimed absolution to the paralyzed man, the Pharisees said, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7). They did not understand that Jesus was the Son of God and that He had the power to forgive sins. When Jesus was rebuked for talking to sinners, He answered, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Jesus promised to give to His own the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:19). Before He ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples the duty of forgiving sins: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:22,23). Jesus’ followers are servants, whose duty is to dress the penitent sinner in the pure robe of righteousness (Luke 15:22). God gives as a gift His Holy Spirit to one who has received the grace of repentance. Then a triple joy is experienced: the person himself or herself rejoices, the angels in heaven rejoice and the congregation of God rejoices with the person (Luke 15:9,10). Paul described this God-given duty: “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). He declared, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom. 10:8). A person cannot repent unless he or she hears the sermon of faith and unless God allows him or her the opportunity to receive it. Peter’s Pentecostal sermon culminated in his exhortation, “Repent!” (Acts 2:38). Paul preached at Areopagus, “God…commended all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). The Bible tells how the inhabitants of Nineveh repented when they were affected by Jonah’s sermon (Matt. 12:41). When Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul realized that He had persecuted Christ in capturing Christ’s followers. Jesus Himself, however, did not justify Paul, for He had already left this duty to His disciples. Paul was freed from the shackles of unbelief and self-righteousness only after Ananias proclaimed the gospel to him (Acts 9:1–8). What Does Righteousness Mean? Righteousness is one of the most central concepts in the Bible, but also one of the most difficult. The complete meaning of the Old Testament Hebrew word cannot be expressed with any word in the Finnish language. The basic meaning of the root word is “right” or “to be right.” The particular meaning, which no synonym can replace, is “being right and innocent.” As a legal term, the word meant unconditional justice. For the accused, righteousness meant innocence. In many languages, the word righteousness is derived from that language’s word for right. However, the Finnish reader may not automatically understand that righteousness (vanhurskaus in Finnish) has anything to do with the word right (oikea in Finnish). The Finnish word vanhurskaus is a combination of the words vakaa (“steady”) and hurskaus (“piety”). So the Finnish word for righteousness is simultaneously steady (honest and trustworthy) and pious (wise and understanding). In the Old Testament time, justice was not understood to be a relative concept, but rather an absolute concept, one based on the world order ordained by God. That which is according to the mind of God is right. This is the core of the concept of righteousness. Righteousness is a basic attribute of God. He always judges correctly and is absolutely trustworthy. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright” (Ps. 11:7). Righteousness also means God’s salvation work in the life of an entire nation as well as in an individual person’s life. When He made a covenant with Abraham, God promised that Abraham’s descendants would have their own land. Because God is faithful and trustworthy in His covenant, He saved the people of Israel from Egypt and led them to the promised land of Canaan. But God’s righteousness also signifies His saving will toward all humankind. Already in paradise, God gave the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman who shall crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). A person cannot be righteous in himself or herself, but rather God can justify him or her – deem him or her righteous – because of Christ’s merit. This happens when one receives by faith the salvation prepared by Christ. Paul stated, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Rom. 5:18). Jesus described people who long for righteousness as blessed: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). The righteousness received as a gift from God is manifested as a mind to serve and as love toward other people. Jesus said, “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward” (Matt. 10:41). The reward of righteousness is everlasting life with God in heaven (Matt. 25:34). Four Forms of Righteousness Martin Luther explained the concept of righteousness in his commentary on Galatians. He distinguished earthly righteousness and heavenly righteousness from one another. He considered both of them necessary but emphasized that each of them must remain within its own borders. Luther identified four different forms of righteousness. These were societal righteousness, ceremonial righteousness that is based on traditions and teaching good manners, and the righteousness of the Ten Commandments, i.e. righteousness of the law. All three of these forms of righteousness require a person to be active and lead him or her to attempt to fulfill the demands of righteousness with his or her own actions. The person is subject to government, obeys the law, treats others respectfully, helps those in a weaker position and attempts in every way to live such that he or she would not transgress God’s commandments. The fourth form of righteousness according to Luther is revealed in the Bible, that righteousness that is acceptable before God. It is not active righteousness, but rather passive. Paul described it as follows, “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). The righteousness of faith is the opposite of the righteousness of the law. Its basis is not human works but rather God’s grace, not the law but rather the promise of the fulfillment of the law. Christ fulfilled the law when He died as an innocent, atoning sacrifice for our sins and rose from the dead for our justification – in order to make us righteous. The righteousness prepared by Christ can only be received through faith. The psalmist marveled: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps. 32:1). Earthly, secular righteousness is needed for temporal life. If a person, nevertheless, attempts to reconcile with God by striving for such righteousness with his or her own works and achievements, that is self-righteousness, which God hates. How Does God Justify a Person? The core message of the Reformation was the doctrine of how God justifies humans. Luther defined this according to the Bible: by faith alone, by grace alone, for the sake of Christ alone. He based his understanding on Paul’s teachings: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Rom. 10:10), and “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 3:8). The Fourth Article of the Augsburg Confession teaches that we cannot gain righteousness before God with our own merits and works. Instead, we receive the forgiveness of sins and are justified – become righteous – by grace when we believe that Christ has suffered on our behalf and that because of Him our sins are forgiven, and as a gift we are given righteousness and eternal life. In the letter to the Romans, Paul described that God wishes to count this faith unto us as righteousness (Rom. 3–4). According to the Augsburg Confession, in the gospel God offers for Christ’s sake the forgiveness of sins and righteousness, which is received by faith. Faith is therefore something that God counts as righteousness. It is counted as ours only as a gift, and it could not be considered a gift to us if it were based on our works. By faith we are justified before God, reconciled with God and are born again. Faith holds fast to God’s grace promise and makes the heart alive. For the sake of Christ God’s wrath has abated and He is merciful to us. Free or Bound Will? According to the Bible, a person must turn, repent and return to union with God. Based on this, one could think that a person himself or herself has the possibility to make such a decision. Martin Luther disagreed with this. When he was in the monastery, he had tried to save himself by doing good works, but this led to despair. Luther experienced that the individual himself or herself has no strength to repent. The individual cannot connect with God through his or her own seeking. As Luther says in the Small Catechism, “I believe that I cannot of my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith” (Explanation of the Third Article of the Creed). Because of the fall into sin, each person inherits corrupt human will. Therefore, we can learn to know God only when He reveals Himself to us. Paul taught that through the law, a person gains knowledge of sin, but not the ability to fulfill the law (Rom. 3:20). Nonetheless God seeks people who have fallen under the power of sin. God wants people to find Him and attain rest for their souls. God’s deepest essence is love. In the 15th chapter of Luke, Jesus tells three parables of God who loves a sinful person: a shepherd leaves his flock to go search for the lost sheep, a woman looks for a coin she lost, and a father happily receives his son who wasted his inheritance. In finding God, a person is always the helpless and passive party, whereas God is the active, working party. God reveals Himself everywhere, but He justifies humans though His congregation. Jesus made His disciples fishers of people (Matt. 4:19) and described the kingdom of heaven as a net that gathers people from the sea of the world (Matt. 13:47). According to Luther, humans have free will, but their power to make decisions is bound. They are free to make choices and decisions in the matters that have been given to humans to decide. Meanwhile, humans cannot determine their own relationship with God. Humans cannot heal themselves because repentance is a change of mind in the heart in which a person receives faith as a gift. It cannot be had unless it is given. No one can believe by force (Bondage of the Will). The law accuses and condemns. It exposes sin and strips a person of his or her own possibilities. The person feels he or she should repent but is incapable of doing so. Nonetheless God wishes to give the person “slain” by the law a new life through His gospel, the preached Word. When a person receives God’s grace, he or she accepts that message by faith. The heart is comforted and filled with thankfulness, love and the hope of eternal life. Righteousness of Faith There have always been people who have attempted to obtain righteousness before God, or at least part of it, by their own efforts and endeavor. Because God’s law demands a flawless endeavor, love toward one’s neighbor and good works have become compulsory demands. Many think that when they try their best, God will certainly forgive those things in which they fail. Martin Luther made a great discovery when it opened to him what these words from the letter to the Romans mean: “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). A person is unable to fulfill the law of the Ten Commandments. But the person does not have to fulfill it because Jesus has done that on our behalf (Preface to Luther’s Latin Works). In Paul’s words, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4). Even Abraham’s righteousness was not based on works, but on his faith: “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Paul explained righteousness of faith as follows: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…[thus God] declares his righteousness…he [is] just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus… therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:21–31). Significance of the Doctrine of Justification In Commentary on Galatians, Luther dealt extensively with the doctrine of justification. He showed that the congregation is born and preserved only on the basis of the correct doctrine of justification. If one rejects that, then one simultaneously rejects the entire doctrine of Christianity. There is no middle ground between righteousness through the law and gift righteousness through Christ. The difference between these two must be clearly understood and this difference needs to be emphasized to people again and again, because at the moment of death or other times the conscience is struggling, these two forms of righteousness often come close to one another. If righteousness could be attained through the law, Luther stated, Christ would have died in vain. A person who tries to become righteous by his or her merits, works or obeying the law is hypocritical. Such a person rejects and nullifies God’s grace and scorns Christ’s death, even if he or she makes claims to the opposite. According to Luther, the duty of the law is to expose sin, terrify a person and make him or her humble and thus prepare the person for justification. In this way the law drives a person to Christ, to rely on Him alone. There are two points in Christian righteousness: faith of the heart and justification by God. A person’s faith is always weak and imperfect, but for the sake of Christ God counts it as perfect righteousness. A Christian is simultaneously righteous and sinful, holy and defiled, God’s enemy and a child of God. Luther strongly criticized the Sophists of his time who tried to combine Christian faith and Greek philosophy: “Sophists force people to do good until they no longer feel sin at all.” Christians, on the other hand, needed to know that in this life it is impossible to live such that one would remain without blemish. It is important to know one’s own sinfulness, but one need not sink into despair over it. “Hurry to Christ, the Healer. He heals those distressed in heart and saves sinners. Do not listen to your rational mind’s criticism, because it will make you believe He hates sinners. Rather, kill reason and believe on Him. When you believe, you are righteous, because you give God the glory of being almighty, merciful and truthful” (Commentary on Galations 1535). A person who is afflicted and distressed by sin finds Christ in the midst of His own, in His congregation. When the disciples had gathered for the last time for the Passover meal, Jesus promised to send them a Defender (Comforter in KJV), the Spirit of truth. He continued, “I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). Jesus dwells through the Holy Spirit in the midst of His congregation. His work in the world continues in His congregation as the work of the Holy Spirit (Christian Doctrine, item 44). Jesus continues to have the grace gospel proclaimed so that people may receive the grace of repentance and the Holy Spirit and become partakers of that righteousness which is acceptable before the almighty God. Bibliography Christian Doctrine Briefly Presented. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, 1948. Martin Luther Augsburg Confession. Bondage of the Will. Original work “De servo arbitrio” 1525. Commentary on Galatians. Original work “In epistolam S. Pauli ad Galatas commentarius ex praelectione D. Martini Lutheri collectus” 1535. Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther’s Latin Works. Original work “Vorrede zum 1. Bande der Gesamtsausgaben seiner lateinischen Schriften” 1545. Table Talk. Original work “Tischreden. Weit Dietrichs Nachschriften. Frühjahr 1533.” Small Catechism. Kristinoppi lyhyesti esitettynä. Suomen evankelisluterilainen kirkko 1948. Aho, Teuvo. Löytäjän ilo. – Armon voimin. SRK:n vuosikirja 1995. Jussila, Heikki. Elämän ihme. SRK 1974. Kallunki, Hannu. Kadonneet tahdon etsiä, eksyneet tuoda takaisin, haavoitetut sitoa. – Palveleva rakkaus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2008. Kinnunen Pekka et al. Raamatusta en luovu. Martti Luther ihmisenä ja uskonpuhdistajana. SRK 2017. Kiviranta, Jorma. Vapauteen Kristus vapautti meidät. SRK 2008. Paananen, Antti. Onko meillä vapaus valita. – Kristityn vapaus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2014. Palola, Jukka. Vanhurskautta, oikeutta vai uskollisuutta. Helsingin yliopisto 2011. Reinikainen, Erkki. Näin on kirjoitettu. SRK 1986. Seppänen Markku. Jumalan hyvyys kutsuu parannukseen. – Suurin on rakkaus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2015. Särkiniemi Seppo. Sanan valkeus. – Rauhaan ja vapauteen. SRK:n vuosikirja 1997. Uljas, Juhani. Peltoon kätketty aarre. SRK 2000. Voittonen, Olavi. Parannus on mielenmuutos. – Jumalan huoneen ihanuus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2002.

Dean Simonson | The Voice of Zion January 2020 -- O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. – Psalm 71:17,18 In this psalm, the writer reflects on the trials of the journey. He expresses his hope in the power of the Lord. He praises and thanks God for His goodness and protection. With these thoughts and reflections he has written the words of our selected text, “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth.” This statement is true for a childhood believer. The teaching of God’s Word begins in the home. As little children, we learn the ABCs of faith. These same teachings are reinforced in Sunday school and at services. As we advance in years, we remember those teachings and how they have been the foundation for our life of faith. This is a special memory that one has of growing up in a believing home. We remember how parents and other older believers talked of the way and the journey and instructed us about putting sin away. A believing family lives what they believe. The teachings of faith are current day to day and moment to moment. The most important lesson was that Jesus died for our sins and we are thus able to believe our sins forgiven in His name and blood. “And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.” The teachings from childhood develop into a life of service to God. The fear of God and the desire to reach heaven lead one to travel in faith, putting sin away as it attaches. We wish to share our own personal joy of believing. This joy can be passed to our children and friends. When we are given teaching duties, what better way to teach than to confess that which we believe? We can serve with joy, knowing that God has saved us through His Son. “Now when I am old and greyheaded, O God forsake me not.” How is it for one who grows old and greyheaded? The desire to reach heaven remains strong, but the battle to remain in faith does not diminish with age. The enemy works diligently to draw weary travelers away from God’s kingdom. The way to heaven can become more difficult. Trials grow heavy. As the psalmist pleads, “O God, forsake me not.” Be assured that God hears your prayers! Even in old age, God does not forget His own. He has allowed for congregational activities to flourish – services, camps, time for visiting and discussions. He has given us precious escorts in our lives, including some in the same stage of life who share similar life experiences, joys and trials of the journey. Elders may be tempted to ask, “What use do I have in this life anymore?” and “Why does God keep me here?” It is good to remember that our lives are always in the hand of God. He has a purpose for each and every life that He has blessed into this world. For some, that purpose is fulfilled at a far younger age. For others, the years stretch on, even to a point of feebleness and infirmity. One may begin to question what value he or she has in this world anymore. “Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Our text reminds us of God’s purpose for the elderly. It is the duty of elders to teach the younger generation of God’s goodness and mercy. They can recall from their own life experiences how God has guided the way and how His blessing has been shown. The elders in God’s kingdom are a valuable sounding board for those with questions or those who are troubled and need to speak of the way and the journey. Because of their experience in life and faith, elders can serve as a voice of calm and peace in the discussions of the congregation – a voice that is often needed to temper the excitement, impulsiveness and even impatience of a younger member. The elders are an example to the young of how God’s protection remains over us throughout our lives. The hope of heaven is with us as long as we travel under the gospel of Christ. Dear elderly readers, be encouraged by the promises of God that He has not forgotten you. “But the very hairs of your head are numbered” (Matt. 10:30). When the last day comes, a believer personally hears Jesus’ call, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).

Pekka Tervo | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- Installment 12 of 20, translated from the book Christ Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine. (Ed. Ari-Pekka Palola, SRK, 2018) Faith is not a human work but rather a gift from God. At its core, it is trust in God’s Word and a source of strength for one’s whole life. Without faith it is impossible to be acceptable to God. As owners of faith we feel in our hearts righteousness, peace and joy, but also weakness of faith, temptations and oppression (Christian Doctrine, item 84). We are sinful but at the same time we are righteous. The Bible describes the fruits of faith that through the Holy Spirit are visible in a Christian’s life. When we read or hear these descriptions, we feel like we lack these fruits and we long for the comfort of the gospel. Faith needs care. Only by faith of the heart will we one day reach heaven. Fruits of Faith Jesus compared Himself to a vine, the branches of which are cared for by His Father. He urged His followers to remain as living branches in the vine because otherwise a branch cannot bear fruit. A tree is known by its fruits: a good tree brings forth good fruit (John 15:1–8). Living faith is followed by the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and temperance (Gal. 5:22,23). Hope is also a fruit of faith. Love, joy and peace are the first fruits that are visible in the life of a person that has received the gift of faith (Acts 16:33,34). Love Love is the greatest fruit of the Spirit. The 13th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians is called a song in praise of love. According to this passage, even great gifts are nothing without love. Love remains even when all the other gifts cease to be. True love is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from faith, a fruit that comes from God. The lack of love is a sign that a person is not righteous (1 John 4:7,8). God’s love came to earth in Jesus Christ, so that no one would perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Savior taught that love born of faith is that by which His disciples are known here on earth (John 13:34,35). Jesus Himself gave an example of ministering in love by washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:4,5). As partakers of righteousness of faith we feel love for our heavenly Father, who has taken us as His children, and for our friends in faith, who are owners of the same gift. This wondrous bond connects us to each other. We believe the same way, we experience brotherly, mutual love and we wish to support each other on the way to heaven. We are neither strangers nor foreigners, but rather one big family of God’s children (Eph. 2:19). Jesus taught us to love all people, even our enemies (Matt. 5:38–48). Being affected by heavenly love, we wish all people could partake of God’s grace and the gift of righteousness. Therefore, through our behavior, speech and our entire lives we wish to convey to them the call to God’s kingdom. As humans prone to sin, we are all of equal value before God. We are saved only by faith, by grace and for the sake of Christ. Joy The gospel is a message of joy to us all the days and moments of our life. We have especially experienced it in the hearing of God’s Word and when forgiveness is preached to us. Joy has filled the heart. Already in paradise God proclaimed to the sin-fallen human pair the message of joy regarding the seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:14,15). Prophet Isaiah prophesied of a time when God would give great joy and jubilation (Isa. 9:1,2). On the first Christmas, God’s promises were fulfilled. The Savior preached the gospel of the kingdom, called people to repentance and forgave the sins of those who were remorseful. He urged His followers to rejoice above all because their own names are written in heaven (Luke 10:17–20). When we are inspired by the love of God, we rejoice over our loved ones, friends and other believers – our brothers and sisters. Paul called the fellow congregation members his joy and his crown and encouraged them, “Rejoice in the Lord always…Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:1,4,6). God’s congregation rejoices over every lost sheep that is found, and the angels of heaven join in that joy (Luke 15:5–7,15). Sin and trials can take away the joy of believing. However, we should still rejoice even when we have to suffer for faith’s sake (Matt. 16:24). They who sow with tears can joyfully reap; once in heaven we shall rejoice and exult unceasingly (1 Pet. 4:12,13). Peace Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (John 14:27). Living faith brings into the heart that peace of God which surpasses understanding. No one can achieve such peace through his or her own efforts, because true peace is based on having been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1). In opening prayers at services we often pray that that peace would protect our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:7). We wish to be peacemakers and express that with our speech and our lives, for the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace (James 3:18). Despite having peace in our hearts, we are personally and collectively as God’s people always battling. We have three enemies: the devil, the world and our own corrupt nature. We wish to fight against these with the power of God and God-given war weapons. On the other hand, we have always been taught in Christianity that we would not purposely seek to create conflict or cause unrest. Jesus instructed His followers to maintain mutual peace (John 13:35). Paul instructs us to do what we can to live peaceably with all others (Rom. 12:18). Our personal battle ends only when our life ends in faith. Once in heaven we will not even remember that we have ever been at war. Hope Hope of heaven is our life’s steadfast and sure anchor. We are not drifting with the wind, for hope encourages us to look forward to where Jesus has gone. Hope is something that we cannot see, and therefore we must be patient (Heb. 6:11,12). Living hope is based on the fact that God will once awaken us from the dead, as He has raised His dear Son (1 Cor. 6:14). Peter encouraged Christians to place their hope on grace offered through Christ (1 Pet. 1:13). The foundation of God’s Word stands fast. When one who has fallen into unbelief believes sins forgiven in the gospel of the kingdom, his or her heart is filled with peace and the living hope of heaven (1 Pet. 1:3,4). A person who has hope in Christ wants to battle against sin and travel with God’s children. That hope is fulfilled once in heaven’s glory where we will see the fount of love face to face (Heb. 6:19). Trust According to the Bible, faith is a firm trust in that which is hoped for (Heb. 11:1). As owners of faith, we carry in our hearts the testimony of the Holy Spirit that we are God’s children, our sins are forgiven and we will reach heaven one day. We have received all of this as a gift through faith, by the grace of God and for the sake of our Savior’s atonement work – through no merit of our own. Trusting in and knowing God’s grace personally brings us joy and happiness. We feel gratitude toward God. We wish all people could become owners of this same gift, but it is impossible for one who relies on his or her own works to enter into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25). God speaks to people in many ways but especially through His Word written by believing people as inspired by the Holy Spirit (Christian Doctrine, items 5 and 6). The Bible is the highest authority of faith and life and its promises are trustworthy and sure: “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee” (Isa. 54:10). Faith is born and refreshed in the hearing of God’s Word. The heavenly Father knows all and like children we can trust that the Holy Spirit opens the written biblical Word according to the listeners’ needs. Although we experience God’s peace and the joy of believing, our lives are mainly a daily endeavor that in addition to reasons for joy includes temptations, trials and sorrow. Amidst those things, we need to trust in God’s guidance, assistance and strength. The apostle encourages us that we may in prayer, supplication and thanksgiving leave all our needs to God (Phil. 4:6). We have to ask: Lord, increase our faith! Maintaining mutual trust among believers is especially important in the work of God’s kingdom. This strengthens mutual love and wards off the attacks of the enemy of souls. Caring for Faith God guides the phases of nations and an individual person’s life, but caring for one’s faith life is each individual’s personal matter. God works in us and gives us the will and the strength to do so (Phil. 2:13). The teacher of a believing person is not the law, but rather God’s wholesome grace, which instructs us to abandon ungodliness and to live in this world in accordance with God’s will (Titus 2:11,12). Christian doctrine instructs us to diligently read and hear God’s Word, partake of the communion, pray and maintain fellowship with believing friends (Christian Doctrine, item 77). We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). The voice of the Good Shepherd is heard there where the Holy Spirit opens the message of the Bible, i.e. in His congregation. The fellowship of the congregation means that we would “not despise preaching and His Word, but deem it holy, and willingly hear and learn it” (Small Catechism, explanation of the Third Commandment). The services of God’s children are important to us for there we hear God’s voice and the gospel of forgiveness frees our conscience of unnecessary burdens. Among the believers we also find our closest escorts, with whom we can share life’s worries and joys. We also hear the voice of God in our conscience. It demands that we do that which we know is right and forbids us from doing that which we know is wrong (Christian Doctrine, item 16). The conscience must nonetheless be bound to God’s Word and the instructions of the Holy Spirit based on God’s Word which are heard in God’s congregation. Otherwise the voice of the conscience will not guide us to do right. Faith is preserved in a good and unharmed conscience, but a neglected conscience and living a sinful life cause faith to become shipwrecked (1 Tim. 1:5,19). Caring for faith also includes the grace privilege of confession. We can tell of those sins, deeds and neglect that weigh on us to a trustworthy brother or sister, who preaches our sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. Peace returns to the conscience. We are believers both before and after confession, but we wish to lay aside that which besets us so we would not tire on the journey (Heb. 12:1). It is also good to offload those burdens that make our journey slow even when it is not a question of sin. It is important to keep a connection with the congregation where God cares for His children with grace and truth (Heb. 10:24,25). To support the endeavor in faith, God has given His own spiritual weapons with which we can deflect the enemy’s attacks. The most important protective equipment is the shield of faith which protects us from the enemy’s fiery, wounding arrows (Eph. 6:10–17). Spiritual weaponry is intended for protection; only the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is a weapon of battle. It is necessary to read and know the Bible, for there we find weapons against the enemy of souls, the world and our own temptations. Jesus also deflected the devil’s temptations with God’s Word (Matt. 4:1–11). One cannot, however, gain faith by reading. The sacraments – baptism and communion – strengthen faith but do not give birth to faith. According to Christian Doctrine, the sacraments are sacred acts of the congregation, which Jesus Himself has established. He Himself is present in them and distributes His grace to us by visible elements (item 56). God has given us the sacraments as reminders of His promises. When faith clings to God’s promise, the sacrament supports and strengthens faith. The sacraments are necessary for us to support us in our endeavor. In baptism, God takes a child into a covenant of good conscience (1 Pet. 3:21). Jesus teaches, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). A person is saved by faith, and by the faith of a child even an unbaptized baby is heaven-acceptable. However, contempt for the sacrament and leaving a baby unbaptized is against the Word of God. After baptism the important duty of the parents and loved ones – the baptismal instruction – begins, in order to preserve the child in the care of the Savior and His congregation. We wish to go to the Lord’s Holy Supper with believing hearts, encouraging one another with the gospel. Communion has been given to us to strengthen our faith. It is meant to be partaken of often (1 Cor. 11:26). According to the Small Catechism, proper partaking of communion requires a believing heart. In prayer we can tell God our matters, ask for His blessing for ourselves and others and also thank Him. The Savior comfortingly stated that the heavenly Father knows all our needs even before we have asked for them (Matt. 6:8). The Bible encourages us to be diligent and persevere in praying and to pray even for our enemies (Matt. 5:44). In prayers of intercession we remember our loved ones and when we embark on a difficult task we ask for our friends to pray for us. God hears all our prayers, but He answers them in His own way and in His own time (Christian Doctrine, item 81). He does not justify anyone in prayer. Obedience of Faith Faith of the heart causes one to be obedient to the Word of God, the voice of one’s conscience and God’s congregation. Peter encouraged Christians to place their hope on grace merited by Christ “as obedient children” (1 Pet. 1:14). There is no true faith without obedience. Obedience of faith is obedience to the truth, for Christ is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). The Savior prayed to the Father that His own would be preserved in the truth (John 17:17). God expects obedience of a person (Phil. 2:5–8). Abraham was obedient to God’s call and trusted in His promise. He was righteous, meaning acceptable to God, through faith, but by his works his faith was made complete. His works showed that he was righteous (Heb. 11:8; James 2:21–24). As a result of the fall into sin, human will is turned toward evil and a person attempts to trust his or her own reason and understanding. Disobedience is a sin against God. It hardens the conscience and separates a person from God and His congregation. A sobering example of this is King Saul, who acted against God’s will and refused to admit his deed, but rather defended it and tried to pass blame on others. He was rejected by God (1 Sam. 15). Faith joins a person as a member to God’s congregation. The congregation has great significance in helping the person remain righteous. According to Paul, God’s congregation is the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). This means that the congregation must always hold forth the truths of God’s Word and base its instruction on them. Our rational minds battle against the will of God, but faith enables the understanding that in the instruction and advice of the congregation is heard the voice of God and Holy Spirit, a voice which it pays to obey. When a person obeys God, God’s blessings follow. Bibliography Christian Doctrine Briefly Presented. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, 1948. Luther, Martin. Small Catechism.

Laura and Eldon Pirness | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- At our wedding sixteen years ago, we started a guest book. In preparing to write this article, we looked through it. Smiles came to our faces as we remembered the fellowship and visits we have had with so many loved ones and friends. As we read each entry, it was almost as if each person materialized around us making up a “cloud of witnesses.” We felt again that fellowship with all those who have visited us. What a gift and a treasure! One in Fellowship and Christ What is fellowship? One dictionary definition says it is a group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim, or a company of equals or friends. And what does unity mean? Definitions say it is “the quality or state of not being multiple” and “continuity without deviation or change as in purpose or action.” These definitions also apply to us, God’s children. Our shared activities support us in our journey toward our final goal of heaven. The teachings of God’s kingdom are based on “the old paths” (Jer. 6:16), on the unchanging truths and teachings of Jesus Christ. We gather to listen to God’s Word to gain strength on our earthly journey. We meet to teach and to learn, to build and maintain our spaces for gathering and for worship, to care for one another. All of these activities bring us together in a physical sense. But in working, listening, singing, celebrating, grieving, visiting and worshiping, we get to know one another from the heart. God’s spirit in us answers one to another. We are a level-headed flock where one is not above another, and we have fellowship with Jesus Christ. “And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). How can we have this close fellowship with each other and even with Jesus Christ? How can we have unity? Forgive One Another In the same chapter of 1 John, it says: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (verse 7). We need to put sin away with the gospel so that our burdens are lifted and our journey made lighter. Believing this saving gospel is the cement that holds us together. Jesus gave an example of this forgiveness when He forgave the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee (Luke 7:37–50). She was a great sinner in human eyes, but she loved much, having been forgiven much. When we also forgive one another, we feel that same love. The bond between us strengthens and we feel united and as one in Christ. God’s Word Instructs Scripture includes warnings about the danger of fellowship between those who walk in the light and those in darkness. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14). A believer is not on the same path as one who does not own living faith. If we were to have regular fellowship or associate often with such a one, it could happen that their way of thinking might start to look logical or right. If we begin to see matters of salvation in the same way as they do, it should be a warning to us to seek out the fellowship of the believers before we become shipwrecked in our faith. These days it is possible to look for and find information on any topic. How easy it could be to follow our own reasoning in matters relating to faith and salvation! We need the guidance of God’s Word and the encouragement of our escorts in faith to help us stay on the narrow way. In Ecclesiastes, it says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (4:9,10). We cannot forgive our own sins. May we keep our consciences clean and our hearts humble, so we don’t lose sight of the light coming from God’s kingdom! Escorts in Faith, a Treasure Through Christ’s merit work we have the gift of the gospel, the healing power that can repair broken love and our own faults and sins. We need unity and we can enjoy unity and fellowship together as we journey and wait for the day when we can shed this mortal body and meet our loved ones and our Lord and Savior in heaven. Small Gestures Mean a Lot Leah Roiko | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- Can a single person who lives away from other believers also experience unity and fellowship with God’s kingdom and other believers? What helps this person to feel the love and unity of God’s children? In considering these questions, I recalled a time when I was living and working away from a congregation of believers. It was almost time for the store to close when a believing mother with her children came in to buy groceries. I was working the evening shift, ready to go home after a busy day. We happened to see each other and though we weren’t previously acquainted, she took time to stop and visit with me. The mother said that she also knew how important visits from other believers were when she was living far away. Our brief conversation reminded me of the love that believers have for each other. Even small gestures can mean a lot to a fellow traveler. It’s good to encourage those that are making travels through remote areas to visit local believers as they are able. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2). Remembered in Prayer Marijo Roiko | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- A snowy weekend in Grand Forks, North Dakota is not an unusual event, though it can be disappointing when I had hoped to make the four-hour drive to visit family and friends in Minnesota and attend services. Instead, I’m at home in my apartment with a cup of coffee listening to services online, watching the wind blow snow in huge drifts across my patio, grateful I’m safe and warm. The minister’s voice speaks familiar words of prayer, adding, “We also remember those who cannot be with us this morning due to health concerns or their temporal calling.” I have also sat in church, hearing similar words of prayer and thought of my own friends and family members who were unable to make it to services. It feels good to be remembered. Even though I live alone in a far-off place, I know I’m not forgotten. Brief visits with other believers passing through town and calls or text messages asking when I will be in Minnesota again remind me of the love that God’s children have for each other. The moment of our parting brings sorrow to our hearts; to earthly duties calling each one of us departs. We cannot be together though we desire to be; beyond the grave, however, each other we will see (SHZ 215:1,3). A Good Place to Be Josh Fuller | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- The beautiful part about God’s kingdom for me is that here a sinful one can be cared for. I have been able to experience this over and over again. I fall and God cares for me through my escorts. Just think, nowhere else in this world can this happen but here in the kingdom of God. We are so fortunate to have escorts in faith who can preach the forgiveness of sins to us. Through believing this gospel, we have peace with God and remain in the unity of the congregation. It is my desire to stay in the center of the flock and go to where the believers gather. For many, attending services means that we have a desire to hear the Word of God. Some also go for the fellowship, or someone may even be searching for the kingdom of God. Notice and Welcome Others At services or at congregational events, we may often see a new face, someone who might not be so familiar to us. Perhaps he or she is a believer from another congregation, or maybe one who is searching for God’s kingdom. It could be one who has recently received the grace to have their sins forgiven. In such times it can be easy for us to just go our own way, in our own routine that is comfortable to us. But could this cause us to miss an opportunity to welcome someone in what may be an uncomfortable place for them, or to help someone in a time of need? Have you recently noticed or reached out to a visitor in your congregation? At these times you might notice: are they connecting with others or do they appear lost in the crowd of people and don’t know where to turn? A simple welcome and greeting of God’s Peace can instantly make another feel at home in a new place. Noticing and welcoming a lonely one can also help to draw him or her closer to the center of the flock. There are times when I have felt lost and doubts have come. It’s easy to wonder: am I still believing, do I belong here? I have felt comforted when others have reached out to me. God knows what each of us needs to continue on this narrow way. We are so fortunate to have escorts in faith who help us get to heaven. Discussion Points 1. How can helping someone in practical matters bring fellowship and lead to being an escort in faith? 2. Can gossip turn small matters into large matters and bring disunity among believing friends? How can this happen and how can we help remedy the situation? 3. Think about a particularly difficult time in your life, or of helping someone through one. Share how you experienced fellowship and unity during that time. 4. Share the joys of unity and fellowship you have experienced in God’s kingdom.