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Katariina Rontti | The Voice of Zion May 2018, Translated from Äiti, SRK 2016 -- Mom, did you order those shoes for me? What’s for dinner? Mom! Come look at this homework. My friend has been waiting outside for a half an hour! Why didn’t you make rice porridge? I’ve asked for it so many times! Mom, check if my teacher posted information about the celebration! Where’s the newest comic? Moooom, he’s teasing! Mom, isn’t it my turn to play the piano? Questions, demands, and requests bounce around the room. My spouse is still working, so I’m the only parent answering the children’s needs. One child does not always notice that I’m already occupied with another. From her perspective, I am here right now for her and only her, so she moves in to interrupt. Over the years, I have learned quite well to answer, “Let’s talk about that a bit later” to the children when they want to talk about something that doesn’t call for immediate intervention. The children also learn. During the afternoon mayhem the older ones do not even try to say anything to me that could be said “a little later.” Still, at times, sometimes quite often, there are situations in which I feel like covering my ears with my hands and jumping up and down on two feet, purely from the jumble inside my head. Motherhood Is Listening to My Own Feelings As the mother of several big and small children, I have noticed that it is necessary to be aware of what situations are challenging to me and of the difficult feelings such situations give rise to. Actually, being a mother is all about listening to and managing your own feelings. I cannot spill my frustrations onto a child, or grumble about my fatigue, passing it on for them to carry. Motherhood has also taught me to be merciful, especially with myself. Sometimes in the evening after the noise has calmed down and I’m sitting in the sauna, I review the ABCs of grace and remind myself that a child’s development is not irrevocably harmed by my poor words. I believe that God perhaps permits imperfect parenting so that the child learns to accept his own imperfection. If parents were to always behave unerringly, how would a child know how to relate to his own mistakes? Sometimes when I have remained in my own guilt, I’ve found that it works as the generator for new errors. If, on the other hand, I find mercy for myself, I am able to relax when it comes to questions of parenting. Challenging situations, the kind that sometimes seem to make up the whole life of the mother of a large family, have forced me to look in the mirror. I always notice new things about myself. Some things bring much delight, while others cause a strong feeling of anger. Discussions with believing mothers have revealed that regardless of the number of children they have, most other mothers also experience strong emotions in their motherhood. Together some of us mothers have found inspirational words to repeat in our minds when we feel we need it. Even incomplete, I am adequate. I understand myself. One potato at a time. I value myself as a mother. I managed this situation well. I have also observed that although it is during situations with children that negative feelings sprout up, there is usually something difficult already going on, something that has nothing to do with being a mother. For example, poor self-esteem might be something that could be accentuated by being with children. In such a case, it might be easier to focus the negative energy on the children’s mess or on the noise they are making. Children Give More Than They Take It is often said among believers that children are a blessing. This has many different meanings. To me this means above all that God has not meant children to be a barrier to living the right kind of life. Understanding this has been one of the most important things in parenthood. When surrounded by all the physical and psychological work and burden, I continuously return to that thought. I believe that in children, God has hidden things that we adults need, perhaps, more than anything else. In a children’s song we sing, “All the children in the world have a little bell ringing deep in the bottom of their hearts. In a child, it rings tenderly.” The job we as adults have is to find that little bell and let it ring. The bell is joy and authenticity. It is the ability to live in the moment and the ability to love unconditionally. These are things that often are lacking in us adults, and things that through children, we can own more easily. What prevents us from seeing that small bell and from hearing it ring? I have pondered this often in my day-to-day life. A child, perhaps, doesn’t match the picture we have of proper behavior. A child messes the house. A child has a lot to say and this requires that an adult take the time to stop and listen. A child whines. In these typical ways of a child, he sets a demand for the parent that does not feel easy. In challenging parenting situations, it doesn’t come to mind to “let the little bell ring tenderly in the child.” However, when I have really stopped to tend to my child’s needs, taken time and made an effort, I realize that I have been on the receiving end of what I was trying to give, namely love, joy, and strength. When we share a morsel of love with our child, he gives it back in a greater amount. That is what you call a blessing. Strong Moments God has evenly spread out the special moments He has placed in my path. These bring perspective to my every day chaos. During these times I have been able to pause around why I am the mother of a large family. The birth of a new baby is an example of such a time. I quieten down during the holy moment that follows the birth of a new baby. At that moment I experience that God is showing me His strength and omnipotence in a very moving and concrete way. A newborn baby brings fresh greetings from her Creator in heaven, and at that moment, I remember, perhaps better than at any other time, the destination of my own travels. At services, too, one receives greetings from God without even asking. I remember one evening when I sat in a sanctuary that was full to the brim. I hadn’t made it to services for two months because of morning sickness. The opening hymn rang out heartily. I felt as though everyone, familiar or not, was singing for me—for strength in faith, for comfort, and for courage. After a long and lonely wilderness journey, I reached an oasis that has given me strength in later times of illness as well. Encountering the life situations of other believers and experiencing these situations with them brings new points of view that are necessary for my own journey and life situation. When I listen to the ticking of a wall clock when visiting an old woman who lives alone, I suddenly realize how short life is. I understand what “there’s a time for everything” means. For me, it is time to sow my own plot of land with my children and spouse. Often my brow is sweaty, but soon my children will have spun away from the hem of my skirt. What will I long for then? Could I see more clearly what is valuable now, and be thankful? On the other hand, I have had a single acquaintance approach me after services to encourage me in my motherhood and to tell me that our family is remembered in prayer. Also, one mother, when she dropped her child off at Day Circle said she has had a rough week, so her child might be restless. We didn’t discuss further, but after that short encounter I felt somehow closer to that mother. I have often pondered that there are so many different kinds of events and work in Zion so that open and free encounters with other believers would increase. In all situations in life, they are enriching and a source of strength. It is in these moments when one can feel the communion of the saints, which carries one on the road to heaven. Kinds of Help Through the years, my husband and I have come up with strategies that are a valuable help with a large family. For example, we have agreed that when one or the other feels as though patience is wearing thin and there is danger of going overboard, he or she must leave the situation. If at home, the spouse will be asked to take over. We understand that now my spouse needs to take a break before continuing with the children. We often reassure each other in such situations, saying for example, “It’s normal to feel like that in this situation. I understand you.” Another unspoken rule is that if a child has something to speak about one-on-one, we try to arrange an opportunity for it. Usually these opportunities come up in the evening, when I am ready for peace and quiet of my own. Sometimes it stings to leave the newspaper and focus on a discussion with my child. However, these discussions mean a lot to the children and for that reason we keep them as a priority. We also feel it is important to ask our children as often as possible about how they are doing. My husband is especially skilled in this. If a child answers “I’m fine,” the discussion is not left there. Long and heartfelt discussions have sometimes come from a concrete question, such as “Who were you with today at recess?” With time I have learned that as a mother I do not need to be able to do everything and to be good at everything. Also, I don’t need to feel bad if my husband manages a situation with the children in a better way than I would have. God has given children two parents so that the responsibility of raising them might be shared. Both have their strengths. Our family is suitable and the right kind for each member of our family. I need these kinds of children, this kind of husband, and they need me, as I am. At best, interaction in our home is rewarding to each of us and makes us feel good inside. I commended my five-year-old for always remembering to put his outside clothes to dry when he came in from outside. When I wondered aloud how it is possible that he remembers, he answered: “You taught me!”

Harri Vahajylkka | The Voice of Zion May 2018 -- Do I Feel Good about My Marriage? In giving a spouse to the first man and marriage to the couple, God included with these gifts two purposes. He, himself, had observed that it is not good for a person to be alone. Therefore, one purpose of marriage is that one would have a sense of wellbeing with another person. God’s other given purpose for marriage is reproduction. We can, from time to time, ask of our self and our spouse: Is the will of God being realized in our marriage and family? Do we together have a sense of wellbeing? What does wellbeing mean in the family? Between spouses we can define it as being an equal and balanced human relationship, based on love. In such a relationship, the spouses together bear responsibility for the family: responsibility for one’s own and the other’s faith, love, welfare and the rearing of the children. Being the object of love is not based on how useful I am, but on what kind of person God has made me. Instructions of God’s Word for Human Relationships When asked about the important things in life, we often prioritize our family as the highest. Can this priority also be seen in our lives? Do I, when making choices, consider how it might affect the welfare of my spouse or children? If the family is important to me, then my time and presence will be set aside for it. I might have to decide between interesting job tasks, a higher standard of living, or spending time together at home. The love between family members can be compared to a fruit tree sapling. The more I nurture and nourish this love, the more it will produce fruits that are good and sweet. Sometimes when conducting a wedding I have told the new couple, if you want a happy marriage, make one another happy. What does God’s Word teach us about family life, marriage and parenting? It was the Lord of Life, Jesus himself, who gave the most important pointers to the people of His time—and us. He urges a person to love God above all things and one’s neighbor as him- or herself. In the Golden Rule, as it is called, He instructs us to do unto our neighbor that which we would want done to ourselves. These are the bits of Jesus’ advice for each one’s everyday life, which are fully integrated with one’s faith-life. What might this advice mean for us on a practical level? When our little child awakes in the night to cry, I could ask myself: “What would I want someone to do for me right now?” I sure do know the answer to that—I would hope that my spouse would get up and go take care of the child. Therefore, I am supposed to get up and tell my spouse: “You just keep sleeping, I will go take care of the child!” In that way, I would be treating her in accordance with Jesus’ advice. Now, that’s practical application! Discussion Builds and Cares for Human Relationships We surely do enjoy getting good feedback, kind words and expressions of love. We also feel joy when our own words bring happiness to others. A small child or adolescent thirsts for good feedback and encouraging words like a plant needing water. Does this not also apply to us adults? When we come home from work or are at home awaiting our spouse to return, the first seconds of encounter are important. Do I feel longed-for and welcome, or do I hear unkind words, such as, “Isn’t the food ready yet?” Or, “Where have you been dilly-dallying?” Or, “You promised to be back already an hour ago.” Little words mean a lot. They express the feelings of the heart, as in, “Oh how wonderful that you’ve come!” Or, “I’ve missed you. It’s so good to be home!” In wholesome marriages and family lives, each and every one, without exception, may fearlessly express feelings and hopes and share both joys and sorrows. There is no need to worry about belittlement or domination. Our duty is to listen and hear, not only with our ears, but also with our hearts. The person who has difficulty in coming to grips with his or her own bad actions or other problems, may evade the truth by denying the accuracy of the other’s observation, saying, “I don’t have any problems. That’s your problem! I don’t need any help. You’re just imagining all that.” Love means also setting oneself in the other’s place and accepting responsibility for the interpersonal relationships within a family. Even when one is unable to him-herself see any problems. The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and slows our journey forward (Heb. 12:1). We know what releases us from sin—the preaching and believing of the gospel of forgiveness. From this arises the desire to go and seek help for the problems experienced by the family. We can also freely seek and accept professional help if a family is suffering from, for example, violence, mental health problems or misuse of power. God’s Word urges us to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), not to suppress the others or subjugate them under one’s own authority. “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath” (Eph. 6:4) When we, as parents, receive a child as a gift from God, we are also receiving Jesus too, as it is written: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” The way we rear our children has consequences. In referring to the last judgment, Jesus pointed out: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40). When my child fails in some way, will I be able to understand the situation from his or her point of view? What kind of discussion would I be hoping for? I would not want to be blamed. I would know what I’ve done and feel guilty. I would need gracious counseling, as in, for example, “This didn’t turn out well, but let’s try to learn from it. It’s not possible to always be successful. I love you, and I want to help you going forward.” Parenting is not always easy. It requires setting boundaries, holding them firm, and then restating them. We feel exhaustion, and we do not always know how to do it right, and we fall into sin. If we rear our children in anger and with physical or mental violence, we may destroy a very fragile being. It would be good for the parents to get together and discuss parenting that is in accordance with the Word of God. How should we set secure borders but also express unconditional love and acceptance toward every family member? We can pray to God for an answer. Discussion Points 1. How is the sense of wellbeing between spouses reflected in family life? 2. How do I prioritize my time to benefit my spouse and family? 3. How can we create an atmosphere in our home that encourages communication? 4. Discuss the role of love, forgiveness, and setting boundaries in child-rearing. ‍

Juhani Liukkonen | The Voice of Zion May 2018 -- 1. Introduction We live in a choppy sea of disparate lifestyles, amid great changes. Moral change is that which most influences the human mind. In our time, a demand for freedom from anything that restricts a person’s inclinations and their fulfillment is emphasized. There is a desire to make the boundary between what is permissible and impermissible relative. Many, in their inner being, recognize that they are completely lost, and don’t understand what is right and wrong. Under the pressure of this conflict man easily loses sight of his or her life’s meaning. God’s Word is interpreted from a selfish premise and only that with which one may justify one’s own choices is brought out. In addition, there is a wish to change the biblical image of God. God is spoken of as infinite love, but not that He is at the same time holy and righteous. There is no need for a redeemer since man is not seen to be corrupted by the Fall, but rather as fundamentally good. The Bible is explained to be a document that reflects the time of its origin and has but little significance for people of this time. It is very difficult for people to accept that, based on God’s Word, we want to speak of the evil or of the personal evil that is in man, the enemy of God. Talk about sin is regarded as old fashioned. There has been an attempt for thousands of years to explain sin as human weakness, which can be understood psychologically. Nonetheless, the greatest burden, which consumes man’s strength, is still man’s own guilt. Fallen man longs for freedom from sin and the guilt that it brings, even if he does not understand it. If man does not feel his sinfulness, he finds God’s grace unnecessary. The meaning of the good message of the gospel opens only when its antithesis, sin, is recognized. 2. God Made All Things Good God created man in his own image (Gen. 1:27). The psalmist praises his Creator: “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet” (Ps. 8:5,6). The life of man being created for eternity was pure in every dimension; his relationship to his Creator, neighbor, and the rest of creation was perfect and whole. In creation man received free will in relation to his Creator and was at the same time made responsible for his life. In precisely this man was separated from the rest of creation. Man could make choices without either internal or external compulsion. Neither evil or death were yet present. Thus man, who had been made partaker in God’s perfect righteousness and innocence, was without sin, righteous, innocent, and holy. Man fulfilled God’s holy law, which in creation had been written in his heart (Rom. 2:15). “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). 3. A Broken Creation The Bible’s creation narrative is followed by an immediate account of the Fall (Gen. 3:1). The origin of the evil that prevails in the midst of mankind is described there. Evil destroyed and destroys the wholeness born in the creation, which God had gazed on with admiration. The narrative does not explain from where evil has entered creation. There is only suggestive mention elsewhere in the Bible of the fall that occurred in the realm of angels (Rev. 12:7–9). The biblical narrative of the Fall is not a historical record. It is to be understood as God’s revelation, looking back. By faith we understand that the author of the narrative was guided by God’s Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). The narrative can be said to be a painting that is not very detailed. However, it is a true and sufficiently accurate description of the event. In the same way that the creation narrative portrays the birth of all the visible and invisible from nothing, God’s Word relates an event by which the spiritual power of evil obtained a grip on man and corrupted God’s plan. The Fall has occurred in this world just as truly as, according to the gospels, the birth, suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. It is noteworthy that the enemy of souls seduced with positive things. The serpent did not entice man with fleshly sins, but rather with knowledge and the desire to be like God. According to the Apostle Paul, God’s opponent may impersonate an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Men had permission to eat from every tree of the garden other than that which gives the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16,17). The first human pair’s obedience to God began to falter when the heard the question of the enemy of souls: “Yea, hath God said.” The Fall occurred in their hearts when they believed the serpent’s words: “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4,5). Sin’s essence is in this, that man wanted to be like God. Thus, man turned from believing God’s words and the love of righteousness to hearing and believing the serpent’s words. The results appeared immediately; man was no longer able to communicate with God, but fled from Him. When God called Adam and Eve, they hid because they were ashamed and afraid (Gen. 3:10). The connection to God broke when the ruler of the heart changed. Man was subjected to God’s anger and the condemnation of the law. Having lost righteousness, become subject to sin and death, man no longer had God’s law in his heart in the sense that he would live and observe it. Man feels the laws judgment and his subjection to guilt and punishment. According to Christian Doctrine, “sin is the heart’s rejection of God” (CD 1948:23). Man, who had originally obeyed God’s law freely and with his whole heart, begins to love evil and hate righteousness. Difficulties between man and women and in all human relations also followed the Fall. The first couple’s prior mutual trust was replaced by accusations, and love by selfishness. Man’s relationship to the rest of creation—which had been given to their cultivation and care—was distorted (Gen. 3:17). According to the Epistle to the Romans, all creation “groaneth and travaileth” (Rom. 8:19–22). The Old Testament relates that the first fratricide followed the expulsion from Paradise and that evil increased on the earth. God finally destroyed the first world by the Flood. As men, we cannot comprehend how great the issues in question must have been that righteous God, who had seen all His creation to be good, regretted “that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Gen. 6:6). 4. The Corruption of Human Nature—Original Sin The first humans lost the innocence of their initial state as a result of their disobedience. They no longer had the opportunity to eat the fruit of the tree of life and live forever (Gen. 3:22–24). Paul writes of this: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Although man is the image of God even after the Fall, original sin has completely defiled man. Heikki Jussila writes: “The poison of sin stained and spoiled his being, his soul and nobler abilities. And his heart became a den of iniquity” (Iankaikkinen Evankeliumi [The Eternal Gospel], 1974, p. 22). According to the Bible, the Fall cast its shadow far into the future; sinfulness was transmitted to all people. The psalmist states: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). David expressed man’s unworthiness before God: “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Ps. 14:2,3). Although mankind’s sin is inherited, each one is personally guilty. The question is not only of a sense of guilt, but of man’s real responsibility for the wrong direction of his life and evil deeds (Rom. 1:18–32). It is very difficult for a person to understand his inherited inclination to evil. According to the Confessional writings, “This hereditary sin is so deep a corruption of nature that reason cannot understand it. It must be believed because of the revelation in the Scriptures (Ps. 51:5, Rom. 5:12, Exod. 33:20, Gen. 3:6)” (The Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article 1). Due to the Fall, every child born on the earth is on the part of his flesh and blood entirely defiled and unacceptable before God. He is at the same time a partaker of Christ’s righteousness (Matt. 18:6; Rom. 5:18,19). God’s Son promised His father in eternity that He would atone for the sins of the entire world (Ps. 2:7,8; 40:8). For this reason, every new member of redeemed humankind is born as Christ’s own (Eph. 1:4,5). 5. The Fruits of Original Sin—Actual Sin According to Christian Doctrine, evil thoughts, speech, and deeds are the result of the corruption of original sin (CD 1948:22). In the Confessional Writings, original sin is called a disease, which includes among other things “such faults as ignorance of God, contempt of God, lack of the fear of God and of trust in him, inability to love him. These are the chief flaws in human nature” (Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article II, 14). Thus, man became like a gate through which the influence of evil pierced the visible world that God has created. The New Testament (Eph. 6:11–17) speaks of the efforts of wicked spiritual powers to conquer believing man. Rebellion against God, which began with the Fall, spread to humankind. Evil is a constantly experienced destructive power whose fruits are visible in every person and all around us. Sin is not merely individual evil deeds, but rather their source is deeper. Jesus taught that what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and defiles man. He said, “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:18,19). Jesus’ words, from the Sermon on the Mount, stating that a good tree bears good fruit and an evil tree bears evil fruit touch on the same topic (Matt. 7:17). It is always timely to ask: What is sin in its essence? According to the Bible, sin is always sin against God (Ps. 51:4; Ps. 130; Luke 15:21). Man is naked “before God” (coram Deo). This position defines every person’s entire life. This caused Martin Luther great distress, when the enormity of sin was revealed to him. Luther experienced that “sin is that which separates me from God and my neighbor” (CD 1948:24). Between righteous God and man and an impassable gulf, which separates man from God, has formed (Luke 16:26). Everyone must once give an account of his life. So even an unbelieving person, although he would not understand his responsibility before God. A debt is a debt, even if we don’t know that it exists (Rom. 14:12). Man is not only a sinner, but he commits sin. Religious discussion of this time emphasizes the status of the neighbor in man’s relationship to God. There is a danger in us believers as well that the correct understanding of sin as the transgression of God’s will, as resistance to God, and as misuse of the life that He has created will blur. Transgression against a neighbor is always transgression against God (Matt. 25:40). Sin’s clearest forms of manifestation are unbelief and disobedience, which can be held as rebellion against God. Sin causes man, at all times, to question God’s holy will: “Yea, hath God said.” At the same time, sin is pride, exalting oneself and the desire to be like God (Gen. 3:5). According to Martin Luther, “man cannot help but to seek his own and love himself above all else” (CD 1948:23). The Apostle John warns of love of the world: “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15–17). Sin is not only of doing, but also of leaving undone (Matt. 25:45; Rom. 7–8). According to Jesus’ teaching, the most extreme form of sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Who falls into that sin no longer has the possibility of repentance (Mark 3:29; Heb. 6:4–6). Sin corrupts the life of individuals, families, and nations. The prevailing common opinion actually encourages man to seek individual happiness and place the attainment of personal pleasure as his most important goal. Man’s powerful, lustful sensuality is construed to be dependent on his drives and needs and thus its fulfillment is deemed a desirable freedom. Peter warns of false teachers who promise freedom but are themselves slaves of corruption (2 Pet. 2:19). Supposed freedom proves itself to be slavery (John 8:34). Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is the shame of nations (Prov. 14:34). Living in sin can lead to hardness. The most severe consequence of sin is eternal punishment. It means the loss of eternal life and ending up in eternal torment (Matt. 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:6–9). 6. The Call to Partake in Atonement Already in Paradise following the Fall, God gave the promise of the Savior of mankind that was to come from the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). Because no man can make amends for his sins by his deeds, God prepared redemption and salvation in His Son. Christ’s complete and perfect atonement touched all humanity just the way the Fall did: “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). In His eternal love God calls man to become a partaker in this atonement through the gospel of His grace kingdom. God himself made reconciliation with the world in Christ and does not reckon men guilty on account of their transgressions: He entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation: “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. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:18–21). Even today the blessing of Christ’s reconciliation and redemption work is brought to man, to be possessed by faith, through the ministry of reconciliation. For that reason, Jesus endowed His followers with the Holy Spirit and sent them into all the world to preach the gospel to all creatures (Mark 16:15; John 20:22–24). God’s forgiveness transmitted by the gospel frees from all sin. The blood of Christ purges our “conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14). 7. The Christian and Sin Even as a partaker of Christ’s complete and perfect atonement work, a believer is still corrupt due to original sin. The apostle writes: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8,9). The effect of God’s opponent on a believer is strong. According to the Apostle James, everyone is tempted by his own lust; it draws and entices. If sin grows to its full measure, life’s connection to God is lost (James 1:14,15). According to Luther, a Christian cannot escape tempting thoughts: “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” The reformers stated that a believer is simultaneously righteous and a sinner (simul iustus et peccator). An endeavoring Christian experiences like Paul, that “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me (Rom. 7:18–20). Here Paul does not picture the corruption that was in him while he lived in unbelief, but rather relates of his endeavor as a Christian: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh [my corrupt nature] the law of sin” (Rom. 7:24,25). The experiencing of one’s own sinfulness and God’s immeasurable grace is the lot of an endeavoring Christian. The gospel provides the life of the believing with a goal and the will to struggle. A child of God journeys in the fellowship of the kingdom of grace leaning on the staff of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every believer (Rom. 1:16). The Apostle James writes: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12). There is then no longer any danger of falling.

Walt Lampi | The Voice of Zion June 2018 -- For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.—Titus 2:11,12 It is easier to understand what grace teaches us than what it means, and how we are taught by it. It teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Grace opens to us the meaning of the righteousness of faith and righteousness of life. What Is God’s Grace? Since God’s grace is so great it cannot be measured, humanly understood, nor perfectly described in human words. Although grace is a major theological concept, it is not academic or theoretical to those whose burden of sin has been forgiven. Grace and faith are not the same. Rather, by God’s unmeriting grace and through His Spirit, we have been called into His kingdom to live by faith. We have received as a free gift the strength to believe the gospel message, the core of which is the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name and blood. How might we describe grace? Both the Hebrew and Greek words for grace refers to favor, good will, and compassion. Those who have found favor with God have found His acceptance through Jesus Christ. No one is acceptable to Him outside the fellowship of His kingdom and without faith on the redemptive work of His Son. A believer has the righteousness of Christ through faith and is heaven acceptable for that reason. Through grace God receives us, forgives our sins and justifies us freely through Christ. How Does Grace Come to Us? One is saved by grace through faith without works (Eph. 2:8,9). But by what means does grace come to someone outside of living faith? God calls whom He has chosen through His Spirit-empowered Word from His kingdom here on earth. It is completely God’s work and incomprehensible as to why He calls one person but not another. What does it mean to live by grace in God’s kingdom? Does the means of grace change? Then it is still by His favor and loving kindness that we remain in faith through His help and the fellowship of His children. We want to walk in the light of His living Word. When we fall into sin and carry its burden, we then hasten to the throne of grace where we can speak of that which has beset us and made the journey slow and be reassured through the gospel of the forgiveness of sins. Do We Need to Hear about the Righteousness of Life? Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:16). Jesus is the “way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Truth therefore is not the same as the law, for the “law was given by Moses” (John 1:17). Are teachings about the righteousness of life truth or the law? Does a believer even need reminders about the righteousness of life? Because of our complete corruption we need to be reminded of that which may hurt us. Such teachings are not the law. Following exhortations and instructions regarding the walk of faith will not save one, but they exist for the purpose that no one would lose living faith. (The Righteousness of Faith,Haho, A., 2004) Grace and Truth Are Inseparable Can a person live in grace without truth or truth without grace? God’s children must live in both grace and truth, for without one both are lost. They must not be separated. The law cannot impart truth to the heart or change it. Rather, it can only reveal what God demands and awaken the conscience to receive Christ. (Grace and Truth, Leonard Typpö, 1904) How Does Grace Teach? Finally, how does grace teach? Certainly, through the Holy Spirit as the “home teacher” in one’s heart (John 14:26) and in God’s kingdom through the Spirit-empowered Word of preaching and teaching. We are taught through our believing friends, too. Grace is an active and hardworking teacher through the Holy Spirit, which is with us at all times teaching and warning us through our consciences as a gentle calm voice (1 Kings 19:12). Therefore, it is necessary to keep faith and a good conscience in order to hear Him. God’s grace and Spirit create unity.

Taina Palola | The Voice of Zion June 2018, Translated from Äiti, SRK 2016 -- My husband and I browse family photos, digital ones and paper ones. Our only daughter’s wedding is coming up soon, and we’re planning a slideshow to play in the background while we present our family program. I think about how it will work in practice. The groom’s family of seventeen will be there, and no matter how we count it, there will be just the two of us. I call my sister to ask if she would come to be a part of the family, and she readily agrees. In fact, we are kind of like one family; it even feels like we share our children. Baby pictures. There should only be one—this one of her with a dirty chin is charming. Our daughter was six months old, and I had just started my first permanent job. In retrospect, I have thought that at the time my prayers were heard. Oh, if only He had not heard them! I was afraid I would get pregnant again before my first day of work. What would my employer say if I was suffering from morning sickness when starting work? I hoped to work at least one year before my next pregnancy so that I wouldn’t feel like I was letting my employer down. Why weren’t prayers heard after that? Shouldn’t the sincere prayer of a child be more powerful than the prayer of an adult who is seeking her own momentary interest? Every night for years and years, our daughter’s prayer ended the same way: “Dear Heavenly Father, give me a baby sister or brother!” Vacation trip photos. The legendary trip of our family and my sister’s family in Southern Finland. We still laugh about the question of a passing couple: “Excuse me, but what is going on here?” Well, it was quite a show to haul all the kids and the luggage through the city into a parking garage. A huge number of pictures taken at the cabin, from different years, in different seasons. There is a lake, a flock of children, and colorful beach toys in the cabin pictures. On one hand, our child has been the only one, but on the other hand, she has been a part of a large family. I remember when our daughter, as a teenager, came home from a weekend getaway at her older cousin’s place: “She told everyone that I was her little sister!” Christmas photos. Always two in the picture, one behind the camera. For several years I asked the same question: “Should we invite someone over for Christmas Eve dinner?” Her reply was always the same: “Mom, not on Christmas Eve. I want to spend it with our own family.” That answer moved me every time: our family is small, but not too small in my child’s opinion. Pictures from the time when we lived in hope that our family would grow. There is joy, sorrow, fatigue, hope, and despair on our faces. Infertility treatments are also physically hard on a woman. The doctor would give us hope every time, even assurance: “Everything looks so good that nothing less than a baby will be the result!” Disappointment, one after the other. During our last visit the physician said that going through all this was worth it in the sense that later we would not need to regret not trying. His last comment was: “You have received all the treatment for infertility that modern medicine knows. The only reason I can find for the lack of success of the treatments is that the decision has been made above.” I remember one ladies’ night at a cabin when a certain mother of a large family wanted to unburden herself to me, even though we did not know each other very well. She told me of desperate moments when she did not have energy to cope with her family. She was not able to truly find joy in a new baby when the youngest was still so small. She felt she could share her feelings with me because we struggled with the same issue, just a different point of view. Both of us had to accept that we get exactly what God has meant for us. We must be content with what is given to us. Pictures where I look tired. I still remember the feeling of shame: I, a mother of one child, was on sick leave because of exhaustion. In my head echo the phrases that I have snatched from conversations: “She has the nerve to complain about her fatigue to me. She only has three kids and complains that she has not been able to sleep for a few weeks. I have not slept well for ten years.” In my mind, I ask them: “How many children does one have to have before being allowed to feel tired? What about exhaustion? How many are needed for that? Does one get extra points if one’s job is mentally or physically demanding?” When I finally went to the doctor, I was only able to say a few words. Then I cried for the next 15 minutes. The sick leave of several months and the support I received during it have carried me to this day. I dared to confess to myself and to others that I am weak. I can’t do this. I do not always have the strength even though supper for my family fits in a small pot, and I don’t have babies disturbing my sleep. I am not a superwoman. Someone told me once that she cannot help but envy my easy life. At the time, an old saying came to my mind: “Do not envy the joys of one whose sorrows you can’t know.” A picture of our home filled with youth and laughter. We had gathered for our traditional game of Trivial Pursuit with two teams: “Elders” and “Youngsters.” When the “Elders,” my husband and I, lost for the first time, I realized that our daughter and her friends had grown up. I have thought to myself that the difference between having zero children and one child is bigger than between having one or ten. I am a mother. He is a father. A child finds friends and relatives of her own age around her. A picture of our daughter leaving to the USA as an au pair. The trip was needed to cut the apron strings. I was able to understand that she needs more space to grow up to be her own self. We were attached, mother and daughter. We had gotten used to doing everything from daily routines to a festive table setting together. We were a good team. Afterwards, I realized that I was more the one who needed the detachment. My daughter was so kind that she never told me: “Mom, get your own life!” When she was across the ocean, I could not stay up and wait for her to get home. I could not call her every day to ask how things were. I had to look in the mirror and ask myself what else I was besides a mom. A picture of us furnishing our daughter’s first apartment for her studies. I remember getting a call from her: “Mom, I have found someone who is in the same boat as me!” She was so excited that she had met a believing student girl who was also an only child. I asked my daughter if she feels like she belongs to a minority. I told her that I don’t have friends who share the same experience either—being a mother to only one child. We could name many singles, childless couples, and small families but not very many believing families with only one child. Perhaps we really are a minority who sometimes long for peer support. In the end, I do not feel that I am labeled as a mother of a small family. I think that all of us mothers are the same, regardless of the number of children or where we are from. In general, I do not like categorizing people into different boxes: singles, couples, small families, large families, seniors, youth. Deep inside all of us human beings are the same joys and sorrows. A picture of a happy, smiling engaged couple, sent by cell phone. I had been cooking Easter lamb for hours in the oven. When the young couple went hiking, I told my husband that I feel like we might drink coffee in honor of an engagement tonight. My mother instinct was right. I sensed the purpose of a trip better than my daughter did. Afterwards, many asked if I felt I was going to lose my daughter or at least a part of her. I didn’t experience loss but rather that I was receiving something. Finally, I was getting a son. A son who was raised already and I was almost 50! When the slideshow was finished, I wondered what kind of pictures we will see in the future. The richness of life is in not knowing what the future brings. Fortunately, surprises in life will not end in youth or adulthood, but life offers new perspectives at different phases of life. ‍

Antti Paananen | The Voice of Zion June 2018 -- I. What Are the Sacraments? 1. What Does the Word “Sacrament” Mean? The word “sacrament” rarely appears in common language usage, but whenever it is used it is considered as a holy or important matter. One speaks of the “sacrament” of fellowship when emphasizing how important it is to keep in touch with other believers. What does the word sacrament actually mean? The word comes from Latin and means an oath of loyalty. An oath is known to be a serious and sacred matter. In ecclesiastic language, sacrament means acts that are considered to be particularly important and holy. The Greek Bible uses the word mystírio (mystery), and by it refers to the sacraments. We cannot fully understand the mystery of faith connected to the sacraments. That is why we consider the sacraments with a child’s timidity and humility. We remember that God himself has ordained them. God has given the sacraments to those helped into faith for support in their endeavor. In the sacraments, God’s Word is connected to a visible, even tangible substance so that we again become convinced of how real God’s grace is to us. 2. Why Only Two Sacraments? Of the Christian churches both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox have seven sacraments. In the Lutheran Church, Luther left only two of them: baptism and communion. In both of them there is a special command of the Lord and a physical sign. However, the substance does not make a sacrament a sacrament. The Defense of the Augsburg Confession describes it in this way: “Therefore Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of Repentance, are truly Sacraments.” Absolution was left out of the grouping of sacraments because in it God’s promise is not connected to a visible substance but to the Holy Spirit. In the Roman Catholic Church, during the Middle Ages, such a magical idea was developed that sacraments affect by themselves as mechanically-done deeds. A so-called trans-substantiation doctrine was developed there also, which means that when a priest blesses the communion substances, they change into Christ’s real body and blood. From this thought followed the practice of giving only the communion bread to the layman, so that the precious communion wine, transformed into Christ’s blood would in no way spill to the ground. The priests drank the communion wine by themselves and additionally flushed the communion chalice with water after its use. Also, nowadays, for example in Latvia, in the home of a late preacher Pjotr Petrovitsh, the communion bread was a fresh bun. The priest serving the communion would break a piece of it and give it to the communion guest. During the time of the Old Testament, God made a covenant with Abraham when he, called by God, had left his home area for the Promised Land. Circumcision was set as the sign of the covenant. It became the sign of God’s people in the Old Testament and at the same time an example of the New Testament grace covenant of baptism. Eating of the Old Testament Passover lamb is a symbol of the New Testament sacrificial lamb, the Lord Jesus. The Passover lamb was an Old Testament sacrament and a pattern for New Testament communion. 3. Proper Use of the Sacraments Luther wrote the book, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520). With the name of the book he wanted to show how the Catholic Church had fallen into a wrong sacramental doctrine. In speaking of the meaning of the sacrament, that is, its effect, Luther states that there is not a great difference between the sacraments of the Old and the New Testament. In both of them there is first the promise of God, then faith which clings to the promise. Afterwards a sign follows, which supports and strengthens faith. Thus, Luther states that the sacraments are not fulfilled by doing them, but by believing in them. According to Luther, the sacraments do not benefit unbelievers. The lack of faith is the most pernicious and persistent barrier of grace. Christ indeed says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Thus, he shows that faith is so indispensable in the sacrament that it can save even without the sacrament. According to the Augsburg Confession, most important is to understand how sacraments are to be used. Paul taught that Abraham was not justified by circumcision, but that circumcision was a sign given for the purpose of practicing faith. Likewise, we also teach that in addition to the correct use of the sacraments faith becomes joined to the promises related to them (the sacraments). Faith receives what has been promised and what is specifically offered in the sacrament. Thus, the sacraments have not been instituted for the receiving of faith but for the strengthening of faith. The proper use of sacraments requires faith. II. Baptism 1. Jesus Instituted Baptism Jesus instituted Holy Baptism shortly before His ascension. The most familiar words of institution for baptism are in the gospel of Matthew: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19,20). This is how Jesus sent His disciples into the work of God’s kingdom. In the Acts of the Apostles’ Luke tells of the effect of Peter’s Sermon: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:” (Acts 2:41). Baptism became a sacrament and sign for the New Testament people of God, a sacrament for beginning the journey. From the beginning, the disciples and the early church regarded baptism both necessary and indispensable, but more important than the sacrament was the core of the gospel, the forgiveness of sins, which gave birth as a child of God to its recipient. Paul thus wrote to Corinth: “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 1:14–17). The Apostles baptized believers, born-again people. In the home of Cornelius, Peter said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (Acts 10:47). 2. Baptism Is a Covenant Baptism is called the covenant of grace and the covenant of good conscience. It teaches and reminds God’s children that they are joined in death together with Christ and they also will rise from the dead as He did. God’s children endeavor by faith in the grace covenant of baptism. The covenant is firm on God’s behalf. He himself wants to care for and love us in His mercy. Baptism encourages us to put away burden and sin and to wash our innermost with the water of life, the gospel. During the baptism parents, grandparents, godparents and near ones ask that the one being baptized could be preserved in the grace covenant of baptism and would once make it to the destination in heaven. 3. The Promise of Baptism We should always remember that the newborn child has all that he needs for salvation. This means that if a child dies unbaptized, he is certainly an heir of heaven. But in order to remain in this grace, the child needs to be rooted in the care of God’s congregation. Many have lost faith and a good conscience when they have gone astray into the world. Then one can join the throng of God’s congregation only through repentance. With faith, one can own the righteousness that is acceptable before God. In the sacrament of baptism, God comes to the child and shows all His grace promises through a visible sign. In it, God meets in a hidden but also concrete way the person that He has created, redeemed and pardoned. When God thus confesses that the child is His own and himself receives the child into His covenant through His established sacrament of baptism, the promise of the righteousness of faith follows the child all his life and the promise is this: a pardoned sinner can walk by faith in the forgiveness of sins in the fellowship of God’s congregation. 4. The Obligation of Baptism Luther states figuratively that in baptism we are immersed in water so that it covers us completely. These two conditions, sinking under water and rising up from there, figuratively illustrate what happens in baptism and what it affects. That’s exactly where the old man is put to death and after that a new man rises. These two conditions must continue in us throughout our lives. Indeed, Christian life is nothing more than one everyday baptism that has once begun and will always continue. For everything that belongs to the old man must ceaselessly be removed. In its place, one has to get that which belongs to the new life. Luther, therefore, speaks of everyday baptism and connects penitence and repentance to it. He writes in the Large Catechism: “Therefore the external sign is appointed not only for a powerful effect, but also for a signification. Where, therefore, faith flourishes with its fruits, there it has no empty signification, but the work accompanies it; but where faith is wanting, it remains a mere unfruitful sign.” In the grace covenant of baptism, one can believe himself as evil, yet holy, as a sinner yet righteous. He can walk partaking of the forgiveness of sins. As a fruit of faith, he also battles by the power of the Holy Spirit against sin and wants to keep faith and a good conscience. Against this background, we understand that the grace of baptism means both the promise and the obligation to endeavor as God’s grace child here on earth. III. Lord’s Holy Communion 1. Observation of Communion in the Early Church Communion is the second of the New Testament sacraments. It is a sacrament of the journey. Our Savior instituted it having enjoyed the Passover meal with His disciples for the last time. The New Testament does not give us detailed information about the observation of Communion. Instead, we can read about the institution of Communion from the writings of John the evangelist (John 13). With certainty, it is known that Communion was observed in the homes of believers in the evenings, and that the breaking of the bread mentioned by the New Testament specifically meant the observation of Communion. At first, the observation of Communion was connected to a meal called the meal of love. To this meal everyone brought their food according to their means. The meal followed the form of the festive Jewish meal and included the remembrance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and, speeches of teaching and exhortation. As the number of members in the congregations grew, disturbances began taking place in connection with the meals of love for example in Corinth. For this reason, Communion was separated into its own meal. 2. Luther’s Teachings on Communion The purpose of Communion was also discussed at the time of Reformation in Germany. The Swiss Calvin concluded the matter with a rational decision, by teaching that Jesus Christ could not be simultaneously in heaven and on earth in bread and wine. Luther responded to Calvin and other skeptics in this way: “When I cannot from my part understand the way in which the bread is the body of Christ, I imprison my intelligence to obey Christ, I remain simply in his words and I firmly believe, not only that the body of Christ is in bread, but also that the bread is the body of Christ.” Luther connected the teaching of bread and wine to the teaching of Christ’s two natures. We believe that Christ is both God and man at the same time. Similarly, we can believe that bread and wine connected with God’s Word are at the same time ordinary bread and wine, and at the same time the body and blood of Christ. 3. For Whom Is Communion Intended? When Jesus instituted the new covenant meal, He was eating the Passover lamb with His disciples. The Passover lamb is a symbol of the new covenant sacrificial lamb. In Jesus, the old covenant examples ceased because Jesus fulfilled the law, and the prophets’ prophecies were fulfilled in Him. The author of Hebrews says, that Jesus has by His own blood and not by the goats and calves gone into the holy and found eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12). This Passover celebration of Jesus with His disciples was indeed a farewell to the Old Testament time. Jesus said to His disciples: “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). He then instituted Communion. All the evangelists also tell of Judas Iscariot on that night. He is a cautionary example. In his unbelief, he improperly enjoyed Holy Communion for his own judgment. Apostle Paul warned the Corinthian believers of the improper eating of Communion: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27). The Small Catechism answers the question of who is a worthy Communion guest: “But he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: ‘Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins.’ But he who does not believe these words, or who doubts, is unworthy and unfit, for the words, ‘For you,’ require truly believing hearts.” In the Large Catechism, Luther briefly states, “The one who does not believe does not get anything.” Thus, the point is not at all of making ourselves worthy of Communion, for example, by finding in ourselves some specific devotion. What is in question here is that as pardoned sinners we can meet our Lord and Savior. To the Communion guests, Luther says, “(weak) people must learn that it is the highest art to know that our Sacrament does not depend upon our worthiness” (Large Catechism). Often when preparing for Communion we feel that we are unworthy communion guests. Before God’s holiness, our sinfulness overwhelmingly becomes exposed. The gift of Communion is also in this that it speaks to us strongly and exhorts to correct matters. On the other hand, Communion does not require perfection from us. We are sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. In faith, we can trust in God’s grace and forgiveness. Jesus has done everything on our behalf. The holy meal gives us strength to correct matters. The invitation, “Come, for all has been prepared,” is meant for every believer. 4. We Can Distinguish Seven Different Aspects in Communion – Meal of Remembrance When asking about the purpose of Communion one must first ask what the establisher of Communion, Jesus, said of it himself. He said to “do it in remembrance of me.” We thus celebrate Communion in memory of Jesus. What does Communion remind us of about Jesus? Certainly, first to mind comes His sacrificial death for our sins. He is our Passover lamb, sacrificed on our behalf (1 Cor. 5:7). Secondly, Communion reminds us of Jesus’ life as a human among people. Thirdly, when we enjoy the Lord’s Holy Communion, we are reminded that just as we now receive bread and wine, Jesus also gave bread and wine to His disciples, and in it His body and blood. – Meal for Strengthening of Faith Jesus did not institute Communion when calling His disciples but rather when departing from them. He did not institute Communion to help them into faith but to help them in faith. According to the Bible, faith is born of the gospel of the forgiveness of sins, but faith also needs nourishment. We get nourishment from food. The soul receives this food from the gospel, but to nourish the life of faith Jesus also instituted Holy Communion. – Meal of Unity Among the Jews, a meal had a strong meaning that emphasized unity. The meal fellowship was quite sacred. For us also, a meal signifies a visible proof of unity. At the communion table, we can feel unity with other children of God. Above all, our connection with the Lord Jesus strengthens when we eat and drink His body and blood. Paul writes: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread” (1 Cor. 10:16,17). – Meal of Love At the same time our connection to the Lord Jesus is strengthened, we feel how real, as if tangible His sacrifice for us has been. All this is brought forth by His love toward us. Jesus’ love caused Him to sacrifice himself for us. In the Early Church, this feeling of love brought about a sacrificial mind also in those coming to Communion. They also, inspired by love, wanted to give of their own. In this way, the food needed for the mutual meal was brought together. Such a powerful message of the all-giving love of Jesus and God is included into Communion. – Thanksgiving Meal Communion is also a meal of thanksgiving. All the evangelists tell us that Jesus first gave thanks when He took the bread and wine. Similarly, when all was concluded, they sang a hymn of praise. Our Communion celebration also contains much thanksgiving. It is quite natural that the human heart breaks into praise when experiencing the presence of and unity with the Savior. Apostle Paul exhorts: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast” (1 Cor. 5:7,8). – Meal of Confessing Faith The enjoyment of Communion is also connected to the confession of faith. Stepping up to the communion table is by itself an indication that I want to respect our Lord and Savior’s meal and last decree. Apostle Paul writes, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Cor. 11:26). – Meal of Hope The last aspect of the Communion meal is hope. Jesus himself gives the reason for this in his speech of institution. As He talks about His coming suffering, He opens perspectives of hope. He will no longer eat the fruit of the vine with the disciples, but promises that He will once eat it anew in His Father’s kingdom. These perspectives of hope we can also have in front of our eyes of faith when partaking of Communion. At the same time that we declare the death of the Lord, we also believe in and proclaim the Lord’s resurrection. Tempted, we often eat and drink the Lord’s Supper, sorrowing over our own lacking and inadequacies, but at the same time believing that once the imperfection will cease. Jesus himself strengthens our hope that once we will be able to be at the great communion in heaven.

Carey Simonson, Tapio Holma | The Voice of Zion August 2018, Translated from Päivämies, no. 3, 2000 -- Carey Simonson In each generation God’s grace working through the Holy Spirit has taught His children to deny ungodliness and worldly lust in order to live soberly, righteously, and godly (Titus 2:11-12). Already in the first NT congregational meeting the believers discussed an important matter concluding that the decision “seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us” (Acts 15:28). During our period of visitation, God’s children have been guided by the Holy Spirit to abstain from drinking alcohol. They have understood that alcohol leads to a wounded conscience, causes sorrow and harm to others, and has led many to a lifelong battle with addiction. Sober Living Is a Part of Christian Morality The LLC position statement, adopted in 2006, concisely states why believers don’t drink alcohol. Sober living has always been part of Christian morality. The Scripture warns of the dangers of alcohol and other intoxicants. It teaches that the power of alcohol wars against the will and power of God (Is. 5:11, 12; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:18). The use of intoxicants causes immeasurable suffering and hardship in our society, affecting not only the user, but also others around them. Individuals in the public eye, including elected officials, civil servants, and educators, can teach the value of a positive, unimpaired lifestyle by providing an example of sober living in their own lives. Instruction from Scripture The Bible contains much instruction about the dangers of alcohol and reveals drunkenness as a work of the flesh and sin. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. (Prov. 20:1) Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine… At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things… (Prov. 23:29-35) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21) Laestadius’ Experiences with Alcohol In the mid 1800’s, Pastor Lars Levi Laestadius battled against the strong effects of alcohol (“the devil’s drink”) in northern Sweden and Finland. He witnessed the destructive forces of alcohol in the lives of those around him and personally experienced how the spirit of alcohol made the Holy Spirit within him sorrowful. This occurred shortly after his conversion when he participated in a farewell toast with a group of pastors. He related that he felt “extremely bad, and for that reason I know from my own experience that the filthy spirit of alcohol makes the Holy Spirit sorrowful when the latter spirit has begun its work in the heart of a person.” [1] He noted that drinking the punch gave him a troubled conscience and stated that “the filthy spirit of alcohol drives the Holy Spirit away from the heart of a person.” [2] Blessing in Sobriety Sobriety and abstinence from alcohol has been and still is a good path. God’s children have been preserved from the destructive force of alcohol and enjoyed the blessings of an unimpaired lifestyle. References [1] Holma, Tapio, 2000. Why Do I Abstain?, Päivämies, no. 3, p. 2. (English translation on this page) [2] Lohi, Seppo, 2000. So Laestadius taught, Siionin Lähetyslehti, no. 3, p. 3. Why Do I Abstain? To many people in our time talk of “the horrors of alcohol” seems like an exaggeration. Nowadays people usually wish to approach the alcohol problem through enlightened discussion. The usual theory has been that the problem of alcohol in Finland stems from Finnish people’s poor drinking customs, e.g. drinking until intoxication. Therefore, Finnish people should learn better drinking customs, by using milder alcoholic beverages as people do further south in Europe. According to this viewpoint, advocating unconditional sobriety is useless fanaticism. Laestadius’ Experiences From the beginning, Lars Levi Laestadius, in his pastoral duties, had to battle against the destructive effects of alcohol or distilled liquor among the Lapps. Poverty, crude customs, arguments, fights, and children’s suffering demanded a change. However, temperance work did not seem to progress at first. Laestadius first stopped using strong alcoholic beverages himself to show an example. But when he heard that those opposed to the temperance movement insinuated that the pastor himself drank wine at weddings, he decided to also stop using wine and also promised to stop drinking beer, “if this bothers the consciences of those opposed to the temperance movement.” In this way, unconditional sobriety became a method of battling against the wrong use of alcohol. The Holy Spirit Becomes Sorrowful On the other hand, information has been preserved in Laestadius’ own notes that, to him, unconditional sobriety wasn’t only a method of battling against the destructive effects of alcohol. During his inspection trip in January 1844, when he found living faith in Asele, Sweden, he once took part in a clergyman’s farewell drink. He relates that the glass of punch made him feel “extremely bad, and for that reason I know from my own experience that the filthy spirit of alcohol makes the Holy Spirit sorrowful when the latter spirit has begun its work in the heart of a person.” In Behalf of a Good Life During this time of visitation, complete temperance has been practically a general agreement in the believer’s battle in behalf of a good life. A certain important viewpoint is yet connected to this. An alcoholic, even though he would like to live soberly, has had a change in his body system, which means that even a small amount of alcohol can cause an unquenchable desire for alcohol and cause him to start drinking again. Therefore, he can’t take even a small amount of alcohol. Unconditional sobriety, therefore, is also a support to those who are recovering alcoholics. It shows love, which helps the one who needs it. From Fake Experiences into True Joy Through alcohol, as through other drugs, people seek a new world of experiences when their perceived world brings disappointment, has no meaning or is dull. Others have experienced that alcohol is the only way to ease the suffering that results from depression or anxiety. Experiences acquired through intoxication can, nonetheless, only be compared to dreams; they are fake. In seeking experiences or in easing suffering, there is the danger of “getting hooked,” or becoming the slave of alcohol or drugs. Therefore, there is no reason to give your little finger to evil. God’s children have their own world of experiences, which the children of the world can’t know. It is joy which the Holy Spirit brings and the peace of faith. Why give yourself up to the danger of exchanging it away?

Walt Lampi | The Voice of Zion August 2018 -- As escorts, let us take on the responsibility to seek that which makes peace with and confirms another in faith (Rom. 14:19). What does it mean? How does it take place? God’s own are able to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9) because they have the gospel which is “the power of God.” A peace broken by sin can only be made and maintained through the preaching of forgiveness in Jesus’ name and blood. Peace and love open the heart to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are also urged to edify one another (Rom. 14:19, 15:2), which means to teach, confirm or build up another in faith. It is really the work of the Holy Spirit. It can take place in quiet private conversations at home, with friends or publicly by discussion in God’s congregation. Building up in faith is always based on the teachings, admonitions and instructions found in the Bible. The lessons are always “dipped in the blood of Christ.” The purpose is that one’s hope of salvation would be “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20). Such building can only be done with brotherly love for the undying soul (Rom. 12:10) and mutual love for God’s kingdom. Such love is impartial and not the same as human love. It works in humility and truth. Love can be described by both what it is and what it is not (1 Cor. 13). It is longsuffering, kind, willing to think well of others and enduring. It is not self-serving, neither thinks evil nor envies. Love does not seek its own benefit nor glory. Whereas love builds, knowledge can cause one to become proud (1 Cor. 8:1). Knowledge is not the same as faith and if not tempered with love can be harmful to its seeker and others. The preached Word is intended to build, exhort and comfort God’s people (Eph. 4:29, 1 Cor. 14:3) and God has given various gifts into His kingdom for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). The opposite of building is to destroy. Paul warned to “destroy not the work of God” meaning another redeemed soul (Rom. 14:20) for the sake of one’s rights (freedom). Rather, God has given the power of His Word and Spirit to build His house and not to destroy it nor any one of its inhabitants (2 Cor. 10:8, 13:10). Not everything is constructive, for the individual nor God’s congregation even though it might be permissible to partake of (1 Cor. 10:23). We have been called by the gospel unto freedom from sin, not freedom to sin (Gal. 5:13). This freedom must be used with care while taking others into account and in love serving them. It must never become the reason for causing another to stumble by violating his or her conscience (1 Cor. 8:9). In peace let us confirm one another in faith. We are constrained to do so because love is fragile, easily broken by sin, and we are under constant attack by our adversary. Paradoxically, the weak can strengthen the weak. It asks of us love, humility and a forgiving heart. Let us not become weary in our calling as escorts.

Harri Vahajylkka | The Voice of Zion February 2018 -- I remember a certain situation very well. One brother in faith, who was a little bit older than me, approached me and said that he had something to tell me. We had become friends before this and now I felt that he had something important to tell me. He wanted to discuss a certain matter in my life. It wasn’t clearly a matter of faith, but it was connected to the lifestyle of believers. At first, I was a little worried and felt uncomfortable, but his manner was non-threatening and his words were friendly. This older brother explained to me how this matter in my life could cause confusion in certain situations. His life and experience regarding the life of believers was richer than my own. I had not thought about this matter in the way my friend now explained it. I didn’t feel any pressure, but on the contrary, this brother said that he only wanted to express his own opinion and understanding. He left me the freedom to do as I felt best. He didn’t approach me from above, preach the law to me, make rules, or put pressure on me. It happened as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thess. 5:11). Believers Are Not Under the Law The Bible tells us how there was a dispute about the meaning of God’s law in early Christianity. The apostles and other believers gathered in Jerusalem to discuss these matters. There was a different understanding between brothers in the early Christian congregation. The understanding of some believing Pharisees was that the Gentiles must be circumcised after repentance and they must obey the Law of Moses. God opened the correct understanding in His congregation through the Holy Spirit. Many brothers like Simon Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James testified how many Gentiles heard the Word of the gospel and believed. Peter said to the brothers: “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:10,11). We share this same understanding. We are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ. We are not under the law but under grace. Paul writes to the Romans: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4). Freedom of Faith What does it mean for believers to not be living under the law? Once I discussed with one teacher how our children attend some but not other events that are typically held at their school. Usually those events were not part of the curriculum, but some celebration or free-time activities. The teacher asked me if I could provide a list of events in which our children would not participate. I said that I couldn’t because we don’t have lists like that. We know that we don’t need a list of rules because we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts to teach us. Faith is such a precious matter that we don’t want to corrupt it by sin or sinful life. Freedom of faith never means freedom to sin. Regarding that, Paul asks and answers this question in his letter to Romans: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Rom. 6:15). By Grace, Not Works It would be wrong for us to try to become acceptable to God through a perfect life. Then a wrong kind of timidity would come into our life, keeping us from being a part of society in a normal, contributing way. People have tried to sanctify themselves by living blamelessly, for example, by living in a monastery or convent. God’s Word teaches us that we can freely and with joyful minds enjoy life in its complete richness, to work, meet people, and have hobbies. If we idolize a blameless life, we demean the work of Christ. We would then need advice and admonition so that we could return to trusting in grace. We are and will continue to be sinners, but, by faith, we are pardoned sinners. Another false freedom comes through not fearing sin or by not having concern about our personal faith. If this is how we live, then we need advice to watch, to struggle on, and to live a life in harmony with the gospel. Different Personalities and Lives, One faith The preservation of the freedom of God’s children requires mutual love from us. We must not watch over the life of another brother or sister in a wrong way. We should not become offended over matters that arise through personality differences or ways of life as long as they are not sin. In fact, we can observe that there are many proper ways to live as a believer, but there is only one way to believe. Our experiences in foreign mission work have taught us that faith is the same even though cultures and ways of life are different from ours. Freedom of Faith and Mutual Love The love of a child of God does not allow us to restrict the freedom of others or break mutual love by our choices or lifestyle. As humans, we are different from one another. Some of us perhaps want everything to be “black and white.” This type of person wants all matters, also matters of faith, spelled out in an “either or” fashion. He or she wants to be able to categorize everything on one side or the other of an axis separating right from wrong. Another person, on the other hand, is flexible and compromise-seeking. He or she wants to calmly examine and test things and reach conclusions on them (1 Thess. 5:21). Faith and love give each of us responsibility. It is important to be able to discuss the issues of faith and life in an open and non-threatening atmosphere. We have to love each other in the truth giving and receiving advice when needed. When given with grace and truth, warnings and admonitions are not the law, but caretaking of souls. It is God’s true and proper love toward us! We come across matters that are clearly sin and against God’s Word. There are other matters that lead us further away from God, disrupt mutual love, take us “onto thin ice” in our life of faith, or entice ourselves or our neighbors to commit sin (1 Cor. 8). And, finally, there are many aspects of our lives that are not faith matters. We must not spiritualize such matters of everyday life. By faith, God has bestowed on us the greatest freedom of all through His Son, Jesus Christ. Through His work of reconciliation, He purchased our freedom from under the rule of sin, death, and evil. We need God’s help to be able to remain in this freedom. He counsels, admonishes, and instructs us with His Word. Even today we need the exhortations of the Word of God. The Bible reminds us to “exhort one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25).

Keith Waaraniemi | The Voice of Zion January 2018 - Doctrine and Life, Questions of Our Time -- We live in a changing and perilous time. Our doctrine and walk of faith are severely challenged by the three-fold enemy. Many questions arise. How can we keep faith and a good conscience and yet live in this present world? Starting this month, January 2018, this new feature entitled, Doctrine and Life, Questions of Our Timewill appear each month. In it many timely topics which face the believer of today will be examined in the light of God’s written Word, long held understandings and through His Holy Spirit. How Do I Know This Is God’s Kingdom? God’s kingdom cannot be explained in a manner that satisfies the human mind. It is only understood by faith. It is a kingdom that cannot be seen. “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you [among you]” (Luke 17:20-21). With eyes of faith, God’s children see this kingdom as Scripture describes it. It is the body of Christ, the golden candlestick, the sheepfold, the pillar and ground of truth, the mother of us all… Jesus spoke of the kingdom in the parable of a treasure hidden in a field (Matt. 13:44). “The parable illustrates why the kingdom of God cannot be seen. It is like treasure buried in the dust and dirt of a field, hidden from man’s sight. It is certainly an apt picture. In this world God’s kingdom is hidden beneath the flaws and faults of believing people, people whom God has made from the dust of the earth” (The Treasure Hidden in a Field,LLC 2003). Nonetheless, God reveals the beauty of this kingdom to the seeker to whom He grants His grace. The Ethiopian eunuch sat in his chariot reading the Prophet Isaiah. Philip came to him and asked him if he understands what he was reading. The eunuch replied, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (Acts 8:31). Philip, by believing his own sins forgiven through Christ, was a child of God. He was guided by the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to the eunuch who promised to believe upon the Son of God. Philip said, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Still today, salvation through Christ is proclaimed from God’s kingdom through the brothers and sisters of Philip, Christ’s own, who preach the forgiveness of sins in His name and blood. The Gospel’s Power Faith in the gospel of Christ preached from God’s kingdom has brought peace to my heart and has assured me that this is God’s kingdom. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). I see the power that the gospel carries in my endeavor of faith and in caring for my own marriage and family. It heals wounds and stills the heart. I need not look elsewhere when I have received such great treasure. I have the same conviction as Paul when he writes to the Romans, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16). Once on a mission trip to Ecuador, I asked this question of a man who on an earlier trip had asked for and received the forgiveness of all of his sins. He said, “Now I have peace in my heart.” He had no need to search further. This man and others commented that this is not a faith of outward traditions and rituals, but faith of the heart. The difficult knots in human relations that the gospel has been able to untie has been truly amazing! Brothers on foreign trips have experienced this a countless number of times. Known by Their Fruits Jesus has said of His own that “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). When I look at the lives of my friends in faith, I see fruits of childlike faith, humbleness, sincerity, honesty, service, love, and a sincere desire to reach heaven. In spite of my own sinfulness, the fruits of faith I see in them assures me that this is God’s kingdom, this is the pathway to heaven. Human Reason or the Bible God’s kingdom is known by an essential principle for true and living faith, that is holding to the authority of Scripture. First of all, one must believe that the Holy Bible is God’s Word written by men through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). Secondly, our faith and doctrine must be based on God’s Word. There are many people and religions in this world who claim to hold to the Word as the highest authority, but believe and live contrary. The biblical teaching of marriage being a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman is one case in point. In the name of human love even the previously conservative, Bible-based churches and religious bodies are caving to human opinion and reason regarding marriage and other tenets of the Bible. Seek First the Kingdom of God Jesus teaches, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Then further He says that in order to find God’s kingdom, one must humble to the place of a child. “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein” (Mark 10:15). A little child is helpless. God grants grace to the helpless who are burdened over their sin. He forgives sins through the preaching of the gospel by His followers from His kingdom (John 20:22,23). Jesus also spoke of a little child being an example of the greatest in the kingdom. In a natural sense, a child believes and trusts in his mother. So also the believer trusts in the care of the congregation, our spiritual Mother. A child does not always understand, but trusts and obeys the voice of the mother, from which comes an immeasurable blessing, peace, and contentment. The Gospel Brings Everlasting Peace I have also been assured that I am in God’s kingdom when I have heard about and witnessed the last days and moments of life for both the believing and unbelieving. For example, a certain woman lived her whole adult life in unbelief. As she became older, she wondered what she can do with her sins which burdened her. Sin has consequence and brings sorrow and difficulty. She often prayed that she could be forgiven.Eventually illness brought death close to her door. She feared death. God’s children approached her. God had prepared the soil of her heart to receive the life-giving gospel. She believed it! She no longer feared death and passed from this life believing her sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. Another example is from the life of my own brother. He was a childhood believer, but was deceived by the enemy of the soul as a young man. He lived most of his life in unbelief. Sin brought sorrow and consequences in life. He said through most of his life that he cannot understand living faith and is secure where he is at. He built a foundation suitable to his own mind. He was no stranger to outward battle as a soldier and in many other challenges in life. When cancer struck, he took on that battle, too, with the same tenacity with which he faced other battles. However, a cure was not to be found, and he had to surrender to face death. Even in the last weeks of life, he wasn’t ready to let go of human reason and accept God’s grace which we offered. One day, he was sure he was going to die. In distress he reached out to his believing family, at first not being able to connect with anyone. Finally, when he reached his believing brother, there was no reasoning, no human foundations, only a plea for the life-giving gospel. He lost his battle with cancer and human reason, but heard the sweet message from God’s kingdom, “Believe all of your sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood,” through which he won the victory and went on to meet his Redeemer face to face. Faith was no longer needed. It had changed to seeing.