This is the article that our pastor wrote for the October 4th edition of the Stone County Gazette. The Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Based on Scripture being so valuable in our life of faith, […]
Revelation, Lesson 14: Christ’s Victory over Satan’s Earthly Agents
September 22, 2012 by
The Power of Satan’s Earthly Agents (17:1-18) Last week, we learned that Babylon does not represent any one specific city but, instead, represents humanity in organized opposition against God and people in rebellion against Him. We find that after the final outpouring of wrath on the world and Babylon (Revelation 16:9), an angel came and […]
Review of The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes
September 12, 2012 by
No Longer Missing In Action: The Apocrypha, The Lutheran Edition By Pr. Rich Futrell In 397 AD, at Carthage (today in Tunisia), the Church gathered to resolve an issue: what books being read in the Church are Scripture? Throughout the New Testament Church’s history, there was never complete unanimity on what books made up the […]
Revelation, Lesson 13: The Seven Signs, Pt. 7
September 8, 2012 by
After Jesus has broken six seals, and the Book of Revelation went into two interludes, pointing forward to a thematic shift–the last seal on the two-sided scroll that Jesus will break. However, instead of having four accounts of the 7th seal with the same themes, we find the first account of the 7th seal preparing […]
Revelation, Lesson 12: The Two Interludes after the 6th Seal
September 1, 2012 by
After the Apostle John observed heavenly worship, he saw Jesus, represented as a wounded but victorious lamb, receive a double-sided scroll with seven seals. Revelation then moved into four successive visions of each seal as Jesus breaks each one. And, for the most part, we also see a fairly linear chronology. Seal 1: Mary gives […]
Living Out the Faith in the Lutheran Church
August 20, 2012 by
By Pastor Rich Futrell All congregations and pastors in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod pledge to uphold and follow the Lutheran Confessions. That’s a basic requirement of membership. And that’s also what separates us from all other Christian churches. At my ordination vows, I, as your pastor, vowed to “perform the duties of [my] office in […]
Revelation: Lesson 10: The Seven Signs, Parts 4-5
August 18, 2012 by
After the Apostle John observed heavenly worship, he saw Jesus, represented as a wounded but victorious lamb, receive a double-sided scroll with seven seals. Revelation then moves into four successive visions of each seal as Jesus breaks each one. Seal 1: Mary gives birth to Jesus. Satan tries to kill the infant Jesus but fails. […]
Revelation: Lesson 9: The Seven Signs, Parts 2-3
August 11, 2012 by
After the Apostle John observed heavenly worship, he saw Jesus, represented as a wounded but victorious lamb, receive a scroll with seven seals. Revelation then moves into four successive visions of each seal that Jesus opens. Last week, we looked at the first seal, which depicted the cosmic battle between good and evil, between the […]
Jude
August 7, 2012 by
Jude Author The author of this epistle simply identifies himself as “Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.” But who is he? First, Jude is a shortened form of “Judas.” Of course, we know of Judas Iscariot (of Kerioth). Yet, the New Testament mentions four other Judases. One was the Judas […]
