So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
golter's mussings November 2020
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Very Likely…
November 05, 2020
Very likely.
Very likely no return to normal anytime soon.
Very likely the Plexiglas barriers will remain for a long time. No business will want to be the first to remove.
Fear of catching any virus or bacteria—let alone COVID-19—will own long shadows.
Now, having an uncertain presidential election just seems par for the course of 2020.
What shall we do?
Count on God.
He’s got the whole world in His hands, as the 1958 song goes.
Might I add: “In His SCARRED hands.”
Jesus chose to retain these scars, to not have His body heal these wounds.
Why? For your comfort.
You can count on God who never fails.
No fractions or calculations or taking odds.
“What’s the chances of God taking care of you” is a faulty question. There’s no chance with God.
God is certain and true; He’s bound Himself through these scarred hands, these salvation wounds.
Very likely uncertainty marks our days.
But we own a higher confidence.
Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran
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Churches need Backbone…and so do their Preachers.
November 12, 2020
I know.
You want peace. You want civility.
It won’t happen. Not with a change of American leadership, either.
Sorry.
The forces of untruth -- -gay marriage, abortion, truth as you perceive it — have been scoring touchdowns in America for quite a while (sorry for the sport’s analogy). Why not keep calling the same play, if it works?
Those who confess biblical truth are the targets. See Revelation 12:17 for reality of the battle.
This side of heaven, the arena is called the Church Militant, the Church in Battle.
Outward peace will be promised if the Church compromises the Truth given to her in Scripture.
Luther’s word on Matthew 5:14-15 preaches, as Jesus calls the church light. “Anyone who is supposed to be light must be sure he does not sneak off into a corner, but stands up publicly and fearlessly,” (AE 21:63).
“If you want to be My preachers, you really have to take your place publicly and to stand up before the world…”
“Your love for a particular person dare not cause you to keep quiet or to speak out…you must shine freely and publicly without regard to honor or shame, riches or poverty, disfavor or popularity, death or life. And you must know that you are serving Me, Me who appointed you to be the light,” (Ibid 64).
I recall words from sainted Dr. Kurt Marquart’s lecture. To a question on why the Christian Church in Germany during Hitler’s day didn’t stand up, he said: “Because the church had lost her backbone. She tolerated false teaching, and this caused her to cower in fear.”
This calls neither for fear or arrogance. Rather, for faith and humble trust in the Savoir.
Through your witness, God will bring people to faith. And they will rejoice.
Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran
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Don’t be Suckered by the Secularists
November 19, 2020
The secularists in America don’t want you to speak.
A working assumption is that there is separation from Church and State. You dare not speak of what you believe, especially if you are a Christian. Keep to your own opinion.
And, government is to remain neutral in religious causes. But it’s OK if they support irreligious causes, what is understood as being secular.
Secular means there is no god.
Secularism is a religion; it’s a brand of Atheism.
That’s NOT how God set up the government to operate. Government officials—and we include the institution of government—are God’s setup and God’s agents. “For he is God’s servant for your good,” (Romans 13:4).
How illogical for God to set up an institution which promotes atheism, an impossibility.
He can’t deny Himself, who alone is the Truth speaker.
Naïve and fear-filled Christians buy into this belief. Confession of faith is a private opinion, not to be mouthed before courts and in neighbor conversations.
Please, show me in the Bible where the believer is to keep his faith quiet.
There is no such thing in God’s setup of some kind of privatized religion.
Don’t be suckered.
Secularists need you to confess the truth.
They need God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; they need salvation.
Speak freely as the Lord is on your side.
Remember David and Goliath. Daniel and the lion’s den.
Jesus Himself.
Follow the push of the Holy Spirit.
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard,” so says St. Peter to the officials (Acts 4:19-2).
Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran
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What is “Avocation”?
November 26, 2020
I learned a new word.
Avocation.
It’s a hobby or minor occupation.
Someone may say, "He dabbles in financial investment, but he’s not trained.”
It’s a hobby, when there’s time.
Now, consider the Christian and good works.
Francis Pieper writes: “Christians should not be satisfied with having performed this or that good work, but they should become rich in good works (2 Cor. 8:7, 20; 9:8,11). They should not sit at home and wait ‘to be given opportunity’ to do good works, but they should go out and seek opportunities to do good works, they should be ‘zealous for good works’ (Titus 2:14),” (Christian Dogmatics, Vo. 3:47).
A Christian doesn’t dabble in doing good, as a hobby.
Rather, it’s a joyful life freed by the Gospel to serve.
The Bible references in 2 Corinthians speak of Paul’s urging to gather offerings to help the struggling church in Jerusalem.
The Wyoming District of the LCMS used to have a “Big Sister—Little Sister” program. The larger congregations would assist the smaller churches in their need, even financially.
It’s simply what the Church does.
It’s what a Christian does.
And, we’re deeply thankful for this God-given life.
It’s the baptismal life.
Helping, giving, serving…it’s not an AVOCATION.
Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran
