what is it about Lutheran beliefs that makes them so

[rockytrails]

why is it Lutheran Christian are so up and not down about the new generations that will follow us.

when so many were so worried about y 2 k.

Lutherans were so willing to cheer the new year in.

the Lutheran Christian view of the end times makes the difference don't you think so to?

[rainy]

Rocky,
Hello! I was a Lutheran raised in a Lutheran Church my stepfather and I tought out of the bible in the Lutheran church. Yes, they read the bible. They rely on other books besides the bible to teach. Just like many religions. Lutherans do not believe in speaking in toungues and in several other things. Do not get me wrong the Lutherans do read out of the bible. I stress that because Doctorine is what you say in your words but being raised in the religion I know a little more about it then most who have not. The belief in excommunication not forgiveness and mostly words is why I left the church. No one knows when Gods comming back for his people and in the bible it states that he will comeback as a thief in the night which means you do not when he returning or what hour but he will return. I think God Looks for a person who is seeking him not just one religion but any religion.
Have read the bible thru and thru it does not state any specific religion that the Lord is coming back for.
So on that note no I do not thing any religion you look to for the answers you to God and the BIble for those answers. Although fellowship is what we all need in our lifetime. I guess that is my view although yours maybe different.

[porterross]

Wow! No offense, Rainy, but you've got the bit about excommunication and lack of understanding about forgiveness completely wrong. I'd say your belief that you know Confessional Lutheran doctrine is off the mark.

[Tofferer]

Rocky,
No one knows when Gods coming back for his people and in the bible it states that he will comeback as a thief in the night which means you do not when he returning or what hour but he will return.


Pardon me. I couldn't help but notice that you are of the AoG church. Now I know it is not true of all, but do not the majority of the AoG church member subscribe to a rapture followed by a seven year tribulation period theory? Such being the case, does that not nullify the part of your post that I have quoted? Also, why are you posting in a Conservative Lutheran thread regarding Lutheran doctrine if you are no longer part of the Lutheran church? We have already had one thread closed for staff review because of this. Please understand that this is nothing personal, and you are welcome to send a private message to me in order to respond if you so choose. However, given recent circumstances, I am concerned.....

[WildStrawberry]

I'm going to have to agree with Porter on this one, Rainy. Excommunication in the Lutheran Church is used as a LAST DITCH method of bringing the unbeliever (the one who is sinning and not repentant of that sin) back to faith.

The Lutheran Church teaches, directly from the Bible, that we are to go to our brother and tell him of his misdeeds. If that doesn't work, then a group should go and then the whole Church. If ALL of that doesn't bring that sinner back into the fold, then and ONLY then, should the church consider excommunication.

As for teaching out of other books, I would assume you mean the Small Catechism. If you remember from your days of being brought up Lutheran, the SC is based ENTIRELY in Scripture. If you still have your copy, pull it out and see what I'm saying. Don't have your copy? Check out The Small Catechism (http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.html)online.

Nor does the Lutheran Church teach that they are the ONLY true church. They teach that there are believers and hypocrites in ALL churches...even their own. It is up to God to know the heart of man, not his fellow man.

I recommend that you read through the Small Catechism and see what I'm saying!

All the best!

Kae

[rockytrails]

Rocky,
Hello! I was a Lutheran raised in a Lutheran Church my stepfather and I tought out of the bible in the Lutheran church. Yes, they read the bible. They rely on other books besides the bible to teach. Just like many religions. Lutherans do not believe in speaking in toungues and in several other things. Do not get me wrong the Lutherans do read out of the bible. I stress that because Doctorine is what you say in your words but being raised in the religion I know a little more about it then most who have not. The belief in excommunication not forgiveness and mostly words is why I left the church. No one knows when Gods comming back for his people and in the bible it states that he will comeback as a thief in the night which means you do not when he returning or what hour but he will return. I think God Looks for a person who is seeking him not just one religion but any religion.
Have read the bible thru and thru it does not state any specific religion that the Lord is coming back for.
So on that note no I do not thing any religion you look to for the answers you to God and the BIble for those answers. Although fellowship is what we all need in our lifetime. I guess that is my view although yours maybe different.


Rainy the other books Lutherans use . THE BIBLE RULES THEM. they don't rule the bible.And this is stated in the BOC.
OR I COULD SAY IT THIS WAY .
THE BIBLE TELLS THEM WHAT THEY MUST SAY (TEACH) THEY DON'T TELL THE BIBLE WHAT TO SAY (TEACH).


AND rainy Lutherans x communicate people only to get them to trust the forgeivness Jesus truly wants them to have and trust in..

ALSO rainy yes use of Jesus's exact words are a big deal to Lutherans.
After all we would not want to pervert Gods word using our own words and promises . if we used our own words and promises we would turn the sacraments in to worthlessness.

[WildStrawberry]

Oh hey! I forgot to answer Rocky's question...

What makes Lutherans "up" and not "down" about the end times?

One word...hope.

We hope in Christ. We believe in His words. He says it, we believe it.

Kae

[rockytrails]

Oh hey! I forgot to answer Rocky's question...

What makes Lutherans "up" and not "down" about the end times?

One word...hope.

We hope in Christ. We believe in His words. He says it, we believe it.

Kae
AMEN

[Tofferer]

I have to agree. Without hope, we would be lost. It is the promises of our Lord Christ that give us hope. No matter what, we can trust those promises with our very lives.

[porterross]

Oh hey! I forgot to answer Rocky's question...

What makes Lutherans "up" and not "down" about the end times?

One word...hope.

We hope in Christ. We believe in His words. He says it, we believe it.

Kae

Yes, ma'am. All hope and faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and no one knows when He will return but the Father (Matthew 24:36). :crosseo:

As for our lives and how they end, God's will be done. Why worry about what is not in our hands? :pray:

[rainy]

Am not going to post in this forum did not mean to upset anyone.

[LilLamb219]

To answer the OP....my pastor was giving his sermon yesterday and speaking of something about giving an extra $10 a week to help pay for the increases in costs for the next year...he said he wouldn't worry about it because....

"My religion doesn't allow me to worry"

;)

Sounds good to me as to why Lutherans are more positive. We have the hope of Christ!!!

[LutheranChick]

To answer the OP....my pastor was giving his sermon yesterday and speaking of something about giving an extra $10 a week to help pay for the increases in costs for the next year...he said he wouldn't worry about it because....

"My religion doesn't allow me to worry"

;)

Sounds good to me as to why Lutherans are more positive. We have the hope of Christ!!!
For any non-Lutherans that may be reading this thread, I would like to clarify the definition of hope, as it pertains to believers. Hope is not the "Gee I hope I get a new car for my birthday" (nor gee, I HOPE I go to heaven) type of hope. Our Hope in Christ is based on God's promise for salvation, and that promise is a sure thing.

[LilLamb219]

Excellent addition :)

[WildStrawberry]

For any non-Lutherans that may be reading this thread, I would like to clarify the definition of hope, as it pertains to believers. Hope is not the "Gee I hope I get a new car for my birthday" (nor gee, I HOPE I go to heaven) type of hope. Our Hope in Christ is based on God's promise for salvation, and that promise is a sure thing.

Thanks for adding this! I was a bit brain dead last night. LOL

Kae

[LutheranChick]

Thanks for adding this! I was a bit brain dead last night. LOL

Kae
Oh no problem at all! I think this is something we Lutherans just assume sometimes, and it's easy to forget that the meanings of some of the words we use may mean something completely different to others. Like Grace = completely unearned, underserved favor from God.

[Tofferer]

I like the addition. We who are Lutherans may understand readily what we mean when we discuss hope, but non-lutherans may need to have the extra clarification. Thanks, great post.

[LilLamb219]

Yep, it's so easy to forget! :)

[porterross]

Yep, it's so easy to forget! :)
We take good theology for granted. ;)

[WildStrawberry]

Don't we though?

And based on this thread, I'm writing a Devotional for tonight's Women's Guild meeting.

Going to use the Hymn When in the Hour of Deepest Need (LSB 615) as my ending prayer and the texts it's based on for my texts.

Thanks for the thread, Rocky!

Kae

[LutheranChick]

We take good theology for granted. ;)
What a wonderful thing, indeed, to be taking for granted!

[WildStrawberry]

Here is my devo for tonight's meeting.

Hope

A friend recently asked “what makes Lutherans so HAPPY over the coming end times?” It brought about a discussion of how Lutherans seem to just “take things in stride” as opposed to other Christians.

With all I could have said on the subject, the answer really comes down to just one word. Hope. Now, being thoroughly Lutheran, I have to ask “what does this mean?” The online free dictionary defines hope as “1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation or the archaic use “To have confidence; trust”

We Lutherans seem to understand the whole concept of hope in Christ based on God’s promise of salvation and that promise is a “sure thing” as it says in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

And because we have that confidence, we also have the "modern" type of hope. We CAN look forward to Christ's Second coming with GREAT Confidence and Expectation! We can do so because, when it all boils down, Jesus did it all FOR us. As Luther said in the Explanation to the 3rd article of the Apostles' Creed: "We can not, by our own reason or strength, come to faith in Christ Jesus, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life."

Because of this hope, this complete confidence and trust we can have in God, we Lutherans should be nothing but happy and joyfully LONGING for the end times to come. It doesn’t mean that bad things will never happen to us, but it DOES mean that because of God’s boundless grace, His absolute love that gave us forgiveness through the death and resurrection of our Lord, that, even in the hour of our deepest need, we can have that hope, clear and true, that we are forgiven and we will see salvation.

Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus! Amen.

Kae

[Tofferer]

Well done. I think it is really summarizes, and quite well at that, why we do not get overwrought with the idea of "end times" and also how we understand the hope we, as Lutherans, have. Bravo Zulu on a job well done.

[LutheranChick]

Here is my devo for tonight's meeting.

Hope

A friend recently asked “what makes Lutherans so HAPPY over the coming end times?” It brought about a discussion of how Lutherans seem to just “take things in stride” as opposed to other Christians.

With all I could have said on the subject, the answer really comes down to just one word. Hope. Now, being thoroughly Lutheran, I have to ask “what does this mean?” The online free dictionary defines hope as “1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation or the archaic use “To have confidence; trust”

We Lutherans seem to understand the whole concept of hope in Christ based on God’s promise of salvation and that promise is a “sure thing” as it says in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

And because we have that confidence, we also have the "modern" type of hope. We CAN look forward to Christ's Second coming with GREAT Confidence and Expectation! We can do so because, when it all boils down, Jesus did it all FOR us. As Luther said in the Explanation to the 3rd article of the Apostles' Creed: "We can not, by our own reason or strength, come to faith in Christ Jesus, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life."

Because of this hope, this complete confidence and trust we can have in God, we Lutherans should be nothing but happy and joyfully LONGING for the end times to come. It doesn’t mean that bad things will never happen to us, but it DOES mean that because of God’s boundless grace, His absolute love that gave us forgiveness through the death and resurrection of our Lord, that, even in the hour of our deepest need, we can have that hope, clear and true, that we are forgiven and we will see salvation.

Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus! Amen.

Kae
Fantastic! So appropriate also, as Sunday was "The Last Judgement" Sunday.

[DaRev]

You wanna WOW 'em? Add this somewhere within...

"In the Greek, the language the New Testament was written in, the word translated "hope" is the Greek word "elpis" which means 'the Christian attitude of patient waiting, the expectation of the Divinely provided future.'"

Here is my devo for tonight's meeting.


Hope



A friend recently asked “what makes Lutherans so HAPPY over the coming end times?” It brought about a discussion of how Lutherans seem to just “take things in stride” as opposed to other Christians.

With all I could have said on the subject, the answer really comes down to just one word. Hope. Now, being thoroughly Lutheran, I have to ask “what does this mean?” The online free dictionary defines hope as “1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation or the archaic use “To have confidence; trust”

We Lutherans seem to understand the whole concept of hope in Christ based on God’s promise of salvation and that promise is a “sure thing” as it says in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

And because we have that confidence, we also have the "modern" type of hope. We CAN look forward to Christ's Second coming with GREAT Confidence and Expectation! We can do so because, when it all boils down, Jesus did it all FOR us. As Luther said in the Explanation to the 3rd article of the Apostles' Creed: "We can not, by our own reason or strength, come to faith in Christ Jesus, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life."

Because of this hope, this complete confidence and trust we can have in God, we Lutherans should be nothing but happy and joyfully LONGING for the end times to come. It doesn’t mean that bad things will never happen to us, but it DOES mean that because of God’s boundless grace, His absolute love that gave us forgiveness through the death and resurrection of our Lord, that, even in the hour of our deepest need, we can have that hope, clear and true, that we are forgiven and we will see salvation.

Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus! Amen.

Kae

[LilLamb219]

You wowed us, Rev :)

[PreachersWife2004]

Pffft. DaRev is such a show off with his greek and stuff. :P ;)

[filosofer]

"In the Greek, the language the New Testament was written in, the word translated "hope" is the Greek word "elpis" which means 'the Christian attitude of patient waiting, the expectation of the Divinely provided future.'"

I think a little caution needs to be exercised here. The word itself does not always have that sense. Context plays a major role in understanding its use. Thus, while I agree with the theology that you have stated, the word itself cannot carry that weight.

[DaRev]

I think a little caution needs to be exercised here. The word itself does not always have that sense. Context plays a major role in understanding its use. Thus, while I agree with the theology that you have stated, the word itself cannot carry that weight.



This is true. I provided only 2 examples from the lexicon. But I think that what she is trying to imply through her devotion fits with that context.

[RadMan]

What a wonderful thing, indeed, to be taking for granted!Happy Birthday LC :)

[WildStrawberry]

And of course I didn't check the thread BEFORE going to WG!

But they enjoyed it. Even chuckled at the "being thoroughly Lutheran, I have to ask "what does this mean"" part. *G*

Thanks Rev. So it was okay theologically? *G*

Kae

[Tofferer]

I don't know why, but tonight was just plain depressing. I ended up having to answer close to 75% of the questions that our professor asked in class tonight and all we discussed was 1 & 2 Kings. For a seminary, I am wondering how many of the students, especially those who are claiming themselves as preachers, are taking the class seriously? I would think that if they were serious about it, then I wouldn't be a position of being the only one that our professor can rely upon to have an answer to his questions. Am I wrong to think that way?

[Confess]

I don't know why, but tonight was just plain depressing. I ended up having to answer close to 75% of the questions that our professor asked in class tonight and all we discussed was 1 & 2 Kings. For a seminary, I am wondering how many of the students, especially those who are claiming themselves as preachers, are taking the class seriously? I would think that if they were serious about it, then I wouldn't be a position of being the only one that our professor can rely upon to have an answer to his questions. Am I wrong to think that way?
Golly no!!!

I would think that the love for the Word of God would drive any called man to thirst and desire to talk about it!!!

[LutheranChick]

Happy Birthday LC :)
Thanks, RadMan!

[Tofferer]

Golly no!!!

I would think that the love for the Word of God would drive any called man to thirst and desire to talk about it!!!
I guess it just burns me to think that somebody who is supposedly in the postition of a pastor would be so under qualified for the position. Even worse that I am in a class with three such individuals (one is also a windows user who thinks he knows more than I do about Linux, though that is more for the nerd thread). I can not begin to express how awkward I sometimes feel in class when I am told not to answer a question only for the instructor to have to change his mind and ask me to answer the question after nobody even attempts an answer (average wait time is approximately five minutes).

[Confess]

I guess it just burns me to think that somebody who is supposedly in the postition of a pastor would be so under qualified for the position. Even worse that I am in a class with three such individuals (one is also a windows user who thinks he knows more than I do about Linux, though that is more for the nerd thread). I can not begin to express how awkward I sometimes feel in class when I am told not to answer a question only for the instructor to have to change his mind and ask me to answer the question after nobody even attempts an answer (average wait time is approximately five minutes).
It is truly sad. We moved 850 miles because we found the same problem. Pray for them. That is all I can say other than I empathize.

[Tofferer]

It is truly sad. We moved 850 miles because we found the same problem. Pray for them. That is all I can say other than I empathize.
I do pray, but I fear that our times are now not that different than in Luther's day when many priest were wholly unfit to be in the pulpit.