Heaven or Resurrection?

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about death, heaven, and resurrection:

Is it Heaven or resurrection?

Reformation

My article from this week's Algona Upper Des Moines on Reformation Day

Remembering Reformation Day

Halloween

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines on Halloween:

How to Approach Halloween Festivities

The Shack

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines on The Shack:

The Merits of Reading The Shack

Hardened Heart

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines on the hardening of Pharaoh's Heart:

What is "Hardening of Heart?"

Bible Translations

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about Bible Translations:

Q: With so many Bible translations available, which one should I buy? What are the differences between them?

The Bible was originally written in Greek (New Testament) and Hebrew (Old Testament) with a few verses in both testaments being in the Aramaic language. My church denomination and some others still require their pastors to learn to read Greek and Hebrew as part of their training. The English Bibles we read today are translations of these original languages.

When choosing a Bible translation, there are several factors to consider. The two primary factors are accuracy and readability. Buyers also might want to consider the preferred translation used by their church or other Christians with whom they study the Bible. As a Christian advances in their study of the Bible, they often find it beneficial to have several different English translations available to them for comparison.

During a trip to Algona’s local Christian bookstore this week, I was able to count seven English translations available for sale, and as I look at my office bookshelf, I find that I have fifteen English translations of the Bible at my disposal, in addition to Greek, Hebrew, German, and Spanish copies. In addition to these many translations of the Bible text, many of the translations have numerous optional resources, including cross references, study notes, devotional content, and other additional content.

Most pastors and Bible teachers place the accuracy of a translation to be of first importance when choosing a Bible to purchase. Some Bibles translate each word literally, while others may translate several words together in order to better convey the meaning in English. In addition to the varying translations, there are also bible paraphrases, which tell the story in the translator’s own words rather than literally translating. While these paraphrases, such as The Message, and The Living Bible can be easy to understand for casual reading, they are not good choices for deeper study because they rely heavily on the English author’s understanding of the words rather than the Bible’s original way of saying it. Translations such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB), English Standard Version (ESV), and New King James Version (NKJV) are highly respected for their accuracy in translating the Bible.

Although accuracy is an important consideration, a Bible translation also has to be understandable to the reader. For example, the King James Version of the Bible is highly accurate, but some people find it difficult to read because of the older language it uses. The New International Version (NIV), the best-selling Bible translation in America, is highly renowned for its ease of reading. Other translations, such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB) are not very difficult to read and study, but can be somewhat awkward to read out-loud in public. The New Living Translation (NLT) and English Standard Version (ESV) are also known as very readable translations.

A good balance between accuracy and readability is usually the goal. An accurate translation you cannot understand easily and a translation which is readable, but inaccurate will both be poor choices. The guidance of your own pastor, especially if he can read Greek and Hebrew, is a valuable tool in determining which translation is right for your needs. My personal preference in a translation to read aloud publicly or for casual reading at home is the ESV, and my preference for in-depth study is the NASB.

When picking out your new Bible, don’t forget to research all of the available options, such as cover materials, study notes, and other resources. A Bible which is attractive and has the options and resources you desire will be much more appealing to study with regularity. Since my current Bible has begun to literally fall to pieces, I am excitedly anticipating the arrival of my new copy of The Lutheran Study Bible (An ESV Bible from Concordia Publishing House), which I pre-ordered several months ago to be delivered when it is released in October.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions for inclusion in future issues. According to your preference, you may include your first name or submit questions anonymously, and I will do my best to answer your questions as my knowledge and research allow and according to their suitability for publication. You may submit questions by email to revjpeterson@yahoo.com or by mail to P.O. Box 195; Burt, IA 50522.

Prayer

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about prayer:

Q: What is it that motivates God to hear and answer prayers?

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story which illustrates the answer to just such a question:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' [13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14 ESV)

God’s choice to hear and answer prayers is not founded on anything that we do. God does not hear our prayers because of their length, or how often we ask. (Matthew 6:7) He doesn’t listen based on our eloquence or the beauty of our words. He does not even take into account who is praying the prayer, other than whether the person is a Christian. A pastor, elder, or deacon’s prayer is no more worthy before God than that of any other Christian (although the prayers of pastors and Christian friends can be of great help in times of sickness or distress which make it hard for us to concentrate on our own prayers). Even though places like church buildings or chapels help us to focus on God in our prayers, He does not hear our prayers based on the location where we pray.

Nothing we do can force God to hear our prayers, and nothing of our own making renders our prayers more acceptable to Him. Like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, we cannot rely on our own goodness or worthiness to have our prayers heard, because no matter how good we are, all people fall short of God’ standard, which is perfection. God hears the prayers of Christians solely because they have been forgiven by Jesus. When God hears the prayers of Christians, He does so only because of what Jesus has done by living perfectly according to God’s law, then being executed by crucifixion, even though He was innocent of any wrongdoing. This is why many church prayers end by saying “through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord…” any many Christians end their personal prayers, “in Jesus’ name.”

God is so good to us, that He even gives us the things we need when we forget or neglect to pray for them (Matthew 6:8). He also gives the Holy Spirit to Christians who gives and strengthens our faith in Jesus and helps us to pray, especially in times of weakness (Romans 8:26-27). God not only gives us prayer as a way to bring our needs to Him, but also as a way to thank Him for His blessings and intercede for the needs of our neighbors. He does not command prayer as a rigid duty, but instead, gives it to us as a gracious gift, and He Himself provides everything necessary for our prayers to be heard and answered for those who trust in Jesus.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions for inclusion in future issues. According to your preference, you may include your first name or submit questions anonymously, and I will do my best to answer your questions as my knowledge and research allow and according to their suitability for publication. You may submit questions by email to revjpeterson@yahoo.com or by mail to P.O. Box 195; Burt, IA 50522.

Angels

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about Angels:

Q: Are angels real and how much do we really know about them?

Angels have probably been one of the most popular subjects in spirituality over the years. On one hand, angels are real beings, described by the Bible, but on the other hand, some popular beliefs regarding angels are no more than superstition or speculation. Because we see so many examples in the Bible of angels in action, there are many things we can know about them. First, we know that angels were created by God. Because God says in the book of Job that they were present when God “laid the foundations of the earth,” they were probably created on the first day that God began to create the world.

Angels are not just a spiritual phenomenon, but they are individual, personal beings. The Bible shows us that angels have names, such as Michael and Gabriel, but they are neither male nor female and do not marry or reproduce—something Jesus reveals to us in the Gospels. They experience joy when sinners repent, and they exist to serve God and follow His commands.

There are also different types or ranks among the angels. The picture we usually imagine of an impressive glowing angel with wings dressed in white would probably resemble the Seraphim. (Incidentally, the Bible never describes an angel who looks like a chubby, winged toddler.) Seraphim surround God’s throne in heaven and their task is to praise and glorify Him. They are described in Revelation 4 and Isaiah 6. Cherubim are angels who act as servants to God. They assist in carrying out God’s will and His commands in heaven and on earth, as seen in Genesis 3:24 and Ezekiel 1. Another class of angels, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9 is the Archangel.

We do not know how many angels there are, but we do know from a statement made by Jesus (Matthew 26:53) that there are at least 72,000. All angels were originally created by God to serve Him, but soon after creation, one angel began a rebellion in heaven, leading one-third of the angels to oppose God. These angels were condemned for their rebellion and are now known as demons. Michael, the Archangel is described as fighting against Satan and the demons.

The angels’ task is to praise God (Isaiah 6, Revelation 5) and carry out His will in the world (Revelation 7 & 14). They defend earthly rulers who God approves (Daniel 6) and destroy the enemies of God’s people (Exodus 14, Acts 12). They watch over the households of believers and guard their children (Job 1, Psalm 34, Matthew 18), and they guard and protect Christians from the time of their Baptism until their death (Psalm 91, Luke 16, Jude 9). When Jesus returns, the angels will separate the condemned from the saved and carry out His punishments against them (Matthew 13 & 25), and they will escort the saved into the eternal life.

One of the most popular myths about angels is that people can communicate with them or seek their guidance. There are even services available where, much like a psychic reading, a person claims that they can connect you with the angels and (for a fee, of course) tell you what they have to say. This sort of practice is entirely contrary to the teachings of Scripture. God did send messages to Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, John, and some of the prophets through angels, but He has never promised that He will do the same for us. Additionally, those Biblical saints heard directly from the angels and did not require the assistance of a “professional.”

Furthermore, Paul informs us in 1 Timothy that, “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” The fact is that since Jesus has died and risen for us, Christians do not have need of anyone to stand between them and God to assist in communication. Christians have the privilege to hear God’s Word for them directly from the Bible and to speak back to Him directly through prayer. Jesus, not any angel, is the only mediator who can connect us with God the Father.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions for inclusion in future issues. According to your preference, you may include your first name or submit questions anonymously, and I will do my best to answer your questions as my knowledge and research allow and according to their suitability for publication. You may submit questions by email to revjpeterson@yahoo.com or by mail to P.O. Box 195; Burt, IA 50522.

Jesus' Teen Years

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about Jesus' teen years:

Q: What do we know about Jesus’ child and teen years?

The Bible gives us a detailed account of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Luke. This is probably one of the most familiar portions of scripture for most Christians because of tradition of reading it on Christmas Eve. It is likely that many readers even memorized portions of this chapter of Luke as a part of their childhood participation in Christmas Eve services. The New Testament Gospels also give us generous amounts of information on the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, which occurred between His Baptism by John at age 30 and His death, resurrection, and ascension about 3 years later. The time between Jesus’ birth and His thirtieth year, however, does not receive a great deal of attention in the Bible, but it does show us a few memorable events.

As a young child, Jesus’ is visited by three Magi from the East who came to worship Him and to bring Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We often see these wise men portrayed in Christmas decorations and manger scenes as being present at the stable where Jesus was born, at the same time as the shepherds, but the Gospel of Matthew tells us that their visit came somewhat later than the shepherds, while Jesus was a young child. As a result of the attention brought by the Magi, King Herod, became afraid for his throne and sent soldiers to Bethlehem in an attempt to do away with this “new king” which the Magi were seeking, but God rescued Jesus and His family from this threat by warning Joseph in a dream and instructing him to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary.

From these events, we know that Jesus spent His infancy in Bethlehem, but His early childhood years would have been lived in Egypt. When King Herod died, Joseph again received a series of dreams which instructed Him to return to Israel, and ultimately to settle in Nazareth, which we typically think of as Jesus’ home town. The Bible also portrays Jesus and His family as faithful worshippers of God who observed the sacrifices, feasts, and festivals specified in the Old Testament and even traveled on pilgrimages to Jerusalem to do so. On one of these trips to Jerusalem for Passover, when Jesus was twelve years old, the family realized while they were returning to Nazareth that Jesus was no longer with them. When they went back and found Him, He was at the temple, discussing theology with the priests and teachers there, who were amazed by His knowledge.

Several books outside of the Bible try to fill in these years of Jesus’ life with other stories, such as one where Jesus strikes a playmate dead, then at the pleading of Joseph, raises him back to life. In another account, Jesus is portrayed as making a bird from clay, then bringing it to life. These other “gospels”, such as the “Gospel of Thomas” are commonly believed to be forgeries, though, because they were written several centuries after Jesus life and by people who were not eyewitnesses to the events.

After Luke tells the story of Jesus at the temple he says that, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” The most likely reason that so little is said about Jesus’ childhood years in the Bible is that they were completely normal. He grew physically, learned, and acted like any of the other children. In fact, his early life was so normal that when He returned to Nazareth to preach later in life, the people there were surprised and did not accept His authority because they just saw Him as “Mary’s son.”

There is, however, one exception to the ordinary nature of Jesus’ childhood years. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin.” While Jesus life as a child and teenager was completely normal, it was lived differently than ours because He kept God’s commands perfectly, while we fail to do so throughout our lives. It is this perfect life that He lived, which makes him an acceptable substitute to be crucified for us, and it is because of this sinless life that death could not hold Him and He rose again on the third day.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions for inclusion in future issues. According to your preference, you may include your first name or submit questions anonymously, and I will do my best to answer your questions as my knowledge and research allow and according to their suitability for publication. You may submit questions by email to revjpeterson@yahoo.com or by mail to P.O. Box 195; Burt, IA 50522.

Tiller Killing

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about the killing of George Tiller and Lutheran stances on abortion:

Does the Bible approve of killing?

Ascension

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about the Ascension:

Q: If the Bible says that Jesus ascended into Heaven after He rose from the dead, why do we always hear it said that He is present with us now?

The Bible tells us that Jesus died on a Friday afternoon, but rose to life again on Sunday morning. After He rose from the dead, He appeared to hundreds of people, including His disciples, over the course of the next 40 days (Luke 24, John 20-21). On the fortieth day, while Jesus was talking with His disciples, “He began to be lifted up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9) Several New Testament passages also speak of Jesus as having ascended into Heaven and that He is “seated at the right hand of God the Father…” as many Christians confess in the Apostles’ Creed.

In other places, Jesus promises that He will be with His disciples and all Christians. He says, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). He also promises, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20) When the apostle Paul writes letters to churches in the New Testament, He often includes a blessing which says that God will be with those who read the letter. (Sometimes He says Jesus, other times God, Lord, or the Holy Spirit.)

On one hand, the Gospels and the book of Acts clearly teach that Jesus did ascend into Heaven. On the other hand, Jesus’ own words, as well as the letters of Paul clearly teach that God will be with Christians until Jesus comes again on the last day. How can these both be true?

We know that God is present everywhere. In Jeremiah 23:24, God says, “’Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? …Do I not fill heaven and earth?’” Since Jesus is God, He is present in all times and places, but when He makes the promises mentioned above, He is talking specifically to His followers, not to all people. The fact that God is present everywhere is the same for all people whether they follow Jesus or not. The presence Jesus is promising is something special that is not true for the rest of the world.

Sometimes when we are apart from a friend or family member, they say that they are with us in Spirit, and we often speak of deceased loved ones as being with us in our memory. Here, though, Jesus is promising far more than that we will remember Him or that he will be with us “in spirit.” Before Jesus died, He promised His disciples that after He had risen, He would send the Holy Spirit to guide them and remind them of the things He had said (John 14-16), and just before He ascended, He again promised to send the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:8).

Whenever we read or hear the Bible, (or remember what we have read from it, or hear a friend talking about Jesus, hear a song which talks about Him, etc.) God sends the Holy Spirit, through whom Jesus becomes supernaturally present with us.

Furthermore, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body.” Then He took wine and said, “This is my blood.” He then instructed His disciples to keep on doing this in remembrance of Him. Whenever Christians participate in the Lord’s Supper (a.k.a. Communion or Eucharist), Jesus body and blood become present in a special way among them. Since Jesus is both God and human, even His human body can be present all over the world at the same time.

When we go about our day, Jesus is present with us, just as He is with every person, but for Christians, Jesus comes to us in an extraordinary way through the God’s Word, the Bible, and when we take part in Lord’s Supper.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions for inclusion in future issues. According to your preference, you may include your first name or submit questions anonymously, and I will do my best to answer your questions as my knowledge and research allow and according to their suitability for publication. You may submit questions by email to revjpeterson@yahoo.com or by mail to P.O. Box 195; Burt, IA 50522.

The Sacraments

My article from today's Algona Upper Des Moines about the Sacraments:

The definition of Sacrament