The Joshua Victor Theory

I had a conversation with a stranger the other day that reminded me of something I had been thinking about for awhile. Part of our conversation was on how we seek God, or where we see Him revealed. The man I spoke with felt that he didn’t need to go to church to find God, but that by being out in nature, by the mountains or oceans, that God spoke to him there. This seems to be a common sentiment, and I reflected on whether or not this was true. First I recalled passages like Psalm 19, that say: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” From this I agreed that the beauty and majesty of nature certainly reveals God’s glory and handiwork. What sort of knowledge can we gather from observing only nature and the created world (excluding the Bible)? Nature clearly teaches us that there must be a Creator, whose glory and handiwork is seen. From this we might assume that the Creator God i...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. The sermon text is the first part of the Gospel reading, Matthew 10:34-39. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Not the words we expect to hear from the Prince of Peace, or the one whom angels announced would bring “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” We all long for an end to warfare, and yet here the sharp words of Jesus call us to wonder: “What kind of peace does our Savior bring?” And what does He mean by bringing a sword? Is this talking about the warring between nations? We quickly find that the answer is no. The sword that Jesus brings is the division that cuts across even family lines. The division that separates even the closest relationships, because of the Gospel. The alienation that occurs between a man and hi...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Today is the day that the Christian church remembers it’s birthday, so to speak, the day of Pentecost. Pentecost means “fiftieth.” That first Christian Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus rose from the tomb, and only 10 days after He ascended into heaven—the Christian church took off with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ ascension, He reaffirmed His promise that He would send the gift of His Holy Spirit. When the disciples received this gift, they were to begin their mission as His witnesses, from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Today we’ll look more closely at that first Christian Pentecost, in our 2nd reading, Acts 2:1-21. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Pentecost truly must have been a miraculous scene, for the eyewitnesses and “earwitnesses” of this unusual event. The 12 apostles, and as...

*** I wrote this guide, with the exception of the six numbered questions near the end, which were taken from an online movie review, so I take responsibility for any grammatical, factual, or logical errors. You are free to use it if you find it helpful or useful. I wrote it rather last minute, and realize there are many more good questions or talking points that could be developed from the film, so this is only a springboard for discussion. I'd be happy to receive any positive or negative feedback. God bless! Introduction: What is Intelligent Design? “Intelligent Design is three things: 1. A scientific research program that investigates the effects of intelligent causes 2. An intellectual movement that challenges Darwinism and its naturalistic legacy 3. And a way of understanding divine action" [1] ~Does Intelligent Design (ID) deserve a place on the “playing field” of science? ~Is this an example of stifling inquiry because scientists cannot stomach the con...

I am sure that almost anyone who would find their way to my blog has probably already heard about the cancellation of my FAVORITE radio program, Issues Etc, as it has been amply publicized through the numerous other Lutheran blogs out there. However, if by chance you have not, please view the online petition to reinstate the program. http://www.petitiononline.com/Issues/petition.html If you are a listener, I'm sure you've probably signed already. If you don't listen, or haven't heard of Issues Etc, please check out the monthly archive http://kfuoam.org/IE_Main.htm and listen to some of the program. I wouldn't want or expect non-listeners to sign, just for the sake of having more signatures, but give the program a listen and I think you will quickly realize what a jewel our church has lost. My personal feeling is that this show was an invaluable resource, and I almost couldn't download the programs fast enough, to go home and listen to them. It kept me informed ...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The sermon text for this Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord, is John 20:1-18, our Gospel reading. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Gal. 1:4-5) Today is a day of doxology! That is, a day of high worship and praise to our Resurrected Lord and King. Today the church bursts forth with its songs of Alleluia, to acknowledge and worship the mystery of our salvation, which precedes and exceeds our lives. Today our Alleluias leap forward from the tomb, together with the Risen Lord. “Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song and earth, sea, and mountain their praises prolong!” We sing and lift our voices because today is a day of Victory. So we join in our victory shout: “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indee...

For this month’s newsletter article, I want to pick up where I left off last month about the sanctity of human life. The situation of women (or even young girls) who are in crisis pregnancies or have undergone abortions deserves further attention. Giving a full defense of the sanctity of human life from conception till death does not yet fulfill our duties as Christians. We must also remember that abortion hurts the mothers of these unborn children, who are often deeply wounded by the circumstances they are in, before or after an abortion; and that it is not uncommon for them afterward to fight feelings of guilt, anxiety and depression, flashbacks of the abortion, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, among other after-effects. Many did not anticipate the emotional or physical consequences that their choice would lead to. Many were regrettably pressured into their choice to escape shame or embarrassment, or because the father abandoned his role in the new life begun. Recognizing th...