A Book Report by my Son Ansir. Good Job.

This book, The Screwtape Letters, is quite different. It is written by genius and mastermind C.S. Lewis,who has written many different books on the Christian religion. He has written to a wide audience, having books of many genres,such as fantasy, theology, and literal criticism. The Screwtape Letters is a small number of letters written by from the perspective of a experienced demon, Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood, an inexperience demon who is trying to tempt a newborn Christian out of his faith. Interestingly this book provides reverse thoughts about life, Christian acts, and God Himself  (Hence Screwtape is a demon.)

The Screwtape Letters takes place before and during the Second World War. It is a number of letter written between Screwtape and his nephew Wormwood, this could be classified as a connection between hell and earth. The book also takes place in London, England. From the books standpoint we get a view of Screwtape's mind and can easily figureout what Wormwood is thinking.

The characters in The Screwtape Letters are very interesting. Screwtape is seen to have reversed views on Christian life. he sees hate as the ultimate emotion and shuns love and compassion. He sees God as an enemy, and often calls him that throughout the letters. One of the most interesting traits about Screwtape is that he believes tempting humans to do small sins will secure their soul in hell. This way of thinking is much different from Wormwood's who thinks that tempting humans to do greater sins will secure their soul in hell. Another interesting fact is that Screwtape becomes so irate he turns into a giant centipede. For multiple reasons did not care about the Second World War while Wormwood saw it as an opening to tempt his subject into vastly large sins.

To be honest I loved the way The Screwtape Letters was written. It was written in a very quirky and unique way, and the reverse ways of thinking sometimes made me laugh, but I felt it's what made the book enjoyable for me.  However it was confusing at times, but this is mostly due to the fact that it was written in letter form and we could only see Screwtape's letters. I found this somewhat disappointing that the book did not contain some of Wormwood's letters, it left me slightly confused and it felt like I had to catch up in some chapters. I was very satisfied with the writing.

I would say Lewis did a good job of getting his story's point across. No matter how hard the devil tries to tempt you, you can always rely on God to help you fight back. This is definitely seen at the ending when the young man whom Wormwood is tempting, dies in an air raid on London. The young man then goes to heaven and this leaves Wormwood to be punished and Screwtape irate.  I found this conclusion satisfying and it did not disappoint.

I enjoyed The Screwtape Letters. It had quirky writing, interesting characters, and a satisfying ending. Although it could be somewhat confusing at times, I like the letter format the book was written in.  Also the reverse ways of thinking was very interesting, seeing that Christian never think that way.  Overall The Screwtape Letters was a very written book, and another great novel written by genius author and theologian, C.S. Lewis.


Ansir did a very good job and I am proud to post this.  Hope you enjoyed reading.

Journey Back to Confessional Lutheranism

This was a letter that speak close to how to look at confessional Lutheranism-Tim Suttton

I’m a lay person who has been constantly being educated in what it truly means to be a confessional Lutheran. I love it! It’s been a slow learning, growing process over more than a decade now. I mean, I have always been a Lutheran, born and bred. Baptized into the Lord’s family at three weeks of age, I have always just believed. I felt awe, fear, and respect for our great God, and knew he loved me so much He sent His only Son to save me from my sins. John 3:16 was my confirmation verse, and I had to do my pre-confirmation speech on it.

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I started having a lot more contact in my life with people of other Christian persuasions. I mean, I never knew you had to ask Jesus to live in your heart! I had just known He was always with me, and I could pray to Him whenever, wherever I wanted. Life had always been lived with worship on Sunday, but most of the rest of the week was spent doing ordinary family things, like kids home work, cooking, cleaning, working outside the home, etc. I attended Bible Studies sometimes when offered. I was involved in the LWML, helped with VBS in the kitchen or crafts, and started reading my Bible.

I started listening regularly to Christian radio, and I have to admit, I think it was helpful in making me feel closer to God and growing in my faith, but I kept hearing things on there, like, “Are you sure you are saved? Have you been born again? Have you ever asked Jesus in your heart?” I mean, I had never felt a rush of emotion like some people would talk about. I never had the spirit just make me soar. I started to wonder a bit if I really was “born again”. One day I stopped by my church, and my pastor was there and I asked how I could know if I was really “born again”? He gave me such comfort. He brought me back to my Baptism. He asked me if I had been baptized. I said yes, of course. Then he asked if I had been confirmed, believed that Jesus died for my sins, and said it did not matter how I felt. Our emotions don’t matter. It was all what He did that mattered, not what we do. What comfort I felt! I left his office feeling so much better. He also told me that even my wondering about it meant I had faith, because someone without faith wouldn’t even think about it.

I’ve gotten to realize through the years how precious our Lutheran faith and heritage are. That is why I became involved in the CLCC (Confessional Lutherans for Christ’s Commission) I feel the Lutheran faith is being attacked on all fronts. It is attacked by other faiths, because we won’t just unite to get along. Yet, the main threat to our faith in this day and age is coming from within. Many of our own people do not realize how special our given faith is, and they want us to be more like everyone else. The other churches have more “fun” in worship. They “show “their faith better by trying to live perfect lives. Somehow, that’s going to earn them brownie points with God. The problem is they don’t realize what is at stake to lose. The Sacraments would need to be the first to go, since those are the big dividers. They haven’t thought through how really precious they are. The CLCC seeks to help Lutheran lay people to learn to appreciate being Lutheran again, and when they understand that, they can be confident in defending it. With joy! Then other people will want the freedom that we have in Christ!

I’ve been able to become much more discerning now over the years. I am saddened when I find that some people are trying so hard to take that freedom away.

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me up and all the dead and will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.”

This part of Luther’s Small Catechism stuck with me while I went through what I did. I never realized it till years later, when these words kept coming to my mind, and I knew I had learned it somewhere, but where? Then I searched a catechism I found when at my Bible camp, and there were the words that meant so much to me. He does it all! For me!

Getting people to remember the catechism they memorized in their youth, and to appreciate the truths it taught them is a very important step to appreciating the true faith. I think our history can also be important to know. The CLCC hopes to get seminars going in different parts of the country so we can get together to learn more about our history, the Lutheran confessions, and many other topics. Please check out our web site, THECLCC.org. We would be happy to answer any questions you have about the mission of the CLCC, planning a seminar in your area of the country, your becoming involved personally in the CLCC. We are looking for more new members. We also want to sign up congregations for membership.

We started a new group on the Wittenberg Trail for the CLCC. We hope you will check us out. Confessional Lutherans have to all work together to teach people what the true Christian faith is. It is too precious to not nurture.

Kari Anderson
Public Relations for the Confessional Lutherans for Christ’s Commission

The enemy in the Church

It has come to my knowledge of a enemy lurking inside the church doors. The members believed it to be harmless  and maybe even helpful. However as time went by it did what the enemy always intends to do and that was to keep the people away from being feed by the Father Almighty.  This enemy causes fights among the people of the church if it is not  present every Sunday unlike if a  bible study is missed or not even offered.  This enemy creates a place for brother and sisters to socialize but with the evil temptation becomes a place of gossip.  Have we given up the opportunity to be fed by our Father for a cup a coffee.  Yes I said it, the enemy is using the simple taste of coffee to tempt Christ followers away from his life giving Word for the all important christian fellowship of coffee hour.  Has our churches become the new hang out on Sunday mornings for that great cup of joe instead of the most important knowledge of Christ.  We as a church need to reevaluated this wonderful yet possibly harmful tradition.  Question that we might want to ponder to see if we came to chruch for coffee or Christ.

1. Can you remember anything you learned in confirmation
2. How many Commandments were there again
3. Sunday is always there for forgiveness
4. I  know  Christ did something for me but I cant remember what.
5. I don't understand why my kid saying "Why do I have to go to Sunday School you don't""
6. It is not really the True Body and True Blood
7. Hurry we need to get him baptized so he/she is a good little child.
8. I do too have a choice.
9. Confession what are those?
10. Book of Concord????????

God wants us to fellowship and coffee is a wonderful way for brothers and sisters to do so. But lets not forget why we go to church.  We are part of the Church of God and we go to church so Christ can feed us with his Word, and with his Sacraments.  Let us not take this lightly, lets be glad to understand more about why, Christ died on the cross for us. To many of our church members cannot defend our Savior and what he did for us and mostly because our sinful nature tells us we don't need to know that anymore. Lets get
up from the coffee table with coffee in hand and head to the nearest bible study and learn how sinful we really are and learn of the righteousness given to us freely in the the waters of baptism so we can enjoy that wonderful cup of coffee knowing we are a new man in Christ.

OUR TRUE MASTER

Colossians 3:22-24

      Americans in the twenty-first century take it for granted that "all men are created equal," but this idea has not been around throughout most of world history.In the first-century of the Roman Empire, people were anything but equal. Male, property-owning citizens rank normally at the top of the social spectrum. The right which these men had did not extend to there wives, children, or slaves. The male head of the household determined whether or not infants born to the family would live or be left to die of exposure. Slaves were regarded as a machine subject wholly to the will of the masters of the house. Wives did not fare much better, and while it was not uncommon to find a first-century Roman husband who loved his wife, such love was not expected or demanded.
      Considering these realities, it is easier to see how revolutionary the Christian message was in that society. This is why Paul addresses wives, children, and slaved directly, assuming that they are equally important in the church. Recognizing a proper order to society and relationships, Paul nonetheless applies the gospel to them in ways that would and did transform the people under Roman authority. Paul defined all members of the church as responsible human beings regardless of their gender or social status, and he demands that the men not be domineering and cruel, as was allowed in Roman law, but loving, encouraging, kind and just.
     In the master-slave relationship, Paul says that Christian slaves must not work "byway of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord" Considering that many thought all slaves were lazy back then, working wholeheartedly demonstrated the power of the gospel to bring true transformation and not just to create hypocrites who only pretended to do what was right. Moreover, the injunction for the slaves to fear the Lord put a limit on the slave master's authority. The slave had but one ultimate master---Christ Himself---and when the master commanded slave to do something that Jesus forbade, the slave had to disobey the master.

By Grace Alone Through Faith Alone

Understanding that sin makes you not just thick-headed but most important completely separated from God. Sin makes us unwilling to accept His truths on our own.  The biblical authors repeat foundational doctrines so that the Holy Spirit might penetrate our hearts and minds with the saving Word of God. The man-made religions of this world prove that without the work of the Holy Spirit, people think that they are basically good and can contribute something to their salvation.  This strips glory from God and gives it to us, thinking we can do even one thing to earn salvation, or that we deserve credit.  All belief systems except biblical Christianity encourages us to believe that we contribute to our salvation, even if they deceitfully assert otherwise.
In Ephesians 2:8 God is very clear that nothing we do earns salvation. The Lord does not owe anything to us except His wrath. This is taught through the entire Bible. If we missed this point, Paul in Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us one more time that we bring nothing with us to our redemption, and that any good works we perform are not that ground of our status before God but the result from us having been given the Gift of God only Son on the Cross which with His blood paid the price for the sins which made us dead to the Father.
Of course faith is something that we exercise, and so some Christians think we bring this to the table when we are saved. They think we work faith up in ourselves and that all people are born with the ability to do so. But Ephesians show that this is impossible.  Through the Holy Spirit  He allows us to have faith in Christ, and with the love of God coming to die on the Cross for our salvation we can be comfort that we had nothing to do with our salvation.