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NEWSLETTER #2
Father, let me dedicate All this
year to Thee,
Luther's Small Catechism
NCLC - In Nigeria we have the catechism in the local language of Efik and purchased recently 150 to have a supply on hand. We are considering having a contest of the best catechism student among the children from each congregation compete in a contest on memorization and explanation. We are only in the planning stages now. We also use the CLC red, English catechism in three of our missions. CLCI - Jyothi and V.S. Benjamin in India are working with all the pastors in their over 7000 member church to have them pass an examination on the catechism. All pastors have the Telegu catechism, as well as some in Madya Pradesh state having the CLC English catechism. We are waiting for the printing of 4000 Telegu catechism to be used among the people of the CLCI and BELC. We are also searching for Hindi catechisms for use in Madya Pradesh. BELC - The 16 pastors in the Nellore District of India were examined by Moses and passed. The 12 new applicant pastors are going through the Telegu catechism now. The 20 pastors in the four districts were examined and now the 49 applicants are being taught the catechism by Paul, Rajamani, Sampath and Bhasker. In congregations where Tamil is spoken and the pastor passed the exam, Tamil catechisms are being handed out. We are waiting for the Telegu printing for the other congregations. LCEA - Among the Lutherans here in Tanzania the catechism is well-known. Pastor Angowi reports that they will be working on a revision of the Swahili catechism. ELCC - Denis and Felix in Kinshasa, Congo have enough French catechisms for their congregations and are working with their people. In Katanga province Muzakuza is working with his 25 pastors there in the French and Swahili catechism toward examinations. ECLC - Samson in Kenya has the CLC English catechism and Swahili catechism for his people. They are progressing toward communicant membership. Ghana - Gideon passed the catechism examination through the CLC catechism workbook and has this English catechism for his small congregation as well as a large number for the students he teaches in a private school. Togo - Kossi has passed the catechism examination through the workbook and continues to study with us. The CLC Mission Board has provided, is providing and will provide catechisms for our brethren overseas. Luther wrote the Small Catechism because during a tour of the churches in his native country of Germany, he found many people knew nothing at all about Christian doctrine. Even many pastors were not fit to teach, for they themselves were poorly informed concerning the Bible. The catechism has been called the little Bible. Everything in the catechism is taken from the Bible. The catechism is a tool to lead people into the Bible. Let us all work hard to teach the six chief parts to our people that they might better know the Bible. Vacation Bible School - This is a method of child evangelism used increasingly by some among us. The CLCI has done this for years. During a school break children are gathered and taught Bible stories with many activities. I know some of you have written back and forth about VBS. I have asked Jyothi Benjamin to write all of us a thorough explanation of how they do it in the CLCI. In the last VBS in the CLCI, Jyothi told us there were 915 children among whom were a good number of Hindu children. This is a good outreach. Among the BELC the first 'VBS' were held last May in six congregations with attendance of: 75, 60, 40, 30, 35, 25. In the NCLC two mission helpers from the CLC-USA were able to set up the first during the Easter break with an attendance of 189. A second in another congregation in October had over 350 children attend. This all takes a lot of work and prayer, but it seems to be in these areas a good outreach to children. I look forward to Jyothi's explanation of how they do it in the CLCI. May this be a year for us of increasing glorifying of His name in our words and works. Pastor D. Koenig ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NEWSLETTER #3
Dear Brothers,
The CLC Mission Board can not do everything that it would like to do, as they depend on the offerings of our people in the USA and a budget. Also situations are different in different places. The Board tries to consider this also. Sometimes we set up a seminary or Bible Institute, while in other places we can't. The Mission Board in the USA has to make these decisions on where and how we can help in the training of pastors. One vital part of our help is in this training of pastors overseas whether this is done in a seminary, institute, catechism examinations, correspondence courses and seminars. If there are faithful pastors/shepherds who can rightly handle God's Word (II Tim. 2:15) then the sheep will be fed properly and the church will grow. Prayer Alert
Church Year - Pres. Schierenbeck wrote in his Christmas letter the importance of our celebration of Christmas and Epiphany. I am sending out to each of you by regular mail an explanation of the church year and what we see to preach during those seasons. This is familiar to some of you while new to others. Also being sent is a series of sermon texts that can be used in these seasons and for these festivals. Singular Teachings - We as orthodox, evangelical Lutherans have a blessed situation in connection with our teachings. We stand squarely on Scripture. The teaching of Universal or Objective Justification is not taught by all Christian churches. Some teach that Jesus died for only those who eventually would be saved. Some teach that Jesus died only for those chosen in eternity. We teach that Jesus died for ALL as Scripture clearly teaches: I Tim. 2:6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, Heb. 2:9 He tasted death for everyone, Heb. 10:10 one for all, II Cor. 5:15 He died for all. There are so many passages that teach this. Yet man will use his reason and overrule Scripture. We place our reason subject to Scripture. God has declared all men just, or righteous based upon the atoning work of Christ. Next we will consider Subjective or Individual Justification. God bless you in your work for Him,
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BASIC NEWSLETTER #4
B.A.S.I.C. - This was suggested as the name for the newsletter. It stands for "brothers and sisters in Christ.". The word 'basic' reminds us that basic to our fellowship is being part of God's family, Agreeing on God's Word, Sharing God's Word with each other, and Giving God's Word to those outside His family. The Bible Passage for this newsletter is I Cor. 16:9 "...a wide door for effective work has opened...and there are many adversaries." This passage reminds us of Paul's long labors in Ephesus and the great results that the Holy Spirit brought forth. We pray for that among us also. We remember also the opposition that Paul met at Ephesus. Remembering this we commit our work to Him in prayer, realizing that He alone can carry us through. PRAYER ALERT - I ask you to remember Pastor Benson in the NCLC, Nigeria in your prayers. He and his wife and one son are facing court trial due to a wicked man in his village bearing false witness against him. On this day when the newsletter is sent out, he is in court. Pray also for the wicked/crazy man who is doing this. Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies. The late Pastor Wurmbrand who suffered many years in prison in Rumania for his Christian faith wrote, "Christians therefore face not the problem of evil, but its challenge. Problems depress, challenges spur us to activity. Christians in Romania saw no possibility of solving problems, but they learned to transcend them, to view them from heavenly places. For us, it was enough that the communists tortured us. We decided not to add self-inflicted torments...Every torment was only a challenge to surmount the biggest obstacle: to win the tormentor through love. Let us love our enemies, and our reward will be great. Luke 6:35" SINGULAR TEACHING - Last time we considered that all men's sins are forgiven, which is called universal or objective justification. Today we remind ourselves how this great fact becomes our own possession. It is through 'faith'. Faith is the hand that receives the forgiveness of sins. By grace are you saved through faith...Eph. 2:8-9 For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. Rom. 3:28 We confess in the explanation to the third article of the Apostles Creed, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him: but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel...even as He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth..." Faith is the receiving hand to receive the forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and the devil, eternal life and all other spiritual blessings. And it is the Holy Spirit who animates, moves the hand to accept all this. As Paul writes in Eph. 1:19-20, we believe by His power. Sadly, among some Christian churches there is the effort to take some glory to man in this, as if faith were not a work of God but of man. Next time we consider 'conversion'. WHAT IS IN A NAME? - A lot. We call ourselves orthodox, because we hold to all the Word in its truth and purity. Orthodox means straight or true teaching. We call ourselves Evangelical Lutherans because first we are Gospel-proclaimers as evangelical means from the Greek. To furth define ourselves as Christians we call ourselves Lutherans not because we worship M. Luther, but because we believe as he did. Our Lutheran name dates from the Reformation beginning in 1517. This differentiates us from the Reformed and Roman Catholic. Pastor David Koenig
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