Author: Bethlehem Lutheran
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Advent III Midweek (Numbers 24:1-3-9, 15-19 )
“Israel will overcome all hostility and in the latter days, God will raise up a Ruler who will let His kingdom come” We’ve heard from God’s unlikely mouthpiece two times now, and today a third and fourth time. From the beginning, Balaam has been an eccentric figure who is more of a soothsayer for hire…
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Third Sunday in Advent (Isaiah 35:1-10)
In the spring of 2016, Death Valley in California saw an unusual sight: a “super bloom.” Conditions came together which brought out a huge number of flowers besides the standby desert gold. Photographers descended on the valley and captured beautiful hills of mariposa lilies and sunbonnets. It was truly a rare event. The description given…
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Advent II Midweek (Numbers 23:13-26)
“Israel has the assurance of God’s unfailing promises” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In a world of sin, failings, decay, and death, God reveals Himself through His promises. This was true from the moment our first parents brought sin and death into the world. The Lord was right there, promising a Seed who…
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Second Sunday in Advent (Text: Matthew 3:1-12)
John the Baptist’s appearance is jarring. There’s no getting comfortable around a man who wears camel fur and eats nothing but bugs and honey. But why? I’m sure there’s someone weirder in Portland. John is uncomfortable because of what his image brings up. He eats locusts, and yet he preaches a plague far greater than…
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Advent Midweek I (Text: Numbers 23:5-12 )
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The story of Balaam is certainly a colorful one. Balak, king of Moab is looking out for his kingdom, and he sees from the Amorites that, militarily, he’s up a creek. So, he wisely chooses another method—an appeal straight to the top. So, Balak gets ahold of someone…
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First Sunday in Advent (Text: Matthew 21:1-11)
Happy New Year! No, really! What? You think I’m crazy and I better check my calendar. I have. The Church has a calendar she follows. It’s not one that competes with January-December. It’s like the fiscal calendar or the school calendar, but more. The Church Year centers around the events in the Life of Jesus,…
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Thanksgiving Service (Deuteronomy 26:1-11; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 12:13-21)
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, ORThanksgiving Service – November 27, 2019Texts: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 12:13-21 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s often easier to appreciate what you have when you know what it’s like to not have it. Those who lived during the depression know what real scarcity is, and appreciate…
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Last Sunday of the Church Year (Isaiah 65:17-25 )
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, OR Last Sunday of the Church Year + November 24, 2019 Text: Isaiah 65:17-25 When Jesus came the first time, He gave the world a preview of the new heavens and the new earth. God walked with His people, speaking with them face-to-face. He healed their diseases, cured their uncleanness, and…
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Second to Last Sunday of the Church Year (Matthew 25:31-46)
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, OR Second to Last Sunday of the Church Year + November 17, 2019 Text: Matthew 25:31-46 This is one of the most uncomfortable passages of Scripture to read, because it leaves us with questions of, have I been good enough to stand on the Lord’s right hand? What does it take…
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All Saints Sunday (Revelation 7:9-14)
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, OR All Saints Sunday + November 3, 2019 Text: Revelation 7:9-14 This scene of the faithful at rest is given to John in the middle of great judgments at the end of the age. After the sixth of seven seals, the proud of the earth who have rejected the Gospel vainly…