EMPLOYEE LETTER
Tempted for our sake
Scripture tells us that our high priest Jesus was "tempted in everything like us, but without sin" (Heb 4,15). This significant truth is reflected in the historical Christian doctrine, according to which Jesus, with his incarnation, assumed a vicar function, as it were.
The Latin word vicarius means “to act as a deputy or governor for someone”. With his incarnation, the eternal Son of God became human while preserving his divinity. In this context, Calvin spoke of the “miraculous exchange.” TF Torrance used the term…
Read more ➜Our triune God: living love
When asked about the oldest living creature, some might refer to Tasmania's 10.000 year old pine trees or a 40.000 year old shrub that lives there. Others might think more of the 200.000 year old seaweed on the coast of the Spanish Balearic Islands. As old as these plants may be, there is something that is far older - and that is the Eternal God, who is revealed in the Scriptures as living love. The essence of God manifests itself in love. The love that prevails between the persons of the Trinity has existed for eternity before the creation of time. It never has a ...
Read more ➜Jesus' blessing
Often when I travel I am asked to address at Grace Communion International church services, conferences, and board meetings. Sometimes I am asked to give the final blessing. I often fall back on Aaron's blessing, which he offered to the children of Israel (in the year after their flight from Egypt and long before their At the time, God taught Israel how to keep the law. The people were unsteady and rather passive (after all, they had been slaves all their lives!). They probably thought, "God ...
Read more ➜Jesus: Only a myth?
The Advent and Christmas season is a reflective time. A time of reflection on Jesus and his incarnation, a time of joy, hope and promise. People around the world are announcing their birth. A carol after the other sounds over the air. In the churches, the festival is solemnly celebrated with nativity plays, cantatas and choral singing. It is the time of year that one would think the whole world would know the truth about Jesus, the Messiah.
But unfortunately, many people do not understand the full meaning of the Christmas season and celebrate the festival simply because of the...
Read more ➜Jesus the perfect work of salvation
Towards the end of his Gospel, these fascinating comments by the Apostle John can be read: “Jesus did many other signs before his disciples, which are not written in this book [...] But if one were to be written down one by one, then I think the world cannot grasp the books that need to be written ”(Jn 20,30:2; 1,25). Based on these remarks and taking into account the differences between the four Gospels, it can be concluded from this that the representations mentioned were not written as complete traces of Jesus' life. John explains that his writings are about this ...
Read more ➜Momentary happiness
When I saw this scientific formula for happiness in a Psychology Today article, I laughed out loud:
Although this absurd formula produced momentary happiness, it did not produce lasting joy. Please don't misunderstand this; I enjoy a good laugh as much as anyone else. That’s why I appreciate Karl Barth’s statement: “Laughter; is the closest thing to God's grace. “Although both happiness and joy can make us laugh, there is a significant difference between the two. A difference that I experienced many years ago when my father died (here on the right we are together...
Read more ➜Jesus yesterday, today and forever
Sometimes we approach celebrating the incarnation of God's Son at Christmas with so much enthusiasm that we let Advent, the time at which the Christian church year begins, take a back seat. The four Sundays of Advent begin this year on November 29th and usher in Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The term “Advent” is derived from the Latin adventus and means something like “coming” or “arrival”. Advent celebrates the three “comings” of Jesus (typically in reverse order): the future (Jesus’ return), the present (in…
Read more ➜Light, God and grace
As a young teenager, I sat in a movie theater when the power went out. In the darkness, the murmur of the audience grew louder every second. I noticed how I tried suspiciously to look for an exit as soon as someone opened a door to the outside. Light streamed into the movie theater and the murmuring and my suspicious search were quickly over.
Until we are confronted with darkness, most of us take light for granted. However, without light there is nothing to see. We only see something when light illuminates a room. Where this something reaches our eyes, it stimulates our...
Read more ➜Stay focused on God's grace
I recently saw a video parodying a TV commercial. In this case it was about a fictional Christian worship CD entitled "It's All About Me". The CD contained the songs: “Lord I Lift My Name on High”, “I Exalt Me” and “There is None Like Me”. (Nobody is like me). Strange? Yes, but it illustrates the sad truth. We humans tend to worship ourselves rather than God. As I mentioned recently, this tendency causes our spiritual formation to short-circuit, which is based on trust in ourselves and ...
Read more ➜practice of prayer
Many of you know when I travel, I want to express my greetings in the local language. I'm happy to go beyond a simple "hello". Sometimes, however, a nuance or subtlety of the language confuses me. Although I have learned a few words in different languages over the years and some Greek and Hebrew in my studies, English remains the language of my heart. So it is also the language in which I pray.
As I reflect on the prayer, I remember a story. There was a man who desired to pray as well as he could. As a Jew he was...
Read more ➜Trinitarian theology
Theology is important to us because it provides a framework for our faith. However, there are very many theological currents, even within the Christian community. A characteristic that is true of the WKG / GCI as a religious community is our commitment to what can be described as "Trinitarian theology". Although the Trinity doctrine has been widely recognized throughout church history, some have referred to it as the "forgotten doctrine" because it can so often be overlooked. Nevertheless, we in the WKG / GCI believe that reality, i.e. reality and the meaning of the Trinity ...
Read more ➜The appreciation of our baptism
We see spellbound how the magician, wrapped in chains and secured with padlocks, is lowered into a large water tank. Then the top is closed and the assistant of the magician stands on top and covers the tank with a cloth, which she lifts over her head. After a few moments the cloth falls and, to our surprise and delight, the magician is now standing on the tank and his assistant, secured by chains, is inside. This sudden and mysterious "exchange" happens right before our eyes. We know it's an illusion. But like the seemingly impossible ...
Read more ➜Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus
Every year on Easter Sunday, Christians gather around the world to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Some people greet each other with a traditional greeting. This saying reads: "He has risen!" In response, the answer is: "He has truly risen!" I love that we celebrate the good news in this way, but our response to this greeting can seem a little superficial. It's almost like having a "So what?" would append. That made me think.
Many years ago, when I asked myself the question: Do I take the resurrection of Jesus Christ too superficially, I opened the...
Read more ➜Invisible visibility
I find it amusing when people say, "If I can't see it, I won't believe it." I often hear this said when people doubt that God exists or that He includes all people in His grace and mercy. In order not to offend, I point out that we do not see magnetism or electricity, but know that they exist through their effects. The same is true of wind, gravity, sound and even thought. In this way we experience what is called “imageless knowledge”. I like to point out such knowledge as the "invisible ...
Read more ➜Generosity
Happy New Year! I hope you had a blessed holiday together with your loved ones. Now that the Christmas season is behind us and we are back in the office at work again in the New Year, I have, as is customary in such cases, exchanged with our staff for the holidays that have been spent. We talked about family traditions and the fact that older generations can often teach us something about gratitude. In a conversation, an employee mentioned an inspirational story.
This started with her grandparents, who are very generous people. But even more…
Read more ➜Unity in diversity
Every February here in the United States, Black History Month is celebrated. During this time, we celebrate the many accomplishments that African Americans have contributed to the good of our nation. We also commemorate the intergenerational suffering, from slavery and segregation to persistent racism. This month I realize that there is a history in the Church that has often been overlooked - the vital role that the early African American churches played in the existence of the Christian faith ...
Read more ➜Christ's light shines in the darkness
Last month, several GCI pastors took part in a hands-on evangelism training course called “Outside the Walls” led by Heber Ticas, the National Gospel Coordinator for Grace Communion International. This was done in partnership with Pathways of Grace, one of our churches near Dallas, Texas. The training started with classes on Friday and continued on Saturday morning. Pastors met with congregation members to go door-to-door around the church meeting point and people from the local congregation for a fun ...
Read more ➜The gift of motherhood
Motherhood is one of the greatest works in God's creation. That came back to me when I was recently wondering what to give my wife and mother-in-law for Mother's Day. I fondly remember what my mother said when she told my sisters and me how happy she was to be our mother. Having given birth to us would have made her understand the love and greatness of God in a completely new way. I could only begin to understand that when our own children were born. I still remember how I was amazed when the pain of childbirth for my wife, Tammy, turned into awe-inspiring joy ...
Read more ➜The Gospel - a branded article?
In one of his early films, John Wayne said to another cowboy, "I don't like working with the branding iron - it hurts when you're in the wrong place!" Reflect on how churches can damage the gospel through improper use of marketing techniques such as the intensive promotion of branded products. In our past, our founder looked for a strong selling point and made us “the only true church”. This practice compromised biblical truth as the gospel was redefined to meet the ...
Read more ➜Prayer - much more than words
I suppose you have seen times of desperation when you have begged God to intervene. You may have prayed for a miracle, but obviously to no avail; the miracle did not materialize. I also assume that you were delighted to learn that prayers for a person's healing have been answered. I know a lady whose ribs grew back after praying for her to be healed. The doctor had advised her, “Whatever you do, carry on!” Many of us, I am sure, are comforted and encouraged because we know that others are praying for us. I am always encouraged when ...
Read more ➜Trumpet Day: A feast fulfilled in Christ
In September (this year exceptionally on 3. October [d. Üs]) the Jews celebrate New Year's Day, “Rosh Hashanah”, which means “head of the year” in Hebrew. It is part of the tradition of the Jews that they eat a piece of a fish's head, symbolic of the head of the year, and greet each other with “Leschana towa”, which means “Have a good year!”. According to tradition, there is a connection between the feast day of Rosh Hashanah and the sixth day of creation week, on which God created man.
In the Hebrew text of the 3. Book of Moses 23,24 the day is given as "Sikron Terua", which means "Memorial Day with Trumpet Bubbles". ...
Read more ➜Jesus is our reconciliation
For many years I fasted on Yom Kippur (German: Day of Atonement), the highest Jewish festival day. I did this in the wrong belief that I was reconciled to God by strictly foregoing food and fluids that day. Many of us may still remember this mistaken way of thinking. However it was explained to us, the intention to fast on Yom Kippur consisted in our reconciliation (son-ung [= adoption as sons, note of the Ü]) with God to achieve through our own works. We practiced a religious system of grace plus works - overlooking the reality in which Jesus is our reconciliation. ...
Read more ➜In secret mission
Everyone who knows me knows that I am a great admirer of the cult figure of Sherlock Holmes. I own more Holmes fan merchandise than I would like to admit to myself. Many times I have visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum on 221b Baker Street in London. And of course I like watching the many films that were filmed about this interesting character. Expectantly, I am particularly excited about the new episodes of the latest BBC production, in which the movie star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role of the famous detective, a novel character by the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The first story…
Read more ➜The best Christmas present
Every year on the 2nd5. December, Christianity celebrates the birth of Jesus, Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary. The Bible does not contain any information about the exact date of birth. Jesus' birth probably did not take place in winter when we celebrate it. Luke reports that Emperor Augustus ordered that the inhabitants of the whole Roman world had to be registered in tax lists (Lk 2,1) and “everyone went to his own town to be registered”, including Joseph and Mary, who were pregnant (Lk 2,3-5). Some scholars celebrate Jesus' actual birthday in the early fall instead of in the middle of winter ...
Read more ➜What do you think about non-believers?
I turn to you with an important question: what do you think of non-believers? I think this is a question we should all ponder! Chuck Colson, founder in the USA of the Prison Fellowship and the Breakpoint Radio program, once answered this question with an analogy: If a blind man steps on your foot or pours hot coffee on your shirt, would you be mad at him? He himself replies that it would probably not be us, precisely because a blind person cannot see what is in front of him.
Please also remember that people who have not yet been called to faith in Christ...
Read more ➜The religion of the New Atheism
In English, the line "The Lady, as I seem, praises too much" quoted from Shakespeare's Hamlet, describing someone who tries to convince others of something that is not true. That phrase comes to mind when I hear of atheists protesting that atheism is a religion. Some atheists support their protest with the following syllogistic comparisons:
- If atheism is a religion, then bald is a hair color. Although this may sound almost profound, it is just a false statement with an inappropriate category...
From the service to the next
The book of Nehemiah, one of the 66 books in the Bible, is probably one of the least noticed. It contains no heartfelt prayers and songs like the Psalter, no grandiose account of creation like the Book of Genesis (1. Moses) and no biography of Jesus or the theology of Paul. However, as the inspired word of God, it is just as important to us. It is easy to overlook it when leafing through the Old Testament, but we can learn a lot from this book - especially about true cohesion and exemplary living.
The book of Nehemiah is considered one of the history books because it contains…
Read more ➜Forgiveness: A vital key
Intending to offer her only the best, I went with Tammy (my wife) to Burger King for lunch (Your Choice), then to Dairy Queen for dessert (Something Different). You might think I should be embarrassed by the flashy use of the company's slogans, but as they say at McDonald's, "I love it." Now I have to ask you (and especially Tammy!) for forgiveness and put this silly joke aside. Forgiveness is a key in building and strengthening relationships that are lasting and invigorating. This applies to relationships between leaders and employees, husbands and wives,…
Read more ➜What Jesus says about the Holy Spirit
I occasionally speak with believers who have difficulty understanding why the Holy Spirit, like the Father and Son, is God—one of the three persons of the Trinity. I usually use examples from Scripture to demonstrate the characteristics and actions that identify the Father and Son as persons and that the Holy Spirit is described as a person in the same way. Then I list the many titles by which the Holy Spirit is referred to in the Bible. And finally, I'll look at what Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit. In this letter I will focus on his teachings...
Read more ➜Is the law of Moses also valid for Christians?
While Tammy and I waited in the lobby of an airport to board our flight home shortly, I noticed a young man who was sitting two seats down and repeatedly looking over at me. After a few minutes he asked me, “Excuse me, are you Mr. Joseph Tkach?” He was pleased to talk to me and told me that he had recently been expelled from a Sabbatarian congregation. Our conversation soon turned to the law of God - he found my statement very interesting that the Christians would understand that God gave the Israelites the law even though they were not perfect ...
Read more ➜What do you think about your consciousness?
Among philosophers and theologians, it is called the mind-body problem (also called the mind-body problem). It's not about a problem of fine motor coordination (like swallowing from a cup without spilling anything or missing the dice game). Instead, the question is whether our bodies are physical and our thoughts are spiritual; or in other words, whether humans are purely physical or a combination of the physical and the spiritual.
Although the Bible does not directly address the mind-body problem, it contains clear references to a non-physical side of human existence and...
Read more ➜miracles of healing
In our culture, the word miracle is often used quite lightly. If, for example, in the extension of a football match, a team still manages to shoot the winning goal surprisingly with a deflected 20-meter shot, then some TV commentators may speak of a miracle. In a circus performance, the director announces a fourfold miracle performance by an artist. Well, it is highly unlikely that these are miracles, but rather spectacular entertainment.
A miracle is a supernatural event that goes beyond the inherent ability of nature, although CS Lewis in...
Read more ➜God loves all people
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) became known as "the ultimate atheist" because of his derogatory criticism of the Christian faith. He claimed that Christian scripture, especially because of its emphasis on love, was a by-product of decadence, corruption and revenge. Instead of even beginning to consider the existence of God possible, he proclaimed with his now famous saying “God is dead” that the great idea of a God had died. He intended to replace the traditional Christian faith (which he called the old dead faith) with something radically new. Through the customer of ...
Read more ➜Use the gift of time
On September 20, the Jews celebrated the New Year, a festival with multiple meanings. So one celebrates the beginning of the annual cycle, commemorates the creation of Adam and Eve and it also commemorates the creation of the universe, which includes the beginning of time. As I read about time, I remembered that time also has several meanings. One of them is that time is an asset that billionaires and beggars alike have. We all have 86.400 seconds a day. But since we cannot save it (time cannot be overdrawn or withdrawn), the question arises: "How do we use the time that ...
Read more ➜The glory of God's forgiveness
Although God's wonderful forgiveness is one of my favorite subjects, I have to admit that it's hard to even begin to grasp how real it is. God has planned her from the beginning as his generous gift, a costly act of forgiveness and reconciliation through his Son, culminating in his death on the cross. Not only are we thus acquitted, we are restored - "in tune" with our loving triune God.
In his book “Atonement: The Person and Work of Christ,” TF Torrance described it this way: “We must...
Read more ➜Virgin birth of Jesus
Jesus, the ever-living Son of God, became a man. Without this happening, there can be no real Christianity. The apostle John put it this way: You should recognize the Spirit of God by this: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ came into the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not of God. And that is the spirit of the Antichrist that you heard was coming, and it is already in the world (1. John 4,2-3).
The virgin birth of Jesus explains that the Son of God became fully human while remaining what he was - the eternal Son of God. The…
Read more ➜Intentions or prayer
Again, a new year has begun. Many people have made good intentions for the new year. Often it is about personal health - especially after the many food and drink during the holidays. People all over the world are committed to doing more sports, eating less sweets and generally want to do a lot better. Although there is nothing wrong with taking such decisions, we Christians lack something in this approach.
These resolutions all have something to do with our human willpower, which is why they often come to nothing. In fact, experts have confirmed the success of New Year's resolutions...
Read more ➜Why are there prophecies?
There will always be someone who claims to be a prophet or who believes they can calculate the date of Jesus' return. I recently saw an account of a rabbi who was said to be able to link the prophecies of Nostradamus to the Torah. Another person predicted that Jesus would return at Pentecost 2019 will take place. Many prophecy lovers try to link the breaking news and biblical prophecy. Kark Barth admonished people to remain firmly anchored in Scripture as he sought to better serve the ever-changing modern world.
Read more ➜Our true value
Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus gave humanity a value that by far exceeds anything we could ever work out, deserve or even imagine. The apostle Paul described it as follows: “Yes, I still consider it all to be detrimental to the exuberant knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake all this has been harmed to me, and I consider it filth, that I may win Christ. ”(Phil 3,8). Paul knew that a living, deep relationship with God through Christ has infinite, inestimable value compared to anything that is a running dry source...
Read more ➜God has blessed us!
This letter is my last monthly letter as an employee at the GCI because I am retiring this month. As I reflect on my tenure as president of our denomination, many blessings come to mind that God has bestowed upon us. One of these blessings has to do with our name - Grace Communion International. I think it describes in a beautiful way our profound change as a community. By the grace (grace) of God we have become an international, grace-based community of faith (communion) that is part of the fellowship of Father, Son and Saint ...
Read more ➜Corona virus crisis
No matter what your situation, no matter how bleak things may seem, our merciful God remains faithful and is our ever-present and loving Savior. As Paul wrote, nothing can distance us from God or isolate us from his love: “What then can separate us from Christ and his love? Suffering and fear perhaps? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger or violent death? We are really treated as described in the Holy Scriptures: Because we belong to you, Lord, we are persecuted and killed everywhere - we are slaughtered like sheep! But still: in the midst of suffering, we triumph over everything...
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