Most Certainly True Podcast

The Church awaits the final judgment.
Once again we have completed our review of the most important
teachings of the Scripture as they are laid out for us in the Christian
Church Year. As all things come to an end, we wait and watch for
the Savior’s return.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God, merciful Father, you have appointed your Son as judge of the living and the dead. Enable us to wait for the day of his return with our eyes fixed on the kingdom prepared for your own from the foundation of the world; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sermon Text
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
In an orderly way the Lord Jesus will pronounce his final judgment.

Luther and his followers saw and spoke up against the infringement of Civil leaders into the spiritual realm.  Even though those abuses were entrenched for a 1000 years, they stood up on Scripture and worked to get the Church and the State back in their lanes.  Even when it caused persecution, Luther preached respect and honor for temporal government, even when they stepped on the toes of the Church or even worse.  Luther stood in the middle, preaching love and respect.  God used him and those who believed like him to reform the church.  They began the sometimes painful process of separating Church and State and giving them the tools that God intended for them to use!  This fascinating look at the early history of the Lutheran Church is worth the read and of course the listen!     

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us!

Pastors Strong and Hackmann follow our historical journey from the Middle Ages until the time of Luther.  Chapter 10 of Civil Government follows through the problems and pitfalls of what has happened in history when Church and State are intermingled.  See how the Church lost her way and how the gospel was hidden in this dark period in history, largely because church and state tried to play each other’s role.      

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us!

            Part Two of the book Civil Government deals with the history of government in the New Testament.  Chapter 9 covers the first part of the New Testament era, from the Apostles to Constantine.   The book explores the worldviews and concepts that drove the relationship between church and government in the first 3 and a half centuries of the Christian Church’s existence.  Pastors Huebner and Hackmann add to the discussion that begins on the pages of Civil Government on persecution, emperor worship.  Learn the interesting way that an experience in Emperor Constantine’s life led to his conversion and the conversion of so many in the Roman Empire.    The Nicene Creed is written in this period and serves us well as one of  our 3 Ecumenical Creeds.   Enjoy this discussion on these pages. 

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us!      

How does a Christian live as a citizen of a civil government.  What are we to do in the arena of politics?   Chapters 7 and 8 review for us that The church and government have different tools and they have different goals.   The Christian gains understanding and truth from the pages of Scripture, but must use a reasonable argument to present their case in the civic arena.    Explore topics like how to vote for either of 2 flawed candidates, being a soldier and determining how to obey both God and his representatives on earth.  What is a just war?  Must a Christian fight?  What to do about oaths, can I take another person to court?   All these fascinating topics are covered in these two chapters and in this episode of Most Certainly True.   

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us!

Join us as Pastors Strong and Hackmann discuss what it all means for us!  What is our responsibility to our civil authorities?  How do we live as citizens of Civil Government?  God calls on us to love respect and pray for those in authority over us – because peace is advantageous to all, and because our government is filled with people for whom Jesus died!   God wears the mask of government to serve us and those in our world.     

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us!   

Audio Download

Audio Download

God gives us government as a gift and as his servant.  Even when we can’t see it so clearly, God is working his plans and purposes for us and for all people through government.  Church and state have different tools, different roles, and different goals.  We would do well to keep these differences in mind. When we expect the government to accomplish what the Church has been called to do or vice versa, we will be left disappointed.  Whether we have a government that is good, fair and equitable to us or not, we can rejoice that God is in control.  Christ is King of both kingdoms and nothing can take from him his throne in either realm.  Join us for a discussion on chapters 3-4 or Civil Government. 

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us! 

Audio Download

Audio Download

God established both the Church and the State as a result of the Fall into sin.  The Church’s job is to announce the forgiveness of sins and point people to their Savior Jesus. The purpose of the State or government is to curb harmful behavior and keep it’s citizens safe.  Without sin there would be no need for either as there would be no need for a Savior and there would be no need to keep citizens safe. Love and holiness would win the day!  Every time!   What a world that would be! God set up Church and government for unique purposes and he plans to bless us through each. In Israel there was a unique circumstance, that both Church and State were represented in the same entity.  God ruled his people either directly or through a king that he selected. We learn and seek to emulate the examples of David and Daniel as we seek to find the right and God pleasing way to live as a citizen of 2 kingdoms.     

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CIVIL GOVERNMENT

As Christians living in this world, we are citizens of two kingdoms. The first is the spiritual kingdom that we are a part of by the grace of God and the work of Jesus! The second kingdom of which we are citizens is an earthly kingdom that is ruled over by civil governments. God gives us civil governments to keep us safe and to be a blessing to all people. Governments take care of their citizens and provide safety, comfort and assistance to their people. In this podcast series, we will be looking at what God says to us about how to glorify him as citizens of earthly kingdoms.  Check out our discussion of the book “Civil Government” from the People’s Bible Teachings Series from Northwestern Publishing House. Contact the Grace church office to purchase a copy, or else get your copy directly from www.nph.net. There are Kindle or Nook editions available from the appropriate retailers. But you don’t need to have a book to check out the podcast and enjoy the discussion. Thanks for joining us!     

Audio Download