On Sunday, Dec. 7th, SALEM held its annual joint worship service, where all members of all SALEM congregations gather to worship once a year as one unified church body in Christ. ALS was able to take part again this year, as a partner of SALEM in theological education. Prof. Tony Barthels brought greetings to the assembly from ALS along with 2 representatives from SALEM’s sister church body in America, the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). Rev. Michael Ewart and Mr. Jim Brandt expressed joy and gratitude for the blessed fellowship the church bodies share together. ALS ...
If you haven’t seen it already, we welcome you to check out our new website: asiaseminary.com . It’s a wonderful resource for learning about our program offerings. We also post updates about courses, news and events, and a weekly devotion. You can also learn about our history, faculty members, our mission and check out our library catalogue! All in one place! We pray this website can be a helpful resource for you.
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 With what are you struggling today? Maybe you don’t deal with stress in the healthiest way? Bills pile up, you can’t make ends meet at the end of the month, and your boss is far too demanding. So, you find yourself being short-tempered with your family. Maybe there are even times you grab for pills, or the bottle and you tell yourself, ‘It’s just to take the edge ...
If you follow the church calendar, you’ve noticed that another church year has ended and a new one has begun. With this, we now enter into the season of Advent: a time of the year when we prepare our hearts to hear again the message of Christ’s birth. We’ve heard it before, yet each year it reminds us of the ultimate fact of our salvation: that God is with us and that he came to save you. In a busy and distracted world, it’s easy to lose sight of this. Our prayer this year is that ...
Merciful Father, Look with compassion on Tai Po and all affected by this tragic fire. Protect the firefighters, rescue workers, and all who are in danger. Bring healing to the injured, comfort to those who have lost loved ones, and peace to those who have been displaced. Grant wisdom to the authorities in dealing with this difficult situation. Even in this dark hour, let your light and love be known. We entrust all those affected to your care, through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
We also rejoice in our sufferings. Romans 5:3 In the brief span of two or three lifetimes, God has chosen to lavish upon us a staggering number of technological and medical advancements. But as I live my life day-to-day, awash in all these marvels. I can begin to presume that my life is supposed to be convenient. I can begin to presume that my life is supposed to be comfortable. I can begin to presume that my life is supposed to be smooth, easy, trouble-free, and without pain. That presumption can even start to afflict my ...
[Jesus said] “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.” Luke 10:5,6 Most often, when I hear the word “peace,” I think of war between two nations coming to an end. I know that in church, “peace” is more often a reference to having a good relationship with God because of what Jesus has done. But it’s rare that I think of peace like Jesus uses the word in this Bible verse. Maybe ...
Many cultures around the world celebrate an autumn holiday that centers on the harvest. In the United States, that holiday is Thanksgiving, which will be celebrated this Thursday. It is a special time to give thanks to God for the “harvest” of the past year and for another year of his grace. At Asia Lutheran Seminary, we are thankful for: What blessings from God are you thankful for this year?
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36,37 Something I try to instill in my children is a good work ethic. Notice what needs to be done and do what you can without complaining. God has blessed you with gifts to serve. Use them. Besides, a task is more enjoyable when you see it as an opportunity and privilege rather than as ...
President Bare presented on the work of Asia Lutheran Seminary at a Lutheran free conference in Japan. Leaders of the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church (LECC) attended the conference. Leaders and members of the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church, ALS’s sister church from Japan, attended the conference. ALS looks forward to continuing its cooperation with LECC on theological education in the future.
