Author: Rev. George Borghardt

Rev. Borghardt is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bossier City, LA. He is also the President of Higher Things, Inc.

Fun Word Friday: Rapture – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 15, 2019

Jesus is coming to rescue His faithful on the Last Day. But the doctrine of the rapture is new in Christendom, and has a lot of unhelpful baggage that comes from misreading the book of Revelation and applying its symbolism into the clear texts in the Gospels and epistles. The Church has reads the unclear texts in light of the clear ones…not the other way around.

If you have questions or topics that you’d like discussed on Higher Things® Video Shorts, email them to support@higherthings.org or send a text to 936-647-3235. ► Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: https://dtbl.org/youtube. To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://support.higherthings.org

HT Video Shorts

Bible Study Thursday: Faith works for your neighbor – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 14, 2019

Faith saves you, but faith all by itself isn’t any good for your neighbor. The Lord would have you live out your faith in loving service for your neighbor. This doesn’t mean that works save, because faith is what’s doing the working. Faith is alive and active and loves your neighbor.

HT Video Shorts

The End of the World and Climate Change – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 13, 2019

Does God preserve and sustain His creation? Yes! The God who sent His Son to save us also keeps the world together and protects it. Don’t fall into the trap of worrying about the world ending through global warming, a new ice age, depletion of the ozone layer, rising water levels. The Lord will preserve creation until HIs Son comes back on the Last Day.

HT Video Shorts

Out of Context Tuesday: We all don’t have the same God – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 12, 2019

We don’t all have the same God. Your God took on your flesh and died on the cross, answering for your sins and the sins of the whole world. If someone has a god other than the One who sent His Son, the One who died on the cross for all your sins — even if they have the same name as your God — you just don’t have the same God as they do.

HT Video Shorts

Lectionary Monday: The Kingdom of God is Near You – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 11, 2019

The Kingdom of God is near you! When the Kingdom comes, it’ll be a comfort for you, because the same King who died and rose again for you is the One who comes back to save you. Before the Last Day, Jesus goes to the Cross for you. He “Last Days” on the Cross to save you on the Last Day.

HT Video Shorts

Fun Word Friday: The Abomination that Causes Desolation – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 8, 2019

Theologians have understood the abomination that causes desolation to be political figures and events in Israel’s history. But there’s one more image that we can’t stand to look upon, so awful it destroys the world as we know it: Jesus on the Cross. God hanging naked, beaten, cursed with sin, bleeding and dying for sinners…for you.

HT Video Shorts

Righteous and the Hope of Righteousness (Gal. 5:5) – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 7, 2019

You are righteous right now. You are holy, pure, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. You may have tons of sins. And Jesus still died for you, rose for you, and lives for you. This is not permission to sin. You know your sins, you know your heart. And you trust all the more in the Son of God who gave His life for you and He is your righteousness. Even now.

HT Video Shorts

The Third Use of the Law and Thor’s Shock Collar – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 6, 2019

The Law is good…when it’s used lawfully. But it’s unable to empower anyone to do good works. It works through threat, coercion, punishment, and force to make us behave because it’s unable to work in any other way. Like Thor’s shock collar that compels him to be an obedient dog. Only the Gospel enlivens and empower the faithful to *freely* keep God’s Law.

HT Video Shorts

Out of Context Tuesday: Does God help those who help themselves? – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 5, 2019

The idea that God helps you if you help you is NOT Christian. It’s not in the Bible. The Bible actually teaches the opposite of this when it comes to salvation. God helps those who cannot help themselves. Salvation is by grace alone, that is by Jesus alone. Jesus. God the Son, acts, while we can’t act. Only by His holy life and His suffering and death are we saved.

HT Video Shorts

Lectionary Monday: Grace alone in the Parable of the Tenants – A Higher Things® Video Short

Post author By Rev. George Borghardt
Post date November 4, 2019

If those vineyard tenants are stoning and killing your servants, WHY would you send your Son to them?? God knows they’re not going to respect His Son. By the end of this section in the Gospel reading, the Pharisees want to kill Jesus too! But we have God of grace who wants to save His people. We don’t deserve God’s grace, but He gives it anyway.