Inter-Lutheran Seminary

05/28/2026

June 2026 newsletter by Pastor Chuck Bylkas

Dear Friends,

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” I Peter 2:9-10

During the celebration of the Easter season, we not only celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but our own resurrection as well. The season of Pentecost emphasizes how we then shall live because of that Resurrection. The Apostle Peter writes his epistle with a desire to give hope to a people who are enduring trials and tribulations. He encourages the people, and us as well by reminding them and us of the power of the Risen Lord Jesus and what His resurrection means. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” What an uplifting message for those who are suffering! We are born again to a living hope by the Resurrection of Christ! By faith, we possess a divine inheritance that will not be taken away from us! Later, Peter declares “…that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…” It is a wonderful reminder that our hope does not rest upon the things that we do, but rather upon the finished work of Christ, that God had ordained from the time of creation. As the Apostle Paul has said, even the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that awaits His children.

In chapter two of that same epistle, Peter tells us that each one of us has become a “lively stone” that is part of a magnificent spiritual house, of which Christ is the cornerstone. Those who refuse to believe in Christ stumble over Him and fall, but it is not so with us. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” What a marvelous declaration! We are a chosen people, chosen by God Himself. We are a royal priesthood, because we are children of the King of Kings. We are a holy nation, because we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and are now dressed in His robe of righteousness. We are a peculiar people. Not peculiar in the sense of being odd or strange, but peculiar in the sense of belonging to God. We are His children! We praise God because He delivered us from darkness into the light. At one time, we were not a people, but now because of the death and Resurrection of Christ, we belong to God. At one time, we had not received mercy, but now because of the Cross, we have received mercy. What a wonderful message for those who are discouraged or overwhelmed by the cares and struggles of this life! May God strengthen us in faith, so that we might lay hold of this great and glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! As always, we thank you for your continued support of the ministry of the seminary. God bless you!

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Chuck Bylkas

04/28/2026

May 2026 newsletter by Jay Weidner

Dear Friends,

The Meaning of the Ascension

The day of The Ascension of Our Lord is on May 14, 2026. Sadly, it is often overlooked and virtually forgotten because it is a midweek celebration. It is a very significant event in the New Testament as recorded in Mark 16:19 and expounded upon in the book of Hebrews.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. (Mk. 16:19 KJV)

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Heb. 9:11-28 KJV)

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb. 10:14-22 KJV)

A very significant event indeed. May God sanctify it in our hearts and remembrance. A blessed Ascension to you and yours.

God’s Peace,
Jay Weidner

03/27/2026

April 2026 newsletter by Pastor Chuck Bylkas

Dear Friends,

“ Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.” Acts 2:22-24

As we move from the Lenten season into Holy Week and the season of Easter, we reflect on how God has done so many wonderful things for His people. During His earthly ministry, Jesus performs many miracles that defy explanation. Even the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is hard for us to grasp. How is it that an infinite God can experience death? Why would He offer His Beloved Son as a sacrifice for the sins of Adam’s rebellious descendants? And perhaps most importantly, how can a man rise from the dead?

The difficulty in grappling with these questions is one of perspective. Our fallen reason prevents us from seeing or even desiring to see the plan of salvation from God’s perspective. Our sinful minds tell us that miracles are impossible, evil just might overcome good and perhaps death does have the final word. God tells us the exact opposite. Miracles are simple for the God who created the universe by speaking it into existence. Good will not merely defeat evil. The victory we have in Christ will be an absolute triumph. Resurrection from the dead is not a possibility; it is a certainty. Death will not win, because it cannot win. The grave cannot contain Jesus Christ, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.” Acts 2:24
Over and over again, the Holy Scriptures remind us not of the possibility of hope, but rather of the certainty of hope. God always keeps His promises. Love never fails. Our sins are forgiven. We are God’s new creation. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. The devil is defeated. Death is swallowed up in victory. Because Christ was raised from the dead, we too shall rise from the dead. God be praised!

Thank you once again for the many ways you support the ministry of the seminary. God bless you with a joyous Holy Week and Easter season.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:55-57

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Chuck Bylkas

02/26/2026

YOUR PARNERSHIP IS IMPORTANT TO US

As you may or may not know, the seminary largely runs on donations. We are very thankful for your generosity and also for your prayers. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. We cannot do this work without you.

Looking to the spring months, we will need to make some much needed improvements to the sanctuary building; namely, the roof. In the past few months, ice dams have caused water to leak inside the building. We are planning to have the roof repaired as soon as the weather permits.

We are grateful for your commitment and partnership as we take the necessary steps to ensure our buildings are in the best possible shape.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…”
Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭6 KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

02/26/2026

March 2026 newsletter by Jay Weidner

Dear Friends,

Like so many things we encounter in daily life (days of the week for example), the month of March is named for a pagan god. The original name of the month was Martius and was dedicated to the Roman god of war, Mars. It was from early times the first month of the 10-month year and was understood as the time when the winter weather abated and the time for campaigning in war would begin. After 153 BC it became the third of 12 months which started with 2 winter months January and February. March was the first month of the year in Russia until the 15th century and Great Britain used March 25 for New Year, including the colonies that would eventually comprise the USA, until 1752. Iran and Ethiopia still celebrate New year in March. We celebrate the beginning of Spring in March and in many places March marks a return to more seasonable weather and the end of the hardships of Winter.

Out of the kindness of our Lord and the triumph of the Gospel throughout the world the pagan emphasis on March lost its place so that few people even know of its existence and in its place Christianity placed the emphasis on a season for reflection upon the Passion of Jesus. We call that season Lent, derived from the Latin word for Spring and we commemorate it as a season for fasting and prayer as we encounter for 6 weeks the texts of the Scripture that indicate the depth that God was willing to go in sending His Beloved Son to suffer and die for us and purchase our redemption through His blood. What started out as a time of pagan observance has become for us a most beautiful time to reflect upon the triumph of God over the darkness that had beset the ancient world and the liberation He provided from that darkness in the Light of the World, the Resurrected Son, Jesus the Christ.

One important aspect of the ancient understanding remains. It is the time for a renewed campaign. Time to march. In our world there is a powerful movement afoot to restore the fortunes of paganism and steal the light of the Gospel from the world. Christians must be vitally aware of this trend and vigilant to confront it everywhere. We need to educate ourselves in the ways that this neopagan movement is being reintroduced in the world and rise up to combat it in every forum with the truth of the Gospel, following through with the instruction of Ephesians 6:13:

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Eph. 6:13 KJV).

Knowing our struggle is not with flesh and blood:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6:12 KJV)

We, by God’s grace, are doing our part to fight the good fight of faith and teaching God’s Word so that the Light of Christ may continue to shine bright in this Lenten season and always. We thank you for your support in this work and ask that you continue to do so in prayer and financially as we carry out our calling in ministering to the people of God.

God’s Peace,
Jay Weidner

01/30/2026

February 2026 newsletter by Pastor Chuck Bylkas

Dear Friends,

“Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. 43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” John 1:35-51

The season of Epiphany is the celebration of how God has manifested His Son Jesus to the whole world. The season begins with the Visitation of the wise men, in which God leads the wise men to the Christ-Child by way of the Word of prophecy and a miraculous star that moves in the sky. Epiphany continues with the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus, in which the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove, and God the Father speaks from heaven declaring “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

However, on a few Sundays in the season of Epiphany, the appointed readings speak of how Christ is made known, by what appears to be much less spectacular means, such as the calling of the disciples. In the above passage from John’s Gospel, John the Baptist simply calls the disciples’ attention to Jesus and declares “Behold the Lamb of God!”, and they begin to follow Jesus. Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon, “and he brought him to Jesus.” Jesus bids Philip to follow Him and Philip does so. Philip finds Nathaniel and simply tells him to “Come and see” the Messiah, and Nathaniel came and saw Jesus. God uses what appears to be ordinary means to accomplish something extra-ordinary. God uses seemingly ordinary words to direct people to His Son. Of course, we know better. Those “ordinary” words are not ordinary at all, because they are God’s Words. And God’s extraordinary Word brings hearers to repentance and faith in Christ. His Word does not return void but instead convicts us of sin and points us to the Saviour of sinners, Jesus Christ. This is the ministry of the Seminary, to faithfully teach the Word of God which directs us evermore to the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. As always, thank you for your fellowship in the Gospel. The Lord continue to bless you.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the World.” John 1:29

Yours in Christ,
Chuck Bylkas

12/28/2025

January 2026 newsletter by Jay Weidner

Dear Friends,

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.1

In October of 2025 I had the pleasure of assisting in the ordination of Pastor Scott Seppala at Eastwood Apostolic Lutheran Church in Negaunee MI. The text I chose for that occasion appears above. Since that time this passage has been persistently on my mind. While preparing that message I was amazed at John’s usage of the Greek root word translated as full and fullness. John tells us that Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father, is full of grace and truth. There is nothing surprising about that statement as the balance of the Gospel bears witness to it. Jesus spends His earthly sojourn demonstrating God’s grace to humanity and that He is the true, real God. We are made to witness by John’s testimony that God has become flesh and has done so to purchase our redemption. Jesus goes to the cross to shed His blood to save us by forgiving all our sin, taking away the sin of the world. That was His mission and He fulfilled it entirely so showing God’s grace to the world. This is remarkable but expected as the Gospel unfolds. The statement that is particularly shocking though is that found in verse 16; “And of His fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.” Jesus is full of grace and truth and of that fullness all of us have received. All of us have received grace and truth from His fulness. We have not received it partially but fully, of His fulness. God has withheld nothing of His fulness from us, he gave us all in Christ. Still John follows that up by telling us this grace goes on and on. This is grace for grace that is inexhaustible. The Greek preposition used here means “in the place of,” and in this usage gives the idea of grace in the place of grace in an endless stream. As we need God’s grace, we don’t exhaust it at all, the application of grace to us is done again and again into eternity. God’s grace goes on forever and comes from the fulness given us in Jesus. It is there whenever we need it and we need it all the time. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 1:7. It is in this grace that we begin a new year. God’s mercies to us are new every day.

Thank you for supporting us in years past and kindly doing the same in this new year. A Blessed and Happy New Year to all of you in the fulness of His grace!

God’s Peace,
Jay Weidner

12/01/2025

December 2025 newsletter by Pastor Chuck Bylkas

Dear Friends,

“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.” Luke 1:13-14

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” Luke 1:30-31

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

One of the interesting things about the season of Advent is that the scripture readings in the church calendar often direct our attention to the birth of Jesus Christ. One might think that we should reserve those passages for the Christmas season itself, but this is not the case. The reason for this is simple. Advent is the season in which we prepare for the return of Jesus Christ, just as He promised. In our preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ, we reflect on how God prepared His people for His first coming, with the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem.

There is a striking similarity in the angelic messages above. The angel greets Zechariah, Mary and the shepherds with the identical phrase “Fear not.” Of course there is good reason for this. Human beings are not accustomed to such angelic visits. Furthermore, the Jewish people were well aware that a divine encounter with a Holy God might very well mean death for sinful human beings. According to the book of Exodus, no one can see the face of God and live. Also, the Word of God repeatedly speaks of the importance of fearing God. However, the admonition to “Fear God” is not intended to instill terror of God, but rather a deep respect for Him.

The Gospel message teaches us how to have a reverence for God, while not being afraid of Him. The Good News of Jesus Christ is that God has come to deliver us from sin, death and the devil by sending His Son to the Cross to take upon Himself the punishment that we rightly deserved. In other words, Zechariah, Mary and the shepherds need not fear, because the angel has not come to bring bad news, but rather the greatest news of all. Their Messiah is coming!

God’s Word brings that same message to us. Our Saviour has come! Christ has accomplished His mission to “take away the sin of the world.” God now prepares us for the return of His Son, by reminding us of what Christ has done and encouraging us to be ready, not out of fear, but with longing and anticipation, as a bride awaits her bridegroom. In fact, we need not live in fear any longer, because God’s “perfect love casteth out fear.” I John 4:18 As the hymn writer says:

“With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord to see
The day of earth's redemption
That brings us unto thee.”

Thank you for your continued support of the ministry of the seminary. God bless you and your families with a joyous Advent and Christmas season.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14

Yours in Christ,
Chuck Bylkas

10/29/2025

November newsletter by Jay Weidner

Dear Friends,

If April showers
bring May flowers,
what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.

I remember the day my brother came home from elementary school and told me this little joke. It would have been about 1960 at a time when people put out their cornucopias, paper pilgrims and turkeys. There were always the standard stories of the pilgrims’ arrival in 1620 and the first thanksgiving. Through the years I have learned that these events have been exaggerated, embellished and sometimes purely fabricated yet still there remains a fascination with the original story. While exactly all the pilgrims did may be open to varying interpretations, the essential gist of the story is quite factual. They were people who came here as they believed they were directed to by God. They came to find a new promised land, a place where God would freely bless them as they industriously worked the land under His auspices. They were at a certain level utopianists, many of them with leanings toward amillennialism/post-millennialism who believed that God would usher in a golden age of harmony if they would remain faithful to their religious expression now liberated from the fetters of Kings.

The pilgrims could never have realized what their experiment would yield. The present colossus would not even have been possible in their view. Still the present manifestation is what came of the “pilgrim dream”. However the dream isn’t yet concluded. There is a future still to be realized and that future is in the hand of the same God the pilgrims worshipped in freedom, the one to whom they offered thanks for bounty and providence. The lesson of the pilgrims isn’t found in their history as much as in their confidence. Confidence to face the future guided by the hand of the true God, this is the legacy the pilgrims left to their descendants and we are misguided if we give in to the present spirit of pessimism that permeates a faithless age and lines the pockets of those who market their dark vision without conscience. So Psalm 121:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:1-8 KJV)

God remains with us. The pilgrims were right; we are wise to trust in Him. Happy Thanksgiving!

God’s Peace,
Jay Weidner

10/09/2025

Just a reminder, the annual Seminary Rally will be held this Sunday, October 12 at 3:30PM at the Laurium Shining Light Church, 246 Tamarack Street, Laurium, MI with dinner to follow.

Also, the service will be online. Follow this link and click Sunday Morning. Service AIso it will also be available from their page.

Sunday Morning Communion on the first and third Sunday, all are welcome to the Lord's Supper. Unable to Join us on Sunday's? We also do Communion at the end of our Thursday morning Bible Studies.