1-31-2015

Good Morning All,

             Galatians 6:2; “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

    “Can I help you?”  That is a question that gets asked in many different settings.  We hear it when we walk into a retail store and we start to look at a particular piece of merchandise.  We might hear it if we walk into a room or an area of a building where we are not supposed to be.  Usually, the person asking will direct you to the appropriate area.  I hear it a lot when I am in a hospital or in a nursing home and trying to find a specific room number for a patient.  The nurses and the nurses’ aides are really very helpful.  Eventually, I find everyone I am looking for.  “Can I help you?” is also the question which Paul tells us as Christians to ask, especially of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are to make ourselves available and useful to one another.

    As we look at this, the “law of Christ” is that we love one another (John 13:34).  Paul is telling us that when we bear each other’s burdens, when we come to the aid and comfort of a brother or sister in Christ we are showing that we love one another.  Yet we often struggle with this task.  We find it difficult, “I don’t know what to do!” is the phrase that is most often muttered; sometimes as an excuse but often times as an honest plea for direction because at some point in time, our theology has to be our biography.  We must live the faith we profess.  One way to think of this is in the poem entitled “Sharing” by an author unknown.

    There isn’t much that I can do, but I can share my bread with you, and sometimes share a sorrow, too—as on our way we go.

    There isn’t much that I can do, but I can sit an hour with you, and I can share a joke with you and sometimes share reverses, too—as on our way we go.

    There isn’t much that I can do, but I can share my flowers with you, and I can share my books with you and sometimes share your burdens, too—as on our way we go.

    There isn’t much that I can do, but I can share my songs with you, and I can share my mirth with you, and sometimes come and laugh with you—as on our way we go.

    There isn’t much that I can do, but I can share my hopes with you, and I can share my fears with you, and sometimes shed a tear with you—as on our way we go.

    There isn’t much that I can do, but I can share my friends with you, and I can share my life with you, and oftentimes share a prayer with you—as on our way we go.

Father in heaven, help me to see that sharing burdens with my brothers and sisters brings about healing and hope.  Guide me when I feel weak or afraid to offer a simple glass of water or a simple piece of bread.  Help me to see that the greatest gift I give is my time and my heart.  Lead me to bear my brother and my sister up that they may know your holy peace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-30-2015

Good Morning All,

         Mark 1:15; “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

       The kingdom of God; what do we mean by that?  Some will tell you that it refers to heaven; it refers to the place where God will perfectly rule.  Some see it as a future place and a future event.  Some read this and think that this phrase refers to Jesus himself.  Hence the reference to being “at hand” as in “I’m standing right here!”  These are a couple of ways to look at it but there is another way to view it.

    The kingdom of God really can be viewed as God, through Jesus, actively restoring all of creation to its perfect state.  Think of it as a wave moving through a pond or a lake.  It begins and moves through the whole pond.  The kingdom of God begins with Jesus entering into the world and going about village to village, person to person, bringing healing to those with whom he has contact with.  We see it in each event of Jesus’ life here on earth.  He brings healing, he brings compassion, he brings about the cares for the physical as well as spiritual needs of the person.  In short, we see God in Christ has come to reestablish his rule over creation, and his desire to restore everything that is broken or twisted or amiss or dying.  All of the different manifestations of creation’s brokenness give rise to the Savior’s compassion.

    This occurs now, not just at some future event.  Jesus comes to give us healing now.  He comes to free you from the past.  He comes to heal your brokenness.  So whether you are a young person that society has declared unworthy and unfit because of past events and choices; Jesus will pull you from this brokenness and give you hope for a better today.  If you are a not so young person who has a lifetime of struggles and failures; Jesus wants to heal you and for you to change for today.  We are not defined by the past; God defines us with a future and there is no amount of the past that cannot be overcome.

    Never underestimate how much God wants to begin your healing right now.  You are his beloved child.  Just as an earthly father would want his child to be healed today from any illness or affliction so our heavenly Father seeks the same truth.  God, through Jesus, comes to you seeking to bring you healing.  He seeks to help you address all of your needs.  He does this through the use of created things around you to bring you hope.  He has given this task to his church.  This is the task of the church; to bring about healing and hope to the world that is lost and broken and it does it one person at a time; attempting to heal one wound at a time.  The kingdom of God is at hand; grab hold and let it begin the healing.

Father, your love moves you to give us healing.  Be with those who are suffering at the hands of the world and are left to feel rejected and reviled.  Use us to be your hands and voice to bring about the wonderful message of hope that is your holy Gospel.  Direct us by your Spirit to those in need and help us to draw them to you.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-29-2015

 Good Morning All,

         Daniel 9:9; “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him”

      There was once a class of school children who loved to go outside and have recess. Their teacher was very generous. If the class had been good and finished their work, the teacher would let them go outside for a few extra minutes. Usually the class was very good. They always finished their homework, always tried to be good and always looked forward to their reward. But one day the class was a bit unruly. Paper airplanes were flying. Hair was being pulled. Talking was nonstop, and homework was simply not getting done.

    All of a sudden, the teacher called everyone to attention and said, “Time to go out.” All of a sudden the students’ eyes fixed on their teacher, their mouths dropped a bit, and almost in unison said, “But why? We don’t deserve to go out. We’ve been terrible. We haven’t listened. We haven’t finished our homework. We don’t deserve to go out.” “I know,” said the teacher, “but I want to show you that sometimes in this world things are given to you even when you don’t deserve them. Sometimes things are given to us especially when we haven’t earned them.” And with that, the students slowly stood up and walked outside, still a bit confused and unsure about the new world they had just stepped into. For the first time, some of these students experienced what grace, what a gift, truly was. They were given something that wasn’t earned or deserved.

    This is the story of our life.  If we received what we deserved, we would die.  We would suffer horribly for all that we have done.  We never really behave well enough to deserve any blessings.  We are always misbehaving, even worse than the children in the story.  Ours are not childhood inappropriateness; ours are acts of anger, hatred, selfishness and greed.  Our actions destroy life.

    Yet, incredibly, God has chosen to forgive you.  His love for you surpasses all else.  He made a way for our salvation.  All of our punishment was poured out upon Jesus; because of this, when God looks at us, he only sees the righteousness of Jesus.  Because of this, he pours his love out upon us.  We receive the good things which we do not deserve; we receive the wonderful blessings of salvation, the comfort of today, the healing of now, the restoration which we seek and need.  We receive, undeserved as they are; all these gifts and more from God because of his love, because of his nature.  God blesses us every day even though we do not deserve it.

Father of all mercy, in you we have eternal hope.  We go through life never deserving the wonderful gifts ad blessings which you pour out upon us.  We give you thanks for these and all the love that you graciously give us.  Move us to share this love with those around us.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

1-28-2015

 Good Morning All,

          2 Corinthians 9:7; “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

      God loves a cheerful giver; makes you want to grab your wallet and run sometimes, doesn’t it.  That is ok, you can feel that way.  For far too often this verse is used to “encourage” a bigger check in the offering plate.  This verse sometimes gets used because when people see the offering plate coming and they look in their wallet and they see a $20 bill, a $5 bill and a $1bill, they at least go past the single.  It is no wonder this verse causes us to clench up when we hear it or read it; it strikes us with guilt and usually that is the intent.

     I am not suggesting that you abandon the financial support of your church.  It costs a lot of money to operate a church, especially if you have an ongoing mission commitment either locally or nationally.  So be as generous as you can, however; that is between you and God.  This verse actually speaks to much more than just the monetary side of the church; it actually applies to how you live your Christian faith in the world around you.

    We know that God has given us everything and has given it to us beyond our need and even beyond our wants.  He has poured upon us his loving kindness far above what we deserve.  He has generously given us his grace.  He has restored us to the full standing within his family by redeeming us from sin.  We are all then co-heirs with Christ.  We are blessed with the gifts of the Spirit.  We have a lot to be cheerful about but are we cheerful when we share and use these gifts or are we stingy?

   The Apostle Paul lists those gifts as love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness; elsewhere he writes of humility, compassion, bearing one another’s burdens.  God gives you these; are you stingy in giving of these gifts to those around you?  Are you grumpy and demanding?  Do you look the other way when you see someone in need?  Are we cheerful, generous believers or are we stingy with God’s gifts?

    God gives us these gifts so that we might be blessed and that we might be a blessing to others.  He desires that we use these gifts to offer healing and comfort in a world that is broken and in pain.  He gives us these gifts so that we might relieve the suffering of the world and to be a bright spot in the lives of so many around us.  It might be your spouse or neighbor or someone who works in the store where you shop.  It might be the single parent across the street or the lonely elderly person who sits next to you in church.  There are many people who need you to be a cheerful giver; go and be one today.

Gracious and loving Father, give me the will to do your will and to be a cheerful giver.  Lead us to those who are suffering and in pain.  Lead us to shine brightly in this dark world.  Lead us to those who are missing the joy of life.  Guide us by your grace to bring healing.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-27-2015

Good Morning All,

         Esther 9:28; “that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.”

    One family’s New Year’s Eve tradition was to gather around the fireplace with the year’s calendar, the one marked with all the schedules and activities. They would tear off January and recall the events’ of that month—the family gatherings, the parties, the odd happenings. There were laughs and a lot of “remember that?” Then January would be committed to the flames.

This was done 11 more times until December was in the fire. But not all the memories were happy ones. The family members also recalled times of anger, misunderstanding, quarreling, hurt, and pain that they had caused each other. At times they would remind each other of the forgiveness of Christ and speak a word of forgiveness to each other.  They remembered their past year, the good and the bad and the highs and the lows.  They remembered the events and they remembered God and what he did.

     Our verse comes from the story of Esther where a man named Haman tries to have all the Jews killed.  His attempt is thwarted by Mordecai and Esther.  This is celebrated on the feast of Purim which occurs usually in the month of March.  The celebration includes the sharing of food, donations to the poor, a celebration and a re-reading of the story of Esther.  This is done to remember what God did for the Jews at this time and how he kept them safe.

   This is important for all of us to do; we need to remember what God has done for us and what he is doing for us and then look to what God promises us.  God has sustained us and protected us from the onslaught of the devil and the world.  We survived with God’s grace and blessings.  He continues to sustain and protect us from the wickedness that the devil intends for us.  God will protect us from the harm and pain that the devil tries to use to draw us away from God.  God wraps his loving arms around us and defends us with his mighty power.

    All these point to what God has promised to do for us.  He has promised to continue to protect and, when the fullness of our time is right, to complete our salvation and give to us the eternal glory that waits for us with Jesus.  We are already going on that path; we are already saved and participate in the joy.  This is why God protects and sustains us for we are his redeemed children.  He doesn’t save us for something later on; He saves you right now so that we can live with hope.  So remember what God has done for you; it is the down payment on life eternal.   

Gracious Father, in you we have hope.  Guard us by your loving arms.  Keep us strong and secure in our faith that we may always remember what great blessings you have given to us and that you continue to place in our life.  Keep us safe until we reach our eternal home with you.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret