1-31-2016

Good Morning All!!   

         Luke 10:18; “And he (Jesus) said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.

      Satan falling like lightning from heaven; what an image that creates.  In fact that is something that I would like to see.  Here lies one of our biggest challenges; we want to filter everything in our lives through our human reason, logic and senses.  We want to bring God and all his power and majesty, His mercy and blessings down to our level.  We want it to make sense to me.

     God, in His love and mercy, brings us up to His level.  We may not see this happen with our human eyes but we can see it with our eyes of faith.  This is what Paul was talking about in Ephesians when he spoke of “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened” (Eph. 1:18).  But we are weak and sinful so we keep slipping back to the old level.  Yet God keeps pulling us up with His Word and with His sacraments.  God’s grace pulls us up and it drives the devil insane!!  God loves you and when Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins; then rose again to seal the deal; Satan lost.  He no longer has the control he once had.  We experience God’s miracle every day.  Every time God forgives our sins, Satan falls like lightning and through faith; we see it.  We see it in the bread and the wine; we see in the water connected to the Word.  With every single Baptism, we see Satan fall from the sky.  With each penitent sinner, who clings to the cross of Christ as his only hope; we see Satan fall from the sky. 

   We see by faith, we live by faith.  Faith leads us to trust in God’s promise to us. Faith leads us to rely on our Savior’s active mercy that redeems us and keeps us in the fold.  When Satan appears to us in the lies and deceptions of this world; he shines bright and looms large when we take him on by ourselves but he falls like lightning with one little word-“Jesus.”  When we speak Jesus by faith, when we seek Jesus by faith, when we cling to his mercy by faith we see Satan fall from the sky.

    So cling to the cross.  Hold tight to God’s incredible and undeniable love for you; freely given to you out of love beyond estimation.  With each penitent heart, with each baptized soul, with each Eucharistic meal to nourish our spirit and renew our faith; we see Satan fall from the sky.  Thanks be to God for this gift.

     Gracious Father, by the waters of Baptism You claim us as Your children and give to us the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and you free us from Satan and his bondage.  Lead me to see You with the opened eyes of faith that we may see Satan fall and walk closer to You.  Feed me and nourish me that I may ever know your peace.  Be with those who are struggling with sin.  Give them strength and comfort.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret