2-29-2016

Good Morning All!!     

      Nahum 1:3; “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

    There is an old saying among sailors about any port in a storm.  There was even a time when the great shipping nations would grant enemy ships the right to make harbor in case of a storm.  After the storm the ship had a few hours to sail and then they were fair game.  It was often the suddenness of the storm that would cause the sailors to fear.

    A calm day could turn into a nightmare.  The seafarer soon became skilled at reading the signs of the weather.  Red sky at morning sailor take warning; red sky at night sailor delight.  This saying is very old and believed by many sailors, even today.  It didn’t take long for sailors to begin to read all the signs that would give clues to the coming weather.  They would watch the animals, the birds, and the fish all provided behavioral patterns to which the sailors could try and determine problems ahead.

     Yet many a sailor would go out and many a sailor would find themselves in trouble.  They would seek any port in a storm to keep them safe.  Many people today have that same attitude.  They seek any and all ports of safety in a storm.

     We see this when a person faces a health scare.  As they wait for the results from the tests; they pray and then check their horoscope and then do some form of luck enhancement.  When the test come back negative, they thank their lucky stars, dodged the bullet and may even say a quick prayer of thanks.  Yet if the results are not negative; what comfort do your “lucky stars” give you?  We need to know where our stronghold truly is.

    David wrote that God is my refuge and strength.  He was a guy who knew about trouble.  Even though he was the greatest king that Israel had ever known; he spent a lot of time running and hiding from people trying to kill him.  Even when he was all alone and the enemy surrounded him, he found refuge in God.  We can as well.  God offers us the assurance of our salvation and the certain promise of our salvation.  Even when all the earthly pretenders fail; God provides.

    While many think that it is acceptable to “cover all the bases” and look for comfort from any who claim to offer it; our only true source of comfort and happiness is in God.  Our salvation is guaranteed because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.  This is our port, our only port, in any storm, in any trial or tribulation; God protects us and guards us from all danger.  We will face many trials; this is part of sinful man but God promises to guard us and protect us from all harm and evil.  We don’t even have to read the signs; simply trust our port, our stronghold for our salvation; Jesus our risen Lord.      

Dear Father, you keep us safe from all that the devil and this sinful world throw at us.   Be with those who are in need of your comfort and give us the wisdom to reach out to those who need it most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

2-28-2016

 Good Morning All!!     

           Deuteronomy 15:15; “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you;”

     I remember listening to some of the grownup conversation when I was much, much younger.  I remember the phrase and how it always stuck with me.  “That’s where two fools met.”  They were discussing a rumored land purchase offer.  The adults laughed and talked of other things.  Later, after everyone else was gone, I asked my parents what that meant.  They explained that one man had offered to buy some land from a neighbor and had offered a price that was almost twice what the current land values were.  The second neighbor turned him down.  “That’s where two fools met; the first was a fool for offering that amount and the second man was a fool for not taking the offer.”

    Later in my life, I studied economics and learned about the law of supply and demand and how this was always the true price of a good or service.  When discussing how to determine the price of a good when at auction, my economics professor said the true price was the second to the last bid; that is the amount where more than one person would purchase the good.  Then he started talking about value of goods.  There was something called the intrinsic value, then there was the exchange value, then there was the marginal value and so on and so forth.  What is it worth, what is its value?  Are value and worth the same thing?  I enjoyed the class but oftentimes, my head hurt after class.

    What is it worth?  Sometimes we ask that question about people as well.  Sometimes we ask that question about ourselves.  Am I worth it?  What am I worth?  If you listen to the world; you aren’t worth much.  To the ultra-rich you are a means to make more money.  To the ultra-powerful you are a means to power and control.  To the politician you are just one vote to keep them in office.  Maybe to your family you are just a meal ticket, the one who pays the bills.  Maybe you look at some things that have happened in your life and you think your value is very low.  What are you worth?  What is your value?

    Value is determined by the purchaser.  What are you worth?  You are worth one dying Savior.  God’s love for you, his desire to redeem you and bring you back into his family led him to give his Son, his only Son, in exchange for you.  The world may see you as worthless but your Father in heaven says you are worth one dying Savior to Him; a price he paid willingly.  So when the world, the devil, and the sinful elements of this world call you worthless; remember your Father in heaven says you are worth one dying Savior.  You can take your comfort and your hope in the value that your heavenly Father places on you.  He paid the price of one dying Savior for you because he loves you.  Hold onto that truth.

Father, you sent Jesus to pay the price for me.  Keep me safe in the knowledge that your love places a great value on me and that in you I have peace and hope.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.   

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

2-27-2016

 Good Morning All!!     

     Romans 8:35;”Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

     “Divide and conquer!”  This has been the strategy of many a general throughout the years.  Julius Caesar used it against the Franks.  Genghis Khan would lure some of the people out of the city before he attacked them.  Field Marshall Rommel would use it in Africa.  The whole theory is to reduce the size of your opponent’s army by diverting or separating some of the troops and then battling the smaller groups as do battle.  It is so common that even lions attempt to separate the weaker zebras or gazelles from the herd in order to catch them for supper later.

    The thing is that the people, or the animal, are safe if it stays in the herd, in the pack, or with the whole unit.  It is only in danger when it decides to run away from the safety of the larger gathering.  What makes it run?  What causes it to leave the safety and go on its own?  Usually one of two thoughts; it is either completely afraid or it is totally overconfident.  This is what causes separation; it is fear or foolishness.

    What separates us from the love of Christ?  Our very own and personal choice is what takes us apart.  For some, it is a foolish belief that “I know best.”  Some have that level of arrogance that says their way is better than God’s way.  Some believe that their plans are better than God’s plan.  Some believe their choices are better than God but then those choices leave them alone and being destroyed by the devil as they have separated themselves from God and the love of Christ.

    Some are separated by fear.  In Paul’s time this fear included persecution, being driven from your home and having your possessions taken from you.  It was fear of being tossed out on the street with little if any way to support yourself.   This is what the Christians were afraid of.  What are we afraid of?  Most fear health problems which leave them physically, emotionally and financially broken.  Most fear the end of their job and a lack of adequate funds in retirement.   Many fear the unknown tomorrow but we really don’t need to fear it.  We need to hold onto, to cling with all our faith and hope, to God’s great promise; nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Nothing can ever separate us; it is only if we leave of our own choosing.

    God never abandons us, never leaves us.  He is always with us.  He is always there to protect us and to comfort us.  He is there to relieve our fears and to give us hope.  We are safe within his loving arms.  We are protected from all the devil throws at us.  Wherever our journey leads us, we can go with the certainty that God goes with us to lead us through the valleys ahead.

Gracious Lord, as we go on the journey of life, we face paths that are dark and foreboding.  Keep us mindful that you are always with us and that you have prepared a place for us in your Father’s house.  Keep us in the true knowledge that nothing can ever separate us from your love.  In your most precious and holy name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

2-26-2016

Good Morning All!!     

        Jeremiah 15:16; “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.”

    “Mom, I’m hungry.”  How many times has a mother heard this?  Sometimes it seems that the dinner or supper dishes aren’t even off of the table yet and someone is scrounging in the refrigerator.  There were times we wondered if our sons were eating or just storing it away for later usage.  Perhaps they had a hollow leg for storage.  It never seemed to matter what they were fed or how much they were fed, they were always hungry.  We fed them meals high in protein content, carbohydrate content, energy content; it never seemed to matter for they were always hungry.

    That is one fact that we deal with.  We all get hungry.  We eat a meal and then a few hours later we are hungry again (Some have fewer hours than others).  Yet we must eat many times a day in order to address our hunger pangs.  We often learn what does and what doesn’t “stick” with us.  We know that the sugary foods do little to satisfy us; we tend to do better with a healthier selection.

    Our faith life can be like this.  We tend to hunger for something to satisfy us.  If we seek after the false teachings and beliefs of this world, we will always be hungry.  The most modern, pop culture self-help pabulum may taste sweet; it may tell us what we think we want to hear but it will fail us when needed.  It will not feed or nourish us.  It will leave us hungry.  It will leave us empty.

    This is why we should always give thanks to God for giving us that satisfying and nourishing meal of His Word.  It fills us; it gives us the proper level of soul building nutrients.  Through His Word we have a diet that feeds our spirit and nourishes our soul so that when the battles and struggles come, even when these battles are more wars than struggles; we are kept fed and kept strong.  It is the nourishment of God’s grace that keeps us going. It is God’s nourishment to feed us to survive our battles to give us the strength to withstand the devil’s attacks.

    Without God’s grace, his nourishment, we would fall and collapse under the devil’s onslaught.  It is only by God’s precious gift of grace and mercy that we are able to defeat the devil.  We defeat the devil because God has defeated him by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It is his victory, given to us because of his love for us; that assures our victory.  It is through faith that we are strengthened and nourished to hold onto our victory.

Gracious Lord, feed us with your gracious Word.  Nourish us body and soul that we may always cling to you.  Keep us in your loving arms that we may know your holy rest.  Keep us strong that we may defeat the devil’s attack and we may remain in your holy kingdom.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret