Sunday, March 31, 2019

3-31-2019


 Good Morning All,

      1 Corinthians 11:25: “When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, “This cup is the new promise made with my blood. Every time you drink from it, do it to remember me.”

    We like to remember often.  The Statler Brothers asked, “Do you remember these?” Mary Hopkins sang “remember how we laughed away the hours” Tom T. Hall “remembered the year that Clayton Delaney died”.  Do you remember any of those? 

    Too often we try and remember items or thoughts or ideas that, at the time seem so important that we will never forget them, only to have foggy memory cloud the truth.  “Does anyone remember where we put…?” gets asked a lot.  As faulty as our “remembering” can be, it is somewhat amazing that God places emphasis on remembering in the Bible.

    God told the Israelites to “remember the covenant”.  Here we hear Jesus telling us to “remember him” when we have Holy Communion.  We are told to do things in remembrance.  So, what does that mean?

   We use the word “remember” as a simple mental exercise.  I remember the mild winter last year.  I remember the last snowy winter of a few years before that but some of my “remembering” gets fuzzy.  I remember we cancelled Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the first Sunday of Christmas services one year not too long ago but not exactly.  I remember that the Steelers and the Cowboys played a fantastic Super Bowl game but not which one.  A small group of us were looking at a confirmation picture and we couldn’t remember everyone in it.  We may even look at our wedding picture and wonder who the flower girl or ring bearer was.  So why does God tell us to remember?

    Remembrance in the Bible is more than a mental exercise.  It is an emotional, physical, and experiential exercise.  To “remember” in Scriptures means to bring forth a thought that causes an action.  Jesus wants us to actively remember all that He did and said so that we might have comfort in Him and peace in this world.  We are to remember that we belong to God and that He claims us as His own and the devil, the world and all created things cannot take us from Him.  We remember so that we know of the victory that is ours because of Jesus. 

    Remember that Jesus died and rose “for you”.  When you celebrate Holy Communion, his blood was shed “for you”.  When we pray, God hears “you”.  So, we want to remember what Jesus said, we want to remember God’s promises; not just as a mental exercise; but as a very personal act of love by God for you and we can always remember that “They shall be mine, says the Lord of Hosts”.  Do all that you do in remembrance of God’s great love.

Dear Father in heaven, you remember your people and give to them the blessing which they never deserve.  We give you thanks that we are that people.  Move our remembering from our heads to our hearts and through our hands.  In Jesus precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Saturday, March 30, 2019

3-30-2019


         Good Morning All,

               Genesis 2:15; “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to farm the land and to take care of it."

    It is always kind of interesting when we watch as the truth of the Scriptures plays out in the lives of even unbelievers.  They never want to admit it but we know that the Bible applies to everyone; whether they want it to or not.  They can deny it all they want to but Scriptural truths apply to everyone and everything.

    Sociologists, Psychologists and anthropologists all agree that humans are social creatures.  The Bible tells us that when in Genesis we read where “it is not good for man to be alone”.  As we look at this we also see where we truly get our happiness.  Our happiness or contentment comes when we strive to meet our “purpose” that is the reason we were created.  That reason is to care for creation. 

     Most of us would agree that the saddest people in the world are those who are totally self-centered and completely engrossed in themselves.  They look only at their own needs, at only their own wants with no concerns about others.  We often call them a “Prima Dona.”

    It is really sad to watch because being this self-centered is a cancer of the soul.  It eats away at your heart and makes your heart hard as stone.  It tends to isolate the person from family and friends.  Above all, it goes against God’s will and thus separates one from God as well.  Jesus came to reconcile us back to God; God then sends us forth to reconcile with our neighbors.  It is when we serve our neighbors that we find our true earthly contentment.

    Think of a time when you open presents, we are often more excited about giving the gifts than receiving them.  We anticipate the person’s reaction and sometimes we are more excite by this than we are about receiving a gift or even more excited than the person who is getting the gift.  We find joy when our vision is outward (looking to others) rather than inward (self-centered). 

     This is how we are designed.  This is living a life the way God designed for us to live.  We are designed to care for our neighbor.  We are designed to live a life that is outward looking.  We find our contentment and our happiness in helping those around us.  This sharing of God’s love and his grace is what fulfills us and completes us.  It is where our life on earth finds contentment.

Dear Father in heaven, too often we look to our own selfish interests and fail to love those around us.  Lead our hearts to know that our joy is found when we forget ourselves, and follow you.  Lead us to know that our purpose is to love those around us and to share the love that is you with them as well.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, March 29, 2019

3-29-2019


         Good Morning All,

Psalm 46:5; “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

    There is nothing quite as comforting as having your loved ones around when you face new and important events in your life.  It might be joyous events like the birth of a child, graduating from high school or college, marriage or perhaps a job promotion.  We like to celebrate our successes with those whom we love.  We like that same comfort and support when we experience those events that aren’t so joyous, like when we lose a job or a big game, the end of a relationship or the end of a life; we need comfort and support.  We need to have our loved ones in our midst.

    They don’t have to do much just be there to share in the event, good or bad, happy or sad; we need people there.  We like them to cheer when things go well and to offer us a shoulder when things go bad.  We need the love and support of our loved ones.

    This is one aspect of our life which God has always wanted to be for us.  He has always been in our midst.  He is always there to save us.  This is one of sin’s most insidious effects; sin makes us feel that God is far away.  Sin makes us feel like we are all alone.  Sin wants all our joyous times to feel hollow because we have no one to share them with.  It makes our sorrow even deeper because we feel all alone.  Loneliness is one of the devil’s best weapons.  He uses it, or the fear of it, to cause us all sorts of pain.  He uses it to separate us from God.  The apostle Peter calls the devil a “roaring lion”.  This is a very accurate description.  While the lion seems very powerful, when it hunts it looks for the weak and the wounded, separates it from the rest of the herd and then it attacks.  I see those attacks when I see relationships go bad, jobs lost, health deteriorating; whenever pain is experienced you can almost sense the devil prowling trying to separate those who have been injured or weakened by life’s battles.

    God is always there, he is always here in our midst, rejoicing in our gladness and quieting us with his love, just like a parent who holds and comforts a crying child.  He is there to comfort us when we need it.  He is there in our midst.

    When you see someone, who is in this pain and you think, the church should do something; that is the Spirit telling you to do something.  God is in our midst and he chooses to use your hands, your shoulders, your voice to hold, console and speak comfort.  When we see someone with something to celebrate, God chooses to use us to celebrate with them as well.  God empowered us with his Spirit to continue Jesus’ ministry here on earth.  He remains in our midst by his Spirit until his visible return.

 Dear Father in heaven, we give you thanks that you are in our midst with your joy and with your quieting love.  Give us that comfort and joy when we need it and use us to give that same comfort and joy when our brothers and sisters need it.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Thursday, March 28, 2019

3-28-2019


         Good Morning All,

          Psalm 23:1; “The Lord is my shepherd.  I am never in need.

   Jesus as the shepherd and we are the flock; this image has been used so often that it is almost quaint.  Maybe you remember the song “I just want to be a sheep baa baa” or maybe the hymn “I am Jesus’ little Lamb”.  This happens when we lose touch with the basic story or theme.  Most of us have very little, if any, contact with sheep anymore.  We don’t understand the dynamics or the truths of a flock of sheep.  Mostly, all we have is vague memories at best but what we usually rely on is what a book or a movie told us. 

     The beauty of using the flock for us as the church is that it addresses our most basic needs and wants.  When the flock is gathered together and the shepherd is intently watching over it; there is safety and serenity.  The flock is calm; quietly eating the grass, drinking the still water, lying down in the green pastures content and resting in the bounty that the shepherd provides.  The sheep listen to the soothing and calming voice of the shepherd; trusting it to guide them and to protect them. 

    The holy Church is the same way.  We, as believers, live within this community.  It is in this community that we are safe; we are nourished by the sacraments and we hear the soothing and calming voice of the Savior speaking his words of forgiveness and reconciliation.  All this provides us with the comforting Gospel which allows us to rest in the bounty of God’s abundant grace.  This encompasses all our needs; everything we need is found in the flock.

     The wonderful thing is that the Holy Spirit continues the unceasing work of calling, guarding, protecting and feeding the sheep of the flock until Jesus returns.  We are the unique community which is in the world but not of the world.  Our focus is always on the return of Christ; we look forward to it we long for it as in “thy kingdom come.”  While the world worries about today and fears tomorrow, we look with eager anticipation to the promised return of Jesus in triumph when the final enemy, death, is totally consumed.

     We hold onto this promise by faith, a faith that desires the forgiveness; that craves the words of hope which our Savior speaks to us.  We long to trust in the promise of salvation and eternal life.  With that faith, we can boldly go out and preach this gospel to everyone we meet.  We can bring consolation to the dying, comfort to the hurting, hope to those who have none.  God is our refuge; he is our hope; he is our shepherd protecting us and calling us by name, by our individual name, to hear the good news of our salvation.  In him do we hope, in him to we trust.

     This is why we encourage everyone to join together with their local congregation and worship together.  It is in the church that we hear God’s message of forgiveness and we receive the nourishment of his body and blood.  We don’t gather because we are trying to impress God; we gather for the renewing and rejuvenating of our soul.  Join the flock and celebrate the Lord’s gift to you.

Gracious Lord, you call us by name and gather your children into your protective flock.  Guard us from all harm and lead us down the path of salvation which you have prepared for us.  In your holy precious name we pray, amen.     

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret


Wednesday, March 27, 2019

3-27-2019


Good Morning All,

          Micah 6:8; “You mortals, the Lord has told you what is good.  This is what the LORD requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God”

    There was an ad on television that spoke of someone giving “2%”.  It talked of a store that took 2% off the price and called it a sale.  The gist of the ad is you have to commit much more in order to make it matter.  Sometimes we do that as well.  We only contribute a little to the cause.

    We see it in our jobs.  We all know the guy who seems to do just enough to get by.  He seems to have a knack for working when the boss watches or when evaluations are done but the rest of the time he is either “out” or doing something mindless.  We have team mates like that as well.  They never really work in practice; they really only seem to care about their own stats.  We deal with people like that all the time; slackers who don’t put in the effort.  The only thing worse is when we are the slacker.

     The really sad thing is that a lot of Christians seem to think they only need one type of relationship, the one that God has with them.  I hear many people who talk of “me and God” as all they worry about and all they need.  They think that they are a singular entity existing all alone.

     These people are missing out on a huge part of what it means to be a Christian.  Being a Christian is about fellowship, about being a brother or sister to your neighbor.  When we think we can live a sterile, selfish life we soon find we are wrong.  True Christianity is a very messy business.  It requires you to get involved in the lives of people around us.  That can be easy when we are all the same but it can be tough when some of us are different. 

     Yet God tells us that when we only go part way with our faith; that when we think we can turn our witness for Christ on and off; we are really missing the point of God’s grace.  God frees us from the bondage of sin and the slavery to the law.  He frees us to be what are meant to be: social creatures who care for each other.  It is sin that causes us to see differences when there aren’t any.  It is sin that causes us to look only to our own needs, to our own relationship with God.  God calls us to live together, sharing the joy and the sadness, the highs and the lows.  He calls us to see that the fellowship of all believers, indeed all people, is treated with the love and respect that God created us with.  This is why he calls us to see that justice occurs.  It is by our actions that our faith is best seen. 

Dear Father, we often fail in our relationships with our brothers and sisters and we focus only on our own needs.  Forgive us when we look past or around those in need.   Lead us to see that the greatest value is in serving our brother and living in righteousness before you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

3-26-2019


 Good Morning All,

       Luke 9:48; “Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest.”

    Do you remember Muhammad Ali?  Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, the Ali shuffle, the rope-a-dope; all these phrases were associated with him.  Yet the most famous was his claim that he “was the greatest boxer, the greatest fighter of all time; I am the greatest!”  This boast made him the most loved and most hated boxer of his era.  Most people who followed sports at all had an opinion on Muhammad Ali.  There was even a song about him.  Was he the greatest, I don’t know; he was very good.

        We often hear debates about the greatest.  The interesting thing about these arguments is that we are somehow involved with the one we proclaim as the greatest.  What is the greatest combine?  Odds are it is what you own.  Who is the greatest team?  You probably cheer for them.  No matter how we look at it, we like to be the greatest, either personally or vicariously.  We like to be the important one.

     We may feign modesty and claim not to want to be in charge but when important decisions are made, we want our opinion heard and followed.  We like to be the greatest; we seek to be the greatest.  We want to be on top.

     This is really part of our sinful nature.  When God created man, man was to care for the creation and to live in God’s presence.  When sin entered the world, man went from a creature that loves, with all its focus outward, to a creature that lusts, with all its focus inward.  With our focus inward, we no longer feared or loved God; we became God’s enemy.  We sought out our own personal greatness by placing all our selfish goals and ambitions above everyone else.  We see this often as people, whom the world views as successful, have broken relationships left in the wake of their drive and desires.

    Yet God calls us back to our humanness.  God calls us back to the relationship with him that we were created for.  God calls us through his Son to return to the family and to live a life where we fear, love and trust in God above all things.  Our greatness is found in God’s love pouring out of us, going through us, to be a blessing to those around us.  Our greatness is not found with an inward focus but with an outward one.  We are to be creatures of love seeking to serve others with comfort and consolation, with a helping hand and a willing back, with a word of hope and a word of prayer. 

    It is easy to fall back into the life of inward focus; the devil and our sinful nature encourage it.  Yet we find this life to be hollow and lacking any sort of true satisfaction.  The life of inward focus leaves us only wanting more; more attention, more greed and more self-centered desires.  It is never quenched; we never have peace or contentment.

    God calls us back to the peace that he alone can give.  God brings to us the comfort and the reconciliation to make our lives whole.  This is part of our re-creation which continues until we return to live with him in heaven.

 Dear Father, our greatness is found in your undying love.  Give us that due sense of peace and contentment.  Guard us from the devil’s snares of selfishness and self-centeredness.  Move us to love as you have loved us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret        

Monday, March 25, 2019

3-25-2019


Good Morning All,

       Micah 2:12; “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.”
    What do you do with the leftovers?  We almost always have some form of leftovers.  If you make supper; there is usually some leftover.  When you are making the meal, you might have some leftover ingredients.  If you are building a deck; you might have some lumber leftover.  What do you do with it?  Do you save it?  Do you throw it away?  Do you estimate whether it is worth saving?  Do you place a value on the leftover before you decide to keep or toss? 

    We all place a value on our leftovers.  If you made a gold necklace and had some gold leftover; would you keep it or throw it out?  If you serve Thanksgiving dinner and have 5 pounds of turkey and 4 pounds of ham leftover; do you keep it or throw?  What if it is a half-cup of that salad that your aunt brings that you cannot stand; do you keep or throw? 

    It is interesting how we view leftovers.  If it is meatloaf we may debate eating it.  If it is chili or some stew which gains flavor as it sets in the fridge; is it a leftover if it tastes better the third time we eat it? 

    Leftovers are a curious lot.  Almost by definition they are second class, second best, a portion which may or may not be thrown away.  It is a portion which may or may not have value.

    There are many times in our lives when we feel like leftovers.  Have you ever gone somewhere with some friends and then run into some of their other friends that you don’t know?  Have you ever felt like the odd person out?  We all get in the car to go somewhere and one of us doesn’t fit.  The last person picked for the team.  The one who was 8th for seven pieces of cake; the only one not to get into the game; sometimes we feel like leftovers.

     Sometimes the pain is unbearable.  The whole family gets together but you can’t make it.  When they talk of the fun, are you just the leftovers?  Maybe a loved one has decided that you are just a leftover in their life as they move on.  Maybe the job you have done for 25 years now finds you expendable or a leftover.  There are lots of ways for us to feel like leftovers and the devil loves to add to it.

    God loves leftovers!!  He saved the remnant; he saved you.  He saved you not because he views you as leftovers but he views you as his beloved children.  His love for us is beyond anything we can ever measure.  We are never just the leftovers; we are always his choice selections.  Wherever He finds us or wherever he places us, we are his beloved children.

Dear Father, we give you thanks that you always hold us close as your favorite and not just the leftovers.  Give us the courage to reach out to those who the world treats as leftovers.  Lead us to show them your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret              


Sunday, March 24, 2019

3-24-2019


Good Morning All,

       Hebrews 6:18; “God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given.

     How many times have you made a promise?  How many times has someone made a promise to you?  How many times have you broken promise?  How many broken promises have you had?  Probably, there are quite a few.  A big part of this is we use the word promise way too freely.  I promise to pick up supper on the way home.  I promise to wash clothes when I get home.  I promise to come to your ballgame.  I have made all those promises and broke each of them, more than once.

    Perhaps you have too.  We all have made promises and not kept them.  Yet most of us have made major promises which you are keeping.  For those of you who are married, how long have you been keeping that promise?  If you are not married, look at your parents and grandparents. 

    Notice how we see God using two unchangeables (He cannot lie, he cannot break a promise) too encourage us and have confidence in His promise.  A true promise is one that you are always keeping or fulfilling.  That is why we have confidence.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise…toward you.  The Lord made a promise to you; a personal promise to you.  The Lord God, creator of the universe, makes and is keeping his promise to you.

    Another thing about this promise is that it looks to the future.  When you took (or will take) your wedding vows, you are promising for tomorrow.  You promise to love and remain faithful “until death us do part.”  God promise for you is future oriented as well.  The promise made to you is a continuing promise for eternity.  You are given the promise of eternal life.  It is looking forward to what God promises not to what you did in the past.

    Another thing about a promise is that it depends on the person who makes it.  We all know (or may be) someone who makes a promise and the expectation is often (we’ll see).  The promise depends on the trustworthiness of the one who makes it.  God is always faithful to his promises.  God’s promises are always kept.  That is part of why God addresses himself as “the God of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”  It shows God’s faithfulness.

    This is the promise for you.  It looks forward and depends totally on God.  It comes to us as a gift.  God keeps this promise every day.  Even, maybe even especially, on those days when we struggle or feel that God is far away; He isn’t.  He is always close to you, keeping his promise; a promise that includes eternal life, the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of your fellow believers.  God keeps his promises new and fresh every day; trust in his promises.

   Dear Father in heaven, we give thanks for your holy promise.  Give us the strength and the courage to hold onto that promise.  Lead us by your Spirit forward with your promise.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

Saturday, March 23, 2019

3-23-2019


Good Morning All,

       Ephesians 2:8; “God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God

   We have been saved through faith and through it have victory.  That is truly an amazing and radical action.  God chose to forgive us, chose to love us, and chose to redeem us.  We sometimes call this the happy exchange.  We give Jesus our sins and he gives us his righteousness.  But what does this mean; that we have faith.

    Faith is more than just knowledge, even the devil knows that Jesus exists.  For too many people, faith is simply the existence of knowledge of Jesus.  He was a real person who lived a long time ago and taught some good moral values.  These are the people that the Bible says will be lost but will say to Jesus “Lord, Lord” but Jesus will dismiss.  Faith is more than just knowledge.  Faith changes you.

     “Faith is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God.  Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake life on it a thousand times” (Martin Luther).  The Word of God in the hearts of men changes lives; it cannot be helped.  Faith moves us to do good works which God creates for us to do.

    One way to look at this is to think of a Christian as an apple tree.  The tree grows from the ground and is nourished by the ground.  It produces apples.  The tree doesn’t think about producing apples; it doesn’t debate between apples and pears; it just produces apples.  But who benefits from the apples?  The tree doesn’t and the ground doesn’t.  The people who eat apples benefit.  The birds and the squirrels benefit but the tree and the ground really don’t benefit.  Sometimes, if the apple tree is prolific; we might say that it is in good ground.

    We are the same way.  Our faith grows out of God.  God nourishes our faith with his sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.  We produce the good works which he gives to us.  The works do not benefit us.  This means that our good works do not make us any better or more important before God.  Nothing we do will impress God or make him love us any more than he already does.  The works we do benefit those around us; our family, friends, strangers; all those who God calls “our neighbor”. 

    God doesn’t need our works any more than the ground needs the apples.  But God can and should receive the glory for our works.  This is how we as Lutherans define good works.  We define good works as acts of love which we do for the glory of God and for the benefit of our neighbor.  If we all do good works, just think about how happy everyone would be.

    Yet our old sinful nature still clouds our life.  This nature continues to harass and cloud our faith.  Here we might make the cry to God, “I believe; help my unbelief!”  We need to continually pray for God’s strength and hear his Words of forgiveness when we fail.  We need to trust in him with faith and dare to live in the confidence of His grace.

Dear Father, we fall short of your will far more than we keep it.  Forgive us when we fail to do what we should.  Forgive us for not loving our neighbor as ourselves.  Strengthen our faith that we may serve you in your kingdom.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, March 22, 2019

3-22-2019


 Good Morning All,

       Matthew 5: 14-15; “You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill.  No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house.

    Why are we here?  This isn’t some metaphysical, highly theological abstract question; it is an honest question.  Why doesn’t Jesus take the Church out of this world to be with him now?  He could leave a few top shelf evangelists and take the rest of us to heaven.  That could be a very workable plan, we could all be saved, safe in heaven, enjoying eternity with Jesus; what could be better?

    Nothing could, or will, be better.  However, Jesus has a mission for the Church and that is to serve as lights in the world in the midst of, what the Apostle Paul called, a crooked and twisted generation.  The Apostle John simply called it the darkness.  Does that describe our world or what?  Abortions are common and “acceptable” choices.  There is a debate in England about the “acceptability” of post-birth abortions (murder).  One in five Americans claims no religious affiliation.  That doesn’t count those who “claim” affiliation but aren’t sure what that means.  We live in a dark and crooked, twisted generation.

     Yet into the twisted generation that was Judea and Galilee of 4 BC, Jesus came and healed those whom he touched.  He brought the good news of salvation and the healing of the Holy Spirit to a crooked generation.  He brought God’s reconciliation into the world and through His death and resurrection gives us hope; hope for a better tomorrow.  The devil loves a crooked and twisted generation.  He can spin us and toy with us; using us as his playthings.  The devil loves things like the debates about aborting a live child.  He loves it when people think that abusing people is an “acceptable” choice.  It is all about choice, isn’t it?  We are “free” to make whatever bad choice we want regardless of who we hurt.

     This is why Jesus wants us, his Church, to remain in the world; for a while anyway.  Jesus calls us to be that light in this dark world.  We are that light when we comfort the family who just had a baby die.  We are that light when we give food to that family is hungry.  We are that light when we show mercy and compassion to that person who is sick and has nowhere else to turn.  We are that light.  He ties this all together when Jesus taught about the unforgiving servant or when he told the Pharisees,” I demand mercy not sacrifices” Jesus wants us to be that light in this world.  We are to bring the Gospel to all those we meet and see.  We are to show that hope.  We live those problems; we live those troubles but we live them with hope, the certainty of God’s eternal grace and God’s eternal riches.

Dear Father, give us the strength to be your light in this dark and crooked world.  Give us the wisdom to know how to be that light and give us the endurance to outlast the devil and our sinful nature as they attack us while we do your work.  All this we ask in Jesus precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Thursday, March 21, 2019

3-21-2019


Good Morning All,

       Romans 8:28; “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.

    “These are the times that try men’s souls.”  That is the opening line of a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine during the Revolutionary War.  It was written at a time of uncertainty during the war.  As you read it, you get the sense of stress that he feels.  This was written during a national emergency when our liberty hung in the balance.  How come, at the end of the day, does it feel like this is the summation of the day?

     Do you have days like that; the ones that really make you stress out?  Granted, it may not be of national importance; but it stills matters to you and it still feels awfully difficult.  All of us experience those days.  The co-worker that just pushes and pushes our buttons; the child who has moved away and we worry about if they listened to anything we said.  The new in-law who has thrown a monkey wrench into everything; the spouse who doesn’t seem to care anymore.  We deal with vehicles and equipment that always seems to break down at the most inconvenient time.  We have those days that try our souls.

    One thing that I have noticed on those days is that my greatest source of stress is me.  I am the one who places the deadlines and goals in place.  I am the one who must do it all, all at once, in the fashion that I decide.  Did you notice these past few sentences; there are a lot of “I’s” in them.  Therein is the trouble.  My focus is inward and I am not listening to the Spirit.  When you have days like this, listen to what Jesus says to us,” My grace is sufficient for you” and “all things work together for the good of those who love God.” 

     We stress about a lot of things.  We worry ourselves sick about many things that never happen.  Instead of placing our confidence, our faith, in Jesus and his all-powerful grace, we trust in “good old me” and we always fall short when I count on “me”.  When we realize that we are weak, so weak that we are totally helpless, completely unable to do anything for our own salvation, we see that all our hope is in Jesus.  That is what it means when Paul writes it will work out because it is all in God’s loving arms.  When we know Jesus as our Savior and stop trying to do it all, Christ is there, waiting patiently to give us a hug and the comfort we experience with and though His wondrous grace.

    So, don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders; trust in God and his ever sufficient grace to give you the peace to have God’s holy rest.

 Gracious Lord, we are often anxious and stressed about many things but none are ever important and none ever really matter when we see that all we have and need is from your benevolent hand.  Be with those who are experiencing the pain of stress and anxiety.  Remove this from their hearts and lives and give them the comfort and the certainty of the hope in your salvation.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

3-20-2019


Good Morning All,

       James 2:18; “Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do

    During this Lenten season, we are exploring the facts about Jesus being true man as well as true God. So, we are looking at some of the Bible stories where Jesus was hungry or praying or eating or suffering and experienced pain just like we do.  We are experiencing the depth of emotion, pain and other humanly experiences of Jesus.   Along with the Lenten services, we have a Bible Study to go with it.  During one of these lessons, someone asked about why it matters that Jesus was human.  There are many reasons but the one we will look at today is about how we interact with others.

    The fact that Jesus was fully human points to the truth that we are to be fully human.  To be fully human means to fulfil the purpose for which God created us.  We were created to take care of the garden. (Genesis 2:15) We were to take care of creation and bearing the image of God, we could do it perfectly because we perfectly kept God’s will.  Sin short circuited this and soon we were lost in our own selfish shortsighted life.  We corrupted our purpose and searched for our own purpose oftentimes maliciously twisting our design to fit our own desires, wants and wishes.  To correct this, Jesus came to live the perfect human life to fulfil the requirements of the Law which we could not.  Then Jesus gave this righteousness to us as the beginning of the reign of heaven which will come to full completion when Jesus returns.  Until that time comes, you and I struggle onward with moments of success and hours of failure. 

    Yet the reason Jesus was human is because the physical matters.  When we are a Christian, it is more than just a spiritual existence.  It matters that we live in the world where we see pain and suffering.  God empowers us, invites us, and commands us to act.  We are to help heal our neighbor, the land, the animals, the environment; whatever is suffering because of sin.  Jesus felt pain because it matters, Jesus was hungry because it matters, Jesus mourned the death of a loved one because it matters.  Jesus did this and more because it was not just your soul that matters; it is your physical body as well.

    So, Jesus leads us to be His hands to continue the work which He began when He walked this earth; to bring about healing, in, with and through, the proclaiming of the Gospel.  In living a life of faith, we show that faith by demonstrating true love for our neighbor.  We see devastation on the news and we pray.  Yet that prayer should also move us to act.  This verse is part of the section in James where James challenges the idea that faith is apart from works and it is not.  So, as we look at the physicality of Jesus, we should remember and act to deal with the brokenness of each other.

Gracious Jesus, as you were broken so we are broken.  Yet you were broken to heal us.  Use our hands and our lips to proclaim your healing redemption.  Use our hands to bring comfort to those around us.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret