Friday, May 31, 2019

5-31-2019


          Good Morning All,

         Titus 3:5; “he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal

    Have you ever come into your house after a few hours of being outside in the heat?  Maybe you were weeding your garden or mowing the lawn on one of those hot sticky days.  Maybe you were doing those exercises that the doctor wants you to do; maybe your job requires you to be outdoors.  Even after a short time outdoors, everything sticks to your body; your clothes, the dirt, the dead grass, the bugs, everything just sticks to you.  As everything sticks to you, you are aware of how uncomfortable you are; you are hot, tired, sore and in need of some relief.

    If you are like me, you head straight for the shower.  There is nothing like a nice cool shower on a hot day to wash away some of the grime and to cool me off.  As you drag yourself into the shower, you can feel the heat just wash away and the grime seems to melt right off.  You begin to feel that “squeaky” clean sensation.  You begin to feel refreshed.

    This is how God’s grace works in our life.  We spend the day out in the hot sun and in the dusty grime of life.  The devil continually spews his venomous attacks.  The heat of this life is used by the devil to attack us, to make us uncomfortable, to attack the peace and contentment that God gives us.  The devil takes advantage of every heat wave to try and cause us discomfort.  He takes each setback or struggle and tries to turn up the heat.  He takes life and tries to cause us discomfort. 

    He then throws in the grime of doubt and despair to make our discomfort even greater.  It wears us down; it takes the energy out of us.  We are tired, hot, weary and beaten down.  It might be a job setback or a health setback or a relationship problem or any of a number of other events that cause us pain and sadness. 

     Yet God comes to us with his kindness flowing over us like a refreshing shower or a dip in a cool pool of water.  It cleanses us and refreshes us.  It gives us hope.  It overflows in our lives and in our souls.  God gives to us the certainty of tomorrow.  We never have to worry about tomorrow because God will take care of it.  We only need to trust in him for his mercy.  We only need to be refreshed by his wondrous overflowing river of grace. 

    As this grace overflows us, it pours out into the loves of those around us.  It flows out to those whom we meet who are hot and grimy; who are tired and in need of rest.  God uses you and he uses me to bring this life restoring water to those around us who are in need.  God pours out his mercy to the people around us through us.  He doesn’t have to but this is the way that he chooses to do it.  God pours out his river of grace through people, like you and me, who make up his Church.  So that thanksgiving may come from many to the glory of God.

Dearest Father, your mercies run over us like a flowing river and we are blessed by you through this loving gift.  Wash away our dirt and our grime and give us your peace.  Be with those who are especially in need of your mercy, in need of your overflowing kindness.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’ Peace,

Pastor Bret


Thursday, May 30, 2019

5-30-2019


 Good Morning All,

     Matthew 7:11; “Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?"

    It is a fascinating world.  A short time ago I had to put new tires on my pickup.  I went to my favorite local fix-it shop and had them put on there.  While I was there I was talking to the mechanic.  He was working on a 1970 MG Midget.  That is just about the littlest car I have ever seen.  It is a British car and he is getting it going for a lady.  He was replacing the tires, the hoses, the belts and some of the electrical parts to get it going.  Now we might not be the farthest from Great Britain but we have to be close.  It is not like we have a huge city close to us so I asked him how he got the parts he needed.  I was totally baffled.

   He got a really big grin and chuckled and told me he ordered everything off of “eBay”.  I was dumbfounded.  So, when I got home I searched eBay for a while; you can find just about anything on it.  We shop a lot on Amazon as well; it has a lot of stuff.  Do you remember the days when finding a strange or unique part was a long and arduous task?  Now it is just a few minutes and there it is.  One might be able to venture that if it isn’t on eBay or Amazon; it might just not exist.

    No matter what it is, people tend to seek it out.  Whether it is parts for an antique car or tractor, or a unique book, or some old furniture or dishware, people tend to seek it out.  Some go to flea markets and garage sales to find hidden treasures.  People seek all sorts of things.  Some of what we seek is not always things but is often times a sense of wellbeing.

    Many people, when asked, are seeking peace, quiet, happiness, contentment, rest or any of other thoughts like this. Go to any bookstore, or Amazon.com, and take a look at the self-help section.  Everybody has an answer for you and if you look close enough; you can probably find the exact opposite advice for any “problem” that you have!

    This is why Scriptures always tells us to “seek the Lord’s help” or to “seek first the kingdom of God” or tells us that contentment comes to the “man who delights in the law (Bible)”.  Holding onto our faith is our only true source of contentment.  God promises us peace and to “live in his land” if we hold onto our faith.  He will give us comfort and consolation, peace and rest.  He has promised to be “our God” and “our Father”.  This is what we have when we trust in God’s promise and seek his help.  We have his comfort and consolation, his peace and rest.  We can seek out other help but it will always fail.  Eventually, we will find that out.  The question is often, “how far down do you want to get?”  God will rescue us from all of the devil’s attacks which try to separate us from God.  Don’t let the devil torment you; trust in God’s promise and grace, seek the Lord’s help.

Gracious Father, you are our only source of hope.  All other props give way.  Show us your grace and lead us to trust in you alone.  Teach us to seek only you.  Guide those who are seeking out other sources of help and lead them back to your grace alone.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

5-29-2019


       Good Morning All,

     Romans 8:27; “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

      Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you are unsure what to say?  Like when your nephew brings his girlfriend to meet you and she dresses and acts like Miley Cyrus and his parents ask, “What do you think?”  Or your boss’ new comb over is really goofy and he asks how he looks?  Or someone redecorates their home and you are at a loss to comment on it.  There are times like this that most of us would just stutter or mutter or cough.  We just don’t know what to say.

    Sometimes this happens because we don’t understand the conversation.  I get this when I get talking about how my smartphone works. (I hate it that my phone is smarter than I am).  When I talk to the gals who sold me the phone, I nod and agree but don’t really know what is going on.  Sometimes the discussions involve a foreign language or phrases and we just mutter some gibberish to go along with it.  We cannot express in words what we want to say.

     There are times in our life when this is painfully true.  What do you say when the doctor tells you that you have cancer and there is nothing they can do?  What do you say when the job you had and loved for years is now gone?  What do you say when the one who you have always loved just doesn’t respond to you anymore?  What do you say when you cannot express in words what is in your heart?

    We know we should go to God with our fears, our pain and our despair; but what do you say when the words are not there and the pain in your heart is too great?  Too often we follow the theory that if you don’t know what to say then don’t say anything.  But God tells us something different.  God shows his love for us by hearing our cries and our pain even when we cannot express them.  Even when we sit up all night, not saying a word but feeling weight of the whole world upon our shoulders, not knowing what to say, God hears you and he brings to us his comfort.

    He gives us the faith to stand.  It might not always seem like it but he gives us the faith to stand.  The pain will be real but temporary; God’s promise of hope and comfort are everlasting.  He will give us comfort for now, using his fellow redeemed children as his hands, arms, and shoulders.  He is our God and he has promised to hear us and to care for us even when we do not have the words.

Dearest Father, often our cries are unspoken for we have no words to express our pain and our loss.  Yet you hear us and through our pain you bring us comfort and you bring us hope.  Hear our cry and hear the cry of our brothers and sisters who feel extraordinary pain right now.  All this we ask in the precious name of Jesus, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

5-28-2019


Good Morning All,

     1 Timothy 6:6; “A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.”

    One of the cartoons in our local paper is called “Baby Blues.”  It has three children, a girl Zoe, a boy Hammie and a baby girl Wren.  They are young children.  It is Hammie’s goal to annoy his sister at each and every turn of events.  You can almost add an extra panel to the cartoon where one of the parents tells Hammie to “quit bothering your sister!”  I think the reason why many find this cartoon humorous is because it is pretty much true to life.

    If you are a parent, how many times have you told one or all of your children to “stop bugging your____!?”  There are times as a parent that you may feel that this stage of life will never get done.  Maybe you have even gone to the level of placing masking tape down as a dividing line for squabbling siblings.  Or maybe you use a timer or maybe you just take the object away until further notice.  It can be very frustrating to deal with this day after day but eventually the children either outgrow it, live in a “truce mode” or learn to fight quietly.

    There are very few things in life as frustrating as trying to help someone with a problem or struggle when it seems like it never gets accomplished.  You pray and pray, invite and invite to church, you bribe, you cajole or use whatever means you have to get your child, spouse, parent, neighbor or friend to come to church with you and it never works.  You speak to your sister, daughter, niece, goddaughter, or good neighbor and she always ends up in relationships with men that end in disaster.  Or maybe it is the male of the pair that you speak to.  How many times do you help someone get a job only to have them quit or fired within two weeks?  How many times do you loan money to someone, all the while they promise that, “this is the last time”, only to do it over and over?  How many times do you preach the Gospel message or try and live the love of Christ only to see nothing happen?

    In our verse, Paul knows we will be tempted to think our labor is in vain. A waste. Absolutely useless. So, Paul reminds us of the truth. Our labor for God is never in vain. Our work for God is never wasted. It is the source of our contentment.  God promises that he will use our labor and sweat and tears for his purposes, to bring him glory. Even if we don’t see results, we can be assured that God is working. Most of the time we have no idea how God is using our efforts but he is using them.

    So, keep praying and talking to the family member or friend who misses church or makes bad decisions or just can’t seem to figure it out.  God is at work and he works in his own time and in his own way.  One thing we often miss is that while we are “working” on one person, others are watching and they might be the ones who are most touched by our actions.  God’s Word never returns empty; it always accomplishes it task.  Nothing, in service to the Lord, is ever wasted.

Dearest Jesus, help me when I think my faith is wasted and your love is undervalued.  Help me to see that all things work according to your will.  Give us the strength to continue in your service.  In your precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, May 27, 2019

5-27-2019


Good Morning All,

Titus 3:14; “Our people should also learn how to set an example by doing good things when urgent needs arise so that they can live productive lives.

   The area pastors get together about once a month.  We share a meal, a Bible study, a few laughs and then how to deal with “hard conversations.”  You know those conversations that you have with members or people who come to you for help or advice.  It might be them or a spouse or parent or child involved.  That one is very hard.  Yet you rely on what you have, God’s mercy found in the cross.  We always look to the cross for God’s perfect example of his love for us.  I don’t look forward to those conversations but you can work through them.  The conversation that I have the most trouble with is when someone, usually an elderly member, asks, “Why am I still here?”

    That one is hard.  You can see and hear the sadness in their voice and in their eyes.  They usually sigh and are tired.  The ironic thing is that this statement is rarely, if ever, based in some fatalistic gloom.  It is usually based in faith.  They have usually been quite active and now see their roles as diminished even nonexistent.  They sit in their room and wonder what can I do anymore.  Am I just a burden?  And it isn’t always older people who can be overwhelmed by this feeling.  It is easy to look around the world and wonder “what good am I?”

    This is the verse I like to use.  I like to use it when I feel overwhelmed and passed by as well.  God made us; he gave us a path and he placed good works in that path for us to do.  You don’t have to solve the world’s problems or even do what you did a few years ago; you need to look to today.  Maybe you used to lead the church choir but now you only sing with a grandchild; isn’t that just as important?  Maybe you used to teach dozens and now only a couple; aren’t they just as important?  God uses us according to his plan and his will.  Don’t try to understand it; you will only get a headache or even some heartache. 

    God has a plan and is guiding down that path and the opportunities might be different, even less in the world’s view, but it is part of God’s plan.  So instead of reaching dozens or influencing hundreds; touch the life of one person today.  It might be your spouse, your child, the neighbor, the young man who mows the lawn; whoever God places in your path today; touch them with God’s grace.  Share God’s love with them.  Enjoy God’s love for you.  Take time to think about all that God has done for you today and what that means for tomorrow.  As we reflect about what God has done, what he is doing and what he promises to do for tomorrow.  God gives us the path and he gives us the tools and he gives us the opportunities to do those works which he lays out for us.  Why are you still here? Because God still has wonders for you to experience.

Dearest Father, so often we feel overwhelmed by life; by our struggles with the way we feel our life proceeds.  Give us the understanding to see and the patience to trust in your gracious will.  Give your special love to those who are truly wondering why they are here.  Give them that true peace and comfort which only you can give.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray; amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, May 26, 2019

5-26-2019


 Good Morning All,

      Matthew 18: 21-22; “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

   It is a common and frequent topic, forgiveness and what it means and how we apply it.  Many Christians really struggle with forgiveness.  The pain they feel is deep; the sorrow is strong and it can be hard to let go.  The truly sad thing is that many Christians think they have forgiven the other person but they really haven’t.  I talk to a man occasionally; he always tells me about his ex-wife.  He tells me how she cheated on him and broke their marriage.  He claims that he has forgiven her but she is always the topic of conversation.

    Other times, people want to forgive but are unsure of what it means.  Some have been told to “forgive and forget” but the pain was too great and they can’t forget.  It is an old battle; we know we are to forgive but it is a struggle sometimes.

    There is a reformed Christian author/psychologist named Jay Adams who writes this about forgiveness.  When a person forgives another, he is promising to do three things about the intended wrongdoing: not to use it against the wrongdoer in the future; not to talk about it to others; and not to dwell on it himself.  I think for many of us; this is a very workable model to try and view what forgiveness means.

    First and foremost, forgiveness is letting go of the debt.  In many ways, the Bible uses the idea of being in debt as a way to look at forgiveness.  If you were to punch me; I am “owed” one time to punch you.  Forgiveness means I do not collect the debt and it means that I don’t hold this over you.  I don’t keep reminding you that I forgave you.

    Secondly, we must not keep talking about it with others.  We must truly let it go.  It is the past and it should stay there.  To keep dredging it up means to involve others into the “forgiven” event.  This only stirs more pain and sorrow for all involved. 

    Thirdly, we cannot dwell on it.  As we dwell on it; we keep the wound open and the pain there.  To keep it alive in our hearts and minds means there is no real forgiveness.  We need to forgive, even if the person we forgive does not ask.  Forgiveness is about healing.  First and foremost, it heals our own heart then it attempts to rebuild a broken relationship.  That is why Jesus came, to bring us forgiveness so that we may live a life of forgiving to bring about healing.  It might take many tries at forgiveness.  It might take years to truly accomplish it but God calls upon us to forgive.  We forgive because we are forgiven and in forgiveness we have healing.

Father, cause my heart to forgive.  Lead me to the paths of focusing on your grace and not the petty pain of this world.  Bring about healing and comfort to all in need.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret 

Saturday, May 25, 2019

5-25-2019


Good Morning All,

    Psalm 34:3; “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!"

    Did you ever eat a frozen TV dinner?  They came into a sort of vogue during the late 1950’s into the early 1960’s.  You could eat them on a TV tray in front of the TV.  The theory was to break the humdrum of dinner around the dinner table with something different. (Now the dinner table would be different.) They used to come in a metal-like tray that was divided into different compartments.  There was the entrée which was a piece of chicken or some mystery meat.  There was a smaller compartment that had usually corn, one with potatoes and then one compartment which had some dessert usually a brownie or, if you were lucky, some type of cobbler.  Some of it was too hot to eat and some was still frozen in the middle.

    We were supposed to view them as special, a kind of treat.  They really weren’t that good.  Now if you wanted a treat; that was the pot pie.  It at least tasted like meat.  The crust was flaky and the filling was way hot.  I used to peel the top crust off and then dump the rest of the pie on a plate and let it cool off while I ate the crust.  The pot pie was definitely better than the TV dinner.

    These two types of meals can somewhat relate to the way we view life.  Many try to compartmentalize their life.  Work goes into the entrée compartment and then family and friends in one, hobbies in one and often God and faith in the small dessert compartment.  Trying to keep each separate and not letting anything influence or touch the other.

    God would rather we be like the pot pie.  Everything in our life affects our whole life.  Struggles at work often appear at home or with friends.  Yet above all, we are not to keep our faith locked away but rather it should permeate our lives.  Our faith should show up in every facet of our life.  Our co-workers, our friends, our families should all be aware of our faith.  God’s light should shine through us.  We are to be the hands and the arms of God.  We are to be the physical part for people to see and touch.

    There are times when this is hard to do.  We may feel uncomfortable around friends or co-workers but God calls us to be his hands in this world.  We are to bring his love to the hurting, his comfort to the sorrowing and his Gospel message to all.  Just as all of nature will join together and sing out praises to our God so should our lives at every turn and every event.

Dear Father, help us to sing your praises in all parts of our lives.  Let us bring light to all in darkness.  Guide us by your Spirit to be your hands in this world which knows only pain.  Lead us to bring healing and comfort to those whom you draw near to us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, May 24, 2019

5-24-2019


  Good Morning All,

   Micah 6:8; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

    As you read the news, it seems everyone wants “justice” to be done.  We want justice in our court trials; we want justice in our tax laws; we want justice in the way distributions occur; we want everything to be just and fair.  While it may seem to be a new idea that “enlightened” man desires; it is as old as mankind itself.  It goes all the way back to Adam and Eve and the beginning of sin.  Justice failed when sin prevailed.

    If you take the time to look at the first chapters of Genesis, you see a developing story that has its beginning in sin and the fall of man in chapter three and then the next eight chapters really develop the depravity of mankind.  We see a growing desire by man to exploit, dominate, and usurp one another.  The idea of justice degrades into one of “my might- my justice.”  We see the weak, the young, the under-privileged, the sick and the lost being used then cast aside with little, if any, concern or compassion.

    Yet our God is a God of justice.  We should see justice as acting in accordance with God’s will.  We should see justice as equity, parity or some sense of equal distribution and treatment.  It is what many people, especially the mistreated desire and if we continue our reading of Genesis, we see in chapter twelve where God re-introduces the idea of justice to mankind in the form of the covenant with Abram (Abraham).  In the covenant, God tells Abram that he will be a blessing to the nations.  One way this is to occur is that the nation that Abram is to father is to be a nation which is holy, separate from the other nations.  This nation is to offer justice.  It is not to show preferential treatment to the rich or the poor but justice.  It is not to allow the exploitation of the weak or poor but it is to ensure that justice prevails.

    This is one of the outward signs of Israel’s unfaithfulness, like in our verse, the Israel does not do justice but rather it cheats the widows and abuses the orphans and the sojourners in their land.  God called upon his chosen people to be sure that justice occurred; when, through unfaithfulness, it failed; it was replaced.  God replaced the children of Israel with a new covenant family: The Church.

    So, now we are to be the bearers of God’s will; we are to execute justice.  We are not there yet we continue to strive for it.  We miss at times but we continue to seek to bring about God’s will; we desire justice for all people.  We know that perfect justice will only occur with the return of Jesus yet we continue to strive to follow God’s will; we seek justice for all people according to God’s design.

Gracious Father, only in you do we find justice and we ask that you guide us by your mercy to do justice.  Lead us to seek out oppression and injustice and bring to light that justice may prevail.  Give patience to those who are experiencing injustice and wisdom to those who may make it right.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, May 23, 2019

5-23-2019


      Good Morning All,

   Psalm 119:37; “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."

    There is a trick that you can play on your friends.  Place a length of 2X4 on the floor and have them try to walk the length of it.  Often times, they will take a few steps and then stumble off.  You can then get on and walk from one end to the other without any trouble.  The secret is where to look. 

     If you try to walk a straight line on a board or even just a marked path; if you look down at where you are walking you with tumble and stumble.  If you look up and out at a point ahead of you and keep your eyes focused on that spot; you can walk a straight path.  By focusing on our goal, the walk will be straighter than if we focus on each step.

     Back in the days when farmers plowed, the straightest plow furrow came from the farmer looking off into the distance and focusing on a tree or a fence post and then driving straight at it.  It is important to see the goal when we strike out on our path.  This is true of any journey.  If you don’t know where you are going; it is easy to get lost along the way but how do you know you are lost if you have no destination to go to?

    Our spiritual life is the same way.  As we walk along if we look down we will stumble.  If we keep focusing on the world around us it will destroy us.  The world will always question us about our faith and it will ask questions which we cannot answer.  We all experience or observe things which make no sense to us and which we cannot change.  We continually ask why; why do these events occur?  Some may be big events; why do people die when they are so young?  Why do they die when they are so young?  Why do we see these senseless events?  Why?

     Some of these events may be smaller, at least to others.  Why does my spouse seem to pull away from me?  Why do we feel more like friends than husband and wife?  Why do my children seem indifferent to me?  Why do my colleagues seem to avoid me?  All these events and others can shake us to the core.  We may even stumble to our Bible and look for an answer and not feel like we hear any response. 

     People often decide to blame God at this point.  It is easy to do; he is God he can fix it.  This is true but when we say it; we always quietly add that qualifier to the end; and fix it like I want it.  There is where we really begin to stumble because the devil has us replacing God with our selves.  There is a lot of pain in this world and you and I can never solve all of it.  We can only attempt to comfort those around us and to bear each other.

     One thing we often do which gets us into trouble is that we look to the wrong thing.  We need to look up and look to Jesus; we need to keep our mind and our faith in Jesus.  The terrible events of the world do not reveal God to us but reveal the world to us.  God reveals himself to us through the cross and the empty tomb.  He is our hope and our salvation.  We will experience pain and sorrow; that is the lot of mankind.  But we know that a brighter day awaits and in that our hope is laid.

Dear Father, the world would have us look around and demand from you the mysteries of the universe.  Forgive us when we question you and your will.  Give us faith to trust; give us faith to look only to you and give us the hope of eternal life and the resurrection for which we wait.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

5-22-2019


Good Morning All,

    Deuteronomy 10:18; “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

    It is the question which man has asked since the time when Cain killed Abel.  It comes in various forms but it is the same question.  Cain asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The lawyer who questioned Jesus wondered, “Who is my neighbor?”  What do I owe my neighbor?  How am I supposed to treat others?  What are the expectations and demands?

    God’s law requires us to treat others, all others, well.  We are never ever to treat them with disdain or ill will.  We are to love one another and this is how we are to display it.  God introduces this to the Israelites on Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments.  With the commandments, God gives us to levels of action.  The first is the vertical relationship we have with God.  This is a liturgical or worshipful relationship we have with God.  We owe to God our total and complete praise, thanksgiving, honor, reverence; we owe him our love.

    The second level of relationship we have is on a horizontal level which we share with other people.  Here God tells us to live an ethical relationship with our neighbor.  This involves what we should not do to our fellow man but it also includes what we should do for our fellow man.  God reminds the children of Israel that they were once the suppressed, oppressed people.  God chose them to be his people.  Through them, God will bless the nations of the world.

    This now applies to us as God’s chosen children.  He tells us that we are not to oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner (alien) the poor or anyone else.  We are to love them.  We too, were once oppressed; not by men but by the devil and our sinful nature.  We too, were once enslaved and we are to remember this and not enslave others.  We are to be God’s freeing agents.  We are to free men from the enslavement by the devil.  We do this by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to them but our commitment to our neighbor does not stop there.  We are to aid, comfort, defend and protect those who are unable to do so themselves.  This is the message from many of Jesus’ parables.

    The parable of the Good Samaritan, the unforgiving servant, the rich man and Lazarus, the rich farmer all play to this theme.  We are to take care of our neighbor.  So, as we look at this theme we can see the answer to these questions: am I my brother’s keeper? Yes.  Who is my neighbor? Anyone in need.  The color of their skin, their gender, their socio-economic status, their wealth or power, none of these are to be factors in who we help.  We are to come to the aid of any who need it.  This can be a daunting task but it is one which God calls us to, which God will enable us to do and to which the world needs so desperately.  Follow God’s will to treat others ethically and with his love; just as he treats you with mercy that we do not deserve.

Gracious Father, your wondrous mercy flows over us like a river.  Grant us the strength and wisdom to love those whom you have placed into our lives and who are in need of the mercy we show because of your Spirit and will.  Bless those who obey your will through your love and grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret             

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

5-21-2019


 Good Morning All,

         Psalm 119:50; “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life."

    I was watching on one of the food shows about “comfort foods”.  It was interesting, at least to me, what different people and the different regions consider “comfort food.”  Some in the south consider collard greens as comfort food.  I don’t know too much about that but it isn’t my definition of comfort food.  Some consider ice cream (I can live with that) and some consider chocolate (ditto) to be comfort foods.  I admit that I am more of a midwestern traditionalist.  I consider mac and cheese to be of comfort but my favorite has become a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced green olives on it and home grown, homemade tomato soup.  That will provide a wonderful dose of comfort.

    It is true we can find comfort in food, sometimes too much comfort.  Some find comfort in books, some, in blankets, some in gardening, some in music or painting, some in fishing or any one of a number of things.  While we can find some comfort in these things or activities, we need to be sure that we seek our true comfort from our true source.  Our true comfort comes from God.

    Unfortunately, many will try to find comfort in all the wrong places.  They may turn to drugs or alcohol; they may overdo comfort foods.  They may try to find it in meaningless relationships.  The world will encourage you to always look in the wrong places but Scriptures invites you into a whole new realm.  The Bible invites you to see that our comfort is found in the truth that God, who created everything, is very active in our creation and in our lives.  God is not standing around watching as a spectator.  He is not so far removed as to not care; God is a god who gets his hands dirty in our lives.  He is involved and desires to being us comfort and hope.  He offers it to us in the knowledge of Jesus and the redemption he offers us.  It is revealed to us in God’s Word and a foretaste is offered in the form of holy communion.  God is very present in our world and especially in the lives of those who believe and trust in his promises.  Our true comfort comes in the form of a loving God who has given to us eternal life.

    God shows us that his promise of life far exceeds any fear of this world.   This world can only do that; it can only cause us to fear.  God offers us hope; he tells us we have nothing to fear he has already defeated the world and its lies.  So, we have a choice; trust God and his promises or believe the world and the lies it tells us.  Some choice!  Trust God; find comfort in his Word and sacrament.  Trust God to offer you the peace that only He can, to offer you the hope that only He can and to give you the true life that only He can.

Father, too often I listen to the lies of this world and look for my comfort in the wrong places.  Forgive me when I fail and return me to the certainty of your grace.  Comfort with the assurance of your mercy and the hope of life everlasting.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, May 20, 2019

5-20-2019


Good Morning All,

Psalm 34:18; “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

    Many older houses have some cracks in them.  They can show up because the house settles and the foundation shifts a little.  Sometimes they can occur because of the temperature differences between inside and out.  The difference causes stress on the wall which can then cause the wall to crack.  These stresses can cause the wall to crack.  The crack is not the intent rather it is the result.  Some would call this collateral damage.

    Collateral damage occurs in our life as well.  Stress and strain which occurs elsewhere can show up in other places.  Many have experienced it.  Many have experienced from both sides.  Perhaps the stress of work can cause the problem.  Maybe it is the stress of fighting the weather both physically and emotionally.  This stress can cause us to lash out and hurt others for the stress we feel.  We lash out at our spouses, children, friends and we cause cracks in our relationships.

    Perhaps you experience the collateral damage, those cracks.  Maybe you feel the pain of an unloving spouse, a rebellious child or a boss that makes your job painful.  These cracks hurt.  They can cause us all sorts of problems to us.  If we experience one crack in our life; we may fear a new one.  An experience as a child may continue to hurt as an adult.  If you were hurt by a parent; you may struggle with being a parent.  The cracks can affect us for a long time.  Some may try to fix the cracks; we cover them up but they will often re-appear when those stresses to the foundation occur again.  Ultimately, the only way to fix the crack is to fix the foundation.

    We need to see what our foundation is set upon.  Jesus tells us that a house built upon the sand will not stand up in a storm.  We need to be built upon the rock which is faith in Jesus.  Yet perhaps the greatest gift we have is that even though we sin and sometimes our foundation is not that solid; God forgives us.  He heals our broken heart and binds up our wounds.  He restores our soul; he fixes our foundation.  He also fixes those cracks in our walls; those blemishes which can show in our lives. 

     We need to trust in God’s promise so that we see past the stresses.  We need to keep our hope in his unending grace.  We need to remember and focus on the truth that our true joy is found not here in this world but is found in Jesus and in life everlasting.  This is our only hope.  Only by trusting in God and his mercy can we stand up to the stresses of life.  Only faith in him can heal the cracks in our lives.

Dear Father, we face the challenges of life and when we face them on our own strength we crumble and crack.  Give us the strength to stand tall by your grace and power.  Keep us held in your arms.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, May 19, 2019

5-19-2019


  Good Morning All,

    Psalm 31:24; “Be strong, all who wait with hope for the Lord, and let your heart be courageous."

    Think of some of the phrases that we hear that drive us crazy.  Some of mine are “I’ll get right on it.” Or “I’ll do it when I get time.”  Or “We’ll be with you with the next available operator.”  Or “You’re next on the list!”  Or “We’ll be back in 15 minutes!”  All these phrases can test on patience; they test our ability to wait.      

    We don’t wait very well.  Your computer downloads are too slow, the microwave is too slow.  The big box store needs more express checkout lines.  Everything we deal with needs to get done quicker and quicker.  Waiting is not something we do very well.  If it isn’t a fast food restaurant it has to be fast dining; whatever that is? 

    We thrive on instant access to everything.  Do you want to know the temperature in a dozen different cities around the world? You can find out in an instance.  Do you want to find out about a favorite star or athlete?  You can do it in an instance.  You can order clothes to be delivered in a couple of days.  We desire speed; we want it NOW! 

    That part of our nature, the part that doesn’t like to wait, is one part that causes us to struggle in our faith life.  God’s time is not always our time.  God’s ways are not the same as our ways.  So, when we see or experience an event; we want an answer and we want it now.  Our prayer is often “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now!”  So, when I want an answer; I expect God to deliver.

     This is part of why God tells us to wait for the Lord.  To “wait” means to trust that God will deliver on his promises.  We are expectant of something wonderful happening.  Just like the expectant mother wants joyful for the birth of her child, so we wait for the Lord.  We need to trust in God’s grace and mercy for we can take heart, we can find our confidence in that God will keep his promises.  God has kept all his promises so far and is faithful to keep them all tomorrow and forever.

    So, you and I need to learn about being patient and about waiting for God.  If we look at Scriptures, we see a lot of waiting.  Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.  Jacob and Rebekah waited 40 years after they were married for their sons to be born.  Moses waited 40 years for the Lord to call him back.  David waited 15 years after being anointed as the next king to be the next king.  How long will you wait?  How long will you and I wait for God to answer our prayers?  It is a hard question to answer but one which we need to strive for; one we need to ask God to lead us and guide us as we go forward.  Patience results in humbly trusting God.  It is as Paul wrote endurance (patience) produces character and character produces hope and hope never fails.

Dear Father, our patience is weak and we do not like to wait.  Mold us into the disciple who waits, who is patient and trusting.  Mold us into the disciple who knows only faith in you.  Give strength and courage to your people.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret