3-31-2020

Good Morning All,

         1 John 4:10; “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

    Now that the social distancing and quarantines are in place, we are “Grandpa Daycare and Grandma School” to three of our grandchildren.  The other day, the two girls were in my office and found a cheap balance scale.  You know the type; there are two plates suspended from a balance arm and when the weights are the same, the crossarm balances, if out of balance then one side is higher than the other.  I used in a wedding sermon a few years back.  After I explained how it worked, they were weighing all sorts of things to see what would balance.  Every so often, I would hear, “grandpa, look it weighs the same!”

    What intrigued me as I watched them play was that they were planted on the edge of my desk right next to a small cross that was a gift from a parishioner a couple of Christmases ago.  When the beam balanced, it looks like the cross.  In fact, if you have a cross, look at it and image to plates attached to it with your sins on one side and then the righteousness of Christ on the other.  It always balances.  Your sins will never outweigh the righteousness of Christ.  In the eyes of a just God, your debt is paid, and you owe nothing.  You are “square” with God.  The church phrase is “righteous before God” but it might be easier to think that, because of Jesus, we are “square with God” and since we are square, balanced, out of debt to God, He freely draws us into His holy family and gives to us free access to Him at all times, whenever we have need or desire.

    This free access is not only allowed; it is encouraged, even sought after by God.  His love for us, as His beloved children, is far greater than anything we can explain, comprehend, grasp or understand.  Yet it is this great love which moved God to bring about the balance that we so desperately need.  It is this great love that moves our heavenly Father to sustain us, encourage us and to give us growth.  It is His desire that you and I may have, and know of, His peace, His comfort, His mercy and His hope for salvation.

    As we look at the world today, there aren’t many places to find hope, peace or comfort.  Yet these are all Bible words, these are all words which find their beginning and their ending in the hands of our loving God.  This is the same loving God who sent His Son to willingly die so that you and I might be in balance with God.  The same God that died for you will give you His peace in this world when no one else can.  We can rest assured that God has His hand fully in control and His love guides us in all that we do.

Father, your mercies are new every morning!  Guide us by your Spirit to look only to You and to see Your benevolent protection.  Be with all who suffer from this virus.  Send your healing to them.  Be with the doctors and nurses that they may not waver or fail in their tasks.  Keep Your holy Church safe that she may be the beacon of truth pointing to You as our answer.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

3-30-2020

 Good Morning All,

        Matthew 16:6; “Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

        It is often called “herd mentality” or “mob mentality”.  It is a social and psychological phenomenon which describes when a group of people begin to act in a fashion that may be different than how they would act individually.  We see it most often on the school yard.  Suddenly, a group of kids decide to pick on one child.  The group just gangs up and is merciless to one child.  Many have experienced this at one time or another.  It may have been on either side of the interaction.  You may have been the victim, or you may have been one of the perpetrators.  This event seems to grow beyond any sense of logic or reason.

    Some scientists think that when a group begins to act in this fashion; that one of the first things to go away is personal responsibility.  People tend to see their personal beliefs and actions to be overruled and controlled by the mob.  We simply go along with the crowd and as someone begins to escalate the problem, many seem to just go along even escalating the event as it occurs.  Many scientists feel that each person can deny personal culpability; it frees the individual from personal guilt.

    When Jesus was speaking of the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”, he was speaking specifically of their false teachings.  It also can speak to the way that sin, once it begins to grow, can easily consume those who are either not paying attention or are easily swayed.  So, if we are in a group and gossip begins; it becomes easy for us to join in, add to the lies and falsehoods, and perpetuate the pain.  Be sure to always remember that, sin causes pain to all those involved.  Sin is something that can and does grow easily if we let it.  It can grow until it crowds out all our faithful actions. 

    Jesus warns us against this.  He warns us that sin, left unchecked, grows and grows until it destroys all around it.   Sin, when viewed as harmless or “not that big of a deal” grows until it reaches the point where many are harmed.  This is why Jesus continually encourages us to be watchful; to be alert to what is going on around us, what is being said, on what is happening.  Sin can start so small and mushroom so large before we even have time to think.  Sin is stronger and faster than we are; our only hope is to avoid it.  The only way to avoid it is to cling to Christ through the faith that he gives us.

    We are never stronger than sin.  We should never think we can play with it or toy with it.  Sin is only destructive and painful.  Our only chance of avoiding the leaven of sin is to cling to the cross of Christ.

Father lead me to cling to your wondrous grace.  Lead me to hold onto the cross of Christ.  Keep me from the enticement of sin.  Be with those who are being tempted and are weakening.  Give them the strength to stand up to the struggles of sin.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

3-29-2020

 Good Morning All,

          Luke 10: 2; “And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

    Are you one of those people who look on in awe as someone does something that you just don’t see yourself doing?  Are you amazed when someone becomes a missionary, moves halfway around the world, lives in some remote part of the world in order to witness about Jesus?  Do you marvel when someone quits their job and suddenly becomes a mission person like a nurse or teacher or carpenter?  They leave a good paying job, the security they know and go to where their skills are desperately needed but in a poor paying, somewhat unsafe place.

   It doesn’t even have to be this grand.  Maybe you see someone serve on a district or regional board for the church.  They have to get up and speak before large crowds and place their faith and their ideas out there where they can be attacked.  It might just be being an elder in your church and you think “there is no way I could do that!” 

    We often hear that we need to “get out of our comfort zone.”  We need to “expand our horizons.”  In some ways this is true but in some ways; not so much.  It is true in that we need to live our life as a witness for Christ.  If we always shrink away, we need to strive to let our light shine.  Yet if you are one of those people who struggle doing that; then start small.  You don’t have to give up your job and move to a place you can’t pronounce.  You can start at home and at your place of work.  You can start with your children and grandchildren or your brothers and sisters or your spouse.  Then you can move to your co-workers and friends.

   The great thing is that you don’t have to be an elegant speaker; you simply need to let the love of Christ shine through.  It can be with a kind word first thing in the morning; it can be an extra dose of patience.  It can be stopping to help open a door or a simple smile.  Showing God’s love by simple acts of kindness can go a long way.  It can lead to someone asking you why you are so kind and happy.  Here is a chance to witness.  It doesn’t have to be a long theological statement.  It can simply be that with Jesus in my heart I am content with my life.  If they want a deeper answer, send them to your pastor.

   There is a lot of harvesting to do.  There are many souls who need to hear of God’s grace.  Any way that they can hear the message is important and those souls that are next door to you need it as much as someone a half a world away.  God calls us to witness to everyone.  It doesn’t have to be fancy; just honest.  After that, let the Holy Spirit take over.

Father give me the courage to be your voice.  Give me the courage to be your hands and your arms.  Let your love flow through me to those who need it the most.  Keep me alert to the times and places when I can do the most good.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

3-28-2020

 Good Morning All,

             Isaiah 66:13; “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

    A young child is frightened by a noise outside of the house, he screams and mom rushes in to comfort him, to reassure him that he is safe.  He rests in her arms, sighs and soon is once again sleeping.  A young teen age girl comes home, crying because her boyfriend has just broken up with her.  Her parents hold her, letting her cry her tears, drying them off until she is cried out and sighs into her mother’s arms and rests.  The examples could go on, but you know the stories; we have all lived them.  Sometime in our lives we needed comfort and, most likely, we have comforted others.

    In my years of observance, giving comfort is a fascinating event.  In some ways, it is one of the most primal acts in which we bare ourselves and express our vulnerabilities.  When one needs comfort, we realize, whether consciously or subconsciously, that we are incapable of dealing with the situation.  One thing that truly intrigues me is that the vast majority of the times when I have been part of comforting someone; they usually reach a point when they let out a sigh, or exhale deeply, and then they sort of slump a little in the shoulders, like they are all played out.  I have always thought this was a good sign.  For it seems they are emptying themselves of their pain.  Here, God can refill you with his hope, his love, his grace and mercy to restore you to the peace that we all desire and need.

    In some ways, being comforted is about letting go of your fears, your anxieties, your worries and letting someone else deal with them.  I think this is why God uses the image of a mother comforting her child as the way He comforts us.  The image of a loving God embracing us with his loving arms and holding us close to His breast where we can hear the heartbeat is an image that should give us peace.

    Many of us today need comfort.  The uncertainty of this virus pandemic only multiplies our stress in other parts of our lives.  Some stress about loved ones whose health makes them more vulnerable.  Some worry about their jobs.  Some are anxious about planning events.  Some are just upended because routine seems to be a thing of the past.  We all are stressed; we all need comforted and God’s loving arms are open wide.

    So, pray and express your worries, your fears and your doubts and empty yourself to God.  Let his words of comfort fill you with his peace.  Let his promise of salvation sustain you.  Let his mercy uplift you and his grace encourage you.  So we may speak with Paul, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Father send your comfort to us this day.  Release us from dread and fear.  Enliven our faith so that we look only to You.  Let us each be comforted so that we may be Your comforting embrace to our neighbor.  In the Precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

3-27-2020

Good Morning All,

         Matthew 9:6; “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic— “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

     The man was a paralytic.  We don’t know exactly what this meant but he was apparently bedridden.  His life would have been extremely difficult.  There were no drugs to help with spasms.  There was no health care system of look after him.  He was left to rely on the kindness of his family and friends.  We don’t know if he was paralyzed from birth or if his condition was the result of an accident or an assault. 

    His life would have been one of meager existence.  It would have been difficult to call it living.  He may have gone days without eating or being bathed.  He was probably covered with sores.  He would have been very easy to overlook.  He would have been someone who would have been considered a drag on society, less than just about anyone.  What could he do?  What did he have to offer?  Yet Jesus stopped what he was doing, took a decided effort to heal this man both physically and spiritually.

    There are many lessons for us in this story but the one we want to look at is the value of the man.  What was the value of this man?  He wasn’t producing anything for society.  He couldn’t even take care of himself let alone his family.  He simply existed and was a drain on society.  Yet Jesus stopped and healed him.  Jesus also healed a woman who bled; he raised the only son of a widow.  He healed the lepers; he healed the people who were demon possessed.  He healed people who had value.  They had value because of who they were; they were God’s creation.  They had value because of the value of the one who created them, who redeemed them and who keeps them in faith.  Their value came from God.

   Our value comes from God.  It is not what you produce.  It is not because of what you have or say.  Our value comes from God and exists because of God.  All people, all humans have value because of the creator, redeemer and sanctifier; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God gives us value and He gives value to all human life.  Because God gives human life value, he chose to save it and not destroy it and we should do the same.

   We have value because of God’s grace.  He chose to redeem you.  He chose to love you and to redeem you from the scourge of the law and from his holy, righteous wrath.  Our value is not dependent upon what we do.  Our actions also do not devalue us either.  God’s love is pure and true and for us.  Our love for all our brothers and sisters should also be pure and true based upon God’s value of them and not ours.  We love, not because of what others can do for us but because God first loved us and them.

Father, in you do we have all value.  Your love fulfills all the worth that we have.  Teach us to treasure all those around us.  Lead us to be the agents of your love especially to those that the world sees as worthless.  All your children have value for all are loved by you.  In the precious name of Jesus, our Risen Savior, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

3-26-2020

       Good Morning All,

   Psalm 84:3; “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God."

     “These are the times that try men’s souls.”  This was how Thomas Paine began his writing which was entitled “The Crisis”.  It was first published on Dec. 23, 1776.  When it was written, it was speaking of the American revolutionary war.  It was written at a time of trouble for the patriots.  So, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet to encourage his fellow compatriots to “hang in there” and to rise to the occasion and defend this new nation.

     I find it interesting that this line gets brought up whenever someone decides that solemn times are upon us.  Yet, these are the times that try men’s souls because times that try men’s souls are times when you feel out of control of the situation.  If you examine your fear, you fear the unknown.  This is why the dark is scary to us.  This is why a dark room in which we have never set foot is frightening.  This is why you often experience your worst moments late at night, in the darkness of your room.  Late at night, in the deepest darkness, when we feel the most insignificant of all, are the times that try men’s souls.  We lack sleep, we lack rest, we lack hope, and we lack peace.

    Many call Psalm 84 the “Psalm of Peace.”  It is called that because the author finds his peace in the Temple of the Lord.  There the author finds his peace and rest and notes that even the birds find comfort and solace in the Temple.  Remember, huge parts of the Temple were open foyer style so birds could have built their nests in the porticos and the eves.  I think the author chose his two birds on purpose.  He chose the sparrow and the swallow.  The sparrow because it was worth so little and the swallow because it was so restless.

    You and I come to God like the sparrow and the swallow.  We are of little importance here in this world and when there is turmoil, strife, uncertainty and pain; we often act like the swallow flitting from here to there and back.  To this God invites us to cling to Him, trust His promises of forgiveness and everlasting life.  He invites us to remember that great love that he has for us.  While Luke wrote that five sparrows can be bought for two pennies, God chose to love us so much that he gave his most precious treasure for us.  Jesus died so that you and I would know of his wondrous love and to have peace with God and then peace in God.  When the trials of life occur, God invites us to look up, above the fracas and noise and see his loving arms, ever embracing us with his tender love, unending mercy and eternal hope.

    When the times try your soul, look to Jesus for your salvation.  He has already accomplished it for you and is waiting for you to rest in his arms.  You are precious in the sight of the Lord and his arms are open for you.

Father, in you is all gladness and hope.  Encourage us with your Spirit that we may ever walk in your ways.  Keep our eyes on you and let us never waiver but Father when we are restless return us with your tender care.  In the Precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

     

3-25-2020

Good Morning All, 

         Hebrews 11:8; “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

    One of my favorite movies is “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”  In it there is a part where Indiana Jones must cross this huge chasm.  He is told that he must take a leap of faith to make it across.  During the scene, we can see the fear and the angst on Indiana’s face as he takes the step.  He ends up stepping onto a walkway that is unseen.  Yet I think that his expression reveals much to us about a leap of faith.

    In our verse, we read how Abraham left his home, his father and his family, his friends and the familiar surroundings of his home and left.  He took his wife, a nephew and his possessions.  He went in the direction that God led him, but Abraham wasn’t sure where he was going.  He only knew that God knew where Abraham was going and that was enough for Abraham because Abraham had faith.

    I am not sure what kind of reaction most husbands would get if they told their wives that they were packing up and moving but He didn’t know where.  I am not sure how most men would react to the call that Abraham received.  Events that truly require faith can be difficult.  When our life is going the way, we want it to go, healthy, wealthy and wise, it can be easy to say that “I have faith”.  But what happens when life goes the other way? 

    It is at those tough times, those terrible times, those horrific times, that cause us to feel the angst of faith.  When things go the way, they are supposed to go, happy and healthy children, successful job, loving spouse and everything else we want; we can say “I’ve been blessed, and I have faith.”  Yet when God peels away the veneers of stuff that we use to measure happiness or contentment and we are left with only Him to cling to; faith can be both fearful and angst filled.  We look and don’t see the path; we may not even be sure of the direction that we are travelling.

    Yet God tells us to trust in Him.  We can look at all the promises that he has already kept, we can look at the total faithfulness of his actions, we can look to his incredible grace already poured out on us and we can see that we can and should do just that; we should trust in His promises.  Faith can be described as hugging back.  God picks you up and holds you close to his chest so you can hear his heart and feel the warmth of his love.  Faith is hugging back and thus clinging tightly to God and his incredible mercy.  So, we may waver, we may have twinges of fear and angst, but we still take that step of faith fully confident that God has placed the walkway beneath our feet to keep us safe I his loving arms.

Gracious Father strengthen my faith.  Lead down the path of your righteousness that I may grow in my faith that I may cling even tighter to you.  Be with all those who struggle with life’s challenge at this time.  Give them the courage to take the step of faith that we all need to take.  Guide them gently in their ways.  In the precious name of Jesus our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

3-24-2020

 Good Morning All, 

                 Romans 8:1; “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

      One of the saddest conversations that I have ever been part of was with a young lady who was bemoaning her future.  She was a good student who studied intensely and worked hard in class.  She was a musician and a decent athlete.  She also was a very nice young lady.  She had a scholastic scholarship waiting for her at the college she was attending.  Yet she was looking for and waiting for something catastrophic to occur.  She kept telling me that she didn’t deserve the good things that were happening; something bad was bound to happen.

    She had this sense that somehow, she was unworthy of what she had.  She had a lot of explanations as to why she didn’t deserve what she was getting.  “The school was small, so it distorted her class ranking”; “her teacher helped her fill out her scholarship papers”; “she just guessed the right answers”.  She lived a live where she felt incredible self-condemnation.  She felt that she was completely unworthy and worried what would happen when the rest of the world “figured that out.”

    Many of us live with this deep seeded fear.  We do not believe that should have what we have.  We hear a voice that tells us that we are not good as a parent, as a spouse, as a child, or worker or co-worker.  We hear the voice tell us what a disappointment we truly are and when everyone else figures this out and the truth comes out; then we know that we are the loser.

   This is why this message from Paul is so wonderful.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  God does not condemn.  If you are hearing the voice that condemns you, that attacks you it is from the devil and the old sinful nature in us.  It is not God telling you that you are worthless or unworthy.

    God sent Jesus to die for you.  He sent his only Son to suffer for you.  He did this so that you would be made worthy.  He did this to give you the peace that comes with the knowledge that you are his redeemed child.  He seeks not to condemn but to give you salvation and to give you hope.  God does not condemn you rather he frees you from sin and from the condemnation of sin.

    This is a great blessing but one that we must remember, and we must focus on God’s voice of forgiveness rather than the devil’s voice of attack.  We are free from the slavery of sin and the bondage of the law.  We can live a life that is not filled with condemnation, self or otherwise.  We are free because of his grace.  We are free to live a life of joy and peace which he gives to us.

Father of grace, in you we have hope and in you we have no condemnation.  Give us the courage to stand up to the devil’s lies.  Be with those who are especially tormented by the devil’s attacks.  Give them peace that they may rest secure in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

3-23-2020

Good Morning All, 

        John 9: 2-3; “And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, "It is not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."

    It’s your fault!  It is his fault!  It is her fault!  It is somebody’s fault!  That seems to be a common mantra today.  In fact, it is the comment older than writing itself; whose fault is it anyway?  Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent; all that mattered was the finger was directed towards someone.  I am reminded of a line from a movie that I watched once.  In it, the superior officer told the junior officer, “I didn’t say you did it; I am just saying I am going to blame you for it.”

    Our verse is part of the story where Jesus heals a man who has been blind since birth and he does this on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees are completely out of sorts over the whole event.  Yet it is the disciples who start things.  “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?”  In some ways, it is a legitimate question.  There were some who taught that children could and did sin in utero.  Some thought that if the child were conceived in a sinful fashion, like mom and dad weren’t really married at the time of conception or maybe daddy is not daddy, or some other reason; then the child could be born blind, deaf, mute, deformed or whatever.  So, it was a legitimate question from a human standpoint, but Jesus changed the whole thing.  It was not about sin but about glorifying God.

    This is a trap that many Christians fall into; who sinned?  Somehow, we need to affix blame.  Jesus is telling us, “no, it is about giving God glory!”  Answering the question “who sinned?” is not relevant to the event.  Jesus is the one who will judge, not you and not me.  This is part of Matthew’s “judge not” and Romans’ “vengeance is mine says the Lord.”  God will judge; our calling is to give glory to God.

    How do we do this?   By letting our light shine.  How do we let our light shine?  By loving our neighbor.  It is never a question of blame, but it is always an opportunity to bring healing and hope, comfort and mercy to those who suffer.  That is our part of the deal.  It is not to judge but to bring about the compassion of Christ to a broken, suffering world.

    Over the next few days and weeks, you will hear a lot of “the blame game”.  As a child of God, don’t play it.  Give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, a cloak to the naked, a visit to the prisoner.  Go about being the light; showing God’s love to a person who desperately needs it.  

Father, too often I seek to blame rather than heal.  Restore me that I might be your hands in the field, your voice in the panic, your embrace to the fearful.  Keep us as your beloved children, ever trusting in your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

3-22-2020

Good Morning All, 

        John 20: 25; “So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

    Since the co-vid19 self-quarantine is going on and most sports are not, it might help a little to look at sports.  In this case football.  Early in his career, Jim Marshall, pro football player for the Minnesota Vikings, recovered a fumble and ran the wrong way 66 yards.  So instead of scoring a touchdown for his team (6 pts.), he scored a safety (2 pts.) for the other team.  This play is considered the first “blooper” highlight in the NFL.  Even though Jim Marshall at the time of his retirement had the record for most consecutive starts at 270, most consecutive game appearances at 282 and the record for most opponent fumbles recovered at 30; he is best known for running the wrong way in a football game.

    Most people only know of Thomas as “Doubting Thomas.”  He is the one who wouldn’t believe unless he touched Jesus.  We go to great lengths to call out our friends and neighbors who question our ability to accomplish a goal as being “Doubting Thomases.”  Yet Thomas went on to be a great Apostle. Taking the Gospel of Jesus well into India where tradition says he was murdered by the Brahmins for preaching the Gospel of Jesus to the locals.  He did many great things, but we only know him as the doubter.

    Maybe you have something in your life that weighs greatly on your heart and mind.  Perhaps you are a woman who had an abortion.  Perhaps you are a man who encouraged your partner to have an abortion.  Maybe you were involved in a car accident where someone was killed.  Maybe you had an affair that broke up a marriage.  Perhaps you abused your children or spouse.  Maybe you are holding onto something else that, if known by many people, would change how they view you.  Your past does not define you in God’s eyes.  In God’s eyes you are a redeemed child whom he loves dearly.  One major mistake, failure, bad choice, whatever you want to call it does not have to define you before God.  You are defined by Christ’s atonement for you.

   So, no matter what is behind you, no matter how “infamous” it may be or seem; God’s grace is there for you.  No matter how bad you view it, God views it as forgiven.  You have a whole new life ahead of you.  You are not so far gone that you cannot be saved because you are already saved.  God has placed your sins as far as the east is from the west.  Past errors, past sins, past failures are just that, in the past.  We live to look forward to God’s love, to God’s mercy and to eternal life with him.

Gracious Father guide us by your Holy Spirit that we may leave the failures of the past behind us and move forward in the glory of your mercy.  Show us that our life in your kingdom gives us the security that we need.  Be with those who cannot throw off the past and live in pain and fear.  Free them from their bondage.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret        

3-21-2020

       Good Morning All, 

         Colossians 3:13; “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

    It is always somewhat humorous to read an article or a study that “supports” the truths of the Bible.  In a study in the “Journal of Behavioral Medicine” people who forgive others, and do so unconditionally, tend to live longer and healthier lives than people who do not.  They listed many different that forgiving others is healthy for you.

    When we forgive others, our stress level is lower.  We can sleep better.  We are not in the angry mode which produces a chemical imbalance in our bodies.  It helps your heart.  It strengthens your immune system.  It strengthens your healthy relationships. 

    Probably the greatest physical benefit is the reduction of stress.  Stress, when it occurs over a long-term period can damage your mental health and can lead to ulcers and other physical problems.  One of the strong ones is the lack of good quality sleep.  Sleep deprivation is a huge damaging condition.  Stress leads to many immune and cardio problems.  Not forgiving leads to stress and stress is not healthy.

    God has shown us, given us and guaranteed us a better way.  He teaches us that forgiveness is the best way.  He shows us that to forgive is the healthier choice.  It is healthier in that forgiving others gives you peace.  In part because it puts you in charge of how you react to others.  When you forgive you no longer keep score in your head and heart.  You do not have to remember who you are upset with and why.  You are not calculating how to even the score.  You can let the pain of the sin leave you and you can be filled with God’s peace.

    It may be difficult at times, forgiving a spouse or other family member may require more time than the stranger at Walmart.  Yet God encourages to take the time and to make the effort to forgive as we are forgiven.  We may have to go to God in prayer often asking for the strength to forgive; but forgiveness is necessary.   Forgiveness frees us from the slavery of sin.  Slavery to both being the sinner and being the one who retains the sin and thus carries the pain.  Strive to forgive.  Make that your top goal in life; to forgive those sins which are committed against you.  By forgiving, you engender a more peaceful life, a life in which you are more content.  It will make your relationships stronger and help to build community with the people that you deal with daily.  Strive to forgive as God forgives you.  It will be difficult because God is perfect, and we are not but we must daily strive to forgive.

Father of all forgiveness empower me to forgive.  Strengthen me that I might rise above this world’s temptation to retain sins.  Give me the peace to forgive and the peace that I receive because I forgive.  Be with those who are especially burdened by the struggle to forgive. Give them the wisdom to forgive and to be relieved of the pain that results from holding onto sins.   Lead your Church to show the example of your forgiving grace.  In the precious name of Jesus, our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

3-20-2020

Good Morning All, 

         Romans 8:26; “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

    Sometimes there are no words.  Sometimes we experience things that leave us in such a mess that we don’t know what to say.  There are times when we face situations and we just don’t know what to say; what to say to each other, what to say to God.  These events may be sudden like an unexpected death or a sudden change in the health of someone we love or not knowing what tomorrow will bring.  We are left stunned and don’t know what to say.  Sometimes it is just a sudden change in our surroundings.  It might be a divorce or a loss of our home or some major economic event.  What do we say, we aren’t even sure of how the story will end, what do we do when we have no words?

      It can take the form of unexpected arguments or battles that we don’t see coming and don’t know how to respond.  It can be two or three hitting us at the same time.  What do we say?  Perhaps you are a single parent at your wits end.  There has been one too many struggles.  Money runs tight, demands of the children grow, the house needs work, the car needs work, you need rest but there is none in sight and now there is trouble at school.  What do we say?  Where do we go?

    The world and our sinful nature want you to think you are all alone.  That the battles we face can and will destroy us.  We feel that there is nothing to do, we can no longer face the struggle; there is hope.  Even in this wordlessness, we are not alone, and we are not without hope.  The greater our weakness, the greater is God’s grace present in our life.  Paul wrote that God’s grace is made great in our weakness.  In our weakness, we can only turn to Christ, look to him and cry.  The greatness of God is that is all we need to do.  From that point on, the Holy Spirit will pray for us, pray with us and take our pain upon himself for us.

    So, if we feel pain, seek healing, desire peace or comfort, we do so with God’s Spirit praying on our behalf.  We do so with God’s comforting agent being with us through the whole event.  The God who loves you so much that He sent his Son to die for you will never abandon you.  He will never turn away from you; he will never close his ear or heart to you.  He will take the pain of your sorrow and give you peace.  He will never leave you without hope.  Even when we can speak no words, God will never leave you.  He will always hold you close, like a parent comforts a crying child, God’s grace is upon you.

Heavenly Father, there are times when I can find no words to express my pain or my fear or my sorrow.  Yet I know that I have comfort and hope in you.  Lift me up that I may see the light of your salvation.  Keep me safe and warm in your loving arms.  Be with those who are especially silent and lonely.  Give ear to their voice that they may be comforted.  In the precious name of Jesus, our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

3-19-2020

Good Morning All, 

          Matthew 17:5; “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

      One of the professors that I had in college had an interesting method of teaching.  While he lectured, he would stop and say a name or place or event twice.  If he said it twice, you made a note of it as something to make sure you knew what it meant or why it was important.  If he would stop, say the name twice and then spell it; you knew it must be important.  Yet if he would stop, say it twice, and then spell it out while writing it on the board; well you knew that was going to be on the test and you better know exactly what it was that he wanted you to write about it.  When he would write it on the board, it was the equivalent of him saying, “Pay attention and don’t forget this; this is important!”

    Our verse is the equivalent of God telling you, “Pay attention and don’t forget this; this is important!”   Just in case there was any confusion as to who was speaking and if what he as saying was important; God the Father makes it totally clear.  “This is my beloved Son…listen to him!”  It doesn’t get much clearer than this.  It was clear to the disciples who heard it; they fell on their faces terrified of what they had just heard.  Yet when they looked up, they only saw Jesus.

    That is what we need to do; look up and only see Jesus.  We can look to what he says, what he does and what he wants of us and for us as God’s truth.  We can rest assured of his promises of grace and hope.  We can know with full confidence that he is doing what he said he would do.  He is at the throne of God interceding for us, praying to the Father on our behalf.  He is ruling from his throne at the right hand of God, putting all powers under his feet so that every knee will bow before him.  He is expanding his kingdom so that all those who call upon his name will be saved.  With all this power at work for us; we cannot lose.

    Yet even greater than this power is the love which Christ has for us.  His steadfast love and mercy never fail us.  He continues to walk with us and to guide us by the Spirit.  We are never left to face the assaults and attacks of the devil on our own.  We can always find our comfort in his words of grace.  We can always go to him with our cries and our fears and he will hear us.  He is our rock and our fortress.

   After all this there waits for us the reward of life eternal with him in the restores creation.  It waits for us with its promise of a perfect and restored creation for us and for all who believe.  It is fast approaching, and with it, the end of pain and sorrow, of suffering and death; these will be gone.  Our hope is secure.  “Listen to Him.”

Father in heaven, open our ears that we may listen to your Son ad to know him as the true Savior.  Strengthen our faith and empower our hearts that we might cling to you.  Be with those who do not hear that they may come to know your grace, mercy and truth.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

3-18-2020

Good Morning All, 

           John 10:29; “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand”.

    A young child was walking with his father down a slippery path.    His father looked down to him and told him to hold onto the father’s hand.  The young child looked up and said, “No Dad, you hold my hand in case I fall; I might lose my grip.  You should take hold of my hand because you won’t let go.” 

    This is why it is so wonderful that we are held in the Father’s hand; he won’t let go and no one can steal us out of his hand.  God holds onto me and not the other way around.  How many times have you tried to get a child to take your hand and then, when something more interesting comes along, they let go and walk away?  Or how many times have you tried to hold their hand only to have them pull away because they thought they didn’t need your hand?  Have you ever had a child let go of your hand and run away in fear?  A child holding on isn’t a very strong hold but when the parent holds on it is much stronger.

    So even during those times of our lives when we thought we knew all the answers and didn’t really need God; he continued to hold us in his hand and protects us.  Even if we rebel, he holds onto us calling us back to his gracious truth.  He holds us as a parent holds onto the wandering child.

     Yet, perhaps even more comforting, God continues to hold us when we let go because we are afraid.  Many of us have been, or are, at a place where we know only fear.  We feel like we are standing on the edge of a deep gorge and it is slippery and maybe even windy.  It seems like it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to keep standing.  We can feel like we are ready to fall at any second and we stand in fear.  We may be struggling with the issues of our parents as they get older.  We may be struggling with issues of our children who fail to see a need for the church or faith.  Maybe we are struggling trying to hold onto our faith as it is daily attacked.  There are many issues and events in this world that cause us to fear slipping and falling and if we were on our own, we would.  But we are not alone.

   God is holding you in his hand and he has promised to not let go.  It is not our strength or courage that keeps us safe but it is entirely God’s love for us.  So, if you feel like you just can’t make it one more step; let God carry you, he has been all along.  Trust in his grace and mercy to care for you to protect you and to keep you safe. 

Father of all love, too often I let go.  I fail to trust in your mercy, and I let go.  Thank you for not letting go of me.  Thank you for keeping me safe from the devil’s attacks.  Help me to find comfort in your loving arms.  Give to me the peace that the world cannot give or understand.  Help my brothers and sisters who are struggling at this time.  Let your mercy pour over them.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

3-17-2020

Good Morning All, 

  Genesis 3:1a; “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.”

    He was a sneaky guy; quick and slick.  He took advantage in any situation and he usually came out on top.  I met him in college.  Fortunately, some of the upper classmen knew him and warned the youngsters to stay away.  He had a knack for befriending you and convincing you that he was a good guy “just wanted to help you out” and then one day, it all exploded in your face.  He would borrow a car for a “quick trip” then drive it to Minneapolis and back.  He was good; he was very good at what he did.  Once you knew what he was up to; you watched him and never ever trusted him.

   The devil was very crafty.  He didn’t tell Eve to eat the fruit just led her on.  Then step by step, ever so slowly, he nudged her into his trap.  Yes, she went into the trap, but she was no match for the crafty serpent.  He sized her up, laid it on thick and faster than a mousetrap can snap, Eve stepped into sin.

    For this, God sent Jesus to pay the price so that we may not suffer eternally for it.  The devil is defeated; he just won’t admit it.  So, he roams like a “roaring lion” the Apostle Peter says but often, that roar comes from a sneaky guy in a sneaky way and you and I will fall into sin.

    With the threat of the covid-19 spinning us every which way but loose, that sneaky guy is creeping back up on us.  We are trying to live out our faith, to live up to our creed.  We speak the right words; we say the right things, but that sneaky guy is right there.  Yet when the new announcements come out, we think in our hearts “why don’t these idiots figure it out” and the crafty, sneaky liar has got us to place our foot closer to the trap.  We look down our nose and maybe even let out a loud sigh or even a “harrumph” at somebody else’s grocery cart when they have more items then we judge proper.  We wonder about how inconvenient this is and we wonder what those “hooligan” kids will be up to when they are out of school.  We harbor anger, jealousy, arrogance, judgmentalism all wrapped up in a pharisaic, sanctimonious, self-righteousness that even Caiaphas would have called out.  “But I am right!” we think; and that sneaky bugger just snapped the trap and we are caught.  We are caught in a trap of our own making and oftentimes, we don’t even see it and it leads us to pain and bitterness for years and we miss a lot of the joy of being a redeemed child of God.

    Fortunately, Jesus came even for that guy, for you and for me.  He draws us to the cross and to repentance in His Name.  Lent is about going to that cross and knowing that we are no match for that sneaky twerp and without Jesus, we would never leave the trap.  But Jesus opens the trap to release us and to give us hope for salvation and a heart that can be open to loving our neighbor, even when we are right.  Jesus’ death cleanses us to walk in His ways; seek Him out while He can still be found.

Father I have sinned by my own most grievous fault.  Restore me through your holy righteousness.  Draw me closer to You that I may be your servant.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

3-16-2020

Good Morning All, 

         1 John 4:8; “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

      It is generally assumed that, when it comes to men and women, there is a vast difference in the traits that each look for in a spouse.  So, it came somewhat as a surprise that of the top twenty traits that we look for in a spouse, seventeen of them were the same.  Some were at different levels by a line or two but otherwise, they were pretty much identical.  Women listed their top three traits as warm, reliable and fair while men listed reliable, warm and fair.  The only differences were that women wanted their men to be lenient, flexible, and generous while men wanted their women to be even-tempered, creative, and practical.  Beyond this we tend to look for similar traits.

    This really shouldn’t surprise us as most studies show that, deep down, we want a spouse who is like us in our values, dreams, beliefs and expectations.  This almost always is the way it goes.  Sometimes we think a couple is very different but when the core traits are studied; they tend to be as similar as any other happy couple.  We look for the right traits.

    Yet what is the greatest trait that we see in God.  Some would say it is his power and majesty; that the most important trait of God is his sovereignty.  God is God and there is none other and that is what matters.  Some say that it is the fact that God is eternal.  He always was and always will be.  Some will claim that this fact can give us comfort that God will always be so; nothing will ever change.  Some claim that it is God’s holy righteousness that is the most important trait.  Everything will be “right” at some point in time.     

    Scriptures tells us a different story.  Scriptures so us that the most important trait of God is love.  God is by nature a loving God.  It is this nature that moved God to send Jesus to be our Savior.  It is his loving nature that causes God to redeem us and not wipe us out and start over.  It is this loving nature that moves God to have compassion on us.  It is the loving God who holds us close to his heart and who leans his ear towards us.  It is God’s love that causes him to continually reach out to us as a loving father calling us back into his holy family. 

   It is God’s loving nature that moves him to send us his spirit of comfort when we need his comfort.  It is God’s loving nature that moves him to never abandon you.  Abandoning you may be the right thing to do, it may be the just thing to do; but God does the loving thing and he redeems and saves you to be his child.  It is God’s loving nature that moves him to let nothing separate you from his love. 

Father of all love, you sent Jesus to die for me.  There is no greater love.  Guard me by your Spirit that I may always remember your grace and mercy.  Move me to show this same type of love to those around me, especially those who need it the most.  Help me to see that those who need it may not always return it.  Bring all to the knowledge of your saving Gospel.  Give those who are hurting and lost in their journey of life the comfort of your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret