Sunday, May 31, 2020

5-31-2020


Good Morning All, 
          Galatians 5:25; “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
        A little boy was sound asleep in his bed when his mother came up to wake him.  “Get up Timmy; it is time to go to school.”  The little boy woke up and looked at his mother in total amazement; “you mean I got to keep going, I thought I learned it all yesterday!”  There are many times in our lives when we may feel the same way; I thought I did that yesterday.  You mean I have to do it again tomorrow and the next day as well?  Sometimes we feel like little Timmy; we just want to roll over and go back to sleep.
    Sometimes we may even feel that way in our faith life.  Yet Scriptures tells us something a little different.  Our faith life is a process not an event.  It is not even a series of events.  It is a lifetime journey that never stops or takes a break or time off.  God calls us, as his children, to a lifetime of faith.  He does not want us to schedule our faith.  On Fridays I will have compassion, on Mondays I will have joy, on Tuesday I will love but I get Wednesdays and every other weekend off; that is not what a life of faith means.  A life of faith is a continual process of God’s mercy alive and active in our heart and in our life.
    This helps us when we don’t “feel” like we are loved or that we are close to God.  Faith is not dependent upon your feeling.  God’s mercy is not dependent upon your feeling.  God’s mercy is dependent on God.  God’s grace is dependent on God; neither depends upon us.  We have God’s promise to never abandon us or stray from us or to leave us alone.  We can always trust and know that this is true even if we don’t “feel” like it.  We have God’s sacred oath on this.
    So, God encourages us and desires for us that we live each day in total communion with Him and that we live each day in faith with Him.  Will we always succeed?  No, we will slip and fall occasionally, but we are to struggle onward, seeking his grace and knowing that His mercy is always there for us.  Yet God encourages us to live each day in faith for Him and in service to Him.  It is not to be a once in a while event but a continual process of living in prayerful conversation with Him.  We are to continually live out our life in the compassionate and loving service that God desires us to live.  It is through the Holy Spirit that God gives us the strength to live this faith filled process.
     There will be slips and falls along the way, but the journey goes on and God grace is continually poured out upon your whole body and soul.  He daily restores us by his forgiveness so that we may continue our journey, freed from the slavery of sin and the devil; to live a new life in Him.
Gracious Lord, you are the shepherd who leads me down the path of righteousness.  Keep me in your flock that I may long serve you all day.  Guide me by your grace and favor to be the child that you desire me to be.  Show me your ways and pour out your Spirit in my life that I may boldly walk the path that you have laid out for me.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret    

Saturday, May 30, 2020

5-30-2020


Good Morning All, 
          Psalm 118:1; “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”
       How do you start the day?  Most start with breakfast, some with exercise and some start with a prayer and devotion.  So how do you start your day?  Do you think the day through and try to plan the day or do you simply play it by ear?  Do you get up early and get going or do you need a couple cups of coffee to get going?  If you are one of those who start a little slow, how do you end the day?  Do you collapse and go to bed early?  Are you a night owl who is up until all hours of the night?  At the end of the day, do you think back on the day and see what went right and what went wrong?  Or do you simply put the day out of your mind and find a pillow with your name on it?
    Our verse gives us some direction.  In fact, the whole psalm gives us direction for our daily life of faith.  It begins and ends with the same verse.  We should begin and end each day recognizing the love that God bestows upon us.  Yet the psalmist does this with a twist; he often looks at struggles or problems.  In verse 5, he speaks of being in distress.  In verses 10 and 11, he speaks of being surrounded by enemies.  In verse 13, he speaks of being pushed.  The psalmist seems to focus on the difficulties of the day and yet he is thankful.
    How can he be thankful?  Because he knows that God has seen him through his struggles and because of God’s mercy, he has prevailed.  The pain is given a voice, which makes room for gratitude. God hears our cry, and yet holds us together, which is enough to call for praise. As we wrap our days and life in thankfulness, we too will come to know the joy of the Lord.  We have His victory!   On the cross, Jesus accomplished what we could never do for ourselves. We were dead in sin, and now we live--the only response to such a gift is to live those lives in thanksgiving. This is the day that the Lord has accomplished. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!  
  It is easy for us to focus on the struggle; to focus on the battles with our spouses, our friends, our neighbors even with our own heart.  When we focus on the struggle, we often lose sight of the fact that the victory is already won and that we are already victors.  Now we can start and end each day by focusing on the struggle or we can begin and end each day by focusing on the source of our victory.
    So how do we start each day? Will we focus on our circumstances, or on our God who reigns triumphantly over all areas of life?  To us Jesus says, ““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our troubles do not disappear, but they are not eternal.  Our God and the victory that He gives us through Jesus is eternal.  Be thankful for God is a loving God who loves you completely.
Father, lead me to see your loving hand in all the circumstances of my life.  Even when I struggle, you keep me in your loving arms.  When I am hurting the most is when your grace is poured out greatly.  Heal me with your love and restore me with your Spirit.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret  

Friday, May 29, 2020

5-29-2020


Good Morning All, 
Hebrews 10:24-25;” And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
    We have many ways to use the word “church”.  It can be a place as in “I am going to church.” Or “The church is on Maple Street.”  It can mean an activity as in “what time is church?”  It can mean an institution as in “the church supports life ministries”. 
    But these all miss the meaning that Christ uses.  When Christ speaks of the church; he sometimes refers to it as a family, a loving and supportive family.  We are children of God and we are brothers and sisters of Christ and of each other.  And like a family, it is good to get together with each other.  It is a time to share the joy in the family.  We recently were given a grandson and look forward to a new daughter-in-law.  The whole family shares in that joy.  When a member of the family is sick, we gather to offer comfort.  When a family member dies, we gather to mourn together and to give each other hope.  We gather at holidays and share meals and gifts but mostly laughter and love.
   Now you never have to go to a family holiday event; you are still in the family but look at what you miss.  You miss the love and joy, the camaraderie and fellowship, the common history and future are all missed when we stay away from our family.
   The same is true of our Christian family, the church.  It is here that we receive the pronouncement of forgiveness; it is here we join in the holy meal; it is here where we find comfort and consolation when we need it and a place to share in joy when we feel it.  It is where we encourage one another and stir up love and good works just like our verse states.  So today, do not neglect to meet together; remember to worship the Lord with your family.
    There may be times when we fight or disagree, many families do.  There may even be times when we pull apart and hate each other.  We can be very spoiled children.  Yet God continues to call us back, to call us to a life of reconciliation to one another.  He calls us to live a life of love and forgiveness.  He even tells us to reconcile with our brother before we bring our gifts of offering and praise to him.  God would rather that we lived as a loving family than to spend hours in phony worship.  This is because true worship is one in which we join in love and fellowship.
    So, do not neglect to meet together.  There is value there.  There is healing and rejoicing; there is love and support.  There is forgiveness and there is hope.  Together, we can face anything.
Dear Father, we are often ungrateful children who bicker and fight with each other.  Forgive us and move us to be your holy family here on earth.  Let our love for each other point to You as the source of our love through Your grace.  This we ask in the Name of our Brother Jesus, Amen
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret

Thursday, May 28, 2020

5-28-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Genesis 3:9; “But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?
      Babysitting grandchildren is one of life’s greatest moments.  I enjoy it when we get to play games together.  Each one has gone through the phase of loving to play “hide and go seek”.  They like to count, not always exactly to ten in the right way but close.  They usually have the same hiding spot but are not exactly quiet.  Sometimes, one of the granddaughter’s will crawl on my lap to hide from Grandma.  She will pull the blanket over her head.  Her feet stick out and she giggles to no end, but she is “hidden”.  Sometimes, they just cover their eyes and think they are well hidden.
    Sometimes I wonder if we do that with God; do we stand in the middle of the living room with our hands over our eyes.  We think we are hiding from God.  Why do you think about hiding?  Do you have some past events which you feel a lot of guilt about?  Do you have current events that you wish were not occurring?  Maybe you let the conversation go a little to the gossip side of the discussion and now cannot figure out how to stop it.  Maybe you are speaking and then you felt like trying to grab those words back, but it won’t happen.  We all have those things in our life that we regret and usually repent when we see the pain that it is causing.
    But what if you are standing in the living room and you don’t feel like anyone sees you?  What if you don’t want to hide but it feels like no one sees you?  You might even feel like jumping up and down.  The effects of life have you spinning around.  Instead of you doing things, things are done to you.  Maybe your spouse had some harsh words or worse has just shut down and turns the other way.  Maybe your boss has made some comments about your skill or that he thinks he can replace you with a cheaper worker.  Maybe that persistent cough has become more.  Maybe mom or dad is really struggling with living alone and you are the only one around.  What happens when it feels like you are hiding, and you want to be seen? 
    First know that God is searching for you.  He seeks you out every minute of every day.  One of our greatest struggles in life is that we focus on the struggle.  We need to remember God’s promise to us.  We need to remember that struggles in this life don’t last forever and even if we feel like we are hidden from God, we are seen by God in plain sight.  We are not hidden not even a little hidden from God.  His eye is upon us and his love is poured out on us.  He never leaves us.  His love embraces us and gives us hope, even when the battles of this life seem so daunting; God’s mercy holds us up.
Father of love, you see me even if the world wants to hide me.  You see my pain and give me hope.  You see my fears and send your Spirit of comfort.  You see my sorrow and give me the certainty of your mercy.  Lift my eyes to see your incredible love.  Keep me safe in your arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret         

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

5-27-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Romans 6:22; “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
      In January of 1941, Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech before Congress in which he began to lay out his vision, and the country’s vision for the kind of life that all men should be able to live.  It was entitled the “Four Freedoms.”  Norman Rockwell went on to paint a series of pictures reflecting what they meant to him.  These freedoms are:  The first is freedom of speech and expression -- everywhere in the world.  The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world.  The third is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the world.  The fourth is freedom from fear -- which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor-- anywhere in the world.
    Freedom is something that we value.  We seek it and we yearn for it.  We are even willing to die in order to achieve it or maintain it.  Yet one of the great ironies is that so many are not really free.  They are held captive by the devil and sin.  They are held captive by the guilt and shame which the devil inflicts upon them.  They suffer from the pain of feeling inadequate and out of control.  They suffer from the anxiety that living in slavery to the devil gives them.
    Yet God has truly given us the freedom to live free from the devil’s attacks.  Through his grace, we no longer have to fear the devil or live with guilt from the sins which we have committed.  God faithfully forgives them and relieves us from the guilt of sin when we confess our sins to him.  We are empowered by God to use this freedom to live a life that is free from the anxiety and fear that the devil would have us live.  We know this because of the promise that God makes to us in our Baptism.  As we live in his baptismal grace, we can live secure in the certainty of that grace.
    So how do we deal with the times of anxiety or stress?  One way is to remember this grace by repeating it.   Try repeating it like this.  “My name is ________.  I am a redeemed, baptized child of God and God has given me the power to be free from the devil.  I am in control because of his mercy.”  This is one way to help you remember the one thing the devil wants you to forget and that is that God loves you and will never abandon you.  You are free so live as one who is free.
Merciful Father, through Jesus we are free from the bondage of the devil.  We are free to live the life that you have given us.  You desire us to be your people living in peace and hope.  Strengthen us that we may live in your grace and in service to you.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

5-26-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Hebrews 4:15; “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
    Jesus was tempted.  This is one of the more frustrating sections of Scripture.  Many of us have trouble with Jesus being tempted.  We seem to struggle with the idea that the devil tempted Jesus with ideas like greed, lust, selfishness, arrogance, etc.  We do not really like to think of Jesus being tempted; we can be extremely uncomfortable with it.  We like to think that he was more God so that somehow, he was immune to the devil’s attacks.  We like to think that, in many ways, our struggles are greater.  It is harder for me to not look with lust at someone other than my spouse.  It is a weakness for me.  My desire for money is something that I must be genetically predisposed to. (sounds good anyway)
    We like to think that it is somehow more difficult for me.  This is why God should be more patient with me.  The temptations are harder for me.  The struggle is tougher for me; my battle is greater than anyone else.  That is why I “slip” so easily.  It is why I cannot walk away from gossip; it is why I always give the “holy stare” when someone I don’t know comes into “my” church.  It is why I can think of everyone who should be listening to this sermon (besides me).  It is why I like to stare at the beautiful people.  It is why I think my parents, teachers, bosses are clueless idiots.  My temptations must be worse.
    Yet Scriptures tells us something different.  Jesus was tempted in every way as we are except, he did not sin.  As you read that statement or the verse for today.  It can be a statement of indictment or a source of comfort.  When we realize that our temptations are not unique or tougher on us than on someone else (even Jesus), our attempts to explain away or make excuses for our sins begin to look and sound very hollow.  Hopefully, it will also lead to a true repentance for those sins and the joy that we can truly experience when we hear God’s words of forgiveness.
    This verse can truly be a source of comfort because Jesus does know how hard it is.  Jesus knows how hard the devil tries, how the devil knows our weaknesses whether it is wine, greed, anger or lust and he launches attack after attack at them.  No amount of strength on our part, no amount of personal drive will ever prevail.  We need to turn to the only one to win; we need to turn to Jesus.  We do this best by staying in his Word, reading the Bible daily and joining that with prayer.  We do this best by seeking his mercy.  Our next best way is to avoid the places or people that “lead us into temptation”.  Go to God and away from sin.  Trust in God to mercifully provide for us a way out.
Dearest Jesus, you know what I go through.  You know how difficult it is for me to avoid temptation and when I try to battle on my own; I lose.  Lead me to rely on you and you alone.  Keep me safe in the shadow of your wings.  To you alone is the glory, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret    

Monday, May 25, 2020

5-25-2020


Good Morning All, 
          Haggai 2:9; “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.”
    We all want it; what the Eagles called “that peaceful easy feeling.”  The only problem is that we often do not get it.  Most of us probably feel that there is little peace in our life and in our world.  We may desire peace, we may genuinely want peace, but we seldom have peace.  We seldom have peace in our family; we seldom have peace in our job; we seldom have peace in our own mind and heart.  Peace is elusive and difficult to find.
    The problem is that the world tries to tell us what peace is, and we listen to it.  Much like the way the mythical mermaids would lead the sailors to crash on the rocks, so the world’s sweet and deceptive sound can lead us astray.  It can lead us to crash on the rocks.  We see possessions as being our peace; yet, the more we have the more we want.  Just as an addict can never get enough; we can never feed our greed.  The world tells you that peace is found on your terms.  If someone is weaker or does not “aid” in the benefit of your welfare, then get rid of them or push them out of the way.  If someone is stronger than you, than figure out how to use them to better yourself.  Peace is often defined as victory; as being stronger, richer, and more popular than your neighbor.
    The real answer is that peace is found in God alone.  The world does not offer peace; it only offers strife and weariness.  We only have true peace when we live in God’s grace and recognize that our peace is from Him and comes to us when we see that, as our sins are forgiven so we must forgive the sins of others against us.  We will never have peace if we are seeking revenge or living in pain form past hurts.  Real peace only exists when we hear God’s Word and live according to his will.  True peace comes when we know and trust that all things work to the good of those who love God.  God has promised us salvation and comfort.  He has promised to hold us in his hand and to lead us safely home to him.
    So, in order to have peace, seek it each day.  Begin each day asking God for his peace.  Invite and invoke the Holy Spirit to give you peace in this world.  We will have this peace, not because of the world, but in spite of it.  We will have this peace because we find our hope and our true security in God’s mercy.  We will have God’s peace when we seek the mercy that he gives us, and grabs hold of it knowing that his love will always sustain us.
God of all peace, into your hands we lay our hope.  Into your hands we place our desire for peace.  Because of Jesus, you give us the peace that passes all of our understanding.  We do not know why or how but you give us peace when we seek your love and mercy.  It is your wonderful grace that gives us what the world does not give the peace with you.  Give us the strength of faith that we may be at peace with all those around us.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret            

Sunday, May 24, 2020

5-24-2020


Good Morning All, 
        Deuteronomy 2:7; “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness… You have lacked nothing.”
     I find it fascinating when I read and look at the way GPS has completely changed our lives.  You can take out your GPS unit or your smartphone and know where you are to within a few inches depending on how much you are willing to pay.  So, a fisherman out in the middle of a lake can mark the spot where he is fishing on his phone and come back tomorrow to the exact same spot.  The spray plane applicator doesn’t have to throw toilet paper out the window to mark his spot in the field. 
    I think the thing that fascinates me the most is that you can put a GPS on your phone or your spouse’s phone or your child’s smartphone and track their movement.  So, you can “see” where they are at any time.  So, you can call your children and ask them why they are where they are instead of where they are supposed to be.  If you and your spouse are wandering a mall, or a park or a forest and you are separated; you can find each other easily.  If you are lost and in need of help; your location can be pinpointed with amazing accuracy and speed and help will be on the way.
    Yet long before GPS was even thought of, God’s children had a GPS; we had God looking out for us.  Not only does God know where you are; he knows where you are going, how it will be when you get there and what the outcome of your journey will be.  God knows the entire story of your life; the who, what, where, when, why and how.  But the God of all love and mercy is so much more than just knowing what is going on.
    God’s mercy places him in your life.  He not only knows what you are going through but he is experiencing it as well.  He knows your fears, your needs, your hopes, and your dreams.  He knows and experiences your heartache when a relationship is strained and breaking.  He knows and experiences the pain you feel as you worry about the health of a loved one.  He knows and experiences you fear as you wonder about your own health or finances.  He knows the wilderness that you are in because he is there with you every step of the way.  You never travel alone.
    Each step along the way, God has been with you providing you with what you needed.  You may have lacked your wants, but your needs have always been filled as God walks with you in the wilderness of your life.  Trust in his promise of never leaving you; trust in his mercy to supply you; trust in his promise of peace and hope.  He will never leave in the wilderness alone.
Father of all mercy, you supply all my needs.  Keep me in the knowledge of your loving grace.  Keep me content in the supply that you give me.  Keep me in your loving arms that I may always know the comfort of your peace.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret          

Saturday, May 23, 2020

5-23-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Acts 14:20; “But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
“When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights”
     So goes the opening verse to Carole King’s “You’ve got a Friend”.  This ballad speaks of a kinship that goes beyond being close by to each other.  It involves the promise that you can always count on me to come to your aid or rescue.
    Our verse is part of a story where the Apostle Paul was dragged from the city of Lystra by the Jews and stoned.  He is left for dead.  But soon the disciples gathered around him and he rose and then entered the city.  The next day he went to Derbe, a different city.  An amazing story as it tells of the wonderful power which God gives to us when we gather together to aid a brother or sister in Christ.  We gather to pray, to uplift one another, to console one another, to offer the words of God’s comfort and hope.
    This is one of the blessings of God’s church here on earth; we are here to aid one another, to bear one another’s burdens.  This gives us two ways to view this.  First, we are our brother’s keeper.  We are to look after one another.  If we see our brother fading or being knocked down by the world and the devil, we need to gather around them, pray for them, strengthen them with God’s Word so that they can get back up and face the world all over again.  We are to be sure that no one faces the battles of this world by themselves.  We are there for aid, comfort, and support.
    We also can know that when the attacks are at us and these attacks will occur, that we will not have to face them alone.  We face them with God’s Spirit and the love and support of all the brothers and sisters in Christ.  The battles are not your alone or mine alone; they are ours together, because God’s Spirit is strengthened in us when we hold onto one, we seek out one another to receive the consolation that we seek.  God is with us all the time and we, as the church, like the disciples that surrounded Paul, are to be there for one another as well.
Gracious Father, you lift us up by the willingness of our brothers and sisters to 0come to our aid and comfort.  Lead us by your Spirit to lift up those around us who are in need.  Strengthen the brothers and sisters to stand up to the many struggles in this life.  Give us your mercy to live in peace.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret    

Friday, May 22, 2020

5-22-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Psalm 86:1; “Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.”
    I must make a confession; I get a little frustrated when I hear people say, “I have tried everything else, I guess all that is left is prayer.”  I must admit that this is somewhat frustrating to listen to because prayer should never be the last thing, we turn to, but it should be the first.  But if I am honest and admit that I, a poor, sinful creature, have had those same thoughts at different times in my life.  I have struggled with events and trials and put all my skill and know how to work to resolve the situation only to be frustrated by things and events beyond my control.  I cannot control the weather or how other people will act or react to a situation.  As I look at the situation, I find that there is actually little that I can control and when I finally realize this; I pray.
    I have heard some people say that God never gives you more than you can handle.  Personally, I do not really agree with this idea.  If God did not give more than I could handle, I wouldn’t really need prayer.  I could simply sit down, reason out what must occur and figure out the problem.  It would be much like a chess match where I planned my moves and I accomplished what has occurred.  I could reach a point where I do not need God.  But of course, that never occurs; I always need God.
    It is when I sit and think, plan, calculate, delve into the inner working, and come up lost or short; it is at those times when I truly realize that I am poor and needy.  It is at times when I am looking at events and situations that leave me saying, “I haven’t got a clue” that I truly see that my only hope is God.  It is at this time that I remember to “call upon my Name and I rescue you” this is when God reveals his love for me.
    God does not always reveal the answer, at least the one I wanted when I started, but what he does reveal is his love for me.  It might take a little while for my sinful human mind to see it, but God’s love is there.  It might be hidden in the gentle refusal or in the harsh rejection, but it is there.  God will hear you and he will answer you in his time.  We need to trust, and we need to wait, wait for the Lord.  He has promised to deliver us from the devil and his attacks.  We have his promise to bring us into the kingdom of God through our baptism.  Being part of this kingdom lets us come before his throne of mercy and giving to us the promise of God listening, hearing, and answering our prayers.  Waiting to pray only prolongs our pain and discomfort.  Trust in God to hear and to answer your prayers.
Father, you hear us when we cry. You hear us even when we are slow to call upon your name.  In your mercy, you show your patience and loving kindness in our slowness to learn.  Move me by your Spirit to call upon your Name daily both with cries of despair and shouts of thanksgiving.  In you is our hope, in you is our life.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret

Thursday, May 21, 2020

5-21-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Romans 4:3; “What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (NIV)
    Our church started using a credit card a few years ago.  It was hoped that this will make life a little easier on the treasurer as I do not always get all the bills organized and turned in in a timely fashion.  Since most of the church’s mail comes to the church/parsonage mailbox, I get most of the mail and go through it to figure out who gets it next.  About a week after we got the actual card in the mail and activated it, we got a statement from the credit card company.  It seems that we activated the card with about 3 days left in the billing cycle, so we got the statement.  It showed that the church owed $0.00; the minimum payment was $0.00 and that the average amount owed for the billing period was $0.00.  I showed the bill to my wife and we thought we should keep it and frame it.  We had never received a bill from a credit card company that showed $0.00 owed.
    Now this statement showed $0.00 because it had not been used but what if you received a statement from the credit card company that you used all the time and it said $0.00?  We oftentimes will hold our breath a little when statement comes in because we know there will be some big numbers on it; sometimes we even cringe when we see it.  It would really be nice if we could open that statement one time and read $0.00 owed someone else paid it off.  I doubt that any of us will ever have a credit card bill work like this but we have a more important bill that does look like this; it is the bill we owe for the sins we have committed.
    When you and I sin, we owe God.  Sometimes what we owe is not money, but we owe respect, faithfulness, loyalty, honor, and the like.  We owe it to God to do his will and yet we fail.  We owe a penalty each time we miss the mark.  Each time we break one of God’s commandments, we are putting a charge against our credit card and someday the bill will come due.
    But because Jesus paid our debt, our faith in Jesus is credited as righteousness.  So, when God opens our bill and looks at what we owe, we owe nothing because it has already been paid.  Since we believe that Jesus died to pay for my sin; our account with God is given a credit of the righteousness that Jesus earned.  It counts as righteousness for us.  We are credited with more than enough righteousness so that our bill will always show a balance owed of $0.00.  The debt is paid, and we are free of the requirement.  We are free to be God’s children.  We are declared to be saints because we owe nothing.  For us, faith is the credit we need because Jesus has paid for us all.
Loving Father, you sent Jesus to die for us so that we may receive the promised mercy of forgiveness. Refresh us daily with your love.  Strengthen our desire to do you will.  Strengthen our desire to serve you will our whole heart.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret     

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

5-20-2020


Good Morning All, 
        Romans 10:13; “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
      During a discussion with a couple of young people about faith, I learned some interesting things.  I asked them to explain what they thought was needed in life.  One of the popular answers from them and from reading the social media is that we need to “think good thoughts.”  I asked what that meant.  These two hemmed and hawed a little but decided that you needed to have a positive attitude and to think that only good things will happen to you.  This will help alleviate the problems when they occur.
    The next thought was that there was a need to “try harder.”  This was defined as bad things can happen when we get lazy or that we do not put in our best effort.  I asked how this was decided; how is it apparent that I am trying my best or that I am not trying my best, what is this criterion?  There was no answer from the two I was talking to and I have never read any explanation about how this works, so we left that.  So, we took these two life theories and then I asked them a question.
    I asked them, “If you were drowning, what would you want me to do?”  At first, they looked at each other and then gave me “that look” the one you get when they think you are looney.  They said, “I would want you to save me.”  “So, you wouldn’t want me to tell you to ‘try harder’?”  They looked at me like I had two heads.  They both said that they would drown because obviously they were trying hard not to drown but they were drowning anyway.  Then I asked them “how about if I tell you to think good thoughts, would that save you?”  Apparently, I grew a third head.  They both agreed that would be of absolutely no help whatsoever; how could they have good thoughts while they were drowning?  That was a good question.
   So, I asked, “Would you want me to rescue you, perhaps even jump in the water to being you to safety?”  They both agreed, with a hint of exasperation, that was what needed to happen.  So, then I asked them, “Have you ever had times when you felt like you were ‘drowning’?”  Were there ever times when life seemed to be rolling against you and you just felt like it was slipping away?  They were a little quieter and more subdued, but both agreed that they had had times like that.  Did they need someone to save them or just give them advice?  Did they need a hand to grab or be told to ‘think good thoughts’ or to ‘try harder’?
    God saw our life and we were drowning in a world of guilt, pain, and sin.  He sent his Son to dive into this life to rescue us.  Jesus gave his life in the process.  He died in order to rescue you.  We can hold onto this and onto the promise that God gives to us about his love for us.  The problems of this life will not last, but his love and comfort always will.
Father, you sent Jesus to rescue me from sin, death, and the devil.  These can no longer torment me.  Through your grace, you give me hope.  In your mercy you comfort me.  Be with those who are especially suffering and hurting.  Give them your Spirit that they may know your mercy and find comfort in you.  In the precious name of Jesus our Risen Savior we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret   

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

5-19-2020


Good Morning All, 
        Genesis 12:1; “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.”
       I remember many years ago when I was in college talking to my grandfather about his parents and uncles and grandparents who left Germany and immigrated to the United States.  They left everything they knew, most of the people they knew and grew up with.  It was possible that a young man or young woman had fallen in love and was suddenly transported to another country far away to never see that person again.  They left their homes and the life they knew for a promise of land and a better way of life.  It must have taken a lot to go, especially the first one.  It might be a little easier if all of your brothers are going, along with a fair number of cousins and friends but what if you were first, or worse, the only one to go; a new land, new neighbors, new customs, new names; it took courage and faith.
    In our verse we see where God spoke to Abram.  We don’t know if it was a dream or a vision or something like the burning bush of Moses but somehow God directed Abram to leave his country and his family to go to a new land that God has promised to Abram and his descendants.  Yet it had to take a lot of faith, and convincing, for Abram to take his wife and his nephew and head out and go where God was directing them to go.  They left all the familiar things in life to go to a brand-new land.  It certainly took courage and faith.
    God is leading you to a new land as well.  He wants you to leave the old life behind.  He wants you to leave the sinful existence behind.  For many of us, this can be difficult.  It can mean leaving behind friends, places that we are comfortable at, even perhaps some family members might get left behind.  Yet God calls us to a new land, a new life.  He calls us there for much the same reason he called Abram to go; to get out of a sin-filled environment that might lead us astray.  God wants us to be safe and sometimes a new place is the only way to safety.
    So as you feel God introducing changes into your life, these changes may be God’s way of   telling you to come to a new land, a new country or just a different set of people for you to be with.  The old relationships, the old places to go may be the toxic things that are dragging you down and holding you back.  This may be what is keeping you in sin; you are not leaving the temptations behind.  If you are tempted to drink to excess; stay away from the bars.  If you are prone to gossip, stay away from that coffee klatch.  Go to the new land.
    It might be difficult; it might require a few tries to finally leave the old behind.  Yet the new land that God is leading you into is the land that he has promised, a land of milk and honey.  It is the promised land of our salvation.  It is home.
Father of all wonders, you lead in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake.  Give me the courage and strength to travel the path you have laid out and to follow as you lead me.  Show me the way to walk with you.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret   

Monday, May 18, 2020

5-18-2020


Good Morning All, 
         Proverbs 10:25; “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”
     We have reached the time of the year here in the Great Plains when the storms will no longer be blizzards but will be thunderstorms; some of which can produce tornadoes.  These are often more violent storms, short in duration often only a few seconds, but tremendously destructive.  It can be one of the fiercest forces of nature away from the ocean.  Homes, farms, even entire cities have been completely destroyed by these twists of nature.  If viewed from a distance, they are awe inspiring but if viewed up close they are terrifying.  They are unpredictable to the exact.  The best we can do is to predict where the likelihood is greatest.  It is when you are in the target zone that you sit up and take notice.  As one area farmer said, “When you see the CNN storm chaser truck sitting at the end of driveway; you take notice.”
    Most people on the Great Plains have some type of shelter for when the storms hit.  It might be the basement of the home.  The warning is to hide under a set of steps or in an interior closet preferably reinforced.  Some folks have a storm cellar which is a reinforced basement-like structure usually made of concrete.  We watch the weather and when in doubt, we choose safety.
    Our verse is a lot like that.  Notice it says when the storm hits and not if the storm hits.  We know there will be pain and trouble in this world.  It is still a broken and sin-filled creation.  It still suffers the effects of the sin which man introduced.  So there is no such thing as a storm free life; there will be times of trouble and heartache.  We will experience times of loss, sickness, divorce, unemployment, loneliness, depression, hopelessness, and fear.  We know the storms will come, so how do we prepare?
    First we need to know who our true storm shelter is; it is Jesus.  He alone can provide for our weathering the frightful.  We read it over and over again in Scriptures; “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe (Proverbs 18:10)” or “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear (Psalm 46:1-2a).”  There are many more references to our life being a storm and God being our protector and all point to the same truth; only in God do we have hope.  Those who place their trust in anything else will be disappointed.
    There will be storms and yet our storm cellar is always ready.  Jesus is ready to shelter you in the storms of this life.  Trust in his mercy to bring you through the storm and to see the rainbow of his promise.
Father of all mercy, you protect us in the storms of life.  In you we have our only hope.  Keep us safe in your arms.  Be with those who are in a storm t this time.  Lead them to know that you are their true shelter.  Give them hope and give them peace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret  

Sunday, May 17, 2020

5-17-2020


Good Morning All, 
          James 4:17; “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
      We spend a lot of time thinking about sin as doing something wrong.  In the Old Testament, they are called “transgressions” which can be translated as “crossing the line”.  They are viewed as rebellious acts or acts of defiance.  We know what they are; if you kill someone or speak evil of them; you are actively doing damage; you are actively harming the other person.  Most of us even realize that if we intentional harm nature that we are engaging in a sinful act against God and his creation.
    But what about sin; which can be best defined as “falling short or missing the mark”; what about those failures?  What happens when you know of a need of a neighbor ad you just look the other way?  It is one thing to avoid doing what is wrong; most people, even unbelievers, can do this.  But what about not doing the right thing; how well do we do the right thing?  There are times when we really struggle with this; for one thing, it requires some effort.  I can very easily not push you down; I just have to walk away.  But it takes time, effort, and willingness to stop and help you stand back up again.  When you do the right thing, you have some skin in the game.
    This is part of the forgiveness of sins which we receive from God because of Jesus.  The first part is to stop doing what is hurtful and harmful.  We are to stop causing pain and doing things that are against God’s will, things like greed, envy, jealousy, theft, and the like.  But the next step is to do what is right; to share with those in need, to place our wants below their needs, even to place our needs below their needs, this is true agape love that Jesus showed for us when he surrendered his life for us.
    Yet a huge part of our faith is doing the right thing, doing the thing that benefits our neighbor.  God has restored us to his family; he has restored us to be his children.  We all hold onto this; we all see this as a great mercy that God has promised ad delivered to us.  Yet we are slow to follow through with the balance.
    Since we are restored to God’s family, we are also restored to our original purpose.  We are restored to the purpose to which we were created.  We are to live humbly in God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise, we are to take care of each other, and we are to take care of God’s creation.  These are things to do and failing to do them is a sin, we are falling short of God’s will in our life.  God’s will is to “do no harm” but to also “do some good.”  Take care of each other and take care of God’s beautiful creation.   We are to bring healing to God’s creation; we are to go and do good.
Father, too often I fall far short of your will.  Strengthen within me the desire to seek your face and to love your heart.  Give me the will to do your will and to show your great love to all that I meet.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret

Saturday, May 16, 2020

5-16-2020


    Good Morning All, 
             Hosea 11:4; “I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.”
     About every ten days to two weeks, I need to take an afternoon or a day to tie up loose ends.  I will have projects that are a third to a half done but need to be finished soon.  It might be a Bible study I am planning or a service or a wedding sermon; you never know.  Sometimes it is catching up on doing the paperwork like getting records filed properly.  A few years ago, I had to add cleaning up the inboxes of my email’s accounts.  That is beginning to take more and more time.  The only loose end that seems to slip by is cleaning my office and desk; that usually loses its appeal quickly.
     Sometimes those loose ends are a little more personal.  Sometimes it is a shut in that I have not seen in a while.  Sometimes it is taking time to visit my parents or spend time with my family.  It is kind of a shame when our important relationships can be seen as “loose ends.”  Yet relationships need maintenance.  We need to spend time together or the cords of kindness or the bands of love can unravel.  We can end up at frayed ends instead of loose ends.  Sometimes when the frays begin to show, you have to stop and tie them together or better bind them up and heal them.
    This can, and often does, include your relationship with God.  We can push it back, put it off, or try and set it aside.  We can miss some of our devotional time, we can miss some of our prayer time, we can miss some of the corporate worship time and our relationship with God can begin to fray.  We can begin to feel that God is distant or not hearing our infrequent prayer.  The ends begin to unravel, and we wonder where we are.  We feel lost and drifting, which is probably what we are doing.
    Fortunately, we have a God that does not give up on us.  We have a God who is continually calling us back into the security of his mercy and the constancy of his grace; giving us the forgiveness that we need, and the encouragement and the desire to bind our wounds.  He calls us to repentance, a turning away from our sin but more importantly back towards him.  We see his face shine upon us, and we can rest in his loving arms.
    It is by his grace that we can bind up the loose ends in our relationships.  He moves us by his great love to try.  The devil will encourage you to let it slide, to let it wait.  Yet God, through his Word, seeks to have you tie up the loose ends right away so that you can live in the joy of the love of the people whom he has placed into your life.  God binds you up with his bands of love and his desire is for you to have loving relationships here as well.
Loving Father, you gently bind us up with the bands of your love.  Keep us in your loving embrace.  Guard us with your Spirit.  Enrich our faith and strengthen our heart.  Guide us to support the loving relationships that you give us.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret