Monday, August 31, 2020

8-31-2020

 Good Morning All, 

         Galatians 3:28; “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ.”

     I was reading an article by a child psychologist the other day.  She was addressing an issue raised by a young parent whose young child pointed to someone in a wheelchair and the rather loudly asked why can’t that man walk.  The horrified mother asked what to do.  The psychologist suggested that rather than get upset she should point out all the similarities that existed.  Yes, the man could not walk but he had two ears like you and two eyes and two arms, etc.  She felt by pointing out all the similarities, the differences would hold less prominence.

     Why is it that we always seem to look for the differences at first?  Why do we seek those things which we use to divide and separate?  It often starts out innocent enough: it is how we identify individuals.  We see Suzy as the short, blonde girl and Billy as the tall red head.  But all too soon we take those differences and use them to hold others down or try to push them back; all in an effort to get to the front.  So, we take those differences and we begin to categorize people.  This group is greedy; this group is lazy, this group is selfish, this group is made up of criminals.  (I did not list who, but you probably filled in the blanks).  Instead of looking at what we have in common and try and build on that; we build walls to keep some back from us or out of our sight or away from us.

       Yet when God looks at people, He sees one thing, a sinful creature.  Before God we are all the same.  There is no difference; we are all sinners deserving eternal punishment.  But by God’s grace, God sees only righteousness and holiness when He looks at His redeemed children.  All God sees is Christ’s atoning sacrifice.  He sees us as one in Christ, holy and undefiled.  We are not male or female, tall or short, fat, or skinny, black, brown, white, yellow, purple, or orange; we are the redeemed children of God.  That is how God sees us and that is how we should see our fellow believer.  We are all the same.  We are forgiven sinners who live by God’s grace and mercy.  We need to tear down the walls we build and see what God sees, forgiven creatures.

     When we do this, it enhances our desire to have compassion on one another.  When we see each other as more like us than different than us; we will see the pain or sorrow that others experience.  When we see how we are alike; we see ourselves as brothers and sisters just as God desires us to.  We are God’s children, one and all; all of us alike. 

Father in heaven, too often we let our sinful nature lead us into prejudice and suspicion.  Forgive us our sin.  Guide us Lord to remove the walls and the barriers which we build between us and our fellow believers.  Cause us to see them as our brothers in Christ and to feel their pain and to share in their joy to your glory here on earth.  In The precious name of Jesus our ascended Lord we pray, amen. 

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, August 30, 2020

8=30=2020

 Good Morning All, 

         John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

     It is one of the hardest decisions we ever have to make.  It is one of the hardest decisions to counsel someone about.  It is the decision to give up on someone, at least for a while.  Sometimes it might be a parent who has a child that is a drug addict or an alcoholic.  He never seems to have a job.  Maybe he has been arrested a few times.  Maybe he even went through the detox program a couple of times, but nothing seems to work.  It is tough on parents to deal with this.  Few things age a person like this does.  Each phone call, you wonder; is he dead or in jail or involved in some drug deal that went bad; what happened?  It hurts to watch them struggle but sometimes you must let them go.  You must let them suffer the consequences of their actions.  You shield and shield them, but you are slowly losing your own sanity.  You are suffering more than they are, so you must let go.

   It might be a spouse who stopped working on keeping the marriage going.  They stopped saying, “I love you” a long time ago.  They barely acknowledge you even exist.  They have started to attack you with verbal assaults that cut you to the core.  They have left the marriage in every way except they have an occasional presence in the house.  You have tried and tried.  You have asked that they go to counseling with you.  You have asked what is wrong and now you hear rumors they are spending time with someone else.  Maybe you have even found hotel receipts and you are distraught and shot emotionally.  You are exhausted and completely lost; you must give up before you lose your sanity.  You must walk away and let things heal and start over later.

    These and a few more like them are extreme events that hurt us so deeply.  Maybe you have been through these or maybe you know someone who has.  It is tough and it ages us quickly but at some point, in time we must give up.  That is what makes what God does for us so incredibly special.  God never gave up on us.  We were the unfaithful spouse; we went chasing after other gods and denying the true God and living as if he did not matter.  We were the delinquent child, taking whatever God gave to us and destroying it by seeking only our own physical pleasure.  You and I are that child; you and I are that spouse.  Anyone would have given up on us a long time ago, but God does not.  God’s perfect love, the perfect sacrificial love, would not allow him to give up on us.  God’s perfect love moves him to seek us out no matter where.  Most of us would not chase a child to those places or a spouse to those places but God does.  God came to this wicked world to save us because he loves us.  We all know how far we would go for the love of a child and yet God exceeds the distance that we would ever go.  That is the kind of love he has for us; it knows no end!

Father, your love for me goes beyond anything I can ever imagine.  You keep me safe from the devil’s arrows and when I lose my way, you come to me and call me back.  Be with those who are struggling with their personal relationships.  Give them strength and courage; remind them that you never fail them.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

Saturday, August 29, 2020

8-29-2020

 Good Morning All, 

     2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you”

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

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

    Notice the change in the verb from kept (or made) to keeping.  A true promise is one that you are always keeping or fulfilling.  That is what the verse for this morning is telling us.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise…toward you.  The Lord made a promise to you; a personal promise to you.  The Lord God, creator of the universe, makes and is keeping his promise to you.

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

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

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, August 28, 2020

8-28-2020

 Good Morning All, 

     James 1: 19-:20; “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.”

    I was listening to the radio the other day and it was playing “American Pie” by Don McLean.  If you are under 70 or so you probably remember it well.  It was known for the meaning of all the lines and the verses, who did this refer to or what is that a reference to.  There is one line about “my hands were clenched in fists of rage.”   This line refers to the anger and violence which occurred in the 60’s and early 70’s with all the riots and the anti-war protests.  It was a time when it seemed anger was the way to move forward.

   It sounds like it is that time again.  You sure hear a lot of anger when you listen to the news or any political review.  The painful reality looks like we do not talk with each other, we do not even talk at each other; we talk around each other.  What is painful is that we seem to take this attitude into all our life.  Do we really have meaningful conversations with each other anymore?  Do we really listen to each other or are we too busy trying to think of a rebuttal (not reply) for what the other says?  Do we really converse with our co-workers, friends, spouses, children/parents?

   Make a “fist of rage”.  What does it look like?  First, it is closed, tightly closed; like our willingness to listen and to love the other person.  It is shut to any words that someone else can say to us.  We do not WANT to hear it.  We can but we do not want to.  Notice how it is turned in.  We turn all our attention inward; we focus on our real or imagined pain, indignation, and self-righteous arrogance.  When our hands are tightly closed, the only thing we can hold onto is our self.  Try to hold someone else’s hand and make a fist; you cannot do it.  When our hands are clenched in fists of rage, either literally or figuratively, our sinful nature focuses selfishly inward causing us to dream up all sorts of real or imagined hurts that we are suffering and someone has to pay for the pain we feel.  This ties into another line in the song “I saw Satan laughing with delight.”  The devil wins when we are angry because it does not produce the righteousness that God requires.

    Remember what Jesus told his disciples (you and me), “Love one another” “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.  There is no place for anger in our lives; it does us no good.  Listen to what is said.  This takes not only our ears but our eyes and our hearts as well.  How does he look when he says this, what tone does he use, is it from pain that he speaks?  Choose your words carefully.  Wait until he is done speaking, let it sink in for a minute or so, then respond.  Try to speak in a calm and quiet tone.  This is one of the devil’s best temptation to cause us to get angry and then to stumble into sin because of a careless word or thought.  Seek God’s help in controlling your anger, especially if you are in the right and the desire to defeat the other is great.  Use a gentle answer to turn away wrath. Anger only produces sin not the righteousness which God requires.

Father in heaven, all too often my fists are clenched in rage; forgive me that I am slow to listen and to forgive as you have forgiven me.  Strengthen me and give me the courage to open my hands to those around me and hold them as dearly as you hold me.  All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, August 27, 2020

8-27-2020

 Good Morning All, 

Colossians 2:6-7: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

    Have you ever tried to pull or dig a bush out of the ground?  We had a dying/almost dead bush that we got get rid of.  It was a bear to get out.  The roots were deeper than the bush was tall.  We pulled and dug and ripped up the lawn to dig it out.  It was rooted well.  It will probably come back next year.  It went down to find water and nutrients.  It did this to survive the dry summers and the tough falls.  It stores nutrients in the roots to survive the winters. 

    Scriptures tells us we are to be the same way when it comes to our faith.  We are to be like a tree planted by the waters with roots down deep trusting in God’s grace and mercy to see us though.  God’s Word and sacraments nourish us and sustain us.  Even in our lives, when we feel that we are in the greatest of droughts; God gives us the faith to pull through.  It is still a drought; it still gives us pain, but God sees us through.  When we are rooted deep in the Lord, we will survive.  The roots which we have because of faith will hold us secure.  The world and the devil may attack and hurl stones at us.  They may send storm after storm our way.  The world may cause parts of us to be damaged, but we will survive.  Our faith is established and because of it we can live a life of thanksgiving.  We can live a life that is content in the knowledge that our Savior Jesus has already defeated the devil and gives to us the victory.

     Too often we see each day as a lifetime.  We see the false boasting of the world as the truth, but it is never right.  What occurs in one day, we see as forever; yet it is only one day just a fraction of our life and an infinitesimal part of our eternal existence.  God looks at you and sees a child that he loves for eternity.  God laid the foundation of the earth after He prepared heaven for you.  We should give thanks for this and all of God’s blessings on us.  Most we take for granted; we do not see them as gifts to be thankful for but as something we deserve.  God’s grace leads us on.  He keeps us rooted by faith in the living waters which flow from his mercy and nourishes us with his grace.

    We are rooted in Christ, by faith, so we can live the life that God gives to us.  We may have a life that has its challenges and its pains but a life that is rooted in the promise of life eternal with Him in heaven.  We have God’s holy and sacred promise, and nothing can ever take that away from us.

    Father of all good gifts, we know that your will is done with or without us; yet you have given us the blessings of prayer.  We ask you to send your Spirit of comfort to those who are in pain and to those who are lost.  Keep us firmly rooted in Your Word always trusting in your promise.  All this we boldly ask in the Name of Jesus, Our Lord, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

8-26-2020

 Good Morning All, 

           Matthew 15: 26-27: “And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”   She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 

    This is a portion of the story of the Canaanite woman and her faith.  She came to Jesus looking for a miracle for her daughter and the disciples tried to send her away.  It appears that Jesus is as well as He tells her He came for the lost sheep of Israel and she was not one of them.  She continues to pray and plead with Jesus until He relents.  Then Jesus praises her faith and heals her daughter.

    To many this seems to be a story about how nagging will win the day.  If you just keep pestering God long enough, He will give in and give you what you want.  But that is not what is going on here.  This is a better case of playing “who am I in the parable?”  Whenever we play this game, we always want to be the good guy.  We always want to be the Good Samaritan when we read that story; we want to be the example of goodness and right faith.  But if we are honest; are we the good guys or are we the foolish guys?

    In this story we want to be the Canaanite woman who, even though seemingly rejected by Jesus, continues to plead, and beg our Lord for His mercy.  Is that really us?  Do we continue to pray and pray until God answers our prayer?  Or do we give up and begin to play the Schleprock card and say, “woe is me I never win at anything; I never get what I need, I am always the loser; my life is so rough.” 

   The unfortunate truth is that we are usually more like the disciples were in this story.  Eating a feast at the table with Jesus; spilling and wasting enough food that a poor outsider saw it as enough to live off.  Isn’t that how we are?  We receive such an abundance of blessings from God that we fail to see how great they are and then we begrudge someone else who seeks just a scrap of the blessings that we have.  Most have multiple TV’s in their homes, most have multiple cell phones, and many have multiple computers.  We spend thousands of dollars on health care because we are overweight while a huge chunk of the world slowly starves to death.

    Does this mean we are bad people because we have wealth?  Not necessarily, wealth is a gift from God, but do we give thanks for that wealth like we should, or have we reached a point where we feel entitled to this prosperity?  We need to be thankful to God for all that He has given to us and we need to pray that we do not become so hung up on what we have that wealth becomes our God.  We need to see God’s hand at work in our lives and give thanks to the Lord.  Then we need to look for ways to share God’s love and blessings with those around us both near and far.

Dear Heavenly Father, too often we sit at your table and feast and do not see the great and wonderful blessings that we have.  We confess that all too often we are like the disciples who assume blessings and dismiss those who are in need.  We ask for your divine mercy.  Give us strength to follow you and to be your hands here on earth and that we show mercy to those who are in need.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

8-25-2020

 Good Morning All, 

      Matthew 5:9; “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

    Peace is a unique experience.  It has been the longing of man since Cain killed Abel.  Much of our popular entertainment, whether books, music, movies or whatever, will have “peace” as a theme somewhere in the story line.  Sometimes it is easy to see such as the Beatles and “Give Peace a Chance” or Peter, Paul, and Mary with “Blowin’ in the Wind”.  Sometimes it is a little more subtle.  One of the most powerful anti-war movie/TV shows during the Vietnam War was a movie about the Korean War called MASH.  We all claim to want peace just like we all claim to be tolerant; it must be on our terms.

     That is the trouble with man’s definition of peace.  You and I can be at peace as long as you do what I want.  Since I do not really trust you anyway; I am always making sure that I am stronger than you and ready to “enforce peace” (can anyone say oxymoron?).  Too often, peace is just the absence of fighting, a lull in a battle that will always rage in the hearts of sinful man.

    Jesus calls us to a different reality.  He calls us to be peacemakers, true peacemakers reconciling man to man and being God’s hands in reconciling the world unto himself.  This is no easy task; we will not do it by our own will or volition but only through God’s grace will this occur.

     We have seen or experienced violence throughout our land for many years now.  In the middle of all this, God calls us to be peacemakers.  Peacemaking is not a passive act.  It requires us to get our hands dirty.  It requires interrupting injustice without resorting to injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer.  It does not involve fight nor flight actions but the careful, Spirit-led, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice.  It forces us to see the face of the oppressed in our own faces, and the hands of the oppressors in our own hands.  Remember this when confronted by those who advocate policies and lifestyles which oppose God’s Will but also remember it when they ask what our motive is.  We see this when we stand against abortion and homosexuality but do we see it when God’s calls upon his people to be compassionate to the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the aliens in our lands?  God wants all to be saved and calls us to show compassion and love to all that we meet even those who are “wrong”.

    We are called to be faithful to Christ and his teachings.  When in the Garden, when Peter drew his sword to defend Jesus; Jesus rebuked him and healed the man whom Peter struck.  Even on the cross, Jesus prayed for his enemies as well as his family and friends.  Do we pray for our enemies or those whose views are different than ours?  Do we ask God to forgive them?  Do we forgive them?  “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God”       

Gracious Father, too often we are slow to be peacemakers.  We seek retribution instead of reconciliation. Forgive us for our failures.  Use us and give us the courage to be your voice for those who have no voice, your hands for those who need your comfort.  Move us, as your kingdom of priests, to ever praise your name.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, August 24, 2020

8-24-2020

  Good Morning All, 

         John 3:17; “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

    Most people really aren’t into second place or second best.  Many will claim that second place is really just the first loser.  There is a reason we call the second-place trophy the “consolation prize”; it implies that we need to be consoled for coming in second.  Do you know who Major Gherman Titov is?  He was the second man to orbit the earth in space.  Do you know who the second man to walk in the moon was?  It was Buzz Aldrin.  We often know who the first person was, but we rarely know who the second one was.  We all know the first one, the “stars” but what about the second ones or the back-ups?  Who was Babe Ruth’s back-up?

    In many ways, our verse is like that.  Almost everyone knows the verse that precedes this one.  We call that verse “the Gospel in a nutshell.”  It is often the first verse we teach children to memorize.  It is the favored Confirmation verse.  It is an excellent verse; “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  That is a great verse, but our verse today should be the second verse and really should be read as it is written; as the continuation of the thought in verse 16.  God sent his son to save us not to condemn us.

    We can find great comfort in this.  As we go on our journey through life; we will have many bumps and slips.  We will fall down and occasionally get lost.  Through it all, Jesus is seeking you.  He is looking for you and we can take comfort and consolation in that he is not looking for us to criticize us.  He is not trying to catch you with a “gotcha”.   He is not seeking you to attack you or to condemn you in your failures and shortcomings; he seeks you out in order to bring you back into his kingdom.  He comes to save you from the falls and the fears that the devil will launch against you.  He is looking for you to give you life.  He seeks you out to bring you salvation.

    So, no matter what we have done in the past; God seeks you out to bring you through forgiveness into eternal life.  God seeks to put you back on the course to salvation and just as importantly, on the path where you will have peace in this world.  God seeks to put you on the path to live this life secure in certain knowledge that you are his child and you are loved and protected by him.  You are not on this journey by yourself; you are not left to face the trials and tribulations alone.  Jesus is with you every step of the way to bring into the perfect existence with him in eternal life.

Gracious Lord, you seek me out to give me life.  You came to give me salvation and you continue to give me life.  Keep me safe in my journey.  Keep me safe in the trials that I can remain strong and safe in the comfort of your loving arms.  Guide those who have fallen to safety in your mercy.  Bring all your children home.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, August 23, 2020

8-23-2020

  Good Morning All, 

   1 John 5:4; “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

  One of the styles of music that I enjoy is the American folk music.  One of my favorite groups is “The Kingston Trio”.  They have a unique blend of humor, wit, and musical ability to blend together.  One of their songs, probably known only to their fans, is called “The Merry Minuet.”  Its name is somewhat a misnomer because while it is a minuet, it is not very merry.  Notice part of the lyrics.               

                                    They're rioting in Africa. They're starving in Spain.

                                   There's hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain.

 

The song goes on to speak of all types of ills and problems in the world including nuclear proliferation.  It was written in 1958 but all you have to do is change the names with different names and the effect is the same.  There is trouble in the world.

   We as Christians today can really relate with this emotion.  We are witnessing an incredible cultural shift. We see the denial of God and His creation.  We see a rejection of the Ten Commandments and of God-given natural law.  There is trouble everywhere and we seem to be on the losing end, and this is what the devil wants you to think.  He wants you to think that you are losing.

    That is part of the great lie that the devil tells.  It is the lie that brings death to man both a temporal and an eternal death.  It is the lie that destroys nations and civilizations.  It is the lie that causes sinful man to view decline as advancing and debasement as value.  It is the lie that denies God and it is spreading throughout the world.  Some will say it is worse than ever.  Whether it is worse or not really does not matter; it is still a lie and we know the truth- we have overcome this world, its lies, and its ruler the devil.

    So, if you read bad news after bad news take heart, our victory is secured by Christ and we can trust in that truth.  God’s love is victorious, and he gives that love to us through his Son Jesus by faith in him.  So, cling to Jesus and his victory in faith.  We need to stand fast, clinging to Jesus, be in the Word and be in prayer.  Truth, real truth, comes from God and him alone.  He has given us that truth in Jesus.

    So, continue to live your faith.  Everyone needs to hear the truth from presidents, governors, and legislators to college students to the babies that rest on your knee.  One of the best ways to tell this truth is by living out our call to bring healing and hope to all we meet.  Remember how the Apostle Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 13 “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”  

Father, as we see the world seem to crumble around us.  Keep us mindful that all things are under your care and guidance and that our salvation is secure in Jesus.  Give us the courage to be your hands and voice in this fractured world.  Guide us to bring healing and hope.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Saturday, August 22, 2020

8-22-2020

 Good Morning All, 

John 3:5; “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

       When I used to coach the teeners in baseball, I spent much of my time teaching the kids about baseball.  I spent a lot of time just talking to them.  It might be in practice or in a game or just riding on the bus to and from the games.  When I would talk to them, there were three types of discussions.  The first one was just a general talk.  An example of this would be when I was coaching third base and just holler to the batter some encouragement.  The second type was a little more personal.  An example of this would be that I would call the batter toward me and I would walk toward him and then place my arm around his shoulder and speak to him.  This might involve a specific direction like for him to bunt or swing at this pitch or to not swing.  The third type was very personal.  If, after the “arm around the shoulder” talk failed; I would place my hands on his helmet, one hand on each side of his head and slowly lift his head up so that I looked him in the eye and he looked at me.  I then very slowly explained, again, what was expected of him.  In our verse for today, Jesus is holding Nicodemus by the helmet.

    Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a teacher, who did not understand what Jesus was explaining to him.  This occurred primarily because Nicodemus and the other Jewish leaders had stopped listening to God and his Word.  They had corrupted the true teaching of Scriptures and twisted into a self-serving ritualistic action.  They were no longer following their “shama.” The word “shama” means “hear”.  It is the first word of the great Hebrew statement of faith in Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One.”  They failed to listen closely to what God was saying; they were not listening to God and thinking “this is what God is telling me; I should follow God’s direction” rather they were thinking “I have a better way than God’s way”   So God sent Jesus to get their attention with the preaching of the truth and sometimes Jesus did this by grabbing them by the helmet and speaking to them very directly.

    Jesus continues to speak to us.  He speaks to us with love but warns us if we twist his truth or replace his truth or corrupt his truth; he will take us by the helmet and start speaking “truly, truly I say to you.”  God’s Word will always accomplish the purpose that God intended it to do; to declare the great truth of his love given to us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  Any other use will lead us down the wrong path and into a path of destruction.  Take care to listen closely to God as he speaks to us.  Hear what he says to you; salvation only comes through Jesus our Lord.

Father, lead me in the path of your righteousness.  Keep me securely in your grace.  Guide me by your Spirit of Truth that I may live according to your will.  Be with those who are not listening to your voice and bring them home.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, August 21, 2020

8-21-2020

 Good Morning All, 

         Psalm 6:2; “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.”

      Psalm 6 is generally viewed as the first of the seven penitential psalms.  It was written by King David.  We are not sure what the circumstances surrounding the psalm were; it may have been associated with the rebellion of David’s son Absalom, but no one is certain.  There is one thing that most everyone agrees with and that is that David is dealing with a mental and emotional torment that is causing him to experience doubt and despair.  This is as ugly a pair of emotions to deal with as there is.  Many people experience this sense of despair and doubt. 

    I was recently talking with a young man who has made a few bad decisions over the past few months.  He is trying to crawl back up, but he is experiencing the old “two steps forward and then one back” mode of life.  He tries to get a job, but he has some things in his past that make it difficult to get a job.  He can get some day laborer work but those are few and hard to get sometimes.  He has lost a home, a vehicle, a couple of apartments and a lot of self-respect.  He experiences doubt and despair.

    I visited with parents who have seen their children get in trouble with the law and now the parents can only sit and watch as the judicial system moves forward.  They have at times experienced despair and doubt.  So have parents whose children no longer come to church.  They are unsure how to proceed so they sit and feel forlorn, filled with despair and doubt.

   People, who lose a job, lose a farm, have health issues, have family members with health issues; pretty much everyone has at one time or another experienced this type of pain.  Sometimes it lasts just a little while and sometimes it lasts for days and days and for some it seems to last a lot longer.

     The pain of life in a sinful world can come crashing down on us at any time.  We need to always remember that doubt and despair are powerful on their own but immensely more potent when combined.  Both are the result of losing sight of God and of not hearing his Words.  God loves us and he tells us this over and over.  He showed us this love by sending Jesus to remove our sins and to destroy our past failures so that they can no longer pull us down.  God empowers us to look up and to see his love and our future with him.  It is the certainty of that promise that lets us live forward and not backwards.

    If your despair or doubts last longer than a few days; be sure to talk to someone, a friend, a pastor or some other professional.  The devil can cause a lot of pain if we let it run wildly in our heart or mind.  God loves you and he wants you to live a life that is full of peace and contentment.

Father, at times I feel lost.  Help me by keeping me focused on what I know for certain, and that is your love for me.  The love you pour over me because of Jesus washes away my fear.  Be with those who are struggling with doubt and despair.  Send them your healing.  Give them the comfort they need and the peace to give them rest.  In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen 

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

Thursday, August 20, 2020

8-20-2020

 Good Morning All, 

         Mark 5:19; “And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

     Let’s stretch our imagination a little bit.  Imagine that you went to your mailbox and in it you found a letter from your favorite restaurant has awarded you first prize in their anniversary give away.  You have won $50,000 worth of meals at this restaurant; what would you do?  I would probably start by trying to get my wife and kids and grandkids together for a meal.  Then I would try to get my dad and stepmom and my wife’s mom and my sisters and my wife’s sister and their families together.  I do not remember the last time that all my nieces and nephews were all together.  That would be a fun meal.

     Then I would get some of our closest friends and go out for a good meal.  Then we would probably try to get hold of those people who we used to spend a lot of time with but through the years have lost touch with them.  It would be great to reconnect with them and find out what has been happening in their life. 

    We know some people who have had a tough year or two.  They have had health setbacks, and some have had job setbacks and a couple of others have lost their spouses.  They could use a pickup, and this could be fun.  It would be a chance to connect with them as meal partners.

    Who would you pick?  How would you use this prize?  Would you try to keep it all for yourself?  That would be difficult and even your favorite restaurant would get old after a while.  I think a prize this grand requires sharing; it would lose its enjoyment.  You would always have it but sharing it, especially with family and friends makes it even better.

    This is what Jesus wants us to do.  He wants us to share our good fortune.  He wants us to share the blessings that he has bestowed on us, especially the good news of salvation which we have because of his own death and resurrection.  This is something that we should be bursting with joy and excitement to do. This is the greatest news that you and I have ever received.  It is news to be shared.

    This is why Jesus told the man that he healed in our verse refused to let the man follow him but rather instructed him to go home and tell your friends.  The spread of the Gospel is an oral event.  It is an event that, truly should be, an intimate sharing among family and friends.  It is an experience that should be done with joy and comfort.  It is best when done in a setting where you have a relationship with the other person and best occurs in a family friendly setting, like a meal together. 

Gracious Lord, we thank you for the gift of life we receive from you through your sacrifice on the cross.  Lead us to joyfully share this news with those around us.  Lead us to bring the good news of salvation to all.  Lead us to be healers in this world.  In the precious name of Jesus our Risen Lord we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

8-19-2020

  Good Morning All, 

       John 13:17: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

     This verse comes from what we call the “Upper Room” discourse.  Jesus is spending the last night with his disciples before he is betrayed by Judas.  He was giving them the instructions that they would need to manage the coming days.  In the first part of chapter 13, we see Jesus as he demonstrates true humility.  In the next section he teaches about holiness.  In this verse, Jesus tells us about happiness or being blessed.  Our happiness is based on holiness and humility.  We are given Jesus’ holiness so that we can stand before God, so we can come to God in prayer in confidence. 

    We can take comfort in the fact that we do know these things.  We know that Jesus died and rose again, and he now sits in heaven protecting his church.  We can take comfort in the fact that we know how the story ends; we are victorious in Christ.  This victory is handed to us freely by our loving Savior.  This is given to us; we do nothing to earn it.  Because of this fact, we should be humble, humble before God.

    But we see that knowing what is right is not enough to keep us happy; we must put this knowledge in practice.  Jesus has just shown his disciples a lesson in humility, in serving others.  The world will ask,” how many people serve you?”  God asks us,” how many do you serve?’  How many do we help?  How many feet have you washed today?  While this may sound strange to the world, God gives us peace and happiness in our task.  We have no great effort to do to earn our salvation, we have no great work to do to battle the devil; Jesus has done this already for us.  Now that we are saved; we are free to enjoy his grace and to share his love with those around us. 

    This action is a response, a thank you, to God for his wondrous love that is always poured out upon us.  We simply say, “thank you” and we do this best by caring for God’s creation of which our fellow humans are the preeminent portion.  Yet all of God’s creation is to be treasured and held in honor and respect.  It is ours to take care of, a trust placed in our hands.  It is a way to honor God and all that he has done and continues to do for us. This is how God designed it for us; to be caretakers of each other and of the rest of creation.  This is part of God's plan for you; to enjoy the life that He gives you.  So be happy and content with God's blessings!

      Lord Jesus, we are too often unhappy because we do not place our trust in you, and it causes us to lose our way.  Forgive us our weaknesses and sins.  Give us strength to follow you with all humility and holiness.  Use us as your hands to serve others that we know true happiness in your grace. Use us to bring about your healing.  In your precious name we pray, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

8-18-2020

 Good Morning All, 

     2 Corinthians 2:7; “So now forgive and comfort him. Such distress could overwhelm someone like that if he’s not forgiven and comforted.”

     “Oh, forgive me; I must have made a mistake.”  Maybe you have heard that before; I know that I have.  I have heard that when I got a phone call and the person wanted someone that I have never heard of.  I have heard this when someone took my cart in the grocery store.  I have used it in the same situations.  Most people do.  We use it as a semblance of a civil society; it represents the opposite of the “road rage mentality” that we see occasionally.  It is used to stave off an angry response.  It is easy to say and, for the most part, is easy to forgive.  We might exhale in exasperation as we either have had something broken or spilled or stepped on. 

    It seems so easy; one asks, and one responds, and life goes on.  It almost seems that it occurs with little, if any, thought.  There seems to be little, if any, emotional connection, and this is why we struggle with forgiveness.  Too often, we go through the actions of asking for forgiveness the same way whether it is for bumping into someone or we have caused real pain in a person’s life.

    Forgiveness is where Christianity differs from other religions.  It is also where the rubber meets the road, so to speak.  It is the core of our faith; it is who we are or at least claim to be.  Yet we struggle with both sides of the equation.  If someone hurts us, really hurts us; forgiveness can be the hardest thing to do.  I always counsel forgiveness what might surprise some is that I do not always counsel it right away.  If a spouse is unfaithful or abusive and causes the rupture of the marriage, forgiveness takes a while.  If a friend tells a major lie about you or does something to hurt your reputation, it can be exceedingly difficult to forgive.  We know these situations; maybe you have even experienced it.

    Forgiveness does two things.  First, it releases the control of the past upon our present and future.  If we keep looking back, especially at what hurts, we will often miss the blessings of today.  It leaves our future in the hands of someone who hurt us.  So, we forgive, we no longer demand repayment for the injury.  Is this tough to do?  It is without a doubt the hardest thing you will ever do but God tells us to do it because there can only be healing if there is forgiveness; without forgiveness we are left with pain.

     That is what the verse tells us.  When someone sins against you, the weight of that sin remains with them.  The pain that they caused you will remain with them.  In order for them to be released from the pain, from the debt they owe, we need to forgive so that they too can heal.  It is hard; it can be incredibly hard, but God invites us to forgive in order that healing, and reconciliation can occur and that we can be whole again.

Father of love and mercy, you have given me your forgiveness in order that I might be reconciled to you.  Lead me by your Spirit to forgive as you have forgiven me.  Lead me to give the healing that you so freely give to me.  Send your powerful healing to all.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, August 17, 2020

8-17-2020

  Good Morning All, 

        Jeremiah 17:14; “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.”

    A few weeks ago, I was listening to a radio program where the host was interviewing a recovering addict.  That is how he referred to himself as “recovering”; he said,” The beast is never far away.”  As I listened, in my cynical judgmental fashion, I thought he really has a way with words.  Yet I kept listening and his story got more intriguing.  He had tried to defeat his addiction many times and many times he failed.  He was addicted to cocaine for over 26 years and with his family’s encouragement and demands; he went through 8 different rehab stints.  None of them lasted longer than 9 months before he was back using cocaine.

    The interviewer asked him how he finally won.  The man’s answer was refreshing.  He told her that he did not win but that Jesus won for him.  He told her that until he accepted Jesus as his personal savior (not exactly a Lutheran phrase but it was his phrase) his battle with the beast was always won by the beast but Jesus is stronger than the beast.  He ended the interview with an observation that intrigued me.  He said,” we are all addicts; we all have destructive beasts within us which we can never defeat on our own.  As long as we battle them by our power we will lose, we need something else to win; for me it is Jesus Christ.”

     We are all addicts; Paul said we are all sinners.  Yet I really like how he phrased the idea that we are all “addicts”.  We all have those sins which just seem so hard to shake.  We maybe are not addicted to drugs or even to many other sins but there is always one or two which seem to really pull us down.  The early Church used to speak of the seven deadly sins, wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony, as the fallen human tendency toward sin.  If we look at this list; it pretty much gets to all our issues.  We may have some subsets that have appeared given our technology and current style of living but for the most part we can find our self in this list. 

     There are a lot of things that can be said about this list but one thing I hope we all take away from this is that we are ALL in this list.  You might be a one sin and I might be at another, but we are all sinners and thus we should not judge others for where we think they sit in the list.  I may think that one person is greedy, or another is lustful yet if I am envious of my neighbor; I am no different than they are. 

    So, what do we do?  First, we see life as Jeremiah does, “Heal me, O lord, and I shall be healed, save me and I will be saved.”  Jesus is our only true salvation and our only way to defeat our addictions, our sins.  So, we struggle on as recovering addicts, fighting the beast within, our sinful nature.  With Christ, we are all in this together, offering each other comfort, hope, and consolation because of Christ’s gift to us.  We are all recovering addicts and we need each other’s prayers and support.

Gracious Lord, defend me from the beasts that seek to devour me.  Keep me close to you that I may remain in you.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret