1-31-2021

Good Morning All,   

        Romans 14:19; “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

    I often sit back and watch people as they interact.  It is always fascinating to me to see what causes disturbances in relationships. Whether it is one on one or it is a group relationship, they seem to have different levels of disturbance.  It usually starts with a mumble, something said under your breath about something that was said or was heard.  It will grow into a grumble where the complainer’s comments are said loud enough to be heard but not really completely understood.  It will then rise to a kerfuffle where some extras are brought into the original debate either confusing the issue or making the beginning of picking sides.  It can rise to a conflagration where tempers flare which can lead to a full-fledged brouhaha which can lead you right into the much-dreaded donnybrook, so much for peace in the relationship.

    Relationships, from personal to group dynamics, are always a struggle.  This is the result of our sinful nature.  Relationships require giving, sinful nature only looks to take.  There will always be this tension; our sinful nature wrestling with the Spirit within us for control.  The Spirit usually wins but sometimes it does not.  When sinful man wins the struggle, pain, and sorrow follow.  It started when Cain killed Abel and has not gotten any better.  Our sinful nature causes all our problems.

     So, we fall into the temptation and we sin against our spouse, children, brothers, or sisters; or they sin against us; how do we get back on track?  What tools do we have that the Spirit gives to us to go forward?  The greatest tool we have is also the greatest gift we have and that is forgiveness.  If you want to move forward, if you want to have peace, you have to forgive.  If you never forgive you will never have peace.  This is not a punishment or a threat; it is how we work.  If we do not forgive, we do not let go of the past.  If we live in the past, we are left to repeat it.  Thus, any pain which we experienced remains in vision and we repeat the pain over and over.  So, Scriptures tells us to pursue peace and for the mutual upbringing.

    In order to have peace, we must have a clear conscience and a clear heart.  We must confess our errors and give forgiveness to those who cause us pain.  Ratcheting the struggle upward may bring a hollow victory but it will never bring peace.  It will actually do the opposite.  Fighting never brings peace, only forgiveness brings about true peace.  That is why God’s peace is so great; it is built on love and forgiveness.  If we want true peace, we need to forgive and then try and build each other up.

Father, in your love for us we have forgiveness.  Help us to grow in peace; help us to forgive.  Show us the peace that is beyond this world’s understanding.  Show us your compassion that we may be compassionate to others.  Send your Spirit of healing to those who are struggling with one of their relationships.  We ask that you bring forgiveness and peace to those in pain.  All this we boldly ask because of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-30-2021

 Good Morning All,   

          Luke 19:42; “(Jesus said) “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

     “If I had only known.”  How many times have you said that?  How many times have you heard that said? “Oh, if I would have only known that my mom was going to die, I would have visited her more.”  “If I had only known that this was the last time, I would talk to him, I would have said something different.”  If I had only known.

    We place a lot of value on knowing something.  We think that if we know what is going to happen that somehow, we will be better prepared and that we will make better decisions.  This sounds really good in theory but not so good in practice.  Because we rarely know what is going on and we are even less likely to have a good plan in place.  Even if we see all the “signs” we are still unprepared for what will happen.

    In our verse, Jesus is lamenting over Jerusalem, and all the Jews, because they have missed the signs.  All that Jesus did while he walked the earth pointed to the fact that he was the promised Messiah.  Yet they did not see the signs but even now, as Jesus waits to be arrested and crucified, if the Jews would have repented, Jesus would have forgiven them.  If they only would have known and realized who Jesus really was, they would have been saved and they would have had peace.  But they did not know, and these things were hidden from their eyes.  They failed to see because they did not have faith. 

     There are many times that we fail to have peace because we do not see the truth.  Too often, we want to create our own truth.  Instead of receiving the Gospel’s life changing joy, we seek to change the Gospel so that it “fits” us.  We take God’s truth and then twist it is meaning to fit our own personal needs and agenda.  Soon, we have tried to “fix” or “improve” the sweetness of the Gospel that its truth is hidden from our eyes and we begin to call sin, “alternate choices” or “enlightened knowledge” or some other pet name. 

    Yet we only have true peace when we see that God’s pure truth is active in our lives.  God’s love for us is real as is the love that God wants us to have for all others.  Yet sin separates us from God, and it blinds us to his most gracious and wonderful love.  So, we need to see God’s truth and repent of our sins.  We need to turn away from selfishness and self-centeredness and be humble before him.  We need to listen to God’s Word and to know it as true.  When we do this, we see what God reveals to us, his love and mercy.  So, trust in God’s Word; it is never too late to repent and receive the comfort of our forgiveness and salvation.

Gracious Father, in your wonderful mercy we have life.  Keep our eyes open to the truth of your wonderful grace.  Keep us steadfast in your loving arms.  Be with those who are struggling and do not see you.  Help them to see that it is never too late to hear your voice and come into your marvelous light.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-29-2021

  Good Morning All,   

            1 Corinthians 13:13; “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

     Love seems to always be the answer.  The Beatles sang that, “All you need is love”.  The Andrews Sisters sang “I wanna be loved”; Elvis wanted to someone to “love me tender”.  The Righteous Brothers lost that loving feeling.  We speak an awful lot about love, in and out of our faith.  Out of our faith, the word can mean about anything from people to pizza we “love it” but what about our faith and what does Paul mean when he says the greatest of these is love?  How can love be greater than hope or faith?

   As Paul addresses this statement, we can read it in two ways; one way is temporal, and one way is eternal.  The temporal understanding is about our earthly relationships.  Faith is something that you have.  You have faith; it benefits you, and you alone.  Each one of us has to have faith, on our own, to hold onto the promise that God makes to us.  Faith sustains me and helps me to grow closer to God through Christ. 

   Hope is what keeps you going through the toughest of times.  No matter how difficult the trek or dark the night, you have hope because of the promise that there will be a better day.  Someday, God will rescue you from this sin filled world.  Jesus will return and restore creation to its perfect state and you with it.

    Love is the greatest because you must share love.  Love only exists when it is freely given away.  You cannot hold onto your love; if you do, it fails to accomplish its task.  You can hold onto your faith; you can hold the hope that God gives you, but you must give love away.  Love helps to build others up; it can help to lift them from the depths of sadness and despair.  Love builds the family of God here on earth like nothing else we can do.  In the temporal world, love is the greatest because love brings about peace for all.

   In the eternal sense, love is the greatest because love is everlasting.  Love is the only thing we will take into our eternal life with Christ.  We will no longer need faith because we will be living and seeing Jesus.  Faith is being certain of what we do not see; we will see Jesus face to face.  We will talk with him and listen to him and share his banquet feast with him; we will not need faith.

   We also will not have to hope for the promise because the promise has been fulfilled.  We will not have to hope for it to come because it is present.  All we will take with us and, like the Beatles sing, all we need is love.  We will live in God’s eternal joyous kingdom, loving all and being loved by all, especially Jesus. 

    So, love is the greatest because it is the peace in this life and the everlasting truth in the next.  All we really do need is love.

Gracious Father, you give us three great gifts: faith, hope and love.  Help us to cherish them and to experience them and to live them.  Strengthen our faith, build up our hope and let us love one another as you have loved us.  Be with those who do not experience love.  Move us to love them with a willing heart and spirit.  In the precious and loving name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

1-28-2021

   Good Morning All,   

Matthew 13: 45-46“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

    We have all seen or read the story about the person who went to a garage sale and bought a painting for $5 then he takes it home and finds out is a rare painting worth millions of dollars.  Every time I read one of those stories, I think I want to go to garage sales.  Or maybe you remember the story of the guy who inherited his grandfather’s old, broken down lake cabin only to find a bunch of gold coins in the attic.  Or maybe yours is the story of the guy who finds a rare book at a flea market and buys it before anyone else finds it.

    All these stories involve finding something of great value but there is more than a little luck involved.  In our verses for today, everyone knew the value, but the merchant sold everything to possess it.  So instead of finding a hidden treasure, this one is known to everyone and he must outbid everyone else to buy it.  So, we misread the verses.  We often misread these verses.

    Too many of us read this and think that “I am the merchant.”  I give everything up for this one treasure.  It can cause us to question the value of the gift.  If I have nothing to give up, then this decision is easy but what if I have a lot that I value and now have to sell it all to obtain the pearl?  Or what if I do not have enough to buy the pearl even if I sell all that I have?  Now, where am I?  No, you are not the merchant; you are he pearl.

    “The kingdom of God is like a merchant”; God is the merchant; he is the one seeking fine pearls.  He found one of great value, you, and sold all that he had (His only Son) to buy you back.  You are the treasure; you are the one whom God seeks after.  You are the fine pearl.

    We would never have enough money to buy any form of salvation, even if we were to sell our own body and life.  We do not have enough.  Only God can afford that price and it was a terrific price- the life of Jesus.  Yet God willingly sold all that he had to buy you back because he loves you; you have great value.  The world may try to devalue you or to undervalue you, but God never does, you are a fine pearl in his eyes.  You have great value.

    The fine pearls were lost but God sought them out and then paid dearly for them; God is the merchant and you and I are the pearls.  We are treasured by God.  We are highly prized by God.  We are loved by God with a love that knows no measure and knows no bounds.  It is a love that can and does sustain us.  We always need to remember that a pearl is always valuable; it is precious and wonderful and so are you.  God’s mercy is active and alive in your life so trust in his grace and peace to guide you and his hope will guard you.  Trust in God for he seeks you and finds you and he redeems you because he loves you.

Father, you seek me out every day, even when I try to hide.  Through your mercy, I am healed.  Protect me by your mighty hand.  We beg that you continue to seek the lost pearls that all may come to know your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

1-27-2021

  Good Morning All,   

         Mark 5: 2-3; “And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. ³ He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,”

     This is another story about Jesus when he heals a man who is possessed by demons.  Jesus drives the demons out of the man and cast them into a herd of pigs which promptly run off a cliff into the sea.  The man who was possessed by the demons was cured.  He no longer lived among the tombs.  When the people from the local village came to see him, he was dressed normal and acted normal and spoke normally.  Everyone was astounded.

    For many of us in this the 21^st century, demon possession seems a little strange, perhaps even bizarre.  I have been asked if I believe in these possessions; yes, I do.  Do they happen today? Perhaps.  Just because we have different names for the events, does not change the pain involved.  The people at the time of Jesus may have called them demons while we call them schizophrenia or bi-polar or Asperger’s syndrome or any one of a number of other ailments and problems; they all mean pain to the person who suffers from them. 

    This man may have even been clinically depressed.  I have talked with people who have experienced these conditions and others like it.  They often describe feeling like they are possessed by something or someone as they do not feel they control their own actions or thoughts.  What they describe sounds scary and full of pain much like the life of the people who the Bible describes as being possessed.

    Perhaps there have been times when you felt like you were “living in the tombs” more afraid of life than looking forward to it.  Perhaps there have been dark times for you to overcome.  Those dark times can cause a lot of pain and even feel like someone or something is controlling you.  You may be feeling that right now.  If you are, know that God loves you and wants to help.  First and foremost, call someone.  Call your doctor or a counsellor or your minister but call someone and get professional help.  This is one of God’s tools in caring for you.  Secondly, pray for God’s guidance and assistance.  Third, talk with those close to you; they love you and care for you, let them in.

     There will be dark and painful times in this life because the world is still broken by sin.  Yet we are never alone, and we never have to face this world alone.  God is there with us and loves us and will protect us from the devil’s arrows.  We need to use the tools he gives us in this battle.  Trust in God’s mercy to sustain you.  Hold onto his love for you and he will free you from the pain that possesses you.

Father, there are times when the darkness seems too great.  It is at these times when I need your grace to bring me out of the tombs of despair.  Be with those who are still hurting and living among the tombs of despair.  Give to them your healing touch.  Bring them to the light of your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

1-26-2021

  Good Morning All,   

                  Luke 9:2; “and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”

     I love to watch old movies about the Medieval Era.  I like the stories about knights and jousting and rescuing ladies in distress.  My favorites are the tales of King Arthur and his court.  The tales of Sir Lancelot, or Sir Galahad or Lady Guinevere; I can watch over and over.  It does not matter if it is the fanciful Errol Flynn ones or the darker newer ones.  I like knights and swords and suits of armor.  They are fascinating to me.

     In our verse, we read where Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God.  While most of us tend to think of the kingdom of God as a place; it is actually an action.  The kingdom of God is the active presence of Jesus in the earth and in our lives.  The kingdom of God is God at work, restoring the creation back to its pristine condition.  It is the steady movement forward to recreate that which is corrupt into what is pure and holy.  It is God saving you and me and fixing what is broken.

    This is good news for us and for all of creation.  It is news that will lift the veil of despair and lift the hearts of the downtrodden.  It is the Word of God changing lives of men and women who hear it and cling to that good news with its promise of hope.  This is a message which needs to be proclaimed throughout the land.  This good news should be taken to all the downcast and the suffering.  God has chosen you and me to fill this role; we are God’s knights.

    God gives to us the armor we need to fight this battle.  He gives us the Spirit to lead us, to encourage us and to sustain us.  God invigorates us with his Word and Sacrament to refresh our soul and to lift up our spirits. Even when the battle is fierce and the warfare long; God is our everlasting and ever-present hope and shield.  He equips us to go out and to spread the good news even when the devil tries to block us.  The devil will never win against the kingdom of God; it will always fail.

    Even when we are struck and knocked down, God is there to pick us up and to make us whole with his tender love and mercy.  We may be struck but we will never be mortally wounded by the devil.  He cannot get us.  God has promised to provide for us so no matter how bleak it may seem to us God is for us.  God is always there for us no matter how it looks; he is using us to proclaim his kingdom and it is the force which cannot be stopped.

    So, rise, Sir Knight, for you are part of God’s great kingdom, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and crowned as an heir of his kingdom.  Go with speed and strength for it is God’s work which we do.  God is with you every step of the journey.

Father of all grace, we give you thanks for the promise of salvation and the gracious gift of faith.  Enable us to hold fast to your Word.  Be with those who are lost and hurting.  Be with those who suffer the pain of guilt and fear.  Use us as your hands to proclaim you words of hope and salvation.  Use us to proclaim your kingdom.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

1-25-2021

 Good Morning All,   

         John 11:39; “Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

      This is part of the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  It is the final act that Jesus performs that causes the Jewish Council to decide, once and for all, that Jesus must die.  It is significant that Lazarus was dead for four days.  It was a Jewish belief that the spirit hung around the body for three days, after the third day you were completely and officially dead.  The fact that this occurred in a warm climate without embalming techniques explains the odor.  It does not take long for the decaying process to set in and for the stench to become very noticeable.

    The odor that would have come from the tomb would have been powerful.  It would have also reminded Mary and Martha that their brother was dead and gone.  The people around the tomb would have recoiled and some may have even gagged at the smell.  The smell of death is very overpowering.  It can cause you to be sick at the smell’ sort of like our sin before God.

     The stench of the world to Jesus would have been overpowering in many ways; yet he stayed and ministered to the people.  He did this out of his great love.  His love was so great that it overcame the stench of our sin and make no mistake about it sin stinks.  It stinks even to us.  We see the cruelty of man to his fellow man. We see how cheaply we view life; we see how much we seek our own selfishness over the needs of others.  Our greed and arrogance raise a stink to God. 

    Our sin what separates us from God.  It is the stench that keeps us away.   Our sin also separates us from our neighbors as well.   This is what we must repent of and get rid of in order to have a more pleasant life.  When we fail to repent, we continue to live in the stench of the tomb.  We stay in the arms of death.  Yet Jesus enters our life, our tomb, and calls us out of the arms of death and away from the stench of sin.  He calls us away from the pain of sin and brings us to life and light. 

    We can leave the pain, the sadness, the stench of sin behind.  It does not have to control you.  God gives us the power to walk away from sin; God enables us to leave sin behind.  The stench and the odor can be left in the grave while we walk out in new life.  God’s grace never fails.  It can lift you out of the sadness that sin is.  It can lift you to life.

Gracious God, your mercy rolls over us like a river.  Each breath we take is a new experience in your grace.  Guide us by your Spirit that we may remain out of the stench of the grave and live the life that you have called us to.  Direct us with your love.  Be with those who feel they are pulled back to the grave.  Cleanse them of the stench of sin and bring them before your glorious throne of mercy that they may rest in the arms of your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-24-2021

      Good Morning All,   

          Luke 15:4; “Suppose a man has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 sheep grazing in the pasture and look for the lost sheep until he finds it?”

     Do you think her name was Molly?  Molly seems like the name of a sheep that would get lost.  Molly seems like the name of a sheep that would either get left behind because she was not quite ready to go or else, she would take off ahead of everyone else, not sure of where they were going and then take a wrong turn and go the wrong way.  Molly was often lost; she would have cockleburs in her wool and usually be very dirty.  She was a very troublesome sheep.

    Other shepherds would have sold her or just left her when she wandered off.  Other shepherds would have calculated how much work she really was and would probably figure they were better off with her gone.  After all, it will not take long before some of the other sheep start following Molly’s lead and they too begin to wander and get lost.  Yet this shepherd was different.  This shepherd always went to look for Molly and bring her back to the flock.  He always cleaned her up, applied an ointment to her wounds, made sure she had fresh water and the best hay and made sure she was safe in the flock.

    Deep down, most of us are like Molly.  We tend to think only of ourselves and rarely about the consequences of our actions.  We tend to think that what we do “really isn’t that bad” or “it is just a choice we make.”  We fail to see the tremendous danger that we put ourselves in.  We fail to see that what we have with our shepherd is better than anything we look for.  Even as we look, we fail to think that we might get hurt or attacked by wolves when we are alone in the wilderness.  We never see the consequences of our actions and we never see that what we have is the best for us anyway. 

    We truly are “Mollies”.  We are sinful beings who selfishly look only to our own wants and desires.  Yet God has mercy on us.  He sent Jesus to be our savior, our shepherd on all occasions.  He sends Jesus to be the shepherd that always brings us back to the flock.  No matter how far we stray, Jesus is always looking for us to bring us back to the safety of his flock.  It is only in his loving care are all our needs met.  Other places may seem to offer good things but in the end; they always turn out poorly, they always end up with our destruction.  Yet no matter how many times we stray, Jesus is always bringing us back.  He is always calling us home to be safe with him. 

    So, return with Jesus to the flock.  It is time to stop thinking you know best and recognize that God has our best avenue ready for us.  Trust in his love to carry you safely through this journey of life.

Gracious and loving Father, in you we have the certainty of our salvation.  Keep us safely in your loving and protective arms.  Keep us from straying from your grace.  Be with those who find themselves lost and alone.in the dangers of the wilderness.  Send your Spirit to comfort them and to bring them home.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

1-23-2021

 Good Morning All,   

        Romans 12:10; “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

        “Women and children first!”  That used to be the standard way that any crisis would be handled.  If a ship was sinking, it was “women and children” into the lifeboats first.  If you were evacuating a building that was on fire you would evacuate “women and children” first.  It was a bit of chivalry, men protecting the weaker ones.  It was a bit of chauvinism; get the weaker and more emotional ones away so the men can figure out what to do.  Whatever it was and however you view it; the idea of self-sacrifice was expected.

    If a man were found to be safe while “women and children” were still in danger, he would be viewed as a coward and something “less than a man.”  It would be a legacy hard to live down.  Of course, after the women and children were safe it was “every man for himself”; so much for chivalry.  Self-survival kicked in quickly.

    Yet one of Scriptures most enduring teachings is the one where we are to put others ahead of ourselves.  We are to deny ourselves; we are to take a servant’s form; we are to put others first.  We are to play second fiddle in life.  This teaching causes many to chafe.  We do not like the idea of putting ourselves in second place; yet we are supposed to.  Part of this comes from the very nature of sinful man and places us back where we are supposed to be; one of God’s children.

    It is our sinful nature to want to be first.  It is our sinful nature to want to satisfy our own desires and lusts ahead of others.  It also goes against God’s design.  God’s design is to have us live as his children; take care of creation and to take care of each other.  If we are to take care of each, we have to place the needs of others ahead of our wants and even some of our needs.  This is the highest form of faithfulness that we can exhibit.  It is even higher than always going to church.  Seeing to the needs of others demonstrates our faith far better than every hymn sung.  Helping to reconcile each person we meet back to God and to their fellow man is one of the primary tasks that Jesus gives to his Church.  Love one another or they will know of the love that we have for each other. 

    It takes some conscious effort to put others first, but this is our calling.  God calls us to love others as we love ourselves.  We cannot do that if we think we need four items to the other person’s one item.  We need to see their needs as our needs.  We need to remember that all of us are facing our own battles with the devil; some may be less obvious than others.  We need to remember that God uses us as his hands and feet and voice here on earth.  Trust God and enjoy playing second fiddle; God gives us great joy when we do.

Father, enable me to love those around me and to show them your great love through me.  Guide me by your Spirit that I may be patient and humble, kind, and thoughtful.  Be with those who feel trampled on and left out.  Guide me to them that through me your grace may abound.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-22-2021

 Good Morning All,   

          Psalm 146:8; “the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.  The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.”

    His name is Mitch Williams; they called him “The Wild Thing”.  He was a pitcher in major league baseball.  He was well known for throwing the baseball very hard but very wild.  His manager, when he put Mitch into pitch, would cover his face with a towel so he would not have to watch.  Sometimes the manager would even leave the ball field so he would not even have to listen to the game as Mitch pitched.  For whatever reason, the manager felt better being blind to his pitcher’s pitching.

    Sometimes in life, it is difficult when we cannot see.  We go through life with a towel over our eyes.  The problem is that the towel only covers the good in our life and we only know and experience the bad.  The devil and the world only want us to know the pain and the sorrow.  They want us to only realize the “agony of defeat”.   They want us to carry the weight of our entire life on our shoulders.  We are burdened and bowed down by past failures, pains, and sadness.  We suffer greatly under the towel that the devil has over us because of sin.

    Sin will blind us so that all we know is the pain of failed relationships or financial setbacks or the death of a family member or friend.  Sin will bow us down with the weight of guilt, anger, and sadness.  It will attempt to isolate us from those who can help us heal; it attempts to isolate us from God.

    Yet God is stronger than sin.  God has redeemed us from sin.  He has bought us back and removed the towel so that we can see.  We can see the certainty of the hope that he gives us.  He gives to us the ability to trust in his promise of eternal life with him in total perfection.  He removes the guilt and the pain of sin; he removes the weight that bows us down so that we can stand up.  We can stand straight before him because he has given to us the righteousness of Jesus.  Because of Christ, we are righteous before God.

   The events of this life can and often are painful.  Sadness and pain are the two main components in a sinful and broken creation.  Yet events and circumstances do no define who you are.  You are God’s beloved child, cleansed by the blood of Jesus and given the promise of always being that in your Baptism.  This is who you are.  You are not a loser or a failure.  You are a child of God.  You may have health problems or problems in your marriage.  You may have done some things in the past that cause you pain today, but they do not define who you are: God defines who you are, and you are his child.  This is the truth that the devil tries to hide from you with his towel but God removes the towel and throws it far away so you can see the brightness of his mercy and feel the warmth of his grace.

Father, you open our eyes to your great mercy.  You lift off the weight of sin in our lives.  Keep us safe from the devil’s towels.  Help us to keep our eyes fixed upon you and your mercy.  Guard us by your grace.  Be with those who are still feeling burdened by sin.  Open their eyes to your grace and truth.  Give them the peace that the world cannot and will not give.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-21-2021

 Good Morning All,   

       Luke 16:13; “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

    When we perform the rites of Baptism and Confirmation, we begin with the same basic set of questions.  “Do you renounce the devil, all his works and all his ways?”  Of course, the answer is, “Yes, I renounce them.”  It is pretty basic stuff.  If you are willing to follow Jesus, you must renounce the devil.  The devil and Jesus are complete opposites.  So of course, we renounce the devil and all his ways, or do we?

    Do we really renounce the devil and all his ways, or do we keep a few of the “good ones”?  Maybe we like to gossip, you know just so we know what is going on in the community.  Maybe we are greedy and want to have “my fair share”.  Maybe we hold onto those lustful looks and thoughts.  Maybe our anger rules us more than we rule it.  Maybe we are a little quick to let the tongue run on and on.   They all seem so harmless.  Just little things that we keep around because we enjoy them and we take pleasure in them and, after all, no one really gets hurt; they are “innocent” sins.

    Yet they are sins and sins, no matter how small we make them out to be, separate us from God.  Sin has us serving the devil.  The selfish and self-centered nature of sin always cause harm and pain.  It causes us to lose respect for others, to lose respect for our self and to lose respect for God.  Sin is always saying, “I am more important than God.”  All sins do this.  It does not matter whether we think of them as small or insignificant; sin causes a chasm to form between God and us. 

    This is why Scriptures so clearly tells us that you cannot have both.  You cannot profess or live a life dedicated to Christ if you are going to hold onto old sinful ways.  We must throw them away.  It may even take a drastic change in our life.  Maybe we need to avoid those places where we like to gossip or perhaps, we need to make a conscious effort to avoid anger or a sharp comment.  All these contribute to our brokenness as humans.  The healing is not complete until we rid our lives of the baggage of sin.  It destroys us, little by little, and leads us down the path of sorrow.  It leads us away from Jesus and into a place of darkness and pain.

    So, if we truly do renounce the devil, we need to fully trust in God for all that we need.  We need to stay away from those things and places that lead us to sin.  Yet above all, we need to recognize that these “little things” are sins.  We need to repent and ask God to help us move away from them.  God is gracious and will help us to do so but we will only succeed when we truly renounce the devil and his ways and only have Jesus as our master.

Father of all mercy, in you we have our only hope.  In you is our only way forward.  Help us to renounce the devil completely.  Help us to live as children in your kingdom.  Help us to serve you with our whole heart and body.   Give us the strength to throw out the devil and his lies and to trust only in you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-20-2021

 Good Morning All,   

         Isaiah 32:17; “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”

     If you were to look at all the successful people in the world, whether they are athletes, businessmen, political people, authors, or whatever occupation you select; probably the most common trait that these people have is confidence.  They all believe in their ability to accomplish the task that they set out to do.  There are lots of posters or saying clips that about this.  One that caught my attention the other day said, “whether you think you can or you think you can’t; you are probably right.”  Confidence is a major element in success.

    I would always tell the kids I coached in baseball that if they went to bat thinking they would strike out; they would.  The same is true for someone trying to make a free throw, or kick a soccer score, or even get job.  The need to believe that you can accomplish a task is vital.  When you have confidence, you approach a task ready for whatever it takes and even if you have some minor setbacks; you remain undaunted by the task.  When you think you will fail, any adversity only serves to reinforce your belief that you will fail.  Confidence lets you face any challenge with a calm and a peace that whatever happens, you will persevere and, in the end, be a better person for it.

   Faith should give us confidence.  We know how everything will end; we end it in God’s restored creation after the return of Jesus and the final resurrection.  This is how it ends for all believers.  We can face any situation with the full assurance that God is providing for us.  Just like that baseball player will strike out occasionally; it is not the whole ballgame.  There will times and events in our life when it seems like we strikeout, yet we need to remember that it is not the whole ballgame; we still have a lot of life left and we still have God’s assurance of eternal salvation.

    Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.  This is the fruit of righteousness that Isaiah writes of.  This certainty should give us peace.  We do not have to earn it.  We do not have to deserve it; we just have it because God is gracious and loving.  All we need to do is to trust in his Word.  We can have the full confidence that, no matter what we face, we are assured of God’s love and grace.  Events may knock us down, health issues, relationship issues, financial issues or even a combination of these can knock us down but they cannot keep us down.  God’s incredible grace will always pick us up.  Because of this certainty, we can face any problem with the calmness and the confidence that, through it all, we are more than winners; we are more than victors; we are God’s children with our eternal destiny assured.

Father of all mercy, your Word gives us confidence to face the challenges of this life.  Because of your great love, nothing we face is ever greater than you.  In you we have victory. In you we have peace.  Be with those who fear and have no confidence.  Build them up so they may ever know your peace and comfort.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

1-19-2021

 Good Morning All,   

       Mark 1:35; “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

        Jesus sought out a desolate place.  Have you ever sought out a desolate place?  I would be willing to guess that some of you, when your children were much younger and all you heard was, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” you sought out a desolate place.  Just some place with a little quiet where I can collect my thoughts and my wits. There may be times when you sought a desolate place because you were tired, and you needed a rest and you wanted to make sure you are alone for just a couple of minutes.

    Scriptures often speak of Jesus seeking out a desolate place, especially the book of Mark.  Mark’s account of Jesus’ ministry here on earth is one of a whirlwind of activity.  People are always trying to touch Jesus or get his attention or get him to touch them or have dinner with them.  As we read Mark’s Gospel, you can almost get the sense of Jesus always being tired and near exhaustion.  So, we often find Jesus seeking out a desolate place to be alone and to pray.

    It is many times, like our verse, early in morning.  Jesus sets a pattern that is one that we should consider following.  First, he seeks a desolate place, a place of solitude and quiet.  He does this so that he can truly concentrate on what he is doing, praying to God.  Prayer requires a focus on who God is and on who we are.  Too often in our lives we pray quickly and without thought.  We have an attitude of “let’s get it over with so I can get to the important things.”  Yet the important thing is to start the day off right.

    Jesus shows us by his example the need for and the value of prayer.  He uses prayer to help re-energize his spirit.  He uses prayer to help refresh his soul.  Prayer helps to relieve some of the stress and confusion in our lives.  It connects us back to what is important in our life- our relationship to God.  Prayer helps us to find that footing so that we can regain our balance in life.

    Having a specific and, perhaps, a special place to pray can help you to stay focused on your prayers.  Having that special place that is quiet and peaceful can help to offer the solace that we need and desire.  Setting aside a time and a place to pray, especially first thing in the morning, can help to give us peace and to strengthen our faith by remembering that God, our Father, is listening to our cries and to our fears.  God hears our tears and wipes them away with his Spirit of comfort and hope.

    So, find your solitude, your desolate place and pray, every morning take the time to pray.  Speak to God from your heart and listen for his answer.

Father of grace, you lead me to quiet times and places that I may pray to you in peace.  Help me to focus on your Words as they speak to me and to listen to your grace.  Keep me safe and secure in the certainty of your wonderful mercy.  Show me the wonder of your peace.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray.  Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-18-2021

 Good Morning All,   

Ephesians 2:22; “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” 

    One of the mysteries of literature is that some of the greatest stories ever written were written by men while they were in prison.  Dostoevsky and Solzhenitsyn did the bulk of their writing while in prison.  Even John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress.  Then there is Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.  Some of the most powerful messages ever given, some of the most important classics were written while in prison.

    Some of the greatest works of literature, with all the passion and intensity, with all the hope and desire expressed so poignantly.  The strength of these works makes them among the finest literature ever written.

    Some of the greatest books of the Bible were written while the writer was in jail.  The apostle Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, Philemon, Titus and 1 and 2 Timothy while imprisoned in Rome.  John was basically in prison on the island of Patmos when he wrote The Book of Revelation.  The thing about that that is truly amazing is that some of Paul’s most powerful words of hope are written while he was imprisoned.  This adds a wondrous effect when we read some of Paul’s writing of the joy that he feels as he suffers for Christ.  Remember, he did really suffer; prison was not some country club it was dark, dank, and filthy with poor food, poor water, and poorer sanitation.  Yet he rejoiced, not at the situation he was currently in, but in the certainty that he was redeemed. 

    All that hope and joy written while he was in prison; the later ones as he knew his execution was approaching.  Yet all he had was joy and peace knowing that God was taking care of him.  We should experience that same comfort and joy.  For just as Paul was sure of God’s love; sure of his salvation and sure of God’s comfort and companionship has he faced his struggle and ordeal.

    We too face ordeals and struggles.  Yet we can be confident that God is truly with us and that he will never abandon us.  God has built you into his body, into his Church.  You are not only part of it; you are an integral part of it.  God uses you to build his church and you are built together, with the Spirit, and with other Christians.  This is a point that we sometimes miss.  A building is strong because all the parts are integrally connected to each other.  Each part of the building gets strength from the support of the rest of the building. 

   This is one way that God uses his Church here on earth.  It is a haven and a refuge for his children.  He built that church with the blood of his Son and builds up to give us a place where we can gather to battle the trials and tribulations that exist.  It was belonging to this Church that gave Paul his strength and courage.  He was built into the Church, together with all believers.  While he struggled, the believers prayed for him, comforted him as best they could with the Word of God which they shared with him.  It is the same for us.  We may never be in a literal prison, but the devil will try to convince you that you are and should be in one.  It is only by clinging to the promise that God has made to you and makes to you every day that we can withstand what the devil throws.  Trust in God’s Word to you for you are built into his dwelling by the Spirit.

Dearest Father, you encompass us with your mercy, and you do not forget us.  We are always in your arms under your tender care.  Give us the courage to be built together that we may all stand firm against the devil and his arrows.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret             

1-17-2021

 Good Morning All,   

   Romans 5:6; “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” 

   The man’s name was Tom Johnson.  He was a young man of 30.  His eyes showed a hardness that a life of bad choices could give.  It was serious this time.  He had tried to rob a 7-11.  He kept blaming the clerk.  “All he had to do was give me the money; nobody likes a hero.”  The young clerk had pushed the alarm button and Tom, startled, shot him.  The young man had died on the operating table; he left a wife and two small children. 

   Tom had turned to run and right then two police cruisers pulled up and blocked his escape.  He tried to run but he did not get far.  He was taken downtown and placed in a cell.  He knew the routine; he had done it since he was 15.  Most people who knew Tom knew he was only trouble.  He already had a history of being in the jail.  He had other convictions, and all this added up to a long stretch ahead of him.  He would talk to his “lawyer” tomorrow.  Some poor, schmuck public defender whose law degree still had wet ink on it would be his attorney.  It did not matter to Tom.  The whole thing was rigged against him.  It was not his fault; it never was.

    As he walked into the courtroom, he saw the judge and kind of recognized him.  “Must have had him before”, thought Tom.  His “lawyer” moaned under his breath, “Oh, no”.  Tom looked at him.  “That is Judge Johansen”, said the lawyer.  He looked at Tom and said, “You’re screwed; he’ll throw the book at you…then the gavel, the table and the court reporter!”  Tom was worried.  He should have been.  The trial was short.  The verdict was swift.  He was found guilty of murder, murder while committing a felony, attempted robbery, resisting arrest and jaywalking. 

    The judge looked at him and sentenced him to death and never batted an eye.  Tom hung his head and as the bailiff went to take him out of the courtroom; the judge stopped them.  Everyone turned to look at the judge.  He had removed his robe and was coming down from the bench.  He came up to the young man and the bailiff.  He told the bailiff to release the young man.  The judge then told the bailiff, “take me instead and let him go.”  No one said a word.  The judge looked at the young man and told him, “you are free, I’ll pay the debt, I’ll take the punishment.”  With that the judge was escorted to the cell and was executed 2 months later. 

     That is a story you will never hear on the news.  CNN will never have that for the lead story.  Yet that is exactly what Jesus did for us.  We are far worse than Tom.  Our sins rise before God with a stench that cannot be described.  Yet God stepped down from his holy bench and through Jesus took our punishment and set us free.  Notice Tom did not say thank you or even promise to change.  He did absolutely nothing to earn this act of mercy.  Neither have we; yet God forgives us anyway because He loves us.  This is a love that we cannot even fathom.  Someone dying for me and not demanding anything out of me first is beyond our understanding.

     We do not know about Tom and how his story ends but what about you?  God promises us salvation and gives us freedom.  Do you believe this?  Has this changed your life?  God reaches down and grabs you up into a huge hug.  You can fight or you can, by faith, hug back.  Go ahead and hug back.  Your Father has embraced you with all his love; embrace it back and savor its goodness and blessing.

Dear Father, you sent Jesus to die for us even when we were completely unworthy and undeserving.  Give me the power to hug you back and to be your child, safe in your arms today and always.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret