Wednesday, March 31, 2021

3-31-2021

 Good Morning All,

         Psalm 91:1: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

     When life becomes difficult, where do we go?  When you are a kid in school, you usually look for an older brother to look out for you and to keep the bullies at bay.  As you get older, you count on your friends to watch out for you.  You never get to far away from them especially when the tough guys are close by.  You hide in their shadow as much as possible in order to stay safe.

    God offers us a greater safety and played for higher stakes.  Notice how the Psalmist uses two different names to describe God.  First the Psalmist uses the name Elyon (which means “Most High” or “Most exalted”) and then he uses the name Shaddai (which means “provider” or “all- sufficient”).  So, in the first part we dwell in the shelter of the Greatest God, the God above all other gods; the all-knowing, all-powerful, always-present, eternal God.  We stay in his tent.  We lounge at his table.  If you think of this in terms of a middle Eastern king, we would eat dates, fresh roasted lamb or the fatted calf, leeks, pomegranates, cucumbers, fresh bread, and the finest wines.  We would sleep on luxurious silk sheets and drink a mixture of milk and honey.  All with God’s love to invite us and encourage us and with His power to protect us from the devil’s harm.

    This is what God gives us by redeeming us with the blood of His Son, Jesus.  He makes us family.  He makes us part of His holy protectorate.  In Him, we have the joy that is ours beyond our understanding.  In Him, we have peace.  We can rest secure in His loving arms sheltered from the attacks of the devil.  We can fear no evil because we know that evil cannot destroy us but that God, the Most High, will defend us as His own.

    The unbeliever has no clue at the grace that God provides for us as long as we dwell in his shelter and abide in his shadow.  We only get in trouble when we leave the tent and go off on our own thinking we can stand up to the devil and the world.  We soon find out we are no match for these evil forces.  We are only safe when we dwell in the shelter of the Most High.  We are only protected while we abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  What a wonder gift!  What a wonderful promise!  We are to view this lavish meal (whatever yours is!!!) as just a small, microscopic hint to feast we will share in heaven.  Take the most elaborate meal you have ever seen or experienced, it is not even close.  We get what the unbeliever cannot even dream of.  Dwell safe in the shelter of the Most High, enjoy his meal and the time that you spend with Him through our prayers and praise. 

God of all Power, you speak and the world trembles and shakes.  Forgive us our sins.  Strengthen us so that we are ready for your hospitality; we are ready to dine with you.  As you nourish us with your heavenly meal; use our strength to serve in your kingdom.  Through Jesus Precious Name we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

3-30-2021

 Good Morning All,

       Psalm 121:1-2: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” 

      Many nights, I stay up late and try to watch a good Western movie.  Most of the good ones are from the late 1930’s until early 1960’s.  The first good guy kisses the horse and rides off into the sunset and the second good guy gets the girl and the bad guys get what they deserve.  It does not matter if it is John Wayne or Glen Ford or Audie Murphy or Lash LaRue (ask your dad or granddad); the basic story was the same in each genre of western movies.  I like the ones that are about the early cavalry riders and the settlement of the west.  One of the biggest impacts on the settling of the west was the introduction of the Sharp’s repeating rifle in the Civil War.  This allowed a mounted soldier to fire multiple shots without reloading.  There are many movies about how the army is trying to stop these repeating rifles from getting into the hands of renegade warriors or banditos or whomever.  At about the ¾ mark of the movie, we always have the good guys pinned down, under fire, in a box canyon, running out of water and ammunition.  One brave soul rides out to get help and just in the nick of time, usually the second good guy is wounded and about to die; you hear the faint sound of a trumpet and then the sound of horses running and then we see a cloud of dust and the cavalry has arrived!!  The bad guys are chased away, and all is safe again.

    How many times in your life have you been waiting for the cavalry to arrive?  Most of us have had this experience.  We realize that events are out of our hands and out of our control.  Maybe it was when a loved one was severely ill.  Maybe it was when you looked outside to see it did not rain, again.  Maybe your employer is “downsizing” or “going a different direction” both of which means you are no longer working for them.  Then it seems that as one of these happens; other things pile on.  It is not raining, and your landlord wants more rent.  You lose your job, and the car quits running.  You spouse is ill, and the insurance is not quite as good as promised.  There are times when it seems like we are pinned down, under fire, in a box canyon, running out of water, ammunition and hope.  We look around and where does our help come from?

    Our help comes from the Lord.  It does not come from the cavalry rather it comes from Mt. Calvary.  Jesus supplies us with our needs.  It is at times like these that we best see that our salvation comes from outside of our lives.  It comes from God and is given to us because of his great love and mercy.  We never merit saving; we never deserve the cavalry; we never deserve Calvary, but God delivers to us our salvation, our hope.  Situations here on earth and in our lives may change; we may work somewhere else next year.  We may no longer have a living spouse, but we always have God’s promise of eternal life and the comfort of His love to surround us.  That is where our help comes from.  The God of grace and mercy provides.

 Gracious Father, you save us from the evil of the devil even though we are not worthy of it.  For this we are forever grateful.  Keep us safe and give us that peace that only You can provide and help us to share that peace with those around us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, March 29, 2021

3-29-2021

 Good Morning All,

        Deut. 7:6: “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

     I was watching the news about the flooding in Tennessee and thinking about how we respond to disasters. These folks literally left with the clothes on their back.  I remember listening to the stories of the wildfires in California.  People were told to evacuate their homes in the next hour.  They took everything they could load into their car and pickup and left.  The next day their houses were destroyed by fire.  What do you take?  What becomes your most valued possessions?  Most people take family pictures, family heirlooms; the things that they view as irreplaceable, things that have more sentimental value than monetary.  Some take valuables that are rare like quality art or collectibles but usually the items that we take have more value to us than they do to others.  We might save some things that others would just toss into the garbage.  We see value or quality that only we can.

    In many ways that is what the LORD has done for us.  He chose us to be his treasured possessions.  Anybody else would look at this rag tag bunch and pick a new team.  Yet God does not do this.  He chose us because he loves us.  The world looks at the Church and often laughs at its makeup.  We are too old, too young, not too bright, funny looking, funny talking; we do not take orders well, and we argue amongst ourselves as much as we do not.  In short, we are an imperfect group with no discernible worth.  Thanks be to God that He sees us differently!!  He sees the precious pinnacle of his creation and wants to return them back to the relationship that we had prior to Adam’s sin.  Because of the atonement of Jesus’ blood, God sees us as perfect.  

    God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, reconciled the world back to him.  He took us, his treasured possessions, out of the path of the fire out of the path of destruction and placed us under his wing.  This whole great process begins in our lives when the Spirit calls us out of the darkness of sin and into the light of salvation.  We observe this through Baptism.  Even if the world sees that possession as worthless or disposable, God, in his incredible love, takes that treasured possession and pulls it from the fire and takes it with him to safety.  Whatever condition we are in, whether we are ill or injured, worn out from stress and worry, whether we have reached a point where we feel we cannot stand it anymore; we are God’s treasured possession.  God knows our worries; He knows our needs.  We trust, through faith, that Hs promises are true.  No matter what happens, we are always God’s treasured possessions; He will always love us!

Father of all mercy, we give you thanks for your great mercy.  You have treasured us when no one else would or could.  Keep us treasured.  Hold us close to your heart safe in your arms forever.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret

Sunday, March 28, 2021

3-28-2021

 Good Morning All,

       1 John 3:1: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

     Many people take vacations in the summer.  They usually go to “see” something.  Perhaps we go see a professional baseball game or we go to a national park or perhaps we just go to an area of the country where we have not been to; just to see what it is like.  While what we are planning on seeing is important, for most of the way; what we see is out the window of our car.  That is why when I travel; I prefer to take the lesser roads and not the interstate.  Part of this was watching Charles Kuralt and his “On the Road” series as a kid and the desire to see what else is going on in the world.  We see the world go by and we see it as it is, warts and all.  We see the broken houses next to the new “Mcmansions” or the abandoned farm site with the leaning barn next to the multi-bin multi-shop immaculately kept farmsteads across the road.  It is how we see things, mostly through a window usually driving down the road somewhere.

    Our passage for this morning speaks of seeing.  We see what kind of love God has for us.  It is a love that the world does not understand, nor can it reproduce it.  The world’s love is conditional.  It will love you as long as you behave and reciprocate.  It will love you as long as you have something to share or allow a gain for the other.  We see God’s love through a window; it is the window of the cross.  When we look into the window of the cross, we see what kind of love the Father has given us.  We see God incarnate, Jesus, suffering and bearing the weight and the cost of our sins even as we were enemies with God.  Yet in His unfathomable grace, God made you his child.  He looked at you and claimed you just the way you were.  He washed you and fed you and clothed you with new clothes.  That is our God.  We see that by looking through the cross of Christ to see it. 

    As we travel through life we will pass by and through many events which we may or may not comprehend.  Those events may never add up.  Death, at times, makes no sense.  Life, at other times, makes no sense.  Suffering never makes sense.  We need to see the love of God, through the window of the cross, and then move to share that window seat with others who need it as well.  You and I cannot touch the whole world, but we can touch one person and we need to do so.  Share the Gospel of Jesus with one person.  We are part of God’s solution; we are partners in the ministry of reconciliation.  Look through the window and see how much the Father loves us and then go and share that love with someone else.

 Gracious Lord, your grace rolls over us like a river and carries us into your loving arms and presence.  Use us to bring others into your river of life and mercy that they too will be able to look through the window of the cross and see how much the Father loves us.  In our Savior’s precious name we pray, Amen.

God’s peace,

Pastor Bret       

Saturday, March 27, 2021

3-27-2021

 Good Morning All,

Gen. 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

     There are a handful of verses from the Bible that most people, who any biblical knowledge at all, can quote from memory.  This is one of those verses.  Yet it is one of the most ignored verses in the Bible.  In the first verse of the entire Bible, we see what our relationship with God should be.  God is the creator, and we are the created; we are the creatures that fit into the creation.  Yet most people are truly offended if you tell them this.  Try and tell someone who is commenting on how great mankind is and how we can do anything if we just put our mind to it.  Tell them that we are creatures in God’s creation but in this simple verse, 10 words long, that is exactly what we declare.

    Now it is true that God created humans with a special purpose, to care for creation and to serve God, and given something that the animals do not have, a living soul, God created us to be the “image-bearers” for him here on earth.  Humans were supposed to tend the creation, to have dominion over it, and to be in worshipful fellowship with God.  But man could not live with this.  Remember what the serpent told Eve, “you will be like God” so Eve ate, and Adam did too.  Sin entered the world because Adam and Eve were not happy being the creature; they wanted to be like the creator.  All sin reflects back to this verse.  The First Commandment springs from this verse.  Why should we have no other gods before Him; because He is the Creator God who made everything out of nothing.  All sin is a sin against the First Commandment. 

    In the Book of Revelations, there is a description of the Throne of God.  As you and I go through life, our struggle with the devil is who is sitting on that throne?  Do I see God on that throne, or do I place myself on that throne?  Do I see God as the Sovereign God who rules over all He has created, or do I have a “different” theory?  No matter what that theory is, evolution, aliens, new age religions, everything else is about me sitting on God’s throne and refusing to accept that God is there.  In essence, we are rejecting our own human creaturely status and have lost everything.

    God, in His mercy, sent Jesus to die to reconcile us back to Him.  God continually calls us back to Himself, out of love, to return to our true nature to be the “image-bearer” in this world.  Since sin is still prevalent, God calls His Church to be partners or helpers in this reconciliation process.  He empowers us through the Holy Spirit to again be the “image-bearer” for Him in this broken world.  We continually fall short, but God continues to call.  This cycle or rhythm is what some call worship.  God calls us and pronounces us forgiven, we rejoice in His forgiveness and go forth only to fall short again.  We repeat this cycle until the Lord returns.  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He is the creator, and we are the creature.  It really is that simple.

O Holy Creator God, we, your poor creatures, continually fail to serve You as we should.  We ask for Your mercy.  We celebrate because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice; we know we are forgiven.  Lead us, empower us, and give us the will to serve as your “image-bearer” to a world of pain and suffering.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

Friday, March 26, 2021

3-26-2021

 Good Morning All,

  Proverbs 27:1; "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring".

    Are you the type of person who has planned for all your work to begin tomorrow?  Will you begin to exercise more and eat less, tomorrow?  Are you going to get up early and read the Bible, tomorrow?  Are you going to show more patience to your children or love for your spouse, tomorrow?  Are you going to visit a lonely neighbor, tomorrow?  We put a lot on our plate; we plan a full day as long as it is tomorrow.  Sometimes, we actually do plan to do it tomorrow, but something comes up; an activity or event that was unplanned suddenly changes everything.  I may plan to take the kids to the park tomorrow but if it rains, then what?  Well, there is the next tomorrow.  I may plan to visit my sick, elderly aunt tomorrow but if the Lord calls her home tonight, then what?  There is no tomorrow.  Tomorrow is gone and all my boasting about tomorrow is lost.

   We live in a time when business and commerce go on 24 hours a day; there is no tomorrow only today.  We need to share God's love with those around us in the same fashion.  Remember that there is a time and a place for love; it is at any time and in any place.  God's love for us is overwhelming and is an everyday occurrence.  We should show this same love to those around us especially those whom God has given to us as family, friends, neighbors, and fellow church members.  We are God's children, He has plans for us, a purpose for our lives.  We should live our lives on purpose, not just by accident.  Time is a gift we never get back and should never waste so you it to the fullest, show God's love to others as freely as He has showed it to you.

    So, do not wait until tomorrow!  Take the time that God gives to you today and use it wisely.  It may be tempting, even justifiable, to claim being too busy, but are we?  There are 168 hours in a week, you will accomplish what you most want to accomplish in that time.  You will probably accomplish the second, third and possibly even the fourth thing on your list; so, it is not a question of time; it is a question of priority.  You will accomplish the most important item on your list; what we need to see is that what we place at the top is, in many respects, our “god.” 

    Put the true God first and your “time” will get a lot easier to manage.  Do not let the devil tempt you with “do it tomorrow.”  This really only leads to pain and disappointment, heart ache and sorrow, and suffering and loss.  Use today and not tomorrow, it is God’s blessing to you!

Father in heaven, give us the wisdom and courage to share your love with those around us today.  Let us speak the kind word, let us be the friendly face to those who may be in need.  Move us to love as if it is our last day here on this earth.  Move us to show Your compassion on all.  In Jesus' Precious Name we pray, Amen.

God's Peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, March 25, 2021

3-25-2021

  Good Morning All,

    Exodus 24:17: “Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.”

    Why don’t we see this anymore?  Why don’t we see this miraculous display of God’s majesty?  When we think of the story that surrounds the plagues of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the leading through the wilderness with the pillar of cloud and fire; when we think of the awe and majesty of God’s very presence at Mount Sinai we think, “now that is what God should be like.”  “I could easily believe in a God that was flashy!  I would never leave a God like that.”  “Just give me a God with thunderbolts and lightening and make Him very, very frightening indeed to all my (His) enemies.”

   You would think that wouldn’t you?  It must have been so easy for those early Israelites to believe in God; they saw Him and the mighty works that He did.  Yet a mere 8 chapters later in Exodus, in chapter 32, while they are still camped at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, they fall away and worship a golden calf.  Too often, our pleas for God to do something, is really a call for God to do what I want, when I want and to whom I want it done.  Ultimately, we do not want God to show His power so we can have faith; we want God to show His power so we can try and control God to do our will.  We are trying to trade places with God and place ourselves on His holy throne and rule all.  That is too often the “proof “we seek.

     We seek proof that meets our standards and often that standard changes.  When we see one event, we simply add a new condition.  We always move the bar so we can claim “truth”.  Yet through all this, we hurt ourselves, we deceive ourselves and we place ourselves in jeopardy.  For we do not see God where God is; God is most often at work in the ordinary things of life.  He comes to us through the love of a parent or spouse, the concern of a neighbor or friend, or even through a stranger “just doing his job”.

     Fortunately, God knows better than all of us.  He acts in ways that are designed to reconcile back to Him with love and not total fear.  He does not try to scare us into faith; rather He leads us back to Him with “a still, quiet voice” a voice that offers hope and comfort.  God’s majesty is all around; all we need to do is look.  It is in the morning sun and the evening quiet.  God’s love is revealed to us in the empty tomb of Christ.  We should then respond to the world with love, as God did to us, and leave the “thunderbolts and lightening” to old rock songs.

   God of power and might, we give you thanks for your great power, but we especially give you thanks for your great love.  Move us to share that love with one person today.  Send Your Spirit that those who are suffering or are faint of faith may be strengthened and encouraged by Your abundant mercy given to us through the still. Quiet voice of Jesus.  In His precious Name we pray, Amen.

 God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

3-24-2021

 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.”

     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 didn’t 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.

   This is part of the calling for the Church.  We are not to place people into categories and sub-divisions, we are to see God’s beloved creatures.  They may be dazed, battered, beaten, and wounded but they are truly God’s children.  They are in need of compassion, God’s compassion and God uses ordinary means to deliver His compassion.  It comes in the form of your warm embrace, your attentive ear, your comforting message, your passionate prayers all play a role in God’s kingdom.  This is part of the reign of God’s kingdom here on earth, while we wait for Jesus to return; we are to actively have compassion with all of God’s children.  This is our calling; this is our task.  It may seem a daunting task but remember God is working through you, this is not of us but of God.  We only have to see the pain and bring comfort; God will work the rest.  That task of salvation is God’s alone; we are to speak His love and act His love and trust in His unfailing grace to accomplish what He wills.    

 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 Jesus’ precious Name we pray, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

3-23-2021

 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.  This occurs on what we call Maundy (or Holy) Thursday.  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 these next few days.  In the first part of chapter 13, we see Jesus as he demonstrates true humility.  He washes the feet of each of them, a menial task usually performed by the lowliest slave.  In the next section he teaches about holiness.  This is about being different from the world, we are to love one another and not be jealous or envious.  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.  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 and proper 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. This is where the Christian finds his contentment.  We are returning to the original reason we were created, to take care of the creation.  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 is part of God's plan for you; to enjoy the life that He gives you. 

    When we are returned to our original purpose, the joy of serving God by serving others, we find the peace that God wants us to have.  It is in his service that we find contentment.  When we seek what the world calls “happiness”, it is hollow.  This is why those who succeed by the world’s standard are rarely content.  They always need more because what they have now is not enough, it is not satisfying.  The millionaire needs to be a multi-millionaire who needs to be a billionaire.  There is never satisfaction, there is never contentment.  Jesus shows us contentment.  It is by his death and resurrection that we are freed from the bondage of sin.  We are freed to be what we are meant to be, caretakers of God’s creation.  It is when we fulfill our purpose that joy and contentment are known and when we know this, we are blessed when we do this.

Lord Jesus, we are too often unhappy because we do not place our trust in you.  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.  In your name we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret

Monday, March 22, 2021

3-22-2021

 Good Morning All,   

    Hebrews 10:24-25;” And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

    We have many ways to use the word “church”.  It can be a place as in “I am going to church.”  It can mean an activity as in “what time is church?”  It can mean an institution as in “the church supports life ministries”. 

    But these all miss the meaning that Christ uses.  When Christ speaks of the church; he sometimes refers to it as a family.  We are children of God and we are brothers and sisters of Christ and of each other.  And like a family, it is good to get together with each other.  It is a time to share the joy in the family.  We recently were given a grandson and look forward to a new daughter-in-law.  The whole family shares in that joy.  When a member of the family is sick, we gather to offer comfort.  When a family member dies, we gather to mourn together and to give each other hope.  We gather at holidays and share meals and gifts but mostly laughter and love.

   Now you never have to go to a family holiday event; you are still in the family but look at what you miss.  You miss the love and joy, the camaraderie and fellowship, the common history and future are all missed when we stay away from our family.

   The same is true of our Christian family, the church.  It is here that we receive the pronouncement of forgiveness; it is here we join in the holy meal; it is here where we find comfort and consolation when we need it and a place to share in joy when we feel it.  It is where we encourage one another and stir up love and good works just like our verse states. 

    So, as we begin to crawl out of the hibernation that occurred during the quarantine, do not neglect to meet together.  Do not let the idea of staying home and watching “church” replacing being the “church”.   For it is the gathering of God’s people where the fellowship of the family truly occurs.  It might be easier to stay home but it is not as beneficial.  It is the gathering that provides the blessing.

    Obviously, if health issues prevent gathering then the “next best thing” is to listen to the radio, or Facebook or televised services.  But if you are able, do not neglect meeting together.  It is useful, beneficial, encouraging and the best way to enjoy some of God’s greatest gifts.

     Dear Father, we are often ungrateful children who bicker and fight with each other.  Forgive us and move us to be your holy family here on earth.  Let our love for each other point to You as the source of our love through Your grace.  This we ask in the Name of our Brother Jesus, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, March 21, 2021

3-21-2021

Good Morning All,   

     Leviticus 19:32; “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

    It was a number of years ago that this verse first raised its head to me.  I was in high school and it was Thanksgiving.  Instead of the usual cousins and relatives, my parents invited over two of our neighbors.  One was an old widower whose wife I never knew even existed.  The other couple was an older childless couple.  I really did not have anything in common with these people other than being a neighbor a couple of generations removed.

   I figured I had football to watch.  I would eat my meal with them, say “please”, “thank you”; smile a lot and look interested like I was supposed to.  I would mind my manners but mostly bide my time.  That was the plan; but plans change.

    As we ate the Thanksgiving meal, the widower started to tell some of his life stories.  He was much more than a widower farmer.  He had been a teacher, an architect and did some construction.  He then told me something that I could not even imagined.  He had helped to design and build our church.  He told of digging the basement and all the large rocks that were found and then reused in the actual walls.  He spoke of the bracing of the ceiling and asked me if I had ever walked on the “cat beam” in the ceiling.  This is a walk space that forms an attic in our church.  At that time, I had no idea it existed.

    We finished dinner; he kept talking and I kept listening.  I missed the football game, but I gained so much more.  I gained knowledge, I gained insight but above all I began to understand what this verse means.  Our lives are about the relationships that we have because of God’s grace.  He places people in our lives who can enrich our lives and fill it with an appreciation of what God has done for his people in earlier times.  We can see God’s faithfulness even in the toughest of times.

    So, it may be that great uncle or aunt who talks a little loud or repeats themselves often; it may be the lonely neighbor down the street; it might be anyone of a dozen people that God has place into your life that God calls us to respect.  That is really what the second table of the Ten Commandments are about; respect for others, respect for ourselves, and respect for what God has given to us. 

    So, take the time to show respect for your elders, for those in your community to whom God has given the gift of long life.  God has blessed them, and they deserve our respect and our honor.  Yet if you truly honor them and listen to them; they can enliven your life and enrich your knowledge and understanding of God’s riches.

God of grace, you bless our lives with many people in our midst.  Remind us of the grace that you have bestowed on others and how, through them, you bestow your grace upon us.  Guide us to receive these blessings as the enrichment of our lives.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,                  

Pastor Bret    

Saturday, March 20, 2021

3-20-2021

 Good Morning All,   

         Genesis 3:5; “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

     “Be all you can be” that was an advertising slogan for the army a few years ago.  It was to encourage the new enlisters to see the army as a way to accomplish their goals in life.  That is something that we encourage our children, and adults, to do.  Seek out our goals and try to accomplish them.  But this can be a dangerous time.  The young man or woman who dreams of being a professional athlete and uses steroids or other drugs to accomplish this is going the wrong way.  Sometimes a dream can go too far.

     We encourage people to “be their own man or woman” or we tell them “you are the captain of your own life.”  We do this so people will be active agents in their lives and willing to take responsibility for their actions and willing to work for what they need and want.  There is nothing wrong with this; it is even worthwhile.  But sin puts a dark spin on this if we are no vigilant.

    When the devil tempted Eve, it was not with gold or silver, or even with the sweet taste of a forbidden fruit.  The devil’s temptation was that Eve would be like God.  Eve could have even thought she might be greater than God and so the long-time battle within man’s heart began.  In a way it is interesting when we look at it, the age-old question; who sits on throne in your life, God, or you?

    Luther saw this as the crux of sin.  The First Commandment is first because it is the prime commandment.  When Luther wrote his catechism, he took a portion of the First Commandment from Exodus 20 and made it the close of the Commandments.  He did this by design.  All of the Commandments are in the First Commandment.  Who sits on the throne of your life, God, or you?  If it is God, you will honor his name and his worship.  You will honor your parents and not kill or commit adultery or lie about your neighbor.  If God is the God who occupies the throne of your life, these will be easily kept.  But when you place yourself on the throne, then selfish desires arise.  You see yourself as more important than God or your parents.  If others get in your way, get rid of them.  If you want something or someone just take it any way you can.

    The age-old question, who sits on the throne of your life, God, or you?  God’s mercy calls you to see that God’s benevolence and love is far better than our own selfish desires.  God’s mercy calls for you to repent and see that God is truly the God of our life and through Him we have life.

God of grace, far too often we place our self on the throne of our life and when we do, we destroy so many things, lives, relationships, your creation. Forgive us when we do this.  Keep us mindful that you are our king.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, March 19, 2021

3-19-2021

Good Morning All,   

     Romans 5:2; “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

    One of my past times is to watch movies.  I like most kinds, but I really enjoy comedies, westerns, pirate movies, movies about knights, action movies and space movies.  If you can combine two or three of these, I really like them.  One of my favorites is a movie called “Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail”.  It is a very absurd comedy that makes fun of the knights of the Roundtable who are searching for the Holy Grail.  It spoofs the entire genre of knight movies.  One part that always made me chuckle was when the knights come to a bridge that they need to cross, and a troll stops them and demands that they answer three questions, or they cannot pass.  The scene ends with the troll being asked to clarify a question, he cannot, so the troupe passes on by.

    There is always a scene in movies like this where in order to have access to a bridge or a room our hero needs to know the access code.  It might be a test of courage or bravery.  It might take skill and cunning.  It might take possessing a key or some other device but there is usually a major part of the movie that turns on having a way to access an important place.  Without this access our hero will fail and either the pretty girl will die, or the kingdom will fail; one of those dramatic events will occur.  So, having access is crucial.

    Our faith life is just like that.  Sin caused us to have an “access denied” sign flash in front of us.  We could no longer have access to God because we lacked the access code or the key for entrance.  We were no longer perfect; we were sinful being whose sin had cause us to lose the key to God.  We lost it to the point that we could never get access again.

    So, God showed his grace to us by having Jesus pay the price for our sin.  By doing so and by giving us the desire (faith) to trust that promise we now have access to God’s grace.  It is here that we rejoice in hope (certainty) of the glory of God.  God sent Jesus to give you back the access that our sinned took away.  God did this out of love for you.  God continues to do this for us every minute of every day.

    So now we have total access to God.  We can come to him at any time and in any state of trouble or fear.  We can come in any time of joy or celebration.  God invites us to use this free access at all times.  God invites us to use prayer to access him.  He invites us to worship him to hear his Words of forgiveness and acceptance.  God has given you access; use it continually.

Father of all mercy, through your grace we are given access to your love continually.  Give us the wisdom to use this gift often.  Give us the strength to trust in your free access to guide us through life’s struggles.  Be with those who seem to have lost their access to you.  Give them the faith to again access you and your grace.  All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

Thursday, March 18, 2021

3-18-2021

 Good Morning All,   

            1 Peter 3:18; “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”

    It is a very simple phrase; yet it can strike fear in the hearts of parents everywhere, especially at Christmas time or birthdays.  We try and watch for it but sometimes it just slips by us.  When the little ones open the package, that phrase is there as big as life; some assembly required!  That is a phrase to make most shudder.  First, the instructions are always in six different languages; none are English.  I am never sure if it is a flap or a slot.  Sometimes I do not have enough parts; usually I have parts left over.  In fact, I have a whole drawer full of “essential” parts some are almost thirty years old.

    It is when you try to “quick fix” it.  This is where you “sort of” put it together so the kids can play with it.  The problem is that once assembled; slot “A” doesn’t always pull back from flap “B”.  Sometimes it sticks together even if it is wrong.

    Because of sin we are in the situation of “some assembly required.”  Because of sin, we are broken, and we need to be re-assembled.  If we try it on our own, we will either come up short pieces or have pieces left that we do not know what to do with them.  Either way, we still do not “work” right.  We are still broken and non-operational.  We are still dead before God.

    That is why God sent Jesus to die for us.  He makes us right.  He assembles us properly and puts our brokenness aright.  Jesus picks up the broken pieces and heals us.  He does this out of love.  We can go forward as a new piece, a new creation.  All the assembly is complete. 

    The devil will try to disassemble us.  He will try and take us apart and pull us from God and his grace.  The devil will try to make you feel empty, like you are missing some pieces of your life.  He will want you to feel separated from God and his family.  At other times, the devil will want you to feel like there are pieces left over, that your life is so complicated and overwhelming.  He wants you to drown in the mess of confusion and pain.

    Yet we do not have to struggle with these fears.  God has made us whole and complete.  He has taken the brokenness that our sinful life was and recreated it to the newness of life that He desires for us.  It is this newness, the required assembly that gives us hope.  We are saved through His grace.  We are put together by his mercy.  We may face some battles, but we do not have to fall apart; we do not have to let the devil disassemble us.  God and his mercy will hold us together.

Father of all goodness, we give you thanks that you have made us new and made us whole. Give us the certainty of the knowledge of your love.  Give us the strength to withstand the devil’s assaults.  We especially pray for those who are being attacked at this time.  Give them the constancy of your Spirit that they may withstand and prevail.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

3-17-2021

 Good Morning All,   

        Psalm 18:6; “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.  From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.”

      When I was in college, I had a couple of classes with an instructor whose methods and manners were very different from my thoughts of what they should be.  He could have just walked of the local commune.  He had hair that looked like it had not (or could not) been combed in a few weeks.  He shaved once a week whether he wanted to or not.  We had an 8:00 am class; it was not unusual for him to be 10-15 minutes late; most of the students did not wait.  A few of us did because we had the next class across the hall.  He would come in late, make excuses and then begin his lecture.  I really struggled with the way he presented himself.  The man he replaced was a clean-shaven suit and tie kind of guy.

    For about three weeks, I told anyone who listened what I thought about this guy.  I told how poor an instructor he was.  I told how his preparation was weak and his classroom etiquette was a little under par.  While griping to a classmate, he asked me if I ever listened to the guy teach?  “Why?”, I asked.  Because the guy is a genius, and he was.  He was one of the top men in his field in the upper Midwest.  So, the problem that I had with him were the results of my assumptions and presumptions.  When I let the man teach, he was amazing.

    How often do we do that?  How often do we place so many structures and restrictions on our relationships that they often go bad before we even try?  Sometimes we go to great lengths to complain about them to others.  Sometimes when we have stress in any of our relationships, we complain to anyone who will listen except to the one who can matter the most.  We need to take our distress to God.

    We often do not think of going to God with our disappointments or our anger.  We think that this is a form of sin, so we will not do it.  We go to God with platitudes and half-baked verbiage that we hear in church.  But God does not want flowery language or “church words”; God wants us to have an honest and open, prayerful conversation with him.  God already knows our thoughts, fears, desires, and worries.  Even if we do not express it, God knows our heart.  The thing is that by expressing it; we will know our heart.  Had I really listened to my comments about my instructor, I would have heard the distance in the relationship was mine. 

    God will hear your cries, even your cries of distress and anger.  He will use his Spirit to help you if you are faithful in your prayers.  A huge part of faithfulness is total honesty on your part when praying to God.  Anything less will void your cry.  It will come off as sinful selfishness.  Yet God does desire to have a relationship with you and for you to have relationships with your fellow man.  Trust God to help you build them.

Gracious Father, too often we hold our distress out of fear and sadness.  In doing so we hold onto the pain of our sin.  Give us the strength to bring our cries to you.  Be with those who are in deep pain and distress.  Lead them by your Spirit to call upon your Name.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret