Friday, April 30, 2021

4-30-2021

 Good Morning All!

         Deuteronomy 7:21; “You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”

    Any of you who were, or are athletes, or have watched a movie or two about sports contests know all about the pep speech.  Sometimes it is before the start of the game; if you remember the movies” Hoosiers” where the coach (Gene Hackman) takes the tape measure and shows the players that the big city gym and basketball court is the same as theirs back home trying to calm the nerves.  If you want a good pep speech, the one Al Pacino gives in “Any given Sunday” when he talks about how football and life is about inches and fighting for that inch.  Of course, the classic is “Win one for the Gipper” by Knute Rockne’s half time speech of the 1928 Army-Notre Dame Game. 

    This verse is part of a pep speech that Moses is giving to the Israelites as they are leaving the wilderness and entering the land of Canaan to conquer it.  The Lord you God is in your midst there is no need to dread them.  The Israelites had no need to fear their enemies as God had promised them success.  The Hittites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, and the others were not going to be a match for the Israelites even though these other nations appeared to be stronger.

      What about us?  Do we need a pep speech?  Do we fear our enemies?  You might think that you fear no enemies; no country would dare attack this country; perhaps that is true but what about your personal enemies.  Instead of the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites, are our enemies named fear, anxiety, and doubt?  Do we sit in dread of some calamity that looms on the horizon?  Do we fear the next visit to the doctor?  Are we anxious about the rain or lack of or perhaps the last storm puts us a little uneasy about the next one?  Do you wonder if those people in your lives are questioning whether or not you are worth the effort to love anymore?  Perhaps you feel like a burden to everyone because you cannot do everything like you used to.  We all have lots of enemies in our lives trying to cause you dread, trying to cause you to lose sleep, trying to separate you from the Good Shepherd’s flock. 

    We have no reason to dread for the Lord our God is in our midst and he is a great and awesome God.  God’s love for you is so powerful that he sent Jesus to die for you in order that you and I will be reconciled back to God.  That intimate conversation between God and man which took place in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the morning, which was broken by sin, is repaired by Christ’s death and resurrection.  God the Father, working through God the Son, with God the Spirit as the active agent is in our midst giving us the speech, “nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus”, or “This is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You sent” or “I can do all things through Him (Jesus) who strengthens me” and the list goes on.  God gives us these to give us hope when we need it, comfort when we need it and strength when we need it.  We have nothing to dread for God is in our midst.   

Father of all mercies, your grace rolls over us like a mighty river.  We thank you for your everlasting love which knows no measure and has no bounds.  Keep us safe in your hands and protect us from all evil and give us that sense of peace which comes only from you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, April 29, 2021

4-29-2021

             Good Morning All!

      John 20:24-25;” Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.  So, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

     Sometimes the Bible tells us stuff and we do not know what to make of it.  Why are we told that Thomas was a twin?  This is the only time it is mentioned.  We are never told any other facts about the disciples.  We know James and John were brothers.  Peter and Andrew were brothers.  Matthew was a tax collector.  Peter had a mother-in-law (Mk. 1:30).  One was a zealot some were fishermen but that is just about all we know from Scriptures.  Traditions and folklore tell us more, but the Bible is skimpy on info about the disciples.  So why are we told that Thomas was called the Twin? 

    There are some theories.  Some think he was a big man, the size of two hence: The Twin.  Some think that he was a twin to one of the prominent women in the New Testament.  Yet there is no Scriptural evidence to back any of these up.  There is a different theory as to the meaning of “The Twin” and it is the one I would like you to think about.

    Thomas has a twin, and that twin is you.  You and I are like Thomas in many ways.  Sometimes we miss important events; we are just not there.  Sometimes we tend to doubt the accounts of our closest friends and associates.  Sometimes we make brash statements without thinking.  Sometimes we doubt.  Sometimes we are just like Thomas; close enough that we could be his twin. 

     Thomas gets a bad rap when we call him Doubting Thomas.  The other disciples doubted as well; until they saw Jesus with the wounds in his hands and side.  Yet Thomas was not there that first Easter eve, he was somewhere else.  He never saw Jesus.  Thomas knew what he saw on Friday.  Jesus was dead.  No one, absolutely no one survives the crucifixion.  He may have even watched as Jesus was placed in the tomb.  He knew what he saw.  He could not fathom any human way that Jesus could be alive.  He had to see it for himself (are we ever like that?).  He wanted to touch the wounds to be sure it was not some cruel hoax.  He only wanted the truth (how often have you said that?).

     As we look at Thomas, we could be looking in a mirror.  The same concerns and statements that Thomas made; we make them too.  So, when the devil comes to you and tries to convict you of being small in faith and of having doubt; remember Thomas, your twin.  Thomas in verse 28 makes the greatest and simplest confession in the Bible.  Thomas merely says,” My Lord and My God.”  We too, can make that statement; for Jesus is “Our Lord and Our God.” The whole of the Scriptures is based on that small phrase.  We recognize that Jesus is my Lord.  All the writings of the Epistles are based on that phrase.  Luther made that the center of his catechism.  Jesus is my Lord and my God.  Thomas said this and went on to be a strong missionary.  Tradition says he worked his way to India where he was martyred. 

     We can take comfort in the fact that this doubting Thomas was not thrown away but was brought back to Jesus.  We too, are brought back to Jesus.  Thomas was by sight and ours is by faith.  So, as we go through life, we are just like Thomas, our twin, redeemed sinners who are declared saints by God.

Eternal God and Father, we are often slow to recognize your powerful hand in our lives.  We are often like Thomas who needs to see to believe.  Help us to see not with our eyes by with our faith.  Bring us to you in comfort and peace that we may be your eternally.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

4-28-2021

 Good Morning All!

      Revelations 7:17; “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

      God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  We have all been there.  At some point in time, we have wiped away a tear from another person.  Maybe it was a small child who skinned a knee or had a toy that broke.  Sometimes all it takes is a kiss on the sore form mom or grandma or finding a different toy or just getting them to do something else will make the tears stop flowing.

     Sometimes it takes a little more.  If they are sick and do not feel well sometimes it takes a blanket and a rocking chair and someone to hold them close.  Sometimes it takes a lot of patience especially if you are dealing with an infant who cannot tell you where they hurt or why; sometimes you do not think you will ever be able to do it. 

     It seems to get harder as our children get older.  That kiss on the skinned knee followed by some fresh cookies just does not seem to work as well when the tears flow over a boyfriend or girlfriend who decided there were better fish in the sea.  When they struggle with schoolwork and no matter how hard they work it just does not come easily. 

    It gets tougher as you wipe away a tear from someone who is burying a loved one.  You know the pain and the fear they feel but they do not always want to listen right now.  Sometimes it is your tears which flow as you feel your pain or a friend’s pain and the pat answers just sound hollow.  It can get tough when people want answers, and you do not have any clear answers.  Why did I get cancer?  Why does he have to suffer so?  Sometimes all you can do is to wipe away their tears.

     Through it all, we must always remember that we are just the care givers which God uses to offer earthly comfort.  God is the ultimate cure giver.  That is what this verse is about.  We can only wipe away the tears after they fall.  God will stop them from having to fall.  Every tear will be wiped away never to fall again.  The joy which God promises us is so far beyond anything that we can conceive of.  We will be led to the springs of living water never to thirst again.  We are told that there will be no pain, no sorrow, and no sadness in heaven.  Those who have gone before us are living in God’s total glory.  There are no more tears to wipe away.

     So, we wait, knowing that God has made the same promise to us that He kept to them.  This is why we, as the Church, look forward to the return of Jesus and an end to all pain and suffering, an end to all tears.  God comforts us through the human hands of the believers around us.  As sainted sinners, we sometimes fall short, but God continues to give us peace through his Word and Sacrament.  He calls us to hear his Words of comfort and to have those tears wiped away until the time when they will be wiped away permanently.      

Father of all mercies, you hold us tenderly as a mother holds a newborn child.  You guard and protect us.  Keep us in your care and wipe away all our tears.  Guide us to be your hands as we offer comfort and help to those around who need your special care.  In Jesus precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

4-27-2021

 Good Morning All!

      Gal. 4:6; “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

    Verse 6 is the meat and potatoes of Christianity.  It speaks to the heart of our faith and to the center of our hope.  Paul uses a form of logic that makes the case plainly and yet sometimes we miss it.  Since Jesus died under the law, he redeemed us, and we are adopted as sons of God.  Therefore, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ABBA!! FATHER!  God has restored, through faith, our place in his kingdom.  When you look through the Old Testament and you look at the prayers in the Old Testament, you see prayers made to God Almighty, to the Lord our peace, to the Lord our righteousness; all kinds of prayer but not prayers to Our Father who art in heaven.  The faithful of the Old Testament prayed.  They prayed with earnestness and in faithfulness, but they prayed to a God that was removed from them.  God sustained them and protected them, but He was at a distance because God is holy and pure; the people were not.

    So, the people had to have a priest offer a sacrifice and pray on their behalf and they prayed to this faithful God from a distance.  But all that changed for us and for all believers.  Remember in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ death, the first thing Matthew records is the tearing of the temple curtain from top to bottom.  That heavy piece of cloth kept the people from the Altar of God, kept them from coming directly to God.  But when Jesus, the perfect, ultimate sacrifice died, God ripped the curtain, threw it open and called to us come back, come in and let us talk.

     The perfect conversation that Adam and Eve had, when they walked with God in the cool of the morning, is restored through Jesus.  Now you and I, as God’s children, can come to him and cry our Father, Father.  We are now family!  We can open our hearts and share our fears and worried with a loving God who has promised to hear and to act for his precious children.    

     Scripture tells us that God leans in to hear what we say and just like any loving parent or grandparent when that little one does not quite know what to say, we know what they mean.  God knows what we mean.  He knows our needs and our wants even before we do, and He listens even more intently than any parent or grandparent could ever listen.  We are family, we are the apple of God’s eye, he leans in to hear us, but do we take advantage of this?  We can pray whenever and wherever we want, God wants us to pray, He wants us to call on him; He wants us to continue this loving conversation of grace and mercy.  God is listening; start talking.

 Abba, we too often fail to come to you as we should.  Too often we bear the weight of fear and sin upon our shoulders when you have already removed them.  Be with us, strengthen our faith that we may boldly come to you with all our petitions.  We are your sons, Father, we ask that you continue to bless and guard us for Jesus’ sake, in whose precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

Monday, April 26, 2021

4-26-2021

 Good Morning All!

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

    One of the most famous sermons ever given in American history was given by a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards.  In 1741, during one of the Great Awakening revivals, he gave a sermon entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”  The general theme was that God was as angry at the living wicked as He was at those who were in torment in hell.  At any time, God could allow Satan to take anyone who deserved to go to hell and God was holding them in his hands and he is angry.  The unrepentant were on a slippery slope held up only by the arbitrary, sovereign nature of God; they were sinners in the hands of an angry God.

    Yikes!!  The reaction was one of great fear.  Many cried and cried out “what shall I do to be saved?”  Not a lot of hope or comfort there.  This sermon pretty much defines fire and brimstone preaching.  The theory was to scare the worshiper into straightening up.  I do not know if it worked or not, I would kind of doubt it.

     God’s actions in the Bible do not show an angry God.  God wants all to be saved and cries for the lost.  The fact that God sent his son, his only son to die, all alone, on a cross so that you and I might have eternal life does not look like an angry God.  That looks like a God that really loves you.  This is why John, in his epistles, stresses God’s love.  This is what it means when we say this is how we know God loves us for while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  This is what pure love looks like.  God did not wait for us to show any remorse or any type of reconciliation we were and are incapable of doing this.  We do not meet God halfway.  God comes all the way to where you are and lifts you up, washes you off, feeds you and clothes you and gives you the promise of eternal life.  This is the hope that we have.  We look to and forward to what God is doing.  He is molding us into the disciples that he wants us to be and leading us down the journey that he has laid out for us.  All the while God holds us in his hands.  There are times when we feel like we are in the hands of an angry God but in truth, an angry God would just let us fall, all alone and never give us hope of getting back up.  Yet time after time, we sin, and God picks us up and cleans us off and gently takes our hand and leads us on our path.  God holds us in his hands with all the love that we will ever need and guards us with His mercy and grace.  So, we are not sinners in the hands of an angry God.  We are sainted sinners held gently yet firmly in the hands of our heavenly Father protected from all the devils will throw at us.  Rest secure in God’s grace.

 Eternal and loving God, by your grace we are kept safe.  We pray for all our brothers and sisters who do not feel the security which you give us.  Wrap them with your Spirit of comfort and peace and give them the true sense of your love for hem in their lives.  All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, April 25, 2021

4-25-2021

 Good Morning All!

        Matthew 1:23; “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)”

     One of the great challenges in life is when you have your children, and you must name them.  Sometimes it can lead to fights as one parent wants to honor their parents and the other new parent has a different idea.  Sometimes we look at names that are in the news.  After the space shuttle Challenger, carrying the teacher Christa McAuliffe, exploded there were a lot of girls named Christa.  We see a lot of cause and effect on naming a child.  Sometimes the name has a special meaning that the family wishes to preserve.  Sometimes the name is a combination of two other names to keep a branch of the family alive.  I would venture that very few of us had the Holy Spirit whisper a special name into our ear but that is what happened to Joseph.

    As Joseph dreamed one night long ago, the Holy Spirit came to him and told Joseph that one of the names that Jesus would be known as was Immanuel.  Immanuel is probably not at the top of the list for many families today but at this time in Israel, this name had great significance.  This had significance which went all the way back to the Exodus.

    As the Israelites left Egypt, they were led by a visible presence of God.  The Israelites saw a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  When they set up the tabernacle, God’s very presence was in the Holy of Holies.  In fact, the word “tabernacle” means to make camp with or to stay with.  So, the next time you go to the lake or river, you are “tabernacling” at the lake, not camping.  You are making your residence with the person who is there.  It is a close relationship that you form with those whom you tabernacle with.

    The Israelites felt safe as long as they could see and sense this presence of God.  But through the years, they lost this sense or this very presence.  They had lost the Ark of the Covenant; they had lost Solomon’s Temple; they had lost most of the land as well.  They longed for the day when the Messiah would come and restore the kingdom, rebuild the Temple, bring peace and cause “Immanuel” (God is with us).  They longed for that day when everything would be put right.

    Fortunately for us, we do not have to wait for all those conditions to be met.  We already have “Immanuel” through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus and then through the power of Baptism; we have that communion with Christ.  His spirit lives within us, dwelling in our hearts and in our lives, tabernacling at our table and in our homes.  God is with us every step of the way, through every storm or struggle, through the happy times or sad; we have Immanuel for God is truly with us.

 Gracious Father, you come to us through your Word and sacraments.  You strengthen us, preserve us, and protect from the devil and his ways.  Lead us; encourage us and use us to further your holy kingdom.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen!   

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Saturday, April 24, 2021

4-24-2021

 Good Morning All!

        Psalm 103:12; “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

      If you look to the western sky in the evening, we see a star called Spica.  If you look in the morning to the east, we see a star called Bellatrix.  You can barely see them and yet there are stars to the west of them and to the east of them.  There are stars so far apart that we cannot measure how far they are from each other.  As far as the east is from the west, that is a long, long ways.  Yet that is how far God removes our transgressions from us. 

    We no longer have to bear the weight or the burden of our sins.  We do not have to make atone for them.  We do not have to sacrifice a young ram or be sprinkled with blood.  God removes our sins.  He takes our sins and removes them from us.  God takes our sins, puts them in a box and then covers that box with the cloak of Christ’s righteousness.  Our sins have been dealt with.  They are resolved.  They are no longer a problem in our lives; or are they?

    Why is it that when our sins are forgiven, we never really feel that way?  This incredible weight has been removed from us and we still act like we are weighted down.  Mostly it is because the devil and our sinful nature do not want us to let go of these sins.  The devil likes us to keep that weight; it is easier for the devil to try and separate us from God, as long as we feel guilty.  The devil keeps whispering in our ear that God will not forget that sin.  In a way, the devil is right.  The sin is not forgotten but it was charged to someone else who paid the debt of that sin for us.  Those sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus who paid for our sin.

    So those sins are gone, if we let go of them.  This is why true confession is so valuable to a Christian.  To stand with your fellow believers and confess that, “I, a poor, miserable sinner confess unto you all my sins and iniquities”.  We are not telling God anything He does not know; we are telling God things that the devil does not want us to admit.  For when we release those sins which we either think are too small to matter or too big to forgive, God has already removed them as far as the east is from the west. 

     So why do we not always feel forgiven, the devil and our sinful nature want to keep it that way.  God forgives our sins and gives this forgiveness to us, all out of his love for us.  Receive the gift of forgiveness and let it free you from the whispers of the devil; that is really the only tool he has.  Do not listen to the devil’s whispers; listen to the loud cry of God for you to come home.  Listen to the loud cry of longing for you to rest in his loving arms and the invitation to feast at his eternal table.

Dear Father in heaven, your mercies are new every day.  We thank you for the forgiveness of sins which we in no way deserve.  We thank you for sending Jesus to take our place to pay our debt.  Drive away our fears and our guilt and our doubts that we may live the life which you created us to live.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Friday, April 23, 2021

4-23-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Galatians 4:4; “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” 

   “When the fullness of time had come.”  What on earth does that mean?  It means “at just the right time”.  When you think about your life, whether young or old, how many things happened at just the right time?  Maybe you met your spouse while at college and you took the same class and you met each other.  If you had taken that class at a different time, you might not have met but it was just the right time.  Maybe you were pulling into a busy store and a parking place opens just as you get there.  Just the right time.  Maybe you entered a restaurant and got seated and ordered when a tour bus pulls up and 30 people come into the place; you got there at just the tight time.

     Many people question why Jesus lived and died and rose again 2000 years ago.  If you remember the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” that was a main question.  The character Judas Iscariot, asks Jesus,” Why did you pick such a backward time and such a strange land?”  But it was just the right time.  The Roman Empire had established peace throughout the region so travel for the spread of Christianity was primed.  Almost all the Roman Empire all spoke Greek, so this made communication easier.  The Sanhedrin and the Jewish Council still held power to order Jesus to die and were willing to do it.  The form of execution was crucifixion.  It was the time when God determined was the right time.  Some will question, we may wonder as well, but we trust in God, who controls the universe, to do things at just the right time.

     That is a hard idea to swallow sometimes.  How often, when someone dies, do we think that it is just the right time for that person to die?  How often, did we look out the window looking for rain thinking it is too late; it will not do any good.  How often do we look at all the suffering and pain in the world and even in our own community and maybe even in our own family and home; do we think that God is acting in just the right time.  It is hard to follow this sometimes, our sinful nature clouds our trust and makes us think, the timing is all wrong.  We struggle with “just the right time” when we think of what God is doing.

     Yet just as our verse continues, our struggles begin to see light.  “God sent his Son”; God sent Jesus at just the right time and Jesus comes to you at just the right time.  Sometimes it feels painful; we think we can do everything then wham! We get knocked for a loop and we see our weaknesses, our failures but above all we see God’s strength and power but above all we see His wondrous love.  Even when we think the time is all wrong, God holds us in his loving arms to give us hope, to give us comfort and to give us peace.

 Father of all grace, your mercies are new every day.  We thank you for bringing us into your holy family at just the right time and for the comfort and love we receive at just the right time.  Be with those whom we love who fail to see this as the right time and do not know your love and comfort and live as those who have no hope.  Bring the lost back into your flock.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Thursday, April 22, 2021

4-22-2021

 Good Morning All!

           Mark 1:1; “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

      It is always interesting how different writers start out their books.  The first sentence usually gives you a good idea about whether you want to keep reading or not.  How a book starts has even led to a contest.  It is called the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest.  It is designed to have the worst introducing sentence possible.  It is named after Edward Bulwer-Lytton who wrote the infamous beginning,” It was a dark and stormy night-except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by violent gusts…”  You get the picture.  This first sentence went down in history as one of, if not the, worst opening lines in all of literature.  Yet most of us can recite the opening lines to many famous poems and stories because of the impact of these lines.  “Listen my children and you shall hear…” or “Call me Ishmael.”  Or “It was the best of times it was the worst of times…”

     The Books of the Bible have interesting opening lines as well.  Unfortunately, we do not always read them, but some are quite fascinating.  Our verse for today is one of those verses.  “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.  Short, concise and to the point, this is about as plain as it gets.  There is a certain amount of irony in that beginning.  Even though it calls Jesus the “Son of God”, that rarely happens in the Book of Mark.  Peter calls him that, the centurion at the crucifixion does, the demons do but most people are left asking the question,” Who is this man?”  He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Every time the question is asked, it has already been answered.

     The other thing to notice is that it is the beginning of the gospel.  The Gospel of Jesus is not over in any way or anyhow.  So, if the Gospel of Mark is only the beginning; then that means that the story continues, and it does.  Mark weaves the story of Jesus through the use of miracles and the people ask,” Who is this man?”  It occurs so often; you almost want to scream at the Bible “IT IS JESUS” get a clue.  Yet Mark answered the question before it was even asked.

      So as this Gospel is just the beginning, it continues today through us.  We know the answer to the question; it is Jesus.  We can have confidence in God’s amazing love because that love is revealed in the Scriptures, especially here in Mark.  Jesus shows his power over the weather, the demons, sickness, and then his power over death itself.  The Book of Mark reveals Jesus as the powerful God who loved his creation so much that He took on the form of man.  Jesus enters our dirty, infested lives because He loves us, and this is only the beginning. 

         We are only beginning to experience God’s love.  We get just a little taste of that great banquet when we join in the Lord’s Supper.  We get just a little taste of it through God’s grace.  We live within the Church, which is grace, as God molds us into His disciples until we are given the gift of heaven; when grace is completed, and glory is ours.          

Father of grace, your mercies are new to us each day.  We give you thanks that this is only the beginning of the love that you have for us.  The peace which you give keeps us safe within your arms.  You guard and protect us from all the devil’s ways.  Keep us safe this day and use us as your hands to carry your grace throughout the world.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

4-21-2021

 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”.

    Many years ago, we were at a gathering that was occurring in the local hall.  It was a centennial meal and there were long tables, and the food was being served in a buffet style and a generally buoyant, joyful fellowship was being shared by all.  One the ladies helping serve had a very young daughter with her.  At about 3 years-old, she was quietly playing by the back door.  She was a little shy and nervous around all those people, but mom was always in sight.  What the little girl did not know was that people were going to use that back door to bring in food and drink to replenish the buffet.  She did not hear the door open but suddenly, a very tall, large man with a beard towered over her.  Now, the man was one of the kindest men in the community, but the little girl did not know this and as she looked way up to him, she screamed in terror and turned to find her mom and she did not see mom!

    She panicked and turned again, wide eye in fear, but then, she saw her grandfather and he saw her.  She ran as fast as she could to him.  He kneeled down on one knee so he could catch her and calm her down.  Slowly, grandpa stood, held her tight and comforted her sobs.  She was safe, safe in grandpa’s arms.

    Often over the past twenty years or so, our verse has been explained using passwords on computers or websites or emails or whatever to talk about gaining access.  While those may be of some value, we do not want to lose sight of the spiritual and emotional value that we have.  We have complete access to God.  We can now freely run to him, in our greatest terror or worry or fear and take comfort in his eternal love.  God is knelling right now waiting, wanting you to leap into his arms for safety and comfort.  He wants you to cling to Him as a loving parent or grandparent longs to comfort and love that child that is hurting.

    God gives you total access because of the atoning work of Jesus.  Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension draws us into the holy family of God because we are made holy by Jesus’ death, we are shown the truth of the gift by the open tomb and receive the assurance of Christ’s reign by his ascension and the certain hope of his return.  All authority belongs to Jesus and by that authority, we are given access to the heavenly Father and in that access, we have nothing to fear, for we are always safe in his arms.  We do not even have to run to him; he is already holding us, keeping us safe from all the evil the devil can throw at us.

Father of all access, we cling to you by faith in the wonderful, good news of Jesus.  By his death and resurrection, we are empowered to be your children and given free and total access to your saving grace.  Draw us ever unto you that we may keep our eyes ever on you.  Be with those who are terrified right now.  Bring them to know your peace, your hope, and your tender calming love.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

4-20-2021

          Good Morning All!

       Psalm 145: 18-19: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in    truth.  He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.”

    Sometimes life goes relatively smoothly.  We coast through the days, happy as most things go according either to our plans or our desires.  We often do not think too much when things go well.  But when we face trouble, we often see things differently.  We usually start to wonder what we did wrong to deserve this trouble.  We sometimes wonder if we are the only ones who are being afflicted.  All the time we struggle with why.  Why is this happening and why God is not fixing it?

    BUT God, in his mercy, has chosen to save us.  He has redeemed us from the devil and the power of sin and called us to be his children.  He has given us salvation and He has given us the tools to survive under him in his kingdom.  He gives us his Word through which He speaks His Words of love and forgiveness.  He gives us His holy sacraments; the water connected to the Word to cleanse us and His precious body and blood to refresh us and renew us.  He also gives us the power and gift of prayer.

    Notice our verse “The Lord is near all who call on Him.” We never walk alone; we never face the trials and struggles of this life alone.  God is always with us.  Jesus experienced everything which we have or will and he conquered it for us.  We can confidently and boldly go to Him in prayer, and He will hear our cry and He will save us.  How God chooses to do this is a mystery to us.  Yet we can have confidence in a God that saved us from the devil with the incredible price of His Son dying on a cross to protect and defend us.

    We may face health issues that are life altering or require surgery.  We may see our job teetering on the brink of disappearing.  We may watch our land dry up and blow away.  We may see our whole country collapse under the weight of too many problems and too few answers.  We may see it all, but we know that as God’s people He will rescue us from eternal damnation and give us hope and comfort when all other supports fail around us.  Go to God in prayer.  Go to him in earnest, sincere prayer and He will answer you.  In the Book of James, we read that “we do not have, because we do not ask.”  Make daily prayer part of your life not as a superstition or the last act of a desperate man.  Go to Him in faith, confessing our sins, thanksgiving for the gifts we have and for the needs which we have.  He has promised to answer; He has promised to be near and to incline his ear to you and to listen to you and to give you his comfort and peace.  Speak to the Lord for He is listening.

 Dear gracious Lord, your holy will be truly accomplished without us, but you have called upon your people to pray to you and to ask for your blessings.  Father we pray for all those who are hurting and lost.  We ask that you comfort them and sustain them.  We look around and see all the blessing that we have, and we give you thanks for them especially for the grace which we receive from you through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in whose name we pray.  Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

Monday, April 19, 2021

4-19-2021

 Good Morning All!

       1 Timothy 1:15; “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (KJV)

    Have you ever engaged with someone else a debate about who is the best or who is the worst?  For example, which was the best baseball team, the 1927 Yankees, the 1955 Dodgers, the 1975 Reds or the 1998 Yankees?  If you get some real baseball guys together; that question is never answered; you can make the case for all of them by taking different parts of the game and different parts of society into factoring your decision.  You can have an opinion and as long as you have some facts; you can hold your own.

    In our verse, Paul tells his young pupil Timothy that he is number #1!!  Paul tells him that he is the best, the top dog, the king of the hill, numero uno, the chief sinner.  Usually, we want to be the chief, but do we want to be the chief sinner?  We may not want to be the chief sinner but we often times are.  We may not feel like it and in the eyes of the world we may not be.  I have never murdered anyone.  I have never given false testimony in a court of law.  But I have been angry at another person and not for good reasons.  I have never given false testimony, but I have listened to and shared in some good, juicy gossip at the local coffee klatch.  I have wished that someone else would fall so I could get ahead.  All of these are sins and Scriptures says that all sins rise as a stench to God.  All sins are like the carcass of a dead animal on a July day.    We are all chief of sinners just like Paul.

      But God in his grace solved that.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the worst ones like me and like you.  God sends his Spirit to bring this point home.  When we receive this by faith, we have all the joy that we can have.  We are on the journey with the Spirit toward our heavenly home which Christ has gained for us.

      This is how the Large Catechism says it when it is talking regarding the petition for forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer: “For this is the essence of a genuinely Christian life, to acknowledge that we are sinners and to pray for grace.  It depends not on the purity of the confession but on hearing and believing what God wishes to say, namely, that your sins are forgiven.  The disciple concentrates on that and cherishes it, giving praise and gratitude to God.”

      When we acknowledge that we are the chief of sinners and need God’s forgiveness; that is the essence of Christian life.  We need God’s grace; God gave us that grace even before we knew it.  He continues to give it and will always give it.  We only need to trust in his Word, and we receive the blessing of life starting with the washing of the stench in the waters of Baptism and nourished by the Word and Holy Communion.  This trust leads us in confidence and boldness to pray to God asking for and believing in his promises.  God promises to hear all who call on him in faith, trusting in his mercy for Christ’s sake.  So maybe being chief of sinners isn’t that bad; especially when we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and declared holy for his sake.

Dear Father in heaven, by nature I am chief of sinners.  Yet in your love you redeemed me and made me your own.  For this and all other gifts I give you thanks and praise.  Continue to cleanse me, to wash me and make me into the disciple that you want me to be, in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Sunday, April 18, 2021

4-18-2021

 Good Morning All!

       Psalm 42:1; “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

    When the weather is hot and the sun is beating down upon us, it can be miserable.  We can find our self like this even on more temperate days.  If we have days when we exert a lot of energy, we can feel exhausted and panting for water.  It does not even have to be physical labor; it can be from a very emotional experience or a very stressful experience.  We can be exhausted and just like the deer; we pant for flowing streams.

    This Psalm actually has an even darker meaning.  Not only is the deer panting and looking for water, but it is also being hunted.  It is being chased and it runs and runs.  It seeks safety along with a cool drink of water to help it rejuvenate itself.  But like any animal that has been hunted, it never really rests.  It keeps its eyes and ears open and listening, wary.

    We, too, are like this deer.  We are hunted and chased every day.  The devil uses all of his tricks to hound us, to set snares for us, to hunt us down.  We need to be wary like this deer.  As we struggle with this battle, we weary and tire because we cannot fight this battle and win.  The hunter is too cagey and skilled.  He will win if we fight this battle…. alone.

     But we do not fight this battle alone.  God has shown us his great love for us by sending Jesus to redeem us and to buy us back from the bondage of sin.  God is our refuge and salvation.  We can see this image of being hunted or in danger throughout the Psalms, especially.  Take the image of the hunted deer and read Psalm 23.  We have still waters, green pastures to lie down in; when can a hunted deer lie down?  But because of the safety of Christ, we can lie down, we can rest.  We can rest the true rest which gives us peace.

     We, as Christians, are in the devil’s sights all day and all night.  The devil seeks whom he may devour.  He looks for those who have left the safety of the herd and wandered off.  The devil then lures us into one of his traps to separate us from God.  So, all day long we are chased by the pain of broken and hurting relationships, broken, and hurting health, broken, and hurting dreams and loves, broken and hurting because the rain just seems to keep missing us when everyone else gets plenty.  Some days it seems like we are assaulted from all sides and we are exhausted and panting like a hunted deer.  To all this Jesus says to us, “come, come all of you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28).  When we hear God’s Word speaking to us with its message of redemption and with the message of hope, we can trust that the devil will never touch us.  We can have that rest and we can rest with the assurance that we have peace with and peace from God.  We have a loving God who has walked down the paths we have walked and gives us comfort and hope, secure in His loving arms.

    The devil will still scowl and try to attack but we can rest comfortably in the arms of the risen Savior.  God is our protection and shield that will never fail.

 Gracious Lord, we pant for your goodness and righteousness.  We can never attain it on our own but rely solely on You to give us the streams of water and the pastures of green to rest and renew in.  Keep us throughout this day; hold us gently in your loving arms.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen    

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Saturday, April 17, 2021

4-17-2021

 Good Morning All!

       Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

     I am always fascinated by talented people.  I have gone to “Arts in the Park” or saw some things on Facebook where people display their talents.  There were woodworkers and free hand sketch artists; there were leather workers and photo artists; just a whole host of people who made intricate and beautiful items.  The workmanship was flawless and the talent very apparent.  Some talent must be seen to really be appreciated.  A cowboy at a rodeo who ropes and ties a calf is a fine workmanship.  Some talent is best tasted; a master chef whose delicacies seem to melt in your mouth.  Some are heard; a musician who makes an instrument sing in either a joyful tone or a sorrowful lament can make one shudder.

    There is an old story about a violin that is being auctioned off at a farm sale.  The auctioneer holds it up and tries to get a bid of $2.  There are no offers.  He lowers it to $1 then he offers to give someone a dollar if they will bid a dollar.  Then a quiet man comes to auctioneer and asks to see the violin.  He strums it and he turns the pegs a little.  He then takes the bow and plays the sweetest sounds that anyone there had ever heard.  He gave the auctioneer back the violin and the bidding began.  First it was $50 then $250 then $500 then $1000 then it sold for $2500.  When the auctioneer was asked why the sudden change in its value; the auctioneer replied,” it was all in the touch of the master’s hand.”

    You and I are the same way.  We have no value.  But God, who is the master craftsman of the universe, takes us in his hands and makes us his workmanship.  God is continually shaping and molding us into his craftsmanship into his disciples.  Just like that violin, we need to be tuned and brought back into key with the right tone and the right sound.  Then we need to be played with the talent of the master violinist.  In Isaiah we are compared to clay and God is the potter.  No matter what imagine you use, God is, in a very hands-on way, shaping you to do the works which He has laid out for us to do.  God prepares you for the opportunities to witness which come to you.  God prepares you for the opportunities to bring glory to His name when they come to you.  We may fail at these; we may not see God’s hand in our preparation, but it is there, and we need to trust in Him to give us the tools to do His work.

Dear Father, we often fail as your instruments and tools; for we fear when we should be strong, we hesitate when we should go forth.  Forgive us our sins.  Give us the courage to be your people to be your hands and to be your light in this dark and wounded world.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

Friday, April 16, 2021

4-16-2021

 Good Morning All!

Micah 6:8; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

     I am only human!!  How many times have we heard or said that?  Maybe you found yourself trying to be in two places at the same time or trying to get two things done at once.  Maybe you have been put in a situation which it is almost impossible for one person to achieve and we say,” I am only human.

    Usually, we say this when we are caught in a moment of impropriety; a spouse who looked at an attractive member of the opposite sex a little too long.  Maybe someone dropped a bagful of change and we picked some up and kept it; after all I’m only human.  Maybe the teacher left the test answers open on her desk while she talked to someone outside the classroom; I’m only human.  Maybe we are in the boss’s office and he has the employee evaluations sitting there; one little peak I’m only human.

    We love that excuse because we think it gives us a pass on any failure or sin after all “I’m only human”.  The problem with that is that this statement isn’t quite truth.  When God created man, man was perfect and without sin.  Man was made in the image of God and was thus the image-bearer of God in creation.  To be human was to have the image of God.  After sin entered the world, the image of God was lost.  Sinners have stopped being human.  God defines what it means to be human.  We are to do justice.  That means we are to do everything in our power to see to it that justice is done.  If we know we are undercharged for an item, we should say so.  If we know that we have an extra calf in the pasture, we should say so.  If we see someone who is being oppressed or taken advantage of, we should say so.  We are to do justice.

    We are to love mercy.  We are to seek out every opportunity to show love to our fellow man.  We are not to avoid it; we don’t look the other way and then claim, “I didn’t see it after all I’m only human.” When we hear the cry of pain or the lament of sorrow, we are to love mercy and show it to our fellow man.

    We are to walk humbly before God.  We are to remember that God is God, and we are not.  We may not always understand why God does what he does but we are to trust in God’s mercy and look to what He has shown us.  God has shown us His love by the sending of Jesus to pay for our sins and to redeem us back from sin.  The love God shows us is so much more than we deserve that our response should be humble adoration and thanksgiving for what God has done.

     That is what it means to be only human.  If we really want to use that saying properly; next time we should say, “I’m only a sinner”; not as funny but more accurate.  We pray to be more human as God shapes us to be his disciples.

Gracious Lord, our lives are always empty as we fail to live up to your standards.  We are incapable of it, yet you love us anyway.  We thank you for your grace and tender mercies which are showered upon every day.  Make us to be human as You created us to be.  Call us as your people and keep us safe in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret