Monday, May 31, 2021

5-31-2021

 Good Morning All!

       Proverbs 3:5; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

    How often do we do it?  When we feel sick or are going to the doctor, we say a prayer asking God to heal us but when we feel fine; it is because we exercise and eat right.  When it does not rain, we pray for God to send the rain but when the crops are good; it is because of our management practices and our use of the latest technologies.  We love to have God there when there is trouble, but we pat ourselves on the back when things are going well.

    Too often we use God as our “Get out of Jail Free” card.  When we have troubles or fears, or life is going in a direction that we cannot handle.  When the pressures of life move in, we claim to turn to God.  If you a Facebook person, go through and see how many people want you to pray for them and their problems or someone says they will pray for you and your troubles.  Now go through and see how many times people ask you to give thanks to God for their health or good fortune.  I am pretty sure how unbalanced that will be.  We are quick to turn to God in trouble and then blame him if the results not what we want.

    We are becoming a people who view God as our personal servant.  We are falling into the same trap that Adam and Eve did when the serpent tempted them with,” you will be like God”.  Our sinful nature sneaks up on us and twists our lives in knots.  The trouble occurs when we assume that we are in control, and we take God’s place; we have all the weight of those decisions on our shoulders.  All that weight is to drag us down, to slow us down and then to tear us down.  This is the devil’s aim for you and me.

     However, God has a more excellent way.  God comes into our life with all of his love for us and says, “Trust me”.  He tells us to look at all the things which he has done in the past, especially sending Jesus to die for us, in keeping his promises to us.  You could trust him then, you can trust him now, and you can trust him in the future.  We see this when we start looking at all the blessings which we receive every day and instead of thinking we are really special, we start seeing how we are really blessed.  When we truly trust in God with all our heart, we can focus on the true meaning of our faith; that by God’s grace we have eternal salvation waiting for us.  The trials of this life are merely in passing and are there for us to use in the witness of our faith. 

     The devil will make this a challenge; he hates it when we trust in God for our needs.  The devil wants you to trust in your own skill, knowledge, and wisdom.  But God guarantees us his blessings and his promise of salvation when we trust in the Lord.  Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and you will experience what God wants you to receive, his peace.

Father in heaven, your mercies roll over us like a river.   Keep us under your wing.  Father, we are often slow to trust, and we miss the blessings of your assurance as we strive to solve the troubles of this life.  Forgive us for our slowness to trust.  Lead us in your path of righteousness.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Sunday, May 30, 2021

5-30-2021

 Good Morning All!

       Malachi 3:6; ““For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

     I must be getting old.  I detest it when stores rearrange things.  I finally figure out where everything is and then someone comes along and moves everything.  Why do they do that?  It takes me two years to get my cell phone figured out; then it is time to get a new one and I have to start all over.  Why does everything have to change all the time?

    Life is filled with change.  Some people love change; they love anything that is different than it was before and in many respects change can be good.  That cell phone that drives me nuts also makes it easier to contact me or for me to contact someone else.  I do not have to look for a pay phone somewhere.  Without changes in the medical field some of us would probably not be here right now.  Without changes in agriculture, food would be a lot more expensive.  Not all change is bad, but it is not all good either.

    If your boss keeps changing what you must do to get a raise, it can be very frustrating.  If you are going to school and they change your program or even drop it in the middle of your education; that can be very disappointing.  When the doctor keeps telling you that you will go home tomorrow and four tomorrows later you are still in the hospital; it can be very discouraging. 

    Some change can be devastating.  A young man who looks down for a minute while driving his car and swerves into the oncoming lane and meets a truck head on and leaves a young wife and a couple of kids causes a change for her and the children that can be hard to overcome.  A soldier who lets down her guard for a minute to talk to a child might not see the bomb in the road and her life is changed forever.  Sometimes change is like a board to the back of the head.  In these two examples, like hundreds of others, everything changes.  Their lives change, their relationships with others change.  The soldier’s family and friends may withdraw; not sure of how to cope.  The young widow may be so overwhelmed that she is not sure which way to turn.  Amid wild changes in our life, God does not change.

     For the Lord does not change.  From the beginning God loves us and cherishes us and desires to hold us close.  That has never changed and never will.  God is a steady, constant force who loves us and provides for us.  He always has and always will.  God is not some wishy- washy being that changes his mind on whim.  From before the foundation of the earth was laid, God loves you.  The Psalmist calls us the “apple of his eye.” God looks upon us and loves us greater than any parent or grandparent could love a child or grandchild.  The love of the Father is deeper than we can measure; it always was, it always is, and it always will be.  For the Lord does not change.

Father of unchanging and unceasing love, we come before you seeking your blessing on all your people especially those who are seeing painful change.  Guard and protect them.  Send your Spirit of comfort and peace that they may trust in you for all their comfort and peace.  We thank you Father for those who are experiencing joyful change and that you would continue to guide them and bless them throughout their lives.  This we ask in the precious name of Jesus, amen. 

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

Saturday, May 29, 2021

5-29-2021

  Good Morning All!

         1 Corinthians 12:31; “But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” 

     This verse and some others like it are called “connector verses”.  The Apostle Paul uses them a lot.  He uses them to connect one thought to the next thought.  We sometimes lose these verses, and it can cloud the meaning of the next section.

     One of the reasons this happens is because a change in the Bible.  During the 1200’s, the Bible began to be translated into chapters and verses.  The very original manuscripts, the ones that John and Peter and Paul wrote, were just long letters.  Some of you have actually written letters maybe even long letters but you probably never wrote in the form of chapter and verse.  While the use of chapter and verse makes it easier to read the Bible; we sometimes miss the nuances of what is actually being said.  This verse is an excellent example of this.

    Most of you are very familiar with the chapter in the Bible which follows this verse; it is 1 Corinthians 13 known to many as the “Love Chapter” (You know, love is patient, love is kind, love never ends, etc.).  It is probable that at some point in time your heard that at a wedding.  It is a neat wedding reading but that really misses the point of what Paul is really saying.

    In chapter 12, Paul is addressing the Corinthians about a squabble they are having in their church.  The Corinthians were claiming that certain gifts of the Spirit were higher or better than others.  Of course, the gifts that I have are way better than your gifts.  This tied in with their faction fighting had a very divided.  Paul writes extensively about how the body has many parts and no part is greater than the body as a whole.  But then he cuts right to the heart of the problem.  Instead of seeking these gifts of preaching or teaching or healing; he tells then to “earnestly desire the higher gifts”.

    Then he tells them “I will show you a more excellent way.” That way is through love.  He starts chapter 13 with the equivalent of “without love, every gift is worthless.”  The greatest gift of the Spirit is the ability and the capacity to love another person.  Not everyone can teach or preach or heal; but everyone is capable of sharing God’s love.  While this may sound easy, true love, true Godly love occurs even when the reciprocity of that love is not there.  God gives us the ability to love others, even when they do not love us; the same type of love which God has for us.  The same type of love which led Jesus to the cross now resides in us through the Holy Spirit.  If we truly love one another, everything else will solve itself.  All the other issues will disappear because through true love, we will not care who is in the head of the altar society; or the head of the woman’s group or who the head elder is or who is charge of the church.  For we will all know that it is Christ who is the head of the church and through him we will love those around us.  It is truly a more excellent way; to love as Christ loves us.

Father of grace and mercy, we confess that we are slow to love, and we ask your forgiveness.  Pour your Spirit in us that we may love as Jesus loves.  Use us to show your mercy to those around us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret           

Friday, May 28, 2021

5-28-2021

 Good Morning All!

         Romans 8: 25; “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

     There are a few portions of Scripture which, in a few short verses, have a tremendously powerful message:  Isaiah 52:13- Isaiah 53: 12 is one, Jeremiah 31: 31-36 is one, Matthew 28: 1-10 is one, John 3:1-21 is one, Ephesians 2:1-10 is one and Romans 8: 18-39 is one and there are others.  For me, Romans 8: 18-39 is one of my favorites; it offers us comfort to the highest level.  It is as pure a “Gospel” (the teaching of forgiveness and God’s comfort) as there is.   

    Think of a time when you felt totally weak and helpless.  For most of us it is when we watch a loved one die especially if it is from a lengthy illness or debilitating disease.  We are helpless to stop it; we struggle to give comfort and we do not know what to do or even how we should pray.  Perhaps you experienced this with your own visits to a doctor as you fought your own health battles.  Perhaps you have experienced pain from the damage to a relationship with a loved one.  This can be especially difficult if the loved one is experiencing pain of their own, either emotional or physical, and the lash out at us.  Suffering pain is difficult, whatever kind it is.  Watching someone who is in pain, whatever kind it is, is just as difficult if not more so.

     Sometimes it is not even pain; it is just the feeling of helplessness when you have no answers for someone.  I recently listened to a lady who had lost 5 nieces and nephews to drug and alcohol related events; she had just gotten the news that a sixth one was in a motorcycle accident.  She asked me,” What do I do to stop this?”  I felt a level of weakness because she wanted a five-point plan to resolve the issue to her desires and I did not have one for her.  But we did pray.  Sometimes her words were only groans and sighs, she prayed a lament of pain, but the Holy Spirit prayed with her and more importantly prayed for her speaking her pain to the Father in the language and method that was needed.

     That fact can be a great source of comfort for us.  There are times when we do not even know what or how to pray.  We get all the way to,” Dear Father” and then we are stuck; no words, no coherent thoughts, just a numbness within us.  The Spirit prays with us and for us speaking what we cannot.  This is part of God’s grace for his Church, the body of believers (us).  God sends his Spirit to us to pray for us and to comfort us even when the right words do not come out; God hears our every word, our every thought, all the pain we have.  So, when you pray do not worry about the words, whether they have a “churchy” enough quality or not.  God listens to the heart and sends comfort for the soul.

Dear Father in heaven, we pray for those who cannot pray for themselves.  For your children who are experiencing pain which they fear they cannot bear.  Hear them Lord, send your Spirit of Comfort and Hope that they may find peace in You.  Hear us as we pray for them and move us to be the hands of that comfort.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, May 27, 2021

5-27-2021

 Good Morning All!

   Mark 4:41; “And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

    Have you ever had an experience in life that left you completely flabbergasted, so completely stunned you did not know how to react?  The internet is full of short videos showing small children walking through traffic and being just missed by surprised motorist.  It shows people standing by a store when a car comes careening out of control and hits the building a few feet from them.  There is the video of some kayakers on the ocean when a large humpback whale propels itself out of the water just a few feet from them.  Perhaps you were in the service and a bomb exploded close by.  I have had a few “did you see that?” moments but not any that would rise to the level of what our disciples in today’s verse saw.

     Our verse is the end of one of the more familiar stories in the Bible.  Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat when a huge storm comes up.  The disciples, for the most part, are professional fishermen; they knew this lake like most of you farmers know your own land.  They had experienced storms and weathered them out.  For this storm to put fear into them must have been a whopper of a storm. 

     They cried out to Jesus, “Teacher, don’t you care if we die?”  He stood up and told the wind and the waves to be still; when it occurred, they were filled with great fear.  You wonder what they were expecting.  Did they just want Jesus to pray or to be as afraid as they were?  Did they want and expect him to stop the wind?  If this is what they wanted, if this is what they prayed for; why were they so amazed that it happened?  And why are we?

     During this phase of the disciples’ lives, they were trying to follow Jesus based on their own understanding of who God is and who the Messiah would be.  At this time, they did not fully understand who Jesus really was.  It is not until after the resurrection and Pentecost when “their minds were opened” and they “received the Holy Spirit” that they understood what was going on and gave them the courage to live their lives in complete devotion to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus.  They received faith.

     We have that same faith.  We have the Spirit dwelling richly in us.  We can call to Jesus at any time; asking him to save us from whatever storm in our life we are facing.  When he does this, why are we surprised?  I think the sad truth is most Christians do not really think prayer works.  Most Christians view prayer as a good luck charm, or some type of desperate “last chance, I’ve tried everything else” action.  Going to God should be the first thing not the last thing we do.  We should not go to God with the attitude of “Well God, I’ve done all I can do, I guess the rest is up to you.”  This is a prayer that lacks faith. 

     We need to go to God with all the confidence that a child goes to their parent for all good gifts.  God is faithful to His Word.  God has promised to hear and answer the faithful prayer; we do not need to be surprised.

Dear Father, all too often we are slow to trust you and to take you at your word.  We place our limitations on your grace, and we end up losing your blessings in the end.  We are truly sorry for our lack of faith.  Continue to mold us into the disciples that you want us to be.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s peace,

Pastor Bret  

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

5-26-2021

 Good Morning All!

   Psalm 81:2-3; “Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.  Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.”

     Today is a unique day.  Tonight, we will have a super blood moon.  This phenomenon is also known as a Super Blood Moon as the moon appears slightly reddish orange in color and since it is a full moon, it will appear really big as well.

    We hardly pay attention to the phases of the moon anymore.  When I was growing up, I had a neighbor who did everything according to the phases of the moon, whether it was planting or harvesting or weaning cattle.  We just do not pay any attention to the moon that much.

    It was different with in the Old Testament; with each new moon the Israelites marked the start of the month.  With it was a celebration.  The Jews would go to the Temple for a special sacrifice, hold a family celebration and in general abstain from work or business.  They would not perform any fasting and mourning was prohibited.  It was a time to celebrate being God’s chosen people.  They would sing the Psalms of praise and play the joy filled music.  They celebrated the gifts which God had given them.

       It is too bad that we no longer follow that tradition.  We usually save our celebration of God’s gifts to us for Thanksgiving Day.  We should really celebrate Thanksgiving Day every day.  God blesses us in so many fashions that we sometimes fail to see them.  We take so much for granted.  We have come to expect God to deliver exactly what we want when we want it and when that does not happen according to our wishes; we blame God for abandoning us.  We miss so much of what God gives us.

     We complain about the cost of our cable/satellite TV bill and how God should provide us more money to watch it; we miss the beauty of a full moon or the perseids meteor showers earlier this month.  We complain about the cost of food and then throw 40 % away.  We are blessed with abundant food, a safe environment, comfortable living conditions, and most of us have good health.  God truly blesses his people.

     So, we need to try and remember this more often.  We need to be sure that we give thanks to God for all which he provides to us.  When we focus on what we have; what we do not have does not measure up.  God gives us all good things especially the gift of salvation through Jesus.  His blessings are beyond our measure so raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.  Rejoice and give thanks to God for his blessings.

Dear Father in heaven, your mercies flow over us like a river.  We are truly blessed to be your children.  Help us to see that all good things come from you and that we receive these every day; not because we are worthy but because you are loving and full of grace.  Keep us mindful that even when we feel abandoned; you are there to comfort and provide for us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

5-25-2021

   Good Morning All!

       Numbers 6:24-26; “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

    If the weathermen are right, for most of us today is going to be a rather uncomfortable day.  It will be warm, not as warm as yesterday, with some wind.  The dirt will blow, and the soil will dry a little bit more.  The pollen is high right now; hay fever is running strong.  The middle of spring almost feels like the dog days of summer.

     As we look at our verses, some will recognize them as the Aaronic Benediction.  We use it often and it is a higher form of benediction.  Part of the reason is because God specifically commanded Aaron and his sons to use this benediction with the people to show that God had placed His name on His people.

     The last portion where “the Lord lift up his countenance” is a little confusing.  Other words for countenance are face or favor.  One way to think of this is like a parent who has taken a young child to the park or playground to play for a while.  The parent never really takes his or her eye off of the child.  The parent keeps a watchful eye toward the child to be sure that no harm befalls the child.  Our heavenly father is doing the same for us.

     God watches over us, keeping us safe from all harm.  His face shines upon us the same way a loving parent beams at the sight of their child.  God loves us and sustains us with all the grace that He has.  It is poured out and directed at us with such a copious amount that we cannot help but feel his blessings.  Even on days like this, God blesses us with his tender mercy guarding us from all that the devil throws our way. 

     So, what do we do?  The question remains.  Today will be a good day to place a little extra effort in sharing God’s love with those around us.  Jesus hung on a tree for us; we can bring a friend or a co-worker a glass of water.  Check on your neighbors, especially the older ones, and make sure everyone is ok.  Hot weather can make some people cranky so be a little more patient and be sure to smile and say thank you.  Small and simple acts of kindness which reflect God’s love, to us and for us, to the others around us. 

     It will be a challenge; the devil will try and convince you that this is a bunch of hooey, but God calls us to share his love with others we meet.  We too often think in huge terms and ideas when it is the simple ones which truly show our love for Jesus. 

     We have been blessed by God; redeemed by the blood of the Lamb for eternity.  God claims us by name and looks upon us with his protective ad loving eye.  We are truly blessed; let us show the world what we have and tell them how it can be theirs as well.  

 Gracious Father, your blessings are new every day and your mercy continues to shine upon us.  For this we give you thanks.  We pray for those who do not know the comfort of your grace and mercy.  Use us Father to spread your loving gospel message.  We also pray for those who are experiencing the hurricane, that you would protect them and keep them safe.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, May 24, 2021

5-24-2021

 Good Morning All!

1 Chronicles 16:10; “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

    What do we seek?  Where do we place our deepest desires and our greatest hopes?  For some it is wealth; for some it is fame.  These are two obvious ones, and everyone sees them but what about us?  Most of us do not dream of becoming multi-millionaires or of having to worry if the twitter feed is going to worry about what we wore to the Academy Awards.  Yet sometimes we seek some things that may not be God pleasing.

    Perhaps we spend too much time trying to figure out ways that we can have control in a relationship instead of sharing in one.  Perhaps we spend too much time trying to figure out how to make our so-workers look bad, so we look better.  Perhaps we spend too much time trying to butter up a neighbor to try and get his land before someone else does.  There are lots of ways to seek what is not in God’s favor.

    It might be something as simple as making snide remarks about another person, always cutting them down.  It might even just be a look or a well-placed sigh that conveys that message.  We see it in many ways, and it always comes back to our pride and the desire of our sinful nature to be number one.  It is as old as sin itself, who sits on God’s throne in our life.  Is it God or do we try and take that spot? 

     One of the most interesting facets of human life is that when we engage our sinful nature; it is never satisfied.  Very few people who seek great wealth ever think they have enough.  How else do we explain such incredible greed from people who already have billions of dollars and yet try to cheat people for more?  Those who seek fame, even when it is fleeting, never have enough.  How else do we explain all those “celebrity” reality shows?  Why else do we always seem to easily attack or run-down others?  If we cannot be the top dog of our circle; how can we put our self on the throne of God? 

     So, we run in circles, like a dog that chases its own tail, until we cannot even stand.  We are exhausted and have gained nothing.  When we glory in God’s holy name; when we quit trying to take God’s place in life and receive His blessings and grace, our life becomes much easier.  We trust in God to love us and to care for us.  That he will richly provide for all our bodily needs.  When we trust God, we can rejoice because He has promised to take care of us.

     Some of us may be disappointed as we look at that.  What we need and what we want can be two very different situations.  Do we need a cell phone, or a big screen TV with satellite cable or a computer?  Do we need multiple vehicles or the place at the lake?  Perhaps we do, but perhaps we do not.  The central thing is to remember that what we do have comes from God’s blessings.  We do not worship the blessings or think that “we did it all.”  Rather, we give thanks to god for what he has given us and what he will give us tomorrow.  When our faith is in God, when we trust that he will take care of us and deliver us; then our hearts are seeking the Lord and we can rejoice in Him.

    Gracious Lord, we are slow to see our deepest sinful desires, help us to see them and to repent of them that we may truly seek after you and that we may have that true peace which only comes from you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s peace,

Pastor Bret            

Sunday, May 23, 2021

5-23-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Exodus 24:16-17; “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.  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.”

    It was a time when it should have been obvious.  The Children of Israel had just witnessed the 10 plagues in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea on dry land, watched Pharaoh’s army drown as the waters returned, been fed manna, drank water from a rock, were led by a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud, and now were at Mount Sinai and were witnessing the glory of God as it rested on the top of the mountain.  With all those miraculous interventions, there could be no doubt about God.

    Do you ever think, “If I could witness that; I would have absolutely no doubt, I would believe forever.”  Look at all the events that had happened how could you not believe in God?  If God would only do something big; it would change everything.

    The truth is it did not even change things then.  While Moses was on the mountain with God, the Israelites were building an idol, a golden calf, to worship.  They probably believed in God but that did not stop them from rebelling against God.  Adam and Eve knew God but rebelled against him.  Cain knew God but rebelled and killed his brother.  Knowledge and faith are not necessarily the same thing.

    We claim that if God would only visibly show himself, we would believe in him, but would we surrender to him or would we rebel just like the others?  The very crux of our Christian faith is found in the explanation to the second article where Luther writes,” I believe that Jesus Christ… is my LORD.”  That is what it is about; we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  These people saw God as God; they just did not want him to be their God.  There are many like that today, people who reject or rebel against God.  They want a God of action.  When the drought was on or the hurricane hit, or wars occur or any one of a number of calamities occur; they wonder, where is God?  Why doesn’t He act?

    The reason is because God has chosen a different way to interact with the world; He does it through the Church.  Jesus gave the Church the authority that he had on earth; the power to forgive sins, the mysteries of the sacraments and his Word, the truth of salvation, and the task of reconciling the world.  When you wonder where God is, where is that awe and majesty; it is in your hands entrusted to you by our Lord Jesus.  We are the living establishment of that majesty here on earth.  That is why Peter called us a peculiar or separate nation, set apart for God’s purpose.

    There are those who would still rebel, but we have God’s grace and mercy, which we see every single day.  The obvious lives in us all the time, God’s Spirit resides in you to set you free, to give you the direction you should go, to give you comfort, peace and ultimately eternal life.  The glory of the Lord was seen on Mount Sinai now it should be seen in you.

Father of all grace, we are often slow to reflect your glory to those around us and we are slow to see that glory as well.  Give us the strength and the wisdom to go forth as your agents of change, your hands of mercy in a world that is so in need of your love.  All this we ask in the precious name of Jesus, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

Saturday, May 22, 2021

5-22-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Psalm 52:8; “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.”

    The Psalmist speaks of trees.  We, who live in South Dakota, should really appreciate the Psalmist use of trees.  Trees are about as plentiful in the land of Canaan as they are here.  There are a few places where they grow, like along rivers and streams but for the most part, they need to be planted and tended to.  Trees do not just happen; we need to make them happen.

      The tree listed, an olive tree, is especially a lot of work.  Yet if tended properly it would produce olives for years to come.  If it did not, it would be uprooted and burned then replaced by a new tree.  So, notice how the psalmist describes it.

      I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.  This last spring, I planted four new trees here.  With the drought and the wind, it has been a constant battle trying to keep them going.  Right now, I am not sure they will make the winter.  It would be nice to see them green and supple and full of leaves.  They look more like beaten sticks.  In many ways, we are like that.  Without Jesus’ saving grace, we are just beaten-up sticks which will not survive the winter.

    But because of God’s grace, we are green, supple, and healthy trees.  We have the leaves and are producing the fruit, not because of what we are but because of the loving care which the Father gives to us.  He feeds us, He waters us, He weeds around us, and He keeps the soil fresh and mellow.  We are protected from the harsh elements under the protection of his wings, safe in his loving arms.

    We have a haven, a place which we can find safety, solace, and peace.  We can trust in God’s steadfast love (mercy) to save us from all harm by the devil.  When the droughts and cares of this life would want to drain the life from us, we have a Savior who is tending to our every need.  We can grow strong in the safety of his house.  We can grow to produce fruit because of his saving will.  God guards us and provides for us.  We do not have to be like the tree rooted up, rather, we are blessed by God to be kind of tree that the Master wishes to keep. 

     The winds will howl, and the droughts and insects and all the challenges of this life may come our way, but we are safe in God’s loving arms; protected from all that the devil will throw.  Through him we have all good things.  It is by His fatherly, divine, goodness and mercy that we are kept green and growing.  It is by His love that we are saved.

Father of mercy, you give to us all that we need to support this body and life.  Keep us mindful of the wondrous gifts which we receive daily.  Keep us watered and nourished by your Word.  Lead us to produce fruit so that we may help to feed others.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret               

Friday, May 21, 2021

5-21-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Isaiah 9:2; “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” 

    Have you ever experienced total darkness?  Not many of us have.  Even in the dark that we experience, there is usually some light.  Maybe you have a night light in the hall or in the bathroom or in a child’s room.  Maybe you always have a flashlight handy.  The darkest place I have ever been in was a cave.  It was an old prospecting cave in the Black Hills.  It was so narrow and small in places we were not sure that we would fit.  After we got in about 50 feet, we turned our flashlights off.  That lasted about 20 seconds before we could not take it.  It felt like the mountain was going to swallow us.  Even though nothing had changed in that 20 second period; it was hard to breathe, and you felt like you were spinning.  I was with three others and they felt the same thing.  We had another 150 feet of cave to explore but we agreed that we had seen enough.

     The worst part was all those “things” which come out in the dark.  There are things; things that run across your shoes, things that crawl up your arm, things that hang in your face or buzz in your ear, things that we cannot see but we feel and experience them anyway.  Then there are the sounds, sounds that seem to amplify in the dark, things that sound like moans and groans or hideous laughter.  

    That is sort of how the people in the text would have felt.  When sin entered the world, man no longer “saw” God.  Adam and Eve walked with God, but sin veiled their eyes and plugged their ears.  Soon man’s relationship with God just kept deteriorating.  In our blindness, we just kept spinning out of control.  We wandered in the dark and were more lost all the time.  We walked away from God and His light and kept going further and further into the darkness, suffering the whole way.

   “But God beheld our wretched state.”  Out of His unfathomable love God sent Jesus into the world to be that “Light”.  This verse is actually part of a longer section that is a Messianic prophecy.  In this verse, God is promising to send the Light, but we live in that Light.

    Jesus came to live and die and rise again so that we could return to the Light.  God used Jesus’ sacrifice to serve as ours so now we get to have His Light, the Spirit, live within us.  The devil will try to block the light or even use the light to blind us but God, in his grace and mercy, is always there to correct the problem and keep us moving.  Sometimes we wish that the light we have would light up more of our path ahead, but we can trust God to lead us on that path that will lead us to our eternal home.  Then along the way, we are to “let our light shine” for others to see the wondrous blessing of the light and then listen to the call of the Spirit into their hearts as well.

   Father of all Light, we praise you for the gift of the Light which illumines our way.  Keep our light, our faith, burning bright in this dark, cold world that knows only pain and sadness.  Cause our light to shine brightly so that others may come to know You as the one true God.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.     

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Thursday, May 20, 2021

5-20-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Acts 1:10-11; “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

    I have always wondered, “how long?”  How long did the disciples stand there and look to the sky?  They had just spent their last minutes with Jesus and while he was speaking, Jesus began to rise until he was out of sight, hidden by a cloud.  How long did the stand there and look upward? Perhaps, they were hoping for one last glimpse or that he was returning right away, and they wanted to see it.  How long did they stand there?  Long enough for two angels to come and tell them to, “move along now.”  So, they did as Jesus told them; go to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

    The disciples did as they were told and soon, they were proclaiming boldly the truth of Jesus and his saving resurrection for us, the gift of the forgiveness of sins, the promise of eternal life, in fact, a whole new life awaited them.  They hurried because they thought Jesus was going to return in a few months or even days.  They may have even stopped and looked to the sky to see if today was the day of Jesus’ return.  They went about their task, but they looked to the sky, hoping for Jesus.

    Today, many forget the promise of Jesus’ return and what that means to us as Christians.  It means an end to pain and suffering, death, and sorrow.  It means that the struggles and battles of today will end.  We are not defined by our mere existence here on earth, but we have a greater and more glorious life that we are part of and can savor in now; we only have to look up.

    The devil wants to keep us focused down and looking at the troubles, pains, sorrow and struggles of this earthly life.  He wants you to focus on the battle; Jesus wants you to focus on the victory that Jesus attained for us on the cross, at the tomb and in the sky.  We are only waiting for THAT day, that glorious day when Jesus returns.

    So, when the days are long, the battle is fierce, and you feel yourself getting weary; look up and remember that Jesus is going to return and everything that is not part of Christ will be swept away.  Sin, death, and the devil will be completely destroyed.  Tears of sorrow and suffering, pain and injustice, oppression will end.  Each tear will be dried, and perfect joy will be our destiny.  We will live in God’s perfect kingdom for eternity.  So, when the fight is tough, look up!!  Jesus is coming!!  He is our hope.

Father of mercy, send your Spirit that we may always be a people who look up and want Jesus.  Keep us strong in our faith and secure in our hope.  Keep our eyes ever lifted and focusing on Jesus.  Strengthen us in the daily struggles of this life and bring us safely home.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

5-19-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Luke 5:16;” But he (Jesus) would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

     Have you ever noticed how often in the Gospels we are told that Jesus went away, alone, to pray?  He does it frequently; often enough that the disciples noticed and asked him to teach them how to pray.  Jesus would take certain times and go by himself and pray.  We should to.

    While Scriptures tells us to pray constantly; it also tells us to set aside times of the day to pray.  The early Church, drawing on its Jewish background, encouraged believers to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.  Even in the Middle Ages, people would stop what they were doing many times a day to pray.  When most of the activity in a community was within earshot of the church or monastery bell, the bell would ring once an hour to signal the start of the Lord’s Prayer, once after the fourth petition and once at the end to signal it was over and time to go back to work.  Daily prayer was a very important part of the believer’s life. 

     Somewhere along the way, some have lost this habit.  Even though we know that prayer is a powerful tool or force in our lives; too often we let it slide by.  Martin Luther encouraged people to pray three times a day.  You were to pray once when you got up, at the noon meal and then once before you went to bed.  While this was to encourage the habit of praying, he also wanted us to see and feel the benefit of prayer.

     Luther had a simple formula for those he taught.  You are to rise and make the sign of the cross in remembrance of your Baptism.  You were to invoke the Trinity (In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit) say the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer then the Morning Prayer.  Then he added this little note.  “Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn.”  We find such contentment from our regular prayer life that we can joyfully go to our work comforted and strengthened by God’s grace.

     Then in the evening, you would follow the same basic formula except you would say the Evening Prayer instead of the Morning Prayer.  Here Luther added that we should, “go to sleep at once and in good cheer.”  The contentment of our regular prayer life gives us the comfort to get a good night sleep.  How many times do we toss and turn and worry the night away because we do not take advantage of one of God’s greatest blessing in life- prayer? 

      We have the tools we need to live this life in peace and contentment, in confidence and in comfort.  We only need to take advantage of what God freely gives us.  Like the hymn tells us, “take it to the Lord in prayer”.  It is here that we can find the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Father of all good things; move us to be closer to you.  Encourage us and lead us to pray to you with all boldness and confidence that you truly do answer prayers.  Give us that due sense of comfort that we receive from calling on your name.  This we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret