10-31-2021

 Good Morning All!

            Hosea 14:4: “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.”

     If you are of an age that actually wore leisure suits when they were in style, tried to disco and had hair, lots of poofy big hair, you probably remember a phrase called “free love.”  There are many ways to describe “free love,” but actual “love” probably isn’t one of them.  It was actually an excuse for wanton sexual exploitation and desecration of one of God’s great gifts. 

     Some of the fallout from “free love” is sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS; breakdown of the nuclear family, breakdown of trust between a man and a woman, a loss of a rudder in life, a loss of concern for our fellow man; I could go on but that are some of the “high” points. It is somewhat telling that these effects were evident in Israel at the time of Hosea.

     Hosea was sent to prophesy to the nation of Israel and to preach repentance to a nation which had abandoned their sacred covenant with God and took up with idolatry and all of its immorality.  In order to show the Israelites how God felt about their falling away from faith (apostasy) from being faithful; God told Hosea to marry an active prostitute and then the children she bore were not his children.

      God compares the lack of faith, the infidelity of the people, with the lack of fidelity in a marriage. God shows himself as the faithful husband while Israel is the unfaithful wife. There are very few betrayals which are more painful than that of an unfaithful spouse. It can rip your heart out and often leads to the death of the marriage. This is why adulterers were stoned in earlier biblical times; their actions were viewed as ending a life.  The pain felt by those who experience an unfaithful spouse is harsh. Although repentance and forgiveness are the goals, often the pain is too great, and the wound is too raw.

    So, as we think of this pain which the Israelites caused to God, then the willingness of God to forgive. God tells them that he will heal their unfaithfulness and will love them freely; that is without condition or reservation or less than he did before. Through this God reveals his nature to love. God is predisposed to love us; it is only when our sins and impenitence cause God to punish us.

     In many ways, we are the Israelites. We refuse God’s grace and then lust after false gods and idols. These may be fame, fortune, or a number of other issues but all reflect a selfish desire to be our own god. Even though our actions deserve punishment; God shows us his mercy and grace. He heals us and loves us freely without condition.

Dear Father, we often turn from you to our plans and schemes. Forgive us and heal us; bring us home to you. Heal our doubts and cover our fears with your wonderful love. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

 

10-30-2021

 Good Morning All!

        Hebrews 12:3; “So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.”

    There is a trick that you can play on your friends. Place a length of 2X4 on the floor and have them try to walk the length of it.  Often times, they will take a few steps and then stumble off.  You can then get on and walk from one end to the other without any trouble. The secret is where to look.

     If you try to walk a straight line on a board or even just a marked path; if you look down at where you are walking you with tumble and stumble. If you look up and out at a point ahead of you and keep your eyes focused on that spot; you can walk a straight path. By focusing on our goal, the walk will be straighter than if we focus on each step.

     Back in the days when farmers plowed, the straightest plow furrow came from the farmer looking off into the distance and focusing on a tree or a fence post and then driving straight at it. It is important to see the goal when we strike out on our path. This is true of any journey. If you do not know where you are going; it is easy to get lost along the way but how do you know you are lost if you have no destination to go to?

    Our spiritual life is the same way. As we walk along if we look down, we will stumble. If we keep focusing on the world around us it will destroy us. The world will always question us about our faith, and it will ask questions which we cannot answer. We all experience or observe things which make no sense to us and which we cannot change. We continually ask why; why do these events occur? Some may be big events; why do people die when they are so young? Why do they die when they are so young? Why do we see these senseless events? Why?

     Some of these events may be smaller, at least to others. Why does my spouse seem to pull away from me? Why do we feel more like friends than husband and wife? Why do my children seem indifferent to me? Why do my colleagues seem to avoid me?  All these events and others can shake us to the core. We may even stumble to our Bible and look for an answer and not feel like we hear any response. 

     People often decide to blame God at this point. It is easy to do; he is God, he can fix it. This is true but when we say it; we always quietly add that qualifier to the end; and fix it like I want it. There is where we really begin to stumble because the devil has us replacing God with our selves. There is a lot of pain in this world and you, and I can never solve all of it. We can only attempt to comfort those around us and to bear each other.

     One thing we often do which gets us into trouble is that we look to the wrong thing. We need to look up and look to Jesus; we need to keep our mind and our faith in Jesus. The terrible events of the world do not reveal God to us but reveal the world to us. God reveals himself to us through the cross and the empty tomb. He is our hope and our salvation. We will experience pain and sorrow; that is the lot of mankind.  But we know that a brighter day awaits and in that our hope is laid.

Dear Father, the world would have us look around and demand from you the mysteries of the universe. Forgive us when we question you and your will. Give us faith to trust; give us faith to look only to you and give us the hope of eternal life and the resurrection for which we wait. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

10-29-2021

 Good Morning All!

           Zechariah 7:10; “do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 

    It is the question which man has asked since the time when Cain killed Abel. It comes in various forms, but it is the same question. Cain asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The lawyer who questioned Jesus wondered, “Who is my neighbor?”  What do I owe my neighbor? How am I supposed to treat others? What are the expectations and demands?

    God’s law requires us to treat others, all others, well. We are never ever to treat them with disdain or ill will. We are to love one another, and this is how we are to display it. God introduces this to the Israelites on Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments. With the commandments, God gives us to levels of action. The first is the vertical relationship we have with God. This is a liturgical or worshipful relationship we have with God. We owe to God our total and complete praise, thanksgiving, honor, reverence; we owe him our love.

    The second level of relationship we have is on a horizontal level which we share with other people. Here God tells us to live an ethical relationship with our neighbor. This involves what we should not do to our fellow man, but it also includes what we should do for our fellow man. God reminds the children of Israel that they were once the suppressed, oppressed people. God chose them to be his people. Through them, God will bless the nations of the world.

    This now applies to us as God’s chosen children. He tells us that we are not to oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner (alien) the poor or anyone else. We are to love them. We too, were once oppressed, not by men but by the devil and our sinful nature. We too, were once enslaved and we are to remember this and not enslave others. We are to be God’s freeing agents. We are to free men from the enslavement by the devil. We do this by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to them but our commitment to our neighbor does not stop there. We are to aid, comfort, defend and protect those who are unable to do so themselves. This is the message from many of Jesus’ parables.

    The parable of the Good Samaritan, the unforgiving servant, the rich man and Lazarus, the rich farmer all play to this theme. We are to take care of our neighbor. So, as we look at this theme, we can see the answer to these questions: am I my brother’s keeper? Yes. Who is my neighbor? Anyone in need. The color of their skin, their gender, their socio-economic status, their wealth, or power, none of these are to be factors in who we help. We are to come to the aid of any who need it. This can be a daunting task, but it is one which God calls us to, which God will enable us to do and to which the world needs so desperately. Follow God’s will to treat others ethically and with his love; just as he treats you with mercy that we do not deserve.

Gracious Father, your wondrous mercy flows over us like a river. Grant us the strength and wisdom to love those whom you have placed into our lives and who are in need of the mercy we show because of your Spirit and will.  Bless those who obey your will through your love and grace. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret             

10-28-2021

 Good Morning All!

            Psalm 147:3; “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

    Many older houses have some cracks in them. They can show up because the house settles, and the foundation shifts a little. Sometimes they can occur because of the temperature differences between inside and out. The difference causes stress on the wall which can then cause the wall to crack. These stresses can cause the wall to crack. The crack is not the intent rather it is the result.  Some would call this collateral damage.

    Collateral damage occurs in our life as well. Stress and strain which occurs elsewhere can show up in other places.  Many have experienced it. Many have experienced from both sides. Perhaps the stress of work can cause the problem.  Maybe it is the stress of fighting the weather both physically and emotionally.  This stress can cause us to lash out and hurt others for the stress we feel. We lash out at our spouses, children, friends, and we cause cracks in our relationships.

    Perhaps you experience the collateral damage, those cracks.  Maybe you feel the pain of an unloving spouse, a rebellious child or a boss that makes your job painful.  These cracks hurt. They can cause us all sorts of problems to us. If we experience one crack in our life; we may fear a new one. An experience as a child may continue to hurt as an adult. If you were hurt by a parent; you may struggle with being a parent. The cracks can affect us for a long time. Some may try to fix the cracks; we cover them up, but they will often re-appear when those stresses to the foundation occur again. Ultimately, the only way to fix the crack is to fix the foundation.

    We need to see what our foundation is set upon. Jesus tells us that a house built upon the sand will not stand up in a storm. We need to be built upon the rock which is faith in Jesus. Yet perhaps the greatest gift we have is that even though we sin and sometimes our foundation is not that solid; God forgives us.  He heals our broken heart and binds up our wounds. He restores our soul; he fixes our foundation. He also fixes those cracks in our walls; those blemishes which can show in our lives.

     We need to trust in God’s promise so that we see past the stresses. We need to keep our hope in his unending grace. Our journey, our time here in this broken creation is filled with uncertainty and stress. But we see the end, we see the sunrise of the resurrection and life eternal with Jesus in the perfect creation. This is our only hope. Only by trusting in God and his mercy can we stand up to the stresses of life. Only faith in him can heal the cracks in our lives.

    Dear Father, we face the challenges of life and when we face them on our own strength we crumble and crack. Give us the strength to stand tall by your grace and power. Keep us held in your arms. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-27-2021

 Good Morning All!

        Psalm 27:14; “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”   

    Think of some of the phrases that we hear that drive us crazy. Some of mine are “I’ll get right on it.” Or “I’ll do it when I get time.”  Or “We’ll be with you with the next available operator.”  Or “You’re next on the list!”  Or “We’ll be back in 15 minutes!”  All these phrases can test on patience; they test our ability to wait.      

    We do not wait very well. Your computer downloads are too slow, the microwave is too slow. The big box store needs more express checkout lines. Everything we deal with needs to get done quicker and quicker. Waiting is not something we do very well. If it is not a fast-food restaurant it has to be fast dining; whatever that is?

    We thrive on instant access to everything. Do you want to know the temperature in a dozen different cities around the world? You can find out in an instance. Do you want to find out about a favorite star or athlete? You can do it in an instance. You can order clothes to be delivered in a couple of days. We desire speed; the store where I do not have to wait is the store that I will shop at.

    That part of our nature, the part that does not like to wait, is one part that causes us to struggle in our faith life. God’s time is not always our time. God’s ways are not the same as our ways.  So, when we see or experience an event; we want an answer, and we want it now. Our prayer is often “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now!”  So, when I want an answer; I expect God to deliver.

     This is part of why God tells us to wait for the Lord. To “wait” means to trust that God will deliver on his promises. We are expectant of something wonderful happening. Just like the expectant mother wants joyful for the birth of her child, so we wait for the Lord. We need to trust in God’s grace and mercy for we can take heart, we can find our confidence in that God will keep his promises. God has kept all his promises so far and is faithful to keep them all tomorrow and forever.

    So, you and I need to learn about being patient and about waiting for God. If we look at Scriptures, we see a lot of waiting. Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born. Jacob and Rebekah waited 40 years after they were married for their sons to be born. Moses waited 40 years for the Lord to call him back. David waited 15 years after being anointed as the next king to be the next king. How long will you wait? How long will you and I wait for God to answer our prayers? It is a hard question to answer but one which we need to strive for; one we need to ask God to lead us and guide us as we go forward. Patience results in humbly trusting God. It is as Paul wrote endurance (patience) produces character and character produces hope and hope never fails.

Dear Father, our patience is weak, and we do not like to wait. Mold us into the disciple who waits, who is patient and trusting. Mold us into the disciple who knows only faith in you. Give strength and courage to your people. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-26-2021

   Good Morning All!

         Mark 8:37; “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” 

      I am a clunker kind of guy. I will take a vehicle and run it until it dies. It usually ends up in the trees somewhere. There is always the plan to scrap it or sell it, but it usually just sits there. Nobody wants them; not even my neighbor who is worse than I am, wants them. It makes it tough to trade for a different vehicle.

    We go through things like that. We have something that has no value, and we would like to trade for something of value but what do we have to offer? We rarely ever get anything for it. The only way is if someone feels sorry for us. Maybe, somewhere in you past, you played Monopoly with a much younger child, and you traded with him a property of value for something that he had that wasn’t so good.  You may have even let him win. Sometimes as parents we do that.

    Our verse asks the question, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  This is a very loaded question. What would you give? Most of us think in terms of the clunker; I would trade anything for my soul but what I have is of no value. What I have is worthless, so I guess I am just a duck out of luck. What will I give for my soul?

    The answer is I will give my sins for my soul. This is what we call the “happy exchange.”  Jesus gave his life to earn our redemption. He then turns around and gives it to us. He takes our sins, our pains, our shortcomings and shortfalls, the times when we failed God. Jesus takes them from us and carries them on his back to the cross on Calvary. He takes our sins and gives to us his righteousness. We get to clothe ourselves in his righteous cloak and he stands naked with our sins. He takes the wrath, and we take the blessing.

     This really is not a fair deal; we come out way, way ahead. Yet it is the deal that a loving, gracious Father gives to us. We exchange our sins for Christ’s righteousness. With that righteousness we have eternal life; we have a soul to live in everlasting joy and glory. What would you give for your soul? How about giving up on your sinful life, your sinful pride, and the belief that you can do it by yourself? How about giving up your foolish, selfish arrogance and submitting, humbly, to God’s mercy?

     When we view it that way, we really have something to trade. Fortunately for us, we have a loving God who takes all sorts of body types in trade. They can be as worn out as you can imagine and yet God will gladly take them in and give you a perfect cloak of righteousness. The only thing you have to lose is something that is worthless anyway, trade it to God.  Trust in his promise and receive his blessings; it is the best deal you can get.

Dear Father, you give to us freely the hard-earned gift of redemption. Give us the strength to cling to that promise and to hold fast to your grace. Protect those who are in need of your comfort and consolation.  Use us to bring this to them in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret        

10-25-2021

Good Morning All!

         Nahum 1:3; “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

    There is an old saying among sailors about any port in a storm. There was even a time when the great shipping nations would grant enemy ships the right to make harbor in case of a storm. After the storm, the ship had a few hours to sail and then they were fair game. It was often the suddenness of the storm that would cause the sailors to fear.

    A calm day could turn into a nightmare. The seafarer soon became skilled at reading the signs of the weather. Red sky at morning sailor takes warning, red sky at night sailor delight. This saying is very old and believed by many sailors, even today. It did not take long for sailors to begin to read all the signs that would give clues to the coming weather. They would watch the animals, the birds, and the fish all provided behavioral patterns to which the sailors could try and determine problems ahead.

     Yet many a sailor would go out and many a sailor would find themselves in trouble. They would seek any port in a storm to keep them safe. Many people today have that same attitude. They seek any and all ports of safety in a storm.

     We see this when a person faces a health scare. As they wait for the results from the tests; they pray and then check their horoscope and then do some form of luck enhancement. When the test come back negative, they thank their lucky stars, dodged the bullet, and may even say a quick prayer of thanks. Yet if the results are not negative; what comfort do your “lucky stars” give you? We need to know where our stronghold truly is.

    David wrote that God is my refuge and strength. He was a guy who knew about trouble. Even though he was the greatest king that Israel had ever known; he spent a lot of time running and hiding from people trying to kill him. Even when he was all alone and the enemy surrounded him, he found refuge in God. We can as well. God offers us the assurance of our salvation and the certain promise of our salvation. Even when all the earthly pretenders fail; God provides.

    While many think that it is acceptable to “cover all the bases” and look for comfort from any who claim to offer it; our only true source of comfort and happiness is in God. Our salvation is guaranteed because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. This is our port, our only port, in any storm, in any trial or tribulation; God protects us and guards us from all danger. We will face many trials; this is part of sinful man, but God promises to guard us and protect us from all harm and evil. We do not even have to read the signs; simply trust our port, our stronghold for our salvation; Jesus our risen Lord.

Dear Father, you keep us safe from all that the devil and this sinful world throw at us. We give you thanks for your comforting spirit and your safe and loving arms. Be with those who are in need of your comfort and give us the wisdom to reach out to those who need it most. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-24-2021

 Good Morning All!

      Matthew 9:10; “And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.”    

    Mealtime can be one of the most important times in our day. Some meals can be some of the most important times of your lives. Think of the first meal you ate with your future spouse. Think of the first meal you ate with your future in-laws. Think of the meals that you have spent with your family or friends. When you are with those whom you love, the food seems to taste better. It seems to be made with love.

    I remember as a child we would have many meals with uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, great aunts, and uncles. We would sit around the table, enjoy the meal, and then enjoy the time of talking and listening. The younger ones would sit and listen to their past being told to them in very carefully crafted and honed stories. The older members would listen to their future as the dreams of tomorrow were expressed.

    Sometimes, the best times are spent with friends around the meal table. You share stories of children as they grow and before too long; you are sharing stories of grandchildren. Time spent with family and friends around the meal table makes even unbearable events tolerable. It is often around a table with food on it that friends cry together over the death of a parent or spouse. We use the meal table for some of our most important life events.

    Jesus spends a lot of time around the meal table with people. Some, like our verse, were among the outcasts of Jewish society. Other times, Jesus is eating with the Pharisees and debating the meaning of the Law. Jesus spends much of his time eating meals with the people that he interacts with. It appears that the common event was to have him over for a meal after the Sabbath was done. The only question was whether it was with the Jewish leaders or with the Jewish outcasts.

    Jesus spends this time in much the same way that we do. He used this time to listen to the people but mostly to try and to teach them with a more in depth understanding of what the kingdom of heaven meant and how God was a God who loved them as dear children. Jesus used the mealtime table to deliver his message of salvation. This gave him a personal, intimate time with those to whom he came. He shared with them the meal as he told them his salvation.

    Jesus comes to us in the form of a meal today. He comes to us in his body and blood with all of its spirit refreshing and soul reviving benefits.  Jesus comes to you with his personal and intimate message of salvation. He comes to you, and he comes to me with the message of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life eternal.

Dear Father, Come to us we pray. Come to share with us to comfort us to give us the hope of life eternal. Guard us with your tender hand and keep us safe in you. Be with those who are in need of your grace the most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

10-23-2021

 Good Morning All!

          Hebrews 13:2; “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 

    There used to be a TV show called “Touched by an Angel.”  The basic premise was that an angel would visit people at certain difficult times in their lives to offer direction and help them make the right choices. I did not watch the show that much, so I do not know that much about it. Did the people realize that an angel had visited? Did the people just think it was a fluke event that they got lucky with, and the angels were just “there”?

     Do angels visit us? I do not know. In this verse, it would seem, at least, possible. Hospitality is a very important part of our Christian faith. The willingness to put others in front of our own needs is a virtue which is highly valued. As we look at other Scripture passages, we hear where Jesus tells us to give away and follow him, to carry a burden farther than required, to give more than asked to and so forth. This is a continuation of the Jewish teaching of showing kindness to strangers.

    The Old Testament says that you are to be kind to the “aliens in the land.” This is because it is to remind the Israelites that they too were once aliens in a hostile land and that God graciously saved them from this slavery. This, itself, is an ongoing of God’s direction that we are to care for one another. This is the crux of the teaching; we are to care for each other. We are to neither be a solo person nor are we to expect others to go it alone.

    This was especially true in the early church. The early evangelists travelled light often not even taking any money. They relied on the kindness of the early converts. Even then, the early evangelist would often times get a job in order to support themselves.  Yet they would stay with a kind family that would give them a place to sleep and would feed them as well.

     This kind of hospitality was what helped the early church grow. The kind of hospitality that Christians showed all other people also made the early church grow. Early Christians were the only ones who would comfort the dying and feed the starving. The church grew as people witnessed the kindness, the hospitality of the early Christians.

    We do not have to go up and down the streets to show hospitality. In this impersonal world, the kind touch, the warm smile, the gentle voice can bring a sense of welcome to those around us. We may or may not entertain angels, but we do witness to the love of Jesus. The visual and physical efforts to show God’s love, love in action, is what the world sees long before it hears. It is as the late George McGovern use to say,” Speak the Gospel every day; use words if you have to.”  We speak it best with our actions for they speak the loudest.

Gracious Father, when I lack attentive care for my neighbor remind me that you laid down your life for me while I was still the enemy. Lead us, Lord from death to life. Give to those in pain or lost in the sea of despair your guidance and hope. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-22-2021

 Good Morning All!

Genesis 1: 13; “And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”

    Have you ever stopped and thought about the rhythm that exists in the Bible? It starts at the very beginning of the Bible; the rhythm flows “the evening and the morning.”  There is an ebb and flow, a comfortable movement within Scriptures. The seasons, planting and harvest, the years, the lunar movement, and the tidal movement all show a rhythm; a steady comfortable beat; a pulse. Our heart, our breathing shows a rhythm, a flow at ease with our very existence, is essential to our core being.

    The thing about our rhythm that is really noticeable is when we are out of rhythm or out of sync.  We all feel that certain sense of discomfort, a sense of life amiss when the rhythm of our life is disrupted. This is one thing that the devil and the world and our sinful nature really tries to cause: a disruption in our rhythm. Think of how the Bible describes creation before sin. It is very good, perfect, in total sync with perfect rhythm.

    Yet when sin entered the world; the rhythm was attacked and completely disrupted. The perfect “ebb and flow” was replaced by too high of highs and too low of lows. Comfort and peace are replaced by seeking to balance two extremes. The emptiness which the world creates around us twists our healthy rhythm for a very unhealthy one.

    We become ruled by tyrants; tyrants whose names are too busy, too urgent, too frantic, too anxious, too fearful, too selfish. These create unhealthy, sinful rhythms which destroy. They destroy our relationships because we have no balance instead of a rhythm, we are simply adrift. All the time, the rhythm of our relationship with our friends and neighbors, the rhythm with our family and the rhythm of our relationship with God are all disrupted; maybe even destroyed.

    Yet God sent Jesus into the world to restore the rhythm. Jesus restores us to God’s family where we can enjoy God’s rhythm. Instead of sinful man’s frenetic pace which only destroys, we have God’s rhythmic action of “thank and praise” “serve and obey.”  We can return to the rhythm of speaking to God and listening to God of praying and reading God’s Word. We can return to the rhythm of worship and service. All our relationships strengthen and grow by the rhythmic breathing in God’s grace and mercy and breathing out the works which he has laid out for us to do. The rhythm of God’s love returns and flows throughout our life bringing us the comfort of His Spirit and His peace.

Lord of Creation, create in us a new rhythm of life composed of hours that sustain rather than stress, of days that deliver rather than destroy, of time that heals rather than harms. To our overcrowded calendars let us say “Peace;” to our over-caffeinated consciences let us say “Cease;” to our suffocating selves Lord, grant us release. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

10-21-2021

 Good Morning All!

      Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 

     During the Lenten season we often focus on the passion or the suffering of Christ. While we do that, it is important to look not just at the suffering and spending a lot of time discussing the efficiency of Roman torture; we really should focus on the humanity of Jesus.

     Jesus was tempted by the devil in many ways, some so subtle that we miss them. Jesus is greatly tempted during the final hours of his earthly life.  One of those temptations is to come off the cross as a sign of his power overall. Another temptation is in this prayer which Luke records as part of the Gethsemane prayer. Jesus asks the Father to “remove this cup” as in “don’t make me suffer like this.”  (The cup here refers to God’s Cup of wrath from the OT.) It is a completely human reaction. No sane person desires to be tortured and killed.

    Yet it is that last part which causes us to stumble the most, “not my will, but yours, be done.”  Jesus prayed it and meant it. He knew the Father’s will, intimately. He knew the plan was to show God’s love by dying for the creature to buy it back and not from a display of power or force. We even say this in one form or another in our prayers. The Lord’s Prayer has “Thy will be done” and most preachers teach that we should always add this in some form to our prayer. I often think we do it to entice God to think that our will is His kind of like when someone says “it’s common knowledge or common sense to take this course of action” when it really isn’t that common.

    How often do we experience God’s will, and we not only ask that the cup be taken away, but we take it and throw it away? We may not face death and torture but what about ridicule and shame? Are we silent when we should speak up? Do we turn and look the other way? Jesus warned us that it would not be a piece of cake to be a Christian. Sometimes it will be tough. Yet we cling ever so tightly to the promise of salvation which He gives to us. It is only by his strength that we can ever say this prayer.

     God’s mercy for us provides us a way to survive. He gives us the comfort of his Spirit and the hope of his grace. He keeps us in his loving arms and carries us on our way. We may taste the bitter cup of man’s wrath, the discomfort, the rejection, the contempt. But we will never taste the cup of wrath from God. Jesus did that for us. Many in this world cannot or will not say this. They reject God’s grace and will face his wrath. We will not have to. So, as we pray, “Thy will be done” we can do it confidently knowing that God’s will for our salvation is complete and that his will for us is our salvation. So, when you are given those times which seem to weigh mightily on us, we can take heart that God’s will for us is eternal life with him. For this we can give thanks.

Gracious Lord, we often look at your will and question it and think that ours is better.  Forgive our arrogance and foolishness. Keep us in your tender care and give us courage when our “cup” comes around. Give us the strength to endure in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

10-20-2021

 Good Morning All!

      Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

    Many years ago, when I was still in high school, we had a youth gathering in Minneapolis. One of the outings was to go to the IDS Tower. It was very tall, and you could ride an elevator up to an observation deck and look out over the city and a good chunk of Minnesota and probably Wisconsin if you knew what you were looking for.

    Most of us who went up more than one, really just liked to ride the elevator.  On the observation deck, we would lean against the glass and try to see down. As we were standing there looking out, we noticed one of our group standing in the middle of the deck. He was somewhat pale and was sweating up a storm.  We got in the elevator, and he stood as far back as he could up against the wall. When we got to ground level, we went to a restaurant to eat. As we sat there, we asked him if he was feeling all right. He told us this story.

    When he was 8 or 9 years old, he fell off a grain bin. It was only about ten feet, but he landed with a thud.  His parents had told him not to play on the bin, but you know how boys can be. He said he hurt really bad but was afraid to tell his parents.  It took about a week before he felt better. Ever since that event, he was terrified of heights. He did not even like the top row of bleachers at a ballgame.  But when he saw that going up the IDS Tower was on the schedule, he decided he was going to go.

    We wondered aloud what he would have done if he would have gotten halfway up and panicked. The elevator was an express one, form the ground floor to the deck with no stops along the way. He kind of laughed and said he never thought about that.  Maybe if he had, he would not have gone.  But he did go, and we all congratulated him. For the rest of us, it was a chance to go high and look around; for him it was to stare at a personal demon and defeat it.

    We all have those personal demons in our life. There are those thoughts or events which just send us into fear and uncontrolled panic. For many it is the fear of death, especially a loved one. For others it is being alone. For some it is having no control in their life. For some it is watching loved one’s struggle with bad decisions. We struggle with those demons. At times we may even think that the demons might win.

    When you feel that way, remember what Paul tells us here. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. The key is to remember who has the strength; it is Jesus who has all the power. It is Jesus who handles our fear.  We need to see that our personal strength gets us nowhere; we only have strength through Jesus. We cannot beat the demons, but Jesus already has; we only need to receive this blessing on faith.  The fears that we have are all already conquered. God’s mercy has dealt with them and now comforts us and shields us. The devil can no longer use these to attack us. We need to cling to God who will see us through the storms of life.

Dear Father, our own strength is nothing compared to yours. We cannot stand up to the devil and his ways, we need someone to rescue us. We thank you for sending Jesus to fight our battles and to win our wars. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-19-2021

 Good Morning All!

        John 15:5; “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

    What do you call a branch that is not hooked to a tree? It is called a stick. What are branches good for? They produce flowers, fruit; provide shade and a place for birds and squirrels to live. What is a stick good for? Kindling.

    Ok, so I am not really good at writing riddles, but I think you get the point.  Even the largest branch, once it is no longer connected to the tree, is dead. A branch that is connected to a tree, even a tiny branch, produces more fruit than any branch that has broken off. All of this seems quite logical so why do we have trouble seeing that this applies to our lives?

    Jesus is telling us that He is the vine. The vine is the source of all nourishment and strength. Even if the branch cracks, as long as it is connected to the vine it will survive, even flourish as it continues to be fed by vine.  The vine also serves as protection for the branch. It remains anchored safely as the wind buffets the branch. It is through the nourishment of vine that the branch is able to produce flower and fruit.  We are the same.

     Yet we often head off in our own direction thinking we can produce better fruit without any nourishment. We see ourselves as really quite capable of going our own way and making our own choices; all the while we are drying up and shriveling to nothing.  As soon as the next hot, dry spell occurs, we will really be a goner!!  Soon we will be picked up and disposed of burned in a fire somewhere. We will not survive by ourselves.

    Think of the times in your life when you have been buffeted by the winds of trial and trouble. We have illnesses or relationship strains, financial woes, job woes; we have enough woes to float a ship. That is the nature of mankind living in a sinful condition.  If we are not attached to the true Vine (Jesus), we will soon be used as kindling in the fire of the power of the devil. He will cause you to live as if there is no hope. The devil will toy with you and harm you. The devil will make your life miserable. We need to stay attached to the true vine.

     God gives us all we need to stay attached. He gives his Word for us to hear what he has to say. He gives us prayer so we can speak to him. He gives us the body and blood so we may be fed the spirit-lifting, soul-refreshing meal which we need. God does all to keep us attached we need only to not let go. We need to trust in him as the true vine to rescue us and to keep us safe and strong, to keep us nourished and fed. It is only through him that we can survive the onslaught of this world’s perils. We can never win the battle alone we can only win through God’s grace.

Father of all mercy, without you we are completely lost. Hold us close, keep us connected to you. Feed us, nourish us, and protect us from the attacks of the evil foe. Give comfort to those who need it most, in Jesus precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

10-18-2021

 Good Morning All!

     Matthew 24:42; “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” 

    Many years ago, there was a movie titled “Dead Poets Society.”  It starred Robin Williams as an unorthodox English teacher in a staid private school. He teaches poetry and he teaches it is about feelings. It is about passion. He teaches that all the great poetry is dripping with raw emotion. In one of the more riveting scenes, he takes his class to look at pictures of previous graduating classes from long ago, long enough that all those in the pictures are dead.

    He tells them the legacy of these men to them is the message, “Carpe Diem!”  “Seize the day, lads!”  He tells the students that we are all one day closer to death and to think that we will live forever is folly. We need to grab life today or else we may miss it.

    This is the same message to us as Christians except we have a “double angle.” We see our eventual death and we also see the return of our Lord which may precede our earthly death. This may sound somewhat fearful maybe even macabre but in truth it should be liberating to us.

    We know that we have God’s promise of salvation. We know if we cling to this promise we are truly saved. So, we should live the lives that God gives to us with all the joy that we can. Rather than sitting idly by God wants us to live this life that he gives to us with all the excitement that we can.

    God gives us the freedom to live! We are not tied down by the devil or the trials of this world; they are only temporary. It is only our sinful nature that makes these molehills into mountains. God calls to us with his love and part of that message is to take hold of life. Tell those in your life that you love them. Visit old friends; make new ones. God gives us the opportunity to do it today; we need to do it. God gives us the freedom to go on with our life.

    Yet God gives to us another reason for our desire to seize the day; as the day of the Lord approaches; there are many souls to be witnessed to. We see this in the early disciples. They go and preach with great fervor because they are convinced that Jesus’ return is only a few days, weeks at most a few months away. They preached with a fervor and an intensity in order to get the message preached as far as possible trying to complete the mission of “in Jerusalem, Judea and all the world.”

    God gives us the day to seize with all the energy that we have. We are to live, love, and witness with a zeal and a desire. God tells to never delay; we are to never avoid or miss the opportunity to witness Jesus’ Gospel in whatever way we can. Whether it is through showing our love to our family and friends or sharing God’s love to total strangers, seize the day you do not know when the day of the Lord will come.

Gracious Father, you give us each day to live. Give us the desire to live each day with the desire and zeal to serve you. Give us the zeal and desire to love those around us and to bring to them your love and hope. Move your Church to be your fire. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-17-2021

 Good Morning All!

Matthew 8:25; “And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 

    In 2000 there was a movie that starred George Clooney called “The Perfect Storm”. It was based on a true story about a sword fishing captain named Billy Tyne who convinces his crew to go out one last time to catch fish. They go out farther than usual and end up being caught in a storm that was the confluence of two weather patterns and a hurricane; thus, it was the perfect storm. All the crew was lost at sea.

    We here in South Dakota know about storms. It might be a severe thunderstorm with high winds or even a tornado. Or it may be a blizzard with 12 to 16 or more inches of snow plus the wind, always the wind, to boot. It was not the “perfect storm;” it was just a Dakota thunderstorm or blizzard; some inconvenience but not much else. Now if a really big storm did hit; that might be different.  What would it take for a Dakota thunderstorm or blizzard to be a perfect storm? Do we need more rain and higher winds? Do we need more snow or more wind? Does it have to last longer than a couple of days? It would take a lot for us to see a perfect storm; one of tremendous power and very destructive.

    The disciples were to the Sea of Galilee like we are to the Dakota plains. It took a lot to shake them. They were experienced fishermen who had fished the Sea of Galilee their whole life.  They were aware of its penchant to be unpredictable. The winds can shift, and a storm is upon you immediately. So how great was this storm which hit their boat while they were crossing the Sea of Galilee? These experienced fishermen woke Jesus because they were in sheer terror.  They thought they were going to die, and they were terrified.

    One can wonder why the disciples woke Jesus. They may have thought he should be awake when the boat sank. Perhaps they had seen enough miracles and hoped that he had another one. Jesus had shown his power and they wanted to tap into it. This is the most likely answer. There is a very small chance that they knew Jesus to be God but that is kind of unlikely here. As far as they were concerned, Jesus was the “Get out of Jail Free Card” in the storm of Galilee. He could save them. But he had to be awake. So, they woke him saying “Save us Lord; we are perishing.”

    When we feel those times when it feels like our boat is about to sink, we too need to call upon Jesus, “Lord save us; we are perishing!”  For we are. Every turn for us is a cause for us to perish. We too, should call upon Jesus not because of the powerful deeds but because of the love which he has for us. It is his love which moves him to save us. It is his grace which saves not his power. It is by his grace that we are invited into the lap of the loving Father. We too, should call out “Lord save us” because he has promised to continue to do just that; save us.

Dear Father, we are lost without you. We cry out “Lord save us” and you do. Give us courage to face our storms knowing that you are always there to protect us. Give your courage to those who are facing storms right now. Guard them from the evil foe. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret