1-31-2022

 Good Morning All,

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

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

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

    So, we are to live each day, to its fulness. We should not miss the opportunity to speak of our love for each other and to reconcile with those to whom we have a strained or broken relationship. There may not be a tomorrow so, we should act today. Speak today, act today, love today. This is God’s guidance for us. Do not assume that we have weeks to “get around to it,” we may have little time at all. The truth of our frailness, the fragility of our existence is never far away.

    Yet God in his mercy, gives us the life we have. And while we may not know what tomorrow may bring, we know of an eternity with our heavenly Father and the certainty of his gracious gift of perfection to come. We possess God’s great gift, granted to us in love; a love we should share today with those around us.

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

God's Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-30-2022

 Good Morning All,

              Hebrews 13:8; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

    It seems that when Christians gather together to study God’s Word, there can be quite a bit of variety in the interpretation of the passages studied.  There is one place where most Christians agree, we all skip the genealogies. It does not matter if it is for Noah or David or for Jesus, when we get to the genealogies, we skim them at best. There are many reasons for this, we cannot pronounce the names, we do not have the foggiest notion who they are or where the fit in and many people find genealogy boring. I might be interested in who my great grandfather was but please do not bore me with who yours is.

    We also use them as a method of ownership or power. If I can prove that my ancestor had first claim to that land, maybe I can lay claim to it. Or maybe I should be the Prince of Saxony (or maybe not). We often use our own genealogy to find and extract power or leverage in our life today. But, like so many times in Scripture, we read with an intent already planned, God revealing is something different.

    We use genealogies to look back, who was my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side or how far removed is that one cousin, 3^rd, or 4^th (I hope). We use them to categorize and find lineage connections. God takes genealogies and looks forward. That is why God told Moses, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” I am their God, and I am your God, and I am your descendants God. The promise that I made to Adam and Eve about sending a Savior is the same promise He made to Abraham and to you. The same Jesus, who never changes, who forgave sins and healed the infirm, does the same for you and me today.

    God is showing us his faithfulness. The same way he delivered the Children of Israel in the desert, He delivers us from our sins. Just as He called the people of Israel to be holy and to be the hands of His mercy, He calls us to the same. God goes forward with His promise and His faithfulness. It does not waver or fail. We can look at the examples of God’s faithfulness to those men and women in the Bible, to His faithfulness to our ancestors, even His past faithfulness to us to know that God is faithful today and tomorrow. His faithfulness lasts forever because the way we see this faithfulness in the person of Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

    We can take comfort in God’s unfailing, unwavering, unchanging nature. His nature is that of love for us and the desire that we know His love and walk in His ways in peace, hope and joy. So, next time read the genealogies and see those to whom God has been faithful and know of His faithfulness to you, His beloved child.

Father of unchanging grace, keep us ever in your loving arms. Guide us by your Spirit that we may see your hand of protection in our lives. Keep our eyes ever focused upon Jesus as the true unchanging mercy that you have given us. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

1-29-2022

 Good Morning All,

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-28-2022

 Good Morning All,

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-27-2022

 Good Morning All,

Acts 2: 11; “We hear these men in our own languages as they tell about the miracles that God has done.”   

    I am, what you might call, a low-end shopper. You will not find a Brooks Brothers suit in my closet. I am a Wal-Mart, Shopko, even the local farm supply store if the price is right kind of guy. I am always tempted by those “one size fits all” outfits. I will walk away a few times but will eventually succumb to the temptation. After all, I don’t have to figure out if I am a large, an extra-large, an extra-large, long, or whatever; after all, one size fits all.

     I know this never works; but once, just once, it should. Yet when I get it home; the one size that fits all either will fit 6-8 people in it comfortably or it looks like I have been stuffed in sausage casings! (Trust me this is NOT a good look for me.)  Yet in this world, we go more and more for the idea that “one size fits all.”  We see it in the “cookie cutter” style of housing, food preparation, fashion, or any of a number of things. One size fits all and the world wants us to be satisfied with this. If you are a little different, well that is tough just force yourself to fit in and either wear something that is way too tight or way too big.

     The world will tell you that your faith is the same way, but God tells you something very different. God does not make you have a “one size fits all” relationship. God has a very personal and loving relationship with you. He is YOUR God. He knows how many hairs are on the top of your head and He speaks your language. He knows your needs even before you do. He calls you by name, views you as precious in His eye.

    When we go to God, he already knows what we need and how he will answer us. God speaks to us in our own language and addresses our own specific needs. We do not have to take a number, or schedule a time, or make our needs, our pain or fear fit into some “one size fits all.”  God comes to you, with his love and grace, with all his tender mercy. He comes to you, as you are but he does not leave you as you were. Rather, he redeems us, fixes us up and sets us back on the path which he has laid out for us. We will continue to struggle; that is what a sinful world gives us. Yet we do not struggle alone; we do not face the tests alone. God is there for us in each battle, in each personal struggle; God is there in a personal way giving us his eternal love. He has promised to be with us when going through the rivers or the fires, when facing our adversaries or when our doubts grow large. He will not abandon you. He will not walk away.

Dearest Father, in a world where one size does not fit all you come to me with your personal love and grace. Guard and protect me from the struggles of this day. Be with those who are especially struggling this day. Send your Spirit of comfort and hope to sustain them this day. Keep all your children safe within your loving arms, in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-26-2022

 Good Morning All,

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

     We are in currently in the season of Epiphany. This is where we look at Jesus “revealing” himself to the world. Soon we will enter the Lenten season. Here we do 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 do not 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. 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 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    

1-25-2022

 Good Morning All,

         Matthew 17:20; “He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you,"    

    Imagine that I would offer you an incredible weekend of fun, excitement and great entertainment for you and your family. I would show up at your house and pick you up. You do not need to bring anything, it will all be provided. I will not tell you where we are going or what we are doing. My answer to you is simply, “get in, it will be fun, trust me!” Do you? Do you trust me? Do you trust the situation? Do you trust that the experience will be as wonderful as promised or do you have doubts? Do you have a million questions in your mind? What would be your response? Would you get in or pass?

    This is, in many ways, what faith is like. In confirmation class, the thumbnail definition of faith is “the desire to trust God’s promises.” We read and hear God’s promises made to us when we read Scriptures or listen to a sermon. We experience God’s promise of eternal life; we hear the promise of forgiveness of our sins, We read of a perfected body, a perfect creation, no more sorrow or pain or death. Do you trust it? Do you believe? This is faith.

   God makes his promises to us in His holy Word. He shows us the promises in Jesus and then keeps them in the resurrection. But to some, the promises are not fully explained. What will the perfected body look like? When will it happen? Where is it now? “Just show me a glimpse and I will be happy” is the thought of many. They do not trust God to deliver on the promises he makes. They do not think the promise is equal to the hype.

   God has promised us eternal life with Him in the new creation and then He says to trust in the certainty of this promise. We have the certainty of Scripture; we have the Holy Spirit as the down payment, and we have the knowledge that God cannot lie; but is that enough? Not for some people but what about you? Jesus once asked his disciples, “who do you say that I am?” That same question we must answer because it reveals our true faith. Do you believe in Jesus or in something else?

    God has promised us something far greater than any weekend that I could plan. It is an eternity of perfect bliss, joy, and celebration. It is the certainty of life in the perfected creation, walking in the cool of the morning with God. This is His promise, do you trust it, do you believe it?

   Faith in God’s promises then can lead us to a peace and contentment that the world cannot give or understand. When you know that you end up with God in perfect eternity, what is there to fear? Nothing can separate us from the promise once God has given it. Trust in His never- ending grace for you, his beloved child.

Father of all mercies, give me the strength to trust in Your wonderful promises. Give me the peace that comes with faith in Your saving Name and keep me in Your steadfast love and mercy. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-24-2022

 Good Morning All,

         Psalm 92:4; “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.”

    Do you have times in your life when it feels like someone put itching powder down your back? You always seem to have a heightened level is discomfort.  Sometimes it is in the whole family. Everyone is just a little snippy at each other. Most conversations end in a growl or a bark. The level of ire is raised to the “red alert” level. It seems like when you talk to your spouse you need a helmet to stay safe. It just feels like there is an edge in the air and we are not sure how to deal with it.

    Some may think it is the end of January/beginning of February blahs kicking in, but you can get these spells in the summer or spring or fall.  They usually occur about the time we have experienced a disappointment. We get it this time of the year because the Christmas hype is finally shot.  The new toy or gadget that we thought would be a godsend is either broke or stuffed in the closet. As you watch that gift that you gave go to the bone pile; you have just received the third or fourth credit card bill for it. We pay the bill and grumble something about “ungrateful no good no accounts; never appreciate one thing I do for them” and we go from there.

     Therein lay the problem. We spend all of our time looking at what isn’t instead of looking at what is.  We spend all our time focusing on what is not in the house rather than what is in the house. Maybe you don’t have the 60” TV with surround sound but you do have a warm bed, plenty of food, family and friends.  We have all these gifts from God, and we always wonder why we do not have more.

    So, if you ever feel this way and you want a plan to change it; start a praise list. Everyday write down a few things you are thankful for and post it where you and the rest of your family can see it. You will be surprised what you have to be thankful for if you stop and look.  You have a job, a place to live, food, family, friends, and so much more. Then when you look even harder at the things that bring joy to your life, the neighbor’s children who make you smile, the neighbor who keeps your road or sidewalk cleared, the friendly face at the drive-through, the warm welcome at the coffee meeting, the teacher or coach who spends a little extra time with your child, the person who sits behind you in church who can really sing.  It is these little things which bring us joy.  It is these little things which God gives to us.  So be glad for the work of the Lord and sing for joy at the works of his hand. We have so much to rejoice over, look for it and then see if the itching powder does not go away.

Dear Father, your mercies roll over us like a flood and yet we do not see it. Forgive us as we focus on what is not there rather than what is there. We give you thanks for all the blessing that we receive. We especially give you thanks for the forgiveness of sins which we have through Jesus n whose precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-23-2022

 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 very 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

1-22-2022

 Good Morning All,

          John 10:3; “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” 

   Working with animals is an interesting adventure. To watch it, many think it is easy but that might be very deceptive. The person who takes care of the cattle or sheep can walk through the pen or lot and not a critter will wiggle. But let an unknown person in and the begin to get nervous and “flighty,” they may even begin to run. They do not know or trust this “new creature.”

    It is amazing how that works in animals. I have a good neighbor friend who has a fair number of cows. They are nervous around everyone else but not with him. He can walk through the middle of the herd and the cows will barely move. A preacher friend asked him why this was. He told the preacher,” I guess it is because I smell like them.”  We have a Savior who knows what we smell like.

    We have a Savior who knows us inside and out, who knows our weaknesses and our failings. Yet, like the gentle shepherd that he is, he calmly calls to us; he calls us by name. He calls us out of our wretched sinfulness and our hopeless condition. He calls us by name into his loving kingdom. He calls us by his Word, and it is this Word by which we know him. He speaks to us through his Word which is living and active. He speaks to us through his holy meal of the body and the blood. God speaks to us through Jesus the one who knows you the one who calls you by name.

     It does not matter how beaten down we are. It does not matter if the world looks at you as worthless or not worth the effort; God does. God sees you as his own precious child and desires for you to return to his family to return to his flock. So, he calls you; he calls you by name. By faith, we hear that voice, and we know it; we know the voice of our dear Savior.

     When we hear that voice, it is the voice of comfort it is the voice of peace it is the voice of hope. God speaks to us with the gentle love of the Father in heaven. He speaks to us when times are good, and he speaks to us when times are bad. He speaks to us with words of joy and jubilation. He speaks to us with comfort and consolation. He speaks to us to give us strength and to give us hope.

    So, listen, listen closely. Listen by reading his written word. Listen by hearing his spoken word. Listen by eating and drinking his sacramental word. Listen, knowing that in whatever form we find it; it gives us the words of forgiveness of sins; it gives to us the words of salvation.

Precious Savior, you call us by name and give to us our security. You give us your words of comfort. Keep us safely in your arms and protect us from all danger. Be with those who are suffering and nudge those who do not hear their name as you call. In your most holy and precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-21-2022

 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

1-20-2022

 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 a thing or two about storms. We know sharp summer thunderstorms that can produce tornadoes. We know about winter storms that can become a blizzard that lasts for a couple of days. Now if a really big storm did hit; that might be different.  What would it take for a Dakota blizzard to be a perfect storm? 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 blizzard as 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       

1-19-2022

 Good Morning All,

            Isaiah 49:16; “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

     When a group of rowdy boys get together, they often will start to compare scars that they have. It might start with a small one on an elbow then a little bigger one on the knee; then a bigger one on the leg then pretty soon all are giggling and laughing, and the stories get bigger and bigger.  Men rarely grow out of this. During the movie “Jaws” there is a scene where Brody, Hooper and Quint are sitting around comparing scars. At one point Hooper points to his chest and says he has the scar from when a little girl in junior high broke his heart.

     Scars can tell you a lot about a person’s life. A person who works with glass or wire will show the marks of arduous work. A person who works around hot metal will do the same. At the time of our verse, it was common for a slave owner to carve his name into the hands of a slave so the slave’s ownership would never be in doubt.

    This is, essentially, what God is telling us he is doing.  God has engraved your name on the palm of his hand. He has vowed to never leave you or forsake you just like that slave can never deny who owns him; God has promised to never forget you. He has promised to never forget, and God never will.

    We can find great comfort in this. God promised to always be there, to be our shelter, our place of safety. God will always be there to sustain through all the battles of this life. God does not tell us that we will not have any battles only that we do not have to face them alone. God is always there to comfort us, console us and to bear our burdens. We can take comfort in that we are never truly alone. At the times of our deepest pains of our greatest despair God is there to hear our cries and to keep us within his loving arms.

     This truth can give us comfort for this life and this day. We may be in a dire situation. We may experience pain, disappointment, and sorrow but this does not define us. We are in the moment but not of the moment. God’s grace is there to always remind us of the eternal life that is ours through his grace, given to us when Jesus took our place and bore the wrath that was ours, so we could have eternal life and eternal peace with God. In this we can find our hope, the hope of eternal life. In this we see God’s true promise made to us and sealed on Calvary. God has carved your name on his hands. He will not forget or forsake you. We are forever in his gracious hands of love.

Dear Lord, you have carved our names into your hands. You keep us safe within those same loving hands. With those same hands you allowed yourself to be nailed to the cross for my sins. We give you thanks and praise for your great gifts of love. In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-18-2022

 Good Morning All,

Galatians 3:11; “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

    The righteous shall live by faith. We have heard or said or even memorized this verse many times. We often say this verse, but I think most of us are usually a little afraid to think that we are righteous. We often feel this is a little pretentious. We feel that others will look at us and see us as “too good” or “above them.”

    Here is where we need to see the definition of and the difference between being “righteous” and being “self-righteous.”  The difference is like night and day. The Pharisees were self-righteous. They looked at themselves and saw their own piety and greatness. This is why Jesus spoke of the “log in your eye” when judging others.  Their log was huge. Yet God calls us to be righteous so what does this mean?

     First, and above all, the relationship that the righteous have with God is not based on the actions of the man but on the grace of God.  Our righteousness is not our own; rather it is given to us by God through Jesus.  We know this, we trust this, we place our life on this. It is not what we do it is what God has done/ is doing/ and will do for us that gives us our righteousness.

     Since the righteous know that their righteousness comes only from God and not from their own actions; they are humble and meek. They know who is God and who is not. They know that the LORD is the only source of their sustenance. So, the righteous are also needy. They need God’s mercy and grace to survive.

    The righteous know that all is from God, so they praise God for his gifts and his blessings. They live their life in constant praise to God. They live their life in the constant communion with God. They hear God speak to them through His Word and then speak to God through their prayers. This constant conversation refreshes them and gives them hope.

    Yet all this righteousness from God, this passive righteousness, does not mean a passive life. The righteous are active in living out their faith. They are active in living as the disciples that God has called them to be. For some this is preaching, for some it is teaching. Yet for most of us, it is sharing God’s love with your family, your neighbors, and your friends. It is listening as a friend’s worries about a doctor’s appointment. It is consoling a crying friend when they mourn the loss of a loved one. For most of us, it is offering a sympathetic shoulder when the time is needed.

   This is how you are righteous. You are righteous because God declares you to be righteous. This is the righteousness which God redeems us and then calls us to use in his name to bring about the reconciliation of man back to God. You are righteous if you live by faith, trusting in God’s promise of eternal life.

Dear Father, you give to us your holy righteousness. Through the blood of Jesus, you declare us holy and righteous in your sight. Keep us safe and keep us holy. Lead us in your paths that we may touch those whom you place in our lives with your tender mercy.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

1-17-2022

 Good Morning All,

        John8:32; “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

    I used to follow politics a whole lot closer than I do now.  Back then, the players were colorful, interesting and, at least in public, civil towards each other.  They showed respect for the institutions in which they served.  One of my favorite characters was a senator from New York named Daniel Patrick Moynihan.  He was a great mind who always had a way with his words.

    One of his quotes that has been coming back to me these past few months is this one, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” Every time I watch the news; this phrase comes back almost as a haunt.  As I watch the news, everyone has his own truth.  We used to say “if you don’t like the weather on this station; change the channel and get a different forecast.”  Now we say that about the “facts” of the news.

    This is a problem in our world and our nation.  We have a world in which everyone feels that they are entitled to their own “truth”.  We hold to the “you believe what you want and I’ll believe what I want”.  We no longer acknowledge that there is a truth.  We are becoming a nation where everyone has his or her own truth.  This may sound good but in reality; it represents possibly the greatest threat to us yet.

    Jesus was talking to some of his believers when he told them that if they continued in his word they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.  Later on, Jesus tells his disciples that he is the way, the TRUTH, and the life.  Jesus is the truth, the only truth that exists in our world.  He is the only truth that ever has existed or ever will.  To view the world as a place that allows many truths is the same as having many gods.

    The truth for all to know is that Jesus is the flesh and blood truth that God truly loves us and desires that we are reconciled to him.  Jesus is living proof that God wants to restore us to the perfect existence that was in Eden.  The truth is that only Jesus is the source of salvation for man.  From that truth, we build our society.  God wants us to live reconciled lives together.  We are to live in harmony with God and each other.  Yet we hold to this truth that Jesus is our salvation.  This is the only truth that there is. 

     So as we listen to the rabble that is on the news today remember; God calls us, as his children, to be the light of the world to the truth.  God’s grace shows through us.  He uses his church to show his truth to the world.  He uses his church to tell the world that God wants to reconcile the world back to him.  Know there is only one truth and be ready to speak that truth.  “Let your light so shine before men that they may see the glory of the Father.” The truth will set you free.

 Gracious Father in heaven, you have blessed us with your holy truth.  Give us your strength to guide us that we may see the truth, that we may live the truth and that we may proclaim the truth.  Guard your people and give courage to your Church.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

1-16-2022

         Good Morning All,

                    Ephesians 6:23; “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

    Peace, the ever-elusive dream. Take a second and think of all the songs, poems, novels, etc. that have been written about peace and the desire for peace. If you were to ask most adults; peace would be one of the top five wishes or dreams that they have. Yet as we speak of our hope for peace, what is it that we are really wanting? What is peace and how do we get it?

    Too often, we look for peace in the world or in our nation or community. As we look for this; we look outward to other people or other situations in order to find peace.  The truth is that we have to find peace in our selves first.  Unless we have inner peace, we will never have external peace.

     For most of us, inner peace is hard to find because of stress. The stress we find in our lives can make peace seem like a distant, foggy dream. We stress about our jobs, our children and grandchildren, our health, our loved ones’ health, we stress about the weather, the price of crops, the cost of health care, how things are going in the community or church and the list just keeps growing. Sometimes we look at it and think that all this must be some sort of sign of the times.

    We often look at the events of the world and see it as a sign of the times; a sign of the coming of the end times. We look at the Bible and Jesus never spoke of stress so now that we experience stress that must be proof, right? Jesus may not have spoken of stress, but he did speak of trials and tribulation, burdens, pains. What we call stress, Jesus referred to in other ways. In other words, stress is not a sign of the times; stress is a sign of life.

    Stress exists because sin exists. Sin causes the stress and the worry we experience. Sin causes us to fail to trust in God’s promises of comfort, of sustaining us, of maintaining us, of giving us peace. Peace will never come from the outside. Peace will only come when we trust God and have faith in his promise. True peace comes to us from God, and we have it because of faith that God will take care of us. We will still face the stresses of this world; that is just life. Yet we can live in peace with God because of Jesus. Because of the peace with God, we know the stresses of this world will not prevail. We will still experience them, but we can have inner peace from God. Even as the world seems to spin out of control, we can have peace as a blessing from God.

Gracious Lord, we long for peace but rarely find it. We often look in the wrong places. Forgive us when we fail. Bring us into your wondrous light and peace. Guard us and protect us from the devil’s aim to disrupt our peace. All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret